A Safe Space When There Were No Others: Black LGBTQ+ Kinship, Houses and Chosen Families
This event highlights the importance of chosen families and kinship for Black trans and queer people.
Featured speaker Jeff Perkins (he/him), a Mizzou alum, will be taking a historical look at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States, when medications and access to adequate healthcare were extremely limited for Black and Brown communities, and family rejection and poverty were commonplace for Black LGBTQ+ youth. Come learn about how Houses served as chosen families that supported Black LGBTQ youth, guided by elder members of the community who provided a safe space when there were no others. We will also be featuring an interactive portion for the audience to contribute to the question: Who has felt like family to us?
This event is sponsored by the LGBTQ Resource Center.
Event Organizer: Eli Kean
