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Drag THINGING!, Belonging, and Honoring Your Anger With CYRO

Honor your anger. Honor your pain.

CYRO’s words resonated deeply with me – like a bell used to awaken your spirit.

This isn’t just an interview.

It’s an awakening. It’s a residence. It’s a healing.

I am so grateful that CYRO took the time to sit down and share their passionate and powerful wisdom with all of us.

Leah Kirby, also known as CYRO, creates theatre that incites change and incorporates non-western techniques in order to explore social, economic, and political issues through a non-traditional format. 

They are an activist, theatre maker, actor, writer and drag thing named CYRO. 

CYRO is a Queer, Non-Binary, DRAG THING! 

They bring strength, beauty and awareness to the stage with acts like 'Run Rabbit', exploring the struggles of gang induction and violence within black communities, and 'I am not your', a piece that delves into black masculinity within a non-binary body and shows the beauty it can exude by stripping back the facade. 

They use spoken word, movement, composition, Lip syncing and storytelling within their work to incite change through artistic calls to action.

I am telling you: this interview is everything you have been looking for in a THE Celebration episode.

Do yourself a favor. 

Hit play.

You can learn more about Cyro through their website, or you can follow them on Instagram @cyrodragthing

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Why “I Don’t See Color” is a Lie With Dr. Angela Courage! and Dr. LaTonya Jackson

“I don’t see color.”

“We all bleed red.” 

“We’re all just human.”

Oh God. No. 

#FacePalm

If you’ve ever engaged in a dialogue on race or attempted to invite someone in on their racism, I would bet my favorite pen that you’ve heard some variation of these.

Hey.  I’ll up the bet. 

I’d wager my favorite pair of headphones that more likely than not it was one of us white folks who uttered said phrases too. 

All jokes and bets aside, phrases like “I don’t see color”—while good intentioned—derail efforts towards anti-racism. 

Rather than being egalitarian, they are actually racist. 

Now you might be saying to yourself, “What the hell, Tom? How is this racist?” 

Here’s my suggestion:  listen to this week’s episode. 

My guests this week are Dr. Angela Courage! and Dr. LaTonya Jackson, authors of “5 Blinders to Seeing Color.”

We took a deep dive into this topic and provided insights on how “I don’t see color” is problematic at best. 

If you’re striving to unpack your whiteness and privilege, or you’re looking for resources to send to a friend who keeps saying “I don’t see color,” we have you covered.

In addition, during this episode we talked about: 

  • race 

  • power 

  • privilege 

  • color 

  • colonialism.  

  • control  

  • social privilege 

  • economic privilege 

  • layers of privilege  

  • international question: “we don’t have white privilege in my country” → colorism.  

  • corporate issues ←- relating to race. 

  • individual issues ←- relating to race. 

We really went in on this one and I know it will bring you tremendous value. 

Hit play and let me know what was your biggest aha. 

You can learn more about Dr. Angela Courage! and Dr. LaTonya Jackson’s work at - seecolorr.com

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