Come join us on October 16th at 7:30 for movie night at the historic Cable’s Reef in Oakland. We will be screening a preview of the upcoming film, The Fire This TIme, as well as featuring the full length film, Tongues Untied.

Date: June 6, 2006
Time: 3:00p – 5:00pm
Location: 77th Precinct
Street: St. Marks and Utica
Town/City: Brooklyn, NY

On May 16, 2009 two black lesbians were brutally beaten in front of a
club in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, NY. The Safe OUTside
the System Collective of the Audre Lorde Project and Gays and Lesbians
of Bushwick Empowered of Make the Road by Walking are organizing a
protest with the women who were attacked against the 77th Precinct on
Saturday June 6th @ 3PM @ the 77th Precinct. It will be @ St. Marks
Avenue and Utica Avenue. Please come out and join us.

From: Ladies Love Ladies
Date: Wed, May 20, 2009 at 3:38 PM
Subject: NYPD Brutal BeatingS @ Ife Lounge Saturday

Hey ya’ll…

I am writing today with a heavy heart. And for me no matter how much
the world seems to dissappoint me I always want to bounce back. But
this time is a little different.

I and another lesbian in the community were involved in a BRUTAL
BEATING by ALL MALE COPS the 77th PRECINCT of the NYPD.

It took place at the IFE LOUNGE, corner of Nostrand & Atlantic in
Brooklyn. I know for a fact there were at least 100-200 woman outside
at the time and I am hearing rumors of video footage. LOOK LADIES…
IF YOU FIND CAN FIND A PARTY SO F-IN IMPORTANT, THAT YOU HAVE THE TIME
TO TELL A FRIEND TO TO TELL A FRIEND TO POST BULLETINS TO EMAIL
FLYERS. THEN I WOULD HOPE YOU WOULD HAVE THE TIME TO ASK A FRIEND TO
ASK A FRIEND TO ASK A FRIEND TO FIND PICTURES VIDEOS, WRITTEN
TESTIMONY TO SUPPORT THE FACT THAT TWO OF YOUR OWN WERE BEATEN IN THE
STREET BY POLICE!!!

NOT ONLY WERE WE BEATEN, COPS HURLED ANTI-GAY STATEMENTS AS THEY
RAISED THIER NIGHT STICKS IN THE AIR. LIKE “YOU FUCKIN BITCH ASS
DYKE”… AND THEN HAD THE AUDACITY IN FRONT OF THEIR OWN SEARGENT AND
THE REST OF THERE BROTHERS AND SISTERS SAY “WE ARE HAVIN SOME DYKE
PUSSY IN HERE TONIGHT”

Really ladies… This crime wasn’t about me or about the other female
involved. As I laid there and I felt the night sticks hit me, I
thought of Martin Luther King, and what he had to endure just for us
to have the freedoms we do today. I immediately relaxed my body, put
my arms up where they can see I wasn’t resisting, and screamed at the
top of my lungs for someone to hit record on there camera. As they
pulled me into the car I knew then that they picked the wrong quote
unquote “DYKE”, to mess with.

TODAY!!! ITS TIME FOR US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!! I don’t know about
you, but I am absolutely tired of the way police, club owners &
bouncers treat us. If you didn’t know what they think about YOU. I
hope you RECOGNIZE NOW, what it really is.

THIS IS WHAT WE NEED:
VIDEO FOOTAGE
PICTURE FOOTAGE
WRITTEN TESTIMONIES W/CONTACT INFORMATION
PLEASE EMAIL ME ASAP!!!

DON’T LET ANYONE TELL YOU IT ISN’T YOUR BUSINESS, IT IS. IF YOU HANG
WITH US, PRAY WITH US, IF YOU PARTY WITH US, IF YOU SHOW YOUR PRIDE
WITH US, THIS CRIME WAS COMMITTED AGAINST YOU AND MEMBERS OF YOUR
FAMILY.

Email me @
civilrights@LadiesLoveLadies.com

SNAIL MAIL
Triple L Network
315 Flatbush Ave
Suite 115
Brooklyn, NY 11217

PHONE:
718-350-4141

Thank you for listening…. forward this to as many people as possible!!!

much luv as always ladies,
jG
CEO of LadiesLoveLadies.com
and your favorite Photographer

hey everyone, not sure if you have this or not, but renata was moved to albion yesterday (we are trying to get her moved back down, but right now it doesn’t look good). here is her new address:

Renata Hill 07-G-0636

Albion Correctional Facility

3595 State Road

Albion, NY 14411-9399

Please send her thoughts, letters, art, poetry, and anything else that might help keep her spirit strong.

NJ4 activist, Blair Doroshwalther, has been working with Terrain, Venice, and the families of the women to produce and create a documentary about their case.

Check out the trailer for The Fire This Time and sign up for updates on the website.

On March 18th, Renata accepted a plea bargain to reduce the length of her sentence. See FIRECE NYC for the full update.

While we wait for Renata’s new contact information, make sure to keep in contact with Patreese by sending her letters and packages. Check the list of allowable items under the NY State system before sending packages. Your support means a lot to her!

Letters and packages can be mailed to:

Patreese Johnson
#07-G-0635
Bedford Hills Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 1000
Bedford Hills, NY 10507

To follow up from the protest, we need to get at least 400 letters to Morgenthau before the 17th to show that the community supports an end to the prosecution against Renata Hill!

It is encouraged that more letters come from the NYC/NJ area. People should also aim to use the letter template below to create their own unique letters, especially explaining to the DA’s office about how the case affects them directly.

[Your Name]
[Your address]

Robert M. Morgenthau
District Attorney
New York County
1 Hogan Place
New York, NY 10013

[Date]

Re: People vs. Renata Hill

Dear Mr. Morgenthau:

I am writing concerning the case of Renata Hill, who is scheduled to appear in court on March 17, 2009 for a potential retrial. Ms. Hill’s original trial was stemming from an incident in August 2006. Her conviction for Gang Assault was recently overturned on appeal. Your office is about to make a decision on offering Ms. Hill either a retrial or a plea bargain where she would serve a year in prison.

Whatever Ms. Hill’s role on that night, she shouldn’t have to go back to prison. Ms. Hill has already served two years. While she was incarcerated, she was separated from her young son. She also suffered the death of her mother, whose memorial she was unable to attend. I want to encourage you to stop further prosecution in this case, and to release Ms. Hill so that she may get on with her life.

I am writing as a person who identifies with the queer and trans communities. What happened during the incident involving Ms. Hill on August 2006 was terribly unfortunate. I believe that none of the defendants who were changed actually went out there that night with the intention of criminal activity. Life is difficult for queer and trans people, and we ask that your office recognize the constant threat of danger we live with.

Ms. Hill has been punished enough for her role in the event – both by actual imprisonment, and in the impact that imprisonment has had upon her life. I appreciate any assistance you can provide in preventing any further injustice.

Thank you for your consideration,

Sincerely,

______________________________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                                            

February 27, 2009            

Contact:

 Kimma Walker 973.676.9813                                                                                                          freenj4@yahoo.com

Queer and Trans Demonstrators Confront District Attorney

One of the NJ4 Appears in Court Next Week

National NJ4 Solidarity Committee Demands and End to All Prosecution Against Renata Hill and Immediate Release of Patreese Johnson from Prison

________________________________________________________________________________________

What:                RALLY: The National NJ4 Solidarity Committee rally in support Renata Hill and self defense for all marginalized queers, transfolks, women and people of color.

When:                        12:00 Noon

                        Monday, March 2 2009

Where:            Office of the District Attorney

                        1 Hogan Place

                        Manhattan, NY

Who:             The NJ4 Solidarity Committee, comprised of such groups as FIERCE, Gay Shame SF, LAGAI — Queer Insurrection, Bash Back, Resistance in Brooklyn and Queers for Economic Justice.

Why:             On August 16, 2006, seven young black lesbians were in New York’s West Village and were accosted by Dwayne Buckle, who eventually grabbed one of them, and a fight ensued. The seven women were arrested and charged with crimes such as “gang assault.” Three of them took plea agreements.

The other four lesbians Terrain Dandridge, Renata Hill, Patreese Johnson, and Venice Brown were put on trial in 2007. In the trial and the surrounding media they were dehumanized, villified, and called a “lesbian wolf-pack.” The prosecution and trial were so biased that in an unprecedented move the First District Appellate Court reversed all of Terrain’s convictions, and dismissed the indictment with prejudice, although by that time she had served almost two years in jail/prison. In October of 2008, a retrial was granted on the felony gang assault charges against Renata and Venice, and they both got out on bail after serving more than two years. Patreese’s sentence was reduced to 8 from 11 years, but not overturned. Assistant District Attorney Lanita K. Hobbs is demanding that Renata be returned to prison, or face another trial.

Many diverse communities have rallied to the case, seeing the DA’s prosecution of the lesbians as a denial of their right to defend themselves and each other. “If we are killed or raped, we are mourned as victims, or supported as survivors. But if we fight back successfully, we are imprisoned. The district attorney is leaving us no options when we are attacked on the street,” said spokesperson Ralowe of the NJ4 Solidarity Committee. “It is time for the district attorney to stop persecuting these lesbians and let them get on with their lives.”

The Committee will be not only be demanding that the D.A. drop the case against Renata, but also to help secure Patreese Johnson’s immediate release.

###

http://www.radioproject.org/archive/2008/5108.html

it’ll air here in the Bay this Friday. 1:30 on 94.1fm

and then next week, on Dec 24, there’ll be a different version (mostly the same, but with Born in Flames theme music!!) airing on FSRN — i’ll send the link to that one when it’s done.
a link to the audio is also on the audio and flyer tab.
thanks, ya’ll!

p.