Black and Pink September 2016 Newsletter

Page 1

Black & Pink September 2016 Newsletter 3 Things You Need to Know about Indigenous Efforts Against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL)

By Taté Walker, Huffington Post, September 6th 2016

More than 90 Indigenous nations and non-Native accomplices have gathered in camps near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, to protect lands, waters, and people from a crude oil pipeline. The number of supporters has swelled to up to 4,000 at points in the last few weeks, according to on-the-ground estimates, though the numbers ebb and flow. Thousands more supporters across the US, like myself, have been unable to lend physical support, though we have provided much-needed money, supplies, emotional solidarity, and legal support from afar.

I can’t adequately put into words how historic an Indigenous gathering like this is; something similar happened in 1876, when many Native nations under Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and other great leaders came together and defeated Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer’s 7th Calvary at the Battle of the Greasy Grass (aka Little Bighorn).

That it’s happening again, now, in this time, is momentous. It’s also a stark reminder of how little has changed for Native nations and our relationship with the US government. In 1876 we were fighting to protect our sacred lands, specifically Ȟe Sápa, the Black Hills in South Dakota, where Custer led an illegal expedition and found gold, despite the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) stating that land belonged to the Očéti Šakówiŋ (the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people commonly referred to as the Sioux). Continued on Page 2

Continued from Page 1 Today, the same government is violating the same treaty. But it’s oil, not gold, that has outsiders Page 2 rushing to remove resources from occupied Indigenous lands. In July, the US Army Corps of Engineers authorized the $3.7 billion Dakota Access Pipeline Project (DAPL), which, if constructed, will carry some 470,000 or more barrels of crude oil a day from North Dakota’s Bakken oil fields to a hub in Illinois, where it would go on to reach other refining markets.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has been fighting DAPL since its early planning stages in 2014, when most people were concentrating solely on the now-defunct Keystone XL pipeline. The tribe’s drinking water, as well as sacred cultural sites and economy, are threatened by the pipeline’s route and its construction.

But the fight goes beyond any one “Native” issue. Divesting from fossil fuels to protect our planet’s limited resources, like clean drinking water, is an “everyone” issue. Yet – not everyone is interested in joining the people of Standing Rock and its allies. Cannon Ball is, like many reservation communities, far away from pretty much everything an urban, contemporary lifestyle demands, like reliable Wi-Fi, Uber, and multiple food and grocery options. Beyond its physical location, what’s happening in Standing Rock, like most issues affecting Indian Country, impacts too small an audience (at least for the moment) for mainstream media to take notice long-term, if at all. Native people make up about 2 percent of the total US population; the latest estimates put the Native population living within the Standing Rock reservation at about 6,500; total tribal enrollment is estimated around 15,600 citizens.

In other words, Standing Rock and its Native allies—those 90-plus nations mentioned above—need major accomplice support from non-Natives if our efforts to defeat DAPL are to gain enough media (and therefore political) attention to succeed. [...] Situations on-site occur daily. In general, here’s what you need to know.

1. It’s Not Political – It’s Life and Death Make no mistake: What the people of Standing Rock and their allies are protecting is life for all our relations, be they human, animal, or plant life. The proposed route of the DAPL crosses both the Ogallala Aquifer and Missouri River, which provide water for drinking and agriculture (that would be growing the nation’s food) to millions of people. The pipeline crosses the Missouri River just north of Standing Rock’s tribal boundaries; a pipeline break means Native people will be hit first and hardest. [...] an earlier pipeline route proposed crossing the Missouri River north of Bismarck, the state’s capitol city. That route was rejected because it was a “potential threat to Bismarck’s water supply.”

Non-Native people read that article and were shocked. Native people read that same article and were like, “Welp. Business as usual.” This is the kind of systemic oppression we face on a daily basis. Native people have always been the collateral damage of a growing nation; our deaths are an acceptable risk in the face of capital gain. Indeed, the governor of North Dakota, who declared a state of emergency in response to the protests he has referred to as unlawful and unsafe, has a sketchy (if legal) financial interest in seeing this pipeline built and the Bakken oil industry succeed. With such obstacles to overcome, I’m proud of the protectors’ many achievements and continued commitment to the cause.

A popular movement saying (which has been around in one way or another since… forever) is mní wičóni meaning “water is life” in Lakota. Many Native nations have similar concepts. For instance, after praying before a large meal, Diné people will pass around a cup of water to sip and bless themselves with in recognition of how important water is and how it connects us all. These aren’t sayings or practices done on a trendy whim; they have real value and meaning. #AncestorsOnPoint Fossil fuel extraction, transportation, and use is destroying our planet, and Indigenous people are the most at-risk population, due to the ruralness of our communities and proximity to the pipelines, and our lack of political power and monetary influence.

As primary caregivers and keepers of cultural traditions and practices, Indigenous women are especially vulnerable, and are disproportionately affected by toxic contaminates from things like oil spills and uranium mining, as well as the effects of climate change and hard-to-regulate oil field “man camps” where violence against Native women and girls runs rampant.

Since the time of Columbus we have learned that violence against the land is violence against Indigenous women. This is why you will always see Native women leading environmental movements. Our lives depend on it.

2. This Is a Women-Led Issue Traditionally, the Očéti Šakówiŋ were pretty inclusive, gender-wise, and our women had agency and earned positions of great power and respect. Enter Western systems of patriarchy and misogyny. Many tribal people got swept into the idea that femininity meant less, though I think we who identify as women and Two Spirit have been slowly but successfully reclaiming our roles within tribal societies as leaders, protectors, warriors, and caregivers. As mentioned above, Indigenous women are on the front lines of every major issue, from Idle No More’s environmental justice movement in Canada, to ending the use of Native mascots and imagery in sports. Many more examples exist, including language revitalization; health care and education reform; food sovereignty; violence against Indigenous women; climate change; and more. At the camps in Standing Rock, women-identifying folks are using their bodies and risking arrest to prevent pipeline crews from accessing the construction site, they’re cooking and feeding for thousands, and they’re leading security teams 24/7 to ensure campers safety and adherence to camp guidelines.

They’ve also developed their own school and curriculum for youth staying long-term at the camps. As a former teacher, I can assure you: This is huge. Continued on page 27

A Message from Jason

Page 3

Dear friends,

I hope this note finds you doing as well as possible. There has been some other pretty amazing resistance in the news lately. Have you been following what is happening with the Dakota Access Pipeline? There has been some incredible resistance coming from Indigenous people from all across the country. Leaders and members of Indigenous nations have been coming together to stop the Army Core of Engineers from giving permission to a group of companies that are stealing land to build the pipeline. The primary company that owns the pipeline is called Energy Transfer. The company is run by Kelcy Warren, who is a multi-billionaire from Texas. He is planning to make enormous amounts of money off of the pipeline. The pipeline would move oil that is drilled in North Dakota all the way down to the Gulf. The pipeline would go through burial grounds and holy land of many Indigenous people, but in particular the Hunkpapa Lakota and Yanktonai Dakota people. The current encampment began with people from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation and has grown to include countless other nations and tribes. In the middle of September a call was made for all Indigenous people to come to the encampment in solidarity. Palestinians, Aboriginals, and other First Peoples arrived at the encampment to show their support. The power and strength of the resistance is beautiful, they are already winning some major victories. As the saying goes, direct action gets the goods.

While the current encampment, or prayer camp as people are calling it, is getting a lot of attention right now, the resistance to this pipeline is not new. Members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribal government have been in the federal courts fighting against Energy Transfer since 2014. The pipeline was originally supposed to cross the Missouri river just north of of the capital of North Dakota, Bismark. According to a report on Indian Country Today, “The route was changed to cross north of Standing Rock instead because they weren’t willing to put largely white Bismarck’s drinking water at risk. Apparently it’s ok to put Native people’s water at risk though.” Even as the peace camps continue to grow, over 4,000 people camping out, others are still fighting to secure victories in the courts and with the federal government.

After the media highlighted the violent attacks by a private security force against Indigenous protestors, during which the security force sicced dogs on the people, the federal government released a statement requiring a review of the situation. While a review and an investigation is not a complete win, it shows that the resistance is working and the people are winning.

The peace camp resisting DAPL is the largest gathering of people Indigenous to North America in centuries. It is the first gathering of all seven bands of the Lakota people since the defeat of Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn. As people build the protest encampment they are also offering meals to the thousands gathered, providing healthcare, and even running a school for children. Whenever people fight for their right to safe water, sovereignty, and the ability to live free from violence, we must align in that struggle. We are striving to create a world where we do not keep people in cages. The United States government has created giant cages out of the reservations that Indigenous people have been relegated to. As abolitionists, we must be willing to connect our struggle with this one. We build our movements together knowing that once there were no prisons, that day day will come again.

I want to end by recognizing all of those who participated in any kind of action on September 9th. We cannot go in to much detail about the actions that took place on that day around the country. If we did, the newspaper would probably be rejected from many prisons. I do want to honor the brave organizing that took place. I know some Black and Pink members took part. There has been some major media attention to what prisoners did. All of us should remember the events that took place at Attica prison in 1971. We must remember that the government killed 43 people when they retook Attica, 33 prisoners and 10 guards. The actions on September 9th showed incredible bravery. Without risk, change is not likely.

We are in solidarity with all people resisting prison violence and exploitation.

In loving solidarity, Jason

What’s Inside!

Page 4

• Indigenous Efforts Against the DAPL: 1, 2, 27, 28 • Letters to our Black & Pink family: 5, 9-11,13-16,18-19 • Poetry from the heart: 6, 12, 17 • Chelsea Manning can have GRS, 7 • Two-Spirit Support for Standing Rock, 8 • Seeking volunteer artists, 15 • Join in on Visionary Fiction 20-21 • Visionary fiction submissions: 22-26 • Black & Pink Address and Topics 26

Black & Pink Hotline The hotline phone number is 617.519.4387! The hotline will be available Sundays 1-5pm (Eastern Time) for certain. You can call at other times as well and we will do our best to answer your calls; they will be answered as often as possible. We are sorry that we can only accept prepaid calls at this time. The purposes of the hotline are: 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 in terms of lock downs, guard harassment, resistance, and anything else that should be shared with the public, let us know so we can spread the word.

Restrictions: The hotline is not a number to call about getting on the pen pal 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.

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 this system out. Thank you for being understanding.

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 prison industrial complex is rooted in the experience of currently and formerly incarcerated people. We are outraged by the specific violence of the prison industrial complex against LGBTQ people, and respond through advocacy, education, direct service, and organizing.

Black & Pink is proudly a family of people of all races and ethnicities.

About this Newsletter Since 2007, Black & Pink free world volunteers have pulled together a monthly newsletter primarily composed of material written by our family’s incarcerated members. In response to letters we receive, more prisoners receive the newspaper each issue!

This newspaper is being sent to over 9,400 prisoners!

Disclaimer: Please note that the ideas and opinions expressed in the Black & Pink Newspaper 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 the Newspaper, including but not limited to legal and medical information. Authors and artists bear sole responsibility for their work. Everything published in the Newspaper is also on the internet—it can be seen by anyone with a computer. By sending a letter to “Newspaper Submissions,” you are agreeing to have your piece in the Newspaper and on the internet. For this reason, we only publish First Names and State Location to respect people’s privacy. Pieces may be edited to fit our antioppression values and based on our Editing Guidelines.

Letters to our Black & Pink family

Page 5

Dear Black & Pink,

Dear Black and Pink,

I am writing about the tragedy that took place in Orlando, Florida regarding our LGBTQ family. I have been in here hurt, upset, angry and in pain for what happened. It’s very hard in here cause no one really knows what we go through. I feel all alone and at the same time helpless due to my incarceration.

My name is Lance. I’m a 46 year old uber healthy gay black male. And I’ve been down since 1989.

I’ve been receiving Black & Pink since 2012-13.

I love the up to date news and historic political articles and the poetry is very powerful. I often shed tears reading about all the different struggles that my brothers and sisters go through. I just got done reading the June 2016 issue and would never have known about that massacre at Club Pulse in Orlando. The young lives that were needlessly lost just broke my heart to pieces.

Dedicated to my Orlando LGBTQ Family!

I pledge whole heartedly my LOVE, LIFE, and LOYALTY to the LGBTQ organization and to serve the glorious community in its every cause!

I will do all that I can in helping us both reach our fullest potential. As our family grows, I know that I too will grow, for our goals are so interrelated...

Positive communities produce positive, productive people, that which we are. My every ACTION, ATTITUDE and BEHAVIOR will vividly reflect the positive, dignified principles that our family is built upon. I will LOOK, LEARN and LISTEN to anything that may be conducive to the acceleration of our community. I will strive tirelessly everyday to continue to be a standing member and never abandon our LGBTQ community!

As in all communities, I realize that sacrifices must be made, I will not be selfish, but for the sake of the preservation of our community, I’ll be willing to endure my share.

I believe in the goals of our community and it’s an honor to aid and assist in our struggle for success.

I will contribute all I know how and work hard in any capacity that I may or can toward the betterment of our community!

We are a power to be reckoned with! The doctrines of our love will be a guiding light that shall forever be lit in our hearts and in our minds. This light will serve as a constant reminder and motivating force within each of us.

In today’s society homophobia and transphobia are not fears they are a deep seated hatred towards us. Like racism it is taught. Any-phobia starts out as a fear. Fear of expression, fear of being seen, fear of not being accepted, fear of not being loved, fear of loss. These are the only fears people of that -phobia- feel. In time that fear becomes so suffocating and confining that for one who is not but wants to be, that fear morphs into anger and hatred aimed at that desire to be like us. Some people can break through that prison and become that beautiful butterfly. For others, unfortunately, that inability to break through, the cowardice all become a boiling pot of hatred, first for the self then for us (LGBTQ).

Islam does not prescribe to self-loathing suicide, it is a sin. I think Omar loved everyone in that club and because he feared to express it he destroyed the object of his desire and that my friend is the saddest part of this tragic story. Rest in Peace Omar Mateen, I forgive you.

In spite of the anger we feel we must continue to love. I’ve lost 49 beautiful family members, but this tragedy only fuels my desire and ambition to work for and join forces with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth ages 24 or under. Suicide prevention is my biggest concern.

Whoever violates this article of community structure, will be charged with disruption a community unity and dealt with in that fashion - an enemy of LOVE.

All my life I’ve been gay and I’ve fought for and protected gay people. Some of my closest friends growing up and in prison were gay and lesbian.

Although all our lives are precious and for all areas that I still don’t fully understand I’ll always have oceans of love and emotional support and physical unity for all of you.

LGBTQ Forever and Always, Antoinne W. Illinois

Lance, New York

It will also instill in us DEDICATION, DETERMINATION, and DISCIPLINE with the consolidated and diligent effort of US ALL, our visions shall be manifested into reality.

Stay strong in solidarity.

Page 6

Why the fuck is consensual sex illegal?

What is this, the times of medieval?

Haha do we scare you so? that even with PREA you have to impose Rules that are clearly discriminatory When it is self explanatory that love will forever show no bounds take a second, breathe and look around see how mighty we are and number too numerous for our desire to slumber wake up, smell the tinge of fruity essence you can try but cannot ignore our presence like it or not we are here to stay whether trans, bi, queer, lesbian, or gay

T.D.C. Why can't you see?

That I just want to be me!

I've got time to do, and yes, I'm gay.

Leave me alone and I'll stay out of your way.

I want love - is that too much to ask?

Homophobia is a thing of the past.

Keep up with the time & change the rules.

Honestly, y'all look like homophobic fools.

To flag a couple and make them apart only works to destroy the heart.

Eric "Angel" (aka YOLO), Texas

Matthew O. North Carolina

Hope And Fear I am intimidated by the thought, that my only true truth, may not set me free!

In fact what I fear are the soul’s of the judges, whoever those judges may be.

I’ve always been cursed to suffer unjustly, the more solid the more they will slash.

I’m sure I’ve figured out exactly what it is, the devil is hot on my ass!

I lived in a image created to live, and hid who I am in my core.

Expressed who I was with nothing to give, but the love that’ll make you want more.

And now that I’m out, the surface is broke, and the yoke can finally be bared.

So all I ask from a judge in my life, is a promise to actually care.

I’m so proud of myself for deciding to act, on saving my life from despair.

A woman indeed, of the finest breed, now everything truly seems fair.

I’m still afraid cause I never quite knew...why fate always dealt me a bash?

My back is scared, I’ve come so far, and I’m finally free from the lash. AKA “The Past”.

Tosha V. California

Page 7

Chelsea Manning Told She Can Have Gender Reassignment Surgery, Lawyer Says

By JONAH ENGEL BROMWICHSEPT. 13, 2016, New York Times Chelsea Manning, who announced that she was female the day after being sentenced to prison in 2013 for leaking government files, has been told that the United States military will allow her to proceed with gender reassignment surgery, her lawyer said on Tuesday.

“Chelsea has received word from the military that they are moving forward with the recommendation for surgery,” said Chase Strangio, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union. Mr. Strangio said that he did not know whether the Army had clarified who would pay for Ms. Manning’s treatment.

Lt. Col. Patrick R. Seiber, an Army spokesman, declined to comment because the matter concerned the health of an inmate. In a statement provided by her lawyer, Ms. Manning, 28, praised the decision, but wondered why it had not come sooner. “I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing,” she said. “I applaud them for that. This is all that I wanted — for them to let me be me. But it is hard not to wonder why it has taken so long.”

“The surgery was recommended back in April 2016,” she said. “The recommendations for my hair length were back in 2014.” [...] The decision to allow Ms. Manning to proceed with the surgery appeared to be emblematic of a gradual shift in the military’s position on transgender service members.

In August 2013, Ms. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking government files to WikiLeaks. A day after her sentencing, Ms. Manning, who was then known as Pfc. Bradley Manning, issued a statement saying that she was female and was changing her name to Chelsea. She requested hormone therapy “as soon as possible.”

At the time, a spokeswoman for the Army prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where Ms. Manning was being held, said that the prison did not provide hormone therapy or gender reassignment surgery. In February 2015, the Defense Department approved Ms. Manning’s request for hormone therapy. The next month, a military court recognized her as a woman.

A Department of Defense memo dated June 30, 2016, overturned a ban on open service by transgender people in the military and made it clear that the military would allow active service members to transition genders. Before, service members who were receiving medical treatment related to gender transition were discharged.

Ms. Manning had not believed that the change in policy would apply to her, Mr. Strangio said, and she was later charged by the military with offenses stemming from a suicide attempt in early July. She still faces those charges, he said.

“It was clear that one of the main drivers of her mental health crisis was that there was really no hope that she would ever receive the care that she needs,” Mr. Strangio said. “This is a really important beacon of hope for her.”

Mr. Strangio said that Ms. Manning had been given “some indication” on Monday that a compromise might be worked out with respect to her treatment. On Tuesday, she was shown a treatment protocol that had a number of recommendations for her in writing, he said, confirming that a doctor’s recommendation from April that she be treated for gender dysphoria was being followed.

In her statement, Ms. Manning said, “I hope this sets a precedent for the thousands of trans people behind me hoping they will be given the treatment they need.”

Two-Spirit Society supports Standing Rock

Page 8

September 8, 2016

Honorable Chairman Archambault*: On behalf of the Indian Canyon Two-Spirit Society, we are writing to express our support for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Sacred Stone Spirit Camp.We support the critically important work you are doing to protect the Missouri River from the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).

The Dakota Access Pipeline poses a serious threat to the water, land, health, and way of life for all communities that live along the shores and tributaries of the Missouri River. We urge President Barack Obama, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, and Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Lawrence Roberts to take any and all steps necessary to protect the Missouri River, including ordering a permanent stop to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

We support the work you are doing to defend key cultural and spiritual sites, including human graves, at the confluence of the Cannon Ball and Missouri Rivers, which wpuld be bulldozed if the pipeline followed the proposedpath.

As Two-Spirit people, as Indigenous people, and as fellow human beings who drink water, we thank you for working to ensure clean water sources for all our relations. We recognize that your efforts have impacts far beyond the borders of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation: we are all connected, and we all stand to benefit from clean water. You are protecting the water for all of us, and for the generations yet to come.

California is experiencing a severe drought, and in our region, water is extremely scarce. This makes us acutely aware of the importance of protecting our water. The Lakota phrase "Mni wich6ni,"water is life, is a truth that the Ohlone people also recognize.

The violent actions, including the use of attack dogs, that DAPL 's private security force has perpetrated against the people who are peacefully defending Standing Rock's homelands, your ancestors' graves, your cultural sites, and your sacred waters, is unacceptable.We condemn the actions of the law enforcement personnel who stood by and witnessed these illegal and unethical acts without intervening; they are acting without honor, and we reject their actions as inhumane.

We condemn the falsehoods that law enforcement spokespersons are spreading to the media, attempting to turn public opinion against the water defenders. The roadblocks and other forms of harassment and intimidation that the North Dakota Highway Patrol and the Morton County Sheriff’s office have implemented in order to interfere with people who are exercising their constitutional right to assemble peacefully should be reported by the media. We encourage all journal ists to report the facts and realities of those defending our natural resources from further contamination.

We applaud your actions, and offer you our support in this time.We understand the importance of water, and the seriousness of the situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, and with all who have joined you at the Sacred Stone Spirit Camp.Our community stands with you. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.

All Our Relations, Kanyon Sayers-Roods, Zephyr Elise, Joshua Aidan Dunn, and Mary Montes Leadership Council, Indian Canyon Two-Spirit Society CC: President Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell;Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Lawrence Roberts; North Dakota Highway Patrol Superintendent Colonel Michael Gerhart; Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier; CEO Kelcy Warren of Energy Tranfer Partners LP *Chairman David Archambault of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe

Letters to our Black & Pink family Dear Black & Pink, My dear family, my name is Neil and I am writing because I feel much sorrow for all the painful things that are happening to you! I am gay and have been “out” officially to my family and friends for eight years now. I used to suffer from the fears of not being accepted by the world, that I was unlovable and unworthy of being cared for by another man.

I did not accept myself and so I had ostracized “me”, disregarding anything that could have potentially been a healthy relationship for me. I believed that God hated me and I was born cursed. Due to my past, the things I thought about myself and how I felt about myself all played a role into my offending another person. I have been incarcerated now for ten years; when I am released I will be registering as a sex offender, probably for the rest of my life. I am actively involved in sex offender treatment and have been working on positive growth and life-long interventions to prevent me from relapsing.

Although I see the parole board in a year, I do not expect my parole to be granted. There is still much for me to learn from this place. “Support” is the biggest key to have in my life. I need the support from my friends, my family, my loves ones...

Validation is nice to have from my support network, however the true and most valuable validation I can receive is from “me”!

Each and every one of us all have war in our lives but it is how we choose to fight the battles to get where we want to go. Don’t let “The World” control your mind and your heart...Allow God to show you “the Way, the Truth, and the Light”.

Unfortunately I am not able to be with you physically, holding your hand to help guide you through all the terror. I will pray for you, for my Lord to comfort and protect you from harm. Jesus says that when two or more come together in prayer our Father will hear the strength in what we seek and ask of Him. As distanced apart we are let’s all pray together in love as on voice for strength to push through the hard road, for safety and protection from all those who wish to harm us. Agapé means unconditional love! Let us love one another as we are family and forgive those who harm us. I will love you always!

Love with hugs and kisses, Neil C. Massachusetts

Page 9

Dear Family,

I have wrote once as “Alexia,” but due to a choice I like more, I now go by “Melaina.” I am a 26 year old transwoman who is passionate about being a woman, and strongly believes/supports the LGBT community. We are who are, choice as not - it’s time we are accepted.

This week has proven interesting, as the events that have taken place are signs of pure ignorance and refusal to understand. The first event that has occurred is the Mass Shooting in Orlando, FL. May God bless those who survived, the families who lost, and those we lost. Hatred is not the answer, but it does make us stronger as a community - it shows us what we need to improve.

The other incident I speak of has taken place here at the Wyoming State Penitentiary. As a transwoman, I am wanting to be able to shower separately - as allowed under PREA -, be pat searched by females, have female under clothes; the lovely warden here informed me that I would receive NOTHING!! Even though policy and law state that I can receive once accommodation. I have made the choice to take the battle, not just for me, but for my future sisters who may come through. No one should have to be forced into being someone they aren’t, all because no one wants to understand.

I will keep my family updated on this process, I do ask for support, letters would be great. Luckily I do have a supportive sergeant and officers, I’m thankful for both.

Not only do I have the supportive WDOC employees, I have my supportive Brothers here who have not given up on me. Thank you, all of you, for your continued help! I love you!!

One day we will have a world full of people who can be themselves. A world with no hate. We cannot give up.

My best goes out to all my Brothers and Sisters!

We are strong, we WILL WIN!!

Love Always Melaina D. Wyoming

Letters to our Black & Pink family

Page 10

To my Black and Pink family,

How is everybody doing? Both behind the walls and in the free world. Well, my name is Edward a.k.a.

Sincere. I have been receiving this newsletter for some time now, but, this is my first time writing. So, real quick, I’m a Black and Indian bi-sexual man locked up in Rhode Island’s (A.C.I.). I’m 29 year’s old serving a 24 year sentence and been locked up for 12 1/2 years and counting!! Yes, I been down since I was 17 years old.

Well, there’s a whole lot I’d like to speak about that’s really weighting on my mind. This past month has been crazy and there’s event’s that brought tear’s to my eyes. Homophobes like “Omar Mateen” gunning down our sister’s and brothers in the month of gay pride, their has been two more black men murdered in cold blood by police, and five officer’s has been killed. Now, those in power are trying to paint the Orlando attack as “radical Islam” as a way to point finger’s at all Muslim’s. Its just wrong.

First, the attack on our LGBTQ community in Orlando although it’s labeled as one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history, its only one of many racist and hateful act’s that we, as a family, live with today. It just never been this bad for our people. In 2016, LGBTQ people are still not accepted, we’re looked down on, and hated.

Understand that LGBTQ people, and people who are non-white has never been loved, respected, or treated equally in America. In my eyes, it’s been that way in the past and the present. Even though we’ve come a long way from the past, we still have a longer path to march down. So, as long as we still have to fight for our right’s these act’s will still be committed.

This is a time when we can’t allow the media or the government dictate our future or allow them to place distrust among us as a community, and family. We need unity among us all, and protest, demonstrate, and what ever else we have to do, to receive and demand our respect, equality, love, and trust.

Demand a end to discrimination, unemployment, police brutality and the end to prisons. It takes unity, and do what need’s to be done by any means necessary. We need the unity of all people white, black, straight, LGBTQ, all religions (Islam, Jews,

Christians, etc).

My heart goes out to the polices family as well.

While keeping it real with you (my family), I dislike cop’s. But, at the same time I do not agree with the act’s of senseless murder. No matter who does the murdering (US, cop’s, the government with the death penalty, etc.) to me, murder is murder and all should stop. And let love and unity murder hate.

I’m going to end this now with hopes of everybody coming together to fight this fight as one. I’ll leave you with something that “Karma” from Georgia said in Junes Black and Pink paper “I challenge each and everyone of you, my brothers, sisters, & those undecided or indifferent either way, to fight along my said as i fight along yours. Why you experience defeat, push on harder. When you feel weak or in despair, just know I have too. But continue & you will win! Wars are won through many battles, & a battle lost is not the war! You must be stronger than the opposition!

Love you all. Xoxo Sincere, Rhode Island

—▼— To My Black & Pink Family First of all to Joshua I’m not going to harp on you I’m sure you’ve heard enough. I’m just going to tell you that life is not over for you and you have a family here for you.

To my Brothers & Sisters in the KY where y’all at? I never see you all in the Letters to Family. We need to rep the Big Blue Nation “Go Cats!”. I’m so glad to hear about Ashley Diamond. It’s about time some changes brought about change in Georgia you go girl. Stay strong my family where ever you are in the world and life.

Love always, Wayne (Jasmine) Kentucky

Letters to our Black & Pink family

Page 11

Gay for the Stay?

Dear Family,

I often hear the term gay for the stay. “Gay for the stay, straight at the gate.” Although I have been married to a man a whooping 3 times, I consider myself a true lesbian woman. I was raised in Chicago, in a part of the city known as Lincoln Park.

From the time I was 3 yrs old, I’ve been watching Gay Pride Parades and catching beads, raised in Lincoln Parks gay community.

Greetings my Lovelies! I want to tell all of you transgender women locked up here in Texas who are going through any type of harassment, abuse, and discrimination to PLEASE write:

My first husband’s mother was in a gay relationship.

This was the first real lesbian household I’d ever interacted with and it just seemed right. But at the time I was living to please my mother. Marrying a military man because I was pregnant. This marriage was filled with abuse and infidelity as were the consecutive two marriages.

I began having feelings for women at an early age.

Probably around age 12 crushing on my BFF susie.

But I didn’t express my appreciation for the same sex until I was a bit older.

Even still, I’ve always been the center of attention when it came to men. I modeled from age 13 to 15, and the attention felt good. I had “undercover” encounters with women by the time I was into my 3rd marriage. Mainly because I had grown tired of the sorry men in my life.

On Feb, 20th 2009 my whole life changed. The right to defend myself became a crime and I ended up in prison for the crime of manslaughter. I accidentally took my husband’s life. Mother, actress, mentor, now a murderer.

Immediately upon entering prison, I was pursued.

I had 3 kites in my cell with 2 hrs! I loved being around these women. And to be in an intimate relationship with them seemed right. I made the decision to never go back to men.

TRANS PRIDE INITIATIVE, c/o NELL GAITHER, President; P.O. Box 3982; Dallas, TX 75208.

She will help & do take us serious. Even if you’re not transgender/on meds, & you’re openly gay, live as a “girl,” & just a loving queer, write to them, & tell them everything. Especially those of you at Allred Unit; I was there & I know how those laws are & even how dirty the safe prison sergeant is & the rest of them are. While at Allred you all knew me, at least 95% of our community did. It has been recommended I go to safe keeping. Now I’m waiting for Huntsville to make their decision - S.K. me or transfer, etc!

Yes, Nell Gaither did help me... Special shoutouts to “promise,” “Jamie,” “Plex,” “Rena”; & also to “Michelle,” & “Super baby” at Stiles. Love going out to “Kayquita-kay-kay”; & “Tory” at Darrington who I worry about; & “Paradise” who just coming back in.

My love “Nautica-Lil Bit” wherever you are - know I’m aching inside bad!!!

THANK YOU JASON & STAFF at Black & Pink for all you’re trying to do & giving us a voice.

Sincerely, in solidarity, Michael, TX Editor’s note: We spoke to Nell on the phone, and she is wonderful. They are a small organization, though, so may not be able to meet all of your requests.

I guess there are ladies that are gay for the stay.

But for me it was the enlightenment and journey I needed to become my true self.

Xenesis, Texas

Poetry from the heart

Page 12

I’ve only written 3 poems in my entire 32 years I’ve been on this earth. LOL But during this incarceration, back in 2013, I fell in Love, like true Love, where you would die for your partner, type of Love. Then we were separated at this facility, due to rumors. My baby was released in 2014 and slowly lost touch with me. After he promised on everything he loved that he would never forget/abandon me in here. I was self-harming to cope with the pain and it took almost 2 years to stop hurting. This is for you all because I know there is other Bros & Sisters out there who are going through similar situations.

Stay strong, it does get better. Time will ease your pain. Love, Miss J. jay Instructed to Respect and Reflect As I sit here, alone in my cell, Feelings of worry and panic, force me to dwell, trying to sort reality from insecurity, I begin to cry and shake, due to this impurity.

Mixed emotions include Anger, Fear and sadness, So I bow my head and ask God to take away all this madness, All of me, was our song, I should of known then, we wouldn’t last long My brain tells me to manage the pain, Carving the razor into my flesh, I feel all alone and ashamed, The skin opens and the blood leaks out, Hopes to destroy all of this misery and doubt I was instructed to Respect and Reflect Now my mind, heart and soul are filled with Hate, Anger and Hurt, convince me I must retaliate, Broken down, punished and abused, Was it a lie or was I just used, I use to be loyal and submiss, then my life and feelings were dismissed, I was instructed to respect and reflect, My dreams are shot and bonds broken, Now that I’m deserted, the trust shall be spoken, To show you my reflection, Would be a mirror of pain and neglection, As far as respect, I have an example, Lost words and unkept promises, are only a Sample.

Instructed to respect and reflect, or did he mean abandon and neglect

Art by Shaylanna, NY

Page 29

Page 30

Page 31

Page 32

Letters to our Black & Pink family Dear Black and Pink Family,

This is my first time writing, so please bare with me...

Before I further apply these words of true feeling to this paper; I would like to extend my warmest greetings to all my brothers and sisters out there, by hoping that every last one of you that’s in solitary confinement like myself are remaining strong and emotionally, mentally, as well as physically!!

Properly introducing myself my name is Kevin, but prefers to be addressed as “Kev”, I’m a black 36 years young bisexual male who is currently confined at CCI in Tehachapi, CA. I’m in the cell with an individual who makes degrading statements and comments about individuals who are gay, transgender, and bisexual, but watches Ellen on tv every day. Which shows and demonstrates to me a negative, confused, cold-hearted and unempathic person...seeing all my LGBTQ brothers and sisters go through the unthinkable at Pulse nightclub in Orlando touched me emotionally and I grieved and felt all those who were killed, their families their pain and hurt. I have a auntie who is considered a “dyke” and that could’ve been her there..The dumb and stupid comments my cellie made about those innocent people who were at Pulse enjoying themself really and truly not only pissed me off, but also made me lose a a lot of respect for him, and made me have a different perception of him as a human being. Before I terminate this missive, I would like to tell all my brothers and sisters behind the walls to stay strong emotionally and mentally, don’t let no one get you down, keep ya head up, and most importantly continue on being who you are and don’t let no one stop you, this missive is concluded!!

Respectfully, Kev, California

—▼— Dear Black & Pink Family, First off let me shout out to all LGBTQ’s world wide!

This is my first time writing so bear with me ya’ll.

I go by the name of Baby J I’m a 26 year old gay male-top, from the Dominican Republic on lockdown in the great state of Texas! I’m serving 15 yrs for agg assault with a deadly weapon. I’ve been getting B&P for a few months now and I must say I love it, I love it, I love it lol!

Page 13

Thanks to Black & Pink I have come out of the closet!! I am no longer hiding who I really am. For too many years I have lived how others want me to live and I’ve never been more happy with myself than I am now. So I want to thank Black & Pink and the whole LGBTQ community for helping me see that I can be me, myself and I all day everyday! I see now that I am not alone, I have the whole LGBTQ community behind me! It feels so good to be loved, to be accepted, to be me!!! The only support that I have in prison is Black & Pink and I look forward to the newspaper every month.

I’ve been locked up now for 3 yrs and it has been pretty hard. Due to me being a known member of a organization/family I have had to hide my sexuality, but no more...... I have given up my position in the nation, laid down my pitchforks and brought out what I’ve been hiding since I was 12 yrs old.

Although I am uber-masculine still have a feminine side! I decided I’d leave the organization not only because they wouldn’t accept me anymore, but out of respect for my brothers and myself. I couldn’t lie to them any longer and most importantly, I couldn’t continue to lie to myself.

I want to touch on what Kidd-G said in the June 2016 newsletter. Kidd-G you said that the love of your life came running into your life and told you if they can’t accept who you are then they are not a true brother anyways.... Man if that ain’t a true statement I don’t know what is. Shout out to Kidd-G from Ohio!!

Well let me stop running my mouth and come to a close. Sometimes I seem to develop a bad case of motor mouth lol!! Once again thank you Black & Pink and thanks to all LGBTQ’s for all your love and support!! My heart and love will forever go out to the lives lost in Orlando and they families que descansen en paz y en poder!! Until next time mi familia......

Tu Sabre Qen Ye Soy, Amor, Baby J, Texas

Letters to our Black & Pink family Dear B&P Family,

Hi. My name is Alicia (LeLe) and I am a Transwoman incarcerated in the FBOP. I’m from Florida, but I am currently in Virginia. I’ve been reading B&P for a few years thanks to friends, but I just received my first issue which was the edition dedicated to the victims of Pulse in Orlando. My thoughts and prayers go out to all family and friends of all the people hurt and killed there. That attack hit very close to home for me since I am from Florida and lived there for 20+ years and I worked as an entertainer at many clubs and competed in pageants and won some in FL, GA, and AL. Also, I am mixed with Caucasian and Puerto Rican heritage, so the fact that it was Latinx night hurt as well.

I just turned 34 in June and I’ve been in the FBOP since I was 23 (11 long years now) and I have 24 years to go and my main reason for writing this letter is to share a few of my fights I’ve won and drop a few jewels of wisdom to everyone. Fortunately for me, I started my transition at an early age and had supportive family and friends. I’ve always worn make-up and had long hair throughout middle and high school and was very much accepted as one of the girls. I started HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) at the age of 17 and was on hormones for about 6 years before I was financially prepared to further my transition. I was scheduled to begin electrolysis, and to have breast augmentation (I’m naturally a 40C with HRT and was going to a 40DD) in early 2006. Unfortunately, I was locked up late in 2005 and the jail I was housed in for about a year denied me my HRT. (Estrogen withdrawals suck both mentally and physically, by the way).

By the time I was sentenced and handed over to the FBOP I had been off HRT for about a year and they still had the “Freeze Frame” approach and said I could not be put back on my HRT since I had been stopped for so long. I’ve always been a fighter though, so I started questioning “why” to Psychology and Heath Services and filing numerous administrative remedies. I started in Florida, then was moved to south Carolina and then in December of 2008 I was sent here to FCC Petersburg in VA. When I arrived here there was only 1 other Transwoman and she left a couple months later and went home. I was alone until the end of 2009 when another girl named Rachel got

Page 14

here and she had experienced a similar situation in the jail in Texas where they stopped her treatment then the FBOP wouldn’t start it back up. We started fighting together. We filed numerous administrative remedies again and before ours were exhausted, a case was won I believe in California that led to girls in the FBOP that were on HRT previously to be re-started and girls that had never been on HRT to have the possibility to be started after a long process. Rachel and I were immediately re-started on our HURT because we had documentation of our previous HRT treatment. We started with 20mg injections of Delestrogen every two weeks and also Spironolactone (a testosterone blocker).

Eventually, I was also put on Finasteride as well and Rachel left and went home. I allowed my administrative remedies to be exhausted and filed a lawsuit against the FBOP regarding access to female commissary items and laser hair removal or electrolysis. Even though my case was dismissed, it started a lot of talk in the higher offices and that led to us being able to purchase SOME things from a female commissary list including bras, panties and a few other items. Sports bras and panties are also given out for free through the Laundry to anyone who gets diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria.

I went by Alicia Jade since I was in middle school, but I never had my name legally changed, but in 2013 I began the fight to have my name legally changed both in society and in the FBOP. It was denied at the local circuit court in VA because of a very hateful judge who is known to be anti-inmate and anti-LGBT, but I appealed to the Supreme Court of VA who unanimously overturned the judgement and sent it back to the circuit court. The same lower level judge denied it again and I appealed once again and this time the Supreme Court of VA unanimously overturned and gave a direct order to the circuit court to grant my name change and from what I was told by staff here I am the first Transgender person in the BOP to accomplish this and since the beginning of 2015 my legal name is Alicia Jade and all my FBOP documentation and records including my inmate ID card and street documentation and records were put under Alicia Jade and staff has to address me appropriately, so I am telling all my sisters and brothers out there to not give up the fight because I am proof that you CAN win. Continued on page 15

Letters to our Black & Pink family Continued from page 14 I currently have another lawsuit against the BOP regarding the addition of make-up and hair accessories to our commissary list as well as the fact that in 2015 after my first lawsuit I was medically recommended for electrolysis/laser hair removal by a contracted Endocrinologist paid for by the BOP to add to the multiple Psychology recommendations I had before.

Regarding the announcement in a past couple B&P issues regarding Transwomen qualifying for female institutions, at the end of 2015 I was called to the Psychology Dept. and the Chief Psychologist asked if I’d be interested in going to a female institution and she told me that out of the now 21 Transwomen here, yes I said 21, I was the only one at the time that fit the criteria Central Office told her to look for. (The majority of girls here have only been diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria, which is the first step of the process, but only about 6 of us now are on Hormone Therapy). I told her I wasn’t ready yet based on the fact that I wanted to be further along in my transition before I take that step. I’d love to eventually go to a female facility, but I want to get certain medical treatment first, such as laser hair removal so the transition will be smoother.

Also, FCC Petersburg just celebrated Pride month June 18th at recreation for the third straight year with great success. I helped start it in June of 2014 and we had music, sports, games and sno cones. I work very hard every year to deal with staff to keep it going smoothly and other LGBT brothers and sisters and allies helped make it better and better each year. Lastly, I am kind of a representative to staff regarding the Transwomen here and I try to help open eyes from ignorance regularly to staff and inmates alike. One of my favorite things to make it personal to them is this. “What if your child came to you and said they felt different and could not help it and that they were born into the wrong gender and you turned your back on them?”

Then I say what if the next day you come home to find that they committed suicide and you know you could have been their rock that helped them instead of turned on them for something they had no choice in. I’ve had staff and inmates in tears because they never thought of it that way, and it opened doors for discussion and respect. I am a veteran member as well as the clerk for the

Page 15

Suicide Watch Program here at the prison I am in. Basically, its a small group of inmates who take shifts sitting with other inmates who are on suicide watch and making sure they get through this period of struggle. Transgender people have a staggering suicide attempt and follow through rate and we have to help bring those numbers down, so I hope that the info I have provided about things I’ve accomplished and am still working on can help others out there to fight harder because we are WINNERS. I’ve sliced my wrist and had more SRA’s (Suicide Risk Assessment) than I can count during my worst times, so I feel the struggle and I hope all of you that are not yet getting HRT have access to it very soon and if you don’t have the correct undergarments or want to have your name reflected correctly and legally, the fight can be won.

Thank you to Black and Pink for your outstanding work keeping us connected to share struggles and accomplishments. Girls, guys and otherwise please hold your heads up and be proud of who you are and don’t let anyone take away from your true self.

Love always, Alicia Jade, Virginia

—▼— ARE YOU AN ARTIST? VOLUNTEER FOR THE BLACK & PINK NEWSLETTER!

Black & Pink is currently seeking drawings to support our newsletter!

Headers: On the cover page, we include a “header” each month. It measures 8 inches by about 2 inches. It can be full color or black & white! Please write “Black & Pink” in your own style, with other background images fine as well.

Smaller drawings: Also, we would like to include smaller drawings where we have blank space after a story or a letter. As you read through, what drawings would match with the themes and emotions of the letters? These drawings will be printed in black ink.

Visionary fiction: There are some neat planets and characters being imagined by family members.

Can you draw the ones described or a new one?

Thank you in advance! Please mail to: Black & Pink - Newspaper Submissions.

Letters to our Black & Pink family

Page 16

Dear Black and Pink Family,

Dear Black and Pink family,

Hello to all! This is Scarlett from TX. I would like to say that my prayers and Heart goes out to the victims and their families of the Orlando - tragic shooting. This angered me, to think that someone could just walk into a club and just kill innocent lives. We must not let fear rule us nor shall we stop being who we are. We must remain courageous and strong and continue to make the government to be responsible for their failures. I would like to thank all the Black and Pink volunteers for their hard work in putting out the newsletter each month and for all of your hard work in all that you do. And I would like to thank you for sending me the card last month showing me that you thought about not just me but all LGBTQ who all mourned with Orlando.

Thank you.

I have just received my first B and P newsletter and I feel a very strong need to write. This need was brought about after reading about “Backwards” in Arizona. I am also in a battle with ADOC over the PREA law. My boyfriend and I had ADOC place a “Do Not House With” (DNHW) against us due to a letter that was sent to me from him. Their reason for the DNHW is “a possible future PREA violation may occur.” Talk about far fetched! I later learned that I cannot grieve the issue due to a separate appeals process for “Protective Segregation” which, apparently, DNHWs classify as. Did I mention, that like “Backwards” and his boyfriend, my boyfriend and I are both S.O.s?

Also here in TX “TDCJ has issued rules that prohibit prison inmates from having active social media accounts, even if friends or family in the free world actually run them. TDCJ updated the offender orientation handbook to prevent personal pages on facebook, twitter or instagram. The rule is being opposed by the Prison Justice League here and civil liberties groups on the basis of Constitution protections of free speech. According to TDCJ, no specific issue brought about the change, but one prisoner was caught selling items from prison through an account operated by another individual.

Violations of the policy could result in a disciplinary case. Some legislators indicated that the matter may be considered by the next session of the Texas legislation in Jan 2017.” This is quoted from the Insider newsletter.

Well thats about it from Scarlett and remember to fight for your rights. If you don’t stand up for yourselfno one else will. Knowledge is power. I would like to shout out to LeDeja, Carla, Vikki, Precious, brandy and all the Queens in TX prisons and to the rest of the LGBTQ family everywhere xoxo. lots of love Scarlett, Texas

My boyfriend has been moved to different locations multiple times in the last year. I have asked multiple times in the last year. I have asked multiple staff members how to appeal the DNHW and no one can, or will give me an answer. The Deputy Warden refuses to assist and believes there was nothing “frivolous or malicious” about the DNHW. Central office never answers my kites. ADOC failed to follow their policy on DNHWs (I was never notified of the issue, never interviewed, nor told of the investigation). Federal P.R.E.A. laws do *not* allow prisons to claim “possible failure” concerns. Plus, even if an act occurred consensually, it does not fall under P.R.E.A..

ADOC is using PREA to target homosexual inmates.

My boyfriend and I both consider what they did harrassment. His numerous moves is retaliation for fighting their harassment. My boyfriend has filed a suit and I would advise “Backwards” do the same.

The only way we can beat ADOC is by sticking together. Our numbers are larger than you think.

Keep fighting the good fight. I just want “Backwards” to know that my man and I understand what he is going through and are fighting right along beside him.

And to all my other LGBTQ brothers and sisters, keep your heads held high. We are stronger than they think.

With love, Jason, Arizona

Poetry from the heart

Ghetto Child Dream your dream Don’t allow the incessant noise of poverty to deafen you.

Dream your dream don’t allow the pervasive overbearing tide of alcoholism and drug addiction to drown you Dream your dream ignore the statistical date that has you headed from the playground to the penitentiary Dreams do become reality we are known for bucking the trendchanging the gameand defying the odds Ghetto Child hold your head up highour circumstances don’t have to define us.

Ghetto childgrab hold of that inherent determination, genius, and excellence you’ve always possessed.

Yep, there’s a direct genealogical line from you to the architects of science, math, and medicine.

Ghetto child You are precious in the eyes of God. Ghetto childnever allow the adversary to rob you of your dreams.

Patrice D. Illinois Struggling w/ existence 3:37 AM: The brickz are speaking 2 me It seemz failure materialize outta thin air The more I try, the more I fall down So tonight I eat my fearz away, letting go of my breathe That was never given to me Blood rain down my arm causing me 2 be memorize by the fire Authoritiez tried 2 help, but I became more rebellious to they’re homophobia eyez Against time, the colorz we’re a disguise My mask of shame They’re patronizing mindz encourage me 2 let go C causing me to power down cy but the emotional pain Story to the many facez of this world, who haz given up, due 2 hard timez, struggling w/ they’re identitez, and existence to live. It’z going 2 be alright.

You were me and I am you, you’re not along, and every day I will listen 2 your heart.

Keep yo’ head where the starz be – Pieface, Michigan

Page 17

Letters to our Black & Pink family I was witness to a very alarming event today. I am currently housed at West Texas facility, firmly located in a desert environment. It gets prohibitively hot during the summer months at this unit, actual temperatures climbing well in excess of 107 degrees Fahrenheit inside the cells.

On this day at approximately 6:00pm CST the electricity was shut off deliberately, thereby denying offenders the use of their electric fans. The inmates immediately began demanding the return of the power. As their pleas went unanswered and anxiety levels began to rise, the prisoners began exhibiting signs of heat stress. Not long after that certain offenders began to pass out due to heat exhaustion. There is a policy in place that states if you are experiencing any sign of heat sickness you may inform a c/o of your difficulties and you will be immediately removed to an air conditioner ‘respite’ area. Demands of respite began and still they fell on deaf ears.

Soon several offenders began to suffer heat stroke.

Finally the officers began to address the situation removing only the sickest of offenders from the cell block on stretchers. One offender was hurt so bad an ambulance was summoned. Once the ambulance arrived at the gate electricity was suddenly restored.

My situation is more draconian than most here. I am currently housed as an offender awaiting a transfer decision by the state classification committee due to an “Offender Protection Investigation”.

They house us behind a cage built around a set of cells in the block with the other offenders. This forced “protection” is against my will as I have signed numerous statement to the effect that I am in no danger. The offenders behind the cage are neglected more often than not, denying those prisoners access to the ice water placed in the cell block. Sometimes they even forget to allow us to shower.

I have no electric fan. The state is in collusion with a project called TX-CURE that is supposed to supply indigent offenders with one. My repeated applications have went unanswered.

My situation has forced me to become creative with methods to alleviate the heat. If you should find yourself in a situation where the “approved”

Page 18

methods for heat relief are either neglected or faced with deliberate malfeasance, the following methods are useful to save your life.

• Drink plenty of water. Even if it is lukewarm tap water. Hydration is essential to the regulation of your core body temp. You will know if you are drinking enough if your urine is slightly off clear. Clear urine means you are removing vital electrolytes from your system. Yellow urine indicates dehydration.

• Remove your state issued clothes. Soak the shirt with water and wring out until the dripping just stops. You want the shirt to cling to your body when you put it back on. Stay in your undies and shirt.

• Wet your towel, if you are issued one, and again wring until dripping just stops. Wrap it around your head.

• If the sun is pouring through your window, block it with clothes, blankets, books, anything to block the sunshine. NOTE: In many areas this is a violation of policy. You need to decide if the risk of disciplinary action outweighs the danger to your safety. My thought is I would rather be a living prisoner with a case than a dead one with none. You may not have a choice. If so stay out of the sunbeam.

• Find a way to create a draft through your cell. If this means opening a window to hot breeze, do it.

Place your wetted self in the path of the breeze to allow evaporation to cool your body.

• If no breeze can be found, pour water on the floor of your cell and lay in it. Don’t flood, just puddle.

• Re-wet drying clothes as necessary.

These methods have kept me off the ambulance and out of the morgue. Use them as necessary.

Krysta, Texas

—▼— Dear B&P Fam, Hello across the rainbow spectrum! My name is Isabella Denise Longshore. I am a proud Haitian and Native American Transwoman, As of now I am in the hole, so lovingly called, my personal think tank. A great multitude of things have happened recently, but let me start with the most important.

I heard the most unfortunate news. in Florida an LGBTQ nightclub was shot up and held hostage by someone who was or wasn’t a terrorist. 49 killed and around 24 injured. [...]

I’m with Cece McDonald on this one. Why, are we

Letters to our Black & Pink family constantly seeing gay white men and women on the news saying how outraged they are about it and that’s it? Need I remind you that it was LATIN night?

Like WTF, are you serious right now? Besides that, the gay white men & women are usually affluent, and only steep low to help us if it benefits them, in the way of money. And that goes for the trans movement as well. Whom does every damn person think of when they hear the word, “Transgender”?

Everyone say now: “Caitlyn Jenner.” Why, is my question. Bamby Salcedo, Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, Carmen Carrera, Cece McDonald, Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson. In my humble opinion you should know these names by heart, especially if you’re Trans. They’ve done SO much for our cause, where’s their airtime? Why is it that when Caitlyn comes out she’s held in high regard as a pioneer? What the hell did she do that was so special, can anybody tell me? She has NOTHING with common trans women, white or otherwise.

If she wants a breast lift? here’s $15,000 dollars, gimme that. Like, why doesn’t she set up grants or scholarships for trans men and women? In my eyes, if you’re called a pioneer, your ass better be out there earning that title. Set up halfway houses for trans folks where there are none. I’m sorry to those that hold Caitlyn and Co. in high esteem. However, it is my view that when a tragedy strikes you go to the ground level and talk to people there. The only time rich people with power and celebrity should be taking is when they’re about to do something. Point made? I digress, respectfully of course.

Secondly, I’m about to hopefully be given hormones soon! Giiirrrll, it’s been a LONG wait. They switched me psychiatrists because my last one was a douche bag who, though I’m VERY fish, didn’t believe me. He made me wait forever (6 months), and the other doctors said that was unacceptable and switched me. For people living in the North-West, “Norwest Network,” an LGBTQIA organization close by in Seattle, has been a Godsend. Their number is, 206-568-7777. Anybody in the country can call them collect, week days only, 9-6 West coast time. Another one is “The Anti-Violence Project,” located in Manhattan, New York. They’re a WONDERFUL advocacy group and can and will call up to whatever prison they need to, to make sure your complaints and needs are addressed.

They’re boots on the ground for real. And did I

Page 19

mention that all of the advocates are LGBTQIA? Their number is, 212-714-1184. Weekdays from 9-6. Their hotline number is also collect it is, 212714-1141. And that’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So, be aware that it’s an emergency one.

So, suicidal ideations, anxiety and panic attacks, or even physical or sexual attacks, call them. It doesn’t matter if you’re locked up or not.

Thirdly, I would like to address something that, Ms. L’Don Rose, from CA brought up. As a leader of the LGBTQIA car, in my part of the Washington state penitentiary, it has also come to my attention that there is a very intense rivalry between us trans women and gay men. To those who don’t get it let me elaborate thoroughly on it. When I came to prison, I was welcomed by what is notoriously called, the Gay car. It encompasses the entire spectrum, however, if you are any of the seven acronyms everyone thinks you’re gay. No matter what I said.

And there’ve been times when gays have forgotten themselves in front of me. I’ve heard them say things like, “You like guys right?” “Affirmative.” “So do I, so what’s the difference?” For those who don’t know, allow me to do so, eloquently. Yes, I like guys, but I’m a FE-MALE which is different than being gay.

They are men who love men, we are women who love men. Which makes us STRAIGHT not Gay, no matter HOW we look! So consequently, the men in here tend to pay us more attention because we embody femininity. We have our hair long or short but looking good, our cuticles neat, our makeup looks professional. And most of us are just trying to do us. But a lot of gays get ALL hot and bothered because a lot of dudes that they couldn’t crack, fell for us. Once we start relationships and our spouses buy us gifts, the spiteful gays’, not all of them, mouths get to movin’ quick. So that’s when fights start, because unless (and this is my view) I’m being or feeling threatened. I don’t need your jealous ass, spiteful self, helping me. [...] I want it to stop, ASAP. But I’m just one person inside the prison car trying to dismantle it from the inside out. Like L’Don Rose and many others have said, and I agree wholeheartedly, this s*** is b***s****.

Everybody needs to grow up, united we stand divided we fall.

In sisterhood, Isabella <3 Washington

P.S. I love all of you Skittles!

My 22nd Birthday is August 13th. #LeoPride.

Join our adventure into Visionary Fiction!

Page 20

“...when we talk about a world without prisons, a world without police violence, a world where everyone has food, clothing, shelter, quality education, a world free of white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, heterosexism – we are talking about a world that doesn’t currently exist.

But being able to envision these worlds equips us with tools to begin making these dreams reality. adrienne maree brown calls science fiction ‘an exploring ground,’ saying it offers a perfect medium for organizers to explore different outcomes and strategies in theory, before we have to deal with the real world costs.

She asks, ‘How do we handle the worst of our own behavior? How do we stop perpetuating our fears and assumptions? What are the long-term outcomes of applying models like truth and reconciliation, and transformative justice? This is one of the most exciting and far-reaching topics in science fiction.’”

We begin this introduction to our own adventure with this excerpt from Walidah Imarisha. You may have noticed in our paper two months ago that we had a bunch of pieces about Visionary Fiction and the power of imagination. We printed articles by Walidah, Mariama Kaba, and others, to begin to get our brains thinking differently. So much of the newspaper is filled with stories of violence experienced by our family and moments of survival or triumph over prison administrators. We wanted to also tap into everyone’s creative brains, your imagination. We know that many of you write poetry and create art, we’ve printed amazing examples of both. We know that prisons try to crush creativity by locking you in concrete and steel cages, but we know that we can get that creativity free!

We want to tell some stories together. In order to do that we came up with some guidelines to help us. Three solar systems exist in a galaxy far, far away (appreciate the Star Wars reference???). Planets are part of a solar system, temporarily named X, Y, and Z (you can change that). The planets in solar system X have prisons; the planets in solar system Y have begun reform efforts, but are not completely free from the prison industrial complex; and the planets in solar system Z have never, ever, had prisons. Each solar system is made up of an unknown number of planets (you get to decide) and each planet within the solar system can be made up of different kinds of beings. The one rule is that planets in each solar system must follow the same practices around having prisons, reforming prisons, or never having had prisons. You can create any kind of planet you would like, but there are some rules about communication, resources, and transportation that you will see below. We created these rules to help us all create better stories together. On Page 12, you will see an example “encyclopedia” entry submitted about a planet in solar system Z. “How do I contribute to the story?”, you may be asking. There are lots of ways. You can create a character, or multiple characters, that live on any of the planets we have already given an example of and you can write about them interacting with each other. You can write about conflicts they’re having, love they are feeling, political issues that are coming up, or anything else you can think of. If you don’t want to write a story, you can write poetry as if you were a being (like a human or some type of non-human being) coming from one of the solar systems. You can draw an image of what you think the whole galaxy looks like, or one of the solar systems, or one of the planets in the solar system. You can write a news article about something that happened on one of the planets, or about tension rising between the galaxies, or about how the transformative justice model was used in a situation in solar system Z. There are lots and lots of ways that you can contribute.

Each month, moving forward, we will print 3 things that you all create, one from each solar system. One might be a picture, one might be a poem, one might be a story, or any combination of things that we receive from you all. Each following month readers can continue the story of characters that someone else created or start new stories. We encourage people to try out continuing someone else’s story. Lets see what we can build with one another. Have you ever read a “choose your own adventure” book? In some ways we are creating a project like that. Unfortunately we will not be able to print everything that is sent to us, but we do promise to collect the things that we do not print and put them online and one day collect it all into one big book. We think that this project can help us envision what our own world might look like free from prisons. When we practice this in other worlds, it make it easier for us to imagine how to do that here. We might not be able to transform into winged animals here and we might not be cyborgs, but there are things we can write about and learn from by using these fictional beings and make believe worlds to make something possible.

Another couple of things to keep in mind, visionary fiction is NOT utopian fiction. We do not want the worlds we are creating to be free from conflict. We do not want to pretend that there are no issues around race, gender, sexuality, resource distribution, environment, etc. Rather than pretend everything is just great, visionary fiction encourages us to dive into the hard things and explain how injustice exists or how liberation is achieved. It is also important that our

Join our adventure into Visionary Fiction!

Page 21

characters reflect marginalized communities. We know that the US prison system targets Black and Brown people, poor people, LGBTQ people, HIV+ people, people with disabilities, and we want to ensure that our stories of these new worlds center those who are marginalized. It is important that we can see ourselves in fiction, so keep that in mind when you are writing or drawing.

Just as with all things that come in as submissions for the newspaper, we do have to do some editing. We do not generally edit content or grammar, but we do pay attention to things that are oppressive. While we encourage you to depict the oppression that exists in the worlds, and the ways characters resist it, we will not print things that are themselves oppressive to marginalized people in our real world. Also, everything that is sent to us, just like all other submissions, can be used by Black and Pink for any purpose, and we will certainly credit the authors.

Hopefully you feel excited about this project. Hopefully writing fiction, illustrating our worlds, or creating imaginative poetry will be a good distraction for you. So much writing from inside prison walls relies on imagination. It relies on imagining the world beyond the cages that warehouse our people. It relies on remembering the world you left behind, a memory that is imperfect. We are excited that we are creating this together and cannot wait to read and look at what you create! Please send these submissions to our address at: Black and Pink â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Visionary Stories

Solar System Temporary Name, (what should we name them?!?)

Level of Prison Industrial Complex Resources the Planets Need

Solar System X Solar System Y Named â&#x20AC;&#x153;Straigonâ&#x20AC;? by Indy

Solar System Z

Currently has prisons

Is working towards abolition Never had (utilizing reformist practices prisons, utilizes but potential for abolition) transformative justice practices Electricity (primarily rural, Raw materials (minerals Entertainment much of the urban area has and metals for factory limited access to electricity) production), food, electricity

Resources the Planets Trade

Water, food crops

Information & intelligence services

Energy for electricity

Political system between the planets within the solar system

Beasts on each planet communicate with each other to plan how they can continue to devour and grow

Communication between the planets within the solar system

People from a planet send birds to other planets.

The birds from all planets communicate telepathically

Each planet is a nation and they all report into a neoliberal organization like a UN that purports to be democratic but hides unequal power relations Digitally networked information sharing (similar to the internet).

Instantaneous communication!

Transportation and migration between the planets within the solar system

Transportation between planets is very limited.

Because of hierarchical social structure, most people with resources for a spaceship are rich. Some people steal spaceships in order to travel.

Large federation of planets, modeled after the smaller "spokescouncil" described in example planet Through spirit communication, like telepathy by communicating through the spirit rather than the brain They have the innate ability to teleport from a spiritual source within

Very advanced technology (like drones) for transport, but it is not often used as there is instantaneous communication and residents don't usually need to be in physical proximity

Visionary Fiction collabaration with Indy!

Page 22

Dear Black & Pink Family, Hey! It’s ya big-lil bro Antoine aka Indy. I just got the July-August newsletter today. I gotts say I was in a mood about all the pain and heartache our colorful family is suffering throughout our nation. And I send my love and my power to all of you. We will get through it. But something has really cheered me up! The VISIONARY FICTION article. (Editor’s Note: Indy also wrote a poem included below!)

I’m creating a character. I tried writing a book in county but i lost interest. Maybe because I had noone to write it with. But I am good and writing screenplays. So creating a character is breezy for me. LOL! But I want you ALL to build off him. You’ll see in his bio that there will be options available where YOU can create other characters. For example, he has a distant ex-lover that he only addresses as M. Their relationship lasted 14 months. They loved hard and hurt hard. Now, they don’t even speak. Their encounters are awkward and confusing. They want each other, but they don’t want each other.

Character Sketch: Solar system: Straigon AKA Solar system X Name: Dewayne W., Nickname: D.W., DOB: 2-11-92, Age: 24 Occupation: Activist for LGBTQ rights and a writing for an underground news outlet called PRIDE & C.H.A.O.S, Description: 6 ft 2 1/2 in., 235 lbs, big strong build. Muscular but not body builder muscular.

More like farm boy used to good eating and physical manual labor all his life. He has light gray eyes and low cut black hair. Dark brown skin. No tattoos. Both ears pierced and tongue ring.

Bio: D.W. is a native of Solar system Straigon, Planet NEVE. He grew up in poverty and became street smart but her stayed in school and thus become book smar as well. AFter serving 6 years in prison he come out vowing to take down the P.I.C. on his planet. He has a few resources in friends associated with the U.N. of Solar system Y. His ex, M, a Spanish trans girl, is on the board of that U.N. These associations help him in his mission to destroy the P.I.C. on his planet. He is also using his associations to help him find his family. He has 6 brothers and 4 sisters, and a possible daughter as well by his first love Tiara.

D.W. is outspoken, determined, and intelligent person. He doesn’t really identify as male or female. His internal sense of being feels like a dynamic mix of both. D.W. is currently in teh process of blackmailing a political figure on his planet who is “in the close behind the clothes”. This political figure is trying to advocate more prisons and deny LGBTQ rights. D.W. isn’t having it.

My Mind Today in Solitary June 11, 2016 PREJUDICE, comes from fear and lack of understanding life takes a toll because it's truly demanding.

DISCRIMINATION, has been around since, the beginning of time we must stand strong, TOGETHER, in this great divide.

HATE, is bred from envy and a non-sexual lust they wish to be us so bad they can't adjust.

OPPRESSION, happens because we all are unique and different we are BOLD and BEAUTIFUL; we must make a difference.

HOPE, is the potion that keeps us alive believe to succeed and we will survive.

LOVE, is potent and pure the only thing in this world that is certain to cure.

HAPPINESS, is a source within our self put those worries and inhibitions up on a shelf.

LIFE, is what you make it at the end of the day and I choose to live my life OUT, ... HAPPY, and GAY! Indy, Pennsylvania

Visionary Fiction: Imagine life on Prime Terra

Page 23

Solar system temporary name: System Y Planet Name: Prime Terra Slogan or motto: “Strongest as one; doomed without each other!”

Types of beings: 1) Humans, similar in race and diversity as earth, 2) Genetically modified humans that has caused harm (“Mods”), 3) severely altered humans, now called “Governed”.

Humans start off as regular humans as on earth. When one causes harm, a genetic modification, once convicted, is made fitting the crime. Huamns are housed in prisons while awaiting trial. At one point the planet built more prisons, and then needed to have the resources to run the,. A movement started where now instead of keepgin humans in prison, they were genetically modified then released. For those that are considered a danger even with a modification, or those with three modifications, they were severely altered- changing skin tone to a neutral beige, absolutely no hair on their bodies, all have color grey for their eyes, emotion and past memories are removed (although some believe they are but severely repressed), and all are put to work for the Government. These humans are reprogrammed to perform the job function selected by the government for the people.

Climate and landscape: Mostly dry arid land with sand and rocky plains. Occasional mega sand storms.

Population density: Densely packed “domed” type city clusters with towering buildings upwards to 500 feet.

Religion/belief system/shared societal views: Since the age of genetics and implants, the new belief is “Science Solves”. A new group, though a small one, believes the man can make themselves “god-like” through science and information.

Political system: A group called “Overseers” hold the ultimate power. These are individuals that, through their implants, have obtained superior intelligence and ESP (telepathy,telekenesis, and astral projection).

From there, the regular humans are next in the social structure. All beings, even animals, are implanted white a quantum computer connected to their brain. This is how everyone obtains “telepathy”. This is how harm is also detected. Next are the Mods, last is the Governed. Their only “right” is sleep as needed and only the nourishment required to maintain the body to continue to perform the assigned task. They are basically living robot drones.

Economic system: Most everything is provided to them by the Government. Citizens only participate in information and coming up with new technologies.

Specific export: Genetic information and increasingly advanced technology (some say though that it may come with a hidden price).

How is harm addressed: By putting the individual in jail/prison. Once the Overseers “connect” they download necessary information from the prisoner. They then order a modification fitting the crime (ie. sex offenders of sexual assault woudl genetically have their sex organ removed along with any hormones that contributed to the harm). To be severaly altered to a Governed, the entire planet participates in that decision.

What is considered crime: Where the freedoms and necessities of one are taken, denied, restrained, removed, or taken without due process and without probable cause so that another person, entity, or institution benefits shall be a criminal offence to the victim and to the peace of the State.

What does resistance look like: A small but growing group are secretely trying to disable their implants; however, all have lead to death so far.

Page 24

Visionary fiction: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Justiceâ&#x20AC;? by Mariame Kaba

Note: We hope that it inspires you to write visionary fiction! Printed with special permission from the author.

The ocean is a special kind of blue-green and I'm standing on the shore watching a woman drown. My friends and family members are witnessing the same scene, or maybe it looks different to their eyes. They are grieving; I am not. I turn to my mother (who is a man) and whisper in his ear: "vengeance is not justice." And again "vengeance is not justice." I let the wind carry my words because human beings (even highly evolved ones) can't hear spirits.

I was sixteen when I died. Darn, I did it again. I rushed to the end of the story before telling the beginning. I am one ofthose girls. You know what I mean; the kind of girl who eats dessert for dinner and reads the end of the book fust. Everyone & calls me impatient. Impatient should be my first name. I love water and swimming. My father (who claims no gender) says that I must be descended from a fish and not a person. Mama says that he should have named me Aqua. Everyone seems to want to call me by a different name than my actual one, which is Adila though my friends call me Addie.

I live in Small Place (SP). If someone asked me to describe the sights, sounds, and smells of home, I'd say that SP is very green. I mean you can smell the green and the salt water and you can hear the wind rustling through the trees. We're family in SP. No, we aren't all related but we trust and love each other. While arguments and conflicts happen, we always resolve them. My parents are SP's chief peace-holders. If you are wondering how one becomes a chief peace-holder, it's simple really. Anyone over twenty years old is eligible. Every five years, a representative group of SP residents gather to consider candidates. Peace-holders are not special or better than anyone else in SP. The only requirements are a desire to serve and a commitment to embody and hold true to our community values. Those values are revisited, reviewed, and sometimes revised annually. Peace-holders' primary responsibilities are to make sure that all of our conflicts are swiftly and peacefully addressed.

Once, I asked Mama why he thought that he was selected as a chief peace-holder. He looked at me for a moment and then said: "I was over twenty years old, willing to serve, and I never forget our common humanity."

Mama said that I am good at holding others and myself in our humanity. I'm not sure what he means. I do know that everyone makes mistakes and that we all deserve a chance to be held accountable for them so that we can do and be better next time. Maybe that's like my life philosophy or something. Anyway, what I love the most about living in SP is that we look out for one another; when one person in our community experiences harm, all of us are harmed.

It's one of our most sacred and important values.

Though my parents are peace-holders, all of us are circle-keepers. We discuss all of our issues in circle. We celebrate in circle. We.mourn in circle. Basically, circles are how we communicate and how we connect. Anyone in our community can call and keep a circle at any time and for any reason. There are no special skills to learn; all you need is to listen and to make space. All ages are included.

I mentioned that we're family in SP. We are a closeknit community but we often get visitors from other places. Last month, for example, a woman visited SP. She is a distant relative of our neighbors. She came from somewhere called Earth, which is very far indeed. There's nothing memorable about the Earth visitor (EV). Her hair is long and brown. She's pale like she doesn't spend a lot of time in the sun. The only thing that stood out is that she walked around SP carrying a knife in her purse. She said that it was in case she "ran into trouble." She added that on Earth, "women could never he too careful." I didn't understand what she meant. What kind of trouble would you need a knife for? And why would you be in more danger if you identified as a woman? If anything happened, she could just call a circle and together we'd address the issue. .

We never locked our doors in SP and our Earth visitor (EV) insisted that this was unsafe. "What if someone wants to steal something from the house or what if they want to hurt someone?" she asked. My mother told her that everything in our house was community property and could be used by anyone. There is no such thmg as private property in SP so no one had reason to steal from anyone else when they could simply share what others had.

Besides, everyone in SP had their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter met. Health care and education are also freely provided to all members of the community. EV then asked my father if they were afraid for me and my siblings' safety. My father simply shook their head and went to the kitchen to make dinner. Daddy is not the talkative one in our family.

I was so confused by EV' s questions that I kept the dictionary tab on my computer open. I looked up words that I didn't understand like "fear" and "stealing." I read the defmition of "fear" as "an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat." Continued on page 21

Page 25 Continued from page 20 This defmition led me to look up more words like "dangerous" and "threat." While I was searching the web, I found a story called a folkta!e about how people on Earth address conflict and harm. Basically, it goes something like this: While swimming across a pond, Sis Goose was caught by Brer Fox, who in some versions of the story is a sheriff. A sheriff is a police officer in case you don't know. I had to look that up too. We have no police in SP. Anyway, Sis gets pissed off because she believes that she has the right to swim in the pond.

After all, she's not bothering anyone. She's just minding her own business. So Sis decides to sue Brer Fox. But when the case gets to court, Sis Goose looks around and sees that besides the sheriff who is a fox, the judge is a fox, the prosecuting and defense attorneys are ones too and even the jury is comprised entirely of foxes. Sis Goose doesn't like her chances. Sure enough, at the end of the trial, Sis Goose is convicted and immediately executed.

The jury, judge, sheriff, and the attorneys all picked at her bones, which seems even crueler. The moral of the story is, "When all the folks in the courthouse are foxes and you are just a common goose there isn't going to be much justice for you."

I worried about this place called Earth and decided that it must be a terrible place to breed such scared, mistrustful, and cruel people. I was glad to be living in SP and resolved to keep my distance from Earth.

At dinner, EV resumed her relentless questioning. She asked where all of the criminals were housed. When we stared blankly, she became agitated and yelled "the bad people, the bad people, where do you put them?" My mother said that there was no such thing as bad people, only people who sometimes did a bad thing. Our visitor laughed bitterly. "Okay then," she said, "where do you put the people who do bad things?" Finally, I spoke up. 'We don't put them anywhere because we all do bad things sometimes and through our relationships with each other we acknowledge the harm we've caused and then we do our best to try to repair it." EV looked at me like I had grown another head. "You have no prisons here, no jails?" "No," was our collective response. Then Mama asked: "How exactly do your prisons and jails address the needs of those who hav.e experienced harm?" EV responded that jails and prisons offered accountability and punishment and that a strict justice system is especially important for women.

My father asked if punishment was justice and added: "How do those who are locked in your prisons and jails heal?

Are they improved by the experience?" That was their word limit for the day, I think.

Our ways and values were alien to EV and she was clearly disturbed by them. That night, I did some research about the punishment system on Earth and was shocked that the harmed person played almost no role in the process.

The trials (I looked up that word too) were the State of Indiana v. the name of the person who caused harm. Also, it didn't seem like all of the "crimes" were necessarily very harmful or that all of the harms were considered "crimes."

I read one story of a young girl who was raped and they actually blamed her for drinking too much at a party. The person responsible for her pain didn't have to acknowledge the harm they caused or make amends. In SP, the entire community would have focused fi.rst on the needs of the young girl, then we would use circles to discuss what had happened and insist that the person who committed the harm take responsibility. They would be assigned several members of the community to support and guide them in completing the agreed-on restitution. I have to admit though that I had a hard time imagining such a thing as rape happening in our community.

One day after school, I went for a swim. I got naked and dived in the ocean. I was floating with my eyes closed while thinking about my friend Noliwe, which brought a smile to my face. Noliwe is my most favorite person in SP next to my parents and siblings. I was jolted out of my daydream when I heard someone approach. I opened my eyes and saw that EV was staring at me. She had a knife in her hand.

I was sixteen when I died. I was killed by a visitor from a place called Earth who couldn't believe that there were no prisons in SP. Mine was the second murder ever in our community and it fell to my parents as chief peace-holders to ensure that the harm caused was addressed. For days, people across our community convened, communed, celebrated, and consoled each other in circle. There were talking circles, mourning circles, circles of support, and celebration circles. They happened at dawn, in midmorning, in the evening, and in the dead of night. For days, members of SP told stories about my life through tears, anger, and laughter. There was, however, no talk of punishment or vengeance. Neither would bring me back.

After weeks of centering my family members and friends and of showering them with love, support, and food, the SP community turned its attention to my killer. EV was included in all of the previous circles and so she had experienced the community's outpouring of grief and loss. She heard stories about my life. She knew the extent of the pain felt by my community. After she killed me, she turned herself in to my parents. Her first words to them were, "Where will you put me?" They responded in unison, "In circle." And so it was that EV came to understand the impact of her actions on an entire community. And so it was that she experienced remorse for her actions and sought to make amends. And so it was that my community held EV in her humanity while seeking to hold her accountable for her actions. Continued on page 22

Page 26 Continued from page 21 The first murder that occurred in SP happened decades earlier. The ancestors created our Justice Ritual in response. After several days of mourning and celebrating the life of the person killed, the killer's life and actions are explored. In a series of circles, participants discuss why the violence happened, how it happened, and who was harmed. Community members are asked to stand in the shoes of the person who committed the harm, to consider the conditions that underlie their actions, and to examine their own roles in perpetuating those conditions. It was an acknowledgement that no matter how hard we try to purge ourselves of emotions like jealousy, envy, and anger, they remain within us and can negatively impact our relationships. Remaining aware of this is important to maintaining peace.

When circles have been exhausted, the killer is taken to the ocean, tied up, and dropped into the water. This empathy ceremony takes place in front of the entire community. The immediate family members of the victim are given the option of saving the life of the killer or letting them drown. If the family saves the person's life, they are then required to take the place of the person killed within the community. They are expected to pay a debt for the life taken for however long the harmed parties deem necessary but they do so within the community, living as integrated members. I saw my father motion to my mother. He nodded his head. EV was rescued from the ocean. When we hold each other in our humanity, what other outcome could there be? Vengeance is not justice. I was sixteen when I died and my name was Adila, which means "justice."

Mariame Kaba is an organizer, educator, and writer living in Chicago. Her work focuses on ending violence, dismantling the prison industrial complex, transf ormative JUStice, and supporting youth leadership development.

She is the founder and director of Project NIA, a grassroots organization with a vision to end youth incarceration.

Black & Pink Address and Topics Please Note: 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. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no need to send separate requests in more than one envelope. If you are being released and would still like to receive a copy of the newspaper, please let us know the address we can send the newspaper to!

ADDRESS: BLACK & PINK- ________, 614 COLUMBIA RD, DORCHESTER, MA 02125 If you would like to request: Newspaper Subscriptions, Pen-Pal Program, Address Change, Request Erotica, Religious Support & Volunteering

Address the envelope to: Black & Pink - General

Newspaper Submissions- Stories, Articles, Poems &Art

Black & Pink - Newspaper Submissions

Black & Pink Organization & Newspaper Feedback

Black & Pink - Feedback

Black and Pink Religious Zine

Black and Pink - The Spirit Inside

Advocacy Requests- Include details about situation and thoughts about how calls or letters might help

Black & Pink - Advocacy

Submit to Erotica Zine

Black & Pink - HOT PINK

Stop Your Newspaper Subscription

Black & Pink â&#x20AC;&#x201C; STOP Subscription

Pen Pal Program Info: LGBTQ prisoners can list their information and short non-sexual ad on the internet where free world people can see it and decide to write. There will be a forms in upcoming newspapers.

Mail Info: We are several months behind in our mail. There will be a delay, but please keep writing!

BLACKANDPINK.ORG

MEMBERS@BLACKANDPINK.ORG

Continued from page 2 Considering the disproportionately low rates of Native high school graduates, a move like Page [this] 27 engages youth where they’re at (literally and socially) and ensures Indigenous knowledge is passed on in ways that work for our own communities. And it’s not just Indigenous women on the frontlines of this issue. Several non-Native celebrity women have thrown significant support toward anti-DAPL efforts and have used their mighty platforms to raise awareness for tribal water and land rights. The women of this movement have been humble about their roles and impact. But we see you. And we thank you.

3. Our Movement Is Non-Violent Direct Action No guns. No drugs or alcohol. Protect and care for others in the camp. These are some of the basic guidelines to which everyone involved with the movement, especially those at the camps, must adhere.

Yet local and state authorities have been spreading falsehoods about “safety concerns,” which the media broadcasts without question. This perpetuates the disproportionately high rates of police violence our Native communities already face.

In one instance, the Sheriff of Morton County in North Dakota stated at a press conference there were weapons, including “pipe bombs,” wielded by protesters. Many protectors immediately took to social media to explain how they were loading sacred pipes with tobacco (for prayer and ceremony), not loading pipe bombs with explosives. You might think such a thing laughable, but these kinds of “misunderstandings” happen all the time (ask me how many police officers I’ve encountered who think smudged sage smells like marijuana) and contribute to an incarceration rate that’s 38 percent higher for Native Americans than the national average. Already these falsehoods have created extreme tensions.

A concrete barricade assembled by the North Dakota Highway Patrol prevents reservation access on a main thoroughfare.

This has chilled an already struggling reservation economy and diverts traffic to and from the camp to potentially unsafe dirt roads. This video shows the utter absurdity of the barricade and police presence. Amnesty International USA has called for an immediate roadblock removal.

Authorities fly surveillance aircraft over the camps, often at night without any kind of warning or notice. The highway patrol claimed campers pointed “lasers” at the pilots (a Dr. Evil-worthy federal offense), which prompted officials to remove stateowned resources, including water tanks, from the camps. (Funny: Authorities label our protests “unsafe” but have no qualms yanking a main source of drinking water from hundreds to thousands of people, including children and elders, during August temperatures.)

I’m proud to say my tribe, Cheyenne River, came through with more water tanks, though more water is needed. And over the Labor Day weekend, goons a private security team unleashed attack dogs and mace at protectors, who stormed a site tribal leaders say is sacred land that contains culturally significant artifacts; despite court documents filed to prevent construction there, the site was being bulldozed to further pipeline interests.

Though not one uniformed officer was seen during the clash, the Morton County Sherriff’s Department issued a statement

afterward (posted without question by some media outlets) calling the event a “riot” where protesters showed “aggression and violence” toward DAPL’s security officers. As noted above, the media has, in several instances, ran with stories puppeting whatever authorities tell them (i.e. protester pipe bombs and vandalism), often without any kind of verification or response from the protectors. I’ve spent the last 13 years as a news media professional; verifying facts is Journalism 101. Especially in North Dakota, these kind of anti-protest (read: anti-Native) stories fuel already shaky race relations (read any of these outlets’ comment sections for proof).

Although several mainstream outlets have discussed Indigenous resistance to DAPL, the movement hasn’t garnered the kind of round-the-clock attention someone like rancher Cliven Bundy received when he and hundreds of armed (and mostly white) supporters issued multi-week standoffs with federal authorities in Nevada in 2014 and in Oregon earlier this year. Additionally, I find it interesting how mainstream media frame what’s happening in Standing Rock; a quick Google News search for “Dakota Access Pipeline” shows militant words like “standoff,” “clash,” “fighting,” and “occupy” are used sensationally within headlines. (Note: Variations of the word “occupy” are used to describe pipeline protesters, when in fact it is the pipeline and US government illegally occupying our treaty territories.) With headlines like these, you’d think we were back in an outpost of the savage Wild West. Yes, the stereotype struggle is real.

The important takeaway here is that outsider perceptions have a direct impact on the support the movement receives, and the power mainstream media wields to shape those perceptions is, in a word, scary. Could there be some unsafe, even threatening behaviors exhibited by protesters at the camps? Sure. Though monitored by volunteer security teams, the camps run a “you’re an adult and can follow the posted rules or leave” operation. From what I’ve seen and heard from my many friends and relatives in the camps, absolutely nothing has gone down to warrant barricade building, attack dogs, resource removal, sacred site desecration, or false labels by authorities. But here’s the thing: Reneging assistance, controlling reservation access, and slandering our character doesn’t really shock Natives or anyone who knows their US history. This kind of system oppression is business-as-usual when it comes to tribal/state/federal relations and has been for hundreds of years. Though we get excited every time a political candidate/president notices us, government-to-government discussions rarely occur or Natives are rarely heard when important topics arise (like approving pipelines that threaten a reservation’s water supply). Continued on next page

Black and Pink 614 Columbia Rd Dorchester, MA 02125 Return Service Requested

PRESORTED STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID BOSTON, MA PERMIT NO. 1475

Continued from previous Page page 28 In the past, the government controlled Native behaviors by slaughtering our primary food source, the buffalo, to the point of near-extinction. They took our lands, then took the lands they legally promised us (via treaties) as sovereign nations. They took our children and taught and prayed and beat the Native right out of them at boarding schools.

And they massacred our people, over and over again.

Now it’s barricades, hired scaremongering, water tanks, and skewed headlines. The difference is we now have social media to help spread our messages and our demands. We also need non-Natives to help spread our messages and demands.

Update from Earthjustice.org on Friday Sept. 16th, Statement from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe:

“The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a short-term injunction halting all Dakota Access Pipeline construction 20 miles in both directions of Lake Oahe until the court can make a final decision on the motion for injunctive relief pending appeal. This is a temporary administrative injunction and is meant to maintain status quo while the court decides what to do with the Tribe’s motion.

“The Tribe appreciates this brief reprieve from pipeline construction and will continue to oppose this project, which will severely jeopardize its water and cultural resources. We will not rest until our lands, people, waters, and sacred sites are permanently protected from this destructive pipeline.” (“Defend The Sacred” Image source: time.com)