Chris of TakeMassAction is letting our community know that Boston Pride began with a few dozen lesbians and gay men marching as part of a Vietnam War protest. In his post he laments that Boston Pride has lost its way, and it is important to recapture the spirit of resistance that we come from. Check it out>
Boston Pride: Theme Resistance Growing!
The facebook group of the Ask.Tell.Act. Coalition has grown to over 75 members! Theater Offensive is among the groups pledging to wear hot pink, and rumor has it many other organizations are planning to add pink to their floats and marching contingents in support of the coalition's efforts.
Chris of TakeMassAction is letting our community know that Boston Pride began with a few dozen lesbians and gay men marching as part of a Vietnam War protest. In his post he laments that Boston Pride has lost its way, and it is important to recapture the spirit of resistance that we come from. Check it out>
Sign The Letter Today!
Chris of TakeMassAction is letting our community know that Boston Pride began with a few dozen lesbians and gay men marching as part of a Vietnam War protest. In his post he laments that Boston Pride has lost its way, and it is important to recapture the spirit of resistance that we come from. Check it out>
BayWindows Poll
BayWindows' online poll this week is about the Pride theme. Feel free to vote and have your say!
MassResistance Radio Show CANCELLED!
MassResistance's hatecast has been CANCELLED! They have been broadcasting from WTTT in Salem Ma. Queertoday has requested a official response from the station.
But for now lets ponder some of the reasons it might of been canned:
FILL IN THE BLANK!
Massresistance's radio / hatecast was kicked off the air because ________.
(folks use your imagination)
UPDATE! Boston Pride Committee Changes Pride Theme
>>WARNING: PARODY BELOW! PARODY BELOW! PARODY BELOW!<<
Ask. Tell.
Proud to do what we’re told for our community, our nation, our world
The LGBT community just does what it’s told in all kinds of ways: in our community, our nation and our world. Why we’re so happy to be a cog in a racist, sexist, homophobic machine that we can’t help but whistle "zip-a-dee-doo-dah" while we "serve" you!
Don't forget to check out the Ask.tell.act coalition website and the coalition's letter below.
The LGBT community just does what it’s told in all kinds of ways: in our community, our nation and our world. Why we’re so happy to be a cog in a racist, sexist, homophobic machine that we can’t help but whistle "zip-a-dee-doo-dah" while we "serve" you!
We are your porn stars, your hustlers, your go-go boys, your illegal immigrants living in constant fear of ICE raids, your single moms (and dads) on increasingly scarce public assistance, your low-wage workers working 70 hours a week with no benefits, your soldiers dying for an asinine war for which we will get few benefits and whose partners and loved ones cannot receive those benefits anyway, and your prisoners doing virtual slave labor in a privatized prison. We’re proud to kiss your ass and not rock the boat in any way. Just ask, and we’ll tell!
Or at least that's how it sounds to me.Don't forget to check out the Ask.tell.act coalition website and the coalition's letter below.
Letter To Boston's Queer Community
Visit asktellact.org to show your support!Join the facebook group!
Dear Boston Queer/LGBTQPI… Community Members and Allies, The Boston Pride Committee has chosen a divisive theme (and imagery: see left) for Boston Pride that glorifies militarism and shows a misplaced sense of priorities. In response, concerned organizations and individuals have formed the Ask. Tell. Act. Coalition to encourage our community to think about the issues of militarism, corporitization, transphobia, sexism, and racism that are presented by the theme. We are asking for your support and solidarity in ignoring the Boston Pride Committee's theme by including the messages below on your floats, signs, and other Pride materials, and by wearing something hot pink on the day of Boston Pride.
ASK: Why celebrate militarism? We believe that it is wrong to echo militaristic culture for our queer pride celebration when thousands of lives are being lost due to the bloody and increasingly senseless occupation of Iraq. We believe that it is wrong that billions of dollars are spent funding war and occupation around the world while the needs of our veterans and our society's countless other human needs are left unattended. Furthermore, we stand against the trend of prioritizing the fight against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" at a time when the youth of our community are facing an epidemic of homelessness, and the transgender people of our community are facing violence and discrimination at every level of our society. There is no pride in war and occupation.
TELL the truth about injustice! We believe that the language that the Boston Pride Committee has chosen creates the impression that Pride is a day for LGBT people to put our lives on display for the straight, dominant culture. Not all of us are willing or safely able to answer any question asked of us, as the theme suggests. While, this theme celebrates “our service to society,” we believe that Pride should not be a day in which we celebrate our "service" to the dominant culture, but a day for ourselves to celebrate our pride in being who we are. We reject this language because many of us are not willing or able to proclaim our pride in what we do for an occupation, to make money, or to "serve." We live in a society in which queer immigrants are enduring violent, terrifying raids at work and home. We live in a society in which many transgender people cannot find jobs due to discrimination. We believe it is unfair, offensive, and in some cases dangerous to encourage the most discriminated against members of our community to march in pride of our "service."
ACT to transform our community, country, and the world! We owe it to ourselves and to the many brave queer people who came before us to continue the legacy of proud resistance that accompanies queer pride celebrations. We must embrace a spirit of liberation. We believe that there are countless ways to express pride in our identities without allowing ourselves to become owned by Big Pharma, Airlines, Credit Cards, Liquor Companies, and Banks. Major corporations have no right to exploit and profit off of our community. Our sexualities and genders are shaped by all the identities we carry. We believe that in order to truly celebrate our queerness we must make the choice to stand up against racism, sexism, classism, militarism, assimilation, and all systems of oppression.
Please join us in making a visual impact at Boston Pride by including these messages of resistance and social justice in your signs, floats, and materials. Instead of camo,wear hot pink on Pride day!
In Solidarity, Happy Queer Pride!
The Ask. Tell. Act. Coalition
www.asktellact.org
P.S. Our Coalition meetings are every Sunday at 5PM at Community Church in Copley Square. All are welcome to attend.
Sen. Jarrett Barrios is resigning!
Sen. Jarrett Barrios, is resigning from the state senate to become president of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation.
Check out
TakeMassAction
Boston Globe
He will be missed!!!!!!!
Gay Flamingos Celebrate 5 Year Anniversary
A pair of gay flamingos who came out five years ago when they presented a series of complex mating rituals are celebrating their anniversary today. Carlos and Fernando have remained monogamous for the span of their five year relationship, unique for flamingos who typically swap mates yearly. The couple has raised three healthy chicks, and their family is well liked among the other flamingos living at the Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Gloucestershire. Of course that could be because Carlos and Fernando are total gym bunnies. According to one staff member, they are both "formidable" males. Read more at pinknews>Massachusetts Commission on GLBT Youth
Last night was the Massachusetts Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth commission meeting that was held at the State House.
(The stalkers will not be able to take any more photos, or video at commission meetings)
Amy Contrada and Brian Camenkey have been OBSESSED with LGBT people and how 
they/we have sex for some time now. They are obsessed with taking pictures of the trans members of the Commission and our community. But now they lowered themselves to plastering the names and where Commission members live, on their shabby looking web site.
they/we have sex for some time now. They are obsessed with taking pictures of the trans members of the Commission and our community. But now they lowered themselves to plastering the names and where Commission members live, on their shabby looking web site.Well, the pictures they have are going to be recycled. Because last night the Commission enforced 'Mass. Gen. Laws Chp 30A section 11A1/2'
"A meeting of a governmental body may be recorded by any person in attendance by means of a tape recorder or any other means of sonic reproduction except when a meeting is held in executive session; provided, that in such recording there is no active interference with the conduct of the meeting."
(The stalkers will not be able to take any more photos, or video at commission meetings)
The Commission is acting within the 'parameters of the law' and ' applying its rules fairly and uniformly.'
Big Pharma Collects Names & Addresses At Latino Pride
The corporitization of Pride was most sickeningly evident at the Latino Pride Celebrations (which were fabulous otherwise) this weekend. As people entered the Pride event they were approached by cute, young gay men offering free rainbow t-shirts (no company logos on them). All you had to do was fill out a form with your name and address. The form had a small "Gilead" logo at the bottom. Gilead also had a table where they gave away little key chains, and more free t-shirts in exchange for filling out the form. To my knowledge there was no contest or other reason to collect names. They were simply collecting names and addresses for marketing purposes. When asked what kind of company they were, I was shocked to hear them say they were pharmaceutical company. One member of the promotions team said he was not informed what company he would be promoting before until arrived at the event.
Then I noticed the keychain was a promotion for their anti-retroviral HIV drug. The text on the little car attached to the keychain says "Move on with Life," as if to say people with HIV can simply take this drug and move right on with life...yeah, not a care in the world like oh, I don't know...the financial burden of paying for such drugs in this country!
It turns out that Gilead is the biblically named company that Donald Rumsfield was a board member of, and was the co-chair of before he joined the Bush Administration. He currently "owns between USD$5 million and USD$25 million in Gilead stock... The rise in Gilead's share prices from USD$35 to USD$57 per share will have added between USD$2.5 million to USD$15.5 million to Rumsfeld's net worth." In addition to HIV drugs Gilead created the famous Tamiflu. And when the Bush administration was busy terrorizing us about the threat of bird flu, they designated 1billion dollars to purchasing Tamiflu from Roche, the company that Gilead partnered with for "research and marketing" of Tamiflu. Looks like Rumsfeld made some nice cash from the bird flu "scare."
"In a recent meeting of regional health ministers, Dr. Francisco Duque III, Secretary of the Philippines Department of Health, accused Roche of "monopolizing" the production and distribution of the drug known as Oseltamivir (brand name Tamiflu). " -Wikipedia
Gilead also partners with companies such as GlaxoSmith Kline and Merk, both of which have been sued by Prescription Access Litigation, and other individuals and organizations for participating in unethical and illegal operating procedures. Remember the Vioxx scandal anyone?
Do you want Donald Rumsfeld's friends to have your name, address and other demographics?
Gilead's revenue increased almost 50% in 2006, earning ver 3 billion dollars. As they fear Michael Moore's new movie will surely point out, BIG Pharma is an industry that cares about nothing but Profits.
Update: In 2006 Gilead was subpoenaed for its marketing practices of Truvada, the drug they were promoting at Latino Pride.
They are preventing generic drugs from coming onto the market through various illegal tactics, sending doctors on vacations to prescribe their brand-name drugs, and now they are collecting our names and addresses.
It is time to unite in resistance of Big Pharma and the unhealthy corporitization of Boston Pride.
Then I noticed the keychain was a promotion for their anti-retroviral HIV drug. The text on the little car attached to the keychain says "Move on with Life," as if to say people with HIV can simply take this drug and move right on with life...yeah, not a care in the world like oh, I don't know...the financial burden of paying for such drugs in this country!
It turns out that Gilead is the biblically named company that Donald Rumsfield was a board member of, and was the co-chair of before he joined the Bush Administration. He currently "owns between USD$5 million and USD$25 million in Gilead stock... The rise in Gilead's share prices from USD$35 to USD$57 per share will have added between USD$2.5 million to USD$15.5 million to Rumsfeld's net worth." In addition to HIV drugs Gilead created the famous Tamiflu. And when the Bush administration was busy terrorizing us about the threat of bird flu, they designated 1billion dollars to purchasing Tamiflu from Roche, the company that Gilead partnered with for "research and marketing" of Tamiflu. Looks like Rumsfeld made some nice cash from the bird flu "scare."
"In a recent meeting of regional health ministers, Dr. Francisco Duque III, Secretary of the Philippines Department of Health, accused Roche of "monopolizing" the production and distribution of the drug known as Oseltamivir (brand name Tamiflu). " -Wikipedia
Gilead also partners with companies such as GlaxoSmith Kline and Merk, both of which have been sued by Prescription Access Litigation, and other individuals and organizations for participating in unethical and illegal operating procedures. Remember the Vioxx scandal anyone?
Do you want Donald Rumsfeld's friends to have your name, address and other demographics?
Gilead's revenue increased almost 50% in 2006, earning ver 3 billion dollars. As they fear Michael Moore's new movie will surely point out, BIG Pharma is an industry that cares about nothing but Profits.
AdAge.com claims that the pharmaceutical industry is attempting to discredit Moore's film by trying to spin the filmmaker as biased and one-sided. Ken Johnson, senior vice president for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), says America needs a "thoughtful and well-researched" investigation into America's healthcare problems, and insists Moore's film won't provide that.
But consumer health advocate Mike Adams disagrees. "Big Pharma is the king of spin and propaganda," he says. "And drug companies will paint anything as 'biased' if it doesn't bow down to the lies, distortions and fraud being promoted by the industry. Big Pharma is not merely afraid of Michael Moore, they're afraid of anything resembling honest scrutiny or investigative journalism," he added.
Update: In 2006 Gilead was subpoenaed for its marketing practices of Truvada, the drug they were promoting at Latino Pride.
They are preventing generic drugs from coming onto the market through various illegal tactics, sending doctors on vacations to prescribe their brand-name drugs, and now they are collecting our names and addresses.
It is time to unite in resistance of Big Pharma and the unhealthy corporitization of Boston Pride.
Amy Contrada Posts Her Stalkerish Report
Today Amy Contrada of MassResistance finally posted her "report" on Youth Pride. She still claims Deval Patrick did not attend because of MassResistance but we all knew Deval had a prior commitment all along. She also shows a picture of QueerToday blogger Trevor Wright smiling and holding up a peace sign while calling him sick and depraved. And of course she has plenty of photos of drag queens, and transgender folks as predicted. Her video proves our point that she is in fact that creepy adult stalking our youth. Click Here for our full report on Amy's actions that day. Congrats to Captain Gay! Amy loves you!
Gay Britons in the Military - No Big Deal
An article in the New York Times describes how none of the previous fears of harassment or bullying that came with allowing gay Britons to serve in the military in 2000 have materialized.
Some in the military even suggest that the issue of gays in the Armed Forces is now a nonissue, "yesterday's news."
Read more.
Question - With over 24 countries in the world allowing gay soldiers to serve openly in their armed forces, why is the issue of allowing gays in the military such a big deal in the United States?
Some in the military even suggest that the issue of gays in the Armed Forces is now a nonissue, "yesterday's news."
Read more.
Question - With over 24 countries in the world allowing gay soldiers to serve openly in their armed forces, why is the issue of allowing gays in the military such a big deal in the United States?
NPR: Marriage Causes Shift in Gay Culture
Listen to this story by NPR about same-sex marriage and its impact on the community. QueerToday blogger Jason Lydon is interviewed.
Boston Pride Theme: Think About It
Remember to wear something Hot Pink during Pride if you have concerns about the theme. On December 21, 2006 we asked QueerToday readers to write to the Pride Committee and local papers asking questions about the chosen Boston Pride 2007 theme. We'll continue asking.
Ask. Tell. (Who is asking? What are they asking? Who is telling? Why the military imagery and words?)
Proud to Serve Our Community, Our Country, Our World. (Are all of us proud to serve our country right now? Can we all proclaim our pride to "serve?" Who are we serving?)
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. (Not all of us are happy or able to share our lives with "you." Who is "you?" Is Pride for us, or a show and tell for the dominant culture?) Just ask, and we'll tell! (I think my trans friends are rather sick of being asked about their body parts for one thing. Note to straight folks, contrary to what the committee says, we might not want to "just tell.")
In addition to this wording the Pride Committee is using dog tags in all of their promotional materials. And the closing party is called the "Military Ball."
See Also: Just Ask & We Won't Tell, reject the boston pride theme, innewsweekly: new coalition forms to oppose theme
In addition to this wording the Pride Committee is using dog tags in all of their promotional materials. And the closing party is called the "Military Ball."
See Also: Just Ask & We Won't Tell, reject the boston pride theme, innewsweekly: new coalition forms to oppose theme
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.
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
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
(visit the MTPC web site, for information on how to lobby)
THANK YOU MTPC!!!
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.
(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.
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).
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:
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!)
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.
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.
Proud to Serve Our Community, Our Country, Our World.
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.
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