The 1977 Combahee River Collective Statement, expresses the concern for the rights of black women as they have been continuously excluded from reaping the benefits or being included in the fight for rights. In the text they state, “Our situation as Black people necessitates that we have solidarity around the fact of race, which white women of course do not need to have with white men, unless it is the negative solidarity as racial oppressors. We struggle together with Black men against racism, while we also struggle with Black men about sexism.”. Jaisely Dominguez’s snapshot captures the essence of having to fight multiple oppressions as the crowd fights against racism, sexism, sexual orientation and overall identity. The 1990 documentary film, “Paris is Burning”, also depicts the struggle of living life as black individuals with emphasis as black individuals who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Both Jaisely’s snapshot and “Paris is Burning” depict the importance of creating community and supporting each other through solidarity. Both racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia are captured in the scene of the snapshot and the documentary film, without community and their solidarity the struggle would be greater and safe spaces would not exist had they not created them for themselves and each other. In the same way the Mothers house the children, black individuals who share a common struggle had to be “homes’ to the younger and set an example.

The Combahee River Collective Statement, quotes Michele Wallace in “A Black Feminist’s Search for Sisterhood, which mentions, “Michele Wallace arrives at this conclusion: We exists as women who are Black who are feminists, each stranded for the moment, working independently because there is not yet an environment in this society remotely congenial to our struggle—because, being on the bottom, we would have to do what no one else has done: we would have to fight the world.”, which resonates with “Paris is Burning” in a more dream-like, hopefully manner when Venus and Octavia are expressing their yearn for more from life as they express wanting so much more and acting on it despite the dangers and obstacles they face which can end in facing violence. They once again express, “Many Black women have a good understanding of both sexism and racism, but because of the everyday constrictions of their lives, cannot risk struggling against them both”, further emphasizing the notion that the oppressions that black women face are overwhelming and despite having many, cannot fight them all at once even though they all affect them. The death of Venus Xtravaganza tragically depicts such obstacles. Although Venus was secure in herself for the most part and was light skinned, she still faced sexism and transphobia by the same people requesting to meet her, white men.