D’Angelo Vogues Down: A Memorial
This very short story is written in memory of a youth member of the Chicago queer community we lost in the summer of 2015, and will appear alongside other pieces in the forthcoming zine honoring […]
Author Archives: Benji Hart
In the Wake of ‘Formation’: Reflections on Misogynoir and Community Healing
Last month I wrote a response to the song and video ‘Formation,’ after being asked my thoughts repeatedly throughout the week of its release. I was angry—in ways I couldn’t describe […]
My (Apparently) Obligatory Response to ‘Formation’: In List Form
1. I have actively avoided saying anything about Beyoncé’s new song and video. I don’t think they are interesting, important or deserving of my commentary. That as a Black, queer person […]
When Police Kill Us, We Don’t Need To Apologize
“There are good cops” is a desperately reassuring refrain we hear regularly in the movement for Black lives. Indeed, we are often the ones who say it. When a cousin of […]
Misogyny on the Mag Mile: A Turning Point
Several prominent Chicago youth organizers—all of them Black women, and the majority of them queer—were physically assaulted on Black Friday during the hugely successful shutdown of the Magnificent Mile in […]
Four Unexpected Things We Learned In Lockup: Reflections on the IACP Shutdown
On Saturday, October 24th, I spent nine hours in lockup, along with more than sixty-five of my Black comrades and our allies, at the District 8 police station in Chicago. […]
#FundBlackFutures Action Shuts Down IACP Conference
Happening Now: BYP100 is shutting down the IACP Conference in Chicago. A smaller cohort of allied affinity groups is supporting the action by blocking the major streets in front of McCormick Place. […]
Profane and Sacred: A Review of lil BLK
In the spirit of the Black Arts Movement reimagined in the era of Black Lives Matter, lil BLK, a solo performance by Nic Kay which premiered last weekend at Links […]
Radical Gentry: Activism and Displacement
I’m Black. I’m queer. I’m from a wealthy family. I’m formally educated. I did not grow up in the city in which I currently live. I work for a nonprofit […]
An Open Letter from a Black Man to His White Family in a Moment of Violence
To the white people I share home with, I’ve gotten degrees. I’ve been published. I’ve spoken at academic gatherings. I’ve taught classes and workshops. I’ve built up a resume. I’ve […]
Radical Faggot 