This training is hosted by Law for Black Lives.

"If Black women and queer folx are free, then we would all be free.” This workshop introduces participants to Black Queer Feminism (BQF) as both a political theory and a practice. We will define BQF, trace its roots, and explore why it is essential to the Black liberation movement and to the work of movement lawyers. Through interactive discussion, participants will become familiar with key concepts, principles, contributors, and language within BQF, and begin thinking critically about how to align their legal work with Black Queer Feminist principles. This session is designed as an accessible entry point, offering participants both foundational knowledge and space to reflect on questions like: Who are my people? What are we building?

Learning Objectives

- By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

- Define Black Queer Feminism (BQF): Understand BQF as a framework for analyzing systems of oppression and imagining liberatory futures.

- Identify Core Concepts & Language: Gain working definitions of key terms such as patriarchy, anti-Blackness, queerness, feminism, gender identity/expression, state-sanctioned violence, and gender-based violence. Explore how race, gender, and sexuality intersect through a Black Queer Feminist lens.

- Recognize Key Contributors: Become familiar with major thinkers and organizers whose work shapes BQF (e.g., Audre Lorde, Barbara Smith, the Combahee River Collective, bell hooks, Cathy Cohen)