September 28, 2007
News From the Michael Sandy Foundation
The following message comes from our friends at The Michael Sandy Foundation. The RBMF proudly supports their efforts, and hopes that you'll join us in attending the events they've scheduled.
Dear Friends
Only one short year ago Michael was taken from us...and as this anniversary arises we'd like you to know the current status and updates from The Michael Sandy Foundation.
The Michael Sandy Foundation has been accredited with a 501(c)3 which makes us a NY Nonprofit Organization established with a Board of Directors. We've been very busy this past year finaling all the paperwork necessary to be given exempt tax status and become Incorporated, and now that we are the real work begins.
Please, dear friends, join with us in a one year memorial for Michael Sandy on Saturday the 13th of October 2007 at the St. Ignatius Church in Manhattan. The following day, October 14th, a candlelight vigil will be held where Michael was killed, Plumb Beach.
The events that are currently scheduled are:
Memorial Service
Sat. October 13th
St. Ignatius Loyola Parish
980 Park Ave. at 84th st.
New York, Ny 10028
Please arrive at 6:30, Service commences promptly at 7pm.
Candle Light Vigil and Public Statement
Sun. October 14th
Plumb Beach, Sheepshead Bay
Brooklyn, NY
Please arrive at 4:30, Event will commence promptly at 5pm.
This is serious, and we are committed. We know you are to.
All our love,
Michael Sandy Foundation
-Patrick McBride
-Keith Winsted
-Tony Bruce
-Michael Dudek
-Chelsea Tillett
All always donations can be made out to: The Michael Sandy Foundation
Mailing Address: The Michael Sandy Foundation PO BOX 20706 New York, NY 10011
Voicemail: 917 677 3108
Website: http://www.michaelsandyfoundation.org/
Email: michaelsandyfoundation@gmail.com
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April 17, 2006
The Campaign for Black Gay Men’s Lives
The Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund is a proud supporter of
The Campaign for Black Gay Men’s Lives
We invite you to join others who are concerned about the lives of Black Gay Men
We will be working together to:
· Respond to the city-wide silence concerning the lives of Black Gay Men
· Challenge homophobia in Black Communities
· Build community awareness on issues impacting Black Gay Men
Campaign Kick-Off Meeting
Tuesday, April 18th, 2006
6 pm – 9 pm
RSVP at: ourlivesmatter@yahoo.com or 212.828.9393 x137
Refreshments and light foods will be available
GMHC
119 West 24th Street (btw 7th & 6th aves)
New York, NY 10011
Rooms 610/615 on 6th floor
*This campaign is being launched by the New York State Black Gay Network, its members, and ally organizations that have an expressed commitment to Black men who practice same-sex desire.*
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July 27, 2005
Black Gays & Church Leaders Unite to End Violence
What: REVIVAL! Victory Over Spiritual Violence Through Grace
When: Sunday, July 31, 2005 – 4:00pm-7:00pm
Where: Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive (bet 120th & 122nd Sts), Harlem, NY 10027
Who: Guest Speakers include: Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, Arun Gandhi, M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence; Krishna Stone, GMHC; Robert Miller, SUNY Albany; Reverend Valerie Holly, Unity Fellowship Church; Bishop Carlton Pearson, Higher Dimensions Family Church; Reverend Cari Jackson, The Center of Spiritual Light; Elder Joseph Tolton, Christ Conscious Ministries; and Reverend Sylvia Rhue, National Black Justice Coalition. Music by Lavender Light Choir and Da’rrell Belton.
Why: To challenge Black ministers to end homophobic rhetoric and join the fight to end violence.
New York, NY – After four murders of Black gay men and the attack on Dwan Prince which left him in a coma, Black gay community leaders hold a REVIVAL! to denounce homophobia from Black ministers, and challenge them to become more proactive in ending violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people in the Black community.
“The Black gay community is in a state of emergency. We need our ministers to stand with us to end the violence,” says Tokes Osubu, Executive Director of Gay Men of African Descent, one of the event’s sponsors. “Ministers should know that when they preach hate against gays on Sunday, someone will be bashed or murdered on Monday.”
A recent report issued by The Anti-Violence Project shows that violent attacks against the LGBT community increased 25% over the last two years. This year, four gruesome murders of members of Black gay men have occurred including Rashawn Brazell, Marvin Paige, Kenmoore Thomas, and Jamal James.
“Historically the deciding factor in social justice movements is the spiritual energy that fuels them,” says Elder Joseph W. Tolton of Christian Conscious Ministries, and the event’s keynote speaker. “This revival meeting which is stirring in the hearts of our lay people is a decisive indicator that the civil rights struggle for gays and lesbians is evolving into a movement rooted in Christian principles that will guide us toward the realization of Dr. King’s Beloved Community.”
REVIVAL! is the first event in a campaign targeted to end violence against gays in the Black Community.
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July 11, 2005
VIRGINIA FIELDS HOLDS FIRST MEETING TO DISCUSS
Fields Brings Together Faith Leaders and Community Leaders Including Rabbi Rob Kaplan, Father Earl Kooperkamp, Rev. Timothy Mitchell, Rev. Pat Bumgardner, Bishop Zachary Jones, Rev. Joan Brightharp, Ydanis Rodriquez, and Yvonne Stennett
On July 5, C. Virginia Fields brought together faith leaders and community leaders from across the city to begin a dialogue about how to end hate crimes in New York City.
Said Fields, “New Yorkers must not accept bias crimes as status quo.” Last year, there were 267 reported bias crimes in New York. While this represented an overall decrease from the year before, anti-gay hate crimes were up substantially. “One hate crime is one too many. Bias attacks are devastating to the victims and the communities where they occur,” Fields said.
“No New Yorker should live in fear of these kinds of attacks. Sadly, what happened in Howard Beach is not the end of the story; it’s the beginning. We must start a serious conversation about how we can get to the underlying causes of these horrible crimes and stamp them out once and for all,” Fields added.
Last month, a Brooklyn man was viciously beaten while his attackers shouted anti-gay slurs at him, putting him in a coma. A group of young white women were chased and beaten by black teenagers in Marine Park. And just last week, an Asian woman in Brooklyn was surrounded by a group who pushed her to the ground and punched and kicked her, shouting anti-Asian slurs as they robbed her. This occurred in the same neighborhood where swastikas were painted on storefronts in May. And according to the Anti-Violence Project, hate crimes against the gay, lesbian and transgender community in New York City are up 26% over the last year.
Fields continued: “I am committed to working with our diverse communities to launch educational efforts aimed at dispelling stereotypes and encouraging broader intercultural understanding and appreciation. Punishing perpetrators of these crimes is critical, but preventing them is just as important. Studies have shown that hate crimes are not necessarily random, uncontrollable, or inevitable occurrences. There is overwhelming evidence that society can intervene to reduce or prevent many forms of violence, especially among young people, including the hate-induced violence that threatens and intimidates entire categories of people.”
Said Fields: “Today was the first step toward the ultimate goal of ending bias crimes in New York City. We will continue to meet and I am gratified that our community and religious leaders have expressed a desire to work in partnership to increase understanding among our communities and start the process of dealing with the underlying causes of these horrible crimes. I know that when New Yorkers are working together, we can accomplish anything.”
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June 27, 2005
Vigil honoring Dwan Prince
Monday, June 27, 2005 (Brooklyn, NY)
Dwan Prince, a black gay man, was severely beaten on June 8, 2005 by three men who were yelling anti-gay slurs. He was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he now remains in a coma.
GLOBE (Gay and Lesbians Of Bushwick Empowered), a newly formed transgender-led group that offers workshops, counseling and other services/organizing for the LGBT community in Bushwick, has called for a vigil to be held at Brookdale hospital Tuesday, June 28th @ 6PM.
DIRECTIONS
Brookdale Hospital: Linden Blvd. at Rockaway Parkway, Brooklyn Public Transportation
By Bus: Church Ave. bus (B35) to East 98th Street; or B7 to Lenox Road & Hegeman Ave; or B10 bus to Hegeman Ave; or B17 bus to Church Ave and then the B35 to East 98th St.; or B11 to Church Ave and the B35; or B14 to Church Ave and then the B35; or the B46 to Church Ave and then the B35; or the B49 to Church Ave. and then the B35; or the B68 to Church Ave and then the B35; or the B78 to Lenox Rd. and Hegeman Ave.
*By subway or train: Long Island Railroad to Atlantic Ave. station. Take IRT subway (Flatbush line) to Church Ave. station and then take B35 bus to E. 98th street.
Driving directions are accessible at: http://sls.downstate.edu/registrar/CSB/directions00.html
CONTACT INFO
GLOBE can be reached @ (718)418-7690, extension 202.
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LGBT group launches Cop Watch program to improve interactions with police
City Limits WEEKLY Week of: June 27, 2005
FIERCE RESISTANCE
LGBT group launches Cop Watch program to improve interactions with police by Bennett Baumer
At a June 21 meeting at the LGBT Center between FIERCE (Fabulous Independent Educated Radicals for Community Empowerment), a queer youth of color activist group, and the Sixth Precinct of the New York Police Department, tensions simmered over accusations of racial, sexual orientation and gender profiling by the police. Weeks before the meeting, FIERCE had informally unveiled plans to launch a “Cop Watch” program this July.
According to Rickke Mananzala, FIERCE’s campaign coordinator, queer youth of color are often subject to illegal stops and searches, along with verbal and physical harassment. FIERCE conducted a recent survey of 40 young people in the West Village and found 52 percent “were given no reason” as to why they were stopped or arrested. Another 66 percent reported “police targeting and profiling” based on race, sexual orientation, gender identity and age.
Read the full article here.
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June 14, 2005
Police ID Gay Bashing Suspect
A Brooklyn man is among the suspects being sought in connection with last week’s bias related attack of a 27-year old.
Dwan Prince was savagely beaten by three men screaming anti-gay slurs, police said. Authorities say Steven Pomie was part of the group that allegedly beat Prince.
The attack took place outside Prince’s building on E. 94th St. and Kings Highway in Brownsville. He has been in intensive care at Brookdale hospital since the Wednesday night attack but doctors say Prince is improving.
To view a photo of the suspect, visit 1010wins.com.
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June 12, 2005
Gay-bash victim in coma
By KATE MEYER, MARISSA WIDDISON, and JONATHAN LEMIRE DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Friday, June 10th, 2005
A frail Brooklyn man was in a coma late yesterday after being savagely beaten and kicked by three men screaming anti-gay slurs, police said.
Witnesses rushed to help Dwan Prince as he lay bleeding outside his building on E. 94th St. and Kings Highway in Brownsville - but they could not stop one of the attackers from rushing back and kicking the 32-year-old again in his head.
“He circled back and kicked the guy in the face,” said a horrified Omar Bascombe, 28, who lives next door. “Then, blood started flowing from his mouth, and he wasn’t breathing.”
Prince, who is HIV-positive, has been in intensive care at Brookdale Hospital since the Wednesday night attack. Though he remained unconscious last night, officials said his condition was improving and he was breathing on his own.
The violence - which is being investigated by cops as an anti-gay hate crime - began shortly before midnight when Prince exchanged words with a man walking by his home, police said.
Investigators did not detail the content of the exchange, but Prince’s neighbors said he made a flirtatious joke.
“I tried to tell [Prince] that you can’t be too nice to everybody, for not everybody will like you,” said Tony Davidson, 43, the superintendent of Prince’s building. “He probably got beat up because he was gay.”
The passerby returned moments later in a dark sedan with two other men. They jumped Prince, pummeling him with their fists and feet, police said.
Scared off by a passing car, the men left only to come back minutes later, witnesses said.
Bascombe, who was sitting on his stoop with a friend, heard the commotion and ran over to find a battered Prince trying to crawl back into his building. Bascombe said he then confronted one of the raging attackers.
“The guy is dying here, and I’m not going to let you kill him in front of my house,” Bascombe told the thug. “I told him not to hit him again,” Bascombe said. “But he did hit him just to show me what he could do.”
Prince, who works as a porter at the building where he lives, momentarily stopped breathing as his attackers sped off.
No arrests were made, and his family was keeping a prayerful vigil at his hospital bed last night.
“He is a great guy, people like him,” said his mother, Valerie Prince, who said Dwan is one of her two sets of twins. “He likes to live life….He’s my only son.”
“He’s a real charmer,” said his stepfather, Melvin Wilder, 50. “I’m upset, he’s a real good kid. This shouldn’t be happening.”
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April 10, 2005
Running For Mayor
Both C. Virginia Fields and Fernando Ferrer sited Rashawn’s murder in the recent Democratic Mayoral Candidate forum on Gay and Lesbian issues.
Gotham Gazette
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March 22, 2005
HRC, Alarmed Over Recent Apparent Hate Crimes
WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign expressed concern over recent violent crimes against gay and transgender victims in New Mexico, North Carolina, Virginia, New York and California. These crimes underscore the need for laws that protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans from bias-motivated crimes.
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March 06, 2005
No Coverage of the Violence against LGBT People of Color
Columnist Irene Monroe takes issue with the media’s silences around violence against LGBT individuals of color.
Little is ever reported about hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of color, and how issues of race, gender identity, and sexual orientation trigger the type of violence against them. Nor are the reasons for the silence around such violence often explored.
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March 02, 2005
The Sakia Gunn Film Project
Director Chaz Brack documents the life, legacy and untimely murder of Sakia Gunn, a 15-year-old lesbian woman of color from Newark, New Jersey.
Sakia held promise as a basketball player and was looking forward to becoming an upperclassman at Newark’s West Side High. She and her friends were returning from socializing at NYC’s Greenwich Village piers, a popular spot for lesbian, gay, and transgendered youth. On the night Sakia was murdered, two men propositioned members of their group. The girls rebuffed the sexual advances of the much older assailants. Words were exchanged, a fight ensued, and Sakia was stabbed. She died in the arms of her best friend.
Learn more about the film and Brack’s fight against homophobic violence by visiting its website here.
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