advocate

I helped advocate for a local employment nondiscrimination act based on gender or sexual orientation. The Commissioners didn’t pass the ordinance, but did pass a resolution that said that people can’t be discriminated against for non-merit reasons, including sexual orientation or gender identity. I was part of a crowd that spoke louder than our opponents and it paid.

Currently, I’m collecting signatures for a petition to address wage theft towards workers in the service industry (e.g., waiters).

I was there!

(Memphis 11/16/08) Gay and lesbian rights activists remember the life of a murdered transgendered woman. About 100 people participated in a candlelight vigil and memorial service for Duanna Johnson Sunday night.

The vigil began around 6:00 p.m. at the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center on Cooper in Midtown Memphis. The participants formed a procession and then walked a block south to the steps of the First Congregational Church.

There, the vigil’s organizers talked about Duanna’s courage in openly living her life as a transgendered person. Johnson was born a man, but lived life as a woman.

Vigil co-organizer Amy Livingston said, “I absolutely want people to know that Duanna is a valued member of our community. And she is already missed.”

Livingston also vowed the end of Duanna’s life would not be the end of the fight for her rights.

“We need justice, we’ve memorialized Duanna, and we will continue to do that in our words and our deeds by seeking justice in the case of her homicide,” said Livingston.

Johnson was found shot to death at the corner of Staten and Hollywood in North Memphis on November 9th. She may have been working as a prostitute as the time.

Vigil participants, like Edie Love, believe Johnson’s sexuality may have played a role in her death. Love said that is why she and many other participants attended Sunday’s vigil, even though they barely knew Duanna Johnson.

Love said, “I’m a lesbian. if I were killed for being a lesbian, I would want everyone to do the exact same thing.”

Vigil participant Darlene Fike agreed. She said, “I think it’s important, because if you don’t stand up for people who are marginalized, who’s going to stand up when they come for you?”

Johnson first caught the public’s attention in February when a video of her beating by Memphis police officers at the Shelby County Jail became public. Two officers were fired.

Organizers say there still plans to move forward with a civil suit against Memphis Police, despite Duanna Johnson’s death.

So far, Memphis Police have not arrested anyone for Johnson’s murder.

From http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?s=9360483

How about that Jena 6 situation is messed up! I went to a demonstration a few weeks ago in support of that. I wore black, stood on a busy street corner, and held up signs. Of course, I was available to discuss the case with interested, uninformed, and even opposed parties.

I received the following e-mail:

Workers at the Smithfield meatpacking plant in Tar Heel, NC need your support. The Tar Heel plant is the largest hog processing facility in the world, and workers there complain of frequent delibitating injuries, being fired after suffering injuries, a lack of safe drinking water in the plant, sexual harrasment, and of workers being fired for supporting the campaign to unionize the plant.

Yesterday, the crisis for Smithfield workers deepened when immigration raids were carried out in the middle of the night in comunities near the Tar Heel plant. At least 28 workers were detained, and most of them are Smithfield workers. Not only do their families face the anxiety of their detention, but also the loss of the breadwinner in their families.

This raid comes just one week before workers and their allies are planning to hold a mass demonstration at Smithfield Foods annual shareholders’ meeting.

In July, along with several other leaders of the Mid-South Interfaith Network, I had the opportunity to hear from a courageous Smithfield worker at the national conference of Interfaith Worker Justice. This worker was fired after being injured, but continues to seek justice for her sisters and brothers still employed at the plant. I was greatly moved by her story and the story of her co-workers.

Please consider doing two things today to bring about justice at Smithfield:
1) Sign an on-line petition to Smithfield shareholders (http://ufcwaction.org/campaign/2007petition), which will be delivered on August 29th by workers and their allies.
2) Make a donation through Interfaith Worker Justice (the national organization with which the Mid-South Interfaith Network is affilitaed) to the families’ of the Smithfield workers who were detained in immigration raids. The hope is to raise enough to give each family $500 to help cover their expenses during this difficult time.

For more information on conditions at the Smithfield plant and the campaign to help workers form a union, please visit www.smithfieldjustice.com

In peace,
Rev. Rebekah

I signed the petition. It was a very simple thing, but something I often don’t find the time to do. I trust the person who sent the e-mail so I signed.

The threat was out to shut down Internet radio. I just went to the website that talks about it so I could e-mail my Congressman to voice my opinion on the matter. Comments needed to be sent by tomorrow. I went to the site. Congress had already decided to holt their move due to citizen comment. Negotiations are being made so work may still need to be done.

I figure a moderate, or mild, goal is to do 6 things per year. That can be in person or through mail. Maybe I’ll go up to 12 at some point. I kind of doubt it though. I’m kind of lazy like that. That’s why I need this goal, to hold me accountable so I’m not a total lazy as$. Um. Since this is mid-year, I need to do about 4 things this year.

Since creating this goal, I have:
1) Volunteered for a phone-a-thon to get people to attend the County living wage vote and/or contact their commissioners about the living wage
2) E-mailed a County Commissioner encouraging him to support the living wage (applied to County goverment workers)
3) Attended the County living wage vote