****URGENT****Call/email/fax Freeman and Senechal ALL DAY TUESDAY!!

On February 7th, call, email, and fax Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman and demand he drop the charges against CeCe. This time, we are extending the call-in to include Assistant Attorney Marlene Senechal, head of adult prosecution.

LET’S LET FREEMAN AND SENECHAL KNOW THAT WE WONT STAND FOR THE RACIST, TRANSPHOBIC PROSECUTION OF CECE!

 

While Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald is being prosecuted for murder after being violently attacked for her race and gender, Freeman’s office recently declined to prosecute the killer of Darrell Evanovich, a black man who was shot dead by a white man after an alleged robbery. While no person should be thrown to the mercy of the soulless, so-called “justice” system, the fact that CeCe is on trial after being assaulted, while a white man who killed someone after chasing them down is touted as a “good Samaritan,” highlights the racist and transphobic nature of the prosecution of CeCe. Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman and Marlene Senechal have the power to drop the charges against CeCe. So far, though, he has implicitly sided with CeCe’s white supremacist attackers by failing to acknowledge the racist, transphobic assault that she survived as a mitigating factor in the unintentional death of Dean Schmitz.

 

When: Tuesday, Feb 7th, ALL DAY

Where: From home, work, wherever you find yourself!

What: Call Michael Freeman at 612-348-5540, fax at 612-348-2042, and email at citizeninfo@co.hennepin.mn.us

Call Marlene Senechal at 612-348-5561, fax at 612-348-3061, and email at citizeninfo@co.hennepin.mn.us

 

Remember to remain polite but assertive. Some key points to mention in your calls, emails, and faxes are:

• Identify yourself as a supporter, friend, family member, or community member calling about Ms. Chrishaun McDonald’s case.
• Tell the County Attorney’s Office why you’re concerned: Ms. McDonald was the target of a hate crime, but she was singled out for aggressive prosecution after the attack.
• County Attorney Freeman has declined to press charges in cases like this at least three times already this year. Remind him that he has the power to drop the charges against Ms. McDonald.
• Tell Freeman and Senechal not to side with Ms. McDonald’s white supremacist attackers: drop the charges against Ms. McDonald.

Tell Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman and Assistant Attorney Marlene Senechal to take a stand against hate, racism, and transphobia. Tell Freeman and Senechal to DROP THE CHARGES against Chrishaun McDonald!

For more information regarding CeCe’s case, visit http://supportcece.wordpress.com/ or email mpls4cece@gmail.com!

Back to work!

Blogging…yep.

I can’t believe it’s been four weeks since surgery.  Healing has been going great. I can’t thank my community enough for the tremendous amount of support I have felt this month. Sarah and Lex helped me so much the first week – even when it meant waking them up at three in the morning just to get help out of the bed and into the bathroom or to take my late night antibiotic.  So much love to them.

The last four weeks have felt like varying levels of gay t-rex-ness:

Ghey T-Rex

I also went out dancing – for the first time since surgery – last night!  Such sweaty goodness…

Childish Gambino

This is my first full week back at some form of work.  A lot of it was from home, but my energy level has increased exponentially, so I’m back on the grind…

Facilitated my first “Chess Club” meeting at a community school this past week!!!  I’ll be working with 6th-8th graders!!  It’s a fun group.  Right now, I’m trying to figure out how to positively structure the group in a way that works in a way that (1) empowers the group to feel like they can have these meetings look however they want it to, and (2) will be different than the super authoritarian, “listen to me while I talk, and sit in neat rows” that the group is used to.  Having a class that is structured around how they learn/want to learn is something they aren’t used to.  They’re not used to being asked how they feel, or what they think of an activity.  They’re just told to do something.  I actually received an email from one of the staff asking if a group of after school teachers would be interested in meeting to address “intervention methods” for one of the students in the school.  They were identifying his “behavior problems” as something that was only his “fault” and needed correction or discipline.  I’ve been working with him in one group or another since November, and I haven’t had any “problems” with him.  Neither has my housemate.  I’m still trying to find a diplomatic way to respond to all of it.  Don’t want to risk losing my job the first week in.

Oh, I started a tumblr page, as well.  It’s a lot easier to share photos and videos found on the web with a tumblr (I will reblog until my clicking finger falls off).  I figure this can also ease some feelings about “Oooh, I want to share this photo, but I haven’t posted anything.  Well, maybe I’ll post a quick blog and then the photo.”  By the time I’ve started writing, I don’t have the energy for it anymore.  Having two pages makes feeling like my writing will be healthier.

Anyway, point is, the tumblr page is dynamicdandee.tumblr.com.

Florida, you are beautiful. We are going to do a lot of healing together….

Surgery is tomorrow.  I’ve prepared as much as I can to get my brain and body ready for change, did an immense amount of planning, changing dates around, getting work schedules figured out, and showing care to the two wonderful folks, Sarah and Lex,  that are going to be caring for me in a big way.  I am so thankful for them.  I am also thankful for folks back home that have helped in preparing my return – setting up food schedules, rides from the airport, planning hang out time, and just showing an astounding amount of love.  I don’t have a lot of anxiety about the surgery itself, but a really hard emotion reared it’s head today that I was not all that prepared for.

That feeling is fear of interdependence.  Or, to be more on point, having a fear of depending on other people – feeling more like being a burden to the people caring for me.  I know that it’s irrational thinking.  Coming from a history of being told I was a burden during healing or sickness (in so many ways, not just verbal), or being told to “sleep it off” did a real number to the part of my heart that wants to open up completely without fear.  Fortunately, I have communicated these fears to Sarah and Lex, we’ve had some really honest communication about it (feelings!!!), and Lex brought up a good point.  He stated that, even though I feel that it is irrational thinking and something that I have to work through, it’s not just something I have to work through.  It’s real trauma that I’ve experienced, and hopefully having a positive experience here in FL will allow for more than just physical healing from surgery.  It may also allow for healing from trauma around not feeling cared for when I’ve needed it.  So good, right?  Anyway, I’m taking so much positive energy and Lex’s words into tomorrow and the future with me.  This is going to be a big year of change.

Florida has been surreal and amazing.  We ran into some hangups at the car rental center, and didn’t make it to where we are staying until after 2am, but our hosts, this house, and the time in FL has been absolutely amazing.  We are staying with some really great people that Lex knew from some organizing work.  They live in Lake Worth in a little house called “The Canew” with a huge garden that has 22 different types of fruiting plants in the back yard.  Let me tell you, it’s like a tropical paradise.  The star fruit is so amazing and the lime tree smells divine. There are also six chickens – we’ve spent some time chasing them through the garden when they’ve escaped from their area of the back yard.  There are also cats!  I think there are 3-5 of them, usually 4, mostly outdoors, but there’s been a cold snap lately so they’ve been around the house more.  They are extremely adorable, very loving, and as bad ass as their human counterparts.  The housemates are dope folks that are involved in various types of community organizing and activism.  They’ve been extremely welcoming and there’s been so much sharing it’s made my heart completely melt!

Back yard of “The Canew”.

Back yard from the roof.

Lex and Sarah!!

2012: Year of the Dynamic Dandee

“Friends, family (chosen and blood), community members, followers, lovers, and fellow dandees!

Welcome to my blog!  Welcome to 2012: Year of the Dynamic Dandee!  Wait, d-a-n-d-e-e?  Yes, that’s correct.  I have been struggling with the word “dandy” for a few reasons, but I feel it can be best explained if I give you the definition of the phrase first:

Dynamic   (adj)

1) also dy•nam•i•cal
a: of or relating to physical force or energy
b: of or relating to dynamics
2) a: marked by usually continuous and productive activity or change
b: energetic, forceful

Dandy   (noun)

1) a man who gives exaggerated attention to personal appearance
2) something excellent in its class

As you can see, the word dandy refers to a man who holds a higher position in a particular class.  One, I don’t identify as a “man”.  I prefer trans-masculine-sometimes-femme-boi-with-a-penchant-for-fashion. I use “he” and “him” pronouns.  Yes, that’s a mouthful.  Yes, it doesn’t fit into any of society’s boxes.  Yes, society can get over it.  Also, dandeeism is not and sure as hell should not be limited to people who identify as masculine, male, or man.   Two, the original definition of dandy is about class, and most likely, race too.   Let’s get it right – as far as most of society is concerned, I’m still a poor black man (with a splash of flamboyance).  I hustle when I need to, and survive the rest.  Actively placing myself in a hierarchical place on the oppression food chain (see subtype or “exception to the rule” racism) as a black masculine person just adds fuel to the oppression fire.  “Why is that?,” you say?  Well, if you look at the history of this white  society, black people who speak in a particular manner or dress a particular way are treated very differently.  A black person in “proper fitting” clothes and a bow tie may get a little (see micrometer) more respect from other people than a person donning a Du Rag, some Timbalands, and Coogi threads.  It’s not much, it’s probably not genuine, and it doesn’t go a long way.    Fuck that.  I refuse to be an active part of a system that continues to oppress people that don’t meet rich, white male american standards.  I want to challenge and fight systems of oppression, not weigh out who deals with more shit. Hence, I use the term “dandee” instead of “dandy”.  Now if I can only get my computer to recognize.

Still curious?  Confused?  Check out this gem of an article.  It does mention the blog Street Etiquette, which is a blog some of you may be familiar with.

Anyway, I look forward to sharing my life stories, fashion finds, cat videos, and amazing organizing stories with you. Also, I want you to share with me!  Please email me your thoughts, stories, funny finds, criticisms, and questions.  If I say something messed up, please say something and let’s have a dialogue about it.  I make mistakes.  I’m human.  I want to learn from myself, and from you, my community.  Learning from each other is the only way this world can continue to move forward.

Love to you all!”