Black & Pink News, Vol. 8, Issue 2—March 2017

By Troy B.

Black & Pink March 2017 News

By Jess X Snow

By Micah Bazant

Black & Pink recognizes and celebrates all women, in honor of International Women’s Day (March 8th)

Volume 8, Issue 2

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A message from Jason Dear friends,

see it as a distraction from the fact that the profit motive is secondary to the true purpose of prisons, I hope this note finds you as well which is to control and regulate as possible. For those of you who those society considers disposable have been allowed to go outside, or threatening, particularly Black, maybe you have noticed some of Latinx, Indigenous, disabled, the unseasonably warm weather that LGBTQ, and poor people. However, has been going across the country in the recent letter that opened the February. As much as I don’t want door to more contracts with private global climate change to destroy our prisons included a particularly planet, it’s nice to feel some warmth scary sentence. In his memo, in a month that is usually so cold.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions It’s a mixed blessing. Beautiful days wrote that the BOP in February are a should return to the strange sign of the previous approach harm our planet is of contracts with facing. As a New private prison Englander I am companies in constantly thinking order to, “meet the about and talking future needs of the about the weather, federal correctional thanks for being system.” As a sopatient with me. called “Law and As we think about Order” president, we the impending doom can only speculate facing the planet, A Tribe Called Quest and Busta Rhymes at the 2017 Grammys about what the it’s impossible not to mention what is going on with the had defeated the French before). The Trump Administration intends to president. How many of you got to pesticide did not only devastate the do to expand incarceration. This is watch the Grammy’s? Did you get land in Vietnam, it poisoned millions something we will be paying more to see the incredible performance of people. Donald Trump is like this, attention to in the months and years

by A Tribe Called Quest and Busta devastating our planet and causing to come.

Rhymes? I nearly fell off my couch great suffering on people. I think Things are certainly in a scary watching the brilliance. They Busta Rhymes named him well. moment right now, but as we saw at Trump and his cabinet have used the Grammys, and as we see in the called Trump out on his racism, Islamophobia, and anti-immigrant each week to bring about one terrible streets every day, resistance is strong policies. There was a beautiful policy after another. His “Justice” and powerful. It is our collective moment where they had a bunch of Department recently rescinded responsibility to keep our fight people burst through a makeshift the Obama plan to end contracts going and we have the power to fight wall. It was a song of powerful between the federal BOP and private back in many different ways. I am prisons. As an organization, Black thankful to all of you for your daily protest.

During the song, Busta Rhymes & Pink has not focused a lot of our struggles to justice. Let us continue referred to Trump as “President attention on private prisons. We to fight knowing that once there were Agent Orange.” Many people make have not focused much on private no prisons, that day will come again. fun of Trump for his orange hue, prisons because we see the focus created by his terrible fake tan. The as a distraction from the fact that In loving solidarity, choice of the name “Agent Orange” ALL prisons are evil, regardless Jason seems very intentional to me and very of who own/runs them. We also accurate. As you might know, Agent Orange was the name of a pesticide used by the US government during the Vietnam War. The pesticide was part of what they called, “herbicidal warfare.” They were using Agent Orange to destroy the plant life and the crops in Vietnam. The US military was trying to starve the Vietnamese people and destroy the jungle that the Vietnamese fighters were using to their advantage to defeat the US military (just as they

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In This Issue Trump Plots Mass Deportations pages 5, 10 After Decades in Prison, This Trans Woman Is Finally Getting Surgery page 6 How Science Helped Overturn a Michigan Sex Offense Law page 7 Chelsea Manning Will Soon Be Free page 8 Trump Revokes Obama-era Protections for Trans Students pages 9, 11 Muslim Ban Worries LGBT Asylum Seekers pages 9, 11 Black & Pink Family: Letters, Poetry, Art pages 12-17, 20-25 Imaginative Fiction pages 18-20 Submit to Black & Pink! page 26

March 2017

Black & Pink News Black & Pink Hotline The hotline phone number is (617) 519-4387. The hotline will be available Sundays, 1-5 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) for certain. You can call at other times, as well, and we will do our best to answer your calls as often as possible. We are sorry that we can only accept prepaid calls at this time. The purposes of the hotline are: Supportive listening: Being in prison is lonely, as we all know. The hotline is here for supportive listening so you can just talk to someone about what is going on in your life.

Organizing: If there are things going on at your prison—lockdowns, guard harassment, resistance, or anything else that should be shared with the public—we can help spread the word.

work toward the abolition of the prison-industrial complex (PIC) is rooted in the experiences of currently and formerly incarcerated people. We are outraged by the specific violence of the PIC towards LGBTQ people, and we respond through advocacy, education, direct service, and organizing.Black & Pink is proudly a family of people of all races and ethnicities.

About Black & Pink News Since 2007, Black & Pink free world volunteers have pulled together a monthly newspaper, composed primarily of material written by our family’s incarcerated members. In response to letters we receive, we send the newspaper to more prisoners every month! Black & Pink News currently reaches more than 9,400 prisoners!

Give us a call! (617) 519-4387 Sundays, 1-5 p.m. EST

We look forward to hearing from you! This is our first attempt at this so please be patient with us as we work it all out. We will not be able to answer every call, but we will do our best. We apologize to anyone who has been trying to get through to the hotline with no success. We are still working out the system. Thank you for being understanding.

Restrictions: The hotline is not a number to call about getting on the penpal list or to get the newspaper.

The hotline is not a number to call for sexual or erotic chatting. The hotline is not a number for getting help with your current court case; we are not legal experts.

Statement of Purpose Black & Pink is an open family of LGBTQ prisoners and “free world” allies who support each other. Our

Disclaimer The ideas and opinions expressed in Black & Pink News are solely those of the authors and artists and do not necessarily reflect the views of Black & Pink. Black & Pink makes no representations as to the accuracy of any statements made in Black & Pink News, including but not limited to legal and medical information. Authors and artists bear sole responsibility for their work. Everything published in Black & Pink News is also on the internet—it can be seen by anyone with a computer. By sending art or written work to “Newspaper Submissions,” you are agreeing to have it published in Black & Pink News and on the internet. In order to respect our members’ privacy, we publish only first names and state locations. We may edit submissions to fit our anti-oppression values and/or based on our own editing guidelines.

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March 2017 (United States)

March 2017

Sun

Mon

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27

Tue

28

Wed Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras

1 St. David's Day

Ash Wednesday Self-Injury Awareness Day

Thu

2

Fri Read Across America Day Importing of slaves to US prohibited (1807)

3

6

7

12 Purim Daylight

modern 13 First African-American

14

19

20 International Day of

Day of 21 International Forests

Saving Time starts

daily Newspaper, Atlanta Daily World, starts publishing (1933)

Happiness

International Day of Nowruz

March equinox

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9 World Kidney Day

riots in Los 15 Watts Angeles (1965)

22 World Water Day

11

Lai massacre in 16 Mai Vietnam—US troops

17 St. Patrick's Day

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Meteorological 23 World Day

Day for Truth 24 World concerning Human

to Remember 25 Day Slavery Victims and

shoot 500 civilians (1968)

Rights Violations

World Tuberculosis Day

World Down Syndrome Day

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World Poetry Day

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10

World Day to Eliminate Racial Discrimination

Norouz, Zoroastrian/Persion New Year

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8 International Women's Day

World Wildlife Day

International Sex Workers' Rights Day

Zero Discrimination Day

5

Sat Employee Appreciation Day

30

31 Cesar Chavez Day

Transatlantic Slave Trade Earth Hour

World Solidarity Day for Detained and Missing Workers

Fool's Day 1 April Boycott of segregated schools begins, S. Africa (1955)

ICE Targets Trans Woman Seeking Protective Order

By Jonathan Blitzer

The New Yorker, Feb. 23, 2017 On the morning of February 9th, Irvin González, a 33-year-old transgender woman, was sitting in a waiting room on the tenth floor of a courthouse in El Paso, Texas.

At 9 a.m., a judge was scheduled to hear her request for a protective order against an abusive ex-boyfriend. González was nervous that she’d have to confront him in court, but her caseworker, who was from a local aid agency, reassured her that he might not even be there, and that if he was he wouldn’t be able to get too close. She allowed herself, momentarily, to relax. “I felt very safe and protected in the court,” she said.

A sudden commotion outside the

door jolted her upright. González assumed her ex had arrived, and the caseworker hurried out to see what was happening. She returned with unexpected news: an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was there to arrest her. Born in Mexico, González had lived in the U.S., off and on, for more than a decade, but was undocumented. She had been deported six times since 2010. ICE had managed to track her to the courthouse. “I did not think this situation would be possible,” she said. Then, before anything else could happen, the judge called González in for her hearing. “I had a hard time understanding some of the judge’s questions because I was thinking about the ICE officer outside,” she said. The judge granted

her the protective order, but she left the courtroom in a daze. Her caseworker told her, “Are you ready?

We are going to start walking, and then ICE is going to arrest you.” “[In 23 years] I cannot recall immigration officials ever going into a courtroom or targeting a protective-order court.”

Jo Anne Bernal, El Paso County Attorney That week, immigration authorities arrested more than 600 people across the country in a string of raids, from Staten Island to Seattle.

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Black & Pink News

March 2017

After Decades in Prison, This Trans Woman Is Finally Getting Gender Confirmation Surgery

By Rebecca McCray Vice, Feb. 11, 2017

Michelle-Lael Norsworthy is ready to go to the hospital.

She spends Thursday drinking clear fluids; no solid foods allowed.

She downs a bottle of bowel prep like the doctor told her to, staying home in her tiny Bay Area apart“I gave and shed more blood on the journey to the [operating] table than I will shed or give during the surgery itself.”

Michelle-Lael Norsworthy ment all day to deal with the results. She doesn’t complain—she’s effectively been waiting for Friday morning, when she will have gender confirmation surgery, for more than two decades.

“I gave and shed more blood on the journey to the table than I will shed or give during the surgery itself,” Norsworthy tells VICE. During the three decades she spent in the California prison system, she struggled to live as a transgender woman housed with men— men who attacked her, knocked out her teeth, and gang-raped her.

“There were no gray areas in prison,” Norsworthy says. “You fuck up, you die. It was a constant walk on eggshells.”

Transitioning as a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) inmate was a constant test of Norsworthy’s ability to advocate for herself. In 1996, she says, she began requesting hormone

therapy, but it wasn’t until a prison therapist diagnosed Norsworthy with gender dysphoria that she began taking hormones, in 2000, and got on the road to feeling more like herself.

Her physical struggle ran parallel to her battle with the CDCR. Norsworthy began to spend hours in the law library, learning how to file grievances. That, she says, is how she got her first bra. If the prison rejected a grievance, she’d file again until she won. She started helping other inmates, too.

Released on parole in August 2015, Norsworthy, now 52, is still learning to navigate life on the outside. One of the toughest battles she’s faced since her release has been navigating California’s Medicaid system, Medi-Cal. Norsworthy spent months filling out paperwork and trying to find the right health insurance to continue her hormone treatment, she says, before identifying a surgeon who would take the insurance and perform her surgery.

This wasn’t a bureaucratic hurdle she expected to face as a free woman. In April 2015, federal district judge Jon Tigar ordered the state to schedule, perform, and cover the expense of Norsworthy’s operation.

Then, just a few months later and to her great surprise, the state released Norsworthy on parole. Though her case was to be heard by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals—the same body that just rebuked Donald Trump’s immigration order—her release cut that process short. Still, the lower court’s decision was a powerful, if not all-encompassing, win for trans prisoners.

Shiloh Quine, a transgender woman housed with men in California’s Mule Creek State Prison, was the first to benefit from Norsworthy’s case. Quine won a suit against the CDCR in 2015, the settlement of which included what the state calls “sex reassignment” surgery, which she underwent in January. As part of the deal, she was to be transferred to a women’s prison to fulfill her life without parole sentence.

As for Norsworthy, she’s ready to keep pushing for the rights of trans women. After her surgery, she looks forward to opening Joan’s House, a nonprofit she’s working on to provide supportive housing for trans women in San Francisco, and plans to partner with Healthright 360, a network of medical clinics in California.

“I want to bring this fight to Trump,” Norsworthy tells me. “If I could get five minutes with him, I bet he’d give me a donation.”

Michelle-Lael Norsworthy

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A map of “School Safety Zones”—where registered sex offenders may not live or work—in Grand Rapids, MI, presented by the anonymous plaintiffs in Doe v. Snyder.

Revisiting Doe v. Snyder : How Science Helped Overturn a MI Sex Offense Law

By Melissa Hamilton

Boston College Law Review, Feb. 22, 2017 In late 2016, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Doe v.

Snyder that Michigan’s civil sex offender law was unconstitutional. The Sixth Circuit’s decision attracted commentary across the legal, policy, and media worlds. The ruling concludes that a state’s sex offender registry and residency restriction law constitutes an ex post facto punishment in violation of the constitution. The Sixth Circuit’s stance in Snyder conflicts with the judgments of nearly all other courts, which have largely rejected various

constitutional challenges to specialized sex offender laws and policies.

In the United States, sex offenders are uniquely regarded as moral lepers, in need of constant supervision and forced to the margins of society.

The public’s fear of persons who have committed crimes of a sexual nature is so extreme that policymakers across jurisdictions have become convinced that traditional criminal law and sentencing regimes are inadequate to protect public safety.

Thus, legislatures have adopted a variety of statutes—purportedly civil in nature—to manage sex offenders beyond their prison terms.

Every state and the federal government now maintain a sex offend-

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er registry. Many states and communities have also enacted residency restrictions for convicted sex offenders, which typically prohibit these individuals from living near schools, parks, and other locations where potential victims may be present.

A foundational principle underlying these policies is the assumption that sex offenders pose a uniquely high risk of recidivism. In enacting such laws, policymakers assert that the need to protect the public justifies the special treatment of sex offenders. Courts have supported this assertion without paying heed to whether the presumption of future dangerousness is accurate. These decisions align with the perceptions of politicians, the media, and the public who have simply taken it on faith that sex offenders pose an extreme risk to the public, one that criminal sanctions fail to sufficiently thwart.

But this presumption has little basis in scientific study. In fact, the relevant statistics consistently support just the opposite—i.e., that sex offenders are not a singular and exceptional group that poses more than a negligible likelihood of sexually reoffending. The Sixth Circuit’s decision in Snyder therefore represents a transformative venture, opening the

The Supreme Court’s approval of specialized sex offender policies rests upon no scientific grounds showing that sex offenders are actually at high risk of reoffending. door for judges to decide important constitutional issues by examining relevant interdisciplinary research findings, to the benefit of defendants and the judiciary alike.

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Black & Pink News

March 2017

Thanks to Obama, Chelsea Manning Will Soon Be Free—Manning Thanks Her Supporters

By Chelsea Manning

The Guardian, Feb. 13, 2017 To those who have kept me alive for the past six years: minutes after President Obama announced the commutation of my sentence, the prison quickly moved me out of general population and into the restrictive housing unit where I am now held. I know that we are

“[T]o anyone who finds themselves feeling alone behind bars, know that there is a network of us who are thinking of you. You will never be forgotten.” now physically separated, but we will never be apart and we are not alone. Recently, one of you asked me “Will you remember me?” I will remember you. How could I possibly forget? You taught me lessons I would have never learned otherwise.

When I was afraid, you taught me how to keep going. When I was lost, you showed me the way.

When I was numb, you taught me how to feel. When I was angry, you taught me how to chill out.

When I was hateful, you taught me how to be compassionate.

When I was distant, you taught me how to be close. When I was selfish, you taught me how to share.

Sometimes, it took me a while to learn many things. Other times, I would forget, and you would remind me.

We were friends in a way few will You were the people that played ever understand. There was no room fun games with me. Who wished to be superficial. Instead, we bared it me a Happy Birthday. We shared all. We could hide from our families the holidays together. You were and and from the world outside, but we will always be family. could never hide from each other. We For many of you, you are already argued, we bickered and we fought free and living outside of the prison with each other. Sometimes, over ab- walls. Many of you will come home solutely nothing. But, we were always soon. Some of you still have many years to go. a family. We were always united.

The most important thing that When the prison tried to break one of us, we all stood up. We looked you taught me was how to write out for each other. When they tried and how to speak in my own voice. to divide us, and systematically dis- I used to only know how to write criminated against us, we embraced memos. Now, I write like a human our diversity and pushed back. But, I being, with dreams, desires and also learned from all of you when to connections. I could not have done pick my battles. I grew up and grew it without you.

From where I am now, I still connected because of the communithink of all of you. When I leave ty you provided.

Those outside of prison may not this place in May, I will still think believe that we act like human be- of all of you. And to anyone who ings under these conditions. But finds themselves feeling alone beof course we do. And we build our hind bars, know that there is a netown networks of survival. work of us who are thinking of you.

I never would have made it with- You will never be forgotten. out you. Not only did you teach me these important lessons, but you made sure I felt cared for. You were the people who helped me to deal with the trauma of my regular haircuts.

You were the people who checked on me after I tried to end my life.

By Gianluca Costantini

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Muslim Ban Worries LGBT Asylum Seekers

By Charlotte Alter Time, Feb. 8, 2017

Trans advocates protesting in Washington, DC last month

Trump Revokes Obama-era Protections for Trans Students

By Jeremy Peters, Jo Becker, and Julie Davis

New York Times, Feb. 22, 2017 President Trump last month rescinded protections for transgender students that had allowed them to use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity, overruling his own education secretary, Betsy DeVos, and placing his administration firmly in the middle of the culture wars that many Republicans have tried to leave behind.

In a joint letter, the top civil rights officials from the Justice Department and the Education Department rejected the Obama administration’s position that nondiscrimination laws require schools to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms of their choice. That directive, they said, was improperly and arbitrarily devised, “without due regard for the primary role of the states and local school districts in establishing educational policy.”

Gay rights supporters made their displeasure clear. Outside the White House, several hundred people protested the decision, chanting, “No hate, no fear, trans students are welcome here.”

Individual schools will remain free to let transgender students use the bathrooms with which they are most comfortable. And the effect of the administration’s decision will not be immediate because a federal court had already issued a nationwide injunction barring enforcement of the Obama order.

The dispute highlighted the degree to which transgender rights issues, which Mr. Trump expressed sympathy for during the campaign, continue to split Republicans, even as many in the party argue that it is time to move away from social issues and focus more on bread-andbutter pocketbook concerns.

Bathroom access emerged as a major and divisive issue last March when North Carolina passed a bill barring transgender people from using bathrooms that do not match the sex on their birth certificate. It was part of a broader bill eliminating anti-discrimination protections for gay and transgender people.

LGBT issues became a point of attack for opponents of Ms. DeVos’s nomination last month, as Democrats questioned her about the ex-

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Ever since his sister heard him talking in his sleep in their bedroom in Iran, Ali K. tried to stay awake at night. “Since that night, I was so afraid, I could not sleep,” he said of his childhood. “Because what if I said aloud what I feel?”

In third grade Ali fell in love with an older boy at school, but never spoke to him. Several years later, he saw reports that two people had been hung for homosexuality. Eventually, the conflict between who he was and what his country allowed him to be became too much, and Ali says he decided to kill himself by walking into traffic on a busy road. He stood on the curb for hours but never stepped into the street. His mother was having heart problems, and he says he feared the news of his death would kill her. (TIME agreed to identify Ali by his first name in order to protect his family in Iran, where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death.) “In Iran, all my life I was afraid,” Ali, now 30, said in a phone interview. “I realized people like me are not allowed to exist.”

Now, after more than seven years in America, Ali fears

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Black & Pink News

March 2017

ICE Targets Trans Woman Seeking Protective Order continued from page 5 The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has insisted that the raids were routine, though they came just days after President Trump issued an executive order expanding the categories of people eligible for deportation. The message was clear even if D.H.S. wouldn’t acknowledge it: a new crackdown on the undocumented had begun.

Trump welcomed the news of mass arrests, tweeting that the roundups were “merely the keeping of my campaign promise.” González, who in addition to her past deportations has served prison time in the U.S. for a range of crimes, including larceny and assault, may well have been targeted for deportation under the Obama Administration, which also carried out mass raids and deported millions of people. But the circumstances of González’s arrest were dramatic and highly irregular—and her case drew national headlines.

Earlier this week, I communicated with González, who is being held in a county jail, through her immigration lawyer, Melissa Untereker. (Untereker asked González questions I’d sent in an e-mail, then wrote down and relayed her answers.) González had been in custody for eleven days, and she said she’d been denied the hormones she takes. The withdrawal effects had left her feeling nauseated and uneasy. She wasn’t sleeping, her teeth and head ached, and she’d begun to grow facial hair. “I am in shock,” González said.

González is certain that her ex-boyfriend tipped off the immigration authorities. (He couldn’t be reached for comment.) “This is

something he always threatened me with,” she said. “He would tell me that, if I reported him to the police, they would only believe him, because he is a U.S. citizen and not me.” In late January, he had been in jail, for allegedly forging checks, when he was served with an order to appear at the protective-order hearing. By then, González had already lodged three complaints against him in as many months, saying that he had been brutally beating her.

On Monday, I spoke with Fernando Garcia, the director of the Border Network for Human Rights, a community organization in El Paso, which works with Border Patrol and other law-enforcement agencies to reduce and prevent abuses. Garcia feared that the growing hostility to immigrants could derail the progress his group has made over the past several years. “There’s really a sense now that you can be apprehended at any time,” he said.

El Paso courthouse surveillance video shows ICE agents in the process of detaining undocumented trans woman Irvin González on February 9.

González is now in a desperate position. In the next few days, a grand jury will decide whether to indict her on charges of illegal reëntry into the U.S. If the grand jury decides to drop the charges, she’ll be turned over to ICE, which will most likely deport her once more.

Either way, her arrest illustrated the lengths to which agents are willing to go to pursue the undocumented.

“What message does it send? ‘We are coming after you,’” Veronica Escobar, a county judge, said. “We don’t want to rattle the community or scare off other victims who may be afraid to come forward to report abuse.”

González’s arrest showed that “you might not be protected even if you are the victim of a crime or abuse.”

Just before we spoke, news reports had surfaced with details about how D.H.S. was preparing for an unprecedented mass-deportation effort, which, among other things, frees up immigration authorities to deport virtually anyone whom they deem to be a threat to national security. I asked Garcia what he made of it. “Everyone is a target now,” he said. “We don’t need a memo to know that. It’s already happening.

The perception, under Trump, is that every undocumented person is a criminal.”

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Share your artwork with the B&P community! see mailing instructions on page 26

Muslim Ban Worries LGBT Asylum Seekers continued from page 9 he could be forced to return to a country that could kill him for his sexuality. He is one of many LGBT immigrants from the seven majority-Muslim nations affected by President Trump’s Jan. 17 executive order barring travelers from Iraq, Libya, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen for 90 days, all refugees for 120 days, and refugees from Syria indefinitely. The fate of Trump’s order is uncertain after a federal appeals court ruled Sunday to uphold a temporary stay on the ban.

Manal, 29, is a Syrian Catholic who grew up in Dubai and came to the U.S. for a Master’s program in Southern California. When she got to L.A., she moved into an apart-

ment owned by a woman she had never met. They fell in love, and Manal’s roommate became her partner. “When my student visa ended, I had fallen in love, and I said ‘I’m not going back,’” she said. “There’s no way I could live as a gay woman in the Middle East.” She now works as a graphic designer in L.A. (TIME has agreed not to publish her full name to protect her safety.)

Manal applied for asylum almost two years ago and is still waiting for her interview. “ I think I’m going to get PTSD just from this waiting,” she said. “There’s always this dark cloud that follows us around.”

Manal knows she has it a lot better than many immigrants and refugees, no matter their sexuality. Still, when faced with the possibility of losing her ability to live and work

in the U.S., she shudders. “I always have that thought but honestly I don’t have an answer,” she says. If she has to return to Syria, she says she would get her “head chopped off.”

Ali came to the U.S. on a student visa in 2009 for a Master’s degree and then moved to California, where he now lives with his Russian boyfriend, also an asylum seeker.

Ali says he has no idea what will happen with his asylum or work permit applications. The immigration order has changed his sense of the country he hoped to call his new home. “This is the United States,” he said. “It shouldn’t be that you wake up one day and, without doing anything wrong, everything can be taken away from you. That is not my image of this country.”

Trump Revokes Trans Student Protections continued from page 9 tensive financial support that some of her relatives—part of her wealthy and politically active Michigan family—had provided to anti-gay causes. Ms. DeVos distanced herself from her relatives on the issue, saying their political activities did not represent her views.

While Wednesday’s order significantly rolls back transgender protections, it does include language stating that schools must protect transgender students from bullying,

a provision Ms. DeVos asked for, one person with direct knowledge of the process said.

“All schools must ensure that students, including LGBT students, are able to learn and thrive in a safe environment,” the letter said, echoing Ms. DeVos’s comments at her confirmation hearing but not expressly using the word transgender.

Ms. DeVos, who has been quietly supportive of gay rights for years, was said to have voiced her concern about the high rates of suicide among transgender students. In one

2016 study by the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, for instance, 30 percent reported a history of at least one suicide attempt.

Mr. Trump appears to have been swayed by conservatives in his administration who reminded him that he had promised during the campaign to leave the question of bathroom use to the states.

The Justice Department is eager to move quickly in laying out its legal position on transgender policy, to avoid confusion in cases moving through the courts.

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March 2017

Black & Pink News

Our Black & Pink Family: Letters Dear Black ‘n Pink Family, Hey girls ‘n boys, it’s your li’l sis Rebecca Mae. First let me start by saying, OMG! I absolutely love the new ‘n improved BNP newsletters. Y’all are just the best!!

I’d like to make a shout out to all my sisters here at SCI Coal Township who have supported me through my transition. I love y’all; don’t stop being you!!! I’d like to make a special shout out to my wifey ‘n our husband (Raven and Drew). I’m soooooooo very happy to be your wifey you two. I know we have ups ‘n downs, but you still had faith in me. Thank you sooo much for allowing me to be a part of your lives. It truly means the world to me. I’ve never felt so much in love with anyone ‘til you two came into my life. I’m forever gonna be by your sides, you two, no matter what comes our way. We’ll conquer anything.

My soul was broken, cracked. But then you two taught me how to love again.

Now I’ve become hooked on both of you. I’m not leaving your sides.

To my sister who I call mom (Frenchy), I’d like to say, I couldn’t’ve continued my transition if it wasn’t for your giving me good feedback and counseling when I was just about to give up hope. Thanks mom!! :)

B&P PSA: We are currently compiling a response to a question that will have information about risk reduction and STIs in the next couple of issues.

We are hoping to have a helpful resource to share with everyone. As part of that, we encourage anyone who has thoughts to send your ideas on risk reduction to “Black and Pink - Risk Reduction, 614 Columbia Rd. Dorchester, MA 02125.”

To my sisters at Black ‘n Pink, I’d like to say thank you for staying “100” with yourself and me. Thank you for all your support. I love the cards you sisters ‘n brothers send me. They’re really cute and adorable!! :) One more thing I’d like to bring up before I close, all y’all “down low” brothers ‘n sisters, and you guys who are “undercover,” I absolutely despise y’all, ‘cause you’ll be the first person to mock a sister, whether it be on the walkway, at the yard, or gym, or church, or on the block/unit, then thinking us girls won’t “pull your card,” you holla at us when none of your “homies” are in earshot and I’m getting fed up with it!!!!! I was like that at one time, but now I’m keeping it real with myself. I lost friends and family ‘cause I came out as being a transgender bisexual woman to my family ‘n friends.

My mom is the only one who loves me no matter what I am.

So I’m gonna say it this way, you are who you are; those people don’t have the right to force you to be something you’re not! Stop letting your pride/ego get in the way. Trust ‘n believe me, you’ll feel much more at peace with yourself, and if you decide to “come out,” holla at the girls for some counseling. I’m sure ~Share your ideas on how to reduce transmission of HIV in prison when there is no access to condoms ~Share your ideas on how to reduce other STIs ~Share your ideas on how you can talk to potential partners about risk, how do you start the conversation, what do you say?

We will do our best to provide you all with the most accurate information possible. We will share

they will welcome you into our LGBTQ family with open arms and smiles on their faces, and don’t be surprised if some have tears in their eyes. We only live once, so why not make the very best it while we can, right? You will lose some friends and family, but just think of it this way, if they were your friends, then they’d stick by your side, *no matter what*. So keep this all in mind. I’m not gonna lie, it was very difficult for me to fully come out. As a matter of fact, I still have a lot of people to come out to.

But I’m ready to tell those people, ‘cause I’m at peace with myself now. These guys in here don’t know me from a car of paint, or the back of their hand, so who are they to try to control my lifestyle?

NOBODY IMPORTANT!!!!!!

I’m gonna close for now. Also my feminizing hormone therapy treatment is working wonders!! :) LOL!!

I love y’all! Keep it gay!! :) XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO Love your li’l sis, Ms. Rebecca M. (PA)

all risk reduction tactics judgement free. All of what we share is simply informational, not an encouragement of any rule violations.

We also encourage everyone to subscribe to Prison Health News. They have excellent and very important information. You can write to them at: Prison Health News c/o Philadelphia FIGHT 1233 Locust St. 5th floor Philadelphia, PA 19107

Volume 8, Issue 2

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Our Black & Pink Family: Poetry & Art

By Lance Michael S. (SD) Mom, the whole family was not ready for this, But know you will always be loved and missed I’m sure she would say, don’t grieve for me She’s following the path God lead her to see We all want her to stay another day, To laugh, to love, to work, to play For her we all come together

I pray it stay that way Because now, she’s with God Looking down on us everyday Don’t be bothered with times of sorrow But pray for the blessings of tomorrow We all know her time was brief So please, don’t lengthen it now with grief In our minds and hearts, she will always be

A glue to this family we all can truly see God wants her now, and he set her free She took God’s hand when he said come with me Missing you Mom. Love your son, Lance Michael S.

“Rhonda” by Natasha H. (KS) Time goes by in here with no contact from my family.

Can’t help but imagine they move through their entire day without even thinking of me.

My first + only grandchild is over a month old now.

No one has bothered to send me a photo of her. F***** wow!

My feelings get very hurt + depression tries to set in.

That’s when I hear my name at mail call. Of course, there’s word from my best friend!

Rhonda.

My lover. My support. The sweetest thing I’ve ever known.

Without her there’d be no sunshine.

Each day filled with gloom.

Her encouraging words remind me to keep my head up + take care of myself.

Lets my spirit feel hope instead of doom.

Between Rhonda + prayer, I required little else.

Doesn’t hurt that she’s sexy + memories of her make me melt.

The love she shows me is unconditional, She always has my back.

She never leaves me hanging, even though I’m sometimes a b***h + a trainwreck!

Josh Macphee - American Flag (www.theamplifierfoundation.org)

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Our Black & Pink Family: Poetry “Sin No More” by Bernard H. (CA) Possess our moment.

Hold my heart in your eyes, kiss passion’s face, don’t patronize.

Betwix the warmth, lays my aroused soul.

Poured into your spirit, my love given bold.

The night’s late, and our bodies blend.

Freed from others, judgement of sin.

Moonlight and love, emotions it bends.

At last, I lay with you, at last, it’s not sin.

“Mail Call”

By Chester H. (FL)

Don’t pass judgement on a man, until you’ve walked in his shoes; hunted like an animal, face plastered on the news, partially raised by an addict, forced out into the streets; stealin, hustlin and connin, the things I had to do to eat.

leading us all into destruction, high off gunsmoke, drunk off greed; overlooking the fact that one day I’d pay for me wicked deeds, with a keen eye, I watched over my so-called empire astutely, not realizing that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

And I pray so sincere with my head raised above Saying please God soon send me a letter of love.

And long to gaze upon the pages so dear with riches to bring my loved ones near.

A pariah to my peers, ignorant children can be so cruel; if there’s no place for me in society, why adhere to society’s rules, in and out the system, institutions became my home; it was at the bottom of the barrel that I realized, true strength comes when you are alone.

Forced from my throne of false invincibility, reality’s sour taste, brought forth this soliloquy, hindsight is 20/20 so they say, if I had a peek at my tomorrows, I could’ve prevented today, though I don’t regret the things I’ve done, only that I was caught, without the experience I’ve had, I may have missed the lessons taught, I’m a self-made man, student of non, responsible for my own evolution, my mind’s a steel trap, so if I decide to snap, I’ll spearhead my own revolution, until that time, I’ll wait patiently, knowing my role and cruise, so before you, form an opinion about me sucka, take a stroll in these here shoes.

By William P. (PA)

Things are great when they’re good, when they’re bad they’re the worst; my life was backwards though, because my bad’s came first, following didn’t appeal to me, it was natural for me to lead; strong character, courage and intellect, the tool I used to succeed.

A merciless army of soldiers, performing my every instruction; I was going in the wrong direction,

As Darkness and Loneliness fills my cell with pain and fear too great to yell.

And I wait for the mailman to deliver to me.

As I wipe away tears that none can see...

Words of diamonds on pages of gold.

A message from heaven as the story is told, we love you miss you we pray some day you will be free, a treasure-filled envelope just for me it brings memories of joy that I once knew, the joy with family the things we used to do...

Yet darkness and pain will soon prevail Because once again, My name was not called for Mail

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Volume 8, Issue 2

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Our Black & Pink Family: Letters & Poetry LORD CAN WE TALK I’m sorry, I don’t mean to disturb you, I mean if this is a bad time, but LORD can I talk to you for a minute or maybe even two? I know I haven’t called you lately, but I did go to church Sunday.

I’m sitting here alone in my prison cell looking at this wall and was kind of wondering why we never talk anymore, I mean like we used to.

Remember, we would stay up late and talk for hours, and sometimes you would show me verses in the bible, or just be there with me, like a friend.

Tonight something happened and all I could do was look at this wall with tears in my eyes wondering why I felt so alone. That’s when I looked around

and you weren’t there. It felt so much like 11 years 9 months and 23 days ago when my family told me to never call them again. I remember that day as if it were yesterday. Remember, LORD, I had gotten myself arrested and with my one call, I called family, not for money, all I wanted and needed was to know somehow they might forgive me. After that call I knew my life was over. Somehow, through all of that I remember you telling me that “AS YOUR GOD, THE ONE WHO GOES WITH YOU, I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU”. For most of my life I have known you. My life has never been perfect, but I always had you. Awhile

back, maybe a couple of years now, remember, we were talking. Anyway, I prayed for a friend, not just a person to talk with or write to, but a friend.

What happened LORD? Yeah, I know, why would anyone care about me, but I really thought you did. Oh, ok, well if you do, as you say, love me, why do I feel this way? What, LORD? Oh, well that makes me feel dumb, so you’re the friend I ask for, I see now, that with you I don’t need anyone else.

LORD, thank you for being my friend.

Richard (NV)

“Code Blue!” by Destini S. (AZ) A poem for my trans-family in the FBOP Blue is the color of water, water we drink everyday!

Blue is the color of the sky, in which we lay under and pray!

Blue is the color of my emotion, emotion I feel inside!

Blue is the color of blood in me, but red when it flows outside!

FBOP staff cares nothing of my needs, the needs I need fulfilled with love!

My heart needs attention, I need the attention of my love!

I’m a transgender woman in my heart and soul, I’ve been a girl since a small lad!

But the only way the BOP cares about my blue, “CODE BLUE IN THE SHU!” when I leave in a bag!!

“Just Human...” by Anjela S. (TX) Does “just human” make the behaviors, actions, or lack thereof in most cases any less inhuman and Does it take away the sting from a deceitful action?

The bite from neglect, abandonment, invalidation?

Does it cover over the scars of years gone by?

Does it make up for the continued excuses justified?

Does it mend the shattered hearts, lives, hopes and dreams?

Does it wipe away the tears or fight the fears?

Does it render back the innocence lost, Or the countless lives it’s still cost?!

Does it build back what never was?

Does it bring back something hoped for, but forever gone?

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Our Black & Pink Family: Letters Dearest Jason and my Black + Pink Fam, Greetings within and beyond, Amandla! I hope this finds you all in the very best of all possible, especially health and spirit.

Well fam, I sit here behind this concrete and steel writing you all once more. In my last correspondence to you all I wrote about my struggle to get recognized and classified as a transgender, male to female, and to receive hormone therapy. Well to bring you all up to date and to reiterate my last letter for those who don't know me or missed out on my last letter.

My name is Antonia Alexandria, or Tonia for short, pronounced "Tonya" by those around me. I'm a 43-yearsyoung transgender who was born and raised as a boy. I came out as a bisexual to my mother when I was 13 years old and didn't really know anything about trans until later on in life after being locked up in prison. I made the decision this past year to finally become classified as transgender and

start to pursue hormone therapy. I been on lock for 27 years!

I have been classified as transgender since April of 2016. I was transferred to this unit I'm at now and told I had to see the psych department for evaluation for gender dysphoria. I seen them in May, and they told me I had to see medical for "all that," as they put it. I seen a P.A.in medical in June who then referred my file to Dr. Greene. He diagnosed me with gender dysphoria, and ordered blood work from the lab for my testosterone levels. That was done in July. Then finally in the first part of September my file was forwarded to John Sealy Hospital in Galveston so I can be sent there to be evaluated for my hormone therapy. But to date I've still not been sent to John Sealy Hospital nor given any type of hormone therapy.

Now I'm filing Step 1 grievances here at the unit to try to remedy this. I'm also filing Step 1 grievances on the facts of my housing situation. I'm forced to

From Brian L. To inform you, KDOC is no longer allowing Black & Pink zines into the facility. Please put this in the newsletter. Hearing from Y'all is LIFE!!.

This place is not. I will stay me, love us, and be proud no matter the obstacle. They can't break a byatch and thats what they want. So sad, so small-minded and fearful they are.

Why is love so scary for them? Love is the cosmic message. No matter how loves chooses to manifest itself.

Jason and family, I love you ALL! I even love our enemies. So whoever searches my letters, know this. I love you also. Family, please don't forget me here in Norton, Kansas.

Stay Strong!

Roger Peet - Less Locks (www.theamplifierfoundation.org)

live in the general population, instead of safe-keeping, and in the cell with gang members--who for the most part are homophobic at best.

I'm requesting to be first and foremost "red-tagged" to be only housed in the cells with other transgender offenders.

My third grievance is concerning the fact that I'm required to cut my hair short, can't wear make-up (that's why I had my eye liner tattooed in), and have no access to female products that are available in the commissary to the female prisoners.

N-E-Wayz, all of that said, I'm awaiting my issue of "Black and Pink."

And I recently signed up for the pen pal website so I expect to hear from all those friendly pens out there!! :) Shout out to my boy "Charles Strain" and my girls "Kiesha B." and "Passion"-stay real and remember loyalty above all. What's real... Love is! <3<3<3 Antonia G. (TX) Stay Sweet!

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Our Black & Pink Family: Letters Black and Pink Family, I just want to thank you all at the Family for keeping me informed of all the bad things that are going on in the outside world. The people that are committing these mean and sad acts against the LGBTQ people. I would like to send out my grievance to all of the families that lost loved

ones in that awful nightmare. I want to pray for everyone that was lost.

I’m praying for all the family and I want to wish you all the best and I’m hoping and praying that you all at the Family are in the best of health and are doing fine. I’m still here, confined, but strong in will and

in spirit with the help of the Lord, Amen! Let everyone know that I’m praying for them all at the B. and P.

July/August issues I was touched by several of them, but the one that affected me most of all was from A.J.O., who said he has lived in deep sadness and depression throughout his life. I totally understand and having to endure what we have to endure in prison doesn't help.

trouble communicating to a professional and getting the help he deserves. All I can say about that is please don't give up on yourself. You/we deserve a life of peace and love to matter what mistakes we may have made in our lives.

Samuel F. (TX)

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

I recently received my first copy of the Black and Pink Newsletter. I enjoyed reading it very much, especially your letters. Currently I am a 63 year old gay inmate here at San Quentin in California. I've been here in reception eight months. A few weeks ago I went from the P.C. unit to the hole due to being threatened by gang members.

My fingers are crossed that I will be transferred soon to a mainline prison close to family and friends. I pray the Level II prison I am set to go to will not be as violent as this prison.

Reading through the many letters in the

I am lucky, while this place will drive anyone into deep depression and anxiety, at least the mental health department is helpful. I look forward to being able to vent to my therapist each week. I am very sorry A.J.O. is having

Thank you B&P for providing an outlet for inmates to vent. I am hopeful I will be writing back very soon with a change of address as well as my pen pal form.

I also hope to write again in the future.

We are all special in our own ways.

Love, Ken P. (CA)

Dear Black & Pink Family, This is Jeff M, a bisexual white male from Cameron, Missouri Prison in solitary since 2016 of April. I want to say I love you all my Black & Pink Family LGBTQ in prison and outside in the free world. I love reading the newsletter of Black & Pink, and knowing I am loved and not rejected as a person. I got locked up on this case in 1994, and if I had not had my Black & Pink Family to turn to and talk to I feel I would not be here. It has made a difference in my life now

knowing I have a family of friends from the LGBTQ community that accept me for the way I am, which is bisexual me. Before, in 1994, I did not fit in and I had to hide being me. But not now! Thanks Black & Pink Family I love you LGBTQ you’re beautiful inside and out. I want to give a shout out to my best pen-pal friend Jess T., a member of Black & Pink in the Free World.

She is an angel with a beautiful heart--take care my friend. When I get out of the solitary hole and get

in population I want to introduce the Black & Pink Family to my gay friends, and let them know they are not alone, and LGBTQ Family stands together in and outside of prison. Well my LGBTQ Family, I will close now, have a nice day--I love you all.

Sincerely, Jeff M. (MO)

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March 2017

Our Black & Pink Family: Visionary Fiction “Rise of the Pearlion” By: Fatima Malika Shabazz Characture Sketch: Solar System: Pearlion System Planet Kurru Name: Nefraharie Barkal, AKA Fatima Malika Shabazz (writer) Occupation: Poet Spoken Word Artist, Author Published Writer, Entertainer, GLBTQ Activist, outspoken political critic.

Nefraharie is well-educated, militarytrained, and in constant opposition to racism, class, and lifestyle hatreds including bullying and abuses of power.

She desires that her people be happy and able to acquire all that is needed for prosperous living. Though her planet has prisons she herself is progressive in-so-much that she believes there is always an opportunity to make people better through “actual” rehabilitation sources.

Nefraharie has an understanding that there are members of society who are inherently bad people, so there must be checks and balances, but does not believe that everyone who commits a crime should be incarcerated for extended periods of time. Unfortunately the “new” rulers of her planet fell otherwise, as a result the planet is suffering and she must answer the call to save it and her people.

She has for many years used her platform as an artist to call attention to the abuses of power and blatant injustices of the ruling class and hate mongers, especially those who the GLBTQ community or the Nefrite Jebel.. Unfortunately things have escalated to the point of war.

~~~~~ “Rise of the Pearlion” I wasn’t always like this, full of anger, rage and venom. I wasn’t always violent, and I didn’t always fight fire with an inferno; hell for that matter I didn’t always fight, not until now, not until eight years ago when the viper Oriellas Buzzard was elected Prime Regent; but I’m getting ahead of myself. It would probably help if I explained a few things first, like who I am and how I’ve come to be the one telling this story.

My name is Nefraharie Barkal, I am from the planet Kurru, a life-filled “progressive” planet located in the perlion system of the Andromeda Galaxy, (the next galaxy over from old earth’s milkyway). I say progressive because that’s what this planet used to be; things are very different now, but I’m getting ahead of myself again, so let’s start again.

I am by definition what is (or used to be) known as “Nefrite Jebel”, in the language of the ancient Kurru (which I speak) it means “pure Black”. I am also what is known as a bio-triple which means that I was “born” with at least three notable physical characteristics.

Firstly, I am a Trans-Shifter, as such I can shift my physical form from male to female as I chose, I am however Chromosomally more female, which is the form I choose to primarily remain in. Secondly I am what is known as Dark-Seer, meaning that I can speak with and gain needed power from the ancients, which brings me to my third characteristic,

through my awakening I am possessed of near unlimited magical power.

I have been told that I am the last of the Nefrite Jebel. My father was called Suliman Jebel, El Kurru King of All Kings. My mother was called Tefnahar Jebel, Goddess Queen Mother of many nations. 245 Earth years ago they were both killed assisting the inhabitants of old earth in the great war to expel the Straigons from both the earth planetary system and the Nialus system. Old Earth fell, the Nialus system as well from that (it is said but no one knows for sure), came the Buzzards. And yes in case you’re wondering, I am 240 “Earth Years” old though I don’t look it.

Anyway, like I said, much has changed since that time. Kurru used to be among the most progressive planets is the Pearlion system. The people were happy and for the most part had all they required to live in prosperity.

Although acts of criminality existed, they were minimal, so the need for “full-fledged” prisons was nonexistent; we instead had what came to be known as J-Camps, or jail encampments, then the Buzzard Family arrived. Their desire for all power has destroyed the natural resources of the land, jobs have left going “off world” the over-use of fossil fuels have destroyed our atmosphere making the summers

continued on page 15

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Our Black & Pink Family: Visionary Fiction continued from page 14 too hot and the winters too cold, offworld immigration has been all but stopped and life-long off-worlders are living under the constant threat of jail and deportation.

Alternative lifestyle civilians have been murdered at an increasing rate, hate crimes have risen to never before seen highs and the planet now has huge prison complexes that house hundreds sometimes thousands of people. For years we wondered where these Buzzards had come from, no one could seem to get a fix on it, until one the elder Kurru discovered ancient Earth Texts written by an Egyptian named Pionkey, this man appeared to be some sort of King in ancient old Earth. In those texts was also found the meaning of the Buzzards name; a gigantic winged beast that feeds on carion (dead things). This explained a multitude of things, for the arrival of the Buzzards brought sickness, death, violence and destruction.

Their arrival turned our fair and just security force into un-feeling killers of innocents; our law makers and law givers became greedy corrupt potentates with mini fiefdoms; they become so meglomaniacle and power-mad that to oppose them meant your assured death.

Those who remained of the old Kurru were blatantly maligned and undermined with slanderous testiments. They were eventually scorned into ineffectiveness. But the worst was what happened to us, the Nefrites, a method was devised

in secret underground hideouts that would reveal who we are, and once it was determined that we were possessed of “any” power the Nefrite were tried (always fairly) and executed for treason; I survived only because I had been instructed at an early age on how to create dormancy in my powers, so I shut them down, almost to the point of losing them. The Opapques had some truly heinous methods, I did not want to experience any of them.

So for the last 200 years the people of the great Kurru have been abused, hated and discriminated against, all in the name of Oriellas Buzzard and “his idea of progress”.

I can see now that the tide is turning, Kurru is angry, since the Election of Oriellas Buzzard there has been a rise in opposition, violence in the streets against Buzzard supporters and their establishments; unfortunately, this public discord has been met with unadulterated violence, protesters have been fired upon and killed by Buzzards security force, many who desire only freedom have perished under the jackboot of Buzzards oppression.

Which brings me to why I am telling you this story. As I mentioned I am a Dark Seer, the ancients speak to me, but during the time of dormancy they barely whispered; two years ago that all changed when I was awakened by a shout so loud I thought my head would explode.

“Awaken, my child!” the voice

shouted, “This is your time, you must restore the balance.”

I was frightened at first then I realized the voices sounded familiar, then it dawned on me the voices were that of my father Suliman and my mother Tefnahar.

I responded, “What should I do?”

My mother responded by revealing herself to me, one moment I sat in darkness and the next a light as bright as a sun was upon me, and there she stood Goddess Queen, Mother of nations Tefnahar Barkal.

“Fear not, my child,” she said, “you are not alone.”

She extended her hand and softly touched my trembling cheek, as she did so my entire body shook, as if I were naked and wet standing in the cold, yet I felt intense warmth. She removed her hand and smiled down at me.

“My love,” she began, “I have fully restored all of your powers,” she said softly.

“Mother,” I stammered, “why are you here?” I asked.

“I am here to help you,” she answered, “There is much to be done, my love, much you must prepare for, you are the greatest of the Kurru, the only of your stature left but not the only one.”

continued on page 16

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March 2017

Black & Pink News

Our Black & Pink Family: Visionary Fiction & Poetry continued from page 15

“I don’t understand,” I said, confused.

My mother just smiled for a moment.

“You above all else, my dear, have the greatest power, but there are many others who possess the magic of the old ways.”

I was stunned, my mind was having trouble grasping what she was saying.

“There are others? Who? Where?”

Mother continued smiling, “I see your confusion, my dear, but all will be clear in time, but for now time as it were is short and you must move quickly if you plan to succeed.”

“Succeed at what?” I asked.

“At restoring the balance,” she answered.

“How am I to do such a thing?” I queried.

“Again Nefi,” (a name she used when I was younger) “in time, but for now, my sweet, you must go home.”

“Home?” I asked, confused again.

“Yes, my love, home to Mount Simbel, you must go home and make the call, it is time to build your army.”

“The call,” I said to myself in awe. The call I knew was a magical encantation used to call the ancient mystic Kurru to assist in battle but usually only the younger mystics would participate, it was a way for the young ones to hone their skills, but sometimes, just a very rare sometimes, the call was for everyone, great and small, I was

starting to realize that this was that rare sometimes; still, the call had not been made since my father last made it over 200 years ago.

The call was always made from the top of Mount Simbel, at the place on the mountain called the burning sand (Jaro). This was and still is the source of all Kurru power so only a true Nefrite Barkal can make the call.

I understood now.

“What should I do after the call?” I asked with seriousness, a firmness in my voice.

“When all are gathered,” my mother responded, “I will see you again, but for now, go prepare your home foreguests, then make the call.”

Stay tuned for Part II (The Call)

“They Say, I Say” By Foias (AR) They say speak not of my true self, keep hidden that which is feared.

Let sleeping dog lay, and keep the closet door under lock and key.

They say the time is not yet right, and that knowledge cannot lead to understanding.

That I am wrong and immoral, that I am deviant and evil.

They say that I am part of the few and weak, that we cannot stand against the tests of time, They say I and others should be ashamed of who we are,

that we should hate ourselves as they do...

That's what they say.

I say to them I will not keep silent or lie, and I will proudly show all that I am.

I will wake those lazy hounds with a trumpeting voice, and blast open that door so that it can never be closed again.

I say the time is now, that stupidity and ignorance inhibits understanding.

I say that I am right despite their uneven view of morals, and that their path is no better than mine.

I say I am part of the many and strong, and that we will stand firm as the future unfolds.

I say we should, and will, stand proud of who we've become, and s#$* on their hate with all the love we can muster.

It's not a question of right or wrong, or who's better than who.

It's about tolerance and the capacity to grow, that's what really matters, but that's just what I say.

Brightest blessings to all.

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Our Black & Pink Family: Letters From Kara (OH) My name is Kara Rene B. I am a transgender female prisoner currently incarcerated at WCI in Ohio.

I would like to share an experience with you about how the State constantly negates my rights as a transgender prisoner.

One day there was a fundraiser and we could pay for pictures at $4.00 per photo. I was so excited because I was talking pictures for the first time as a woman. None of my family has seen me as Kara, they only knew me as Adam. So I got dressed, did my hair, and makeup and damn I looked Fierce! I then walked to the visit room to take the pictures and no one stopped me. I went inside and was not told that I couldn’t take my pictures with make-up on, they only said that anyone with a tank top on had to go back and change into a t-shirt. So I took the pictures and was so relieved that they provided me with the same dignity that is afforded to male prisoners... for once, and then I went back to my cell.

Two days later, someone came and shook my cell down looking only for make-up. He found my stash and wrote me a ticket. When it came time to receive the photos, they said that I couldn’t have mine because “male inmates are not permitted to wear or possess cosmetics.”

WTF?!? I am not a male, I am a transgender female. So now I am being criminalized for my gender identity. It hurts to know that,

apparently, even my money is not wanted. Wow that gives me the message that I am less than a human being and something is wrong with me. Is it any wonder why the suicide rate of transgender teens is through the roof? We are constantly being bombarded with the message of inferiority everywhere we turn. I guess it is ok for people to make fun of us... It seems that it has always been ok to marginalize one group or another because we live in a culture that thinks its okay to treat us differently or “less than,” I end up with the staff here following along with the larger cultural program.

A. Availability of all property items available to prisoners of their same gender and security level.

That is why it is so important in my eyes to draw the line in the sand about these pictures. Because its not really about the pictures, its about confronting an oppressive and abusive society that murders some of its children with scorn and condemnation. A society where bullycide is an unspoken norm.

E. Accommodation for cell assignments that eliminate the possibility of discrimination by proxy, by forcing the inmate to cell with someone who is not a sexual predator but has antithetical believes that will subject the inmate to an intolerable living environment.

We all deserve a future that is better than that. I’m fighting for a different future than the one currently shoved down our throats. I believe that any human being should feel safe and secure to express who we are, wherever we are, without fear of government-sponsored terror forcing us back to our “assigned seats.”

For me, this is war.

These are my non-negotiable demands transgender prisoners must have:

B. Mandatory enforcement for all ODRC staff to reference prisoners by the appropriate pronouns consistent with their gender identity.

C. Mandatory enforcement for all ODRC staff to reference prisoners by their name of choice consistent with their gender identity.

D. Accommodation for the grooming and maintenance consistent with their gender identity.

If there is anyone out there reading this who wants to add fuel to the fire, I am taking these demands to the Federal Courts for recognition of all transgender prisoner rights. What I don’t have currently is legal council, or funds to obtain legal council, but I am hoping there is a community out there beyond the fences that cares as much as I do about the next generation of children who otherwise will be murdered with scorn and condemnation.

It stops here.

It stops now.

Who’s down?

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March 2017

Black & Pink News

Our Black & Pink Family: Letters & Art Dear Black & Pink, I absolutely love your platform and the strength it gives to the LGBTQ community both inside prison and in free society. Your courage inspires me to embrace myself and those around me who are suffering under the same conditions. I’ve been reading your newsletter for over a year now and I’ve grown tremendously as a human being. You’ve allowed me to be comfortable in my own skin and I love all for it. It’s nice to know

that there is an organization that supports and nurtures people like me. You have given a voice to the voiceless. You have breathed new life into a class of marginalized and disenfranchised individuals. You have earned our trust and respect because you believed our humanity was more important than our sexual preference and gender orientation.

You are a beacon of hope, a healer of broken hearts and crushed spirits,

and a sanctuary for us to explore our creativity and discover our hidden potential. Thank you so much for your sacrifice. On behalf of the LGBTQ community of Oregon State Penitentiary, we love you and wish you all peace, happiness, and success. Keep up the amazing work.

You are making a difference.

Behind prison walls can be very dark and lonely and many of us may feel like giving up. But giving up is not an option. Please, my brothers and sisters remember there is somebody in the world that has it a lot worse than you.

Never forget that you’re a member of the LGBT family and are cared for.

Reach out and seek help if you need it.

hopelessness, trust me I do. I’ve got the scars on my wrist to prove it. In 2014, I was sentenced to 31-62 years and I thought my life was over, I even tried to end it myself. I guess I did something wrong because here I am today, a better man trying to help anyone I can.

Hopefully I’ve helped someone...

One love, Shawn W-X (OR)

Dear Black & Pink, I’ve just read my copy of B&P “June 2016”. I want to send my deepest regards to all the families that lost a loved one in Orlando. The lights of the world are a little dimmer now.

I’m a 33 year old Bi-male. I’ve hidden it for many, many years scared to tell anyone because of the harm that I may receive due to my sexual preference.

I’m of Latin descent so all my homies look down on men like me.

If you think I don’t know about

Sincerely, Eli A.K.A. Whetto (MI)

I told one of my closest homies that I am a bisexual man and the next thing I know I’m an outcast, no longer in the so-called “in-crowd”. I also told him after watching “I am Cait”, that I’m also attracted to transwomen. Now, everyone says I’m gay, although it wasn’t said in such a nice way.

But, I don’t care what anybody thinks or says about me. I am who I am and will always be myself. We must be true to our hearts. I find the human body absolutely beautiful no matter the gender, shape, or size.

Josh Machphee - Beyond Prisons (www.theamplifierfoundation.org)

blackandpink.org

Volume 8, Issue 2

Page 23

Our Black & Pink Family: Letters & Poetry Dear Friends Love, peace and salutations to all of my family. I am writing this letter from the L-5 on AC status at Houtzdale and it is for those who takes love for a joke. On 9-17-16 me and my other half/better half Brunisha was on our way back to our housing unit when someone came up behind me and slit/cut my neck open with a razor, part of the weapon they made out of razors was stuck.

All I could think about as my baby girl went with me half way to medical was how bad I had acted

towards them so many times and yet they still stood by my side. When I got to medical the cut was open more wide than it should have and they had to cut all of my clothing off and rush me to an outside hospital.

While my body was cold I broke out into a heavy sweat and started crying, not because someone cut me, but because it was done in front of her, she stood by my side even after what I put her through, I was going to give my body to them in a way that no one has had it, the nurses put my shirt that had all of Brunisha’s

information in it in the trash so now I have no way to contact them and last, I know now more than ever that I love them.

So now I'm being sent to another prison for safe keeping and all I can think about is how so many of us have the one person that love us yet we push them away and then when we do decide to do the right thing it's to late. If you have someone that you love don't be like me, do the right thing!

Preme (PA)

“I Imagine” by Shawn W-X (OR) I imagine a world where war is not an option I imagine a world where racism and sexism no longer exist I imagine a world where politicians serve the will of the people I imagine a world where democracy is the only form of government I imagine a world where it’s okay to have nuclear energy without nuclear weapons I imagine a world where freedom and liberty are not just ideas, but a way of life

I imagine a world where knowledge and higher education are the inheritance of all people I imagine a world where who I choose to be with is none of your business I imagine a world where religion is practiced more and preached less I imagine a world where children can grow up without fear of judgement because they’re different I imagine a world where we no longer allow juveniles to grow old and die in prison I imagine a world without poverty,

without violence, without drug addiction, without child abuse, without prostitution, without thirdclass citizenship, without borders, without prisons, without oppression, and without hypocrisy I imagine a world where the institution of marriage is the property of all human beings I imagine a world where what I am doesn’t define who I am

Because, Trying to be me People call me names And see me as a freak With no one being my friend.

Only Black & Pink Loves me – In the skin I’m in. – Wanting to be me, – In this prison of pain I feel I’m in.

Question: Can you imagine what I imagine?

By Jeff M., B. 1962 (MS) I Feel I don’t fit in.

So I crawl back into my second skin.

(I hide my tears behind a mask with a grin.)

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March 2017

Black & Pink News

Our Black & Pink Family: Letters Dear B & P Family, Happy 2017! I just started reading the Dec. 2016 newsletter, I’m like sixth in line for it after my friend gets it in.

I wrote in months back to receive my own copy but I’m still waiting. Must be a long line, that’s good; good to know there are so many interested.

Sadly, we need more support. I personally don’t have anyone who will, but I’m sure some of you do.

B+P helps a lot of people, people who have so little, so few resources, The imprisoned LGBT...community.

It’s worse here in prison. Personally, I have found only a few cute/hot guys who I’m certain are closeted, one is sort of out but apparently not interested. Why is it that a population of 1200 men, only a few spark my interest? On the other side, I have at least a dozen who “like” me, but I don’t share their interest. I’m told 40% of the population if not more is Gay/Bi/Trans...I only know maybe 10% of them. Anyone else have issues identifying our queer siblings?

guy screamed for help. I’ve never personally heard of a victim lying.

I sometimes wish we were as easy to identify as some ignorant people believe, at least to each other. It would be easier to organize and find new relations, i.e., friends, partners. It’s tough knowing who to talk to or if a cute “guy” is gay/bi or a trans-woman who isn’t into guys. Some trans’ are open, others hide it for safety reasons.

I read Miss Venus W. (AR) story. I agree, it’s messed up you’re denied consensual rights. From what I’ve read about PREA, it is because so few “victims” admit they’re victims; supposedly they claim it was consensual, the same with prison prostitute earning canteen. The only incident of rape I’ve heard of, the

On a final note, I am upset by the elections as many of you. Trump is not a good choice. As a Christian, I pray God will change him; but don’t expect it. We’re living in the end times.

Have A Sex Charge, I Am Classified As A Potential Predator. Because I Am Gay, I Am Classified As Potential Prey. This Has Created Problems For Me Finding Cell Mates. I Came to D.S.N.F. In June Of 2015 To Take Sex Offender Treatment Program. I Have A Single Man Cell So That Is No Longer A Problem For Me. If You Can Find a Program Like This In Your State, Take It.

Included For B&P To Review). This Is A Big Step In Our Favor. If You Can Get Access To R.S.O.L. They Are Great For Keeping Up With Law Changes Through Out The U.S. Their Address Is R.S.O.L. Inc. P.O. Box 36123, Albuquerque, NM, 87176. You Can Pay With Stamps.

If prisons want to stop prostitution, they should create more paying jobs for inmates so they can afford decent hygiene and some food. They should cut prices too. Where I’m at most stuff is 2-5x retail price and most of those lucky to get a job only get $4 a day, which translates to a 4 oz bag of coffee and a bag of sugar a week if you get the “cheap” coffee.

Love Always, Shawn M. (MA)

Hello To All. I Got My First Copy Of B&P In April of 2016. I Have Enjoyed Reading All The Letters From My Brothers And Sisters Around The United States. On page 16 Of The September Issue There Was A Letter From Jason In Arizona That Compelled Me To Write.

I Am A 47 Y.O. Gay, HIV+, HepC+, Wiccan, Sex Offender. I Have Five Different Strikes Against Me In The Tennessee Department Of Corrections.

Two In Particular, Being Gay And A A.S.O., Are Especially Problematic.

In The T.D.O.C., Because Of The Way They Use PREA. The T.D.O.C. Rates You As Either A Potential Victim Or A Potential Predator And Then Houses You Accordingly. I Am Both. Because I

I Also Get Another Newsletter, R.S.O.L. (Reform Sex Offender Laws). In Their October 2016 Issue There Was An Article About A 6th Circuit Court Of Appeals Ruling Stating That Making Laws Retroactive Are Unconstitutional Under The Ex Post Facto Clause Of The United States Constitution. (Case

Brothers And Sisters, Stand Up For Your Rights And For Yourselves. If You Don’t Stand Up For YourSelf No One Will Stand Up For You. We Here In Tennessee Are Filing A Law Suit To Stop The State From Violating My Constitutional Rights. And I Hope More Of Us Will.

Blessed Be Steven V. (TN)

Volume 8, Issue 2

blackandpink.org

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Our Black & Pink Family: Letters Dear Black and Pink Family, After reading the letter from “Jason in Arizona” (September 2016 Black and Pink Newsletter), I had to respond. I too am a gay S.D. prisoner in the Arizona Department of Corrections, and I have also had ADOC place a ‘Do Not House With’ against me simply because I’m gay. Like Jason, my man and I are trapped on opposing sides of DNHW, and no matter how much we’ve tried, we cannot get it removed. ADOC’s reason for the DNHW is simple- because we are gay, and because they became aware that we might be “together,” it falls under PREA because, in their words, “we might do something to violate PREA in the future.”

When my DNHW was placed, I was

brought in and ridiculed and threatened by staff. ADOC is blatantly using this tactic to harass and intimidate homosexual inmates, and utilizing a poor excuse of PREA to justify and further their hateful, bigoted actions. I am heartbroken and angry, but the system is larger than myself, and it seems as if I have no hope.

Jason, I’m sure that your man feels that you are the most beautiful and wonderful person in the whole world, and that he loves you limitlessly. Just hold your head high, hang in there, and never give up. Before I came to know my cherished one, I had no idea who I really was, or what true happiness could be. He showed me both, and although this situation has

torn me apart, I will never be the same, and I will not rest until we are reunited.

ADOC must realize at some point that we are many, but we stand together as one, and we will not be silenced. We will not stop until we are treated equally, and with the dignity and respect that we deserve. Remember, if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. I stand for Jason and all my other LQBTQ brothers and sisters in Arizona and everywhere else we are suffering from tyranny and oppression. We will not fail.

Do everything with love, but with firm conviction in your soul.

With Love, GFB in Arizona

Dear Black and Pink Family, This is my first time writing. My name is James Willis. I’m 36 years old and currently serving a 6 year sentence for my first probation violation. I’ve been receiving the Black and Pink newsletters for a little over a year now, maybe closer to two and really enjoy reading them.

My favorite part is reading other people’s stories and experiences. It really helps me knowing that there’s people out there that knows what I’m going through.

I’m planning to transition to female and am currently trying to get on the waiting list to start my evaluation process towards (hopefully) getting my gender dysphoria diagnosis and starting on my transitioning meds.

I’ve known (since the age of 7) that I wanted to be a girl. I feel that it is unfair to have to go through any kind of doctor so they can verify something I’ve known for almost 30 years!

I haven’t suffered any physical abuse since I’ve been here, but I’ve been threatened, talked about, and made fun of for over 3 years now.

It’s very frustrating when people go out of their way to criticize you for who you are when you don’t bother anyone or you don’t force your beliefs or opinions on them, sometimes it hurts very badly!

I just wanted to thank everyone for inviting me and welcoming me into

your family, it means more to me than words can say to be a part of something I believe in and support with all of my heart and soul!

Guess I’ll close for now, will write again later. Everyone take care and never give up on making your dreams come true!

All my love and support, Jinny (VA)

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March 2017

Black & Pink News

Buscando Contribuciones

Call for Submissions

¡Hola hermosa familia hispano-parlante de Black & Pink!

Seeking erotic short stories, poems, and art by Black & Pink incarcerated and free-world family members for a new zine. To be mailed, art cannot include full nudity.

Please send submissions (and shout outs to the authors from the first issue mailed in January!) addressed to Black & Pink - HOT PINK. This is a voluntary project, and no money will be offered for submissions, but you might get the chance to share your spicy story with many other readers! The zine will be sent one to two times per year.

Estamos buscando contribuciones en español para nuestras secciones de Cartas A Nuestra Familia y Poesía Del Corazón.

Por favor envía tu contribución escrita en forma legible y de no más de tres páginas a: Black & Pink – ESPAÑOL Damos la bienvenida a cualquier escrito de tu creación, pero dado el espacio y la variedad, no todas las contribuciones pueden ser aceptadas. Al enviar tu contribución, das permiso a Black & Pink para publicar tus escritos en forma impresa y en Internet.

To subscribe to receive a copy of HOT PINK, write to our address, Black & Pink - HOT PINK.

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. There’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 newpaper, 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, or Volunteering

Address the envelope to: Black & Pink - General

Newspaper Submissions - Stories, Articles, Poems, and Art

Black & Pink Newspaper Submissions

Black & Pink Organization or Newspaper Feedback

Black & Pink - Feedback

Black & Pink Religious Zine

Black & Pink The Spirit Inside

Advocacy Requests - Include details about 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 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

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

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

Black & Pink wants to publish your art!

Send your work to “Black & Pink Newspaper Submissions” and maybe you’ll be featured in the next issue!

Josh Machphee - Beyond Prisons (www.theamplifierfoundation.org) Previous page: Melanie Cervantes - Divest (www.theamplifierfoundation.org)