S.O.N.G.

INTRODUCTION
After about a half of year’s work, Southerners on New Ground is proud to present the Southern LGBT Map Directory, a collection of 24 organizations, groups, and collectives in the South that are doing progressive LGBT organizing. These groups are working around everything from gay and lesbian rights to anti-bullying to reproductive justice to anti-violence to trans prison support. Although not all of the organizations are explicitly queer, they all share a commitment to social justice and intersectional organizing. We have learned that although queer-led social justice organizations in the South may be few in number, they are doing amazing work with limited resources. We created this directory to counter the isolation and burnout that organizers experience all too often in the South and hope that it will help bring people together to strategize, share resources, and support each other.

As we interviewed people for this project, some common themes emerged: people feel isolated, they often work for organizations that are the only ones in their state doing intersectional work, they have trouble moving LGBTQ organizations to be anti-racist and vice versa, they have limited resources, and yet they are hopeful, believe in intersectional organizing, have faith in youth organizers, and have seen people change as a result of their organizations. We have seen that doing this work in the South is often difficult and frustrating, but the people doing it are resilient, and hold onto a vision of a better world.

Check it out!
Southern LGBT Directory

Letter from the SC Equality Coalition about victory in South Carolina!
—————————–

Greetings,

I have some exciting news to report! Just minutes ago, the Columbia
City Council voted unanimously to pass ordinances prohibiting
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity
in housing and public accommodations. South Carolina Equality
proposed these ordinances in January and the ordinances passed with
little opposition. Please see the attached press release.

We have passed one of the most comprehensive local ordinances in the
United States, in one of the most conservative states in the country.
These ordinances represent the most significant advance in GLBT rights
in SC, in the history of our state.

When we work together, when we’re focused, when we’re strong– there
is no limit to what we can accomplish. We have re-launched South
Carolina Equality in the last three months, and look at what we’ve
been able to do, together. With your help, South Carolina Equality
will take these ordinances to other cities in the state and continue
to work at a local level.

South Carolina Equality worked closely with the SC Gay and Lesbian
Pride Movement and the Harriet Hancock Center, coordinating activity
and building support. None of this would have been possible without
the efforts of Council Members Daniel Rickenmann and Tameika Isaac
Devine and Mayor Bob Coble.

South Carolina’s Capital City is the first municipality in the state
to pass comprehensive human rights ordinances in housing and public
accommodations including sexual orientation and gender identity.
Columbia joins two other cities in the “Deep South” that have passed
comprehensive anti-discrimination ordinances – New Orleans and
Atlanta.

Warm Regards,

C. Ray Drew
Executive Director
SC Equality

P.S. They say that commitment isn’t about the time you spend, but the line you cross. Look behind us. That’s where the line is now.

Two-weekend advanced training for people committed to social justice work that is cross-issue, anti oppression work that meets at the crossroads of race, class, culture, gender and sexuality , towards building the local capacity, unity and interconnection of people in the greater Jacksonville, FL area.

If you are interested?? Want to know more information?? Want to apply??

If you are in the Jacksonville, FL area, contact JASMYN:
Phone: 904.389.3857 // Email: garrettboardman@yahoo.com or
mindymiddleton@hotmail.com // Check out our website: www.jasmyn.org

For more information on the Organizing School,
(including information on future ones!) contact SONG:
Phone: 919.286.3230 // Email: kindred@southernersonnewground.org

“…we cannot live without our lives” ~ Audre Lorde

Some of the topics & themes of the Organizing School will be:

CONSCIOUSNESS RAISING
· Connections of liberation work within LAND, BODY, SPIRIT & LABOR
· Legacy of Revolutionary Political Movements & People
· Role of Gender & Sexuality within colonization & liberation.

SKILLS-BUILDING
· Popular Education.
· Healing / Memory / Reclamation work.
· Building democratic & equitable structures and groups.

The SONG Organizing school is a two-weekend sub-regional training intensive in collaboration with JASMYN, based on community organizing, starting at the premise of broad-based social justice work. It is an advanced training and opportunity to meet the needs of leading community organizers & movement people from the greater Jacksonville, FL area.

It will give 20 live & ready organizers & members an intense & deep opportunity to do some consciousness raising as well as skills-building into the fundamentals of movement building, healing & sustainability work, and anti-oppression, liberation work…. Southern style’… guided by the experience, heart & vision of other working class, People of Color immigrant Queer / Lesbian Gay / Bisexual / Transgender & Gender-non- Conforming folks living in the Southeast…

This is not a queer-exclusive space, but it is based on the premise of work and experience born out of the connections, lives and intersections within queer communities.

This organizing school is intended and targeted to meet the needs of youth, youth organizers, and folks from organizations, groups and collectives who have at least a year’s experience in community work ~ to help those emerging, as well as more seasoned organizers take their political work, thinking, connections and strategies to the next level. This is not intended to be an introductory training to organizing or social justice work.

Our work, as well as the mission and strategy for this school is out of the belief that while the South as a region is underfunded, and the work & achievements of our communities often invisible and minimalized… that we are the legacy of amazing communities, elders, queers, people of color, and working-class people who’ve been making it happen each and everyday. It is our hope that we can expand, as well as deepen our skills, understanding, and ability to continue engaging inter-generational, multi-racial, multi-gendered communities in our own liberation & survival…please join us!!