FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Beau Heyen
beau_heyen@hotmail.com
Elizabeth Pax
elizabethpax@gmail.com
Community Collaborative Projects Gains Momentum
North Texas LGBTQA Coalition Meets July 13
DALLAS - July 7, 2009 - After the events of the past year, from the passing of Proposition 8 to the recent raid on the Rainbow Lounge, the LGBTQA community of North Texas is primed and ready to stand together and coordinate their efforts. Building on past projects, including a community calendar initiative, these organizers hope to bridge the gap between organizations and throughout the community.
Whether you are a part of an established non-profit or new to the North Texas scene, Elizabeth Pax and Beau Heyen, moderators of the newly forming coalition, invite you to attend a strategic planning meeting on Monday, July 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. This meeting will be held at AIDS Arms, Inc located at 219 Sunset Ave, Suite116-A in Oak Cliff.
"We see a great need for people within our community to be able to find resources, events and volunteer opportunities," says Pax, organizer of the recent "meet-up" event after the 25th Anniversary Edition of the Dallas Voice. "With the Voice providing a short list of 'Future Pioneers' I figured now was as good a time as any to get us all together and talk. I was pleasantly surprised at the interest and energy from individuals throughout the community."
Plans for the coalition include online community calendar, resource database and volunteer match features. The coalition, still in the process of creating a name, will use this first official meeting to develop a mission statement and leadership structure. Although Pax and Heyen are moderating the event they have no plans to lead the newly formed organization.
"It is important that new leadership emerges for this organization. With the long history of the LGBTQA community in North Texas we feel that a new leader, or group of leaders, will be best to represent the numerous organizations and community members in the fairest way possible," Heyen stated. "We hope that this meeting will provide some ideas on how to organize this new endeavor for optimal success."
To aide in speeding up the process and effectively using time, discussion boards have already been started on the group's Facebook page. People are encouraged to use the Facebook Group, named North Texas LGBTQA Unity Coalition, to begin the vital conversations about the coalition's future.
"For over 5 years members of the North Texas LGBTQA community have voiced a need for more collaboration throughout the non-profit sector," says Heyen. "We hope to provide an outlet for organizations and interested individuals to merge, but we need as many voices at the table as possible. Now is the time to be heard."
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7/5/09
Forth Worth Criminal Injustice / Queer LiberAction Today
Queer LiberAction Soap Box TODAY! Air your views on the Raid at Rainbow Lounge.
According to a letter sent by Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief in response to the TABC FT Worth joint actions the Fort Worth police do not have a reputation of heavy handedness, intimidation, inciting criminal behaviour, brutality and false arrests. Mayor Moncrief then go's on to state that although he is confidant that the investigation being pursued by his cities police force into the joint TABC Rainbow Lounge raid is in fact impartial and fair, just for good measure he is calling in the Federal Attorney Generals office now to make sure they do live up to all his expectations.
I say we can not leave this insurance up to the politicians and law enforcement agencies.
Anyone who has come into contact with the Fort Worth police department and announced that a act of civil disobedience was a possibility was informed by the local police that unlike anywhere else in our country, our actions would be pursued to the uppermost possiable level, by law enforcement!
In other words, in Fort Worth the police will trump up the charges, and escalate an incident in order to imprison and fine an individual to the fullest extent of the law. What occurs while one is in the custody of police is often obscured by societies acquiescence to brute force.
Sometimes our countries law does NOT satisfy the Fort Worth's police's desire to enforce it's own version of American justice.
Who else knows this? Evidently Fort Worth Mayor Moncrief does.
Source: Pegasus News content partner - Dallas Voice
by Taymme Nash
"This letter was sent out by Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief on Friday:"
"We all join in wishing Mr. Gibson a speedy and full recovery."
"Currently, two investigations are underway to review the circumstances and events that took place at the Rainbow Lounge early Sunday morning. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) is conducting an investigation and the Fort Worth Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division is conducting its own investigation."
"I join Police Chief Jeff Halstead in encouraging any eye-witnesses to the events under review to come forward and share their observations."
"Members of the City Council and I have confidence that Chief Halstead is leading a thorough and professional investigation. Once the Fort Worth Police Department’s examination is complete, I have asked the acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, James T. Jacks, to independently review the findings of the Fort Worth Police Department’s investigation to ensure the department has thoroughly and impartially carried out its obligation to all the citizens of Fort Worth. I encourage the TABC to follow the same course."
"Fort Worth has a history of inclusiveness, and the Fort Worth Police Department has a history of responsible and professional service to our citizens. The police department’s internal investigation and the outside review is meant to ensure all citizens are professionally and responsibly represented by our police department. I am most appreciative to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for assisting us in this effort."
According to a letter sent by Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief in response to the TABC FT Worth joint actions the Fort Worth police do not have a reputation of heavy handedness, intimidation, inciting criminal behaviour, brutality and false arrests. Mayor Moncrief then go's on to state that although he is confidant that the investigation being pursued by his cities police force into the joint TABC Rainbow Lounge raid is in fact impartial and fair, just for good measure he is calling in the Federal Attorney Generals office now to make sure they do live up to all his expectations.
I say we can not leave this insurance up to the politicians and law enforcement agencies.
Anyone who has come into contact with the Fort Worth police department and announced that a act of civil disobedience was a possibility was informed by the local police that unlike anywhere else in our country, our actions would be pursued to the uppermost possiable level, by law enforcement!
In other words, in Fort Worth the police will trump up the charges, and escalate an incident in order to imprison and fine an individual to the fullest extent of the law. What occurs while one is in the custody of police is often obscured by societies acquiescence to brute force.
Sometimes our countries law does NOT satisfy the Fort Worth's police's desire to enforce it's own version of American justice.
Who else knows this? Evidently Fort Worth Mayor Moncrief does.
Source: Pegasus News content partner - Dallas Voice
by Taymme Nash
"This letter was sent out by Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief on Friday:"
"We all join in wishing Mr. Gibson a speedy and full recovery."
"Currently, two investigations are underway to review the circumstances and events that took place at the Rainbow Lounge early Sunday morning. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) is conducting an investigation and the Fort Worth Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division is conducting its own investigation."
"I join Police Chief Jeff Halstead in encouraging any eye-witnesses to the events under review to come forward and share their observations."
"Members of the City Council and I have confidence that Chief Halstead is leading a thorough and professional investigation. Once the Fort Worth Police Department’s examination is complete, I have asked the acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, James T. Jacks, to independently review the findings of the Fort Worth Police Department’s investigation to ensure the department has thoroughly and impartially carried out its obligation to all the citizens of Fort Worth. I encourage the TABC to follow the same course."
"Fort Worth has a history of inclusiveness, and the Fort Worth Police Department has a history of responsible and professional service to our citizens. The police department’s internal investigation and the outside review is meant to ensure all citizens are professionally and responsibly represented by our police department. I am most appreciative to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for assisting us in this effort."
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