Black Lives Matter
June 05, 2020
In the last week, we have all been experiencing heightened tension because of the police brutality that led to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many other incidents before them. The protests in response are especially relevant given that this is the 50th anniversary of Pride and last year was the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riot. Fifty years later, the LGBTQ community has a much better (although not perfect) relationship with the police. This is especially true in SF between the Mission Street Station and the Castro community. Hot Cookie supports the protests and the arrests and charges being brought against all the officers involved in the three incidents above.
One of the demands of the protestors is to “defund the police”. We understand the emotion behind that statement and the need for serious change in law enforcement as it currently exists. How that practically plays out is something that is still being discussed by communities across the U.S. including San Francisco. What we do not support is making generalizations about any group of people – including those who wear the uniform of a police officer. They – like us – work, have families, are imperfect, and some identify as LGBTQ. Racism is a systemic issue that requires ongoing work from all of us and affects all of our institutions, including the police. Hot Cookie has worked cooperatively with the police in the Castro and now at our Polk store. Ideally, having police would not be necessary. Unfortunately, there are always those in society that are willing to exploit the most vulnerable. The police are no different. There are those who use their position as a police officer to exploit the most vulnerable to elevate themselves and they should be held accountable.
Hot Cookie’s community roots are in supporting the LGBTQ community with a sex positive space that is safe and supportive. We stand with all those who are oppressed by the dominant culture and seek equality. Black Lives Matter is about eliminating the systematic racism that has been so much part of the history of the U.S.
We aspire to treat all people as the individuals they are and not judge anyone based on race, gender, or sexual orientation. If a police officer comes into Hot Cookie, they are a human being who loves our cookies and from our experience, supports the concept of what Hot Cookie is. We expect all of our employees to treat them with the same respect we would any other customer. Only through open and honest dialogue, especially on difficult topics like this, can we grow individually and create the change our world needs.