Taylor Crumpton

Hey! Don’t use my religion to discriminate

The President of the United States signed an executive order that promotes religious liberty. As a person of faith, I grow tired of the rhetoric that categorizes my faith as one to be weaponized to promote discrimination against minority groups. This order is not for the empowerment or protection of American Christians, but to allow the conversation to be dominated by white evangelical Christians voices who support restrictions on LGBTQ communities, abortion, and access to reproductive health care for individuals who it. I apologize to the communities affected by this order because this is not what my religion teaches. My religion is built on the protecting the meek and oppressed, building relationships with those on the margins of society, and fighting for those who are being taken advantage of by… Read more »

Now More Than Ever, Local Action Matters

On April 10th, Neil Gorsuch became an associate justice on the United States Supreme Court. With his nomination came the death of the Senate, due to the elimination of rules that maintained the checks and balances of our government. His confirmation is a signal of how the three branches of government are going to operate for the next four years. If we’ve learned anything over these past 100 days, it is that for every regulation or protection is taken away, another executive order is signed that negatively impacts our communities and the ones we love. We have to utilize our knowledge and privileges to combat against these wide sweeping injustices. We have seen this begin — from the federal judges in Hawaii that overturned the travel ban and the cities… Read more »

The Border, The Wall, and Reproductive Rights

I hear them say ‘go home’; I hear them say ‘fucking immigrants, fucking refugees’. Are they really this arrogant? Do they not know that stability is like a lover with a sweet mouth upon your body one second; the next you are a tremor lying on the floor covered in rubble and old currency waiting for its return. All I can say is, I was once like you, the apathy, the pity, the ungrateful placement and now my home is the mouth of a shark, now my home is the barrel of a gun. I’ll see you on the other side.” ― Warsan Shire, Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth Immigrants and refugees. Two communities that face disenfranchisement and discrimination due to factors they couldn’t control. Whether it be… Read more »

Where Do We Go

Since my acceptance into graduate schools, I’ve been vocalizing my excitement about moving out of the South and into a liberal metropolitan area (which are still problematic and implicit in racial and economic segregationist practices), where I’ll be in community with like-minded individuals and not be seen as the odd person out because I believe in gender neutral restrooms. Which, if you are from the South or spend time here, you know exactly what I’m talking about. While daydreaming of being in queer women of color-dominated spaces and not constantly having to fight individuals and committees about equality and equity for traditionally oppressed groups, I was brought back to reality with one question. Who is going to fight for vulnerable communities if everyone leaves? My social work professor has been… Read more »

Women’s History Month

I’m a black woman, and I love my blackness and womanhood. This self-love allows me to have yet another month of celebrating the characteristics that make me me. This past February, aka Black History Month, was 30 days of witnessing Beyoncé glorify black motherhood, black love overcome white mediocrity at the Oscars, black women legislators clapping back at the Trump Administration’s policies, and expressions of the multifaceted experiences of being black in America. Just yesterday, I transitioned into a month where predominantly white women’s accomplishments are celebrated, like the suffrage movement securing the right to vote (even though they excluded black women for their efforts due to white supremacy), feminism (that did not include black women, despite y’all’s fave saying she learned it from black women), and reproductive rights (which led… Read more »

Protect Trans Kids

Yall’s president decided to rescind protections for transgender students that allowed them to use restrooms corresponding to their gender identity setting the tone for how his administration is going to handle LGBTQIA issues over the next four years. As organizers, activists, and advocates, we knew on November 8th that the next four years was going to be filled with actions and protests to protect the constitutional rights of traditionally oppressed and marginalized communities that are being threatened. From interrupting confirmation hearings, nationwide marches, and holding elected representatives accountable at townhalls (when they actually show up), we have been vocalizing our distaste and concern of a discriminatory agenda from the White House. This agenda’s next target is the trans community, and we have to prepare ourselves to stand against this…. Read more »

An Ode to Beyonce

We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes. – The Carters A photo posted by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Feb 1, 2017 at 10:39am PST Dear Beyonce, When I heard that you were pregnant again, I burst into tears because after the week of executive order from y’all’s president, I forgot to know what happiness and joy felt like. Yet, you knew what your fans needed and dropped the hottest maternity photo shoot to grace mankind. Your background symbolizes women’s connection with the earth as the creators and planters of this land. Your belly symbolizes the creation of new life, and your body… Read more »

‘Twas the day before the Inauguration

On January 20th, Donald J. Trump will become the 45th President of the United States. In response to his upcoming presidency and administration, thousands of organizers, advocates, and activists are mobilizing their communities and making their resistance known. From the resistance manual released from Deray and Campaign Zero, the vision for Black Lives released from the Movement 4 Black Lives, and the policy platform released by the Women’s March on Washington; citizens refuse to stay silent and allow Trump’s administration to continue the violation of human rights and legacy of systemic inequalities that exist within this nation. These next four years are going to be a continued battle for humanity. We’ve seen from the confirmation hearings, the policies his nominees support and want to enforce upon us. We’ve seen protestors… Read more »

10 Ways to Practice Self-Care

These past weeks have been difficult for citizens who have witnessed the rise of white nationalism into the highest elected political offices in our nation, the continued legacy of police officers unjustly murdering black bodies, discriminatory legislation towards trans folks in Southern states, and the increased attacks towards communities who are different from white, cisgender, heterosexual, male communities. In these times, it’s easy to not practice self-care since we are fighting for existence in a society that wants to treat us like second-class individuals. Yet we have to remember that this is a war, and not a single battle. So to uplift and encourage your spirits, here’s 10 ways to smile through the hard times ahead. Treat Yo Self Give No Fucks Be Yourself 4. Vogue For Your Life 5…. Read more »

It Is Our Duty To Fight For Our Freedom

Thursday morning at 2:00am, I was holding my housemate as she sobbed after the news reported that Hilary Rodham Clinton had conceded to Donald J. Trump and that he had become the president-elect. I couldn’t bring myself to cry because a small part of me knew that America couldn’t be ready for another eight years of change. I sat there in silence as I saw the world around me crumble. I thought about the countless vulnerable populations that would be subject to discriminatory laws and have their civil rights threatened. I thought about the anti-trans bathroom bill in North Carolina and Gavin Grimm‘s upcoming Supreme Court case. I thought about the Indigenous families who have held their ground at Standing Rock in defense of their land and their water. I… Read more »