Violence Narrowly Averted at Black Hills Pride

Tokata Iron Eyes

Posted June 13, 2024

Happy Pride Month to you! I hope you’re enjoying the best things in life. Today I share with you some serious thoughts — and Law Lakota Law Project’s new video detailing my attendance, as a queer Lakota, of the first Black Hills Pride celebration in Rapid City, S.D. on Saturday, June 1.

I’ll start by noting that the police presence was heavy. This is important. The route of the parade was lined with cop cars (though also joyfully filled with the throwing of candy and presence of children and families). Few were actually marching this first year, and I hope the event will grow over time. I’ll say that I did see many Native participants, which was a big comfort — especially once things nearly got out of hand toward the end of the parade route.

That’s when, as a swell of people cheered and waited to receive beads and candy, three separate physical altercations between bigots and Pride participants broke out just ahead of us. One man began swinging on a member of the Pride security team, but thankfully he was swiftly handled and given over to police custody. Simultaneously, another man who had been screeching religious obscenities at everyone through a megaphone was now confronted — politely, though sternly. As he was escorted away, a third man began arguing with attendees.

Queerness is as old as water, and most who belong to Native nations have traditionally regarded it as an asset, not a deficit, in an individual.

This altercation became physical, and as he was wrestled out of the crowd, the man pulled a knife. Fortunately — as many called in unison for law enforcement to intervene — event security apprehended him and attempted to wrestle the weapon out of his hands. I am grateful for their presence and awareness! From what I’d seen, most of the security staffers were Native, and while I did feel concern for our safety, these unarmed heroes handled the situation quickly.

And here, I want to make clear exactly why the heavy police presence didn’t lend me additional comfort. When things got dangerous, they weren’t the first responders. Also, when the crowd began asking for police involvement, I actually felt less safe. I don’t believe a knife fight gets any less dangerous when a dozen guns and the threat of incarceration are involved. And then there’s the fact that we Lakota, like most communities of color, have a long and unhealthy history with police. I’ve never trusted them to keep me safe.

If anything, it’s entirely the opposite. I think most Native people, especially those of us from Rapid City (or Pine Ridge), will tell you the same. So, while I’m relieved that no one was severely injured, by cops or otherwise, I think the subject of police presence at Pride events brings up some important questions. Do cops even belong there? Should LGBTQ2S+ people expect protection from law enforcement, when police have traditionally kept marginalized communities down? Where do we go from here?

Queerness is as old as water, and most who belong to Native nations have traditionally regarded it as an asset, not a deficit, in an individual. But that isn’t so in the broader culture. So, when I think about the ways homophobic and transphobic rhetoric and standards are still used to colonize space, and when I think about how learned racist/genocidal rules or patterns intersect with homophobia or transphobia, it makes sense to me that white Pride goers would feel safe to call on the police in Rapid City.

That’s why it remains essential for Native LGBTQ2S+ people to urge non-Natives — even our fellow queer folk and allies — to educate themselves about our community. It’s a beautiful thing that we’ve now reached a moment where a place like Rapid City can have a Pride parade at all. But let’s also remember that Pride started as a protest of police brutality. The Stonewall Riots were a reaction by the queer community in New York City to a violent police raid at a gay bar called the Stonewall Inn.

Since its conception, Pride has always been a method of resistance and revolution, and blind participation does not honor those who were subjugated, arrested, or injured trying to initiate a social and cultural movement that recognizes the entirety of us. That’s why I remain grateful and dedicated to celebrating their legacy and sharing with you our stories. Please join me in working to ensure resources are available to those struggling to survive and navigate colonial structures and institutions. Pride should be abolitionist. It should include land back, support political prisoners, and seek to end hate and genocide, wherever they exist.

Wopila tanka — thank you for your solidarity with the Pride community!

Tokata Iron Eyes is a Spokesperson and Organizer with The Lakota People’s Law Project.