Racial injustice in America has reached a breaking point, and the protests and riots that are currently going on are a culmination of centuries of oppression of the Black community. Systemic racism and police brutality is nothing new, but it has finally exploded into a long overdue, worldwide conversation. The Black community needs our support, and we all need to take action. 

Last week we shared an extensive list of anti-racism educational resources, and we encourage our community to do what you can. Donate to the organizations that are doing the work, sign the petitions that can instigate change, call/email your representatives and demand they take action, speak out in support of the Black community, commit to ongoing anti-racism education, and have the uncomfortable conversations with friends, family, and co-workers.

This week, things online are starting to look like they are going “back to normal” while the buzz in the media starts to die down. We have been sitting with the truth that there is no going back, and we need to keep moving forward.⁣ These conversations around allyship must continue, and real action needs to be taken now and always. 

Over the past couple of weeks we have been taking the time to personally acknowledge the ways in which we haven’t done enough, and have been formulating a plan on how we will do better in the future.⁣ Today we are sharing our full action plan with you, our community. 

1. Our platforms are a safe space for Black and non-Black POC.

We will not tolerate racism of any kind in the Lez See the World community. We commit to monitoring public comments on all of our platforms and will NOT tolerate overt or covert displays of racism including micro-aggressions. We will delete these comments. We will block these users. Racism has no place here.

2. We commit to building a diverse team.

Lez See the World is solely operated by the two of us (a white lesbian couple) at this time. As we grow our business and eventually expand our team, it’s important to us that our brand exists for everyone including Black and non-Black POC. We recognize that in order to truly make our business inclusive, we need to have a diverse team working alongside us.

3. We will amplify new voices on our platforms.

While we are the face of our own brand, we are committed to building a safe and inclusive community that doesn’t centre solely around us. While continuing to share our own personal life and story with our audience, we will also be using our platforms to lift up other voices through collaborations, guest posts, interviews, and more. 

4. We give back.

A portion of the proceeds from Lez See the World has always gone back to LGBTQ+ organizations. In the future, we will be prioritizing donations to LGBTQ+ organizations that specifically support Black and non-Black POC. As our business and income grows, our donations will grow.

5. We will continue to educate ourselves and our community.

Good allyship requires ongoing research and anti-racism education. While we will be furthering our education on our own, we will also stay committed to sharing educational resources with our community on our various platforms. 

This action plan will grow and expand as we continue to learn. We will always remain open to making changes and acknowledging how we can do better. Thank you for reading.

Steph + Katie