Black & Pink News, Vol. 8, Issue 1—January/February 2017

January & February 2017 Newsletter Sharing Poems, Art, and Letters Highlighting the Women’s March Analyzing the New Trump Presidency Celebrating Black History Month

Marsha “Pay It No Mind” Johnson (1945-1992) was an African American trans woman, a drag queen, a sex worker, an artist, an activist, and a Stonewall veteran.

Known for her eccentric hats and jewelry, she was recognized by being herself and fearing no harassment and ridicule for dressing and living as a woman. Along with fellow transgender activist Sylvia Rivera, she founded the STAR: Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries to help others facing the struggles of an unaccepting society.

In 1992, Marsha’s body was found in the Hudson River in New York.

Police and investigators ruled her death as a suicide, but folks who were close to her insisted that she was not suicidal. In fact, witnesses saw Marsha being harassed earlier that same day. Marsha lives on as a revolutionary There has been no criminal trailblazer for LGBTQ+ rights, AIDS investigation into her death. activism, and sex workers’ rights.

She will never be forgotten. (adapted from www.OutHistory.org)

bayard rustin

(1912-1987) was a socialist leader in the civil rights movement who was a staunch believer in nonviolence.

Throughout his life, he was criticized for being a gay man. In 1953, he was arrested for homosexual activity. He was often labelled a pervert or immoral by his political opponents.

Likely because of his sexual orientation, Rustin was less of a public spokesperson and more the person who did the behind-the-scene work. He is perhaps best known for organizing the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in August 1963.

Rustin died in 1987 of a perforated appendix.

Almost 30 years later, in 2013, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (via www.Wikipedia.org) Cover photo courtesy of the Odyssey Online, Photo to the right courtesy of Patrick A. Burns/New York Times Co./Getty Images, Below photo courtesy of the Washington Post.

Volume 8, Issue 1

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A Message from Jason Dear friends,

I hope this note finds you as well as possible. As I write this letter people around the country, and people around the world, are talking about the protests that took place during the inauguration and the Women’s marches that occurred all across the country. The Women’s Marches that occurred on January 21st were some of the largest marches to ever occur in the U.S. While people like to debate the exact numbers, the point is clear, millions upon millions of people are inspired to rise up and fight back. The big question now is: how do we harness all that energy? How do we welcome new people into the movement?

How do we make sure we are not securing some people’s liberation at the expense of others? How do we build from the bottom and from the margins? How do we get people to go from one march in the street to the difficult work of organizing?

How do you answer these questions?

What messages should people be hearing from inside prison walls?

In the days leading up to the protests in DC and the Women’s Marches in cities and towns around the country, I was stuck in bed fighting off pneumonia. I was very disappointed not to be in the streets with the many others who were doing all they could to force attention to the real issues. There were leaders of the Movement for Black Lives who locked down at an entrance to the inauguration, forcing those trying to get by notice that the fight for Black liberation is not going away. There were climate change activists blocking another entrance, refusing to allow the day

to go by without acknowledging the violence fossil fuels are causing our suffering planet. There has been a lot of discussion about the Black Bloc protesters who were smashing windows, turning over trash cans, and even punching a right wing racist in the face on national television.

Given that I was mostly stuck in bed, I found myself having conversations on social media about strategy and tactics. What is okay for protestors to do? What is the right way to fight fascism? Which tactics are good?

Which tactics are effective? What is the larger strategy? How are we going to win, and when will we know that we have won? When it comes to our work, the work of our Black and Pink family as well as the larger movement for abolition, these are questions we must wrestle with to.

For me, it’s helpful to break some of this down and define what we are talking about. Tactics are generally understood as the actions people or groups take to get something done. Tactics include phone calls to congress people, chaining oneself to a building, holding a protest in the street, smashing windows, and countless other actions. Tactics are usually part of a larger effort or campaign to get certain demands met or changes made. This can include getting government officials to support certain legislation, getting prison officials to close solitary confinement cells, or getting corporations to stop mining. Most campaigns include lots of different tactics and these campaigns fit within certain strategies. Strategies are the roadmaps, intentionally created, that

put many tactics (and often multiple campaigns) together to achieve a larger goal. Often, multiple strategies are being used at the same time. Sometimes there is an insider strategy, trying to make change from within the system, and an outsider campaign, forcing change from the outside. These strategies can get in the way of one another; it’s one of the things that makes social movement work so tricky. One of the key parts of a group creating an effective strategy is for that group to have a shared set of values or a shared theory of change.

This is one of the things we have been for Black and Pink. You may remember when we printed our updated values for Black and Pink.

In order for us to have be clear about what work we should be doing, we need to start with our shared values.

At our next national gathering, in August, we will be defining more clearly what our strategy is as Black and Pink. We have great tactics with pen pals, newspaper, chapter building, and healing. We have some strong campaigns as we fight solitary confinement and build other campaigns. We have some clear short term goals, and our long term goal of abolition is very clear. With your vision, your wisdom, we can have a clearer strategy for change in these uncertain times. Let us discuss, challenge each other, take greater risks, and keep fighting knowing that once there were no prisons, that day will come again.

In loving solidarity,

Jason

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Black & Pink News

January 2017

What’s Inside!

News You Can Use: Obama Commutes Drug Sentences~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~6 News You Can Use: Trump’s Inauguration Speech~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~7 News You Can Use: Private Prison Companies and Trump~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~8 News You Can Use: Trump’s Executive Actions~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~9 News You Can Use: Angela Davis’s Women’s March Speech~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~10, 11 News You Can Use: Child Support Relief for Incarcerated Parents~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~11 News You Can Use: HIV Criminalization Cases~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~12, 13 New You Can Use: How Albert Woodfox Survived Solitary~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~14, 15 A Call for Art Submissions~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~16 Black & Pink Address and Topics~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~17 Letters, Poetry, and Art~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 CeCe McDonald / BGD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~21, 22 2nd National Black & Pink Gathering~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~30 Black & Pink Organizational Chart~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~31 Black & Pink Hotline

The hotline phone number is 617.519.4387! The hotline will be available Sundays 1-5pm (Eastern Time) for certain. You can call at other times as well and we will do our best to answer your calls; they will be answered as often as possible. We are sorry that we can only accept prepaid calls at this time.

The purposes of the hotline are: Supportive listening. Being in prison is lonely, as we all know.

The hotline is here for supportive listening so you can just talk to someone about what is going on in your life.

Organizing. If there are things going on at your prison in terms of lock downs, guard harassment, resistance, and anything else that should be shared with the public, let us know so we can spread the word.

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

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

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

Statement of Purpose

Black & Pink is an open family of LGBTQ prisoners and “free world” allies who support each other. Our work toward the abolition of the prison industrial complex is rooted in the experience of currently and formerly incarcerated people. We are outraged by the specific violence of the prison industrial complex against LGBTQ people, and respond through advocacy, education, direct service, and organizing.

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

About this Newsletter

Since 2007, Black & Pink free world volunteers have pulled together a monthly newsletter primarily composed of material written by our

family’s incarcerated members. In response to letters we receive, more prisoners receive the newspaper each issue! This newspaper is being sent to over 9,400 prisoners!

Disclaimer

Please note that the ideas and opinions expressed in the Black & Pink Newspaper are solely those of the authors and artists and do not necessarily re ect the views of Black & Pink. Black & Pink makes no representations as to the accuracy of any statements made in the Newspaper, including but not limited to legal and medical information. Authors and artists bear sole responsibility for their work. Everything published in the Newspaper is also on the internet— it can be seen by anyone with a computer. By sending a letter to “Newspaper Submissions,” you are agreeing to have your piece in the Newspaper and on the internet.

For this reason, we only publish First Names and State Location to respect people’s privacy. Pieces may be edited to fit our anti-oppression values and based on our Editing Guidelines.

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Black & Pink News

In Final Act as President, Obama Commutes 330 Drug Sentences Published by the Chicago Tribune on January 19, 2017 In a last major act as president, Barack Obama cut short the sentences of 330 federal inmates convicted of drug crimes on Thursday, bringing his bid to correct what he's called a systematic injustice to a climactic close.

With his final offer of clemency, Obama brought his total number of commutations granted to 1,715, more than any other president in U.S. history, the White House said.

During his presidency Obama ordered free 568 inmates who had been sentenced to life in prison.

“He wanted to do it. He wanted the opportunity to look at as many as he could to provide relief," Neil Eggleston, Obama's White House counsel, said in an interview in his West Wing office. "He saw the injustice of the sentences that were imposed in many situations, and he has a strong view that people deserve a second chance.”

The final batch of commutations — more in a single day than on any other day in U.S. history — was the culmination of Obama's secondterm effort to try to remedy the consequences of decades of onerous sentencing requirements that he said had imprisoned thousands of drug offenders for too long. Obama repeatedly called on Congress to pass a broader criminal justice fix, but lawmakers never acted.

For Bernard Smith, it’s a longawaited chance to start over after 13 years away from his wife and children.

Smith was working at a restaurant in Maryland in 2002 when his brother asked him to obtain marijuana for a drug deal. Though it was his brother who obtained the crack cocaine that the brothers then sold along with the marijuana to undercover officers, Smith was charged with the cocaine offense, too.

His 22-year sentence was far longer than his brother’s, owing to what the court called Smith’s “extensive criminal history” prior to the drug bust. Smith still had 10 years on his sentence when he was notified Thursday that the president, on his last day in office, was giving him another chance.

“He’s looking to turn his life around,” said Michelle Curth, his attorney. “He’s a good person who, like so many people, got involved in something he’s been punished for already.”

But freedom for Smith is still two years away. Rather than release him immediately, Obama directed that he be set free in January 2019 — two years after Obama has left office — and only if Smith enrolls in a residential drug treatment program.

To be eligible for a commutation under Obama’s initiative, inmates had to have behaved well in prison and already served 10 years, although some exceptions to the 10year rule were granted. They also had to be considered nonviolent offenders, although many were charged with firearms violations in relation to their drug crimes.

Obama personally reviewed the case of every inmate who received a commutation, often poring over case files in the evenings or calling his attorneys into his office to discuss specifics. Although a backlog of cases remains as Obama leaves office, his administration reviewed all applications that came in by an end-of-August deadline, officials said.

Eggleston said Obama had been particularly motivated to grant clemency to inmates who had turned themselves around in prison. He said one inmate had trained and obtained a commercial driver’s license through a prison program, despite having a life sentence that all but assured he’d never get to use it.

“The ones who really stuck home for the president and me are the ones who got their GED, they worked, they took courses in anger management, they took courses in getting over drug abuse issues, they remained in contract with their families,” Eggleston said.

Obama has long called for phasing out strict sentences for drug offenses, arguing they lead to excessive punishment and incarceration rates unseen in other developed countries.

With Obama’s support, the Justice Department in recent years directed prosecutors to rein in the use of harsh mandatory minimums.

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Key Moments from Trump's Inauguration Speech

By Nolan D. McCaskill, Published by Politico on January 20, 2017 Minutes after reciting the Oath of Office on Friday afternoon, Donald Trump introduced himself to the world as the 45th president of the United States with a brief, forceful and unconventional inaugural address. Below are key moments from the speech.

poverty and danger at home and flashing weakness on the foreign stage. The people suffered, Trump said, while "elites" in Washington prospered. “Their victories have not been your victories,” he said.

“Their triumphs have not been your triumphs and while they celebrated in our nation’s capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land. That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment.

It belongs to you.” He also made a promise: "This American carnage stops right here and stops right now."

Trump thanks now-former President Barack Obama and now-former First Lady Michelle Obama for their help in the transition, also offering a nod to the other former presidents present: George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. It was an inclusive, formal and polite note to open the address, and it was followed by...

Trump pivots to offer “a new vision will govern our land.” Speaking in Trump slams Obama's performance grim terms about the current state of as president. The new president affairs in America, Trump pledged bemoaned the state of the nation, to improve the nation by putting describing a nation descending into America and its people first. “From

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama to a Marine helicopter during a departure ceremony.

(Evan Vucci/AP Photo)

this day forward,” he said, “it’s going to be only America first.”

Trump returns to the language of his campaign, promising America will “win again.” Without offering specific plans details, he pledges his administration will bring back jobs, borders, dreams, and wealth. He promised new infrastructure and to get Americans off of welfare. “I will fight for you with every breath in my body, and I will never, ever let you down,” he said. “America will start winning again. Winning like never before.”

Trump promises “empty talk is over,” saying: “We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action constantly complaining but never doing anything about it,” Trump said. “The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action.” He urged Americans not to allow anyone to convince them that something can’t be done and vowed that the U.S. “will not fail.” Rather, “our country will thrive and prosper again,” he said.

And then, 16 minutes after he began, Trump finished. After a campaign of long speeches and an inaugural address best measured in hours, Trump delivered an inaugural address far shorter than those of most of his predecessors. Following the address, the 45th President of the United States — flanked by a smiling Obama, trailed by new Vice President Mike Pence and now-former Vice President Joe Biden — down the Capitol Steps and toward a White House that is his new home.

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Black & Pink News

Private Prison Companies May Shoot for Trump Infrastructure Cash

By Donald Cohen, Published by the Huffington Post on January 27, 2017

“We should be focusing on [how to] help everyone, not the few that already have so much.”

In the era of alternative facts, words have become more ambiguous than usual. So when President Donald Trump says he’ll spend $1 trillion rebuilding America’s infrastructure, we should look at the details to see what he really means.

Damon Hininger, CEO of the country’s largest private prison company, sure thinks he knows what Trump means. To Hininger, when Trump says “infrastructure,” he doesn’t just mean roads and bridges, he also means prisons and jails.

$1 trillion would be other people’s money. Instead of issuing public debt—the simplest and cheapest way to build things—Trump would dangle a massive tax break to attract private investment to public infrastructure.

Such “public-private partnerships” can be rife with problems—without protections, the public often loses control over policy regarding the infrastructure and workers get lower wages and fewer benefits. The tax break is just the cherry on top.

But, remember, the details.

Apparently, Hininger wants in on it. CoreCivic profited $222 million in 2015 from owning and operating prisons, jails, immigration detention centers, and halfway houses. But he wants the world to know they build stuff too. When they changed their name from CCA in October, Hininger said it was about transforming the business to a “wider range of government solutions,” including real estate. In fact, several years ago they changed their corporate legal status to a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). In the interview, he even brags about it: “No one has built more facilities in the last 15 years than CoreCivic in the United States.”

From what we know about the plan, when Trump says “rebuild,” he really means “privatize.” Most of that

There’s no question America needs an infrastructure upgrade. We’ve neglected our roads, bridges, and

Asked in a December interview about what impact Trump would have on his business, he told CNBC, “I think this whole conversation about infrastructure and the need to replace old antiquated facilities, I think we can provide a lot of value.”

The “we” is Hininger’s company, CoreCivic, formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America (CCA). The “conversation” he was referring to is, of course, Trump’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan.

water systems for far too long.

We’ve also failed to invest in new infrastructure such as light rail and broadband communications to respond to 21st century challenges and opportunities.

But we need fewer prisons, jails, and detention centers, not more. America already has the biggest incarcerated population in the world. Every dollar of profit that falls into Hininger’s pockets should instead be going to reducing that population, to public programs for things like mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and education.

Private prison companies like CoreCivic don’t need a tax break— because they’ve already got one.

In 2015 alone, CoreCivic and its primary competitor, GEO Group, used their REIT status to avoid a combined $113 million in federal income taxes.

Think about what we could do with that money. And think about what we could build and repair with $1 trillion without private strings attached.

Those are details that as a society we should be focusing on—because they help everyone, not the few that already have so much.

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All the Executive Actions Donald Trump Has Signed This Week

By Veronica Stracqualursi, Published by ABC News on January 28, 2017 MONDAY Starting off the week, Trump signed three presidential memorandums, the most notable of which directed the United States’ withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.

Another presidential memo Trump issued Monday established a hiring freeze for federal workers, except for the military.

Trump also reinstated the Mexico City Policy, a policy that prohibits federal funding to nongovernment organizations that promote or perform abortions.

Since the policy was announced in 1984

by President Ronald Reagan, it has been revoked by every Democratic president only to be reinstated by their Republican successor.

TUESDAY President Trump signed an executive order and four presidential memorandums on Tuesday focused mostly on energy, infrastructure and pending pipeline projects.

Tuesday’s executive order pushes for expedited environmental reviews and approvals for infrastructure projects.

“It is the policy of the executive branch to streamline and expedite, in a manner consistent with law, environmental reviews and approvals for all infrastructure projects, especially projects that are a high priority for the Nation,” the order reads.

Two of Tuesday’s memos aim at advancing the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.

In the daily press briefing, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said the third memo signed by Trump Tuesday instructs the commerce secretary to

“submit a report recommending how best to streamline manufacturing permitting” and “to reach out to manufacturers and the public to identify regulations that are hurting them from moving forward.”

And Tuesday’s fourth memo orders the commerce secretary to lead a study looking into building the Keystone XL, Dakota Access and future pipelines with steel, pipes and accessories made in the U.S. WEDNESDAY Trump signed two executive orders related to immigration and border security during a visit to Department of Homeland Security headquarters on Wednesday.

“Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements” -- Trump’s first of the two executive orders that day -- sets in the motion the wall he promised he would build on the U.SMexico border. This order also brings an end to the “catch and release” policy, which temporarily releases some illegal immigrants due to limited detention space.

“Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States” calls for the removal of illegal immigrants who’ve been convicted of a criminal offense, charged with a criminal offense (where the charge hasn’t been resolved), committed acts that “constitute a chargeable criminal offense” or “in the judgment of an immigration officer, otherwise pose a risk to public safety or national security.” It also orders that federal grant money be stripped from “sanctuary cities,” cities willing to defy federal immigration laws so as to protect illegal immigrants.

THURSDAY - no presidential directives FRIDAY President Trump signed a presidential memorandum for the defense secretary and the Office of Management and Budget director to conduct several reviews aimed at rebuilding U.S. Armed Forces.

And the last executive order of the week that Trump signed was his “extreme vetting” directive.

The executive order, titled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States,” suspends the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for 120 days and immigration from countries with ties to terror, including Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Iran and Libya, for a period of 90 days.

“I hereby proclaim that the entry of nationals of Syria as refugees is detrimental to the interests of the United States and thus suspend any such entry until such time as I have determined that sufficient changes have been made to the USRAP to ensure that admission of Syrian refugees is consistent with the national interest,” the executive order states.

It also halts the issuing of visas and other immigration benefits to people from countries of “particular concern” and caps the entry of refugees in 2017 at 50,000.

“Upon the resumption of USRAP admissions,” priority will be given to refugees fleeing from religious-based persecution, “provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual’s country of nationality.”

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January 2017

Black & Pink News

Angela Davis's Women's March Speech

By Lyndsey Matthews, Published by Elle on January 21, 2017 Civil rights activist Angela Davis spoke at the Women's March on Washington on Saturday in front of a crowd of hundreds of thousands who gathered in the nation's capital to protest the Trump administration. Davis, who is known for writing such books as Women, Race, and Class, made a passionate call for resistance and asked the audience to become more militant in their demands for social justice over the next four years of Trump's presidency.

At a challenging moment in our history, let us remind ourselves that we the hundreds of thousands, the millions of women, trans-people, men and youth who are here at the Women’s March, we represent the powerful forces of change that are determined to prevent the dying cultures of racism, hetero-patriarchy from rising again.

We recognize that we are collective agents of history and that history cannot be deleted like web pages. We know that we gather this afternoon on indigenous land and we follow the lead of the first peoples who despite massive genocidal violence have never relinquished the struggle for land, water, culture, their people.

We especially salute today the Standing Rock Sioux.

The freedom struggles of black people that have shaped the very nature of this country’s history cannot be deleted with the sweep of a hand. We cannot be made to forget that black lives do matter.

This is a country anchored in slavery and colonialism, which means for better or for worse the very history of the United States is a history of immigration and enslavement.* Spreading xenophobia, hurling accusations of murder and rape and building walls will not erase history.

No human being is illegal.

The struggle to save the planet, to stop climate change, to guarantee the accessibility of water from the lands of the Standing Rock Sioux, to Flint, Michigan, to the West Bank and Gaza.

The struggle to save our flora and fauna, to save the air—this is ground zero of the struggle for social justice.

This is a women’s march and this women’s march represents the promise of feminism as against the pernicious powers of state violence. And inclusive and intersectional feminism that calls upon all of us to join the resistance to racism, to Islamophobia, to antiSemitism, to misogyny, to capitalist exploitation.

Angela Davis at the Women’s March.

(Fashion Bomb Daily)

Yes, we salute the fight for 15. We dedicate ourselves to collective resistance. Resistance to the billionaire mortgage profiteers and gentrifiers. Resistance to the health care privateers. Resistance to

the attacks on Muslims and on immigrants. Resistance to attacks on disabled people. Resistance to state violence perpetrated by the police and through the prison industrial complex. Resistance to institutional and intimate gender violence,

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Child Support Relief Coming for Incarcerated Parents

By Eli Hager, Published by the Marshall Project on December 20, 2016 Squeezing in an executive action just a month before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Obama administration on Tuesday quietly unveiled a new federal regulation that will allow incarcerated parents to lower their child-support payments while they are in prison.

The new rule, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, requires states to notify all parents incarcerated for more than six months of their right to ask the child support agency for a temporary reduction in payments.

As The Marshall Project reported in October 2015, many states have long considered incarceration a form of “voluntary” impoverishment, and therefore not a valid excuse for missing child-

support payments. But jobs in state prisons pay a median wage of about 20 cents an hour, meaning that most incarcerated parents cannot feasibly pay the full amount of their childsupport obligation — and end up tens of thousands of dollars in debt by the time they get out. (The best estimates indicate that one in five prisoners in the U.S. has a childsupport order.)

The new rule, said Vicki Turetsky, commissioner of the Office of Child Support Enforcement, is intended to keep these mostly-poor fathers out of severe debt so they are less tempted back into crime after they are released.

Republicans in Congress, including House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), introduced legislation in June 2015

to block Obama’s new regulation, arguing that it would lead to more single mothers on welfare, which would be a greater burden on taxpayers. But the bill has stalled.

The incoming Trump administration could now resume efforts to undo the regulation, which also includes measures to calculate what poor parents owe based on their actual income and to reduce the uncollectible accumulated debt that forces many fathers to go underground.

But to do so, the new Health and Human Services Department under nominee Tom Price would have to go through the same extensive rulemaking process the Obama administration did — which took more than two years.

Angela Davis's Women's March Speech continued from previous page especially against trans women of color.

Women’s rights are human rights all over the planet and that is why we say freedom and justice for Palestine.

We celebrate the impending release of Chelsea Manning. And Oscar López Rivera. But we also say free Leonard Peltier. Free Mumia AbuJamal. Free Assata Shakur.

Over the next months and years we will be called upon to intensify our demands for social justice to become more militant in our defense of vulnerable populations. Those who still defend the supremacy of white male hetero-patriarchy had better watch out.

ground, resistance in the classrooms, resistance on the job, resistance in our art and in our music.

The next 1,459 days of the Trump administration will be 1,459 days of resistance: Resistance on the

*Davis might have misspoke with “for better or worse”; perhamps it applies to immigration, but not slavery.

This is just the beginning and in the words of the inimitable Ella Baker, ‘We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.’ Thank you.

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January 2017

Black & Pink News

Important Updates on HIV Criminilization Cases Courtesy of Catherine Hanssens from the Center for HIV Law & Policy Below is a summary of recent developments in three cases involving HIV as proof of intent to harm. Two are criminal; one involves indefinite civil commitment based on the finding that the individual is a dangerous sex offender in need of supervision under NY’s Article 10.

Michael Johnson On May 15, 2015, Michael Johnson, a young Black college student at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, was found guilty in the Circuit Court of St. Charles County of one count of the Class A felony of recklessly infecting another with HIV, one count of the Class B felony of recklessly exposing another person to HIV, and three counts of the Class C felony of attempting to expose another person to HIV. The complainants in case were men of similar ages, most of whom Johnson met on online hookup apps and social networking sites. Johnson was sentenced on July 13, 2015 to a total term of 30 ½ years imprisonment.

The Missouri Appellate Public Defender appealed Michael’s conviction and sentence, arguing that (1) the trial court abused its discretion by admitting excerpted recordings of phone calls Johnson made while in jail that were not disclosed to the defense until the morning of the first day of trial, (2) the prosecutor’s closing argument amounted to unsworn testimony violating Johnson’s right to confront and cross-examine the witness, guaranteed by the United States and Missouri Constitutions,

and (3) Johnson’s sentence of 30 ½ myears in prison was grossly disproportionate to the crime and violated his constitutional right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.

A friend-of-the court brief, drafted

by CHLP and the law firm Gibbons, P.C., with the ACLU of Missouri Foundation serving as local counsel, was filed by twenty-three national and state organizations. Amici argue that the Missouri law 1) violates the constitutional right to equal protection; (2) violates the right to privacy in one’s medical information, and 3) violates prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Amici also argue that Johnson’s sentence was unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment because it is grossly disproportionate to Mr. Johnson’s conduct and any resulting harm.

In an opinion filed on December 20, 2016, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, reversed the judgment of the trial court and remanded for a new trial. The Court found that the trial court abused its discretion on Johnson’s first point of appeal, and did not reach the constitutional and federal disability

arguments raised in Johnson’s second point and the amicus brief.

The Court based its decision on the finding that the State’s disclosure of jailhouse telephone recordings on the first day of trial rendered his trail fundamentally unfair, as it was “knowing and intentional and was part of a trial-by-ambush strategy.”

On, January 4th, attorneys for the State of Missouri filed a motion for reconsideration by the court en banc, rehearing, or transfer to the Missouri Supreme Court. The State does not directly dispute that the disclosure was untimely, but argues, inter alia, that the Court misapprehended the record and that a discovery violation did not occur because the defendant had knowledge of the recordings, that the prosecutor did not have superior access to the recordings, and the withholding of the recordings was not “to gain a tactical advantage at trial, but to preserve an avenue of investigation.” A decision on the motion should come from the Court of Appeals in two to three weeks.

There are numerous potential outcomes; the most probable will be, as in most cases, the Court of Appeals will deny the motion. If a request for transfer to the Supreme Court is also denied, a mandate will issue and the case can be retried by the prosecutor.

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Important Updates on HIV Criminilization Cases continued from previous page Orlando Batista In October 2016, the Supreme Court of Ohio announced it would review the HIV criminal law at issue in State of Ohio v. Orlando Batista. In July 2014, Orlando Batista was indicted for felonious assault for allegedly engaging in sexual conduct with his girlfriend without first disclosing his HIV status to her. The trial court found him guilty and sentenced him to 8 years imprisonment, the maximum allowed under the statute. Batista preserved his right to challenge the legality of the Ohio statute itself on appeal, but the appellate court rejected these arguments and affirmed Batista's conviction. The Hamilton County Public Defender, representing Batista, submitted a brief to the Supreme Court of Ohio seeking review of the Ohio law. In June 2016, CHLP and the ACLU of Ohio Foundation, along with thirteen Ohio-based and national HIV, civil liberties, LGBT, social advocacy and criminal justice organizations, submitted a memorandum in support of Mr. Batista’s request for review.

In December 27, 2016, the defendant-appellant submitted his merit brief, arguing that the felonious assault statute (1) violates the Equal Protection Clauses of the Ohio and United States Constitutions, and (2) is a content-based regulation on speech that unconstitutionally compels speech and usurps the

Constitutional right to refrain from speaking in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

Additionally, two friend-of-the court briefs were filed on the same date.

In December 2016, CHLP, with support from the Ohio Public Defender and Gibbons P.C. law firm, along with seven Ohio-based and national HIV, LGBT, health professional and criminal justice organizations, submitted an amici curiae brief in support of Orlando Batista to the Supreme Court of Ohio arguing the state's felonious assault statute: (1) violates the Equal Protection Clauses of the Ohio and United States Constitutions because it singles out people living with HIV for prosecution in response to conduct that is not criminal in the case of other groups, for example those living with other sexually transmitted diseases and (2) violates the clear prohibitions against disability-based discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Jeffrey Gamso, the former Legal Director of the ACLU of Ohio Foundation, along with the ACLU of Ohio Foundation and the Center for Constitutional Rights, submitted an additional amici curiae brief supporting Mr.Batista arguing that Ohio's felonious assault statute compels speech in violation of the Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment and the Ohio Constitution.

Nushawn Williams The Court of Appeals, of New York State denied Nushawn Williams' motion for leave to appeal (See 2016 NY Slip Op 94324 and 2016 NY Slip Op 94325). Nushawn’s case is, judging by the sheer volume of press, the most notorious HIV criminal case ever, anywhere; He has spent nearly 20 years confined as a consequence of his guilty pleas to having sex with a 13 year old when he was 19, and for having sex after he knew he was HIV positive with two other women. His appellate attorney raised a number of procedural and substantive challenges to Williams’ commitment. The amici main argument was that HIV status cannot serve as the basis for a dangerous sex offender determination, and the state's reliance on HIV status violates the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the ADA. We are reviewing Nushawn’s options in consultation with Nushawn and his appellate attorney. At present, a hearing is scheduled on January 20, 2017 to determine when and whether to schedule an the annual administrative review of Nushawn's confinement (to which he is entitled by statute).

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January 2017

Black & Pink News

Excerpts from “How Albert Woodfox Survived Solitary”

By Rachel Aviv, Published by the New Yorker on January 16, 2017 Last summer, five months after being released from prison, Albert Woodfox went to Harlem. It was there, in 1969, during his last week of freedom, that he met members of the Black Panther Party for the first time.

Woodfox had intended to go to a meeting of the New York chapter of the Party that week, but he was arrested for a robbery before he could. Instead, he founded a chapter of the Party at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, in Angola, where he was held in solitary confinement for more than forty years—longer than any prisoner in American history. He and two other Black Panthers, who were in solitary confinement for a total of more than a hundred years, became known as the Angola 3.

On April 17, 1972, Brent Miller, a twenty-three-year-old guard at Angola who had just been married, was stabbed thirty-two times in a black dorm.

Friends of the Millers came to the prison armed with shotguns and baseball bats, to assist with the investigation. Woodfox was the first prisoner to be interrogated.

Warden Henderson, who described Woodfox as a “hard-core Black Panther racist,” assumed that the murder was a political act. “You had a group of Black Panthers inside who felt that they had to do something to get attention, and they decided to kill a white person,” he said later.

Woodfox said that the sheriff of St. Francisville, the town closest to Angola, pointed a gun at his forehead and told him, “You Black Panthers

need to bring y’all ass down to St. Francisville. We’ll show you something.”

Miller’s body had been found near the bed of Hezekiah Brown, a black inmate who had been sentenced to death for rape. Brown initially said that he knew nothing about the murder. Four days later, Warden Henderson promised Brown a pardon if he would “crack the case.” Brown named four prison activists from New Orleans: Woodfox, Herman Wallace—a charismatic and scholarly thirty-year-old who had co-founded the New Orleans chapter of the Party—Chester Jackson, and Gilbert Montague. Brown said that he had been drinking coffee with Miller when the four Panthers ran into the dorm, pulled Miller onto Brown’s bed, and stabbed him.

Two weeks after Miller’s death, the four men were charged with murder.

There was an abundance of physical evidence at the crime scene, none of which linked them to the killing. A bloody fingerprint near Miller’s body did not match any of theirs.

Woodfox and Wallace, sentenced to life without parole, were returned to Closed Cell Restricted and placed in six-by-nine-foot cells. For more than five years, they never went outside.

Woodfox spent several hours a day writing letters to pen pals, many of whom were also known as political prisoners, like Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu-Jamal. He said he was “positive that the people—our brothers and sisters outside—would

rise up and organize for us.” But the Party had splintered—Huey Newton envisaged a party devoted to community service, while Eldridge Cleaver advocated urban guerrilla warfare. By 1982, the Party had collapsed. The plight of the Angola 3 was forgotten.

Yet the three men, who communicated with one another by sending written and oral messages, passed from one cell to the next, continued identifying as Panthers.

Wallace described the principles of the Party as “indelible mental protection,” the “key to the mental stability of every one of us.”

For twenty years, Woodfox had no lawyer. He, Wallace, and King taught themselves criminal and civil law. In 1991, King wrote a brief for Woodfox, arguing that he had been unconstitutionally indicted, because his grand jury, like every grand jury in the history of St. Francisville, excluded women.

A judge agreed, and overturned Woodfox’s conviction. Before he could be released, however, the state indicted him again. One of the grand jurors was Anne Butler. She had devoted part of a book to the case, describing how the Angola Panthers left “their own bloody mark on history.” She said that she asked to be excused from the jury but that the D.A. insisted she serve. (Later, after an argument, the warden shot her five times, almost killing her, and was sentenced to fifty years in prison.)

The trial was held in Amite City, a town where many Angola guards

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lived. During his trial and the two years leading up to it, Woodfox was in the general population at a county jail in Amite City, where he was never disciplined for breaking a rule. When he returned to Angola, a social worker noted that there were “no indications of behavioral problems about this inmate reported by security.” Nevertheless, he was placed in solitary confinement.

Woodfox often woke up gasping. He felt that the walls of the cell were squeezing him to death, a sensation that he began to experience the day after his mother’s funeral, in 1994.

He had planned to go to the burial— prisoners at Angola are permitted to attend the funerals of immediate family—but at the last minute his request was denied.

In 2000, the three men filed a lawsuit, arguing that twenty-eight years of solitary confinement constituted cruel and unusual punishment.

In 2001, King’s conviction was overturned, after the state’s two witnesses admitted that they had lied, and recanted their testimony. King was told that if he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge he would be released immediately.

In 2008, John Conyers, the chair of the House Committee on the Judiciary, and Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana state representative, learned about Woodfox and Wallace’s decades of confinement and visited them at C.C.R. After the meeting, Richmond told the press that a “massive amount of evidence”

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showed that Woodfox and Wallace were innocent.

Louisiana’s attorney general, Buddy Caldwell, requested the recordings of nearly seven hundred phone calls made by Wallace and Woodfox, including conversations with their lawyers.

Investigators listened to all the calls, and found that, in an interview with a project called Prison Radio, Woodfox had stated that he continued to live by the principles of the Black Panther Party. As punishment, Woodfox was prevented from going outside. Soon afterward, Warden Cain decided that he no longer wanted Woodfox and Wallace at his prison. “I got tired of the Angola 3,” he said. The men were transferred to new prisons, at opposite ends of the state. They remained in solitary confinement.

Wallace lost fifty pounds. He complained of stomach pain, which the prison doctors diagnosed as a fungus. Five days later, a doctor hired

by Wallace’s lawyers found an eightcentimetre bulge in his abdomen. He received a diagnosis of liver cancer.

Wallace told Haney, “The majority of my life I have been treated like an animal, so I guess I will die like an animal.”

Five days later, in September, 2013, a federal judge responded to Wallace’s habeas petition, which had been lingering in the courts for years. The judge overturned his conviction, ordering that he be released. Three days later, he died.

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A year after Wallace’s death, Woodfox’s conviction was overturned again, because of racial discrimination in the selection of the grand jury. The state issued a new arrest warrant and, in February, 2015, convened a grand jury to indict Woodfox for the third time.

In late 2015, Buddy Caldwell was voted out of office, and Deidre Howard sent the new attorney general, Jeff Landry, more than a hundred pages of letters that she had written to attorneys and judges involved in the case. Landry offered to end the prosecution if Woodfox pleaded no-contest to manslaughter.

On February 19, 2016, his sixtyninth birthday, Woodfox packed his belongings into garbage bags and put about a hundred letters in a cardboard box. He put on black slacks and a black bomber jacket that a freed Angola prisoner had sent him.

Not until he was outside did he believe that he was actually going to be freed. It was a warm, clear, sunny day. He squinted and held the hem of his jacket. When he reached the front gate, he raised his fist and gave a closed-lip smile to a small crowd of supporters.

Michael led him to his car, a blue Corvette. Woodfox shuffled when he walked, as if shackles still connected his feet. Biting his lip and crying, Michael helped his brother into the passenger seat and showed him how to fasten the seat belt.

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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!

Young and Black

by Carron H.

Black & Pink News

January 2017

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Volume 8, Issue 1

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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

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Black & Pink News

January/February 2017

Our Black & Pink Family: Letters and Poetry Dearest Brothers and Sisters in the cause, How great it is to read this publication and know that there are others fighting in the movement for LGBTQI rights in prison. I am sending you all courage and resilience to overcome trials and torture perpetrated by Department of Corrections Staff as well as hate-filled inmates.

Your struggles, pain, and harassment are not in vain. We are making progress and will eventually stamp out the bigotry that permeates thru our environment.

My name is Michael R and I have started the movement here in Arkansas prisons. Along with some of our sisters whom I would be remiss not to name: Bluebird, Skittles, Ta'ta, JoJo, and Strawberry - I have accumulated the information needed to start a revolution - rather, further the revolution started by our Black & Pink family. This revolution is both legal, as I have had a success in that area recently, and "behind the scenes," making the waves where it's possible, when it's necessary, and in radical form against the racist, homophobic Prison Industrial Complex.

I grew up a Roman Catholic in Harrison AR. Harrison is the Regional Headquarters for the Ku Klux Klan here in Arkansas. The "Grand Wizard" resides there. I mention this to indicate that I am in no way unfamiliar with racist, anti-gay rhetoric and propaganda. Unfortunately, this diatribe I was consistently bombarded with (racist from the outside, anti-gay from my Catholic family) instilled enough fear in me to stay closeted until I came to prison. My story is not so different from many, my repression was a main contribu-

tor to a heroin, cocaine, and alcohol addiction that destroyed my shell of a life. I came to prison at 20 in 2010, came out to my family in 2015, and only my grandmother "rides" now.

Not that it wasn't controversial at first, but after we got past the initial stereotypes and my being rebuked in the name of Jesus Christ, we do well :) But this isn't about me personally. I'm a 27 year old white, very gay male who's past fear, self-hatred, and loathing, and 7 years in prison have forced me to become a radical advocate for LGBTQI AND women's rights.

I would also like to say that though the Catholic Church's official teaching is against homosexuality I have not abandoned my faith. I believe it to be my responsibility to fight for change within my church. After all, He is my God and Jesus died for me as well. But this isn't about Religion either, though I TOTALLY support ANY and ALL belief systems that make us better people and teach us to love others.

After corresponding with Just Detention International (formally "STOP PRISON RAPE") I received a Federal Copy of the Prison Rape

Elimination Act. I had been ignorant to the fact that verbally abusive terms used toward sexual orientation in ANY derogatory way is considered sexual harassment. As I have always been a believer in the Grievance Process, I started filing paperwork every time an Officer referred to me as a "Punk, Faggot, Dick-sucker" or any other vulgar term. Then I filed more paperwork if they retaliated. Many of them were actually shocked that I took umbrage at such abuse. Their hubris was disgusting as I listened to them deny their actions, then have the audacity to pontificate these self-righteous platitudes of perfection, appearing as if they were the victim.

They had the Command's sympathy as I am incarcerated in Arkansas, the most backwards, hill-billy, incestuous state possible, and all here believe my lifestyle to be wanton.

But then I obtained some legal counsel from a paralegal friend, and I started quoting the PREA Act on my grievances. I was eventually brought in to be placed on a Computerized Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA) (lie-detector test). I waited until we were being recorded and

Limitless Confined By the prospect, of others Judgement, conditions and disbelief Afraid to make their own way Being satisfied, with nothing

For one to persevere

Pushing through the Cynicism, Racism Of what, today, is so common

Striding, to become better Striving, to become best Knowing that the only way to get there Is if I, am Limitless.

-Nabeel A. (PA)

Why must it take Blows to the esteem

Can’t I Be Boundless of my minds eye Setting forth, in what I Want, to achieve?

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Our Black & Pink Family: Letters and Poetry notified them that according to the PREA Act, it was ILLEGAL to place an inmate on "any truth-telling device" when they'd made a sexual harassment allegation. Never-the-less, I was threatened with disciplinary action. I took the tests, OBVIOUSLY passed them, and waited to hear back from Internal Affairs.

When I did hear back, I was notified that my claims had "No substantial evidence" and were found without merit. Now, a CVSA result is enough evidence to convict an inmate of sexually "inappropriate" behavior, but when it comes to sexually inappropriate behavior by staff it's "insubstantial." This was exactly what I needed to go to Federal Court.

Two months ago I was assaulted physically by two gang members for my orientation. I had notified staff that it was about to happen, they did nothing. Luckily I had paperwork proving I'd notified them. Then, I was moved to a prison across the street where all the inmates still interacted with those from the previous unit. I was attacked by four gang members. This because of the staff's refusal to keep me safe. I was badly injured, and Medical refused to repair damage to my face. All this coupled with the sexual harassment led to my family finally retaining legal council. And I'm in the middle of a HUGE legal battle that is going to set precedents for Gay inmates.

None of this would have been possible if not for my adamant belief in utilizing the grievance process so I had paperwork to back me up.

That's my best advice to all of you reading that have been victimized by Inmates and Staff at your units. Use the grievance process! If they retaliate, use it again. We are soldiers in this battle. We HAVE to be. For

those of us that have been BEATEN, RAPED, thrown into ISOLATION, VERBALLY and EMOTIONALLY ABUSED, we KNOW that this is a very real war.* It's time to start fighting it as such. The time is now!

We are the change! We will no longer bend over and be violated by this malfeasance! We will no longer let them have our "joie de vivre" (enjoyment of life).

There are those of us that are chosen to be the intermediary between our family and the corruption we survive in. If you are reading this publication, then I know you are sharing in the struggle. I know you are contemplating an induction into the movement (if you haven't already made the choice). Equality has to become your ideology no matter the fear or cost. We have to ask ourselves if anything we do will ACTUALLY make it worse. If we have any shred of our humanity left to lose. If we are TIRED of being the victim! We have a responsibility to the rest of our family in other prisons as well. We have to unite and stand strong in our fight. To believe whole-heartedly in Love and Solidarity. This fight in prison seems to be the only place we haven't made geopolitical progression. It's time to change that. Let's make our stand in prisons be genic from our "parents'" Stonewall. It may not be a menial task, but it is necessary all the same.

This is our official "call-to-arms."

It has been hard for me at times not to become that which I detest.

Meaning that I "preach" against hatred, intolerance, and Bigotry... but at times what I've suffered causes a deep-seeded hatred to germinate within my very soul. I constantly have to remind myself that hatred is the cause of the problem. I cannot let

myself be seduced by the pleasure of rage, as it bears no fruit in this fight.

Easier said than done, but factual in its entirety.

I have read several articles that refer to the trivial fighting in the family. I completely agree that it's critical to dissipate constant bickering between ourselves. We can't hope to suppress the true enemy when we waste our energy destroying each other. It may sound like I'm writing in extremes, but is Chaos not what all of this is in its very essence? No, we must put our differences aside and present a united front to a government that believes who we are is in itself intrinsically disordered. It is time to instigate revolution and change. But we can only do it together.

Educating ourselves is as essential as breathing for us in the cause.

We must know how to confront our adversary on their ground. I have began taking a paralegal course from Ohio University that was made specifically for inmates. I will fight on legal ground for our family both now and when I'm free. I will not forget the atrocities suffered upon us by the Department of Corruption. I will also say that it is just as essential to make use of your Law Library.

Learn your rights as an inmate, and don't stop until you are treated with the respect and dignity you deserve.

Remember that we suffer with those we have seen suffer.

In conclusion, I am sending all of your prayers and thoughts. Don't lose hope, persevere in persecution, and stand to fight another day. I am your brother in the revolution, I love you all.

Love and Solidarity, Michael D.

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Black & Pink News

January/February 2017

Our Black & Pink Family: Letters and Poetry To all my family out there: Let me start this by saying I love you all and I love Black & Pink.

Now allow me to share a little about myself. My name is Matthew. I also go by Mr. Hollywood. I am a 35 year old openly bisexual man. I am a Leo so I am pretty strong minded.

To all of you first timers just coming into the system, please listen to what I have to say. I am currently doing my 2nd term, but 1st term in the Feds. I am currently housed in FCI Phoenix in the SHU. I just got released last year, July 13, 2015 and got arrested on August 25, 2016. I just got done doing a 14 year term in the California State Prison System. I had not seen my family for 15 years and celebrated my 35th birthday and that was it. My dumbass started kicking it with the wrong crowd and was carrying around guns. Mind you the Feds already had it out for me due to me being a validated gang member. Mind you when I left prison I had all good intentions to I really wanted to write some poetry to the Black & Pink family for them to read but I never got around to it but I did write something for my family to read at my MOM obituary so now I would like my new family to read.

Missing You 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

take care of my transgender wife. I had the job lined up and everything, but again just the wrong crowd that weren't even family. For this, I want to apologize to Dominiqu Danille Bara for not being able to complete what I gave my word to you. I also want all you young brothers and sisters to take note that it is not easy out there being part of the LGBTQ family and also being tattooed from head to toe did not help matters either.

So remember before you hit the ground out there try to have everything set up for yourself.

The state just let me out for doing 14 years. I had no job experience nothing, but on the cell. If you know that, you are not ready for the streets. Before you get out, try to find a program or a hallway house to state at and get yourself right before just jumping out. If you do, you will just end up back here and take it from me, this is not the place for us. As the COs and their ups do not like the LGBTQ and there are

very few places that try to help us.

Plus the inmates, UGH! Don't get me started!!! But please remember this: do what you need to do to get better yourself before you leave so you do NOT end up back in here.

I have been clean over 1 year, 3 months and that is one of the best feelings ever.

Ok, for now I just wanted to say, what's up to all you youngens.

But just know that I love all of you. Please allow me to send a shout out to my baby girl Dee Dee, Dominique Danile Bara. To all my homies and home girls: Britney, Rebeka, Chino, Julie, Shawna, Jena, Q Nesseo, Tikine, and all you that I did not mention. Hold your heads up and stay strong for we are all one and we all stand united as one and remember we stand for the rights and what we have coming so stand firm and stay strong.

grieve for me She’s following the path God lead her to see

We all know her time was brief So please, don’t lengthen it now with more 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

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

Love and respect to all my brothers and sisters, Mr. Hollywood (Matthew L. TX)

Missing you Mom Love your son,

-Lance Michael S. (SD)

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The Egg Locked away trapped within a shell...Turmoil Slowly cracking, revealing truth, Judged as evil, labeled as sin...Confusion This hell is my solice, my comfort, my domain...

Purgatory I contemplate suicide, am I alone?, am i normal?, am I insane?...Lunatic

Live Your Authentic Self And Be Free: BGD’s Crush of the Month Featuring CeCe McDonald

By Princess Harmony, BGD, Dec. 19, 2016 Black Girl Dangerous’ Crush of the Month is a feature where we choose the most swoon-worthy and inspirational QTPoC whose work and flair has left us inspired and blushing. Then we interview them so our amazing readers can join us in crushing, fanning, and absolutely swooning over these amazing QTs. CeCe McDonald is a person who truly needs no introduction.

Her harrowing tale of being a trans woman sentenced to 41 months in a men’s prison for defending herself from a neo-Nazi is one that’s been shared across the world. Since her release 19 months into her sentence, she’s been ardently fighting for prison abolition and police reform.

She’s gone on to appear on news

show Democracy Now! with Laverne Cox and recently went on the #BlackExcellenceTour with Joshua Allen, talking about what it means to live on the intersections of marginalized identities.

Has it gotten hot in here, or is it just us? Without further ado, here’s CeCe! Princess: You’ve gone through so much and done so much, it’s an honor to have you do this! Could you tell us about the #BlackExcellenceTour and what pushed you to go on it?

CeCe: It was created by my friend Joshua Allen and I. We created this tour out of a response to a lack of black inclusiveness within a lot of movement spaces, and we did

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Somedays are warm and sunny some filled with darkness & worse, This pain is my curse...Strength this hurt inside is screaming “Let me out, I want to be me”!!...Afflicted Hidden by the scars and much tattoo ink, I find liberation through the pages of Black & Pink...UNITY This place is full of wrath & tears, wearing a pokerface to hide me from my fears...

Tribulation Getting attacked, beaten, and cursed because I’m Queer, hated from those who say they care...LIARS As I walked I’ve never seemed to escape all the laughing and pain from my peers...Outcast Scared to be honest, tattoo’s on my body hiding what I am, others are in pain, am I to blame? Silent I have begun my journey into the light, Empowered through the LGBTQI community, I stand, I fight and when I look in the mirror I like what I see, cause today I stand proud to just be me.

FREEDOM

-Kirk H. (AR)

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January/February 2017

Live Your Authentic Self: CeCe McDonald continued from prev. page it for black queer/trans folks. We started going to different colleges and events and we did workshops around intersectionality and why it’s so important to listen to the voices of the most marginalized and targeted in our communities and in society. It was to kind of get people to think of more innovative and inclusive ways to be a part of, organize, and be in the movement.

that I’m not. That just makes the work even more important. As an oppressed person, I think that we need to take a step back and look at how we are all affected by these things in society and how do we move forward and be better people for each other.

Pivoting towards something lighter, what would your ideal partner be like? What kind of qualities would they have?

“The most important thing that I’ve learned is that growth is inevitable and that it’s so important that we think about the ways in which we are utilizing our privileges in these movements to uplift the work of the most marginalized.”

CeCe McDonald All of your work is deeply tied to your personal life and experiences. What’s been the most important thing you learned from all your work?

The most important thing that I’ve learned is that growth is inevitable and that it’s so important that we think about the ways in which we are utilizing our privileges in these movements to uplift the work of the most marginalized. I think for me, being a trans binary woman working with a trans queer femme, I recognize the privileges that I hold and that’s so important, especially for the people who I love who are affected by the things

My ideal partner would be understanding, they would be kind, of course, and they would have a willingness to want to learn about the work that I and others do, and also challenge the status quo in the same ways that I would. They would definitely be ready to deal with the issues of dating a trans woman. But definitely having a willingness to learn about the issues that I face in the world and the work that I do and be a kind-hearted, caring, person.

Could you tell us what impact your work has had on your relationships? Do you expect the people you date to understand your work?

I definitely, definitely expect that a person would understand the work that I’m doing. I feel that if you think that there’s nothing wrong with society, we shouldn’t be together. I definitely think that this work shouldn’t impact a relationship if you have a partner that’s understanding that understands the world is fucked up and this work is very important. A lot of the time, the people that I date are cis and don’t understand why it’s so important to do this work. I feel that if you can’t understand that the work that I’m doing is important because my life is impacted by the social structure, then you have no idea who I am and there’s no point for us to talk or have that kind of relationship. I would say that it has impacted my relationship, it’s just that the people around me understand this work is important and if a person doesn’t understand that, I wouldn’t be with them.

I think we can learn a lot from other people. For our last question, what’s been the most important lesson you’ve learned from all of your relationships?

The most important thing I learned from a relationship is that you have to be your authentic self no matter what, you have to live your truth and that’s important. You can live your life, living a lie and be miserable. Or you can live your authentic self and be free.

Princess Harmony is an afrolatin trans girl who speaks in the language of fire. She’s also unapologetic weeb trash that likes anime, video games, and visual novels. Go figure! <3

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Our Black & Pink Family: Letters and Poetry Dear Black/Pink Family, Hi, This is Bobbie from Texas and I would like to have a moment.

In reading articles in Black/Pink it occurs to me that the paper is a clearinghouse for news about transgender women and other LGBT people.

We need a little help, the most dangerous ***** in America is one with a pen, a mission, and a will to change the system.

Everyone of us depend on the next sister and the information that she presents as news. We need more accurate information on where you come up with the information. Like, who did you talk to, where can they be written to, on what pages was this information?

“Go out, go out I beg of you And taste the beauty of the wild.

Behold the miracle of the earth With all the wonder of a child.”

Edna Jaques Please remember that you’re addressing family that are across America and a lot of time very timid girls.

Hows it going in Texas? Well, Trans-Pride-Initiative, PO 3982, Dallas, Texas 75208 fought to get University of Texas Medical Branch to open a clinic in Galveston, Texas.. and finally all of the TDCJ Transgender women in Texas have a clinic, Dr. Walter Meyer Doctor for us.

I did not come to prison on hormones but UTMB Diagnosed me with Gender Dysphoria and Nell Gather of Trans Pride Initiative fought tooth and nail to start me on the hormones.

A real rare occurrence in Texas but it broke the barrier—now if you’re diagnosed in prison you get hormones.

The next problem is gender surgery, is this winnable? You bet it is and there are silent activists that depend on the information you send to Jason. If you have information, please say something. As the poet once said, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” The information has to have who, where, when how and mailing. I assure everyone that in Texas Prisons, transgender women are very active in Hello to All at Black & Pink, As one of 15 trans women at this prison I’m the woman chosen as the first transgender spokesperson to the Inmate Advisory Committee. At first I wasn’t sure what to expect. Now 7 months into this, I have really found out that you have to have an open ear and do the best you can not to just represent everyone, but also as individuals.

Every transwoman is different and has different issues. And sometimes I do have to give tough love to some of them. Only because they need to hear the truth. Doesn’t mean that I don’t love them. It means that I love them even more. I do the best I can with all the girls even if they don’t listen. Sometimes it’s a lot easier to navigate the prison when you lived the things that they now go through.

Dealing with the staff daily and their complaining about the girls, I have to be a good listener. But I also have to encourage the staff to be professional in their approach and what not to say to the girls.

The main thing we deal with here is the proper pronouns. No girl here wants to be called anything other than what she presents herself as. The 2nd thing is, our respect. Because then we allow the males inmates to do it also.

the cause and any help will be appreciated.

Jason & co., you’ve come a long way baby and brought us all to a level only possibly with the newspaper. Information, knowledge, patience can change society—win the hearts and minds of those with opposing views.

Love Ms Bobbie, TX I have learned to pick & choose my battles. I also explain to all the girls if it’s something you don’t like, then unite it up or we do a group unite up. Put it on paper and less verbal talk. I always tell them that any conversation with staff, to make sure you get the name. And you can say your piece in as few words as possible.

In CA, we have made great strides for hormone therapy and SRS. Now we await on what female items we can get. These things weren’t easily done overnight. But girls like Shiloh and Michelle helped to make it possible. I am the girl that is about the principle of it and not just the items.

Anything that you wish for is possible if you keep your focus on the fight and stay way from the crap that doesn’t mean anything. You can get a lot more done.

Black & Pink has been a place for myself and others to express what goes on and to guide and take ideas for somewhat of a better life in prison. So to my transwomen and men and my LGBQIA brothers and sisters, we will get there if we all rise up together. Believe in the words of POWER. With power you can obtain structure, balance, and hope.

Love to everyone, Lisa, CA

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Black & Pink News

January/February 2017

Our Black & Pink Family: Letters and Poetry Dear Black & Pink Family, My name is Antonio I am currently an inmate housed in PA. I am Bisexual I am going through hard times right now with the CO’s playing with my food I be scared to eat some nights or sometime I just don’t eat and put grievances in but nothing happens the CO’s try and give me frivolous misconducts that don’t stick so they play the food game I don’t know what to do I’m so scared I fear my life is in danger if there is any way that y’all can help please do.

P.S. I would like to say sorry to a friend we had an argument a few months ago and haven’t spoken since so if you read this Bookie I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart please believe you would always have a friend in me I love you Bro. Antonio H., PA

Dear Black & Pink, To all my black & pink family and beyond. Wishing you much love and peace, to all my fallen sisters and brothers all around the world, may God rest your souls and may you find peace, and may the ones who committed these stupid acts be forgiven.

Hello B & P, my name is Miss Ke, I am 26 years old and this is my first time writing to the B & P family, I had to write and show my love and support. My heart goes out

Peace my B&P Family, My name is Echo and I’m from East Orange, N.J. I’m a victim but survivor of being a child prostitute for 8 years (age 5-13) by my own mother in order to feed her drug habit. I’m a survivor of being raped by my own uncle then beaten so bad by him, he broke 5 of my bones, 3 ribs, and left me for dead. I’m a survivor of being raped by my oldest brother and his friends. Even though I survived, I’m left with the diagnoses of PTSD, Mood Disorder, Psychotic Disorder, and Antisocial Personality Disorder.

I am a Top Gay/Bi, both I feel is the same to me. My personality causes people to feel threatened because I never joke around and won’t back down when I feel disrespected or oppressed. I stay to myself because I’m afraid of the sabotage things I can place in the life of those who believe I’m that 5-year-old, easy-to-prey-on little boy I was once before. I just got the courage to ask for help, open up about my childhood, and wrote to Orlando and to my family who has been imprisoned because of who they are, keep your head up fam.

Smile and keep that joy, nothing can bring us down, and I mean nothing, we are getting stronger and stronger, and if more people knew about B & P the love that is shared and all the empowering stories that are told, we would be even stronger.

I never knew that anything like B & P exist until my loving and caring Husband asked me have I ever read a B & P newsletter. It was mind blowing to him he gave me a B & P

an Autobiography of my life. Getting it published or finding out how to go about it is not in my state of mind due to my impaired ability to learn (poor communication skills, poor judgment) caused by a chemical imbalance when my mother was using drugs while pregnant with me.

I do wish to share my story and show my brother & sisters who been abused and oppressed that if I reached out for help and share my story, I believe in my heart that you can also do the same. But when you tell your story, make your listener vision every bit of your pain so they understand that it’s people like us everywhere and we never asked to be created to who we are today.

I send my love to my LGBTQ, Family and my survivors of childhood abuse. I ask all those who oppress and judge inmates no matter their crime to listen to their pain and show them a better way of life. This I challenge you as a “Pay it Forward Dare”!

Mr. Echo, NJ to read and I never put it down yet I never thought a community like B & P was out there, I was lost to and blinded to the LGBT community, fam these are things that we need to be teaching and showing that there is love out there and everywhere dealing with the LGBT community, thanks to my loving husband Mr. Ke and much love to Black & Pink for giving the LGBT community a place to speak out.

Much love, Miss Ke, TX

Volume 8, Issue 1

blackandpink.org

Dear Family and Friends, This has been a strange and intense year, both for me personally and for so many others as this world has changed significantly. It has been an inspiration to witness the Black Lives Matter movement as it confronts police brutality and to draw wisdom from that. It has been an inspiration to witness the federation of peoples supporting the Standing Rock Tribe as they confront the ecologically suicidal energy policy of this country, and to draw wisdom from that. And we have borne witness to the struggle for freedom and dignity that so many who have been forced to leave their homes in order to escape war, poverty and violence and in the hopes of finding a more open society where they can put down roots. Though, sadly, all refugees find themselves at risk of

prejudice and abuse, trans people have found that they experience a unique discrimination and isolation as they cross borders, and find themselves set apart in detention centers, unable to access medical care and suffering abuse. We continue to gather and hear the stories of trans prisoners who continue to be raped and physically brutalized, in an effort to advocate for their safety and protection and to offer our help. We have seen a year where the laws and policies have changed and shifted, sometimes increasing the civil rights and access to care for trans folks, and sometimes iden-

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tifying them for particular discrimination and criminalization through the new â&#x20AC;&#x153;bathroom lawsâ&#x20AC;? and local ordinances limiting their protection from job and housing discrimination. The United States has a history of civil rights being fought for and lost in a constant dance of egalitarians confronting bigotry, in all of its many forms. We must remain determined and implacable.

As we prepare for a new administration to influence the massive system of incarceration that holds such a large faction of the population in thrall, we must re-commit ourselves to standing strong for the rights of trans prisoners who will definitely find themselves facing new challenges to the recent changes in healthcare offered to trans prisoners. We must be vigilant and active, so that what few advances have been made are not rescinded.

For this reason, it is more important than ever for there to be a lively discussion possible between those who live and work on either side of the walls that separate us.

By coming together and building community, by taking the time to develop connection through whatever means of communication are possibleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;incarcerated trans folks become less vulnerable to attack and our communities (both LGBT and straight) become stronger as we work to connect and protect each other.

I want to thank all of you who wrote and who organized for supporting incarcerated trans people today. This means so much to me, that I and others like me can be supported. I find great comfort in helping support others who, like me, find

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Black & Pink News

January/February 2017

Our Black & Pink Family: Letters and Poetry continued from prev. page themselves attempting to transition in prison. This year has brought a lot of hope for me, as I was finally approved for hormone therapy and began taking testosterone shots on September 14th. The changes have been subtle, and this will be a long road having been so long delayed— but I am hopeful that within a year, I will be allowed to begin the surgeries I need to be medically re-assigned. But there is no guarantee

Dear Black & Pink Family, Now I know I'm not the only one going through something but I really needed to vent to my LGBTQIA family about what I'm going through right now. First off I know it's hard for anybody from the LGBTQ to be locked up but it's really bad here in SDSP but that's not why I need to vent. I just lost the two only people I LOVE in my family my MOM & my BROTHER and it really hurt to know I will never see them again but what is killing me right now is that I could not be there to say goodbye.

My MOM died of a stroke & my BROTHER shot himself and I was told that he shot himself because with me bein locked up for so long and are Mother death was just to much for him in this time of his life and it hurts me to my soul to know that I was a part to my Brother killing himself and I really don't know what to say or how to feel about everything that's going on in my life and I would tell you more but after finding out about my MOTHER & my Brother nothing else matter.

that this policy will stay in place, and it is imperative for all trans folks to be supported in the kind of health care they need (whatever that may be, not everyone needs the same things or anything at all, other than recognition). I also think that as a community that does prisoner support for our comrades behind bars, that we must make sure that all incarcerated folks have access to healthcare, whether that be trans identity related or not. I wish so much that I could be more present

with you all. It gives me so much hope and strength to know that you are out there for us inside—just as I am here inside for all of you. We are one spirit, many hearts, moving towards freedom and where we will live the dream of the world released from injustice and brutality. I am so proud to be with you today; many, many thanks and I hope to know more of you as we move together towards what 2017 will bring.

Now I don't want this letter to be all depressing so I want to tell Robin in Las Vegas NV, Tiffany in PA, Lexi T in MA, Cassie in TX, Carrie in OH, Gavin in NV, thank you for bein true to yourself and opening up for people like me to know I'm not the only one that love to be honest with our self and love bein ourself and I would really love to talk to Robert R in Texas about everything you are a beautiful,

intelligent, strong person with a one in a life time soul and I wish I could do anything to help you with everything in your life right now but please and I mean "PLEASE" don't ever change and please stay strong and I pray one day I can talk to you face to face and I will pray for you,

“What's the use...”

What the use of love, when it's never returned!?

What's the use of unconditional... when it has multiple conditions!?

What's the point of humane... when it does NOT reside in humans!?

What's the point in courtesy... when it's so sorely lacking!?

Why have common sense... when excuses are all that's

Love and solidarity, Marius

THE ONE AND ONLY Lance S.

given!

Why care... when it's degraded, run down and thrown back in your face!?

Why give a damn... when CLEARLY Nobody else does, especially about themselves.

What's the use in a "legal" system... when it's SO illegally corrupt!?

Why hope... when there is none to be found.

-Anjela S. (TX)

Volume 8, Issue 1

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Our Black & Pink Family: Letters and Poetry To y’all at Black & Pink, First of all love my family is a four letter word, that can heal or chase hurt, or do both like a mom giving birth. Love is so strong yet if we misuse it, it could be so wrong.

We fight in this proverbial Battlefield with swords of steel, that pierce hearts, and cause tears, to rip us apart. At moments we can be so fierce. If only they knew how it feels to be so weird. I ask how can a man like me be so gay or so queer?

Draining me from the inside. I try to maintain a smile, so no body can see that on the inside all there is, is depression, and worry. I try to make things in here seem I’m alright like I got this by putting on a show so no body knows the real me is hurting on the inside.

I fight the fight and struggle day by day week by week hoping for freedom and unity, but I find misery instead. I fight for the cause so that all LGBTQ can walk in freedom like all the heterosexuals showing

“Out of these prison walls and the clutches of haters I will rise. Through every voice and every soul of y’all LGBTQ. From heaven to the deepest darkest corners of hell no matter what my fate. I will not consider myself emotionally beaten. From with the abyss I will rise.”

Heartaches can make it seem as if the earth stood still. Someday people will see that love is very real.

Y’all know love is like a rose with tender parts it slowly unfolds, and develops in our hearts. It’s beauty is as wild as the wind. We shouldn’t feel ashamed of the feelings we hold within. We may be cut by a thorn and we will tend to bleed, please don’t be torn because inside of Y’all is always a new seed. There will always be pain because God never promised there wouldn’t be. Although love may seem strange love is a beautiful rose. I love Y’all so very much. Y’all know I’m feeling empty, fear, dying in here all alone.

love for their family and friends. I have no fear of showing my love as I should for my family, friends, or even to one day show my love to whomever would fall in love with this lil tiger. I learn from my enemies all about my flaws because they reveal it to me.

From prison to civil commitment with the fulfillment of punishment to being punished again for the same crimes I just got through being punished for. Many lives and minds are maimed and destroyed.

One by one the bodies of convicts that lay unclaimed. By torture and

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Dear LGBTQ Family, My name is Troyton but they call me Queisha. I’m transgender. I’m in the process with my hormone treatment. So far it’s moving along. It’s a long process but it’s going pretty well and I’m happy. Well, I’m 26 yrs old.

Shout out to those Gemini’s.

I’m currently doing 8 yrs. I have done 4.5 yrs. I got 1/2 to 2 yrs left.

I want to thank B&P for guiding me through this time and I am happy to continue to have B&P and the LGBTQ family by my side. All we have is each other. My heart goes out to the Orlando victims families. That broke my heart.

I also have some good news in my life. I have met this amazing man in my life.

We have been together for about 4 yrs now and I am happy to say that we are going to get married. I’m so happy his name is Terry and I’m happy for what the future holds for me. I also want to say to my LGBTQ family, we came a long way. We have achieved so much but there’s still so much needs to be done and we can do it together.

Well that’s all family. Keep y’all heads up and together we will rise!

Love Queisha (TN) Xoxoxo

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Black & Pink News

January/February 2017

Our Black & Pink Family: Letters and Poetry Dear Black & Pink, My name is Sexy Chocolate and I’m a very out spoken, brave, intelligent, and handsome gay male. I’m 25 years old, my age is young but my soul is old!

It’s been hard to deal with my fear of coming out because I don’t want people to look at me different and I believed that my family wouldn’t accept who I am. I came out last year around June and since then my life has taken a devastating turn. I lost my daughter because my baby mom couldn’t take my sexuality, a lot of people who claimed to be my close friends really didn’t have any loyalty to me.

So they call themselves turning their backs on me but I’m still happy to be who I am. I have been locked up for almost 7 years now and I have spent most of my time gang banging and fighting for a color instead of fighting for a purpose. Now of course the only flag I’m willing to fight for is out multi-colored rainbow flag. (LGBTQ) I have found love in this horrible place. My wife is my rock and she’s my everything even though we were separated by transfer, thats okay because our love keeps us strong. I love who I am and I’m never going to hide the real me anymore. Shout out to my baby, white chocolate AKA Amber. I love you MAMI. Thank you all for being my real family. Your brother, the one and only, Sincerely, Sexy Chocolate (PA)

continued from prev. page cruel and degrading treatment and punishment. Over 60 people have died since I’ve been here for 5 years, of sicknesses, illnesses or because of wounds that ome from people whom work here or just by the lack of being loved. Yes I’m scared, confused, beaten and lost. One day I will find myself no matter how long it takes or at what cost. I’m not a quitter, even though I’m confined within these walls. Faithfully I will always bend my knees praying God have mercy on me. One day God will come to reclaim my soul until then I will fight for my rights to live as love fights to show me the way. Out of these prison walls and the clutches of haters I will rise.

Through every voice and every soul of y’all LGBTQ. From heaven to the deepest darkest corners of hell no matter what my fate.

I will not consider myself emotionally beaten. From with the abyss I will rise. The pains and wounds I suffer that this prison has inflicted will never mend. That’s okay because others will follow me by Dear Black & Pink Family, This is your Pretty Boi IDHS. Those are the letters of my first middle and last name. I am a bi male, I'm 24. I'll be 25 December 27th along with my broth. I was born on his fourth birthday, so that's how we have the same birthdays. He's four years older than me. Well I'm currently locked up in TDCJ in TX. I just want to tell all my LGBTQ family to keep y'all heads up and stay praying because God hears you all.

He hears all, sees all, and loves all.

fighting the fight for me. I have some work to do. To let all society know I’m human just like Y’all are human. We all make mistakes, but I suffered for what I’ve done. The toll on my body can never mend, it shows the scars of many battles that I’ve won and even the ones I’ve lost. God states to me though have no fear for thru me the final battle that will end the war for freedom for all LGBTQ will be won. The war will end on day where not only a little black boy and a little black girl will walk hand in hand as martin Luther King said. But a little black boy will walk hand in hand with a little white boy and a little black girl will walk hand in hand with a little white girl because God will have the victory LGBTQ will win the final war. Why! Because LOVE will have its final say. Who is anyone to deny Love its say. Whether male to male or female to female, whatever race or creed love will not be denied to love when we choose. I love y’all from Rushville.

Love forever.

Lil Tiger, IL You know what ticks me off is people telling me I need to stop being bi and talking down on me. I will never stop being bi. This is who I am. This is how I embrace myself. It isn't against the law to express myself so I refuse to back down and let haters dictate my life. My motto is 'Haters keep hating'. People can say what they wanna say but at the end of the day, I'm still gone be me so for all my LGBTQ family, let ya haters keep hating! Always remember to be you regardless of what your haters say. Stand up for your rights!

Volume 8, Issue 1

blackandpink.org

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Our Black & Pink Family: Letters and Poetry Now I want to take the time to drop a (freestyle) rap on y'all. It's only 14 bars so (Jason) please bring up the (Jay-Z) beat! Ok, here we go:

Haters keep hating cause they know I’m bi They can’t stand to see me every time I walk by I’ma embrace myself that’s just how I feel You wanna hate on me cause you know I’m being real I ain’t never been fake, that’s how it is Been through the pain and hurt that’s everyday of life I’m standing for our rights like it’s my last life Cause you only live once in this hard life Where’s the respect promised to us if we stand and fight People always try to take away or gay rights If we stand as a family, no one can take us down Cause the love we have is everlasting life But we gon’ live today to fight another fight So live on, so live on, so live on Fight another fight Ok, I'm out. I would like my LGBTQ family to give me feedback that's heavy stuff I just dropped right there. I am a rapper. I have to write rap music. All feedback is welcome.

I drop that for y'all my LGBTQ Black & Pink family. I wanted to try something new-- that freestyle was all me. Hope y'all like it.

Well I forgot to tell y'all I have a 30-year sentence but I'm not trip-

ping. They still gotta let me out. I'll be out there again one day. Until then, I'ma better myself. I'ma help my LGBTQ family. Fight the great fight cause we are as one. No one can stop us. I want to say some things to some of my LGBTQ family: To my sister Becky from UT, I want to say I'm proud of you baby girl for being open about yourself and being accepting about yourself.

That's called embracing yourself.

You should never be scared to embrace yourself and it's true to live your life for oneself and not for anyone else. Always. Remember to P.U.S.H.! Pray Until Something Happens. Keep up the good work.

Also, I would like to be your friend.

I'm looking for all the friends can get. I would like to be friends, do you have an address? Let's keep in touch. Love, Pretty Boi IDHS, TX Also to my sister Mrs. Gege, I want to thank you for your love and support that you show towards LGBTQ family members. I want to thank you for your organization L.I.G.H.T. I would like to tell you to keep your head up sister, always.

Pray cause God has a plan for us all.

He loves us so P.U.S.H. sister. Ok, with that being said I would love to be friends. Do you have a family address? Let's keep in touch. Let's fight the great fight. Love, Pretty Boi IDHS, TX To my sister Leina Diamond, I want to s ay to keep your head up.

Always pray and fight the great fight. Never let anyone bring you down. I want to say I love you and care for you sister. I'm here for all my LGBTQ Black & Pink family.

We all should keep in touch. Would you like to be my friend? I need lots of LGBTQ friends. Do you have an address? Well sister, we must stand

up for our LGBTQ rights. Well bye my new friend, love you lots XOXO. Well that being said, if you're getting released soon please leave your address so we can keep in touch.

To my sister Cindy (Cece), CA, keep your head up sister. Your LGBTQ Black & Pink family got ya. We gon' stand and fight with ya. We gon' stand up for our rights and take what's ours. The LGBTQ throne! Love ya sister, AKA Pretty Boi IDHS. I have three questions. First, I want to know is it wrong of me to wear girl clothes even though I'm bi? I've had a thing for girl clothes.

I have worn some a couple of times in my own apartment. Second, what do hormone pills do to your body?

Third, what is a Lupron injection?

I want to give a shout out to Paula AKA Perry, MD. I notice in the February and March 2016 paper.

It says you're going home in 2017.

You should leave me your address so I can write you when you get out.

Let's be friends. Well stay strong sister.

Also to my sister Diedre, TX. Keep your head up. Don't be afraid to let people know who you are honey. You're beautiful inside and out.

I am one of your friends. Express yourself girl!

Also Alexia (Lexi), WY. Thanks for the support. We all love you girl, so keep your head up. Also one more thing, do hormone pills give you a nice size butt? Also does anyone know any addresses I can write to get free books or anything like LGBTQ self-help, educational, urban books?

Well bye, XOXO Love, Pretty Boi ID

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Black & Pink News

January/February 2017

2nd National Black & Pink Gathering: Please Join Us if You Can! Who: This is a national gathering for any formerly incarcerated LGBTQ and/or HIV+ people from across the US. This gathering is for any volunteers and pen pals connected with Black & Pink. This gathering is for any people actively involved in the movement towards abolition with a focus on the needs of LGBTQ and/or HIV+ people.

What: This weekend will kick off with a party and celebration with speakers and performances Friday night. Saturday will be a day of healing arts (massage, make up, acupuncture, yoga, etc.), skills building workshops, and community building. Sunday will be a day of developing clear strategies for Black & Pink's work moving forward.

Where: Chicago, Illinois When: Friday-Sunday, August 4th-August 6th Why: It is important for us to build a national movement and strengthen our connections as a family. These national gatherings help us stay grounded in the work and create a community of care for one another. As part of developing the leadership of our members, it is important that we have space for skills building

and opportunities to lead. It is also important that we provide healing space for our formerly incarcerated members as it is so often left out of reentry work.

How: Black & Pinkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national office will cover all transportation costs for formerly incarcerated attendees. We will also find home-stays for people attending the gathering. Formerly incarcerated people will also receive a stipend of $100 for participating in the entire gathering.

If you are going to be on the outside of the walls in time to join us at the national gathering, please let us know! Let us know how we can get in touch with you (an outside phone number, email, or address). To let us know, be sure to address your envelope: Black & Pink National Gathering 614 Columbia Rd. Dorchester, MA 02125 For those who will still be locked up: we will be accepting phone calls to the hotline to get your opinions and messages to share. We want to include your voices at this event in as many ways as we can. We will make sure your stories get heard and your wisdom is shared.

The Black & Pink Transition Team has been working hard to make sure our organization runs well. We want to make sure we live our values in how we make decisions. We want to make sure that how we make decisions as a group is clear. The following are some definitions and ways we make decisions.

Please read over and mail us the feedback slip below at Black & Pink - Feedback.

Black & Pink Organizational Chart

Membership

Prisoner Members

Mail

LGBTQ and/or HIV+ people in Mail prisons, jails, prison hospitals, and detention Mail centers across the US

Prisoner Chapters

“Freeworld” Pen-Pals Many “Freeworld” Volunteers “Freeworld” Chapters

National Working Groups provide a space for volunteers to work collaboratively on specific projects. Members can be from local chapters or not. Working Groups are self governed and one member of each must be on the Leadership Circle.

National Working Groups Court & Bail Support

Policy & Research

End Solitary Confinement

Any “free-world” members welcome to participate in any Working Group

Bay Area, CA Boise, ID Boston, MA Chicago, IL New Orleans, LA New York, NY Providence, RI Southwest, OH Western Mass

Prisoner members inform all of our work via letters, newspaper feedback forms, and surveys

Feedback: The definitions and decision making chart are clear: strongly disagree / disagree / neutral / agree strongly agree The decision making chart reflects our values: strongly disagree / disagree / neutral / agree strongly agree Prisoner voices are included in decisions: strongly disagree / disagree / neutral / agree strongly agree

Fundraising

Pen-Pal Support

Transformative Justice

Prisoner Feedback and assessment The volunteer Leadership Circle sets the direction of the organization in partnership with the National Director. The national staff provide support to local and national work that forwards the vision of Black and Pink.

Technology

Leadership Circle (optional membership from chapters, required from working groups)

Newspaper

Reentry

National Director

National Organizer

Office Manager

National Leadership & Staff

Other reflections or opinions:

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

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Protesters dropped a banner across the Thames river (“Queer Solidarity Smashes Borders”) and marched in support of immigrants and against Donald Trump’s proposed border wall with Mexico in Vauxhall, London on Friday, January 20th, as part of as part of the UK’s #bridgesnotwalls campaign. see inside for more coverage of Trump’s inauguration and first week in office