Denver Direct: HANCOCK COPS OUT
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Friday, February 6, 2015
HANCOCK COPS OUT
Reposted from here
Activists Storm LGBTQ Conference in Wake of Queer Latina Killing in Denver
BY MICHELLE GARCIA
FEBRUARY 05 2015 11:41 PM ET
The mayor of Denver has canceled his planned address at the National LGBTQ Task Force’s annual Creating Change event after a group of nearly 100 trans people and allies stormed the stage, demanding solidarity from LGBQ advocates.
Task Force deputy executive director Russell Roybal and Creating Change director Sue Hyde welcomed thousands of attendees at this year’s conference in Denver Thursday evening, and both showed emotion as they remarked pon the death of queer Latina Jessie Hernandez. Last week, Hernandez was fatally shot by police fire in Denver in a car authorities report was stolen.
After Hyde and Roybal introduced the evening’s emcee, comedian Kate Clinton, a group of trans activists and allies, led by Bamby Salcedo, stormed the stage with dozens of handmade signs as the chant “Jessie Presente!” filled the ballroom. Shortly after the demonstration, an activist told The Advocate that Creating Change organizers were not told about the action, in case the trans activists would not be allowed into the ballroom of the Sheraton in downtown Denver.
Not only did Salcedo demand better accountability on the part of police and the criminal justice system, she also called for LGBTQ organizations to include transgender people on their boards and staffs as decision makers.
“If you serve us, you need to include us,” Salcedo said to a crowd cheering and raising their fists in solidarity.
Another demonstrator said Denver police have the second highest rate of law enforcement killings. According to the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, Denver County has the second highest rate of law enforcement killings.
After the activists vacated the stage, Roybal thanked them for the demonstration and then announced that Denver Mayor Michael Hancock would not address the crowd as planned.
The evening continued with a scheduled discussion between Color of Change executive director Rashad Robinson and Race Forward executive director Runku Sen on police brutality and the racially charged actions that followed the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.
“We have a history of violence by oppression — they shoot you — or violence of neglect,” Sen said.
Robinson implored LGBTQ attendees not to “ignore this moment.” He added, “There was more that white progressive movements could have done in this moment. …I n this country we have a mass incarceration that is killing a whole generation of black and brown people.”
As Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, and Alicia Garza, the three co-creators of #blacklivesmatter, accepted the Empress I Jose Sarria Award for uncommon leadership, the trio seized the moment.
“We had a whole speech planned, but now is not the time for speeches — it’s the time for action.”
Instead, they read the names of at least a dozen transgender women who were killed this year in the United States, which was followed by three minutes of silence.
— Additional reporting by Sunnivie Brydum
at 8:31 AM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Post Comments (Atom)
Editor's note.
Submit for publication: I consider any emails I receive to be publishable unless otherwise indicated e.g. (FYI ONLY, DO NOT PUBLISH, NOT FOR PUBLICATION. ETC.) [email protected]
BLOG ARCHIVE
-
▼
2015 (59)-
▼
February (24)- GROPINGS IN CITY PARK
- COMMUNITY WORKSHOP - TAKING DOWN THE I-70 VIADUCT
- Stand Up, Stand In Against Fast Track for the TPP
- May 5th Municipal Candidate Forums
- Financial crisis looming; federal government decei...
- NOTES FROM THE NEW DRUG WAR - Jessica LeRoux - Feb...
- DENVER POLICE CHIEF WHITE'S POLICY OF RESTRAINT IS...
- LOCAL WATER SUPPLY DISRUPTION
- INCINERATOR IN CITY PARK? AT THE ZOO? FOR REAL?
- Historic Denver Leads Exploration of Designation f...
- DON'T USE THIS PHOTOGRAPH
- NEXTDOOR.COM NOT WHAT IT SEEMS TO BE
- CLAMPDOWN ON PARKS USE FOR CLASSES GENERATES $3000...
- BRIDGET WALSH RESIGNS FROM CPFAN BOARD
- City Park Historic Designation Exploration Committ...
- DENVER CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE ON GIVING INDEPENDENT ...
- WALKABOUT - TREK TO THE PINNACLE - Feb. 9, 2015
- REBUILDING TRUST
- 2015 Schedule of Tours by Phil Goodstein
- COUNTERFEIT BILLS BEING PASSED ON COLFAX
- HANCOCK COPS OUT
- SCHOOL IN A FLOODPLAIN
- Historic Denver Leads Exploration of Designation f...
- Training Available on How to Operate a Home Food B...
-
CONTACT US
Got a tip? Information? Press release? Contact us by email -Editor@DenverDirect.tv
Who we are:
Editor
Gerald Trumbule
Featured Contributors
Linda Drake
CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE
All of the work on this site, including the original YouTube videos by www.DenverDirect.tv, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Click on the symbol above for explanation.
0 comments:
Post a Comment