Unapologetically Black, same gender loving, HIV positive & atheist. All of these descriptors speak to the identity of the New Orleans native who at age fifteen took part in the founding of one of the first Gay/straight alliances ever in a New Orleans area high school. That was the genesis of his work as a civil rights activist. He knows what being marginalized looks and feels like which informs his philosophy that Black liberation and justice must be inter-sectional. Ashton’s belief in Black liberation and inter-sectional justice is highlighted by his active involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement, racial justice, feminism, LGBTQ rights and secular activism.
Ashton is currently based in Houston, TX and is the Co-Founder & lead organizer for Black Lives Matter: Houston. When he isn’t organizing, Ashton acts as Co-Chair for the Black Humanist Alliance, which is a coalition of secular activists under the American Humanist Association. In the LGBT community Ashton is very involved in the fight for equality and his efforts led to a recent appointment to the City of Houston’s first LGBT advisory board. As the founder of the Strength In Numbers Project and blog he writes about issues affecting the Black community while implementing the tenets set forth in the main project (more info). In addition to his own blog, Ashton writes as a blogger for POZ magazine and has contributed to many publications like The Humanist, The Body, Houston Press, and many others on a myriad of subjects.