What does it mean to you to be Black & LGBTI+ ?
Adwoa:
I wouldn’t be who I am if I where a white straight man. So together with being a woman I am extremely proud of being black and queer. I have experienced resistance from people around me (within the black community) concerning my sexuality. This often hits me in the face. Unfortunately I don’t experience my life, being black and Queer, as a pain free and completely protected/safe one.
What does Black Queer Love/Magic mean to you?
Extremely powerful. Being in a relationship with another woman of color lifts both of us up mentally and spiritually. I feel Loved, cared for, heard and understood in such a sincere and deep way.
How does Black Queer Healing look like to you? How do you do it?
I have accepted that healing needs to come from within myself. It is easy to seek healing from others. But the black and the queer communities often lie far apart. There are racist queer people and there are homophobic black people. Within me it is the combination of being both black and queer that needs peace and love. So I come to the conclusion that the process of healing needs to circulate within me and my lifestyle.
Surroundings do have a big influence on that circulation. It is inevitable that there can be racism and homophobia thrown at me once I leave my front door. So at an early age I have learnt to stand solidly in my body and mind to prevent my ‘circulation of healing’ to be disrupted by any external influences.
This photo series is a collaboration between photographer Leonel Piccardo & Naomie Pieter for the launch of human rights movement Black Pride (NL)