[WestMALocals] Fwd: [SHaRC] Demo Thursday, Oct. 19th at 9am at Chicopee women's jail site

[David Rolde]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Holly Richardson" <outnow at comcast.net>
> Date: October 16, 2006 8:20:24 PM EDT
> To: <MaSHaRC at yahoogroups.com>, "SHaRC" <sharc at lists.riseup.net>,  
> <AriseAction at yahoogroups.com>, <AriseBoard at yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [SHaRC] Demo Thursday, Oct. 19th at 9am at Chicopee  
> women's jail site
> Reply-To: sharc at lists.riseup.net,"Holly Richardson"  
> <outnow at comcast.net>
>
> Hey Everyone,
>
> Please come to the next SHaRC protest of the construction of the  
> Chicopee women's jail (701 Center St.) this Thursday, October 19th  
> at 9am.  We have been at the jail site every month in protest since  
> august 2005 (with the exception of both Septembers).
>
> This month we are calling attention to the 'Criminalization of  
> Queers.'  Check out the press release below and attached:
>
> For peace and justice,
>
> Holly
>
>
> Statewide Harm Reduction Coalition and Jail/Prison Moratorium  
> Endorsers
> American Friends Service Committee - National, New England and  
> Western Massachusetts Offices • Arise for Social Justice •   
> Boston City Councilors Chuck Turner & Felix Arroyo  • Bread of  
> Life  • Center for Popular Economics • Citizens for  
> Participation in Political Action/CPPAX • Community Change •  
> Community Church of Boston  • Connecticut River Valley Green- 
> Rainbow Party  • Critical Resistance • Drug Policy Forum of  
> Massachusetts • Efficacy - Hartford, CT •  Freedom Center •   
> Grammas for Ganja • Green Rainbow Party MA • Holyoke Girls  
> Inc. • Jericho-Boston• Peter Kocot, 1st Hampshire District  
> Representative • Lucy Parsons Center • Mass Coalition for  
> Healthy Families • Mass Welfare Rights Union • Out Now •  
> Paloma House • Prison Book Program, Quincy • Prison Book Project  
> - Western MA • Springfield Catholic Workers  • Survivors, Inc.  
> • Through Barbed Wire • Tom Mooney Local Socialist Party •  
> Traprock Peace Center • UAW Local 2322 •  Western Massachusetts  
> International Action Center/Troops Out Now • Women’s •  
> Fightback Newtowrk •  Women’s International League for Peace and  
> Freedom

>
> Press Release

>
> For Immediate Release
> Contact:  Holly Richardson • 413.348.8234 •  
> www.stopchicopeejail.org
>
> Statewide Harm Reduction Coalition Calls Attention to the  
> Criminalization of Queer People
>
> CHICOPEE, MA - On Thursday, October 19, 2006 starting at 9:00am,  
> members of the Statewide Harm Reduction Coalition (SHaRC) will hold  
> a demonstration of resistance at the site of the construction of  
> the Chicopee women’s jail at 701 Center Street.  The theme for  
> this twelfth protest of the jail is, “Out of the closets/Out of  
> the cages.”
>
> It may not be well known to the population at large that queer  
> people have in the past, and continue to face increased levels of  
> repression simply based on actions and appearance.  Even though the  
> U.S. Supreme Court struck down state sodomy laws in 2003 (Lawrence  
> Garner v.Texas), it did not erase the long history of oppression  
> and criminalization of LGBTQ people in this country.  Queer people  
> continue to be treated unjustly and unfairly in society and in our  
> prisons and jails.
>
> According to a report from the American Friends Service Committee,  
> when queer people are incarcerated they are subjected to homophobic  
> verbal harassment, physical abuse and other forms of mistreatment  
> from guards, other prisoners and other criminal justice staff.   
> LGBT people also report experiences of sexual assault and rape by  
> other prisoners and staff.  Transgender people are often subjected  
> to additional forms of harassment and abuse while imprisoned, such  
> as: being classified as a sex offender, denial of appropriate  
> health care services and prescription medications, and placement in  
> gender-inappropriate facilities.
>
> “This protest follows last weeks, National Coming Out Day (October  
> 11),” says Jason Lydon, Community Church of Boston/SHaRC.  “As  
> members of SHaRC, we are creating an opportunity to get people to  
> think about prison issues and prison abolition.  While mainstream  
> gay and lesbian organizations are using October 11th to focus on  
> marriage, we are trying to get folks to think about prison issues  
> as queer issues.  As long as there are prisons and an oppressive,  
> punishment-based culture, our communities and society will fail to  
> serve all queers.”  Lydon adds, “The prison system is an  
> inherently violent place and those with marginalized genders and  
> sexualities experience an even higher likelihood of sexual  
> violence, discrimination and exploitation.”
>
> Ryan Gorski, Youth Community Organizer for Out Now/SHaRC reports,  
> “I know queer youth who have been harassed by the police for just  
> being young, of color and being perceived to be gay.  I also know  
> that a lot of homeless teenagers are gay and have been kicked out  
> of their homes when their parent found out about their sexuality.  
> It’s no joke going through the criminal justice system as a queer  
> youth.”
>
> “In Massachusetts, transgender people who have not had sex  
> reassignment surgery are classified for prison housing according to  
> the sex assigned at birth,” states Kimberly Milberg, Arise for  
> Social Justice/SHaRC.  “This classification is not only an erasure  
> of ones gender identity, but can leave people in great danger while  
> imprisoned,” says Milberg.  “To add insult to injury,  
> transgender people may be housed separately, in isolation, from  
> other prisoners for what is called ‘administrative segregation’  
> states Ranger Varzeas, Out Now/SHaRC.
>
> Holly Richardson, Out Now/SHaRC says, “We are protesting this  
> month to give voice to the queer people caught up in the Prison  
> Industrial Complex, to stand in solidarity with queer people  
> imprisoned throughout this state and country and to continue to  
> call for the immediate stop of the construction of the Chicopee  
> women’s jail. We stand opposed to the use of imprisonment as a  
> means of social control through institutional racism, classism,  
> sexism, and homophobia while increasing the wealth and power of the  
> ruling elite.”
>
> -END-
>
>