September Action Sheet
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Local - WNC
The Avery/Mitchell/Yancey Library District is Still Under Attack
Updates:
On Monday, August 14th the County Commissioners made 3 unexpected appointments to the regional library board. This process is usually done in cooperation with folks already part of the library system. In this case, no one from the library was notified or consulted on these appointments.
Book bans and a ban on any Pride displays or similar were discussed. Library use of tax dollars was also insinuated as a problem.
You can read the statement directly from Regional Library Director Amber Westall Briggs here: https://www.amyregionallibrary.org/regional-library-director-public-statement/
Actions:
Library Director Amber is asking folks to attend the next county commissioner meeting, scheduled for September 11th at 6 pm at the Burnsville courthouse (as per their website: https://yanceycountync.gov/yancey-calendar#2023-09-01).
Support MY Pride NC, a local LGBTQ+ organization whose mission is to give local queer folks and their allies a place to come together and be themselves. Check them out at https://www.mypridenc.org/
We are speaking with MY Pride leadership about how to use Beacon to serve the local community in an increasingly hostile, politicized climate.
Support the Asheville Racial Justice Coalition
Sign the Reparations Pledge to hold local city and county councils accountable to their 2020 promises.
Check out their events calendar and volunteer for ongoing working groups.
State-wide
Abortion Ban is Now in Effect
Details:
Abortions in North Carolina are now illegal after 12 weeks, except in cases of rape or incest.
A federal lawsuit challenging the law has been filed.
Stay tuned for ways to get involved. Get in touch by replying directly to this email if you’d like to help out.
A Slew of Anti-LGBTQ Legislation has passed
HB808 - Gender Transition/Minors
Bans all medical gender-affirming care for minors
HB574 - Fairness in Women’s Sports Act
Prevents trans folks from participating in middle and high school sports.
SB49 - Parent’s Bill of Rights
Grants parents unprecedented control and oversight over school curriculum. This opens the school system up to endless litigation that could lead to increased financial distress.
Requires schools to report to parents if any student uses a new name or pronoun.
Prohibits discussion of sexual and gender identity until the 5th grade.
Support local LGBTQ groups leading the charge at this crucial time:
Tranzmission:
Education, advocacy and support for non-binary and transgender people in Western North Carolina
https://tranzmission.org/Youth OUTright:
Youth OUTright engages in intersectional and intergenerational dialogue with a focus on gender and racial justice. Our work includes programming for youth ages 11-24, training for youth-serving organizations, and advocacy for policies that protect Queer and Trans youth.
https://www.youthoutright.org/MY Pride NC:
A local LGBTQ+ organization in Mitchell and Yancey counties whose mission is to give local queer folks and their allies a place to come together and be themselves. https://www.mypridenc.org/
Nationwide
Stop Cop City
Summary
Cop City is the common name for a massive police training facility scheduled to be built in the heart of Atlanta where a forest now stands. Originally Muscogee territory, it became a prison farm after the Native Americans were forcibly removed during the Trail of Tears. The land was abandoned in 1995. Since then, and especially during the pandemic, this outdoor sanctuary has become a crucial ecosystem for Atlanta residents.
Though widely supported across Atlanta, the protest of Copy City has been met with extreme retaliation and little national attention. From the start, activists have been labeled as terrorists, one unarmed protester was shot and killed by law enforcement during a forest raid, and most recently 61 activists have received RICO domestic terrorism charges.
The battle around Cop City is illustrative of a larger national tension - the outcry against police brutality that swept the country in 2020 has gone largely unanswered, and a main stated intention of this training facility is to control “domestic uprisings,” aka suppressing dissent. To make matters worse, cutting down this forest will increase the risk of flooding in surrounding neighborhoods, and contribute to urban heat island effects.
Updates:
RICO charges against 61 activists
Actions:
A massive local petition is still seeking signatures. Even if you don’t live in Atlanta, you can phonebank to help get locals to sign. Go to tinyurl.com/ccvphone
Check out these resources to learn more and get involved:
Spread the word - the more national attention this issue receives, the better!
Fascism-Watch:
Abortion Ban Tracker:
https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/dashboard/abortion-in-the-u-s-dashboard/
In the last year, 15 states have ceased to offer abortions entirely.
Trans Legislation Tracker:
Use this link to track anti-trans legislation across the US: https://translegislation.com/
Latest In TN
Rep. Justin Jones was silenced with a disciplinary action for speaking against adding more police officers to schools and in favor of better funding for schools, mental health, and social services.
The Democratic caucus walked off floor in protest.
Republican supermajority has allowed the party to define rules around “decorum” that have been used to censor and silence opposition. Rep. Jones has been targeted in the past for his vocal support of gun control.
FL’s Attacks on Education
State-sanctioned educational materials in Florida tout the “benefits of slavery to slaves” and make other similarly heinous claims, while discussion of systemic racism or LGBTQ folks has been banned.
Governor DeSantis fires State Attorney who was prosecuting cops. Dismissal seems wholly political in basis.
Our main interest is North Carolina, particularly Asheville, but feel free to post other initiatives that have a wider scope as well. Our ecology knows no borders!
Want to organize an action list specifically for your own region? Have a certain issue area you’d like to see covered? Get in touch, we can help!
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