***Knowledge of Resistance suggests that even under conditions of extreme persecution there exists the possibility of struggle. Knowledge of past and forgotten rebellion, large or small, successful or unsuccessful, is nourishment for the hungry spirits of the dispossessed; it provides food for present survival and energy for renewed struggle (1) ..Jonathan Katz *

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Sometimes I want to see what is happening out in the glbt mainstream so I log on to the Bilerico Project at www.bilerico.com. My gal Mattilda posts over there sometimes and I love to read what Marti Abernathy and Alex Blaze has to say. A few days back I was roaming about and  came upon an article written by Steve Ralls called The Very First Diva In Chief. [Read more →]

Greater Hartford Rally in Support of THE JENNA SIX

Saturday, September 29th, 2007

Rallying at 9:00 AM

Rally point at Old Firestone, Main Street and Albany Ave.

Press Conference at 9:30 AM

March to Bushnell Park at 10:00 AM

Information Thirman Milner or Cornell Lewis 860-246-4656

“Show your support by wearing BLACK and Joining Greater Hartford’s March for Justice in America.”

 Oueers Without Borders will join this rally and march calling for justice for the Jena 6 and justice for all.

Visit the QWB Events section for other events

I Must Get Away

I must get away from these predators,

Who are politely called business competitors.

They do anything to make a buck.

They turn “making love”

                                     into fuck.

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Queers without Borders were represented at the Stop The Raids public forum held last Saturday at St. Augustine’s Church. One of the hand-outs that caught our eye, this being election season in the city of Hartford is the following. [Read more →]

I can no longer keep track of the number of times folks ask me: How large is the Trans community? These questions are usually asked as part of a dialogue regarding trans rights or protections. And at this point I usually refuse to answer the specific question (for IMHO it is meaningless) and attempt to get those asking such questions to make the larger connection. A connection to a society which works so hard to marginalize those who do not look, act, pray, sound or walk like themselves! A case in point is [Read more →]

The following is an account about an incident in neighboring Springfield, as relayed by a very good friend: [Read more →]

Joining the party

In his memoir Black Radical, Nelson Peery surveys his tenure in the CP

By Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

lit@sfbg.com

In 1946, after three and a half years spent fighting in the segregated US Army on the Pacific front of World War II, Nelson Peery returned to a home front marked by joblessness, mob violence, lynchings, police tyranny, and red-baiting hysteria. Discussing the homecoming of black veterans such as himself in his new memoir, Black Radical, he says, “We had become conscious defending other people’s freedom.” [Read more →]

“Transwoman loses her job over the Bathroom issue.”

Filed by Alex Blaze, September 21, 2007

www.bilerico.com/2007/09/transwoman_loses_her_job_over_the_bathro.php

In case nobody’s heard of these folks, they’ve been focusing greatly on NYC’s new parade permit bullshit, asserting their right to march where they want, when they want.

 Why do we call ourselves the RHA?    “Beware the Radical Homosexual Agenda!” That’s the Right Wing’s rallying cry. It’s meant to conjure a legion of pink-clad, poly-loving, left-of-left queers who are threatening to invade Small Town America. Well, that description sounds sort of nice to us, too, actually. Except for the invasion part—’cause we’re also anti-imperialist. And besides, we’ve been in those small towns and everywhere else all along.

http://radicalhomosexualagenda.org/

I was talking to my friend Alice at the CTAC fundraiser the other night, and started telling her about my situation at school. We got interrupted, and she said, “So you were saying that you were dealing with something ridiculous at school?” I then responded, “No, not something ridiculous. THE MOST ridiculous thing, ever.” Below is my story.

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I just learned the other day that, IMHO, one of the most colorful and interesting trans activists passed away earlier this August.  Several years ago during my research on trans hirstory, I stumbled upon her name on the transhistory.net website and her very colorful and, in an odd-way, empowering legacy. Angela’s biography intrigued me and in free time would search archives that would reference her or her work and either confirm or deny her existence and history. [Read more →]

I really didn’t know if I wanted to respond to the recent article in the Hartford Courant, “A Welcoming Abode”, Sept. 7, 2007, about weather reporter Scott Haney and his partner Paul Marte’s new 9 room, 3,800 sq.-foot home in Canton. Two things happened over the past 3 days that prompted me and I said “what the hell”. [Read more →]

Recently a solidarity vigil was carried out in Los Angeles for Victoria Arrelano, a Mexican transperson with AIDS who died in an ICE immigration detention facility in L.A. The vigil reflected the coming together of very diverse groups: people fighting for immigrant rights, Latino community groups, AIDS activists and the LGBT community. The full story is here.

It was, of course, a sad story. But I found one part deeply moving and also profoundly consciousness-raising and inspiring. Victoria’s birth name was Victor, and when ICE detained and imprisoned her they placed her in a male cell block designed to hold 50 prisoners, but which was crammed with 80 people. The prisoners were other ICE detainees awaiting deportation or other legal proceedings. Like many of us I am sure that most of them had limited experience and knowledge of transpersons or people with AIDS. Moreover, they were being forced into already miserable and unhealthy living conditions. It would be easy to imagine that even if Victoria had not been subjected to outright brutality by her fellow prisoners, at a minimum she would have been shunned.

That’s not what happened. [Read more →]

[The Clean Slate Committee of A Better Way Foundation in Hartford is working to develop a program of positive supports for ex-offenders returning to their communities. While you’ve probably read about “get tough on crime” proposals to ankle-bracelet every parolee and to institute “three strikes” laws, the Clean Slate Committee is focusing on ways to help ex-offenders overcome obstacles to employment, housing and other basic needs. It’s just common sense that someone coming out of jail that can’t survive “legally” is going to re-offend and end up back in jail.] [Read more →]

Let them show, let them show, let them show!

By Punk Pink

It seems the Grannies and Grandpa’s of Stratford are up in arms and complaining to their city council. Guess the old folks do not find the style of sagging pants and exposed underwear to be at all aesthetically pleasing and downright indecent. According to the old folks there are far too many young people parading around town showing off their skivvies that they have petitioned council member Alvin O’Neal to come up with a plan to put and end to this unsightliness.

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