GAYLETTER

GAYLETTER

Monday 01.30.17

Protest in Battery Park NY against the ban on Muslims

Sunday 01.29.17

Do: Organize, March, Protest, Get Involved.

We are planning to do a few posts like this in the coming weeks, months (aghh) likely years, so please get used to it. If you have a problem with us encouraging activism and peaceful protest, then you probably should unsubscribe right now. It’s only day 4 and we’re already being deluged with horrible actions from The White House. If you have even an ounce of compassion, it’s time to put it to good use. Donate money and time to supporting Planned Parenthood, join up with local chapters of national organizations and make positive changes to local government, visit the LGBT Center on 13th st. in NYC and ask them what you can do to help, join MPower Change, “an organization dedicated to grassroots organizing to defend Muslim people and advocate against policies that target them.” Help the group United We Dream put pressure on more cities to become sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants, keep an eye out for protests, and march whenever you can. Call out the lies being spread by politicians. If we all collectively call bullshit when they try to offer “alternative facts” then they will not be able to get away with their deceptions. And most importantly, help people enroll to vote, and in 2018 make sure everyone votes out the bastards.

GOOGLE GROUPS MENTIONED

Read

Thursday 01.26.17

Emergency Rally for Muslim and Immigrant Rights at Washington Square Park in NYC

Sunday 01.22.17

Women’s March on New York City – 01.21.2017

Friday 01.20.17

The Women’s March on NYC

Lets gather January 21st at 11:00AM!

“The Inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump” is a string of words whose reality many of us never anticipated. It is still difficult to fathom the events that will unfold in our nation’s capital today. Truthfully, I find our discourse to be tired and our imaginations exhausted. Simple logic has proven fallible and easily ignored by the Right. There are few things left to say that haven’t already been, few fears and other ugly emotions left unaired. Hopelessness has become an attractive affect, I’ll admit.

 

But this is not a drill. This weekend presents us with a critical moment to vacate ourselves of apathy and numbness. As hundreds of thousands of people will march in Washington to protest this historic election, it’s important us New Yorkers follow suit. The capital won’t be the only place to find resistance and resilience in the face of Trump swearing in tomorrow, January 21st, thousands will also descend on New York — along with countless other places across the globe — to attend The Women’s March on New York City.

 

The march “will proudly join the international community to march in support of equality and promote civil rights for every human.” It’s an opportunity to find release, to feel heard, and to foster peace. It’s a moment to center the voices of women — trans women, women of color, migrant women, muslim women, and so on — whose rights and protection will only grow more tenuous beneath such a blatantly misogynistic, pig-fucker president-elect. …

Thursday 01.19.17

Sherry Vine’s ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ parody

The legendary queen takes on the next four years

I was on the train this morning noticing how wonderful the blue sky looked and I swore I heard a vinyl scratch when I remembered that Trump is moments away from being sworn into office. As I write this post, Tom is asking me: “Am I supporting Trump if I watch the live stream?” And later, “Oh my God, is this a joke? This band has been playing for so long. This is like watching a parody!” He was talking about Three Doors Down and some other idiots playing mediocre farm-Rock on national television. [Editor’s note: Tom continued to complain about whatever drummer was hired to bang haphazardly in front of the Lincoln Memorial. I agreed.].

 

What really should have happened at the inaugural concert was drag. Drag, drag and some more fucking drag!

 

Drag queens acquire the rare skill that is essential to pure comedy: total (albeit succinct) deconstruction of a narrative that will teach you a lesson, hunty.  The legendary Sherry Vine is not letting the next four years come for her. No, in fact she’s definitely coming for it. She’s just premiered a parody of Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire,’ but instead completely ransacks recent queer history, from “Mattachine society, to “Ronald Regan’s tight lips to Kim Davis. I mean this song literally covers everything. If you’ve lived under a rock for the last 4o years you could watch this video and get caught up to date with recent queer history. …

#J20 Art Strike and the Black, Brown, & Indigenous Mobilize Against White Nationalism

Between queen Meryl Streep’s speech at the Globes and the laughable scramble for a performer with any name recognition to perform at the inauguration, there’s little mystery as to how our nation’s artists feel about Trump. It’s still powerful, though, to learn about the #J20 Art Strike, which is an “invitation to cultural institutions” to partake in “An Act of Noncompliance on Inauguration Day.” They are calling for “No Work, No School, No Business” so that everyone has the chance to “Hit the streets. Bring your friends. Fight back.”

 

You can check out the huge list of artists and critics in support of this action here, and it all makes perfect sense, as the livelihoods of creatives and creators rarely fare well beneath fascist regimes or a cultural climate saturated with bigotry. These artists consider “Art Strike to be one tactic among others to combat the normalization of Trumpism — a toxic mix of white supremacy, misogyny, xenophobia, militarism, and oligarchic rule.” Word. Nothing to add there.

 

A favorite of ours, Printed Matter, reached out to express their participation in the #J20 Art Strike. They also let us know about the Black, Brown, & Indigenous Mobilize Against White Nationalism #J20 march, which will begin on Jan. 20th at 11:00AM at the Harriet Tubman Memorial, a fitting and chilling location for such an action. More info is on the event page here, where you can check out their plans and demands, along with more details about the Why Accountability campaign and ways to further advocate for Black, Brown, & Indigenous people. …

Saturday 01.07.17

Event: Tell Schumer + the Dems: TOTAL Obstruction on the Trump Agenda

There’s this saying I heard during election season: “never wrestle a pig because you’ll just get dirty and the pig will enjoy it.” It’s another way of saying that if you give some people an inch they’ll take a mile. This is what will happen if the Democrats give the Republicans anything! They will take everything. They must not be accommodated. They made their bed when they decided that they would oppose Obama at every turn and even obstruct his Supreme Court nomination, and now they have to lie in it. You don’t negotiate with bullies. “If you’re worried that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is going to lead Democrats to cut soul-selling deals with Trump and his right-wing Republicans, then join us on Sat Jan 7 at 1pm in front of Schumer’s apartment building at 9 Prospect Park West to send a MASSIVE MESSAGE: DON’T ACCOMMODATE... #NotOneInch!!! TRUMP AND HIS HATE-BAITING RIGHT WING DON’T DESERVE ONE CRUMB OF SUCCESS!” Can I get an amen to that!

FREE, 1:00PM, 9 Prospect Park West., Brooklyn, NY.

Read

Thursday 11.17.16

Tell Trump We’re Here to Stay, Nov. 13th

Stand with us and oppose Trump's anti-immigrant, sexist, racist agenda!

Wednesday 11.16.16

Event: What’s Next? LGBT Equality After The 2016 Election

Most of us are at a loss as to where we go from here. Last Tuesday night’s election results were beyond unfavorable, they were unthinkable. The fact that this reality TV star with openly hateful views towards women and minorities could win the White House has shaken us to our core. I heard a quote that tried to explain his win. It said that the media never took him seriously, but it always took him literally, whereas his voters took Trump seriously but not literally. Unfortunately for his voters (and everyone else) they are in for a big surprise when they discover that he meant a lot of what he said. It might have to take them losing their Medcaid, and benefits for them to realize that they’ve made a terrible mistake. We already know that, so let’s not what that long to take action. This Wednesday night, Nov. 16th, “join leaders from the LGBTQ community across NYC as we come together to organize after the results of the 2016 election. The discussion is free and open to the public. We will be in Room 101 on the first floor. We also plan to broadcast this meeting live on our Facebook page. To find the livestream please go to fb.com/sdnyc at approx. 8:00pm tomorrow evening.” We may have lost this fight, but we haven’t lost the war. It’s time to organize and get to work supporting and electing Democrats who can stand up for our rights.

Free, 8:00pm, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, 208 W 13th St. New York, NY.

Read

Tuesday 11.15.16

TRUMP IS NOT MY PRESIDENT, NOV. 12TH – pt. 2

March against Trump in NYC...

Monday 11.14.16

Trump is Not My President, Nov. 12th

March against Trump in NYC...