News
The MN LGBTQ+ Therapists’ Network is saddened and angered about yet another murder of a Black man by police officers. In Minneapolis, on Monday, May 25th, 2020, George Floyd, who was unarmed and in handcuffs, died at the hands and knees of members of the Minneapolis Police Force. Last night, outside of the Third Precinct, the Minneapolis Police Force, dressed in riot gear and without a disperse warning to protesters, shot them with hundreds of rubber bullets and dozens of canisters of tear gas. The protests continue this evening. As I write this, dozens of police in riot gear, and now horses, are present at the precinct.
There is absolutely no reason that any of this violence and brutality by police officers is warranted, justified or acceptable.
We stand in solidarity with the Black members of our communities. We see you. We see your pain. We understand your outrage. We respect your fear. We acknowledge your grief.
As mental health professionals, we recognize the vicarious trauma, secondary victimization, oppression fatigue, and inter-generational trauma these violent actions foster within Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and their families and communities.
To the BIPOC members of our organization, we see you, and we care about your pain, sorrow and well-being. We respectfully acknowledge the double toll on you as providers in your own community when the wound is shared.
We stand in strong opposition to the patriarchal systems of white supremacy and white-protection that permeate throughout law enforcement and the legal system. We call for justice and accountability from all levels of government in Minneapolis and the State of Minnesota. Firing the officers involved was an essential first step. The next one: the involved officers need to be swiftly and aptly charged in Mr. Floyd’s murder.
We commit to doing our part in the fight for racial justice. None of us are free, if one of us is not.
Say his name. George Floyd.
Submitted on behalf of the MN LGBTQ+ Therapists' Network Steering Committee - Irene Greene, Chair
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