Posts from — February 2008

I met up with Bessy Reyna a friend of mine who is a long time activist in the feminist, queer, Human Rights, and poetry communities. Bessy was the moderator of the panel discussion at Transgender Equality Lobby Day.  Many of you may know Bessy from her thought provoking columns that are published every 3rd Friday of the month in the Hartford Courant.  Go to www.hartfordcourant.com. Click on Opinion, then scroll down and click on Bessy Reyna. Her last column on discrimination that state workers face is posted on site now.

In conversation, Bessy told me that her columns and many times herself got a lot of negative comments and asked that we look over her columns and send in a comment. Or if we are so inclined to write a letter to the editor of the Hartford Courant expressing support. Bessy has long been a voice for social justice in this area and I am sure that any readers we have on QWB site would also like to read her writings. Her columns can be found in printed form on the Editorial page of the Courant or at the Courant’s web site. Let’s lend Bessy a hand and help fend off some sometime nasty critics. Not only will we be helping a friend and comrade but helping to spread the ideas of justice, equality, freedom and peace. Thanks.

Ct TransAdvocacy Community meeting is this Thursday, Feb 28, 6 PM, at the Hartford YWCA, Soromundi Commons Residence, 135 Broad Street, Hartford [call (860) 983-8139 for directions/info]

This meeting is open and free to all Trans, Gender Non-conforming, Allies or just interested folks. This meeting is meant to provide feedback to the community regarding things going on at TransAdvocacy , as well as a means for folks to help give input, concerns, needs and general direction for TransAdvocacy.

This month two key areas of discussion will be (i) the the Ct Anti-Discrimination legislation and (oo) the Trans Health and Law Conference to be held on April 19th.

**Please call your State legislator within the next few days and tell them to support HB 5723 An Act Concerning Discrimination, To prohibit discrimination on the basis of Gender Identity or Expression. Click here to find your legislator and their contact information.

For more information visit:
TransAdvocacy.org
TransEqualityCT.org

“I understand and I hear every day that some members of our community are feeling forgotten or left behind. It is easy to understand why,” Solmonese told a crowd approaching 1,000 in the ballroom of the Hilton on February 23. But he also said, “We have to overlook our differences and we have got to see instead of our individual wants and immediate desires… a vision for the America that we all want to live in.”

WHAT!!!!!!!! YOU SAY JOE SOLMONESE OF HRC????????

QWB SAYS YOU ARE A BIG BULL SHITER!

ALL THE WAY WITH RHA!!!!!!!!

“On Saturday evening February 23rd, noise reverberated throughout the enclosed entrance to the midtown Hilton Hotel as approximately 50 motley LGBT demonstrators hoisted three-foot tall pink cardboard middle fingers, drummed and chanted to protest a fundraiser for the Human Rights Campign, a nation gay rights group.”

“With Funding from corporations that use sweatshop labor, exacerbate global warming and repress unions and indigenous activists, HRC has more to answer for than just ENDA,” says Tim a member of RHA who helped to coordinate the demonstration.

Check out RHA’s web site at: www.radicalhomosexualagenda.org

George David the CEO of United Technologies in his last full year as chief executive reaped $65 million in total compensation according to a report filled last Friday.

 Click here for the flyer.

 Sunday March 2nd, 1:30 PM

This talk will focus on the Irish anarchist movement as an example of effective organization and movement-building. A decade ago the active anarchist movement in Ireland consisted of little more than a dozen people in two small organizations. Today hundreds of people are active and one banned libertarian demonstration in 2004 saw 5,000 people take part. Anarchists are increasingly replacing Irish republicans as the boogeyman of the mainstream media. This talk explains how this breakthrough happened and details the various struggles anarchists have been involved in, including antiwar, environmental and workers struggles.

CALL TO ACTION

Tell HRC that Trans Rights=Queer  

Rights!

Join the RADICAL HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA and PROTEST the Human Rights Campaign’s betrayal of the Trans community at HRC’s annual gala fundraiser.

When : Saturday, Feb. 23 at 5:30pm
Where: Outside the Hilton Ballroom
6th Ave & 53rd Street.
Bring: Attitude! Drums! Flamboyant threads!

                             
 Why protest HRC?Instead of supporting a united queer community, HRC dumped transgender people from ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill banning discrimination based on sexual orientation, but not gender identity. HRC executive director Joe Solmonese said, “We absolutely do not support and, in fact, oppose legislation that is not absolutely inclusive.” But behind the scenes, he worked to eliminate trans protections.ENDA passed in the House and went on to fail in the Senate. Yet HRC continues to hail the bill as a “victory.” But the real victory is that so many LGBTQ groups are rallying together to oppose HRC by telling them they can’t turn some of us into second-class citizens so others can get ahead. The real victory is that, from Stonewall to Seattle, trans folks have constantly battled on the frontlines for a better world, and now a clear majority of the queer community is standing in solidarity them.

Years ago, in 1972, this piece was first performed. I lived in Davenport Iowa at that time. Most people would say “I am all ears, what pray do tell were you doing living in the land of pigs and corn.” Well the reason I was there was simply because I stopped off in Davenport on one of my travels around the country. I had heard that it was in Davenport that the Mississippi River flowed east to west rather than north to south. One of those little geographical quirks that an artist of my nature just loved. I went to quite a number of these types of places in my travelling days. Once stopping my start from going else where I got a nice little 3rd floor flat and went to work doing window design for a major department store. It was there that I met a young artist named Petal who was as white as a Full Sail Tea rose, pure as a ivory flake, and as fancy as a virgin’s bridal gown. Petal and I did many fine art pieces together all around the town. We were so very much in love. This piece was performed from the 3rd floor back porch on 3rd Street on a day very much like today. I bring it out once again as I have over the years for my enjoyment and for others amusement. Since I now live in a modern apartment with no back porch and no clothes line I work it up and out in my mind. I hope that you can do the same. [Read more →]

Grassroots Politics: Make The Alternative

Dear unaffiliated voters who feel forced to make a bad choice, or just don’t vote:

Election season is around the corner again. Let’s ask ourselves: Who represents our interests? Who stands up for the working middle class and the poor? Who stands up for the equal rights of women, LGBT folks and immigrants? Is it the Democrats? The Republicans?

Hmmm…Neither. So why bother voting?

Well, by not voting we’re obviously not changing anything and simply handing more power over to the wealthy folks who already have a monopoly on it. But at the same time, by voting for one of the two parties we’re simply affirming their lousy policies. After being elected they can go on to claim that they were chosen by the people to carry out their crumby liaise fair programs that funnel all of the wealth upward . So what is our alternative? [Read more →]

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“We must exterminate these people root and branch…the homosexual must be eliminated.”

…..Heinrich Himmler, Chief of the SS

The Eldorado one of the many gay bars closed by the Nazis.

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Our outrage is fueled by our tears but also by our determination to fight and right this wrong. Another one of our people, a young son of our community was murdered last week. 15 year old Lawrence King was shot in the back of the head by 14 year old classmate Brandon McInerney. McInterney and other boys had been bullying King the day before. Lawrence had come out as gay and along with his “black clothing, high-heeled boots and varying shades of lipstick he began wearing dramatic make up and dressing more flamboyantly” according to his friends. Killed for expressing who he was. Lawrence King a Trans Identified young person who we mourn.

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Top 12 reasons to vote socialist in ‘08

Freedom Socialist • Vol. 29, No. 1 • February-March 2008

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