Cronicas de Latinidad

Immigration Assaults on Trans folks

2006-12-14T14:45:00.000-08:00

I couldnt believe this when I read it and I wonder how many more stories out there. As I was translating for an Immigration panel yesterday for KQED, I was floored with the question of how we need a White history month. The speaker quoted James Baldwin, in asking that America the youngest country has the shortest memory span. Here in the Us, we seem to forget everything, where we came from. This would hopefully open up our connections to each other.Maybe, just maybe, this forgetting, this soul loss is what permits us to make these acts of violence like below.

thanks for the heads up, Oaxaca Vive..

Violence against Immigrant Transsexuals

LOS ANGELES - Suffering years of violence and harassment as a transsexual in Mexico, Mayra Soto sought asylum in a more tolerant U.S.

But the trauma continued here.

She was detained in an immigrant detention center in Los Angeles and forced by a guard to perform oral sex on him with the threat of violence, she said.

Soto's story, relayed tearfully to a bipartisan federal panel Wednesday, was one of many testified under oath of guards taking advantage of immigrant detainees.

The guard in Soto's case eventually pleaded guilty to sexual assault and served a six month sentence. But Soto told The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission - whose eight members include presidential and congressional appointees - that her punishment was much worse: Guards moved her to a cell with accused murderers and rapists, she claimed.

"I took this as another form of retaliation," said Soto, 33, sobbing. "I still don't know how they could justify placing someone as feminine as me in the same unit as murders and rapists."

The two-day hearing in a federal courtroom is the sixth held by the commission nationwide, but the first to focus on sexual abuse of immigrants held in federal detention facilities.

The panel, led by a federal judge and made up of business leaders, academics and human rights workers, was formed by Congress in 2003 to find ways of deterring prison rape - a crime that has claimed an estimated 1 million victims in 20 years, according to the commission.

Unaware of their rights, unable to speak English and afraid that speaking out could hurt their chance at freedom, immigrant detainees are one of the populations most vulnerable to abuse by guards, immigrant advocates testified Wednesday.

continue reading

12-13-06 - SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS - CA - By ANDREW GLAZER - Associated Press

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for research and educational purposes. I have no affiliation whatsoever with the originators of my news postings nor am I endorsed or sponsored by the originators.

between dances, book review

2006-11-26T23:09:00.000-08:00

MAsGUEY Book Review

Alright so after my superhero fix on you tube, I found time to read "between dances" by Erasmo Guerra. This book was hard to get into in the beginning but past like a good movie the pace picks up and takes you for a ride worth glimplesing.

the plot: A gay texan finds himself stripping in New York and dealing with men, love and life.

what i thought:
All around the way memory is done is fantastic with the spaces. I struggle with transitions and it was great to have the memory jumps in this book, as a flash forward to the good parts. The end left me wanting so so so much more and weaved in what was trying to be said throughout the book. as a coming of age story, i was rooting for romance, but found this a great read. Plus the sexy scenes were great. i would have wanted more metaphors, and less detail but those delivered kept my appetite wanting more.

go out, get it, read it, y comment.

chale
MAsGUEY book review.

Water

2006-11-13T17:27:00.000-08:00

MAsGUEY Movie Review
Water

I watched this film like two weeks ago, and i cant get it out of my system. Watch the behind the scenes FOOTAGE before watching the film to know that politics for conformity will keep marginal voices MARGINAL at any cost. Who else besides me was like, the director is a LESBIAN. Please can we say she is Kware?

The Greens and Blues touched my eyes, but the story went much further. In a land where being who you are comes at a price. Damn.
Do yourself the favor watch water, then WATCH FIRE. its damn good. ya.

Radio Interview....

2006-10-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.kpfa.org/archives/index.php?arch=16801

Saving face

2006-09-22T17:16:00.001-07:00

The MAsGUEY film review has this to say about

SAVING FACE.

Thank the higher powers and all her mights for this ethnic/sexual splash of coming out and focusing on LESBIANS. Can I have a standing ovation for this film. I love my ethnic boys dont know what to do with me being gay, but we could all tell since birth dramas, but this boldly puts the butch/femme dichotomy in center stage with a Chinese-American backdrop.

This film is not for the jaded, but for those who can appreciate clever writing fused with heartfelt painful experiences summed up in jeweled one liners flowing from these amazing actors. I recommended this to fam, and curious to hear what they got to say. I was surprised with the class mobility in the film, but i think begining to open the definition of bearing shame and building honor not only reworks the way we think of queer women of color, but gives solutions. Ay love it. This film gets gold stars all around.

MAsGUEY

Saving face

2006-09-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

Callejon de Los Milagros...

2006-09-18T03:27:00.000-07:00

So you wanna catch the classic Y tu Mama Tambien, where it all began. Break that netflix move to top option on this film, or simply make that real life trip to that tiendita around the corner that rents the Hecho En Mexico films. I prefer the second option, and grab one of those fifty cent stickers con la virgen on it that says pura raza.

Oye, pero I loved this film. me lo recomendio un paisa, and damn its the really good.

The circles and layers of consciuosness that the story is weaved into will put any oaxacan trenza to shame.

Starting and ending with the art of Put@ this film exposes that not all of us have the luxury of love, and patience. Our fears can take us over and interfere with destiny as much as we have to let destiny run its course.

Regardless, when you get a chance watch it.

orale braudher..

MAsGUEY

Hector Silva

2006-08-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Notice the Maguey.

I swear the maguey for the Jotito's is the new Virgen Guadalupe.

I wanna go down to LA to see this show. I need a mandatory break from LA TESIS, to go to LA to see this show.

Dime si es possible...

maSguey

CHEROKEE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN MUSLIMS

2006-08-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

Digging for the Red Roots

by Mahir Abdal-Razzaaq El

[CHEROKEE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN MUSLIMS]

My name is Mahir Abdal-Razzaaq El and I am a Cherokee Blackfoot American Indian who is Muslim. I am known as Eagle Sun Walker. I serve as a Pipe Carrier Warrior for the Northeastern Band of Cherokee Indians in New York City.

There are other Muslims in our group. For the most part, not many people are aware of the Native American contact with Islam that began over one thousand years ago by some of the early Muslim travelers who visited us. Some of these Muslim travelers ended up living among our people.

For most Muslims and non-Muslims of today, this type of information is unknown and has never been mentioned in any of the history books. There are many documents, treaties, legislation and resolutions that were passed between 1600s and 1800s that show that Muslims were in fact here and were very active in the communities in which they lived. Treaties such as Peace and Friendship that was signed on the Delaware River in the year 1787 bear the signatures of Abdel-Khak and Muhammad Ibn Abdullah. This treaty details our continued right to exist as a community in the areas of commerce, maritime shipping, current form of government at that time which was in accordance with Islam. According to a federal court case from the Continental Congress, we help put the breath of life in to the newly framed constitution. All of the documents are presently in the National Archives as well as the Library of Congress.

If you have access to records in the state of South Carolina, read the Moors Sundry Act of 1790. In a future article, Inshallah, I will go in to more details about the various tribes, their languages; in which some are influenced by Arabic, Persian, Hebrew words. Almost all of the tribes vocabulary include the word Allah. The traditional dress code for Indian women includes the kimah and long dresses. For men, standard fare is turbans and long tops that come down to the knees. If you were to look at any of the old books on Cherokee clothing up until the time of 1832, you will see the men wearing turbans and the women wearing long head coverings. The last Cherokee chief who had a Muslim name was Ramadhan Ibn Wati of the Cherokees in 1866.

Cities across the United States and Canada bear names that are of Indian and Islamic derivation. Have you ever wondered what the name Tallahassee means? It means that He Allah will deliver you sometime in the future.

Article Taken from: The MESSAGE, July 1996.(Copyright: The Message Magazine as long as proper acknowledgement has been stated, and a link to the site is retained, it can be reproduced)

http://whyislam.org/877/Heritage/NativeMuslims.asp

youth SExuality Zine

2006-08-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

Youth Magazine on Sexuality
Body: From Generation FIVE -- http://www.generationfive.org/

*****
Youth Zine Available Today!

Whether you love sex, are curious about sex, or aren't sure how you feel about sex, this booklet is for you. It is meant to talk about, celebrate and heal sexuality. For those of you who have made a decision to have sex, it is meant to support you in developing your sexuality and sexual relationships that are safe, positive and pleasurable.

Some of the pages in this booklet are written specifically for youth who have been disrespected by child sexual abuse, date rape and/or other forms of sexual violence.

The Zine is free to young people! You can receive your free copy mailed to you. Organizations can order copies and receive 5 or less for $5 each, 6 or more for $3 each. Discounts given to those organizations that orders in bulk.

To Order a Zine:
Email info@generationFIVE.org or Call 415.861.6658 or Visit www.generationFIVE.org Mailing Address: 3288 21st Street ..171 San Francisco, CA 94110

SAVE THE DATE

2006-07-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

SAVE THE DATE!

Educational Forum on Immigration,

Labor, and Racial issues

Saturday, July 15th @ 10AM - 1PM

Oakland or SF - exact location to be announced

Organizing the community to stay strong and active!

Building unity among workers,
immigrants, and people of color!

Educating our base to demand justice and equality!

     The Regional Unity Coalition - a coalition made up of several regional coalitions working together to leverage their collective power - invites your organization and members to come to this educational forum and publically discuss issues of immigration, unemployment, racism, workplace rights, and civil rights.

     We will also announce plans for the next great march and other activities to win fair working and living conditions for our communities.

Program will be translated into several languages!

Childcare available...bring the whole family!

Snacks provided!

Donations welcome

GUARDE LA FECHA

Foro Educativo sobre Inmigracion,

Labor, y Raza

Sabado, 15 de Julio de 10AM - 1PM

en Oakland o SF - local exacto a ser anunciado

Organizando a la comunidad para ser fuerte y activo!

Fomentando unidad entre
obreros, inmigrantes, y gente de color!

Educando a nuestras bases a exigir justicia e igualdad!

     La Coalicion de Unidad Regional - una coalicion compuesta de varias coaliciones regionales para trabajar con mas fuerza y efectividad - invita a su organizacion y a sus miembros a participar en este foro educativo donde la comunidad publicamente discutira temas de inmigracion, falta de empleo, racismo, derechos laborales, y derechos civiles.

     Tambien anunciaremos planes para la proxima, gran marcha y otras actividades para ganar condiciones laborales y de vivienda justas y dignas para nuestras comunidades.

Programa traducido a varios idiomas!

Cuidado de ninos disponible...traiga a toda la familia!

Comida para picar proveida!

Donaciones bienvenidas

Para Divertirnos Un Poco

2006-07-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

Can Someone please explain to me this new wave of pro-Smiths push.

I have never heard of the guy, and just recently saw Purple Rain like 4 months ago. Que onda with this new push for like wanna be 80s groove. Has this been always like this,

Anyways una buena amiga was like you know many LA radio DJs connect his whaling lyrics to a ranchera song which is why the LA Latino community is pro-Smiths.

Pues whatever reason, here is a little taste of what folks been promoting.
Y en eso, could someone explain to me why I am begining to like it?

Concentration camps for undocumented immigrants proposed

2006-06-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

I just got this.

I cannot believe that this was even proposed. Have we not learned from the Hitler, have we not learned from the Japanese Interment Camps. Why are we attacking the base of our economy. The United States depends on cheap labor and has created a wall. The United States had no reason to go into countries and create wars. This devasted peoples and their sustainability. We produce the image of great opportunity here, and hold true that we were founded on immigrants but since when did the country founded on immigrants close its borders to immigrants?

My family has been crossing the border for 4 generations, and its that border that kept us here. It was building the railroads that brought my family here the first time and then the Bracero program that invited us the second time. I have four generations of labor in building this country and all the thanks we get is now criminalizing for more cheap labor that will build a wall limiting us from continuing the flow that goes back and forth.

This country needs to stop operating on fear, producing legislation that treats immigrants with human dignity. Immigration reform is a small request by the masses that have produced the wealth of this country. We made it, so why cant we participate in it?

Concentration camps for undocumented immigrants proposed

June 21, 2006.

EFE News Agency

Phoenix, Arizona

The Republican candidate for Governor of Arizona, Don Goldwater,proposed the establishment of concentration camps for undocumented immigrants near the borders. The proposal would also require these immigrants to build the wall along the border.

Goldwater affirmed recently that his intent is to detain undocumented immigrants in a concentration camp in order to use them as the labor force in the construction of the wall and also clean the Arizona desert area that they leave all dirty as they go in.

To accomplish this, he would use the National Guard.

Goldwater, who seeks the Governor nomination of his party, has also said that if elected Governor he would apply an iron fist against illegal immigration.

The Governor vetoed a series of bills that intended to assign immigration law enforcement duties to the local police departments.

To this date, Goldwater surpasses the other Republican candidates in the polls for the Republican nomination for Governor.

The winner in this election would face Napolitano in November who, according to recent polls, is 11 points ahead of Goldwater.

The Republican has openly expressed his opposition to an immigration reform that includes the legalization of millions of undocumented immigrants that live and work in the US, as well as his support of more severe sanctions against those companies and businesses that hire undocumented workers.

Goldwater affirmed that one of his priorities if elected would be securing the border, for which he means to use the members of the Minutemen, the Yuma Patriots and other paramilitary groups to support the law enforcement agencies of Arizona.

Another of his proposals is to make cities enforce immigration laws,and by doing so putting an end to the undocumented workers sanctuaries and the practice of catching and then releasing immigrants without papers.

Goldwater said he supports the expansion of Law 200, approved by Arizona voters in November 2004 that denies undocumented workers access to certain public assistance programs.

It also requires that the employees of these agencies report the undocumented immigrants that seek the assistance of these agencies. Likewise, it asks for proof of citizenship to everyone who registers to vote and at the moment of casting the vote.

The Republican applauded the efforts of the Maricopa County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, who began capturing undocumented immigrants two months ago under the new states anticoyote law.

This legislation allows local authorities to indict not only the traffickers of undocumented immigrants but also those that pay for their services.

Happy Pride, If youre a white gay man, Otherwise LEAVE!!!

2006-06-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

I guess I should have taken my foreshadow of Pride as I walked out of my studio, blocks away from all the partying, as a middle-aged dyke opens her red truck door to stick her head out. Her dirty blonde locks covered any form of her face, and all I heard was
BLAHHHH!!!!
I quickly turned my head, but still heard her splatter of vomit all over the street. This was my introduction to this years PRIDE.

All in all it was good, and got to wear TRENZAS and saw Gloria Trevi be crowned as a Queen of the Castro. The night continued into more and more partying. As I walked out of the Harvey Milk Plaza I was glad to see the whole Plaza completely packed with queer kids of color.

As I came out of the bars to catch my last train home, they were all gone. Where did they go? I noticed that the police had successfully harassed the majority of them to leave. All but one. This kid must have been 17 years old, but his loudness and heels proved he was not done partying.

The cop told him that he and the kids friends were LOITERING Harvey Milk Plaza. How can folks LOITER at PRIDE? When the whole streets are packed.

“You know what!” The high heeled teenager took another deep breath and yelled. “You are not telling those white people over their smoking in front of that bar that they are loitering! It dont matter, but just cuz I am young and black it dont matter that we both are gay! Thats right, I know you are gay, but it dont matter. Right?”

I stood their watching and listening to all of it play out.

Trans Latinidad II

2006-06-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

...Picture soon to be posted...

We didnt cross the border!
The Border Crossed us!!
Gender borders are fucked up!!

One, Two, Three, Four
NO more Borders
NO more War,
Five, Six, Seven, Eight
No more Prisons,
No more Hate

Renters rights are Tranny Rights
We wont give up without a Fight!

Trasvestis Unidas
Jamas Seran Vencidas

Ya Basta!
Racismo
Ya Basta!
Transphobia

Notes from the march…

So I arrived to my surprise in sea of Trans folks and their allies. Sprinkled to me seemed a few Trans Latina women, 2 to be exact and lots and lots of white Trans men. But what about the Trans people of color, donde estaban??

Thankfully Logan and his crew brought out the Banner “Somos Sus Hijas E Hijos, No nos olviden” banner from the peregrinacion to end LGBT HATE VIOLENCE back in December. Informal at its best we were honored with Claudia from Instituto Familiar de La Raza, and T-Tip, which organizers around rights for incarcerated Trans people. So we put together a nice TRANS Poc and ALLIES contingent which was hot!!!!

Trans Latinidad

2006-06-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a good friend of mine today and he said that I am like a stone in a pond. Where ever I drop I will make ripples and leave my mark.

THE WATER HAS BEEN A LITTLE CALM!!!!
LETS make some waves this trans march que no!!!! So please pass along ideas to my friend Logan. Who is amazing and available. I just want to put that out their.

Oye so quien va, que semos. We can get t's and spray them Brown First, Trans 2nd. or something.

I am interested in making one that says "Tranny Tot" on the front, and in the back have it say, "Every Tranny gots to have one."

let me know.
T-Tot.
--------------------------------------------------

TRANS March After Party

2006-06-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

Hey please check this event out.

SF: Trans March after party

Busting OUT:
a Trans March after party in honor of the new documentary, "Cruel and Unusual"
benefiting the Sylvia Rivera Law Project
& the Trans/Gender Variant in Prison Committee
with hip hop, spoken word, & cabaret performances by
-- NaR -- Miss Major -- Tre Vasquez --
T H E B E S T D A N C E P A R T Y
by dj emancipacion, dj durt and others!
Friday, June 23rd
9pm – 2am
yet another reason to be here:
extra-special raffle action and snacky treats provided

$5 before 11p
$7-10 after 11p
No one turned away for lack of funds
21+

at El Rio: 3158 Mission Street
between Cesar Chavez and Valencia
in San Francisco

"Cruel and Unusual," an eye-opening depiction of the blatant discrimination transgender people endure, portrays the challenges faced by transwomen in men's correctional facilities. Debuting at the SF International LGBT Film Festival on Wednesday, June 21 st, 6pm at the Victoria Theatre.

www.frameline.org

The Sylvia Rivera Law Project works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless or income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence.

www.srlp.org

The Trans/Gender Variant in Prison Committee works to end the discrimination, medical neglect, abuse and violence experienced by transgender and gender variant people, and people with intersex conditions in CA prisons.

www.tgijp.org/tip

This bar is NOT wheelchair accessible as their bathrooms are not wheelchair accessible and do not have grab bars and would not be accessible without assistance. The entrance and most of the club is wheelchair accessible, including the back deck, but not the yard. For more information, please call El Rio at 415.282.3325. This bar doesnot have a parking lot.

Public Transportation:
MUNI: 12 Folsom, 14 Mission, 14L Mission Limited, 26 Valencia, 49 Van ness-Mission, 67 Bernal

BART: 24th Street Station (El Rio is located four blocks south of here)

Have any questions or want to be a part of makingthis happen?
email: nat@criticalresistance.org
phone: 510-677-5500

African-American Gay Comedy/Drama

2006-06-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

I really like the possibilities of film. Somehow late night as I write about the impact of theory onto marginal communities and produce a thesis, and then it gets shelved. This then becomes useful and accessible to those who know how to use a library.

BUT film has the power to capture visually experiencewhat we can only narrate. This film was created to capture the tensions and obstacles for the African-American Gay experience. Then the human rights campaign decided to sponsor this film as their form of initiating discussion. I dont see my thesis at this point being picked up by the immigrant rights movement any time soon.

Who wants to make a movie with me? I can see it now, Queer People of Color and how they make sense of the world. We would touch presence, home, lovers, life and spirituality.

For now, catch this film for free here in SF...
........................................................

Gwen Araujo Story- A Made for TV film

2006-06-14T23:35:00.000-07:00

so the channel for women and gay men is actually airing a made for tv film on Gwen Araujo.

OH MY GOD. can someone tape this for me....
here is the synopsis. hella problematic, but hmmm...

Synaposis.
Imagine feeling like you're trapped in the wrong body, that there's been some sort of mistake that you're supposed to be a girl instead of a boy. How would you tell your family and friends that you wanted to change genders? Would you bring it up with someone you had a crush on? And what would you do when society not only refused to accept the new you, but was violent toward you? Well, Eddie Araujo didn't know the answers, but he did know he was supposed to be female, so he began to dress as a girl and changed his name to Gwen. You won't believe what Gwen endured just to live her life as who she was and feel normal. It's a shocking true story about courage and tolerance, and is sure to stay with you long after the credits roll.
Directed by: Agnieszka Holland
Written by: Shelley Evans
Airtime:June 19, Lifetime 9pm

I can't believe that they are using "Eddie" to address Gwen. This is really sticky and messy.
Also, what up with courage and tolerance, I mean this should say, the price of hate violence. I disagree with the usage of tolerant as a desireable value, it is soo progressive liberal. Yuck!!!!

pues curious to know what they produce. que no. I will be watching.
Let me know if you catch it.

Demanding Stronger Protection for Immigrant Rights

2006-06-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

While most students during their spring break were heading home, or enjoying their time off from school, I got a phone call. This was my friend from San Francisco State University asking me if I wanted to be part of a private meeting with the Mayor Gavin Newsome around issues of immigrant rights. At first I thought he was joking but when I heard the seriuosness to his voice I said yes. My next question was asking who else would be attending these meetings and why were students being puppetered to this meeting. I sound found out that this was a total response to LA's student walk-outs and San Francisco's dive to struggle to hold onto its idea of progressive thought it would be cool to have some ethnic Students around the mayor being proud of Sanctuary City. Mind you grassroots organizers were not invited to this meeting nor were their citations from SFPD forgiven for their demonstrations in front of the Federal Building during the hunger strike.

At this moment, I said yes pulled up a quick description of sanctuary city (during the War on Drugs, the police thought it beneficial to pump undocumented immigrants for info. so the local government created this policy to work with undocumented folks and incarcereate one of the few lucrative jobs that dont require papeles) and re-instate it. WE just like good AMERICANS forgot our rights, and made to forget that San Francisco had specific legislation around being a haven for immigrants. Mind you during the last 5 years landlords were evicting their undocumented tenants to sell their land for the upcoming gentrification of San Francisco and raise the rent. So SF conveniently forgot about the sanctuary city then and now wants to remember.

As SF Students meeting the Mayor we expressed at the phoney the demand for stronger protection for immigrants now that ICE exists. (ICE allows SFPD to share information with la migra, once known as INS, now ICE). The Mayor drew a blank look and said "what are u talking about this doesnt happen."

RIGHT! So he conveniently forgot about the evictions and demos the summer before.

Later a companera cornered about the mayor's puppetering of "immigrant" students asking us to stand next to him during the press conference.

A companera asked him in this press conference about lifting the citations on grassroots organizers during the demonstration and stating that San Jose's Mayor marched with immigration rights demonstrators, and asking Newsome, WHERE WAS HE during the HUNGER STRIKE?

Flash forward from Spring Break to today, We have movement, and push for stronger protection for immigrants. Sanctuary city is a great pro-active step that must be modeled in other city's and hopefully one day the nation. What will it take for us to envision more pro-active solutions? What can be other solutions, not responses, to proper immigration reform?

As we have seen in the last months a RESPONSE to the structure of oppression pushing our most valuable American asset, immigrants, to be understood as criminals. Walk-outs, teach-in, coaltions, conversations have been crucial to responding to the IGNORANCE that we call government, but what will it take for us not to lower ourselves to ignorance, but in our sharing, our telling, and in our stories can we hold and produce a solution that represents the vast immigration experience with justice?

Nos vemos,
Messy-Can.

please distribute.
PLEASE JOIN US FOR A PRESS CONFERENCE TO SUPPORT
Supervisors and Immigrant Community Leaders' Proposal for San Francisco Immigrant Rights Emergency Response Network

Demand Stronger Protection, More Resources for Immigrant Communities!

Immigrant community leaders are joining with San Francisco Supervisors Chris Daly, Ross Mirkarimi, and Tom Ammiano today to call on the city to proactively respond to pending immigration reform legislation now under consideration in Congress. A broad-based coalition of Supervisors and organizations from the Arab, Asian Pacific Islander, and Latino immigrant communities are proposing an Immigrant Rights Emergency Response Network that will give teeth to the City’s pledged commitment, as a declared Sanctuary City, to protecting the rights of immigrants.

Where: San Francisco City Hall steps (Polk Street side)
When: Tuesday, June 13th, @ 1PM

Partial list of endosring organizations:
Asian Law Caucus
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, San Francisco Chapter
Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition
Chinese for Affirmative Action
Dolores Street Community Services
La Raza Centro Legal/San Francisco Day Labor Program
La Raza Community Resource Center
PODER (People Organized to win Economic and Environmental Rights)
St. Peter's Housing Committee/Comite de Vivienda San Pedro

OTHER ACTION ALERTS:

LETTERS OF SUPPORT: Please send letters supporting this proposal to members of the Board Budget and Finance Committee: Chris Daly, Aaron Peskin, Bevan Dufty, Ross Mirkarimi, and Sean Elsbernd. See http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_index.asp for contact info

MOBILIZE FOR BUDGET HEARING NEXT WEEK: Come out to support the proposal at the Board's hearing on the city budget, Thursday, June 22nd in the afternoon at San Francisco City Hall.

For more information, please contact:
Eric Quezada, Dolores Street Community Services, equezada@dscs.org, 415-282-6209 x14
Eric Romann, La Raza Centro Legal, eric@lrcl.org, 415-553-3427

LGBT Immgrants Y Families June 15 7-9pm

2006-06-13T00:11:00.000-07:00

I can speak on behalf of Marta Donayre. She is an incredible mujer who knows how to make things move. She is on point and does not shake away from her lesbiana/ immigrant experience from simultanously existing. Often times the response for immigration rights can mirror the structure that is holding us down. We say we want papeles but then feel like we need to barter away same sex marriage for temporary visas. Keeping same sex marriage in the closet keeps more challenges for LGBT immigrants alive.

Holding my criticism's of monogamy, feminist critiques on marriage and the idea of 2 immigrant same sex couples pairing off not being represented in bi-national same sex marriage policy in the Permanent Partners Immigration Act, I want to respect and honor the path that Martha Donayre has created in the movement for immigrant rights. This is a necessary intervention for representation of LGBT folks. As well as continuing the conversation in acknowledging the current ban of HIV positive immigrants into the United States, and demanding the lift of this ban. (www.quir.org)

When doing Habla La Joteria, ESL class for LGBT Latin@ immigrants I remember the importance of creating a community space for those that struggled to find home, presence and place to practice English. Folks came from all walks of life, and had specific challenges in getting their "papeles." When talking to the Audre Lorde Project of New York after their Immigration LGBT summit, they hoped to find a collective "need" for the LGBT experience from their surveys of 100+ participants. Audre Lorde Project was surprised to find that their was no collective need, and identified the challenge of finding a common language, and path in immigrating to the United States. This is the same experience I had when trying to narrow down the issue and was surprised at how VAST and particular this experience could be.

This leads me to ask..

If the same sex bi-national marriage experience inclusive for the LGBT Immigrant experience? Often times in LGBT talk, the T gets left behind, what are the specific needs for Transgender Immigrants? What does a movement of immigration reform look like being inclusive of the needs of LGBT immigrants?

nos vemos al forum?
Cruzando La Frontera Con Tacones.
Messy-can

Please distribute this widely. .
COMMUNITY FORUM and REPORT RELEASE

Is Your Family Unvalued?:

Discrimination, Denial and the Fate of LGBT Immigrants and their Families under U.S. Immigration Law

Thursday, June 15, 2006

7:00 9:00 P.M.

MISSION CULTURAL CENTER FOR LATINO ARTS

2868 Mission Street (between 24th and 25th) * San Francisco BART to 24th Street

Speakers:
Rachel Tiven, Immigration Equality
Scott Long, Human Rights Watch, report co-author
Lena Ayoub, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Marta Donayre, Love Sees No Borders
Belinda Ryan, Out 4 Immigration
Additional speakers to be announced.

Organized by: Human Rights Watch, Immigration Equality, Love Sees No Borders, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and Out 4 Immigration

Co-sponsors (list in formation): AGUILAS, Asian Womens Shelter, Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition; BAYMEC; Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center; California Church IMPACT; California Council of Churches; California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative; California NOW; Center for Gender and Refugee Studies - U.C. Hastings; Community Health Partnership - Health Education and Training Center and Transpowerment Program; Equal Justice Society; Filipinos for Affirmative Action; Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church (San Jose); International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission; International Legal Resource Center; La Raza Centro Legal; Love Exiles; Marriage Equality USA; Pride At Work - National; Pine United Methodist Church; ProLatino; Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN); St. Peter's Housing Committee; The San Francisco LGBT Community Centers Latino Forum, The Womens Building, Transgender Law Center; Trikone

For more information, contact Immigration Equality at adamf@immigrationequality.org or Human Rights Watch at sternj@hrw.org.
Report is available online at www.immigrationequality.org or www.hrw.org/lgbt