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Take Back Springfield
On Monday, October 17th, Springfield residents took to the streets to demand an end to systemic inequality in the U.S. Starting at 8:30 am (and going strong ’til 5:30 pm) several dozen people converged on Court Square in downtown Springfield. With signs such as “We are the 99%”“64 Million in Poverty,” “Hey Bank of America: Suck my Debt,” and “No More Displacement,” among others – students, toddlers, nurses, mothers and fathers, teachers, and community activists joined together to proclaim:
WE’VE HAD ENOUGH! NO MORE CORPORATE GREED! WE ARE TAKING OUR COUNTRY and OUR DEMOCRACY BACK!
At 5:30, we marched to the steps of the City Hall, joining forces with community organizations like Arise for Social Justice and No One Leaves.
Close to 200 people came out to rally to TAKE BACK SPRINGFIELD. There were a few issues on the table: 1) In response to a couple groundbreaking anti-foreclosure ordinances passed by the Springfield City Council in August, Bank of America and the Mass Bankers’ Association are trying to sue the city of Springfield! 2) City Councillor Amaad Rivera is introducing a proposal to enable the city of Springfield to DIVEST all of its assets from Bank of America; and 3) Palmer Renewable Energy is attempting to build an air-polluting bio-mass plant even though the city council revoked their permit in June!
Rallying all day Monday and into the night, Springfield community members made it clear: We will not stand for this disgusting display of corporate greed in our city! Access to housing is a right! Access to clean air is a right! We will not back down!
Please Join us again this Monday, October 24th from 3 pm to 6 pm at Court Square in Springfield to continue growing the movement for justice in this city.
Join Us at Northampton’s 2011 Trans Civil Rights March and Rally
This Saturday, October 15th, from 12:00-5 pm will be the 2nd Annual Northampton Trans Civil Rights March and Rally (what’s up with all these 2nd-annual-events?). The march will start at 12 noon at Lampron Park, while the rally will begin in the main sanctuary at First Churches (Main Street) at 1 pm. Trans rights are so frequently ignored in the mainstream gay rights movement - which is why events like t
hese are so important to raise the issues, demands, and visibility of trans folks.
Please consider joining our queer youth contingent at the rally this Saturday – getting in touch with us beforehand at outnow@comcast.net!
Out Now’s 2nd Annual National Coming Out Day Soiree a Wondrous and Empowering Success!
Over a hundred community members gathered at Scibelli Theatre at Springfield Technical Community College this past Friday October 7th 2011 to celebrate and honor the local LGBTQ youth community’s many talents—spoken word, dance, art, and some of Springfield’s best Drag Performers. Most importantly, we celebrated and honored who we are.
LGBT community celebrates coming out: wwlp.com
Chiino Rios, event organizer and Out Now staff member, said the following about the event: “A lot of LGBT youth and youth of color in general are always pushed to the side and kind of forgotten and a lot of people don’t get the chance to shine and show their talents.” Did you attend the soiree? Tell us about your experience at the event!
