Protest Prop 8

Nationwide Protests Against California’s Prop 8 are happening today. The icon above links to New York State protests. Go here to find protests in your state.

JOIN THE IMPACT: UNITE FOR LGBTQ EQUALITY!

Duanna Johnson Murdered, Please Help

Update: This seems to be a legit way to donate. The Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition

If you haven’t heard yet about the murder of Duanna Johnson, it is a tragedy that needs to be exposed and talked about. From Cara at The Curvature:

Less than five months ago, I wrote about Duanna Johnson — a transgender woman who was beaten by Memphis police while handcuffed and in custody. She was sprayed with mace, hit with a closed fist by an officer who wore handcuffs around his knuckles, ignored by medical staff, and called abhorrent transphobic names. Her attack was caught on tape, and Duanna dared to speak out against the violence and injustice that was committed against her. And two officers were rightfully fired, but wrongfully apparently not prosecuted.

Now, Duanna is dead. She was shot, and her body was found lying in the street. Just left there.

Duanna Johnson’s family needs money to help pay for her funeral. If you can, please donate. Reading through this thread, it seems as if there are a lot of complications going on with making donations to this Funeral Home. Some of it seems awfully shady to me. Since I’m posting this late in the evening, I suggest that folks that are interested in donating and helping this family out make a call to the funeral home first thing tomorrow morning and demand that appropriate accommodations are made for this family to pay for their child’s funeral. This is an outrage. We should not let this stand.

The balance for Duanna Johnson’s funeral is $1195 and the funeral home is requiring Mrs. Skinner (Duanna’s mother) to pay it by tomorrow (11/14). The cost is a hardship, so we are asking anyone who can to donate. Please send any donations to:
N.J. Ford and Sons Funeral Home
12 S Parkway W
Memphis, TN 38109

If you want any clarification from NJ Ford, here is their contact number: (901) 948-7755.

Please forward this to as many people as you can!! Thanks!

Links of help and solidarity. Together, we can make a difference (if you’re putting the word out there and helping as you can, let me know in comments and I’ll add you):

Duanna Johnson’s Family Needs Donations

Duanna Johnson’s Family Needs Donations For Funeral

Transgender Abuse Victim Shot To Death

Duanna Johnson, Murdered

Duanna Johnson Needs Money To Pay For Funeral

Pass-Along: Duanna Johnson’s Family Needs Help Paying for Funeral

And Now The Fords Are Involved

Duanna Johnson’s Family Needs Donations For Funeral

We Aren’t There Yet

At the risk of dampening the celebratory mood around here at A Slant Truth, I must admit to being somewhat at a loss. I’m overjoyed, thrilled, excited beyond belief that a black person, Barack Obama, is actually going to be the President of the United States. I look forward to seeing him sworn into office and breaking into tears again. It warms my heart that the new predominate image of a black person is going to be of an educated, intellectual, well-mannered, black man.

But I gotta ask: How is it that we, as a nation, can simultaneously overcome the racial barrier to holding the highest office in the land (and no, if you’re wondering, we have still not entered a post-racial society; don’t even go there), and at the same damn time, see Floridaand Arizona pass amendments that ban same-sex marriage? How is it that a state that went out and voted for the black guy, presumably a statement that yes, indeed, all people are created equal, and then go and deny that same equality to another group of people by altering their Constitution.

IT MAKES NO FRIGGIN’ SENSE (Yes, I’m annoyed by all caps too, but I really do mean to yell here).

It’s two steps forward, two steps back. Every time I start to think that “hey, maybe we’re starting to get it,” shit like this happens and I’m back to my usual cynical self. It’s really sad that after writing a post, saying that the Declaration of Independence means more to me now than it ever has, that I then have to sit back and realize that there is an entire segment of the population that just isn’t feeling me on that one.

So, while I don’t want to make light of this historic election, the Dems finally kicking a lot of those Republicans out of office, and all that, I have to say that we still have a ways to go.

Be Bold! Be Red!

Via Document the Silence:

In October 2007 people all over the United States gathered physically and in spirit to speak out against violence against women of color. Some of us wore red all day and explained that we were reclaiming and reframing our bodies as a challenge to the widespread acceptance of violence against women of color. Some of us wrote powerful essays about why we were wearing red and posted them on the internet. Some of us gathered with bold and like-minded folks and took pictures, shared poetry and expressed solidarity.

This year, on the first anniversary of the Be Bold Be Red Campaign, we invite you to make your bold stance against the violence enacted on women and girls of color in our society visible. In D.C., Chicago, Durham, Atlanta and Detroit women of color will be gathering to renew our commitment to creating a world free from racialized and gendered violence, and this time, we’ll be using a new technology called CyberQuilting to connect all of these gatherings in real time. To learn more about CyberQuilting, which is a women of color led project to stitch movements together using new web technologies and old traditions of love and nurturing, visit www.cyberquilt.wordpress.com.

This letter is an invitation for you and yours to participate in a gathering in your city on Thursday, October 30th that will be webcast to similar gatherings in other cities. We are calling on you because we recognize and appreciate the work that you and the organizations you work with are doing everyday to make this a more loving and less violent world for women and girls in oppressed communities. Please join us on October 30th so that other warriors in this struggle can be strengthened and affirmed by the energy of our collective ferocity! Also we will upload the video of the video conference on this website on October 31, 2008 so that everyone can see what happened during video conference.

Please join me, and my blogmigos, in wearing red on 30 October (that’s tomorrow!) in solidarity and support.