Cynthia Stead: The Next Amy Contrada?

The Live Love & Learn blog has done an excellent job exposing another right-wing nutbag (as Trevor likes to call them). She posts anti-gay comments on BlueMassGroup and her own blog, and is an avid Bush and Romney supporter. After seeing her silly official web site, I have a feeling it will not be long until she is stalking queer youth at Pride celebrations. She may be a better writer than Amy (and that is not saying much) but she is clearly just as disturbed.

NY Times Covers Queer Youth Homelessness

Click Here for the article.

But gathered at Ruth’s House, a 10-bed emergency shelter for gay homeless youths here in east Detroit, they all said that for the first time they felt safe.

Ruth’s House is one of a small number of shelters for gay youths that have opened around the nation in the past four years, reflecting an increasing awareness among child welfare advocates of the disproportionately high number of gay youths in the homeless population and the special problems they face.... Read The Article Here>

May 17th

On May 17th, 2004 I graduated from college. A group of us stayed up late the night before making hundreds of little rainbow ribbons, and on the day of graduation we distributed all of them to the class. The president of our college mentioned in her speech the victorious day to loud cheers and applause.




Later that day I spoke a few words at a rally celebrating the marriage decision. These are the words that I had quickly jotted down on the back of my graduation program to say that day:




Four years ago, as a freshmen in college, I first walked through the doors of the Boston Alliance of LGBT Youth. In that short amount of time I have seen the transformation of countless young peoples' lives. I've seen suicidal youth become leaders in our community. I've seen youth organize protests, fundraisers, and proms. But recently I've seen something more special occur. Young people are actively taking part in our political process again. At BAGLY we are working to transform our culture into one that is anti-racist and founded in social justice. And BAGLY youth have spent countless days, weeks - at the State House these past few months.
Earlier today I graduated from college, celebrated Brown Vs. Board of Ed. and same-sex marriage became legal. This is one of the most joyous days in my life and in our history.
Yet at each celebration I can't help but acknowledge our anger. We are still angry that LGBT youth are 4 times more likely to commit suicide. Angry that AIDS research funding has been cut. Angry that our peers are fighting in an unjust war. Angry that women's reproductive rights are under attack. Angry that institutionalized racism is still keeping people down.
So today, as we celebrate, enjoy it. But remember why you're here and what is left to be done. If there is one thing I've learned in the past four years, it is that young people are not the future of this broad progressive movement, we are the movement. We are the here and now, and we demand change.

Whatever Happened to Radicalism?

Living Well Presents: Whatever Happened to Radicalism?

Club Cafe, Moonshine Room, 209 Columbus Ave., Boston




SAVE THE DATE for a very exciting season finale of Fenway Community Health's Living Well Series!
Thursday May 31st, 6:30-9pm


"Whatever Happened to Radicalism?"


A conversation with national leaders in the gay and bi men's health movement, and the new radicals who will carry the flag into the future.


Thursday May 31st, 6:30-9pm Club Cafe, Moonshine Room, 209 Columbus Avenue in Boston's Historic South End. Food will served and there will be an entertainment portion of the program. As always, this Living Well event is free and open to the public.


The 2007-2008 Living Well season will kick-off in September. Feel free to let us know what topics you'd like us to address.


"Living Well is the best revenge." -George Herbert


For more information, please call J.T. Vincent at 617-927-6218 or email livingwell@fenwayhealth.org

Honoring Yolanda King

Yolanda Denise King, daughter and eldest child of civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., has died today after giving a speech. Yolanda, like her mother Coretta, was an active ally to the LGBT community. We will miss her.

queer youth homelessness

Check out this great post over at the fabulous blog - quenchzine - for a look at a new documentary on the epidemic of queer youth homelessness.

Transgender Lobby Day Success!

The first ever Transgender Lobby Day here in Massachusetts, not just made history but had overwhelming support from the community.



Over 100 people showed up to lobby for House Bill 1722!!!! There were so many people we had to move to another room! (Alex, Kasey and myself were there from queertoday)



House Bill 1722 sends a clear message that no one should face violence or experience discrimination in employment, housing, credit, public accommodations, or public education simply because of their gender identity or gender expression. This legislation strengthens the Commonwealth's commitment to ensuring that all people, including transgender people, are treated fairly under the law and given an equal chance to contribute to our communities and economy.



13 is the number of states that have enacted legal protections for freedom of gender identity or expression in employment, education, housing, accommodations, credit, and/or hate crimes.



Massachusetts is NEXT! Please contact your representatives and senators to demand they support this bill!



(visit the MTPC web site, for information on how to lobby)



THANK YOU MTPC!!!

Death of a Reactionary Preacher

Jerry Falwell, one of the most influential and hateful religious leaders in the United States, died today. I never celebrate someone's death. But what we do need to be clear about is his legacy.

Falwell has been a voice of racism, sexism, homophobia, and imperialism for decades. He opposed integration in the late 1950s and early 1960s (something the mainstream media has yet to mention in their recaps of his life). He founded the so-called "Moral Majority" in the late 1970s to counteract the feminist and gay rights movements. Falwell was also instrumental in mobilizing right-wing Christians to bring the Reagan Administration to power. As is well known, the Reagan Administration oversaw a variety of immoral policies, such as funding right-wing regimes and terrorists in Latin America, reversing the gains of the Civil Rights Movement, criminal indifference to the AIDS crisis, undoing the social safety net, and the list goes on.

The idolatrous theology he espoused was one of American dominionism, rooted in the idea that the United States is some kind of "chosen nation," which was ordained by God to rule the world. In his mind, as God's chosen nation, the United States had a responsibility to be ruled by fundamentalist Christian principles.

I won't say where Falwell's spirit is now; that's for God to decide. What will certainly live on for us in the here and now is his spirit of right-wing bigotry.

Jerry Falwell Dead

The Rev. Jerry Falwell has died at age 73, The Associated Press reports.

MassResistance Targets Youth Pride

We knew it was coming: Amy Contrada's lies and exaggerations about Youth Pride. But this year we beat her to the punch. Click Here for our freshly updated report on this deranged and obsessed woman. Amy Contrada and Brian Camenker may seem like two people who are so disturbed that no one should pay attention to them. Amy and her Bush donor husband Michael even moved from town to town because she was unhappy with the "homosexuality" in schools. However, they do have a small and dangerous national cult following. Staff members of Lexington Schools are still receiving harassing phone calls and death threats from their cronies. They have several hateful bills in the Statehouse right now. They got billboards pulled, mannequins removed from Macys, and Bay Windows Newspaper removed from stores. Yes they are silly and disturbed, but we can not take them lightly. At QueerToday we will continue expose them, dispel their lies, and aggressively fight back against their intimidation. For more coverage of the insanity that is MassResistance check out MassResistance Watch - a blog dedicated solely to dispelling their lies.

Trans Lobby Day

May 15, 2007



Lobby Day for Transgender Equality - Support HB 1722, An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes Part of Clock in for Equality - National Day of Action for Workplace Equality





Massachusetts State House


Room 350


10 am -12 noon





House Bill 1722 sends a clear message that no one should face violence or experience discrimination in employment, housing, credit, public accommodations, or public education simply because of their gender identity or gender expression. This legislation strengthens the Commonwealth's commitment to ensuring that all people, including transgender people, are treated fairly under the law and given an equal chance to contribute to our communities and economy.





Please come educate your legislators and ask them to support HB 1722. MTPC will provide a short lobbying training and all necessary materials.





Sponsoring Organizations: Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), The Gay and Lesbian Labor Activist Network (GALLAN), and Clock in for Equality - National Day of Action for Workplace Equality. For more information visit www.masstpc.org or www.gallan.org.





To get to RM 350


Enter the State House through the General Hooker entrance. Go through security, and then go left. Walk down the hallway. There will be a set of elevators on the left. DO NOT take those. Walk to the second sets of elevators. Take them to the third floor. When you get out of the third floor, make a left and walk down the corridor. Room 350 is on the left. It's the first door on the left after walking into the "Members Only" section (or through the first set of doors).

Reject The Boston Pride Theme

On Sunday, May 14th a group of concerned queer people gathered at the Community Church in Boston to discuss possible actions to counteract the theme chosen for the Boston Pride celebrations this year. We have decided to create a coalition called the Ask. Tell. Act. Coalition. We have chosen our own theme for pride, and we Will be encouraging everyone who finds the Boston Pride theme offensive to use our messages when designing their floats, signs, and other materials for Pride. We will be launching a web site, publishing a letter, and speaking to like-minded organizations to ensure visibility on Pride Day. Stay tuned for updates and more information! We are also asking everyone who will be marching in the parade who opposes the theme to wear pink in a showing of solidarity.



OUR THEME:

Ask: Why celebrate militarism?! (Beneath this heading we will discuss why the militaristic aspect of the theme is repulsive.)

Tell the truth about injustice! (Beneath this heading we will discuss why the language the Boston Pride Committee has chosen about "serving" is offensive.)

Act to transform our community, country, and the world! (Here we will encourage people to speak up and act up.)

The Gross Boston Pride Committee Theme: (Careful not to throw-up in your mouth. The more your read it and think about it - the more offensive it is!)

Ask. Tell.

Proud to Serve Our Community, Our Country, Our World.

The LGBT community is an integral part of society at every level of organization: community, country, and the world. We are your doctors, lawyers, teachers, leaders, engineers, custodians, bankers, and bakers. We are proud of our service and we are happy to share our lives with you. Just ask, and we'll tell! Please consider this theme when building your float and organizing your parade contingent -- an award will be given to the group that adapts this theme best in the parade!



We Encourage You to THINK ABOUT IT!

Is Pride a show for straight people to ask us questions? Can all of us be proud of our jobs/ways of making money? Can all of us safely proclaim our pride in what we do? Should we be celebrating our service to the dominate culture or celebrating our queer identities? Should the fight against don't ask don't tell be our community's next priority considering the epidemic of homelessness among our youth and violence against trans/gender-variant people?



JOIN US at our next meeting on Sunday, May 20th at 5pm at Community Church in Copley Square.

MA Youth Pride & BAGLY Prom Report

Massachusetts Youth Pride 2007 was a fabulous success. The "Make A Statement" theme was a wise choice that the Boston Pride Committee should take note of! Youth Pride knows how to celebrate individuality, protest, and be proud. The day was made complete when a rainbow appeared over the celebration!


Later that evening the BAGLY Prom drew over 1200 LGBTQ Youth and their Allies from around the state. The youth had a wonderful time as usual. In addition to the music, dancing, and drag shows, the Mayor's liaison read a proclamation from Mayor Menino declaring his support, and Randy Price of WHDH was the usual celebrity MC.



Of course our friend Amy Contrada was creepily lurking around these events throughout the day. Click Here for our full report on Amy's sick and depraved obsession with LGBT Youth. Warning! This report is SHOCKING and TERRIFYING!



On behalf of the bloggers and activists of QueerToday.com we wish our friends a Happy Youth Pride and BAGLY Prom!

Once Again: By Any Means Necessary

Is it just me, or do you also sense that when it comes to the same-sex marriage front, we’re in deep shit? I have always advocated killing the marriage amendment through procedural maneuvers, and have argued that we should make no apologies about doing so. But the strategy of the same-sex marriage movement seems to have shifted squarely towards defeating the amendment on its “merits.” In a Boston Globe article, Arlene Issacson of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus is quoted as saying that “our goal is to win on the merits of the issue.”

Why this shift in direction when all indications are that we clearly do not have the votes to defeat the amendment on its merits? Why are we pursuing this strategy when it seems as though getting the right amount of votes is highly unlikely? What happens if we don’t get the votes by June 14? Do we just resign ourselves to defeat?

What we do have is an overwhelming majority of legislators who see the fundamental unfairness of subjecting queer rights to a vote. If the legislators agree with that position, I cannot understand why the idea of killing this amendment through procedural maneuvers is so far-fetched. If they agree with same-sex marriage, we have a basis by which to tell them if they really care about queer people, they will do whatever it takes to squash the amendment.

I think that the strategy of lobbying to defeat the amendment on its merits would be a good one so long as there is also a strategy to kill the amendment procedurally as well. I have no access to what is going on behind closed doors at the State House, nor do I have inside information about the lobby effort. I can only hope that MassEquality and the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus are trying to do both. In an ideal situation, they would be getting the votes to defeat the amendment on its merits, but also getting legislators ready to kill the amendment if necessary. This may be a secret strategy that they’re not public about because of perceived repercussions (which, if so, is in and of itself a sign of the weakness of our side), but I doubt it.

Regardless of what strategy the lobbyists use, it is clear that our ideological strategy is broken. I know I’ve been saying this so much that I sound like a broken record, but it’s true. That Senate President Therese Murray says that she will have an up-or-down vote on the amendment—a rightward shift of her position, by the way—is a very ominous sign. If our political hand were stronger, the State Legislature would have no qualms about killing this amendment (as they did the health care amendment).

Therefore, I think we need to be clearer with legislators: A position that is not committed to defeating this amendment by (and I will say it again) any means necessary is unacceptable. Everyone who claims to care about queer people’s rights needs to be on board with this argument.

Allowing this amendment to go through will be devastating to the psyche of the queer community in this state (which is why the bigots want to see it passed). Any legislator not committed to destroying this amendment by any means at their disposal is necessarily and unequivocally putting the queer community of Massachusetts in the crosshairs of a homophobic campaign. And when the hate crimes go up because of the heightened climate of homophobia (which they will), the blood will be on their hands. I hate to be so blunt about it, but these are the stakes.

Massachusetts state legislators, it is time to make a choice. You can side with bigotry or with the community you claim to support. Sometimes, there is no mushy-middle and there is no compromise—only right and wrong.

And we need to present the argument to the people of Massachusetts in this light as well, though not as harshly. Nonetheless we also need to say to the people that for them too it is time to make a choice. It is not a choice between “democracy” and “judicial activism.” That ruse collapsed in front of God and everybody when the State Legislature killed the health care amendment and VoteonMarriage.org did not even bother to feign crocodile tears! In fact, they proclaimed that “democracy” had won, thereby showing their true priorities and selective concern for “democracy.” I wonder what the people of Massachusetts will think if they found out VoteonMarriage people whined and cried like spoiled brats this week when the State Legislature dared to put things like budgets before their vendetta against queer people?

No, this is a choice between bigotry and justice. We need to plaster the despicable, homophobic comments of the leaders of VoteonMarriage.org all around this state. Each comment should implicitly ask the question: Whose side are you on? Are you on the side of someone who compares gays to September 11 terrorists, as Roberto Miranda, VoteonMarriage.org’s chairperson did?

Do you want to be an accomplice of someone who calls queer people “demonic forces” as Black Ministerial Alliance President Gilbert Thompson did?

The motivation for this amendment is clearly homophobia; the “democracy” rhetoric is a rather transparent farce. I sincerely believe that the most effective ideological strategy over the next month will be one that shifts from the sing-songy rallies and instead works to expose this reality. As Mel White, director of Soulforce put it, “what they say in private, we have to shout from the rooftops.”


In addition, pro-marriage equality lobbyist groups need to give queers a free hand to operate on the ideological front, if we so choose. I have heard too many stories of people who have been silenced by MassEquality activists and others because their statements or signs were too "radical." This has got to stop now. We cannot wage an effective campaign with our hands tied behind our back due to fear of looking too "negative" or "radical."

why we LOVE the boston dyke march!

Boston Dyke March, June 8th 6PM

For the past 12 years, the Boston Dyke March has remained committed to offering a non-commercial, fundamentally grass-roots alternative to Boston's Pride celebration. We provide an ever-improving venue for influential speakers and artists, high-quality performances and a growing number of community-based organizations.....

Our top priority is to provide a dynamic and welcoming space for participants of all sexualities, genders, races, ages, ethnicities, sizes, economic backgrounds, and physical abilities. We strive to create a place where political and social change can be expressed and inspired.

Everyone is invited and welcome to march. No registration is necessary. Bring banners, noise makers, puppets, friends, fun. - BostonDykeMarch.com

continued from discussion below

i apologize for making another post... but blogger wouldn't let me post
this in the comments section for some reason...to see the full
conversation, click on the comments from the last post...



Hm.
A lot of different issues going on here... I think what I'll focus on
is the relationship between the LGBT rights movement and the black
civil rights movement.


Some people seem to think
it's perfectly okay to co-opt the words and history of another group
and us them to their advantage. Some people think using the words of
past leaders is dangerous, hypocritical, and antithetical to the goals
we are trying to accomplish.


These are more or less
the two extremes of the argument (and, as you can probably guess
already, you can see which side I lean towards).
But, that
does not mean that we cannot quote people like class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">MLK
under any circumstances. If white queers only draw on a white queer
past, we participate in the erasure of a history that would illuminate
the past of (queer) people color. This history is already invisible,
and as peoples looking for a usable past, we must not collude in this
erasure.



With this said, I don't think it's okay to be doing what MEQ
and other marriage activists are doing, as described by Mark above. I
think it is possible to draw on the history of other social movements
in our contemporary struggles for justice (which I don't think marriage
should be epicenter of) in a way that is not simple coclass="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">optation
and exploitation. The problem, as Mark points out, is that many of
these people who draw on African-American history to advance the
position of gays and lesbians (note: they are not working for anybody
else, so the linguistic exclusion here is intentional) are detestable
hypocrite is that they are working against racial justice. By
simultaneously invoking the spirit of the (arguably) the most famous
African-American activist in U.S. history while participating in and
benefiting from id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">institutionalized racism is
not okay.


So,
if white people (and I include myself in that category, for the record)
are going to be drawing on the historical narratives of people of
color, we must do so in a way that does not simply allow "oppression"
to collapse the differences that exist among us. Yes, there are some
similarities between the struggle to desegregate and the struggle for
marriage equality. There will always be some similarities when you're
talking about justice movements. The important thing to remember is
that there are significant differences that exist between the movements
as well, and to think otherwise is to create a false equation of
experiences that is simply harmful to all parties (except for those who
want to keep us all down).



Lastly, I want to comment on a comment Sandouri made above.


"It
should also be noted that a great many of Boston’s African-American
clergy—a group with tremendous influence—do not want Queer activists
making the connection between our struggle and the struggle against
racism."


True. This is true. However, there are also
a hell of a lot of white id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">clergyfolk who don't want that
connection made either, which is (in part) why they insist that our
sexual orientations are a chosen, as opposed to "immutable
characteristics" like "race." Black communities should not be held
fully responsible for the id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">religious, or secular,
heterosexism that queer people face. While homophobia in all
communities should be confronted, we must remember that it is white
clergy in the U.S. (and in the Vatican, Jerusalem, etc.) who hold the
lion's share of religious power that is being used for class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">heterosexist purposes.



And,
in the spirit of the dialogue, I'll end with a quotation from Audre
Lorde. Here, Lorde
is speaking to white women, and while not the same, I believe we must
ask white queers this question as well. class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Lorde
is inviting (imploring? demanding?) those of us with privilege to not
only see our own oppression, but also see the ways in which were
complicit in the oppression of others, and so I feel that this is an
appropriate way to draw on the words of people of color in a queer,
anti-racist way. Hopefully this doesn't fuck up my entire argument...


"What
woman here is so enamored of her own oppression that she cannot see her
heelprint
upon another woman's face? What woman's terms of oppression have become
precious and necessary to her as a ticket into the fold of the
righteous, away from the cold winds of self-scrutiny?" -Audre class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Lorde

A Call to Arms

The revolution is upon us. Our opportunity to ensure our freedom to marry who we choose, and to live our lives as we wish is at hand. We, the gay community must rise up and show the world we will not be identified as a stereotype of fear and malevolence. We will not tolerate others trying to infringe upon our civil rights while the covet their own. Here is the word-for-word post from Massachusetts Family Institute today:

"With over 400 activists demonstrating in front of the Statehouse in support of the Marriage Amendment, members of the Legislature took all of 6 minutes to reschedule the Constitutional Convention and a vote on the Marriage Amendment to next month. While supporters of homosexual marriage were also in front of the Statehouse, their numbers paled in comparison to VoteOnMarriage.org numbering around 30.

The Legislature will now meet on Thursday, June 14th to take up constitutional amendments. The Marriage Amendment is the first item of business. Senate President Therese Murray gaveled the convention open at about 1:02 pm, and quickly recognized Rep. Joan Menard who made the motion to recess, which was approved without objection.

"Senate President Murray gave her word that a vote would be taken on the Marriage Amendment after the state budget deliberations were concluded, and we take her at her word," said MFI President Kris Mineau. "We are confident that when a vote does take place, the Legislature will vote to place the Marriage Amendment on the ballot and before the people."

VoteOnMarriage.org will continue to take the lead in supporting the Marriage Amendment and would like to thank the hundreds of volunteers who took time away from their jobs and lives to come to the Statehouse today to support the people's right to vote on marriage. Chanel Prunier, campaign director for VoteOnMarriage.org, is encouraging you to mark June 14th on your calendar and plan to be in Boston for the Constitutional Convention.

"Today, our supporters made it loud and clear once again that the people want to vote on the definition of marriage and will continue to keep legislators' feet to the fire," said Prunier."

I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live. -Martin Luther King Jr., Speech in Detroit, June 23, 1963

Answer this slap in the face on June 14th. Be at the State House, and bring everyone you know. You cannot expect the moderates to stand up for what is right when we will not stand up for ourselves. Be there, or don't be surprised when you can no longer exercise your freedom of self expression, and live by your own terms. We get the government we deserve. Inaction is still a course of action, with ramifications and consequences of its own. Nothing worth having is free, even freedom.

Constitutional Convention 07- Round 1

The Massachusetts joint session of House and Senate went into session at 1pm and by 1:07 we were told they had recessed. The next convention will take place on June 14th at noon.



Rumor: There are reps and senators that are willing to vote against the amendment because they ‘believe’ in it but are holding out till the days before in hopes of quid pro quo (higher ranking seats on committees, or better parking spots, who knows?) Dirty Dirty Dirty



We will have to see who gets bumped up in committees when the votes are in…

Stop Grabbing Me

Sexism in the queer community needs to stop.

Gentleman, let’s make a deal. You don’t touch my body without asking, and I won’t assume that you are the authority on hair, fashion, figure skating, and other things stereotypically gay.

I love that queer boys run the entire spectrum of the rainbow: from hippie pot heads to queens to bears to an infinite number of beautifully blended identities. Guess what? Queer women are equally diverse. I am not your hag, I am not a hag. I am a queer femme. Don’t make me feel invisible or oppressed by dismissing my identity and grabbing my body. In fact, don’t reduce me or any other woman to a body part.

Don’t get me wrong, I do like the attention. I like dancing, grinding, and cruising with the boys. Who wouldn’t like to feel like Madonna with a harem of hot queer boys surrounding you, fawning over you? At times, it’s heaven and I feel like the Material Girl herself. But guess what’s not flattering: you touching my breasts, asking me to bend over to get a better look at my ass, or referencing parts of my body in degrading ways.

It doesn’t matter that you are not sexually attracted to me; it’s oppressive. When I go out dancing, I go to queer clubs because I want to be with my community. Usually, it’s where the boys are, and I’m often one of the only women, but none of that matters. I want to dance, feel safe, be myself, and let’s face it: no one mixes pop icons and divas like a queer club. But I don’t want to feel like I’m being man handled.

Compliments? Yes please, keep them coming. Care to dance? Why yes I would love to. But I’m not a buffet, you don’t get to walk by, see something you like and grab it.

Memo to French Left: Don't Swallow a Thing

After some clashes with police following the victory of right-wing nut Nicholas Sarkozy, François Hollande, the Secretary of the (losing) Socialist Party told supporters to "swallow your anger, your frustration, [and] your fear to channel that energy into another vote [and] into a movement that must conduct itself within the confines of the republic and democracy..." In other words: Don't get angry, don't do anything radical; just vote for us next time. This should sound very familiar to people in the US. With wimpy rhetoric like this, why does anyone wonder why the Socialists got beaten again?

I say, "N'avalez rien." We are counting on you, France, to continue to be a main point of resistance to neo-liberalism and the cuts in social services and labor rights that everyone else has "swallowed." That will require taking to the streets and standing up to Sarkozy. It will also require taking more radical action besides electoral politics. But I don't need to lecture the French about this, they're better about it than we are.

I personally, am not too panicked about Sarkozy's victory. To be sure, it's a victory for the Right internationally, but either way, France was going to have a fight on its hands. There has been heavy pressure for the country to fall in line with the neo-liberal agenda, and the talk from some Socialist Party leaders after their defeat about how the left needs to "modernize" sounds a lot like the rhetoric of the "New Democrats" and "New Labour." Ségolène Royal seems to have been playing to the right anyway and may have actually been able to get away with more attacks on the social welfare state precisely because she was a nominal "socialist." Perhaps Sarkozy's ham-handed, belligerent tactics will provoke a reaction from the French population. As Jean Bricmont and Diane Johnstone put it:

But the Sarkozy conversion, if it happens, will be only a surface event on a highly unstable and volatile social reality. The rebellious nature of the population makes it unlikely that any president will be able to impose his will, short of establishing a real dictatorship.

What's more important than the election is what the French people do in social movements that take to the streets. Movements resisting the EU Constitution and a law that would have allowed businesses to fire people under 26 with no cause during a two-year trial period were largely successful. Let's hope the trend continues.

Sad Day In France

It is a sad day in France for queers, women, immigrants, and those who favor social justice. Segolene Royal will not become the first female socialist president of France according to exit polls.

DIE-IN and RALLY AGAINST THE BIOTERRORISM LAB

WHEN: Monday, May 7th

WHERE: Institute for Contemporary Art (directions, Courthouse Station info)

TIME: Meet at 6:00 pm at the Courthouse Station, T Silver Line



On Monday evening, Mayor Menino and Governor Patrick are hosting a fancy party at the Institute for Contemporary Art for the Biotech Industry. Join the Stop the Biolab Coalition and the Biojustice mobilization in reminding Mayor Menino that Boston does not want a Bioterror Lab!



WE WILL BRING: biohazards suits, signs, and banners!

YOU BRING: yourself and your friends



For more information or questions about the die-in, call 617-686-7469 or email endtheoccupation@myway.com.

BULLY

As you might of read this week in BayWindows, Brian Camenker was up to his old tactics. He argued that anti-violence/bullying programs didn’t work and that it was human nature.

Well Brian, come up with something that would work instead of trying to stand in the way of a solution.

WHAT A NUT BAG!

Sign The Petition To Lift Under-21 Ban!

Please sign this petition to lift the ban on under-21 clubs in Boston. We will hand deliver this petition to the Mayor's office and all parties involved in the decision making. Spread the word using your myspace pages, facebook pages, e-mail contacts, and any other way you can think of.



Outrage continues to grow, particularly among LGBT youth, in reaction to the ban on under-21 nights in Boston. We must keep the pressure on.

Bullying

Trevor Wright, activist and blogger for QueerToday.com, was featured in Bay Windows today:

"...But the most powerful LGBT-related testimony at the hearing came from Trevor Wright, coordinator of the BAGLY Prom. Wright, who is 22, explained that during his years at Weymouth High School he was repeatedly targeted for harassment and physical assaults because he is gay. He said when he would visit the men’s room other students would taunt him and ask him to perform oral sex on them.
“They would call me a faggot, and the whole room would laugh at me,” said Wright.

One student named Randall regularly targeted him, he said. Wright said Randall wrote the words “cock-sucking faggot” on his locker, and when Wright confronted him Randall punched him and threw him to the floor.

Wright said when he went to administrators for help, he was told to “tone it down a bit.” To cope he said he would go home and cut his arms with razor blades.

“My wounds might have healed, but my scars are still visible,” said Wright."