November 21 Dispatch
A day of rage, a day of mourning
Greetings comrades,
TW for this section: Anti-queer violence, hate crime
I wanted to say a few words about the tragic shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs over the weekend, but honestly I don’t think I have anything new or insightful to add. I just want to extend my deepest sympathies to the LGBTQIA+ community and say to all my queer friends, I am here for you. Since I came out as a nonbinary person in 2015, my trans and NB community has meant the world to me. It’s hard to express the way the community has made me feel whole and cared for, and I just want us all to be safe.
Support TIGERRS and Gender Justice
There are a lot of organizations in the Twin Cities that serve the queer community and support LGBTQ liberation. Two that are worth supporting are TIGERRS (Transgender, Intersex, Gender-Expansive Revolutionary Resources & Services) and Gender Justice. If you have time or resources to give, I encourage you to consider moving them in this direction.
Holiday lights in Uptown
If you live in Uptown or pass through, you may notice that the city has put up the traditional snowflake holiday lights. Something you may not know about them, though, is they can also be used as a power source for any two-prong plugs you might have (such a cell phone charger).
The lights are connected to power sources at the top of the light poles, but they are like most light strands and have an open receptacle at the end (so they could be strung together). As long as the lights are on (from roughly sundown until sunrise), that outlet is active and can be used to charge devices, plug in a small appliance, or whatever else you might want to do on the city’s dime.
This could be very beneficial for our unhoused neighbors to know, so please pass the info along to your networks!
Be kind to yourselves this week
Like many holiday times throughout the year, this can be a very difficult time for a lot of people. If you’re feeling alone, stressed by family, or in any way need support in this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We take care of one another here.
In Solidarity,
Jason