Social Justice

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Village-Set Street Children Aims to Tell Queer and Trans Stories ‘Authentically’

The company of "Street Children" (photo: Ted Alcorn)

The company of “Street Children” (photo: Ted Alcorn)

Time magazine declared a “transgender tipping point” in 2014 when it featured actress Laverne Cox on its cover. In the two years following that proclamation, mainstream media and pop culture attempted to follow suit. TV shows and movies like Transparent and Tangerine garnered critical acclaim and media buzz, but not all of it was positive. Despite increased portrayal of trans characters in media, the people creating and playing them remain predominantly cisgender.

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Here are the Absurd Things Linking Roberta’s to Pizzagate

a971cf8eef327002b2d8ec807edd8097By now you’ve heard that workers at Roberta’s received death threats after the restaurant got caught up in the batshittery of Pizzagate. The NYPD told DNAinfo that it had increased patrols around the pizzeria in order to prevent an incident like the shooting at Comet Ping Pong, in which a North Carolina man went looking for child sex slaves at the D.C. pizzeria and ended up firing off his AR-15. Given Roberta’s’ hilarious propensity for heavy-metal-type imagery that cheekily incorporates devil worship, the Illuminati, and other occult symbolism, it was only a matter of time before it got sucked into the false allegations about a Clinton-connected pedophile ring that engaged in Satanic ritual abuse. But what exactly is the case against Roberta’s? Here’s a look at some of what’s been thrown out there in the white-walled, rubber-lined corners of the internet.

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Week in Art: Black Women Artists for BLM, Weaponized Art, and a ‘Gallery Intervention’

(image via The Kitchen)

(image via The Kitchen)

Black Women Artists for Black Lives Matter: Holiday Screening & Reception
Monday, November 28 at The Kitchen, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Sondra Perry: Resident Evil on view through December 10.

Black Women Artists for Black Lives Matter, aka BWA for BLM, is a fairly self-explanatory “collective force underground” group formed in July 2016 in response to the continual systemic violence perpetuated against black bodies in America. This evening, the group is taking over experimental performance and art space The Kitchen to show a series of videos, both archives of past performances the group has done and videos created by members of the group, all while beats by DJ LotusMoon infiltrate your ears.

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The Future of ’80/20′ Affordable Housing Hangs in the Balance: Can 421-A Be Fixed?

(Photo: C Ceres Merry)

(Photo: C Ceres Merry)

You may not have realized it, but the city has been in the midst of a “developocalypse” since January, when the state’s 421-a program expired. For decades, the program had fueled development by excusing building owners of property taxes for up to 25 years so long as they devoted at least 20 percent of their units to affordable housing. Earlier this month, it was announced that the stalemate that brought on the developocalpyse, or at least that’s how developers understood it, was over. As the state legislature now mulls over whether to approve the reauthorization of 421-a, City Council members are seeking ways to fix it, and make sure the program fulfills its original mission of creating affordable housing.

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Tenants Demand Cooking Gas, Say Their Landlord’s Response Is ‘Tough Turkey’

Brad Hoylman and Toledano Tenant Coalition.(Photo: Katherine Barner)

Brad Hoylman and Toledano Tenant Coalition.(Photo: Katherine Barner)

While many of us are prepping for a Thanksgiving feast, the tenants of 325 East 12th Street are stocking up on TV dinners. They won’t be able to cook a proper Thanksgiving meal in their own homes this year and haven’t been able to cook for quite a while. Their building has been without gas for over six months since demolition forced Con Ed to turn it off. With the holiday season upon them, they’re feeling the frustration more than ever.

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Tis the Season: Unsilent Night Gets Bounced By ‘Big Political Rally’

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In the past, the East Village holiday tradition known as Unsilent Night has proceeded undeterred against the red menace that is SantaCon (remember UnsilentaCon?), so it’s surprising that something would stop it in its tracks on its 25th anniversary. But this is a brave new world we live in, and the annual roving sound collage orchestrated by composer Phil Kline has announced that it has moved the date of this year’s stroll “due to a large political rally in Washington Square Park planned for the same evening.”

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Ad-Rock Decries ‘Homegrown Terrorism’ and Hundreds Rally Against Hate at Adam Yauch Park

From right: Ad-Rock and Kathleen Hanna (Photo: Scott Lynch)

Last week a pair of swastikas with the caption “Go Trump” were found spray-painted in Adam Yauch Park, a playground, dog run, and ball courts in Brooklyn Heights named after the late Beastie Boy, who grew up nearby. Although America’s president-elect has apparently been too busy scolding the cast of Hamilton to issue any sort of statement condemning the hateful action made in his name, the people of Brooklyn have responded quickly and with force.

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How the Men at One Office Reassured Their Coworkers That ‘The Future Is Female’

(Photo: Claudia Matos)

(Photo: Claudia Matos)

Monica Singh, an employee of education and staffing company General Assembly, wasn’t expecting anything unusual when she went to work on Tuesday, one week after the distressing election of Donald Trump. But at the conclusion of her weekly team lunch, men around the room removed their sweatshirts and coats to reveal a heartwarming feminist surprise: Each was wearing an identical “The Future is Female” shirt.

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Latest Buzz: Vibrator Store That Unionized Now Faces Unfair Labor Charges

(Photo: Maura Murnanae)

(Photo: Maura Murnanae)

Just six months after becoming the first sex shop to unionize, Babeland has been accused of unlawfully firing an employee and engaging in practices that violate the National Labor Relations Act.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against the sex shop’s owners yesterday, November 14.

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Transgender Awareness Week: What To Do + Where to Donate

(flyer via Audre Lorde Project / Facebook)

(flyer via Audre Lorde Project / Facebook)

Life seems pretty bleak post-November 9, and even moreso when you consider that 2016 has been declared the “deadliest year on record” for transgender individuals in America, with 24 trans people– predominantly women of color– murdered so far.

This week, GLAAD’s Transgender Awareness Week continues, culminating on Sunday with the Transgender Day of Awareness. Founded in 1998 by a trans advocate in honor of trans woman Rita Hester’s memory, TDOR has been commemorated every year by vigils and other community-based events. Here are several goings-on this week, fun and solemn alike, that are either directly affiliated with Trans Awareness Week or serve to spotlight and lift up trans and queer individuals or groups.

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