News

November 2018 Newsletter

November 16, 2018

Dear Community,

As we move forward into the fall season, The Audre Lorde Project wants to express gratitude for your support in the midst of political conditions that impel us to invest in holding each other closer, with love and protection. We want to thank you for breathing life into the safe spaces, the community rituals, the life-elevating trainings, and the provision of a sustainable framework for community fortification.

This month's big event at ALP is our Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 19th. On this day, we gather with community, comrades, and chosen family to honor the deceased. It's a ceremony where we hold space for one another in reflecting on the narratives of so many whose lives were cut violently short. The work of commemoration is an act of resistance against erasure and also a time for collective renewal of spirit. The timing of this event poignantly situates itself between the leaked government memo threatening to erase transgender identity and the holiday season, which can be a challenging time for LGBTSTGNC folks with family trauma. We hope to provide you with a healing space where you'll feel embraced by community while bearing witness to a collective act of uncompromising self-determination.

Statement

We Won’t be Erased: The Audre Lorde Project’s Statement on the Health and Human Services' Proposed Definition of Sex

November 2, 2018

Recently, a memo for the federal Health and Human Services (HHS) Department was leaked, sharing HHS’s plan to define sex as male or female, and only recognize people in these categories based on their sex assignment at birth. This is yet another attempt by the federal administration to harm trans and gender non-conforming communities by rolling back policies designed to protect us against discrimination. While our community is an already vulnerable and heavily marginalized group, particularly around accessing care, our freedom to self-determine our own gender identities and expressions is at stake. It is important to note that this memo is not yet law. We have an opportunity now to mobilize and demand that government not attempt to erase the lives and experiences of TGNC people.

News

October 2018 Newsletter

October 17, 2018

Dear Community,

Every Fall, the season itself reminds us that change is constant and inevitable. On this note, let’s reflect on the fortifying events, workshops, conversations, and long-time community rituals The Audre Lorde Project has held over the past several months. Whether it’s celebrating our 20th Annual Chillin’ & Grillin’ along with BedStuy Pride, serving empowering movement building workshops, guiding folks toward community wellness and healing rituals, organizing the Annual Trans Day of Action, or convening members around immediate issues impacting our communities, The Audre Lorde Project has been showing up!

This season, we have a few new team members to welcome on board, fantastic learning opportunities and gatherings ahead, and as always, we want to honor our dedicated staff, volunteers, and movement ancestors for making the work we do possible.

Abolition 101 Cypher

Join ALP's Safe OUTside the System Collective as we cypher on our experiences with police violence, the prison industrial complex in our communities and liberatory strategies towards abolition. 

We will be joined by comrades in organizations that do abolition work in Brooklyn and nationally.

Dinner and metrocards provided!

March with ALP in Brooklyn Pride

When: 
Saturday, June 9, 2018 - 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Mobilize with the Audre Lorde Project this Saturday at the Brooklyn Pride Twilight March! Pull out your poom poom shorts, glitter, platforms, drums, and gorgeous posters!  March with us to take back the streets and joyfully resist the corporatization and policing of pride while building safety for our people. We will also be wearing all black clothing as a contingent.

Bring your friends, kids, family, and loved ones! (If you have furry four legged friends, please remember to put them on a leash)

We'll gather at the Key Foods parking lot on 5th Ave. and Sterling St. in Park Slope from 6-6:30pm, and the parade "steps off" promptly at 7:00pm.
Here's a link to the route map, http://brooklynpride.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/MapFlyer2015.jpg. The route is 0.8 miles long, straight down 5th Ave.
You can get to the Key Foods parking lot by taking the subway to Atlantic Terminal 2,3,4,5,D,N,Q,R,W , then walking 5 blocks down 5th Ave. Let's show Brooklyn how fabulous, united, and powerful we are!

See you in the streets!

ALP

10th Annual Community Freestyle

When: 
Saturday, June 2, 2018 - 12:30pm to 5:30pm

Calling all trans, two-spirit, gender non conforming, queer, lesbian, bisexual, and gay people of color in Brooklyn and our allies!

The Safe OUTside the System Collective of The Audre Lorde Project invites you to our 10th annual Community Freestyle! With the NYPD's clear incapability to not bring excessive violence or death to our communities- there is a clear community ask for alternatives to 9-1-1. But in this community freestyle, we aren't just listing alternatives but also teaching alternatives that we all can practice, use and share!

The workshops will focus on alternative skills for the 3 most NYPD responded calls in our communites: Intimate Partner Violence, Interpersonal Violence and Medical/Emotional/Mental distress.

Food, metrocards and childcare will be provided!

See everyone on Saturday, June 2nd, at Northeast Brooklyn Housing Development Corporation- 378 Throop Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221-1443. That's the G train to Bedford-Nostrand Aves!

S.O.S Open Cypher: Love Under Capitalism

When: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2018 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Audre Lorde wrote "Each time you love, love as deeply as if it were forever/only nothing is eternal." In our current time, living under capitalism and many other conditions, we know that it is not love or collectivism that is easily uplifted or maintained, it is individualism and lovelessness. Our pysches are deeply impacted by this and we in turn internalize it and learn to hate ourselves, each other and love those who oppress us. As organizers- it is our duty to always to put love at the root of our work- it's how we create people's change!

Join ALP's Safe OUTside the System Collective as we cyphe on our experiences of love and community organizing, dreaming of liberatory strategies for abolition, while we also plan for our collective and individual wellness as we move throughout the world.

Safe OUTside the System Collective active and core members will facilitate the cypher. We invite you to connect with us and share stories to better understand one another in our pursuit of freedom and liberation. Food and metrocards will be provided.

If you have any questions, comments or concern, please email sos@alp.org for more information. RVSP is required to receive address.

Revolutionary Bae Mixer

When: 
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 - 6:00pm to 9:00pm

The Audre Lorde Project’s Safe OUTside the System Collective invites you to join us for the 2nd Annual “Revolutionary Bae: A Valentine’s Day Mixer” on Tuesday, February 14th 6:30pm to 9:pm. We want to get to know you and who knows, maybe you’ll meet your future movement boo or revolutionary bae at this “Speed Dating” themed event. Complimentary Mocktails, a “Love Bag,” and a Night of Fun guaranteed for every participant.

*** Special Note: This is a space for platonic romance and an opportunity to get to know the Safe Outside the System collective.***

Notes on access: The ALP Brooklyn office is in the basement of the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, which is 20 steps down from the ground floor. There are 2 gender neutral single stall restrooms in the basement. This space is not wheelchair accessible. Please contact us with any access needs or questions at sos@alp.org.

Refreshments and metrocards provided.

**This event is open to lesbian, gay, bisexual, two spirit, transgender, gender non conforming, and queer people of color**

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