2 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com
September 3, 2020 - October 8, 2020
Trump’s “Watergate” and betrayal By: Nicole Lashomb* The Rainbow Times’ Editor
E
arly in the run for the White House, then Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden made a promise to select a woman to be his running mate. As the short list got shorter, in an inclusive and bold decision, the Democratic nominee followed through on his promise and selected Sen. Kamala Harris to be his running mate. At this point in time and history, where the country is polarized by race, gender, LGBTQ+ issues, and most topics affecting marginalized people, Harris is the best choice. Following Biden’s announcement, the social media sphere exploded with commentary from those in strong support and those in strong opposition. I find it particularly disturbing that people who claim to be progressive, an exorbitant number of white folks in this case, have been so quick to rush to a bombastic scrutiny of Harris’ record. She is the first woman of color, that represents so many of us in multiple ways, especially as a member of the Black and Indian American communities, vying for Vice President of the U.S. on the Democratic ticket. Instead, Americans should be focusing on how appalling the actions of Trump and his administration are and how they have inflicted irreparable harm to millions of Americans. His administration, all those who have known and have covered it up, have murdered 191,000 Americans through negligence and lies, while 6.38 million have contracted COVID-19. We found out
HE SAT IN HIS COMFORT PLAYED GOLF, ATTACKED OTHERS HOLDING HIM ACCOUNTABLE FOR FAILING TO HANDLE THE CRISIS, BLAMED CHINA, ALL THE WHILE KNOWINGLY LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. about it through the news (not the fake news as he’s called all reputable media sources) via an audio leak from acclaimed political journalist, and now book writer, Bob Woodward, who writes the history of each president as it happens—he did with Bush, Obama and a previous book on Trump’s presidency, Fear. Woodward is well known as one of two journalists whose work broke the news to the country about President Richard Nixon’s scandal—“Watergate.” He sat down with Trump not once, not 10 times, not 15, but 18 times and recorded all of this information Trump vol-
See Trump’s Watergate On Page 8
Boseman’s legacy teaches us to love, value & cherish Blackness By: Mike Givens* TRT Assistant Editor
F
or me, growing up as a gay Black boy in Virgina, He-Man eptimoized heroism. Superhuman strength, a massive sword, impenetrable skin, superior combat skills, and a cutting-edge intellect circumscribed the Prince of Eternia, who always seemed to be defending his planet and the Castle Grayskull from Skeletor and other villains obsessed with the idea of becoming Masters of the Universe. I also had the action figures. In the mid1980s, I had the complete (plastic) Castle Grayskull, both the He-Man and Skeletor figurines, and even a nifty plastic sword that locked into He-Man’s hand as he did battle with his enemies. Spiderman, Batman, Superman, and GI Joe never compared to He-Man. Slinging webs across New York, broodily saving lives across Gotham City, saving earth innumerable times, or misogynistically defending America from a terrorist organization always came in second to the Nordic, vaguely homoerotic, sword-wielding Eternian barbarian. One warm afternoon in elementary school, while walking up the hilly driveway of my grandparents’ home after hopping off of the school bus, I suffered an indignity that was seared into my memory. The pair of sweatpants I was wearing—at least two sizes too big—slid down my legs and exposed my He-Man underwear to an entire busload of laughing and screaming
classmates. “Look at Mike’s underwear,” cackled one of my peers as the bus rolled off and I shamefacedly hurried to pull up my pants and trudge into my grandparents’ house. While mortifying, that incident never diminished my love of He-Man, who encapsulated everything I admired in life: Bravery, strength, intelligence … and whiteness. It never occurred to me that the heroism intrinsic to Prince Adam of Eternia could somehow live within me. Heroes didn’t have melanated skin or hair like wool. They had “nice” hair (the kind you put gel in and could comb easily), light eyes, and pale skin. They were Vikings or European with thin lips, small noses and mouths, and sharp chins.
See Blackness On Page 11
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The Rainbow Times The Largest LGBTQ+ Newspaper in New England—Boston Based TheRainbowTimesMass.com editor@therainbowtimesmass.com sales@therainbowtimesmass.com Phone: 617.444.9618 Fax: 928.437.9618 Publisher Graysen M. Ocasio
Chris Gilmore Audrey Cole
Faith, God & Family: Liberating God from being a White man
Editor-In-Chief Nicole Lashomb
Crossword Puzzle Artist/Designer Luciano Spanto
By: Paul P. Jesep* TRT Columnist
Assistant Editor Mike Givens
A
national awakening unfolds in America. It is historic, profound, and will move the country another step forward. Racial, social, and economic injustice takes many forms. Often overlooked is the white Christian male God weaponized to inflict harm on other parts of Creation. Southerners justified slavery using the Bible (https://bit.ly/2ZjMyg3). Later they created segregation laws with the veneer of perverted Christian teachings. The white God looked like them and supposedly was on their side. The white God has played a larger role in discrimination than many realize or wish to acknowledge. Yet Divine Omnipotence is not white or male. Sacred Mist has no gender. Holy Mystery is not exclusively Christian. There is no Catholic or Episcopalian heaven. Infinite Mystery does not prefer Latin or Hebrew over Spanish or Mandarin Chinese. One manifestation of God is embraced by billions of people, through Jesus Christ and His message of love, forgiveness, and acceptance. The Holy Messenger came in a form and spoke in a way people of a certain time and culture could understand. Jesus is often depicted as Nordic. But he also can be trans, gay, Asian, black, and speak
LIMITATIONS IMPOSED ON THE GOVERNOR OF THE UNIVERSE CAN WEAPONIZE THE GIVER OF LIFE. Gaelic or French. Most religions have sacred truths because the Holy Author is manifested in different ways. One expression may resonate with a culture that may not with another. Religion represents, in part, humankind’s efforts to make sense of a world often not just or fair. It provides context, ceremony, and continuity. If not done with humility and caution, it can also limit growth and understanding. Because of the infiniteness of God, the Eternal Flame is not singularly gay, trans, male, female, black, white, straight, Asian, Christian, Unitarian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim. God is all these things and so much
more. In the Hebrew Scriptures, Moses met God in the form of a burning bush. Moses asked how Infinite Mystery should be described or addressed. The response was, “I Am Who I Am” (Exodus 3:13-15)—no race or gender, just Holy Mystery. Limitations imposed on the Governor of the Universe can weaponize the Giver of Life. It is with good reason Abraham Lincoln said he did not want Eternal Flame on the side of the Union. He wanted to be on “God’s side, for God is always right.” Otherwise the Supreme Being becomes an extension of our brokenness. By choosing not to define Supreme Goodness by color, gender, or in any other way, a person can be freer from barriers to better understand one another because all of us are part of the same Creation. Martin Luther King Jr. taught (https://bit.ly/3k1qyON), “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” He underscored that none of us are free unless all of us are free. Bigotry, racism, homophobia, and xenophobia shackle the Read the rest of this story at TheRainbowTimesMass.com
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Ad & Layout Design Prizm PR Webmaster Jarred Johnson
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Columnistst Lorelei Erisis Deja N. Greenlaw Paul P. Jesep Mike Givens Keegan O’Brien*
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*Guest Columnist
Lead Photographers Steve Jewett Christine M. Hurley
The Rainbow Times is published monthly by The Rainbow Times, LLC. TRT is an award-winning publication affiliated with QSyndicate. The articles written by the writers, columnists, and correspondents solely express their opinion, and do not represent the endorsement or opinion of The Rainbow Times, LLC or its owners. Send letters to the editor with your name, address and phone number to The Rainbow Times (address shown above), or e-mail any comment/s to the editor-in-chief at: editor@therainbowtimesmass.com. All submissions will be edited according to space constraints. The Rainbow Times, LLC reserves the right not to print any or all content or advertisements for any reason at all. TRT is not responsible for advertising content. To receive The Rainbow Times at your home via regular mail, or through electronic delivery, please visit its website. The whole content and graphics (photos, etc.) are the sole property of The Rainbow Times, LLC and they cannot be reproduced at all without TRT’s written consent. The appearance of names or photographic representations in TRT does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation or gender identity of the named or depicted individuals.
September 3, 2020 - October 8, 2020
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September 3, 2020 - October 8, 2020
September 3, 2020 - October 8, 2020
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September 3, 2020 - October 8, 2020
Qualified Immunity: Harms people of color, shields police abuse, accountability Excessive police force & brutality hide behind a doctrine that is rooted in white supremacy, devalues PoC lives By: Audrey Cole TRT Reporter
IN THE LIMELIGHT
What began as a pulmonary-related hospitalization abruptly ended a patient’s life after a struggle with police took place in an Oklahoma hospital’s hall. His name was Johnny Leija. He was a Latinx man. Leija, hospitalized for pneumonia was confused and agitated as he paced the hospital’s hall, Reuters reported (https://reut.rs/3h5WyiT). When he refused to go back to his room, the officers shot Leija with a stun gun and proceeded to “follow him down a corridor, shocked him again, and wrestled him to the floor,” the report found, which was also corroborated by the hospital’s video surveillance. “One officer then straddled Leija’s back, tried to handcuff him as the others struggled to pull back his arms. They get one handcuff on. Leija [went] limp …” According to the state’s Chief Medical Examiner, Leija died that day from “respiratory insufficiency” as his lungs were already compromised from his illness and he was starved for oxygen in his struggle with police. The three officer’s involved were not held accountable due to qualified immunity, a judicially-created doctrine of the
Constitutional Accountability Center (https://bit.ly/35kb58f). “This means that the next time an official harms someone through the same conduct, there will still be no clearly established law for the victim to rely on—and it will still be impossible to hold anyone liable for violating the Constitution.” If no exactly similar cases can be cited, in other words, people suing the police will not see justice.
PHOTO: RYAN KOSMIDES/UNSPLASH
U.S. Supreme Court meant to protect the police and government employees from frivolous lawsuits. Since its creation, 50 years ago, it has turned into a “highly effective shield in thousands of lawsuits seeking to hold cops accountable when they are accused of using excessive force,” the Reuters’ report stated. What is Qualified Immunity? According to the Institute for Justice, Qualified Immunity means that government officials, including the police, “cannot be held accountable for violating the Constitution unless they violate a ‘clearly established’ constitutional rule,” its website read. “In practice, that means that government officials can only be held liable if a
federal court of appeals or the U.S. Supreme Court has already held that someone violated the Constitution by engaging in precisely the same conduct under precisely the same circumstances.” “… Qualified immunity (QI) is at the root of systemic racism,” said Tachou Dubuisson, Co-founder of the North Shore Mass. NAACP Branch. Adding insult to injury, the doctrine makes a nearly impenetrable wall for precedent of “clearly established” law. “Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 when a court determines that the illegality of an official’s conduct is not ‘clearly established,’ the court can dismiss the suit without determining whether that conduct actually violated the law,” according to the
Overturning Immunity Politicians like Rep. Justin Amash (LMich.), U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)and multiple advocacy groups have announced (https://bit.ly/3jSIN90) that they will introduce bills to eliminate or reform qualified immunity, the Washington Post reported. Locally, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo penned a joint Op-Ed to the Boston Globe, later released to other media, denouncing the use of Qualified Immunity to avoid accountability of inappropriate police conduct. “For every profession, there are standards of conduct—and consequences when they are broken,” the op-ed read. “Doctors can be sued for malpractice, lawyers for negligence. Police should be no exception. For too long, qualified immunity has protected
See Qualified Immunity On Page 11
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September 3, 2020 - October 8, 2020
GRIT Holyoke: Residential recovery program only for LGBTQ+ adults The program welcomes the Rainbow community in a homelike environment, to help & counsel them By: Audrey Cole TRT Reporter
IN THE LIMELIGHT
A residential rehabilitation and recovery program specifically designed for the LGBTQ+ community is opening in Holyoke, Mass. according to a recent release by the organization. GRIT, the program’s intentional name, is the Mental Health Association’s (MHA) 24/7 residential program for adults. In Holyoke, GRIT includes a 16-bed program for adults 18+ who have both a substance use disorder and a moderateto-severe mental health diagnosis, and who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and/or gender non-binary (LGBTQ). The homelike environment of GRIT, located in a serene, suburban neighborhood with spacious bedrooms and bathrooms, was built with purpose, as was the program’s name too. “It was actually a group effort. We wanted something synonymous with what it takes to move ahead in recovery. It takes perseverance, fortitude, endurance… it takes grit,” explained Kimberley Lee, Vice President of Resource Development & Branding, MHA, Inc. to The
Left-to-Right: Bonnie O’Donnell, MHA’s GRIT (Yale Street), Program Director; Kim Fernald, MHA’s GRIT (Yale Street), Clinical Director. PHOTO: GRIT
Rainbow Times via an e-interview. “Program folks found that this word lent itself nicely to an acronym that speaks to the program’s goals: “Grow. Reimagine. Inspire. Transform.” Like other models, GRIT Holyoke will “provide a safe, homelike environment where residents benefit from supportive, structured and developmentally appropriate teaching and care.” “In order for us to accommodate a program to serve 16 adults, we needed a home that was large and spacious enough. The
Yale Street residence in Holyoke was a good fit, it was available for purchase, and it was a good candidate architecturally for a major interior renovation to prepare for our residents,” said Lee. “The exterior of the home was preserved so it continues to look like any of the historic homes in the neighborhood. MHA currently has two other GRIT programs, one in Springfield serving adult men 18 and older, and another in Springfield focusing on young adult males 18 to 26.” The institution’s providers will not just
be allies, but also community members. “Our organization is committed to ensuring an environment that is culturally representative of those we serve,” said Lee. “Not only is there staff from the LGBTQ+ community, but also staff who have lived experience with addiction and/or a mental health diagnosis and are themselves in long-term recovery.” And in establishing part of that inclusion, licensed Clinical Social Worker, Sherene Smith, a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, was hired by GRIT. “I am passionate about the people this program was created to help,” Smith said. “We are creating a peaceful recovery environment for LGBTQ+ adults, supporting people who may be trying to work on multiple parts of themselves, from questions of identity to how that intersects with substance use, mental and emotional wellness, relationships and more. “Queerness is a part of my identity and informs the clinical work I do, so it was exciting to discover a program where serving my community is the exclusive focus. I also have personal experience with mental health treatment, which is an additional reason why I am so motivated to do this work. Understanding the relationship beRead the rest of this story at: TheRainbowTimesMass.com
8 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com
September 3, 2020 - October 8, 2020
Transgender First National Scholarship for trans & non-binary students By: Patrick DuBois Trans Headlines Reporter
Transgender and non-binary college applicants are at disproportionate disadvantages due to socio-economic barriers, social anxiety, family isolation, and many more challenges than their counterparts. Additional barriers include hostile college environments, financial hardship, lack of familial support, homelessness, and more. It’s no surprise that transgender students also face unfavorable conditions when it comes to most aspects of life, including college life for those who can afford it. When you add all of those factors to other inequities, the odds seem insurmountable for transgender and non-binary students applying to colleges and universities around the country. To continue to bring the best information to our readers, Trans Headlines (produced by The Rainbow Times, Trans Headlines is a publication that addresses the specific needs and relevant issues of the transgender community) contacted the minds behind the “TransgenderFirst National Scholarship” concept. TransgenderFirst is “the first national scholarship, exclusively dedicated to helping underserved Transgender [and non-binary] students get affordable access to a college education,” according to its website. Although they don’t hold a non-profit designation yet, the newly formed organization is seeking 501(c)3 status while it also awards its first scholarship to its first recipient. To find out more for our readers, Trans Headlines contacted Michael Robles (He/Him/His), the administrator at Transgender First National Scholarship. From that interaction, we gathered the following information, directly from Robles. Q: What is TransgenderFirst? What is
Trump’s Watergate From Page 2 unteered that will now be part of Woorward’s new book, Rage. Early in February, Trump told Woodward that he knew how deadly the virus was, according to various reputable media outlets, said the Mercury News and CNN. Then in March, he confessed that he kept that crucial and life-saving information deceptively hidden (https://bit.ly/2Zr62iS) from the public. To hear Trump’s voice, then in March, so coherently and cavalierly tell the legendary journalist that he “wanted to always play [the threat posed by the coronavirus] down” and “still like[d] playing it down” because he didn’t “want to create a panic.” He emphatically fed the lie even as he witnessed and heard the news, read social media posts about his handling of the virus and how dangerous it was from Dr. Anthony Fauci, NIAID Director, and many
the mission of the organization? A: The Transgender First National Scholarship is a program dedicated to the Transgender community and the biased difficulty they face on a daily basis. Whether it’d be getting full-time employment to afford school, losing family and parental support after coming out, or lacking the ability to access student housing on campus, transgender students are at a disadvantage when it comes to affording the large costs associated with a college degree. Our mission is to shine a bright light on the underserved Transgender students and to help them get affordable access to a college education and bring necessary funding from donors everywhere. Q: Is it a non-profit organization 501(c)3? I ask this because people who donate may want to know if it's tax deductible or not. A: Not yet! We wanted to get this out as soon as possible, but are now working on how we can move to a non-profit status. We encourage potential donors to either contribute, or keep in touch for when that migration takes place so their donation could be tax deductible! Q: Who are the founders? And, why did you create or found Transgender First? A: The Transgender First National Scholarship was created by the Aldrich Family, who are behind the creation of the college affordability and accessibility platform, OnlineDegree.com. After learning about the challenges the Transgender Community faces in affording college through a transgender family friend, they felt compelled to take action. Read the rest of this story at TransHeadlines.com
more medical experts. Hundreds of thousands have died alone because he did nothing. He sat in his comfort, played golf, made attacks directed at others, holding him accountable for failing to handle the crisis, blamed China, all the while inside, he knew he was lying to the American people, the veterans, the children, the infants, the service members, the mothers, fathers, significant others and more who have died alone because of him. And, he did, and continues to do it all with no remorse. I ask those of you who voted for him, who support him, who still plan to vote for him, why have you supported this monster? You’ve been complicit with his actions. You’ve perpetuated his lies and put faith in a man that is not honorable nor cares for anyone’s interRead the rest of this story at TheRainbowTimesMass.com
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September 3, 2020 - October 8, 2020
Thoughts on race, colors within the Transgender community and everywhere else By: Deja Nicole Greenlaw* TRT Columnist
I
TRANSGENDER
am a white trans woman who enjoys living a comfortable middle class life. I know trans people who are black, brown, etc. who also enjoy living a comfortable middle class life. I wonder, however, do they have the same advantages and the same level of enjoyment as I do? I would guess that they don’t. Even though they may have income that matches or surpasses mine, I can see them being “othered” that is, being seen as different. This is happening everywhere in America. I've heard that it’s a natural thing for people to want to be with others who like-minded. I believe that might stem from a taught or picked up instinct that we all have. We all want to be safe, so any “outsider” or anyone who is different might make some uncomfortable. This concept may be strengthened for white folks like myself as we go through life and hear stories of how others are different in certain ways, yet alike in others. But, the mind tends to, sometimes, stick with the fear of the unknown. Even if we don’t believe the stories, the fact is that we
have heard them and the stories lie in our memories. Being a white person, I have enjoyed going to restaurants, shops, museums, etc. with little or no problem. I remember in the early 1970s taking a cross-country driving trip across the U.S. My travel companion was my white, cisgender girlfriend. At one point we were in South Dakota seeing the great sights of the Black Hills,
parked our car, and headed into the establishment. When we got inside the front door we noticed the place was packed with First Nation folks and they all seemed to turn and look at us as we made our way up to the counter for our ice cream dinner. No one said a word but we felt as if we were “othered” too in this situation. We got our ice cream with no issues, however, and brought it back to eat in our car. As we ate
THEY MAY HAVE COME OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE TO BE IN A PREDOMINATELY WHITE SPACE SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND. REMEMBER, THEY ARE PEOPLE, JUST LIKE YOU AND I. the Badlands, Custer State Park, and Mount Rushmore. That night we were tired and decided to have ice cream for dinner. We were in Rapid City, South Dakota, which has a significant First Nation population. I have a bit of First Nation myself in me (Penobscot) but you cannot tell. I look white. My girlfriend is white and looks white too. We found an ice cream place,
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we talked about how weird it felt to be the only white people in the place. That gave me a smidgen of an insight as to how nonwhite people might feel when they are in an all white places. I have been involved with transgender support groups since 2001 and I noticed that it’s hard to get non-white trans people to our meetings. Oh, many non-white trans
people have come to the meetings and said that they enjoyed the meeting and will come back but many times they don’t. I can't say exactly why they don’t come back, but I do remember what it’s like to be in a room being the only white people. It wasn’t the same comfort level for us. Perhaps that is one reason why non-white people never returned. So, what can we, as white trans folks, do to help support our non-white trans brothers, sisters, gender non-conforming, etc. folks? I can only say to welcome them, listen to them, and support them. They may have come out of their comfort zone to be in a predominately white space so please keep that in mind. Remember, they’re people, just like you and I. Yes, we all have different experiences and too many times it has a lot to do with what the color of your skin, unfortunately. Please, to my white counterparts I say, “open your mind, open your heart, and open your silent listening skills to folks who you might think are different from you.” I think that you'll find that they are not that much different. I know that this alone won’t solve any problems, but I do believe that it is a good start. *Deja Nicole Greenlaw is retired from 3M and has 3 children and two grandchildren. She can be contacted via her e-mail at: dejavudeja@sbcglobal.net.
10 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com
September 3, 2020 - October 8, 2020
By: Phil Bessimer Special to TRT
J
ENTERTAINMENT
J Bozeman grew up in Augusta, GA, the son of a U.S. Navy Dad and an immigrant mother. He first moved to NYC in his junior year in high school but left a year after graduation to pursue a relationship in Wilmington, North Carolina. When it ended, he returned north to pursue an acting career, moving into a Bronx apartment with a female model he had never met. It was a total leap of faith and desperation, but it worked out, and he still lives with her, except now they call Brooklyn home. Life as a young, gay, Filipino actor in New York has been challenging, but Bozeman has found success on stage, starring in in Haleh Roshan’s FREE FREE FREE FREE and in readings of plays by Filipinx playwrights Megan Tabaque and Alton Alburo. In August, he made the jump to movies, starring in Jack Tracy’s acclaimed LGBTQ political thriller, Snowflake, a fictional story that depicts the fear of a nation when a Trump-like politician is suddenly thrust into the White House. At the center is Bozeman’s character
Q-PUZZLE
By: Luciano Spanto TRT’s Crossword Puzzle Designer
ACROSS 1 Wished for 6 Dance style for Tommy Tune 9 Part of the LGBTQ community 10 "___ What ___" (La Cage aux Folles song) 11 Incredible individuals 13 Spanish surrealist 14 Part of the LGBTQ community 17 Medicinal plant 18 Bedtime ballads 23 Slice of history 24 Part of the LGBTQ commu-
nity 25 It may be noble without belonging to the aristocracy 26 Vegas hotel where Judy Garland and Ethel Merman performed
Ethan, whose increasing panic of the new administration drives the film. When happenstance puts Ethan in the same room as the Vice President, he is forced to choose the best way to protect his friends and the LGBTQ community. Snowflake began streaming on Vimeo last month. We spoke with JJ Bozeman from his Brooklyn home. Q: Hi JJ, pleasure to speak with you! How are you coping through the pandemic? JJ Bozeman: I’m taking it day-by-day in this bizarre time we live in. A lot of my focus has been on supporting Black Lives Matter and staying healthy. Q: With theatres closed, are you keeping yourself busy? A: I’ve been teaching myself editing, lighting, and sound, working on a project I shot with friends right before the quarantine. Q: Is Snowflake your first lead role in a film? A: Yes, it is! Q: How did you land the role of Ethan? A: I auditioned to be in Jack Tracy's web series, History, back in 2017. I didn’t get the part, but he kept me in mind for other roles. He also offered me the opportunity to work behind the scenes, and I jumped at it to learn about being on that side of the camera. It gave us time to get to know each other and he says he wrote the part of Ethan
PHOTO: LAUREN TOUB-GRIFFITHS
One to look out for: JJ Bozeman stars in LGBTQ political thriller, “Snowflake”
JJ Bozeman
with me in mind. Q: Could you relate with Ethan and the paranoia he feels after his worst nightmare is elected President? A: Absolutely. The election in 2016 really horrified me and so working on a project that directly confronts those fears was both cathartic and taxing, because it felt close to home. There was safety in making a movie because it is pretend, but the story comes
from current events, and that’s not pretend. Q: Of everyone in Ethan’s circle (Ryan, Paul, Owen…), who do you identify with most? A: I’m becoming Paul, the older character, who was an ACT UP activist. The current political climate and battle against racism is shaping me as a person. Q: Without giving anything away, what are your thoughts on Ethan and how he handles his panic? A: Ethan is emotional and intellectual. In moments that feel so uncertain, you don’t know if your fear or your rational mind are going to drive the ship. I think Ethan is deeply human in his struggle. I have sympathy for how he handles things, because he’s in such an intense position. Q: Why should everyone see Snowflake before November? A: Because we have a demagogue as president. He discredits any journalist that isn’t applauding him. He doesn’t believe in science. He doesn’t care about the working class. There are still children in cages. Millions of people have lost healthcare in the middle of a pandemic. I don’t think I’ve even covered the tip of the iceberg. Every week we have something new to worry about. Not all of these issues are explored in “Snowflake”, but the film is a reminder Read the rest of this story at The Rainbow Times’ website
7 Vice President Burr 8 Luxembourg's Xavier Bettel and Serbia's Ana Brnabić (besides being part of the LGBTQ community) 12 Andy Cohen's age 14 Actress Linney of "Tales of the City" 15 Fitzgerald and others 16 A note to follow fa 18 They'll tell you to break one in the theatre 19 Undergarment that is hooked 20 McKellen of "Gods and Monsters" 21 You're almost there 22 Snake's speech SOLUTION
DOWN 1 Bases of operations, abbr. 2 Yes, for Yves Saint Laurent 3 Name like Tennessee for Thomas Lanier Williams III 4 Brain scan inits. 5 Rat-a-tats 6 Prom queen's headpiece
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September 3, 2020 - October 8, 2020
MOST IMPORTANTLY, LITTLE BLACK BOYS & GIRLS WERE TREATED TO A SUPERHERO THAT REFLECTED THEIR SKIN COLOR. Blackness From Page 2 By 1990, at the age of eight, I had no idea that 24 years earlier, a superhero who looked like me had made his first appearance in a comic book about four fantastic superheroes living in Manhattan. In 2018, when actor Chadwick Boseman starred in the debut “Black Panther” film, I was uncertain of how successful the film would be. When originally introduced into the “Avengers” franchise, I thought the character of T’Challa would be relegated to a minor role in the Marvel universe, more of a sidekick than a superhero. “Black Panther” proved he was so much more. Imagine an entire nation of people in Africa, one shielded and completely cut off from the imperialism and colonialism that had sadly overcome the rest of the continent. Wakanda was technologically advanced and featured Black excellence. That society was a direct response to a planet dominated by white culture, saviorism, and nationalism. Wakandans were self-sufficient, created their own technology, and thrived on their own without the need for white men to “civilize” or “domesticate” them. I have no idea whether Stan Lee and Jack Kirby—the two white men who created Black Panther—intentionally created the character and his backstory in a way that made such a powerful statement about Black independence, but what matters is that this narrative is shared and celebrated. While some saw the movie as just another extraordinary entertainment experience, others saw more. We saw a film that lifted up Black culture, voices, traditions, and experiences. Equally important, we saw a film where a Black superhero rivaled the likes of He-Man, Superman, the Fantastic Four, Spiderman or other white heroes. We saw ourselves. I had just turned 36 when I saw “Black Panther” in February of 2018 in a movie theatre in Cambridge. The phenomenon that it created warmed my heart. Action figures, wallets, t-shirts, water bottles,
bracelets, and watches were selling across the world. The film broke several box office records. Stories swept social media of people seeing the film multiple times. Anticipation for a sequel was infectious. Most importantly, little Black boys and girls were treated to a superhero that reflected their skin color. It sent a message that they are important. That they can be heroes. That they have worth, dignity, and are beautiful and nuanced enough to appear on screen and be admired. It electrified me in a way that I’d never been before. The feeling that a younger generation had an experience that affirmed their worth, that showed them as heroes, filled me with a sense of pride that the young elementary school boy with the HeMan underwear could never have imagined. Chadwick Boseman played a number of legendary characters in his career, from Thurgood Marshall to Jackie Robinson. He played those characters with a quiet, but irrepressible strength of character and dignity that cast the Black experience through a lens of pure grace, passion, and endurance. T’Challa/Black Panther was no different. They say that when you become an adult, you put away childish things. It’s time I retired my admiration for the likes of HeMan and unlearn the soul-crushing lessons that childhood taught me about who I am and who I can be. Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of Black Panther, for me, will be part of a legacy that reveres Blackness in all of its beauty. *A graduate of the Boston University College of Communication, Mike Givens has been a social justice advocate for more than 12 years. During that time he’s worked on a range of initiatives aimed at lifting up communities experiencing injustice. Mike is currently the communications director for an international human right organization.
Qualified Immunity From Page 6 the very people charged with upholding and enforcing the law from any consequence for breaking it. Even in the most egregious cases of police brutality, this Supreme Court-invented doctrine has allowed officers to use their badge as a shield from accountability.” Qualified immunity and the KKK The Congresswoman and Councilor explained how Qualified Immunity goes hand-in-hand with the protection of and abuses against marginalized communities, particularly the black community. “The history of civil rights abuses and the establishment of qualified immunity in the United States are inextricably linked,” the release read. “The right to sue state and local officials—including police officers— for civil rights violations was initially established in 1871 to protect Black people experiencing backlash to the rights recently granted under the 14th Amendment. In fact, the tether between the need for accountability when a government official claims a person’s life and white supremacy was so strong that the bill establishing this right, the Civil Rights Act of 1871, was commonly referred to as the ‘Ku Klux Klan Act.’ The law aimed to curtail the rampant white supremacist violence against Black people for simply existing and exercising their rights in the Reconstruction South.” Deviating from its initial intent, Qualified Immunity eventually became the tool to strip away those very rights and protections as it was seemingly warped from its original purpose. “After inventing the doctrine of qualified immunity in 1967, the Supreme Court issued several decisions expanding this protection,” Pressley and Arroyo wrote. “Since 2005, courts have increasingly ruled in favor of police in excessive use of force cases, a trend that has only accelerated in recent years.” Racial Profiling Excessive use of force and police brutality overwhelmingly impacts people of color, especially black men who are approximately three times as likely to be killed by police, Pressley and Arroyo also noted. “… We know that this is a matter of racial justice—past and present,” they said. In addition, Dubuisson said that Qualified Immunity also exacerbates racial profiling. “QI allows the government to standby corrupt police officers who continuously use excessive and avoidable force on Black lives [in comparison to] White lives,” said NAACP’s Dubuisson. “[It] has been abused by law enforcement agencies for far too long against Black lives [and is the] main reason [that] there are no real lifechanging consequences against officers who are accused of racial profiling.” According to Dubuisson, the doctrine is also about sowing power and division amongst white and black lives from the police to public opinion, and politics revolving around systemic racism. “Qualified Immunity is a created disease
“AT ITS MOST BASIC, QUALIFIED IMMUNITY DENIES VICTIMS OF POLICE
BRUTALITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD POLICING SYSTEMS ACCOUNTABLE IN MEANING-
FUL WAYS.” — HEMA SARANG-SIEMINSKI JANE DOW, INC. used to weaken the value of Black lives and give power to White lives,” she said. “When this is evident, the division is clear. I have been reading lately from many Trump supporters, [that] they believe a Black civilian shouldn't run away [even] unarmed or have a record when confronted by police or the murder is justified. When White people witness this power given to police who look like them, they learn and adopt white supremacy. White people have to suffer real consequences for taking a Black life when the situation clearly offers alternatives—alternatives, such as not kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for almost 9 minutes. QI hurts Black people because it takes away our civil right to be valued as a human life.” Qualified Immunity & Complicity Hema Sarang-Sieminski, Policy Director of Jane Doe Inc., a statewide Massachusetts-based coalition of 57 member programs that provides services and support to survivors of sexual and domestic violence (SDV), focused on how Qualified Immunity impacts the needs of survivors. “We know that the criminal legal system was never designed to meet all of the needs of survivors of SDV,” they said. “The murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dion Johnson and so many others compel each of us to act and lead in ways that affirm that #BlackLivesMatter. “For many of us, this has meant reflecting on our own complicity in a culture that supports white supremacy—how we have benefited, where we have remained silent, and where we can do more to intervene and interrupt racist harm. It has also meant witnessing, acknowledging, and understanding oppression, as it exists in policing practices and our criminal legal system.” As for the court of public opinion, it largely rules on the side of ending Qualified Immunity. “Two-thirds of Americans say (https://pewrsr.ch/329sjTO) that people need to be able to sue police officers to hold them accountable for misconduct and excessive use of force—even if it makes officers’ jobs more Read the rest online at difficult,” said The Rainbow Times
12 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com
September 3, 2020 - October 8, 2020