Actor Justice Smith has come out as queer and said his boyfriend is his “guiding light” in a moving Black Lives Matter post.
The Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Pokémon Detective Pikachu actor went to a New Orleans protest with boyfriend Nicholas Ashe.
Smith said they both chanted “black trans lives matter” and “black queer lives matter” at the rally. But he was disappointed at how some weren’t receptive to the message.
“As a black queer man myself, I was disappointed to see certain people eager to say Black Lives Matter, but hold their tongue when Trans/Queer was added,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I want to reiterate this sentiment: if your revolution does not include Black Queer voices, it is anti-black.
“If your revolution is okay with letting black trans people like #TonyMcDade slip through the cracks in order to solely liberate black cishet men, it is anti-black.”
Black transgender man Tony McDade was shot by police in northern Florida on May 27. McDade died just days after the killing of George Floyd.
Smith continued, “You are trying to push yourself through the door of a system designed against you, and then shut the door behind you.
“It is in our conditioning to get as close to whiteness, straightness, maleness as we can because that’s where the power is.
“And if we appeal to it, maybe it’ll give us a slice. But the revolution is not about appeal.
“It is about demanding what should have been given to black, queer, and trans individuals from the beginning.
“Which is the right to exist. To live and prosper in public. Without fear of persecution or threat of violence.”
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Justice Smith confirms relationship with boyfriend Nicholas Ashe
Responding to the outpouring of support on Twitter, Justice Smith said, “Yo tf i didn’t come out, y’all came in.”
He also shared a sweet tribute to Nicholas Ashe, who is also an actor. Smith posted snaps of the pair posing for the camera, brushing their teeth, and kissing.
“There is so much tragedy on the timeline these last couple of days, he wrote.
“So I added some photos of me and Nic to show some #blackboyjoy #blacklove #blackqueerlove.
“You’ve been my rock and guiding light through all of this and I love you so much. I know that on the other side of this is change, though the fight is far from over.”
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