An Old Jewish Anarchist Revoluntionary Anthem

It’s Dawn Already, Wake Up! Open Your Eyes!

www.akpress.org/2006/items/ana

This is a wonderful historical piece that I found today. Enjoy.

  If Queers Without Borders could fly off to San Francisco we would be there for the protest against HRC’s annual dinner. We will be there in spirit, in solidarity sending out our good vibs for justice and freedom for all. We will be in the street with the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, And Castro 4 All, SF Labor Council, Pride at Work at what these groups are calling the “Left OUT Party.” I found this information on Kelli Busey’s site  (see link for planetransgender on our side bar) and she had a link to an article from San Francisco’s Alternative Online News. The article by Tommi Avicolli-Mecca can be found here. There are many fine articles stating QWB’s position on HRC. To sum it up in a nut shell, Fuck HRC!!!

Cynthia McKinney for president

Workers World newspaper in the past has supported the candidates of Workers World Party running for national office in the U.S. presidential elections and who have put forward a revolutionary socialist program. This time we are taking the unusual step of endorsing the candidacy of Cynthia McKinney because these are unique times and this is a unique candidate.

McKinney, a courageous Black woman and former U.S. Congresswoman from Georgia, has become one of the most militant leaders and voices for the U.S. left, progressive and Black movements.

Because of her militancy in the struggle against the war, the struggle to impeach Bush, as well as her struggle to expose the government’s role in the displacement of survivors of Hurricane Katrina, she was branded too Black and too radical to walk the halls of Congress. She was pushed out, not once but twice, by the leadership of the Democratic Party. Last year, McKinney severed her ties to that party.

On July 12, McKinney and her running mate, activist Rosa Clemente, won the Green Party’s nomination to run for president and vice-president, respectively. The Green Party’s nomination will put McKinney on the ballot in about 20 states, which is no small thing in the U.S. where the ruling class has made it very hard for any electoral formation independent of, and even slightly to the left of, the two major ruling-class parties to get ballot status. The Green Party is not the reason why we are supporting McKinney. [Read more →]

I found this discussion on Diana’s Little Corner In The Nutmeg State this AM. Diana calls her posting “Revisionist History Part III.” She puts it so well in her posting when she writes, “You ask why am I hung up on the Stonewall uprising and it is because so many people want to write us, the trans-community out of the history of the uprising. I feel that if I write about it enough than our rich history of political activism will not get lost.”  Check out the discussion and the video here. The video is taken from Stonewall the movie which does take some liberties with the actual story but the charters are based on real life people who were at the Stonewall Inn during the rebellion. Queen Allison Alante was the only person who was at the rebellion and is in the movie. The people at the discussion table were there the night of saying NO! While your over at Diana’s check out her “Revisionist History Part I and Part II.” (check out her beautiful photographs too)

A note: We need each and everyone of us to be watchdogs when it comes to our stories. Nothing is small or insignificant about this process when people are trying to write any of us out of history. Attempts to erase, deny, omit, suppress must be met with us in full force out against the oppressors no matter who or what they may be. One thing that bothers me is we as a people haven’t taught our children well. Many do not know our wonderful stories. We have not shared with them or with straights the great gifts that we bring to all of human kind. That is a sadness that must be corrected. 

“Nashawn Williams Addresses The Media” posted by Kevin over at the Undercurrent Blog is a video in 3 parts of the press conference held last Saturday at Charter Oak Cultural Center. Please click here. Nashawn William is a 16 year old black youth who was attacked by a gang of whites in Plainfield while waiting for a school bus in October 2007.  Police are trying to close the case, no witnesses or arrests.  Click here for a report from Frank O’Gorman on QWB’s blog.

QWB thanks Kevin of the Hartford Undercurrent for this video.

We Keep giving Insurance Companies 

-MORE-

They keep giving us less.

Where is all the money going? 

Join healthcare advocates, policy makers, activists, and allies for a Roving Demonstration.

DATE: Thursday July 24, 2008

Time: 3:00 PM

[Read more →]

Wearing signs that said, “NO ATTACK ON IRAN”, 200 +protesters poured into Grand Central Station at the heart of rush hour. The protesters FROZE in place for a few minutes and then erupted in shouts of

“NO ATTACK ON IRAN!!!!!!!”

If you work hard, you deserve a secure retirement. And no one would suggest that Hartford’s retired teachers, paraprofessionals, police and firefighters didn’t work hard. Of course they did.

But Mayor Eddie Perez wants to slash the health benefits that retirees bargained for while they were working. Retirees are seeing their insurance premiums double and even triple!

Hartford WFP Councilman Larry Deutsch has been the real champion on this issue. Monday evening, Councilman Deutsch will introduce a resolution to put a 90 day moratorium on any changes to retiree health benefits, to give retirees the time to figure out their options, and to limit increases in retiree insurance premiums to a reasonable amount.

But we need you to join us. It’s time to stand up for retirees.

Join us for a rally for retirees:
Monday at 5:30 PM at Hartford City Hall.
Click here to invite a friend to the rally. [Read more →]

Posted by Rowland Keshena on A Radical in Bermuda.

The Greenward Shift of the American Revolutionary Left

(Are Cynthia McKinney and the Green Party a real alternative for American workers and youth?)

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As I posted last night, one my biggest gripes with sections of the American revolutionary left (including the US branch of the IMT) is that they are undergoing a reorientation away from the construction of a new revolutionary worker’s movement and towards the left-social democrats of the Green Party USA. Two of the more prominent revolutionary socialist groups to have backed the Green Party this year are the Workers International League (the American branch of the IMT) and Solidarity. So we must ask ourselves, is the Green Party USA the best alternative out there for workers and revolutionary change? Also what is going on with current attempts to unify the campaigns of several American revolutionary socialist groupings?So to the first question, does the Green Party represent the best interests of the workers and revolution in the United States? I would have to say no, especially when we throw in the idea of revolution. While I’ll admit that the Greens are far more progressive than the Democrats, (just see here and here), and they certainly are at the forefront of the battle to protect the environment (something all real socialists support), they are still broadly a left-social democrat institution. Now, I know right now you might be saying “but I really like the Green Party’s platform“, hell so do I, it has many great points to it, and as I said, it is certainly far more progressive and left than even the most extreme Democrats like Dennis Kucinich, but the intrinsic problem with the Greens is that they have not come to grips with the systemic nature of the capitalist problem, even as it pertains to the environmental question. At the moment they still are in the mode of trying to reform capitalism into a cleaner, nicer, less-heartless variety, but once they realize that capitalism is irreformable I fully believe that their platform will shift more to the left. The Green Party does not offer up the fundamental revolutionary change that is really needed to emancipate the working class. So why support a non-revolutionary organization when well established revolutionary parties and movements already exist?

[Read more →]

Received from our comrades at RHA

The JustUs Legal Collective has put together a Know Your Right Summer Training Series for folks heading to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul or Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer. Join us for one of our Know Your Rights trainings. Click to view Flyer

The trainings will be held on:

Monday, July 14 - 7pm at Bluestockings, 172 Allen Street [Read more →]

To all of our friends outside of the Connecticut area in the U.S., and around the world who read the QWB blog a little explaining is in order about what is going on here and what has gotten QWB steaming. The Metroline is a GL magazine that is the oldest GL magazine in New England. Over the years folks in the GLBT community have had trouble with them over one thing or another. One time it was over the abundance of half naked young men on the cover and the bar rag quality of their reporting, and another time over their disrespect for the trans community. Once again around and around we go and we find that the Metroline is now once again displaying half naked young men on the cover and disrespecting the Trans community. The former editor explained to me that the advertisers (mostly bars) who pay the bills wanted to see only half naked young men, no women and no politics.  Another very political person who is much respected within all circles of the movement told me that the Metroline informed them that the group could no longer have any free space to publish updates on their important work since the Metroline was going back to being a skin variety magazine. Recently the Metroline’s editor, Mr. Joe DaBrow in a letter from the editor had this to say. [Read more →]

Hartbeat Ensemble, Hartford’s Theater for Change will once again give free performances this July in the parks of Hartford. The plays this year are about people and health care. There will be family activities and live music starting at 4:00 and the performances begin at 5:00. Hartbeat suggests that one brings a picnic lunch or buy food from local vendors. In case of rain the performances will take place at Hartford Children’s Theater, 360 Farmington Ave in Hartford.  [Read more →]

See also Anti-Gay Fascists Successfully Confronted at Chicago’s Gay Pride Parade

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The following is a reposting of a great blog article (containing much truth and passion) from a dear friend and trans activist in the movement ~ Dru (Love ya Dru!)

The time has finally come for Trans Pride. It’s been a long journey since I posted the initial email in late September calling for a march and rally. http://femulate.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html. I was interviewed yesterday by the person doing a documentary on the march. It was cathartic for me to be able to tell my story. I made it about my own journey through my own fear in this organizing process. How terrified I felt to call for visibility in the trans community - specifically in this trans community. It was interesting to deal with unchecked transphobia from the LG community - which felt like “get back in your place…or…we already include you (by having one token trans speaker at our pride - which ironically turned out to be me this year - token ‘Trans political speaker,” Noho pride); and LGB people who were not used to dealing with a trans person with self respect, who doesn’t degrade themselves around them or allow them to talk down to them in a paternalistic manner. That was a shift. It was also hard to deal with the city of Northampton… explaining to the police, Mayor’s office, DPW, why we need our own separate day and march. “You already have a march - isn’t it LGBT? - why do you need another one?” I was asked. It was shocking and uncomfortable for many to see trans people asking, rather demanding, their own day. [Read more →]

Monday July 14, 6:00-9:00 PM

11999 King Davis Labor Center

77 Huyshope Ave. Hartford

SHUTDOWN is a in-depth and action packed documentary exploration of how 20,000 San Franciscans successfully organized to blockade and shutdown their financial district in March, 2003 to protest the US attack on Iraq. An inspirational, informative, and engagingly honest look at the difficulties they faced in maintaining militant opposition. Created by people directly involved with the organizing, utilizing on the street footage, news clips and interviews with 18 key participants. It is a people’s history made in support of the movement against the war and empire, aiming to galvanize resistance and further critical analysis in cities and towns throughout the country.

Join us as we host the Direct Action to Stop the War Video Collective on their national screening tour, which will also feature an active discussion/workshop.

Published in NYC Indymedia-

 The Persistent Power of Socialist Feminism

Grassroots feminists will gather in San Francisco this fall at a National Conference.

This is a national conference for Radical Women, a Socialist Feminist organization founded in 1967 and active across the U.S. The conference will feature speakers from Central America, China, Australia and the U.S., plus interactive workshops. There will be discussions about building independent grassroots movements for revolutionary change; the role of women of color and immigrants in forging labor solidarity; multi-racial organizing; and youth and queer leadership. Conference dates are October 3-6, 2008 at the Women’s building in San Francisco. Daily registration is $15; and students and low income registration is $7.50. Everyone is welcome to attend. To register for this conference go to www.RadicalWomen.org. For more information call 212-222-0633 or email nycradicalwomen@nyct.net. Radical Women can be found at Freedom Hall, 113 West 128th Street, New York, New York 10027.

[Read more →]

An injunction has been filed against the closing of 2 branch libraries in Hartford.

On Monday July 14 there will be at least 2 events: A rally at 2:30 pm at Mark Twain School
in the Northend of Hartford (more info below) and an opportunity to voice protest at the
City Council meeting that evening. [Read more →]

Stonewall Rebellion and the tasks ahead

We reprint this article from Workers World of June 27, 1975, as part of our archival series. In 1976, the writer, Bob McCubbin, published the first edition of his ground-breaking book, now titled “The Roots of Lesbian & Gay Oppression: A Marxist View” and available from LeftBooks.com.

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Check out here for Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore’s interview with Terrain Dandridge of the New Jersey 4 when Terrain was in San Francisco to meet with Angela Davis. QWB stands in solidarity with our lesbian sisters in the New Jersey 4 and calls for their release.

“Equality for Homosexuals”

Annual reminders at Independence Hall in Philadelphia began on July 4, 1965 and continued for 5 years until 1969 when the call went up to bring the demonstrations to New York the “Birthplace of Gay Liberation.” The Reminders were conceive by Craig Rodwell a member of the NY Mattachine Society after a series of demonstrations at the Pentagon, the Civil Services Commission, the State Department, and the White House. These small picket lines were set up to protest the exclusion of homosexuals from Federal employment and the Armed Services. A strict dress code was enforced at all picket lines at the time and men had to wear ties and jackets and women dresses or skirts and heels. Frank Kameny ever the enforcer of “taste” and a leader in the Washington D.C. Mattachine argued, “If we want to be employed by the Federal Government we have to look employable to the Federal Government.”  Dressing any other way, holding hands or any type of display that drew attention to one’s self threatened the strategy of hetero-social respectability. The activists of this period were trying to convey to the general public that they were patriotic Americans and sexual respectables as they reminded the nation that not all of its citizens had equal rights under the law.  Barbara Gittings was among a group of pioneering gay and lesbian picketers who held the first Reminder Day, which according to Gittings was meant to “remind the public that there was still a sizable segment of the American people that were not benefiting from the promises in our founding fathers’ document.” (1) Gittings later recalled “we all tried to swallow our own discomfort at not knowing what the consequences would be, whether our names would be printed in the newspaper and our jobs lost or whether we might even be arrested.” (2)

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The Socialist Party Presidential nominee Brian Moore was interviewed on WTIC 1080 of Hartford Ct. by Colin McEnroe on his show, Afternoons with Colin McEnroe. Among the topics discussed were what exactly a socialist is, Brian’s positions on various issues, an update on ballot access and the purpose of his candidacy. For more information about the Socialist Party presidential ticket of Brian Moore and Stewart Alexander, please visit the following campaign websites: http://www.brianmoore.com/and http://www.votesocialist2008.org/.

Todd Vachon the Socialist Party candidate for the Ct. 2nd District sent the interview our way. His site: www.votevachon.com.

“Want to define love, commitment, family, and sexual merrymaking on your own terms? Honey, that’s so last century.” Click here to read Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore thought provoking editorial from the San Francisco Bay Guardian published June 25, 2008.

“Now that the California Supreme Court has struck down the ban on same-sex marriage, everywhere we hear of couples who’ve been together 10, 20, or 30 years (or six months) rushing to tie the knot and proclaim: “finally … it’s … legitimate!” It’s hard to imagine a more wholehearted rejection of queer struggles to create defiant ways of living and loving, lusting for and caring for one another — methods not dependent on inclusion in the dominant institutions of straight privilege.”

The Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective is please to announce that it has received a grant from the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Connecticut Affiliate for Breast Cancer Outreach, Awareness, Education, and Screening. The amount awarded is double the amount that the agency has received in the past. [Read more →]

Dear Friends,

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The recent votes in congress to give Bush $165 billion more for Iraq and also to authorize warrantless wiretapping make it clear that we urgently need to elect real progressive candidates, not conservative Democrats and corporate pawns in order to protect our rights and ensure peace.

In the meantime, we must keep pressuring the representatives we have now to avoid yet another disastrous war- this time with Iran.

Next week the House of Representatives is likely to vote on Resolution 362, also known as the Iran War Resolution. [Read more →]

QWB stands in solidarity with the unionizing of all workers especially those in the low income brackets. From the janitors, to the cafeteria workers, to the hotel and restaurant employees and to the newest group being organized by SEIU Security Officers.

The Summer issue of “Building Strength” the magazine of 32BJ of SEIU had some very good news regarding the effort to unionize the low income workers in the Security profession. A little note here: Some Security Officers in New York City make $7.00 an hour. We won’t even get into what is expected of them in performance of their duties. [Read more →]

“Come Out” is a piece of music written in 1966 by composer Steve Reich. This piece was written and performed at a benefit for the retrial of the “Harlem Six”, six black youths arrested for committing murder during the 1964 Harlem Riots for which only one of the six was responsible. For more info on this amazing piece see here. The Choreography Dance was added in 1982 by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Michele Anne De May. Check out more of Reich’s music exp. “Clapping Music” found on you tube, which is an attempt to write a piece of music requiring nothing more then the human body.

The Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective sent us this notice. For anyone living with HIV/AIDS please take the time and fill out the survey.

CAEAR Coalition and the National Association of People with AIDS are sponsoring a survey to gather information about access to medical care and support services for people living with HIV and AIDS. This survey is one part of a coordinated effort (surveys, town hall meetings, etc.) with some of our national partners to ensure that the voices of people living with HIV/AIDS guide advocacy efforts on behalf of the Ryan White Program. [Read more →]

A Tribute

“Songs in a Miner Key”

Elizabeth Sipos and Dan Thomson

Grand Marshal Miss Major

A spirited and militant crowd of more than 1,000 trans and gender
non-conforming people and their supporters marched and rallied in 90-degree
heat here June 7, in a historic first New England Trans Pride Day. The official
slogan on posters and T-shirts was “Remember Stonewall? That was
US! [Read more →]

Let’s all take a listen

as  

A Revolutionary Speaks.

Archives are a wonderful thing. The following was published in the Village Voice as reported by Lucian Truscott IV, who described the events in a front page article headlined, “Gay Power Comes to Sheridan Square.”

“Suddenly, the paddy-wagon arrived and the mood of the crowd changed. Three of the more blatant queens–in full drag–were loaded inside, along with the bartender and doorman, to a chorus of catcalls and boos from the crowd. A cry went up to push the paddy wagon over, but it drove away before anything could happen…The next person to come out was a dyke, and she put up a struggle–from car to door to car again again. It was at that moment that the scene became explosive. Limp wrists were forgotten. Beer cans and bottles were heaved at the windows, and a rain of coins descended on the cops.” [Read more →]

Greetings to all.

Our Blogger Registration is fixed and we invite each and everyone to post with us. We would love it. Just click on Blogger Registration.  When QWB started this blog we thought of this as a people’s blog much like our SPEAK OUT cart. Who speaks? We all speak. We would like this blog to become the Queer/LGBT and Ally forum of the area. Let’s talk multi-issue. 

The following clip is excerpted from a wonderful KQED series titled The Question of Equality. This clip is from part one of this series: “Out Rage 69″ that talks about Stonewall, the Gay Liberation Front, the GAA, and the movement from a multi-issue queer movement to a single issue gay movement that excludes drag queens, people of color, street people and anyone not fitting the white gay mentality of the GAA. This clip presents a view into the backlash by gays and lesbians against drag queens and street transvestites and has some excellent interviews with Sylvia Rivera as well as her storming the stage at NYC Pride 1973, following Jean O’Leary’s vicious attack on Transvestites and Drag Queens. ENJOY!

Click to view in standalone player

Chisholm ‘72: Unbought & Unbossed.

Thursday, June 19, 2008, 6:30

Faith Congregational Church

2030 Main Street, Hartford Ct.

This movie is about Brooklyn Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and her campaign to become the democratic party’s presidential nominee in 1972. Come join us to honor her legacy with a screening of this historical documentary. The film will be followed by a community conversation with community leaders.

[Read more →]

Anti-War Spaghetti Dinner

6:00 pm Saturday June 14th

United Methodist Church of Hartford

571 Farmington Ave, Hartford

Help Send Activists to the National Assembly Against the War in Iraq in Cleveland Ohio. Nearly 500 organizations and leaders have joined the call for the National Assembly to End The War in Iraq scheduled for June 28-29 in Cleveland, Ohio. Called in order to “place on the agenda of the entire US antiwar movement a proposal for the largest possible united mass mobilization to stop the war and end the occupation,” the Assembly offers every participant a vote and the right to propose resolutions and amendments.

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An interview with gay rights hell-raiser Tamara Turner. Turner is a co-author of Gay Resistance: The Hidden History (Red Letter Press, 1997) and a cast member of the 1993 play “Hidden History: True Stories from Seattle’s Gay and Lesbian Elders.” Turner comments on decades of activism and shares her acerbic observations with FS writer Doug Barnes.

From the interview:

Q. So what lessons do we need to apply today?

A. “History tells us that if we don’t hang together we’ll hang separately. I think we need to build a broad, radical leadership that can expose this system and offer a vision of its replacement. A world where people are judged by their qualities as a person, as a human being rather than by skin color, what’s between their legs, their sexual orientation, or gender.” [Read more →]

PRIDE IS MORE THAN A TRINKET TRIBE

PRIDE IS ABOUT A REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT AND PEOPLE

June 2008 marks the 39th year after the rebellion at the Stonewall Inn in NYC. This marked the start of the massive LGBT movement in the United states. It was on those nights in June and early July that our people in New York’s Greenwich Village fought back against police harassment, injustice and opperssion that we faced daily. Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of this rebellion. It is never too early to reflect on where we as a people have been, where we are now, and where we are going.

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BULLETIN: Cuban 5 appeal denied, protests set

June 4—As the Cuban Five near the end of their 10th year of unjust
imprisonment, the 11th Circuit Court denied their latest appeal today. A
three-judge panel upheld all convictions but ruled that the Miami trial judge
must re-sentence Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, and Fernando
González, who are serving life sentences.

The Cuban Five were jailed for monitoring Miami-based CIA-backed
paramilitaries, who planned violent attacks on the Five’s homeland, Cuba.
Meanwhile Luis Posada Carriles, who in 1976 organized the first mid-air bombing
of a passenger airliner, killing 73 people aboard Cubana 455, walks free in
Miami.

Demonstrations demanding immediate freedom for the five heroes begin on
Thursday, June 5. Make your voice heard! For more information on demonstrations
see www.freethefive.org, www.antiterroristas.cu and www.freethefiveny.org.

Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php

Page printed from:
http://www.workers.org/2008/us/cuban_5_0612/

A few quotes from Mr. Holmes analysis. For the full report click here. 

“Many if not most of Obama’s foreign policy advisors are veterans of Bill Clinton’s presidency but, despite that fact, so far as the masses see the war, while Rodham Clinton seems to be for change, Obama sees to represent more change. The catchword here is “seems”. In fact Rodham Clinton, McCain and Obama have all pledged to continue the occupation of Iraq after the elections. They have all also vowed to intensify the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan, attack Iran “if necessary” support Israel to the hilt and continue the blockade of Cuba.”

“The masses did not launch Obama’s presidential campaign-a section of the ruling class and its political operatives did. Some in the ruling class got behind Obama merely to advance their faction fight against the Clintons inside the Democratic Party. And yes, some of those opposed to Clinton are misogynist, plain and simple. But others in the ruling class have rallied behind Obama because they view him as better suited than Clinton or McCain to deal with a central crisis of U.S. imperialism. They need to find a way to halt the rapid deterioration of its position as the world’s dominant economic and military power.” 

“The foreign debate among the candidates seems to have been reduced to whether or not U.S. imperialism should talk to its enemies with Obama advocating the talk instead of–or in addition to–a war policy.”