If it wasn’t for the support, whether financial, mental, emotional, or even with a simple retweet of my work, I have always felt supported by the community of queer writers of color. Many of us, queer writers of color, and supporters of our community, know how important it is to have support, especially financial.
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, many countries and cities have cancelled major events, and in light of this, many people, presses, journals, etc. have cancelled book tours and readings, which directly support writers; honestly, it puts money directly in their pockets, money that is needed for bills, medicine, food, transportation, creation, and more! Likewise, universities across USA have switched to online only and have closed their campuses, forcing students to go home, but a lot of students, especially black and brown students, especially queer black and brown students don’t have this opportunity, and are in desperate need of funds. The closures of universities also effect teachers who rely on these classes to get paid.
This impact has major affects on the literature community as a whole and puts queer writers of color in stressful situations, causing more widespread panic, and while I tip my hat to presses and publishers who have created bundled packages and discounted many of their books, those who aren’t affiliated with them are still in need. Even those affiliated with said presses and publishers are in need.
For more information: https://www.gofundme.com/f/queer-writers-of-color-relief-fund
Anonymous on April 1, 2020