Diamond Stylz Elevates Black Trans Stories Through Media and Advocacy – OutSmart Magazine

From podcast microphones to political strategy sessions, distinguished activist Diamond Stylz is making sure Black trans voices are heard loud and clear. A cultural anthropologist, award-winning journalist, filmmaker, and vibrant personality, Stylz has made it her life’s work to build the spaces she didn’t have while growing up.

“This is kind of my default,” Stylz explains. “Anybody who is queer can relate to the fact that their existence in a room changes it. Just walking in a space changes it. And that, in itself, is revolutionary.”

Her experiences at Jackson State University, where she was the first openly trans woman to attend, left an indelible mark on her approach to self-love and advocacy. “That area of my life was when I most felt like an island. It was the most I felt alone,” she reveals. “They literally boiled a pot of water, knocked on my door, and threw the water when I opened the door.”

Despite the harassment and dangers, Stylz remained resolute. “It taught me that I’m on the right side of fucking history,” she proclaims. “Be steadfast in the belief in who you are. Even though they might not see it right now, they will see it later.”

Stylz’s impactful advocacy took on a more intentional form in her 30s. “It started to be more of an active, intentional building of a community that is fighting against different systems that are affecting my life and the people around me,” she says.

Now in its ninth year, her podcast Marsha’s Plate remains a cornerstone of her media work. The series was launched in the wake of the 2016 election as a powerful, direct response to the growing anti-trans rhetoric across the country. “I started to see when people were talking about trans issues, they were putting the mic in somebody’s face that was a little bit more privileged,” she recalls. “But, we live in a time where we can create our own platforms.”

What began as an alternative to mainstream media has become a vital archive of trans voices. “We have interviews with people who are grassroots organizers. We have interviews with trans celebrities,” Stylz elaborates. “We cultivate the conversations about current events, legislation, joy, and the devastation of it.”

For those new to trans issues, Marsha’s Plate also offers “Trans 101,” an educational series of segments specifically designed and curated for listeners who want to learn without putting the burden of educating on their trans loved ones or any other members of the trans community. “Sometimes, when you’ve been in the activist space, you already know everything,” Stylz admits. “Some people are just coming into this. Being sensitive to that, we allow people to just listen instead of us having to do the labor of teaching all the time.”

The name of the podcast is an intentional homage to Marsha P. Johnson, an activist who is now synonymous with the beginnings of the modern Gay Rights Movement. “Marsha P. is a symbol of something,” says Stylz. “But the legacy I’m trying to honor is not just Marsha. It is Sylvia [Rivera]. It is Stormé [DeLarverie]. There’s a coalition that happened and that Stonewall represents. A butch lesbian, a Black trans woman, and a Latinx trans woman. That’s what that rebellion represented.”

Through her media work, Stylz has gained influence and visibility, but her passion and power don’t stop at the mic. “I love being a part of a community that is doing powerful work,” she shares. To this end, Stylz is deeply involved with the Transgender Law Center, the Transgender District in San Francisco, and serves on the Harris County LGBTQIA+ Commission.

“I love cutting-edge people. I love people that move culture forward,” admits Stylz. “It informs the kind of stories that I cover, the kind of art that I create, and the kind of research that I do.”

That research led to the creation of Intentionally Erased, an eye-opening documentary film that explores violence against Black trans women by their intimate partners. “Why don’t we cultivate conversations between these two people and talk about toxic masculinity, race, gender, and the patriarchy?” she poignantly asks.

Stylz has also been recognized with two GLAAD Media Awards and a prestigious Scripps Howard Award. Yet, she doesn’t let these gleaming accolades guide her path. “They shape public perception of me. They don’t shape my work,” she states. “These things validate me to other people, but it doesn’t change my integrity.”

Her current priorities include advancing public accommodations ordinances in Houston and championing youth literacy. “We [Harris County’s LGBTQIA+ Commission] are doing a children’s banned book fair at the Barbara Bush Library in Spring,” she shares excitedly. “It’s going to be wholesome family fun showcasing some amazing books.” That event is scheduled for Saturday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

When asked about the most pressing issues facing Black trans communities today, Stylz quickly offers: “Health care, housing, and work. We love to talk about pull-ourselves-up-by-the-bootstraps. Give people the opportunity to do that, and they will show up and do it.”

For Stylz, the solutions for problems facing the trans, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and QTPOC communities aren’t simply policy changes. They’re cultural. “We’re not talking about you dismantling the big system. We’re talking about where you have power,” she says. It’s about lifting your voice anywhere and everywhere you have the power and platform to do so. “In your home you can say, ‘No, that is unacceptable here.’”

That’s the revolution Diamond Stylz is leading. One where trans people are not just seen, but heard, respected, and centered in every space.

For more information, follow Diamond Stylz at @DiamondStylz on all platforms.