For anyone who is in NYC this weekend, there's a party tomorrow that can't be missed.
A lot of you probably know about Drinking Liberally, the organization with over 240 chapters across the country that brings progressive folks together over drinks. Well, they've grown into Living Liberally, the umbrella organization that holds together Drinking Laughing, Screening, Reading, Eating & Crafting Liberally. (Whew.)
On Saturday, they're having a big old fundraiser to help support their amazing efforts - it's going to help them increase their number of chapters, national programming, online presence and impact during this election year. Plus, it will be super fun.
So if you can afford to, dig deep into your pockets and head on over. You can buy tix here. I know it's no small amount, so if you can't afford a ticket (or if you're not in NY), consider getting involved locally and reaching out to the chapter in your area...
I had the most amazing 30th birthday ever, which included a tasty dinner, huge party and hugs and kisses from people from so many different parts of my life. My lovely, amazing friends got together and gave me a huge joint present to do something nice for myself. I almost had a heart attack. Anyway, this is a picture of me shocked by the strength of the vibration from a mini-sex kit that another friend gave me. Beware of the silver bullet people.
Thanks for all the birthday wishes! Turning 30 is AWESOME. Don't believe the conventional wisdom.
My apologies that I didn’t get to this sooner, but I’ve been alternately busy and dealing with various personal shit. I can’t say that it has been the best week. But even though my memory is slightly less clear than it was when I should have written the post, I did still want to write about Equality and Justice Day.
It’s been a year and a half since Sean Bell and his two friends were shot 26 times by five NYPD officers. Bell was to be married later that day. He and his friends (who both survived) were unarmed. It seems likely that they didn’t even realize they were being confronted by plainclothes police officers, as opposed to being carjacked at gunpoint.
This morning, all of the police officers got off scot-free. They didn’t even receive a token “reckless endangerment” conviction, perhaps because the presiding judge was of the opinion that “Carelessness is not a crime.” Really? Somehow I thought that’s what reckless endangerment and manslaughter charges were all about. I guess police can’t commit those crimes. If shooting 31 times — including pausing to reload — into a car full of unarmed men doesn’t qualify, I’m not sure what does.
There was no jury, just the judge, who acquitted the three cops on the grounds of faulty prosecution.
Justice Arthur Cooperman said he found problems with the prosecution’s case. He said some prosecution witnesses contradicted themselves, and he cited prior convictions and incarcerations of witnesses.
He also cited the demeanor of some witnesses on the stand.
In other words, how dare you bring witnesses to testify against police officers who have run afoul of the criminal justice system before? They’re too sketchy to be in my courtroom. Seriously… isn’t this the crux of the problem? A blatant example of who is listened to in our courts and who gets the shaft? This is exactly why it’s horrifyingly unsurprising that cops walk. (more…)
The Global Fund for Women is hosting a gala event with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the Honorable President of Liberia, as well as female leaders from Colombia, South Africa, Malaysia, Liberia, Bosnia/Herzogovina and Egypt. They’re also raffling off two tickets to the event — but to enter the raffle, you have to send in a 200-word story about a woman, or women, who you consider to be leaders. It’s a very cool idea, and I’m sure we all know great female leaders who are worth writing about — so head over there and enter. You can read some of the stories that have already been entered here.
april 26th @ 8 p.m. @ GENDER FUSIONS 4 (Columbia College Chicago: Conaway Center, 1104 S. Wabash, 1st Floor) $5 students / $10 general
The headliners of the event:
Marga Gomez, Matthew Hollis, Ryka Aoki de La Cruz, and Teatro Luna
*all proceeds of GENDER FUSIONS will support the post-production of the film. if you can’t make it to the event and still want to donate to the project, please visit our website. we are still seeking to reach our goal of raising $5,000 to complete the project.
It will also be screened on April 25th at 8pm at Northwestern University’s Queertopia.
Join NARAL Pro-Choice New York for a Forum
On Reproductive Choice in New York
Friday, April 25th
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Albert Nerken School of Engineering at Cooper Union
51 Astor Place (between 3rd and 4th Avenue)
Wollmann Auditorium
NARAL Pro-Choice New York is holding a forum next week on the history of reproductive choice in New York, the present threat to Roe v. Wade, and why we need to pass the Reproductive Health Act.
For help identifying your State Senator please contact cfraker@prochoiceny.org
Amanda is out pitching her book, and she’ll be at KGB Bar in the East Village tomorrow. I will be there as well, with a few other residents of Lefty Blogistan.
KGB Bar is at 85 E. 4th (near 2nd Ave), and the reading starts at 7. If you can’t make it tomorrow, stop by Bluestockings on Thursday for another Amanda reading, also at 7.
And if you can’t make it at all (or even if you can), consider buying Amanda’s book. It’s a great, funny read, and well worth the purchase. It’s also worth supporting progressive authors so that we create and maintain a market for books like this.
So I had to plug this event because it looks so bad-ass. I have been really busy lately, but I am going to try and promote more Bay Area events, since there is so much bad-ass stuff going on around here. And please put more events in comments!
Bibi Chic * Queer Middle East Shake Those Hips!
An unprecedented fundraiser for Six International Charitable
Queer Middle-Eastern and North African Organizations
San Francisco's Premier Queer Middle-Eastern and North African Charitable Dance Party will sweep into San Francisco again for our fourth major event since June 2007 Pride. On Saturday, April 19th, an incredible lineup of artists of the music and performance variety will be tantalizing your hips and senses at Bibi Chic!
Bibi Chic will feature an unprecedented performance by a collective of local, queer, performance artists and DJs performing a mixture of classical and fusion style Go Go Belly Dancing, and music spanning the entire Middle-Eastern and North African region.
I'm heading to Los Angeles tomorrow to go hang with the awesome ladies of