Black & Pink News april 2017
Cover image: Ernesto Yerena, www.theamplifierfoundation.org
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Volume 8, Issue 3
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Dear friends, I hope this note finds you well. I am writing this note on the Spring Equinox, imagining the life peeking out from under some of the snow we have here in Boston. I am glad to see the winter go, as my friend Tyrone said, “We survived our first of four winters under the Trump regime.” I am hoping that the life of spring gives even greater life to our growing resistance to policies of violence and oppression that keep coming out of Washington. I wanted to spend most of my note this month reflecting on the recent tv special, When We Rise. This was a four-night special that played on ABC telling some of the story of the LGBTQ movement in the United States. The special focused on three primary characters living in San Francisco, Cleve Jones, Ken Jones (no relation), and Roma Guy. To be honest, I was quite resistant to the show and was not planning to watch it. After choosing not to watch it when it was on tv, I started receiving letters from some of you telling me about how much it meant to you. I then visited two members in a Boston jail who also told me that they had watched it, and said I should do the same. I was resistant because I did not want to be disappointed. I didn’t want to watch it because I knew they couldn’t cover everything, and I knew I would get upset. I didn’t want to watch it because I didn’t want to see Dustin Lance Black
white wash the story. However, due to the letters I got from the inside and the jail visits I had, I decided I should watch the special. Of course, like any mainstream story, there are deep flaws with When We Rise. One piece of the problem that many have been talking about is the absence of bisexual people and the only token inclusion of transgender women. I was disappointed that there was no attention to prisoners, though there was some important attention to police brutality and harassment of LGBT people. However, I was very moved by the series (I only watched the first 3 parts, up until 2006). It also didn’t hurt that there were lots of cute people in the cast (I swoon for Michael K. Williams). I appreciated seeing spaces in San Francisco that I am familiar with. I’ve walked down Castro street, cruising the guys. I’ve been to events at the Women’s Building. I’ve walked around the Mission. I appreciated seeing places that I know are important to our LGBTQ liberation story. While it was an incomplete picture, I am so glad that someone tried to tell this complicated story. I was particularly moved by the stories around the early days of the AIDS crisis. I often think about how we lost such a huge part of our community to AIDS. According to another documentary I’ve seen, We Were Here, one half of all the gay
Jason
men in San Francisco died during the first 10 years of AIDS. We do not talk enough about the community trauma we hold due to all that loss. We lost so many of the radical gay men mentors we should have had. We lost the feminist, anti-racist, sex-positive, anti-capitalist gay and bisexual men who were organizing and f*cking all across the country. As we were dying, one of the things When We Rise showed so well, was that it was lesbians who came to the aid of gay and bisexual men. It was these amazing sisters in the struggle who staffed the AIDS wards when no one else would. This story too often disappears. This care and solidarity should remind those of us who are men to be sure we are acting in solidarity with lesbian and bisexual women. The LGBTQ movement has not ended. The stories told in When We Rise are far from the only stories that need to be told. One of the roles this magazine can play is to provide space for us to tell our own stories, stories of the past and stories of right now. The movement continues today, there is so much work to be done. I am thankful for those of you who told me to watch this ABC special, I appreciate your wise suggestions coming from behind the walls. We will keep telling our stories and writing down the walls knowing that once there were no prisons, that day will come again.
In loving solidarity,
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In This Issue Thailand’s LGBT Prison pages 5, 7 How Jails (Mis)Treat Transgender Prisoners page 6 Former Inmate Sues Jail page 6 A Study by the Williams Institute page 8 An Open Letter from the TGIJP family pages 9, 12 LGBT Undocumented Immigrants pages 10, 11 Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch page 12 April 2017 Horoscopes page 13 2nd National Black & Pink Gathering page 14 Black & Pink Family: Letters, Poetry, Art pages 15-21, 23 Call for Submissions page 22
April 2017
Black & Pink News
Black & Pink Hotline The hotline phone number is (617) 519-4387. The hotline will be available Sundays, 1-5 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) for certain. You can call at other times, as well, and we will do our best to answer your calls as often as possible. We are sorry that we can only accept prepaid calls at this time. The purposes of the hotline are for supportive listening and organizing. Supportive listening: Being in prison is lonely, as we all know. The hotline is here for supportive listening so you can just talk to someone about what is going on in your life. Organizing: If there are things going on at your prison—lockdowns, guard harassment, resistance, or anything else that should be shared with the public—we can help spread the word.
We look forward to hearing from you! This is our first attempt at this so please be patient with us as we work it all out. We will not be able to answer every call, but we will do our best. We apologize to anyone who has been trying to get through to the hotline with no success. We are still working out the system. Thank you for being understanding. Restrictions: The hotline is not a number to call about getting on the penpal list or to get the newspaper. The hotline is not a number to call for sexual or erotic chatting. The hotline is not a number for getting help with your current court case; we are not legal experts.
Give us a call! (617) 519-4387 Sundays, 1-5 p.m. EST
Statement of Purpose Black & Pink is an open family of LGBTQ prisoners and “free world” allies who support each other. Our work toward the abolition of the prisonindustrial complex (PIC) is rooted in the experiences of currently and formerly incarcerated people. We are outraged by the specific violence of the PIC towards LGBTQ people, and we respond through advocacy, education, direct service, and organizing.Black & Pink is proudly a family of people of all races and ethnicities. About Black & Pink News Since 2007, Black & Pink free world volunteers have pulled together a monthly newspaper, composed primarily of material written by our family’s incarcerated members. In response to letters we receive, we send the newspaper to more prisoners every month! Black & Pink News currently reaches more than 9,400 prisoners!
Disclaimer The ideas and opinions expressed in Black & Pink News are solely those of the authors and artists and do not necessarily reflect the views of Black & Pink. Black & Pink makes no representations as to the accuracy of any statements made in Black & Pink News, including but not limited to legal and medical information. Authors and artists bear sole responsibility for their work. Everything published in Black & Pink News is also on the internet—it can be seen by anyone with a computer. By sending art or written work to “Newspaper Submissions,” you are agreeing to have it published in Black & Pink News and on the internet. In order to respect our members’ privacy, we publish only first names and state locations. We may edit submissions to fit our anti-oppression values and/or based on our own editing guidelines.
Volume 8, Issue 3
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April 2017
Thailand Considers Opening Gay Prison By Associated Press, South China Morning Post, January 29, 2017 Theerayut Charoenpakdee was terrified when police stopped her outside a shopping centre in Pattaya, a Thai resort famous for its sordid nightlife. A urine test on the spot revealed meth coursing through her veins. “I thought I was going to be thrown in prison with all the men because I still have the title of Mr,” the transgender woman said. “I was afraid. News and TV tells us that being sent to prison is scary.” It turned out not to be the ordeal she expected. The prison she was destined for – Pattaya Remand – separates lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender prisoners from other inmates, a little-known policy despite being in place nationwide since 1993, according to the Department of Corrections.
Thailand, often described as a haven for gay people, has around 300,000 prisoners, of which more than 6,000 are registered as sexual minorities.
eat together and do their morning exercises in uniform. At night, they sleep in their own quarters, apart from the other inmates.
And that’s not all. The Thai government is also considering what could be the world’s first prison facility exclusively for LGBT inmates. While the plans are still being discussed, in Pattaya and other prisons across Thailand LGBT prisoners are kept apart to prevent violence, officials say.
But most of the time, they mingle freely with the others, though they tend to stick together for daytime activities like sewing or football. Transgender women spike volleyballs next to men pressing barbells and sparing with punching bags; gay men train together in firstaid at the jail clinic, sanitising and bandaging the wounds of straight men.
“If we didn’t separate them, people could start fighting over partners to sleep with,” said Pattaya Remand Warden Watcharavit Vachiralerphum. “It could lead to rape, sexual assault, and the spread of disease.” By day, Pattaya LGBT inmates
Many LGBT inmates agree the limited separation is a decent compromise between safety and segregation.
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Black & Pink News
LGBT Rally Arrests, Allegations Prompt Look at How Jails Treat Transgender Prisoners By Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio, February 28, 2017 Two of the three people arrested at Saturday's LGBT march in St. Louis were transgender women. And allegations made by one of them have raised questions about how transgender prisoners are treated in St. Louis. St. Louis Public Radio could not independently confirm claims made by activists on social media that corrections officers threatened to put a transgender woman in a cell with men and deliberately used the wrong pronoun to identify her. The transgender woman was never in a cell with men, said Maggie Crane, a spokeswoman with Mayor Francis Slay's office. The city houses prisoners based both on sexual identity and where they feel safest, not on biological sex, Crain said. But the allegations did not surprise
transgender activist Jaimie Hileman, who said deliberately dismissing a person's identity is an act of aggression. "When it comes from an authority figure such as a law enforcement officer, it can become very frightening," she said. "And when all of those micro- and macroaggressions that trans people are subject to are put together over a period of time, they add up." Steph Perkins, the executive director of the gay rights group PROMO Missouri, also pointed to purposely using the wrong gender when referring to transgender people as a common problem in prison and jail settings. According to 2012 guidance from the Department of Justice, decisions about inmate housing at
all correctional facilities, including holding cells and local jails, must be made on a case-by-case basis and not determined solely by biological sex. "An individual’s views regarding their personal safety must be seriously considered," according to the National Center for Transgender Equality. Federal funding for jails and prisons is supposed to be contingent on how well the facilities comply with the Prison Rape Elimination Act, which governs inmate housing, according to Shawn Meerkamper, a staff attorney for the Transgender Law Center in Oakland, California. "Unfortunately, we've seen widespread non-compliance and widespread lack of enforcement," Meerkamper said.
Former Prison Inmate Sues Jail By Joseph Patrick McCormick, Pink News, January 4, 2017 A former prison inmate is suing a sheriff and prison staff, saying he was viciously beaten because he is gay. Arthur Blake filed the complaint this week, saying he continually let staff know that threats had been made against him but that he was left unprotected.
Blake says that he pleaded with jail staff just hours before the attack took place, and that as a result of the beating, was placed in solitary confinement for four days. According to the filing, Blake was referred to as “Miss Blake” by jailers throughout his incarceration there.
Blake says the attack took place at the Mecklenburg jail in North Carolina on 1 August 2014, perpetrated by fellow inmate Timothy Belcher.
The former inmate said he also felt pressured into pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter because he felt unsafe.
His attorney says that Belcher said to him while waiting in a food line that he was going to “fuck him up” if he looked at him.
He says he did so in order to speed up his transfer away from the jail. The filing states that “Had Mr Blake been properly protected” he would not have pleaded guilty.
He has now been released. “The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office failed to take very basic steps to adequately protect one its inmates … and the result was that Mr. Blake suffered a brutal assault,” said Blake’s attorney, Jake Sussman. “Prior to this assault, Mr. Blake had been harassed and demeaned by certain employees of the Sheriff’s Office because Mr. Blake is gay. This is unacceptable, especially from public employees whose job is to serve and protect.” The lawsuit accuses Mecklenburg County Sheriff Irwin Carmichael and his staff of negligence and breach of official duties.
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Volume 8, Issue 3
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World First: Thailand Considers Opening Gay Prison, Already Separating LGBT Prisoners By Associated Press, South China Morning Post, January 29, 2017 continued from page 5 “There are people that discriminate against gays,” said Chawalit Chankiew, one of the gay clinic workers, sentenced to nine years for document forgery. “If I happen to sleep next to someone who hates gay people, I wouldn’t know it unless they show it. What if they hurt me one day?” Theerayut says the prison’s segregation makes her one and a half year sentence more bearable. “If we behave like others, if we aren’t stubborn and don’t break rules, this place actually isn’t so vicious,” she said, sitting in a prison yard fenced with barbed wire, her long hair bobbing up and down as she spoke. But the system problems.
isn’t
without
“Transgender women who have not gone through gender reassignment surgery, they have to shave their head and live with the men, and there’s going to be problems,” says Wannapong Yodmuang, an LGBT advocate with the Rainbow Sky Association. “Some of them are going to be OK living with the men, but there are some transgender women who might have a bad experience with men and won’t want to live with them.” There are also concerns that the system does not adequately tend to the specialised health needs of transgender inmates. Hormone therapy, for example, is written off as a luxury by some. But LGBT advocates say it is essential. Plans for a separate facility for LGBT inmates on the outskirts of Bangkok could improve their treatment inside
prison. The idea was first proposed as a measure to keep LGBT people safe, but it stalled over concern is that it would keep inmates far from their families. “It’d be easier to control, easier to take care of, easier to develop and improve their habits and behaviour,” said Watcharawit. “But they have to mix with other inmates because once they’re released, they’ll have to rejoin a diverse society.” Some activists worry it could stigmatise them. “Building and reallocating an entire prison facility for LGBT prisoners is as a matter of fact a measure of segregation,” said Jean-Sebastian Blanc, an expert on prisons at the Switzerland-based Association for the Prevention of Torture. “There is a significant difference between a public health policy aiming at preventing transmissible diseases and segregating a segment of the population on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
by the Ministry of Justice over concerns that a special jail was a form of discrimination. Activists are attacking a proposed “pink prison” in Turkey over concerns that inmates there could face worse conditions than regular inmates because of antigay stigma. But existing options leave much to be desired. In many prisons in the US and other countries, transgender women face a stark choice: get thrown into cells with men, or go into solitary confinement. Chelsea Manning, the whistleblower arrested for sending secret military files to WikiLeaks, was sentenced in 2013 to 35 years at a male prison in Kansas despite declaring herself a transgender woman. She was thrown in solitary confinement for attempting suicide last year, and was granted clemency by former President Barack Obama.
Similar proposals in Italy and Turkey have bogged down under heavy criticism. Italy announced it was rededicating a women’s prison for transgender individuals in 2010, but the move was blocked
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April 2017
Black & Pink News
Incarceration Rate of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual People Three Times the General Population By The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law A new study by scholars at the Williams Institute found that sexual minorities are incarcerated at disproportionately high rates, and once incarcerated they are more likely to experience mistreatment, harsh punishment, and sexual victimization. Approximately 238,000 sexual minorities are incarcerated in the United States. The nationwide incarceration rate of sexual minorities was previously unknown. “Mass incarceration in the United States cannot be addressed without considering the over incarceration of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people,” said Williams Distinguished Senior Scholar Ilan H. Meyer, PhD.
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
The new study, Incarceration Rates and Traits of Sexual Minorities in the United States: National Inmate Survey, 2011–2012, is the first to consider incarcerated sexual minority men and women separately. Published in the American Journal of Public Health, it is co-authored by Ilan H. Meyer, PhD, Andrew R. Flores, PhD, Lara Stemple, JD, Adam P. Romero, JD, Bianca D.M. Wilson, PhD, and Jody L. Herman, PhD.
Findings include: • Sexual minorities, defined as people who self-identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) and people who do not identify as LGB but reported a samesex sexual experience, were disproportionately incarcerated: 9.3 percent of men in prison, 6.2 percent of men in jail, 42.1 percent of women in prison, and 35.7 percent of women in jail were sexual minorities. • Lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals make up about 3.5 percent of the U.S. general population but 5.5 percent of men in prisons are gay or bisexual and 33.3 percent of women in prison are lesbian or bisexual. • Among the approximately 238,000 sexual minorities held in prisons and jails, there are approximately 94,900 gay and bisexual men, 69,600 MSM (men who have sex with men but do not identify as gay/ bisexual), 56,400 lesbian and bisexual women, and 17,000 WSW (women who have sex with women but do not identify as lesbian or bisexual). • This corresponds to an incarceration rate of 1,882 per 100,000 LGB people, or 2,368 per 100,000 gay or bisexual
•
men and 1,399 per 100,000 lesbians or bisexual women. By comparison, the general incarceration rate is 612 per 100,000 U.S. adults over age 18. Compared with straight inmates, sexual minorities were more likely to have been sexually victimized as children, to have been sexually victimized while incarcerated, to have experienced solitary confinement and other sanctions, and to report current psychological distress.
“I hope this research also raises awareness of the heightened risk that sexual minority populations face for sexual victimization, isolation, disproportionate punishment, and distress,” said researcher Dr. Ilan H. Meyer. “We need to understand more about the pathways that lead to greater incarceration of LGB people and whether biases ingrained in the criminal justice system lead to sexual minorities being treated differently than heterosexuals.” Researchers drew their data from the National Inmate Survey, 2011–2012, a probability sample of inmates in U.S. prisons and jails mandated by the prison rape elimination act of 2003.
Volume 8, Issue 3
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Expanding Black Trans Safety: An Open Letter To Our Beloved Community
With love from Janetta Johnson and the TGIJP family, Transgender Gender Variant and Intersex (TGI) Justice Project, March 13, 2017
Three Black transgender women were brutally murdered on the last weekend of February. Their names were Chyna Dupree, Ciara McElveen and Jaquarrius Holland. TGI Justice Project is deeply saddened to witness such a great community loss and, like many, we have been grieving this tremendous loss. Thus far in 2017, at least seven trans women of color have been murdered in the United States. Last year at this time, there were at least five murders of transgender people, a number which increased to 27 (that were reported) by the end of 2016. To make matters worse, the Trump administration is taking away lifesaving protections for transgender children and their families, creating an environment ripe for shaming, bullying, hate crimes, and suicide. It is no coincidence that these events have occurred simultaneously—in fact, these events speak to the heart-wrenching realities of violence that transgender people face every day. While we at TGIJP have long advocated for transgender, gender nonconforming, and intersex people to be affirmed exactly as we are, this year, like every year before it, began with the devastating reminder that we have a long way to go to get there. Attacks on Black transgender people are occurring interpersonally and systemically through violent transphobia in government, at church, and in our own homes. The refusal of many to have honest conversations about why Black transgender women are killed with impunity only emboldens the people who kill us. Transphobia is as deeply rooted in our society as it is dangerous. It exists in all of us, because in America that is how we are socialized – to adhere to a prescriptive set of traditional gender identities and conservative values
that leave little room for freedom of choice or individuality. Eliminating transphobia, and stopping the violence perpetuated against Black trans women in particular, requires each of us to be daring enough to reflect on how we have all contributed to it, and to be mindful of how we have, whether we are aware of it or not, given rise to an environment in which transgender people are in danger doing everyday activities like walking down the street, going to work, or having a cup of coffee. It requires educators to begin teaching lessons on the history of transgender people, for legislators to take seriously their job to protect every single person they claim to represent, and for everyday people to intervene when witnessing violence against trans people. Ultimately, ending violence against trans people requires those who are not transgender to listen to and respect the needs of transgender people, and for each of us to unearth in ourselves a lifelong commitment to advocating on behalf of each other. In Black communities, we’ve raised awareness about the pervasiveness of gender-based violence and the impact that violence has on everyone involved. However, violence against and the murdering of Black transgender women at the hands of Black men who are not transgender goes unchecked by everyone. Our communities have begun to address violence against Black women who are not transgender, but this has not been extended to Black transgender women, and we should be asking ourselves why. The fight for civil rights for Black people is alive and strong. Many of the tools we need to abolish antiBlack transphobia exist within that fight, and we are the ones to do it. We have always demanded to not be treated prejudicially because of who we are and what we look like. Now, Black people have a responsibility to hold people who are transphobic in
our communities accountable for their discrimination. We can do this by critically examining the values at the core of people’s bigotry, and by having courageous conversations with those who are closest to us about where they learn to be transphobic. These are ways in which we can start to confront the transphobia in ourselves and, even more importantly, commit to eliminating it. We must uphold and take seriously the collective responsibility of every person to learn about, understand, and realize the full range of human rights that transgender people are due. This is most important because Black transgender people, who live at the dangerous intersection of genderbased violence and anti-Blackness, are the fulcrum of the success of anti-discrimination protections – if Black trans women are not safe, none of us are safe. For transphobia to be abolished, every individual person has a role to play. At the center of all this is acknowledging the long-standing system that allows people with male privilege to exercise tremendous violence against those without that privilege – in other words, patriarchy. Our communities are on constant defense from the daily harassment, violence and abuse they face and are eager to find ways to stay safe and to stay alive. People without this experience can’t imagine what it’s like to worry incessantly if the people you’re in relationship or community with want to do you harm. When you are facing real physical and mental violence from everyone around you - from strangers to doctors, legislators to social workers - life becomes about basic survival, and living a fulfilling life becomes impossible. To add insult to injury, there are no protections at the state or federal level for Black transgender women acting in self-defense to protect
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April 2017
For LGBT Undocumented Immigrants, Detention Means More Fear and Humiliation By Gaby Del Valle, Broadly, March 17, 2017 Irvin González was one of the nearly 700 immigrants detained as part of a series of nationwide Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in early February, and one of the few whose story garnered national attention. González, a transgender woman who was detained in a Texas courthouse shortly after obtaining a protective order against her abusive ex, was immediately held up as an example of the inhumanity of President Donald Trump's immigration policies—but the media blitz surrounding her case largely ignored one of the most important parts of her story: her gender. Trump's targeting of immigrants— undocumented and otherwise— and of trans people are typically considered distinct issues that can be boiled down into separate soundbites: deportations for the former, revocation of bathroom access for the latter. González's case, however, shines a light on the intersections of xenophobia and transphobia, as well as the horrific conditions LGBT immigrants—especially those who are transgender—face in detention. González was repeatedly misgendered in the criminal complaint detailing her February 9th arrest. At the El Paso County Jail, where she has been held since her arrest, she was denied hormone treatment for more than two weeks, which caused her to feel nauseated, lose sleep, and grow facial hair, González told the New Yorker through her immigration attorney. These are clear examples of "humiliation and day-to-day microaggressions that trans women face" in detention, Isa Noyola, the director of programs at the Transgender Law Center, told me. "Being denied their identities and
their pronouns, all of these things come together," Noyola said. Transgender immigrants in ICE custody are often denied hormone treatment, according to a 2013 Center for American Progress report on the conditions LGBT immigrants face in detention. Although ICE's Performance-Based National Detention Standards say transgender detainees already receiving hormone therapy before being taken into custody should have continued access to their medication, these standards are not mandatory and are often flouted. Even in cases when transgender immigrants are granted continued access to hormone therapy, ICE has to request their medical records from their country of origin, which often take upwards of a month to arrive and delay inmates' access to hormone therapy. This was allegedly what happened in González's case: US Marshals said they needed to wait for her medical records to arrive from Mexico before she could receive hormones, the El Paso Times reported. González had been deported six times since 2010, ICE spokesperson Leticia Zamarripa said in a statement, adding that González was recently convicted for possession of stolen mail in addition to "at least eight [prior] convictions on charges including false imprisonment, assault, larceny, domestic violence and illegal re-entry." But the context of transphobic violence in Mexico casts González's re-entry into the United States in a different light, and her criminal and immigration history don't tell the whole story, advocates claim. In Mexico, transgender women often lack access to genderconfirming health care, including hormone therapy, according to a 2016 report by the Transgender Law
Center and Cornell Law School's LGBT Clinic. Additionally, Mexico City is the only city in the country that allows transgender people to legally change their name and gender to correspond to their gender identity, but lengthy delays and high costs mean legal name changes are unavailable to many transgender women. Outside Mexico City, antidiscrimination laws don't prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity. Throughout the country, trans women face a disproportionate amount of violence; Mexico has one of the highest documented rates of transphobic murders in the world, and Mexico City has the highest rate of transphobic murders in the country. The report also found that increased visibility of LGBT issues in the country has led to an increase in violence and misconceptions, with transgender women "bearing the brunt of this escalation." "They're looking at [González's] criminal history in a very linear, basic way," Noyola said of ICE and of the conservative news outlets who latched onto reports of González's criminal record. "They're not acknowledging the circumstances that can drive an individual to feel that they have to make these choices in order to survive. To not acknowledge the violence that trans women face, trans immigrant women in particular, is a failure of how this whole situation arose." González may be one of the most recent and high-profile examples of ICE's poor track record with LGBT detainees, but she is far from the only one. The Center for American Progress obtained nearly 200 reports of abuse of LGBT detainees in ICE facilities between 2008 and 2013—but the group maintains that since LGBT detainees "often fear retaliation if they submit a complaint," this number "likely
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illustrate[s] a fraction" of the total abuse LGBT immigrants in detention face across the country. The report found that LGBT immigrants were at an increased risk for sexual assault and verbal and physical abuse by both guards and other detainees and that there were several incidences of LGBT immigrants being humiliated by guards in front of other inmates. Many facilities place LGBT detainees in solitary confinement as an attempt to protect them from the general population, which often has adverse effects on their mental health. According to a 2015 report by the Vera Institute of Justice, suicide rates and incidents of selfharm are much higher for people in solitary confinement than among the general prison population. For asylum seekers and refugees fleeing violence in their home countries, detention can be a particularly traumatic experience. Andrea Sáenz, supervising attorney at Brooklyn Defender Services' Immigration Practice, recalled the devastating effects that being detained had on one of her clients, a gay asylum seeker from Mali. "He had been severely persecuted in his own community and came here seeking safety. He was very, very traumatized by being detained," Sáenz said. "He had never been in a carceral setting before, and had a
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lot of mental health challenges and even became suicidal. In detention, there isn't really access to mental health services. In terms of someone who has been through trauma and persecution and needs counseling, there isn't really much of that." Tasha Hill, LGBTQ rights staff attorney at the ACLU of Southern California, said ICE has repeatedly shown they can't humanely detain LGBT immigrants, particularly transgender women. "It's a particularly cruel way to treat someone who's fleeing persecution in their country of origin," Hill told me. "ICE has proven they can't keep this population safe, especially because to date, they have insisted upon housing trans women in men's facilities and housing trans men in women's facilities," she added. "This leads to increased feelings of gender dysphoria and to an incredibly high rate of abuse, especially for trans women who are fleeing other countries." There are only two ICE detention facilities that house transgender detainees in separate, specialized units: the Santa Ana City Jail in California and the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas, which is operated by Emerald Correctional Management, a private contractor that operates seven facilities and detention centers across the country.
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Late last year, Santa Ana city officials announced they would end their contract with ICE in 2020. In February, ICE notified the city that it would terminate its detention contract with the facility in 90 days, leaving many transgender detainees in limbo. The Santa Ana facility, Hill said, housed "sometimes up to half of the trans folks" in ICE custody nationwide, some of whom have already been transferred to men's facilities, Hill said. Others will be sent to the new Prairieland facility. Although immigration advocates initially viewed Santa Ana's severed ties with ICE as a net positive, some are now worried that detainees—especially those who are transgender—will be adversely affected. "There are less resources available to immigrants in Texas, including access to attorneys," Hill said. "If you have an attorney, you're more likely to be granted asylum." The fact that many transgender detainees will be sent to a forprofit facility is also worrying for advocates. "At least in Santa Ana, there's an activist community that is making an effort to hold the city accountable," she added. "With these private detention facilities, it's just a board of directors trying to make money off locking people up. The safety expectations and the standards are very low."
Ramon Ramos
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April 2017
Black & Pink News
Gorsuch Poses "Grave Threat" to LGBT Rights, Say Advocates By Yezmin Villarreal, The Advocate, March 16, 2017 Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch's record is "fundamentally at odds with the notion that LGBT people are entitled to equality, liberty, justice and dignity under the law," Lambda Legal wrote, along with 18 other LGBT groups, in a letter addressed to Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, reports BuzzFeed News. The judiciary committee will begin confirmation hearings Monday. The letter asked senators to consider that Gorsuch's appointment would pose a "grave threat" to LGBT people and those living with HIV. "We wish to call to your attention the following aspects of Judge Gorsuch’s record and philosophy that are of particular concern to our organizations and our constituents, and that raise crucial questions of grave consequence to LGBT people, everyone living with HIV, and anyone who cares about these communities," the letter read.
Among the groups that signed the letter alongside Lambda Legal are the Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Transgender Equality, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, and Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. They said Gorsuch's reputation as an "originalist" shows he is not likely to fight for the rights of LGBT people as a Supreme Court justice. An originalist philosophy "treats the Constitution as frozen in time, meaning that, unless the Constitution has been amended to explicitly protect certain rights, individuals have no more rights today than they did in 1789," the letter stated. It referenced landmark cases on intimacy and marriage, such as Lawrence v. Texas, Windsor v. U.S., and Obergefell v. Hodges, and said that if Gorsuch had been on the high court when those cases were heard, he would likely have been on the antiLGBT side. “Based on his extensive
Expanding Black Trans Safety
record, there can be no doubt that, had he been on the Court, Judge Gorsuch would have rejected each of these basic rights," wrote the LGBT groups. In the past Gorsuch has publicly stated his disapproval of people going to the courts to settle civil rights cases. The letter referenced an op-ed Gorsuch wrote in 2005, saying, "American liberals have become addicted to the courtroom ... as the primary means of effecting their social agenda on everything from gay marriage" to other civil rights issues. The letter called Gorsuch's views "even more extreme and outside the mainstream" than those of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who he would replace. In 2015 Gorsuch signed on to an opinion that stated that a transgender woman in prison did not suffer irreparable harm after her hormone therapy was interrupted. In 2009 he signed onto an opinion that rejected the right of a transgender woman to use the bathroom that corresponded to her gender identity because it caused "discomfort-based complaints of other students."
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ourselves. But while the system was not designed to protect us, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we deserve to live and to be affirmed. The mandate for Black people and everyone now is to transform ourselves and our conditions by both confronting state violence and confronting every day, gender-based and transphobic violence against Black trans women. We ask that you join us in this commitment to keeping Black trans women and trans women of color safe; we ask that you offer up everything you can in this moment as an ally, as a comrade, and as our family. Ask yourselves what little steps you can
take to intervene on transphobia as a daily practice. We encourage you to start working on the local and regional level--find organizations in your area like BreakOUT!, El/La Para Translatinas, Solutions Not Punishment Coalition (SnapCo), or Audre Lorde Project that directly invest in and center the leadership of transgender and gender non-conforming people of color. Donate your time, energy and money into these local efforts and find ways to be in meaningful relationship with them. Creating a culture of safety is much larger than the task to “stop killing Black trans women;” what we are suggesting instead is the possibility that we can all prevent and intervene
against this violence daily. If you have an extra room to offer up to someone in need, if you have a meal to spare, or if you can walk with someone and make sure they get home safely--these are all ways we can begin to create a culture of safety among one another. Remember that this work begins and ends with each of us individually. And, we are all uniquely a part of a stronger collective community, which, when strong at the foundation, can make great shifts systematically toward solidifying the world we truly want to see. Be safe and stay strong!
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Volume 8, Issue 3
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April 2017 Horoscopes
April 2017 is a very hectic month for Aries born people and is propitious for commencing new ventures. Career will undergo major transformations. Financially this will be a prosperous month for the Aries zodiac. Marital life will be volatile for you and elder members of the family. Health will be wonderful. Career will be in the spotlight during April 2017 for the Taurus born. You have the freedom to choose what you want. Mercury is beneficial for your finances and you will be guided by your intuition. Eclipses will disturb Taurus zodiac relationships. Health will be superb and your personality will be charming.
Both autonomy and social skills are necessary for Leo born during April 2017. Professionally this will be a wonderful month. Mercury will help your finances during the latter part of the month. Social life may be in conflict with your love life. Relax well to stay in shape. Virgo, keep your cool till the 20th amidst all the confusion. This is the time for intellectual studies and self awareness. You will have spare money to clear your debts. Love will be sexually romantic while health can be improved by crystal healing and cleansing of the bodily impurities.
Career will dominate over family matters in April 2017 for the Gemini born. Financial progress can be expected after the 20th. Love is a bit complicated due to the eclipses. Health will be fabulous with excellent immunity.
Flexibility and social skills are necessary for the Libra born to deal with the various complications during April 2017. Money can be made by helping others to prosper. Love will be more passionate and there are chances of birth of a child. Health can be improved by going on a vacation.
Independence and social skills are equally important for Cancer born in April 2017. The Solar eclipse will impact your career and the organization where you are employed. More effort is required for financial progress. Love relationships will be turbulent and health will be challenging.
Family and emotional stability are in focus for Scorpio born individuals during April 2017. Career is affected by the retrograde planets. Planetary aspects are not favorable for finances. Social life and family life will be at loggerheads during the month. Health will pose problems towards the end of the month.
Domestic issues will take precedence for the Sagittarius born over career during April 2017. You will be highly enthusiastic during the first half of the month. Unemployed will have job opportunities overseas. Money can be made through your hard work. Love life will be chaotic while health and vitality will be excellent. Adaptability and independence are both important for Capricorn born in April 2017. Finances will be good with lot of money inflow. Strong romantic alliances will survive and health will be better. During April 2017, the Aquarius born have to change over from free will to collaboration as the month progresses. The Lunar eclipse will change your job prospects. There will be a temporary crisis in your financial situation. Aquarius love compatibility will be excellent and health will be favorable. Spirituality and finances will be in focus for Pisces born in April 2017. Job change is likely and finances are powerful. Singles will look for wealthy partners. Health will be extremely good. Horoscopes provided by www.sunsigns.org.
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Black & Pink News
April 2017
2nd National Black & Pink Gathering: Please Join Us if You Can! Who: This is a national gathering for any formerly incarcerated LGBTQ and/or HIV+ people from across the US. This gathering is for any volunteers and pen pals connected with Black & Pink. This gathering is for any people actively involved in the movement towards abolition with a focus on the needs of LGBTQ and/or HIV+ people. What: This weekend will kick off with a party and celebration with speakers and performances Friday night. Saturday will be a day of healing arts (massage, make up, acupuncture, yoga, etc.), skills building workshops, and community building. Sunday will be a day of developing clear strategies for Black & Pink's work moving forward. Where: Chicago, Illinois When: Friday-Sunday, August 4th-August 6th Why: It is important for us to build a national movement and strengthen our connections as a family. These national gatherings help us stay grounded in the work and create a community of care for one another. As part of developing the leadership of our members, it is important that we have space for skills building
and opportunities to lead. It is also important that we provide healing space for our formerly incarcerated members as it is so often left out of reentry work. How: Black & Pink’s national office will cover all transportation costs for formerly incarcerated attendees. We will also find home-stays for people attending the gathering. Formerly incarcerated people will also receive a stipend of $100 for participating in the entire gathering. If you are going to be on the outside of the walls in time to join us at the national gathering, please let us know! Let us know how we can get in touch with you (an outside phone number, email, or address). To let us know, be sure to address your envelope: Black & Pink National Gathering 614 Columbia Rd. Dorchester, MA 02125 For those who will still be locked up: We will be accepting phone calls to the hotline to get your opinions and messages to share. We want to include your voices at this event in as many ways as we can. We will make sure your stories get heard and your wisdom is shared.
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Volume 8, Issue 3
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Our Black & Pink Family: Letters and Poetry Hey Black & Pink World!
were much harder for members of the LGBTQ community. Especially for those as open and outspoken as Marsha. But she was still a human being, just like any straight man or woman. How could the police ignore the testimony of her family and friends, of those who knew her best, who saw and spoke to her on a daily basis? Didn’t her life, her hopes and her dreams, her struggle—didn’t any of that matter? Don’t ours? And what scares me and makes me even sadder is that Marsha is not the only one out there that this has happened to. I look forward to the day when horrible injustices like this don’t exist anymore. To all those who fight everyday to bring that day closer, for our equality and our rights, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Please fight on. Yours is the voice of those who cannot or simply do not know how to fight. And to the family and friends of Marsha Johnson. I am sorry for your
loss and if my words have made you relive your pain. If there is ever anything I can do to help, please let me know. Now, I simply can’t allow myself to leave off on such a sombre note. I’m sorry, I just can’t. Call it a character flaw. So before I wrap this up, I’d like to give a shout out. I’m a huge nerd who is into Anime, Manga and video games. At my last facility I played Dungeons and Dragons with a lot of my friends, but my game of choice will always be Magic: The Gathering. That being said, I think I’ve got a crush on Princess Harmony from Black Girl Dangerous. An Afro-Latin trans woman who’s into Anime and video games? UNICORN! Haha! Alright, everyone, be safe and take care of yourselves and each other. And remember a little love makes the world go round.
Inside These Walls
by Kimberly S. (TX)
Inside these walls of mine
You wonder why? I would rather die then live this lie To not be who I am Not what you see with your eyes Blind to the tears I cry
I can’t keep track of times would rather die Than live this lie and you ask why
My name is Kelsey and I’m your newest brother in the Family! I’m a 28-year-old single white bisexual male. Before I got locked up, my “intimate friends” used to know me by the name Keko. This is my first time writing a letter like this so please bear with me. This is also the first time I have ever openly admitted to the world that I am bi. I was inspired to write this letter after reading the Dear Family letters some of our brothers and sisters wrote in the last couple of issues of this amazing newsletter. Hopefully this is only my first of many letters to you all. I’m not writing to simply introduce myself. There is something I would like to get off my chest. After reading about Marsha Johnson in the January-February issue, I was not only disgusted but pissed off at the lack of an investigation into her death. I understand that 1992 was over twenty years ago, and times
I can’t keep track of time No poor, No Exit, Trapped Helpless, inside these walls Feeling like I will fall Crying inside Dying Inside You see a guy I tell it’s a lie I scream, I yell, I cry,
Inside these walls of mine I plea, I beg, I cry, Inside these walls of mine
Blessed Be, Kelsey “aka KeKo” K. (CO)
When all you see is he but it’s not me you see Trapped as I am Inside these walls of mine I scream, I yell, I cry, The tears fall on these walls of mine
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Black & Pink News
April 2017
Our Black & Pink Family: Art, Letters, Poetry Who I am… Don’t just see me, look at who I am. A caterpillar in metamorphosis, a butterfly whose wings are yet to dry. I am special in ways yet to be seen. Don’t just hear me, understand me. I am a voice of reason in a storm of uncertainty. I am an echo of hope in a world undecided. Don’t just touch me, feel me for I am soft of heart. A free spiprit in search of those precious few who I am to become. Don’t just talk to me, speak to me. I am worthy of your conversation. I am to be transformed by the speech of many, yet I cannot be changed by voice of dissent. Don’t just walk by me, walk with me. Help me elude the Hatemongers for I am a person of tranquility. Show me the path to peace amid the chaos of misunderstanding. Don’t just follow me, lead me. I am only blind to ideas which I have not been shown. Take my hand and teach me the pleasures of who I am.
-Charles (TX)
written for John K. (MA)
Black & Pink Family, Hey, my name is Koriana, I’m 21 years old and I’m in Chillicothe Correctional Center. I’ve been locked up for 2 1/2 years and I still have another year and a half left. I’ve been getting these Black & Pink newsletters for a while, but I feel like this last one was the only one I actually took the time to read. This is the first time I’ve written to you guys... Some of you talk about the things we have to go through in prison with these officers. I’ma tell you a little about my situation... OK, well, basically I’m in the hole for “Creating a Disturbance.” Because I was getting patted down and the officer who was doing my search was purposefully being rough about it, which I thought was unnecessary and I asked her why she was searching me like that. The guard who was doing my search doesn’t like me and to be honest, most of the other officers in Chillicothe don’t like me either. She said that there was nothing wrong with the way she was searching me and stated that “she knows how to do her job” and “doesn’t need me trying to tell her how to do it.” That’s
when I said, “I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job, I’m just saying you don’t have to be rough about it.” Then she said, “Why are you creating a disturbance by arguing with me?” I said, “I’m not, I’m just saying you’re being unprofessional about the way you’re searching me.” BY STATEN C.
After that, she told me to go have a seat, which I did, and about 15 minutes later the “white shirt” game in and told me to come with him and the guard in the back (away from all the other offenders). He asked me what happened and I told him and I even said, “You can ask all the other offenders who was watching the
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Volume 8, Issue 3
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Our Black & Pink Family: Letters Hey there Black & Pink family, My name is De’Andrea but you guys can call me Andrea’Rahkayle. I am a 36 year old transgender woman nine months into a 16 year prison sentence in California. That alone is a story itself. We will dredge upon that in a later submission. I want to thank Jason and the entire Black & Pink family incarcerated or not, for your love, support and stories of experience. I encourage you all to continue the spread of love and compassion in much needed times as such. I encourage you all to keep fresh on the mind, our young and adolescent family members out there free in
Dear B&P Family, My name is Richard, a.k.a. Stefana. I just got a chance to read the January/February 2017 newsletter. A lot of the letters & poems in this edition struck my heart and I’ll explain why. First I would like to say to Anjela S. from Texas that I totally know how you’re feeling right now. Your poem totally nailed exactly how I’m feeling. I even tore your poem out to save it in case I pass my copy of the newsletter to someone else. To Antonio H. in Pennsylvania: do they mess with your mail at all? Because they can’t and should not be able to do anything w/ legal mail. I myself am trying to get things together to file a lawsuit against the PADOC for violation of the Eighth Amendment, which is cruel and unusual punishment, for not providing adequate mental health services and letting me endure
the world and in Juvenile Detention facilities who are being bullied, molested, abused, abandoned and neglected because of sexual orientation and gender identity. I encourage you all to pray for the lives lost and taken because of hate. Remember we have a voice whether young or old, and we all deserve an opportunity to be heard. To all the incarcerated and non-incarcerated Family defeating HIV, I encourage you to be strong in faith, to take care of yourselves by adhering to all instructions regarding medications, exercise, and nutrition and safer sex. To my girls and creative gay boys, prison is no fashion show nor
a candy shop nor a dating retreat. Hurry up and get out. Rehabilitate, get some degrees, get out so we can purchase your extravagant Spring collection and ballroom designs. I know the men look scrumptious, but your freedom and success tastes better. To my best friend Russell G. I love you and miss you and thank you got introducing me to Black & Pink. Jason we love and appreciate your time, effort and patience. Black & Pink, you all are amazing people with super powers. Let’s take over the world with love.
emotional and mental stress and abuse by 90% of the inmates at my facility (over 2,500 population), and a good percentage of staff who cause it directly, and because the ones that do care about helping us can’t do much. So, through no fault of their own they end up furthering my pain. If they mess with your mail I advise that you send a letter to:
police transport you to a different facility. To get you out of harm’s way (whether it be from others or by you if you get that scared or depressed). NO one deserves to be treated like they’re a door mat. Hold on there and hopefully things get better for you. To everyone else out there that’s suffering like me or Antonio H. or Anjela S., remember you have others who are riding this violent storm also. In parting I would like to say I’m Wiccan and I will pray to my Goddess that we all be blessed with protection and that our futures are close to being like paradise. I would like to send out all my love to everyone. Till we meet again, may your days be plentiful and healthful.
PA Institutional Labor Project Attention: Angus Love, Esquire 718 Arch Street, Suite 304 South Philadelphia, PA, 19106 He helps those who are in prison and don’t have funds or not enough funds to afford a regular lawyer. He specifically handles cases that deal w/ state and U.S. constitutional rights. Ask if there is any way he can have an immediate injunction put on your facility and have the state
Love, DeAndrea’Rahkayle (CA)
Blessed Be, Richard G. (PA) AKA – Stefana
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Black & Pink News
April 2017
Our Black & Pink Family: Art and Letters The 10 Gay Commandments: Hello everybody. I received my first Black & Pink newsletter (December 2016) and I’m moved by the sense of community. I’ve read everyone’s story and saw a piece of myself in every story. I’m 29 (will be 30 in May) and I came to prison when I was 20. Before this moment, “prison” wasn’t even in my vocabulary. But from the moment I arrived, I told myself: You will make it. The old mantra. “Life is what you make it” became my Holy Writ. For the past year, I’ve been studying to become an interpreter for the Deaf Community. Becoming fluent in Sign Language has opened my heart to people I would’ve never had the opportunity to know. I’m trilingual; I was raised speaking En-
BY ZAN
E G. (ID
)
glish and Spanish and now I know ASL. It has been a gift, a gift prison gave me—to say I’m thankful is an understatement. Deaf culture is reciprocity-based society. It is the duty of a member of Deaf Culture to share his/her talents, knowledge, etc. with the community. Add to the collective pool. I believe this beautiful ideology should be used in the LGBTQ community. And I couldn’t have seen a better example of this than in the Black & Pink newsletter. As a member of the LGBTQ community, I feel it’s my duty to share my experience, my hard-learned lessons. I’ve suffered in prison as everyone does, but I have also lived—not just existed. I’ve not only survived but I’ve thrived in here. I’ve experienced the beauty and darkness that life has got to offer. Thriving or even just surviving in a harsh environment such as prison comes at a price. I’ve paid the price for my choices—paid in full. In my 10 years incarcerated, I’ve come up with 10 rules, 10 commandments of sorts that have helped me navigate prison. I hope they’ll help you as well. “KNOW THY SELF” AS soon as the police put those handcuffs on you, society will see you as your crime. When you step into prison, the staff, officers, and inmates will try to put you in a box and tell you who you should be. Don’t let them. You choose who you want to be. Look deep inside yourself, get to know yourself, be true to yourself. If you don’t want people to see you as your crimes make then
see you for something else. Explore your weaknesses and your strengths. Take pride in your Queerness. Don’t forget that you’re different—prison will constantly try to remind you of that fact. Wear your Queerness like an armor so it can’t be used to hurt you. “THOU SHALL ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR” Not being funny doesn’t make you a bad person, not having a sense of humor does. Find the humor in everything. Don’t let prison jade you; laughter is contagious. Don’t take everything so serious. There will be PLENTY of time to be serious. “THOU SHALL NOT BEAR WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR” Simple, snitches get stitches. Most people won’t get close enough to you to judge you for who you are. You will be judged by who people THINK you are. Your reputation precedes you. If you want to be a part of the prison society you must be willing to play the prison rules. No exceptions. Six years ago an inmate with a little army tried to rape me in the shower. All he got from me was a knee in the balls. I could’ve easily had ran to the officers and reported it. Was I frightened by the attempted rape? Of course. But I didn’t say anything. I “held it down”. Instead I decided to get “Prison Justice.” I told INMATES what had happened and someone decided to knock my would-be-rapist’s teeth out. My decision to not report the attempted rape gained me respect from inmates and officers, since I could’ve easily reported them for their carelessness.
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Volume 8, Issue 3
continued from page 16 whole thing.” The white shirt told me that he doesn’t listen to offenders and went on and on about how he thought I was just trying to get attention by creating a disturbance. Then he told me to turn around and cuff up. They took me to the hole and lied on my violation saying that I said, “Don’t touch my tits and my
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written so many grievances and every single one has gotten denied because I didn’t have enough evidence that the guard said or did something. I was told by a “white shirt” that if I keep on with my attitude, the next time he puts me in handcuffs, he was going to break my wrist, pepper spray me, put an assault case on me saying I assaulted him. That he was going to “fuck [me] good”
“To everyone who’s locked up and feels like they have no one and that no one cares, always remember... God cares and even though it may seem like you have no one, you always have him. Smile, keep your head up and stay strong...” crotch.” I never said no shit like that! But whatever these officers say goes. They gave me 30 days in the hole for this. In the meantime, I wrote the caseworker, the F.U.M., and the warden about how I need P.C. from certain offenders. I signed P.C. and put all the names of the inmates I need protective custody from and how I don’t feel safe on this camp with them. So would you please transfer me to a different prison? So I’m sure I’ll be sitting in the hole for quite a while. I think I’m mainly just writing this letter to vent and maybe even get some advice on some of the stuff I go through in this prison. I’ve been in prison a little over two years and I’ve spent pretty much the whole time in ad-seg for things I didn’t even do. There’s a lot of racism that goes on with these officers and writing an IRR or grievance or grievance appeal doesn’t anything but make the guards act worse. I’ve
and treat me like an “AIDS-infested child molester.” And he would make sure that I never got out of prison. I wrote a grievance on him and he lied and said he never said those things, but tried to counsel me on my behavior, so my grievance got denied. I’ve had guards come in my cell and throw my stuff around just because they don’t like me. I know it’s just a “power issue” with most of them. A lot of the guards have a lot of hate in their hearts and take it out on us for no reason. And there’s nothing we can do about it because most of the time when you do say something about it, it just makes things that much harder to deal with. I feel like being in prison has humbled me, but at the same time it’s made me bitter and angry inside. Writing grievances doesn’t help, dropping kites to the warden doesn’t help, having the little bit of family I have left calling down here doesn’t help. So what will?
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Also, I wanted to say I’m sorry for all the inmates who have lost someone very special to them while being in prison. It’s hard, it’s really hard...I lost my mom last year, 1-3115, and I’m still not dealing with it right. She’s all I really had, she was the only person in my life who never gave up on me. I mean, I still have family I talk to and they help me out while I’m in prison. But things will never truly be the same for me now that my mom’s gone. So yeah, my heart goes out to all the prisoners who’ve lost their mom or dad or child or anyone who has ever meant anything to them. Everything happens for a reason, and for real, I’m blessed to have been locked up while my mom passed away. Because if I wasn’t, I feel like my life would have been a lot worse than what it is now. There’s no way I would have been able to deal with that! I’ve never really been big on drugs, but I probably would have been if I was out on the streets. I was in the hole when I found out. the guards came and got me out of my cell and gave me the phone and a number to call, which I recognized it as my brother’s number. When I saw it was his number, I knew something bad had happened...I called him and that’s when he told me that my mom got in a car accident and hit her head and suffered brain injury and that she was gone... To everyone who’s locked up and going through something and feels like they have no one and that no one cares, always remember...God cares and even though it may seem like you have no one, you always have him. Smile, keep your head up and stay strong... Sincerely, Koriana, XOXO (MO)
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continued from page 18 No one has tried to put a finger on me ever since. I”m not saying let anyone do anything to you. I’m saying play by the rules, even if others don’t. “THOU SHALL KEEP BUSY” “Remember, no effort we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost” (Helen Keller) The biggest advantage the incarcerated have over the nonincarcerated is our abundance of time. Imagine if we ALL used our free time
“When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what the storm’s all about.”
Haruki Murakami productively—the possibilities are endless. Culture yourself, read some Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde. Trust me, you drop some Shakespeare on a man you’re interested in and it will trigger and instant mental boner. “THOU SHALL NOT KISS AND TELL” “Trust is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies”—Winston Churchill Men respect loyalty. A secret in prison will take you very far. Learn to keep you conquests to yourself. You never know when you’ll need an ally. “THOU SHALL ALWAYS SWALLOW” Literally and figuratively. If you feel comfortable to take a man in your mouth then you should feel comfortable enough to swallow, if
April 2017
Black & Pink News
not, you should really question why you’re on your knees and to whom you’re doing it to. Learn to swallow your pride. Not every battle is meant to be fought. You’ll meet a lot of ignorant, rigid people in your time. But if you want people to respect YOUR views you must learn to respect their views—no matter how backwards they might be. “THOU SHALL NOT WORSHIP FALSE IDOLS” It happens to all of us, we get played by some dude we thought was “The One.” We’re in prison with some of the best con-artists and some of the best sex you’ll ever have. This is just another reality of prison and the sooner you accept it, the sooner you’ll learn to work with it. My advice is to never let anyone take anything from you that you’re not willing to part with, this way you’ll never feel completely uses. Be warned: Sometimes what your false idol wants will be material— easy to get over—but sometimes it’ll be something more, it’ll be a piece of yourself. It is up to you to decide how far you’ll go. How far you’ll compromise yourself. “THOU SHALL ALWAYS HAVE AN EXIT STRATEGY” “When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what the storm’s all about.” (Haruki Murakami) Just because we’re paying for our crimes it doesn’t mean we become instant martyrs. We deal with our demons, we struggle with your additions, we get into bad relationships, we fall and make mistakes. Sometimes doing the wrong thing is what feels right. Fine. Just know that you can’t sustain that kind of life. Learn to ask yourself: “How am I going to get out of this mess?”
“THOU SHALL BE RESILIENT” “What the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills” (Chinese proverb) No one can tell you what life is going to throw at you, learn to roll with the punches. Endure—Adapt— Evolve. And if things get too crazy, just remember: Chaos is the mother of Opportunity. “HONOR THY SELF” You start honoring yourself by respecting your body and protecting your heart. Your body is your temple—take care of it. Youth and genetics will only take you but so far; in the end—gravity always wins. Find a form of exercise that works for you. Learn to eat healthy (as best you can, this is prison, almost everything is processed) and take care of your health. Before I sleep with anyone, my #1 rule is for the person to get an HIV test. I don’t break it for anyone because if I break it for one person, I’ll break it for another. It has nothing to do with trust. I’m not suspicious; I’m cautious. As for your heart, love is a rare, beautiful thing. Know that you and your love are worth something. Not everyone deserves a place in your heart. “We accept the love we think we deserve.” Don’t settle for anything less than happiness. You my friend are worth all the beautiful things this world has got to offer. These have been some of my hardearned jewels. I have much more to share; hopefully I’ll get a chance to share more. Always know, you are not alone. We all have a purpose. We have all been given a unique story to tell. Use it. Use that pain and make something with it. I love you all. “Someday this pain will be useful to you” (The Walking Dead) Vee XoXo (NY)
Volume 8, Issue 3
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Our Black & Pink Family: Poetry An Entrapped Soul
LGBTQ Pride
I was lost, a gangsta who wanted to be set free Victimized in da mind, A young Brotha lookin for love Inside these dangerous streets Brutalized and abused formed a scarred heart inside me. Battered to a bloody puddle I was just a kid with big dreams As I grew, I became the same animal, That released me from birth And gave me to these coldhearted streets As I was and became to be lost and coldhearted Never felt the touch of real love Roaming the jungles as I started Realizing the truth of who I am Suffering through the pain and hurt of a lost and trampled lamb Raised myself to have a heart of a lion with the confident stride of a dangerous man A caring soul who was lost but has found his destiny Helping and caring or others fulfilling that true prophecy! Of a young gangsta to a real grown man overcoming my worst enemy which is me Who’s now a changed man with better and passionate dreams!
Edwin K. (TX)
Why can’t you see that I cry But let you keep walking, passing my by Why must I feel this pain all alone Why don’t I have a place that I belong I don’t belong in this world of evil and hate so I go inside my mind in a land that I create A place of love, NO hate and NO pain I know I do this, so to me I’m sane I cry, I cry day and night I’m done with the battle I’m done with the fight I stand in the dark in a lonely place so no one can see the tears run down my face
Owen P. (FL)
Be who you are While loving yourself Be open to life With intentions to help Fight negativity With generosity But be who you are and be you compassionately Be yourself No matter what they say Stay encouraged regardless of what comes your way Stand with chin up and smile wide not being ashamed to embrace LGBTQ pride
Mandilo R. (OR)
OUR ANGELS LOVE
I look out my window and see the rain But from this cell sadness is my pain So many teardrops from my soul Two consecutive life sentences in my bowl In the state of California I see our family in cheers and strong we are trapped within concrete walls But the rainbow is free within our heart I roam around the yard doing my thing and haters always inject venom with rage To find peace in this corrupted system can be difficult at times I must ride the lighting with price and laugh at them who can’t stand our fight Love, peace and harmony I wish on us Brothers & sisters of LGBTQ love even though we are trapped inside We must be united and watch each others’ back So when you see the rain come down from above Remember to smile cause out angles are sending all their care and love Never give up, never surrender but rise in unity We all can be strong in this life With All My Love,
Cheerie B. (CA)
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April 2017
Black & Pink News
Buscando Contribuciones
Call for Submissions
¡Hola hermosa familia hispano-parlante de Black & Pink!
Seeking erotic short stories, poems, and art by Black & Pink incarcerated and free-world family members for a new zine. To be mailed, art cannot include full nudity. Please send submissions (and shout out to the authors from the first issue mailed in January!) addressed to Black & Pink — HOT PINK. This is a voluntary project, and no money will be offered for submissions, but you might get the chance to share your spicy story with many other readers! The zine will be sent one or two times per year.
Estamos buscando contribuciones en español para nuestras secciones de Cartas a Nuestra Familia y Poesía del Corazón. Por favor envía tu contribución escrita en forma legible y de no más de tres páginas a: Black & Pink — ESPAÑOL Damos la bienvenida a cualquier escrito de tu creación, pero dado el espacio y la variedad, no todas las contribuciones pueden ser aceptadas. Al enviar tu contribución, das permiso a Black & Pink para publicar tus escritos en forma impresa y en internet.
To subscribe to upcoming issues of HOT PINK, write to our address, Black & Pink — HOT PINK.
Black & Pink Mailing Information Write to us at: Black & Pink — [see table below] 614 Columbia Rd. Dorchester, MA 02125 Please note that you can send multiple requests/ topics in one envelope! Due to concerns about consent and confidentiality, you cannot sign up other people for the newspaper. However, we can accept requests from multiple people in the same envelope. There’s no need to send separate requests in more than one envelope.
If you are being released and would still like to receive the Black & Pink News, please let us know where to send it! Penpal program info: LGBTQ prisoners can list their information and a short non-sexual ad online where free-world people can see it and decide to write. There will be forms in upcoming issues. Mail info: We are several months behind on our mail. There will be a delay, but please keep writing! Email us: members@blackandpink.org
If you would like to request:
Address the envelope to:
Newspaper Subscriptions, Penpal Program, Address Change, or Volunteering
Black & Pink — General
Newspaper Submissions — Stories, Articles, Poems, Art
Black & Pink — Newspaper Submissions
Black & Pink Organization or Newspaper Feedback
Black & Pink — Feedback
Black & Pink Religious Zine
Black & Pink — The Spirit Inside
Advocacy Requests (include details about the situation and thoughts about how calls or letters might help)
Black & Pink — Advocacy
Submit to or request Erotica Zine
Black & Pink — HOT PINK
Stop Your Newspaper Subscription
Black & Pink — STOP Subscription
OW SN X SS JE BY
Because of who I am Every day I wake... in an awful state of debate Because of who I am.
by Nathan R. (CO) Even though I don’t put myself on display. I can’t even have a friend, the COs think having a boyfriend is a trend.
Who will harass me next? Will it be the state... or another inmate? My life is a constant test. Because I am different than the rest. I will not hide who I am. I’m a proud gay man. But because I am gay... all the boys think I want to play, behind these razor wires where I stay...
Everyone I get close to becomes a target. The department of corrections treats this like a gay meat market. P.R.E.A. is supposed to protect, but instead it’s used to treat gays with hatred and neglect. Because of who I am... I am treated less than... human.
Black & Pink 614 Columbia Rd. Dorchester, MA 02125 Return Service Requested
PRESORTED STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID BOSTON, MA PERMIT NO. 1475
IMPORTANT NOTICE!!! Black & Pink is restarting its Prisoner-2-Prisoner (P2P) penpal program only for those who stated that they could write to other prisoners. Please check the sentence above your name (to the left) to see if you are on the P2P list. Next month, we will begin to print and share addresses for those on the P2P list. Write us soon at Black & Pink - Stop P2P to get off this list if you no longer can be. To join P2P, fill out the member info form next month!
BY JAZZMAN R.