Saturday, March 23, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Vigil for justice for LGBT people this Monday!
On March 26th and 27th ,
the U.S. Supreme Court will consider two cases that are fundamentally about
whether same-sex couples, lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans should have the same freedoms as
everyone else. The Supreme Court will make rulings on whether or not it
is constitutional for the federal government to deny a minority
of U.S. citizens’ rights and privileges with the Defense of Marriage
Act (DOMA), and whether or not a majority of Californians can vote to take
rights away from a targeted minority with Proposition 8 (which
overturned the CA marriage equality law). The two cases being heard have
implications that reach beyond marriage equality, as the court will
consider whether these laws violate the LGBT community's U.S.
Constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law.
As members of Springfield’s
Stop The Hate and Homophobia Coalition, we are not only seeking justice in
the Supreme Court to relieve collective denial of rights to LGBT people, but also seeking justice in
that very Springfield federal court house
from persecution and the crimes against humanity committed in Uganda and worldwide by Springfield’s Scott Lively. Here in
the United States,
housing and employment protections for LGBT people are just two of
the rights Scott Lively actively campaigns against. Internationally, he
actively campaigns against all equal rights for LGBT
people, including the basic freedoms of speech and assembly which
Americans presume guaranteed.
The U.S. Constitution says “We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
President Obama said in his inaugural speech in January “Our journey is not
complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under
the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to
one another must be equal as well.” The LGBT community is not only seeking its
chance to pursue happiness, but also full federal equality and
justice.
On Monday March 25th, starting
at 6pm on the steps of the federal court house at 300 State Street
in Springfield, the
Stop The Hate and Homophobia Coalition of Springfield will hold a
candlelight vigil, standout and speakers. Our gathering will be one of over 100 in a
nationwide event being coordinated by the Light the Way to Justice Coalition (http://lighttojustice.org). Please
JOIN us as we come together to fight for equality everywhere!
Cathy Kristofferson
GetEQUAL Massachusetts
Stop The Hate and Homophobia Coalition
Springfield
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Activist ejected from House Hearing 5 Detained
Dump DeMarco’ housing activists ejected from House hearing
Housing activists staged a demonstration during a meeting of the House Committee on Housing Finance on Tuesday, disrupting testimony by Ed DeMarco, acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
According to C-SPAN, the protesters were members of several advocacy groups, including City Life/Vida Urbana, New Bottom Line, NEW ROAD, and Right to the City. At first, demonstrators stood up one at a time while DeMarco was testifying before the committee before being ordered out by chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX).
After the second protester is ejected, one person can be heard saying, “I thought Barney Frank had retired,” a reference to the former Massachusetts congressman, who has accused the housing industry of fostering a climate that led to the country’s mortgage crisis.
Shortly after the second ejection, a third person holds up a sign saying, “Dump DeMarco,” leading Hensarling to ask Capitol police to escort a group of about 12 demonstrators out of the hearing.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re not gonna allow you to disturb this hearing as part of the people’s House,” he said as the demonstrators were led out.
Last year, protesters gathered outside DeMarco’s home in Silver Spring, Maryland criticizing his performance.
Watch video of DeMarco’s testimony being derailed by protesters, posted on Tuesday, below
According to C-SPAN, the protesters were members of several advocacy groups, including City Life/Vida Urbana, New Bottom Line, NEW ROAD, and Right to the City. At first, demonstrators stood up one at a time while DeMarco was testifying before the committee before being ordered out by chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX).
After the second protester is ejected, one person can be heard saying, “I thought Barney Frank had retired,” a reference to the former Massachusetts congressman, who has accused the housing industry of fostering a climate that led to the country’s mortgage crisis.
Shortly after the second ejection, a third person holds up a sign saying, “Dump DeMarco,” leading Hensarling to ask Capitol police to escort a group of about 12 demonstrators out of the hearing.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re not gonna allow you to disturb this hearing as part of the people’s House,” he said as the demonstrators were led out.
Last year, protesters gathered outside DeMarco’s home in Silver Spring, Maryland criticizing his performance.
Watch video of DeMarco’s testimony being derailed by protesters, posted on Tuesday, below
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
HOMES FOR ALL- Launch Wed March 13, 2013
Springfield plans tour to focus on housing crisis
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A coalition of housing advocates in Springfield will host a city-wide tour to call attention to the housing crisis in the city.
The tour is part of a national campaign to be launched Wednesday in at least a dozen cities around the country. The campaign, called "Homes For All: Defend, Reclaim, Rebuild Our Communities," seeks to focus attention on the housing crisis.
Springfield-area residents who have been directly affected by evictions, homelessness, public housing destruction and foreclosure will lead elected officials and community leaders on the tour. Stops will include vacant, foreclosed property, city neighborhoods that have been hard hit by foreclosures, a homeless shelter and tenant-owned cooperative housing.
The campaign will call on the federal government to invest new resources to created affordable, accessible and safe homes.
The tour is part of a national campaign to be launched Wednesday in at least a dozen cities around the country. The campaign, called "Homes For All: Defend, Reclaim, Rebuild Our Communities," seeks to focus attention on the housing crisis.
Springfield-area residents who have been directly affected by evictions, homelessness, public housing destruction and foreclosure will lead elected officials and community leaders on the tour. Stops will include vacant, foreclosed property, city neighborhoods that have been hard hit by foreclosures, a homeless shelter and tenant-owned cooperative housing.
The campaign will call on the federal government to invest new resources to created affordable, accessible and safe homes.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
HOMES FOR ALL March 13, 2013 Launch
 |
| Ruben Santiago Vice President Arise for Social Justice URGENT! On March 13th, 2013 Arise for Social Justice and Springfield No One Leaves, working as the Springfield Right to the City Alliance will be launching a New National Campaign. Homes For All, Defending, Reclaiming and Rebuilding our Communities. www.homesforall.org Springfield Massachusetts along with nine other cities across the United States will be holding various actions to bring attention to the crisis that has been paralyzing our country for far to long. HOUSING! We will attempt to show our elected officials and concerned residents the reality of what our city has become and some ideas of what can be done about it. If you are concerned about Homelessness, racial disparities, displaced families, shelter regulations, unfit living conditions, gentrification and Foreclosures come and join us on March 13th. Your voice is important. We can make a difference. You will be standing with thousands of other concerned folks across the country. We will get the attention of The White House, H.U.D, Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, our City and our State. Letting them know that People need stable Homes that they can afford. Letting them know that our neighborhoods are disappearing. The fabric of our families and our diverse cultures are in jeopardy by the fracturing of our communities. With all of the bickering in Washington over budget cuts and tax increases, we cannot let the urgent cry for housing get diluted and lost in the D.C. Shuffle. We need you! Join us. Details of the day's schedule and locations will be released within the coming week. For more information on the national actions visit www.homesforall.org Please feel free to call Arise to volunteer to help with arrangements for March 13th. The Homes For All campaign, can change the way we address Housing in Springfield. In Massachusetts. In The United States of America, for generations to come. URGENT! GET INVOLVED. |
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