Justice Smith posted photos of him with boyfriend Nicholas L Ashe after chanting ‘Black Trans Lives Matter’ at a New Orleans protest. (Instagram)
Jurassic World actor Justice Smith has come out as queer by sharing photos of him and his boyfriend in solidarity with Black Trans Lives Matter.
Smith, 24, shared the powerful statement on Instagram with a video taken when him and actor Nicholas L Ashe, best-known for starring in Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar, were at a Black Lives Matter protest in New Orleans.
“Nicholas Ashe and I protested today in New Orleans,” Smith captioned a video on Instagram, which shows a crowd of protestors listening to a person singing “Black trans lives are sacred. Black trans lives are worthy.”
“We chanted ‘Black Trans Lives Matter’ ‘Black Queer Lives Matter’ ‘All Black Lives Matter’,” Smith continued.
“As a black queer man myself, I was disappointed to see certain people eager to say Black Lives Matter, but hold their tongue when Trans/Queer was added.
“I want to reiterate this sentiment: if your revolution does not include Black Queer voices, it is anti-black.
“If your revolution is okay with letting black trans people like #TonyMcDade slip through the cracks in order to solely liberate black cishet men, it is anti-black.”
In a beautiful statement on IG, Justice Smith (The Get Down, Jurassic World, Detective Pikachu) stands up for Black queer lives in the movement comes and announces his relationship with Nicholas Ashe (Queen Sugar, Choir Boy) 🥺💙🏳️🌈 #PrideMonth #BlackQueerLivesMatter #BlackBoyJoy pic.twitter.com/ZaIvS4q9Rh
— You Matter. ✊🏾🌈 (@josephjerome_) June 6, 2020
Justice Smith continued on Instagram: “You are trying to push yourself through the door of a system designed against you, and then shut the door behind you.
“It is in our conditioning to get as close to whiteness, straightness, maleness as we can because that’s where the power is. And if we appeal to it, maybe it’ll give us a slice.
“But the revolution is not about appeal. It is about demanding what should have been given to us from the beginning.
“What should have been given to black, queer, and trans individuals from the beginning. Which is the right to exist. To live and prosper in public. Without fear of persecution or threat of violence.
“There is so much tragedy on the timeline these last couple of days so I added some photos of me and Nic to show some #blackboyjoy #blacklove#blackqueerlove ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
“You’ve been my rock and guiding light through all of this and I love you so much. I know that on the other side of this Is change, though the fight is far from over.”
There followed three photos of the couple together, one in which they are brushing their teeth together.
Needless to say, Twitter reacted with pure joy to Smith’s revelation.
“Justice Smith just came out as a queer man with his boyfriend and I couldn’t be more proud of him,” one person tweeted.
“I love him and I wish him and his boyfriend all the love, happiness and positivity in this world. Love wins.”
Justice Smith just came out as a queer man with his boyfriend and I couldn’t be more proud of him. I love him and I wish him and his boyfriend all the love, happiness and positivity in this world. Love wins 🏳️🌈❤️ pic.twitter.com/6dGEDemdDF
— femme fierce (@artsdior) June 6, 2020
why did I log on to instagram just to find out that justice smith is not only queer but also has a black bf, the power that this knowledge has given me a immeasurable
— at this point violence is the answer (@Satans_Nut1) June 6, 2020
Finally Two Geigh Black Men in Entertainment
Nick Ashe of Queen Sugar( Micah)
Justice Smith (The Get Down, Jurassic World, Detective Pickachu)Love to see it🙌🏾❤️ pic.twitter.com/oA4XWZvwa2
— Always Keepin it 2 Virgils Witcha (@nice_two) June 6, 2020
JUSTICE SMITH HAS A BOYFRIEND NOBODY FUCKING MOVE pic.twitter.com/0haIx1oVzf
— PLEASE DONT GO GIRL! / ihtby au 💒 (@babyloveblum) June 6, 2020
Smith, who also starred in Detective Pikachu, has since added to his statement on Twitter, saying: “yo tf i didn’t come out, y’all came in.”
yo tf i didn’t come out, y’all came in
— Justice Smith (@standup4justice) June 6, 2020