ACTION ALERT: Spirit Day is Thursday: Wear Purple and Pass This On. Ways to Participate.

ACTION ALERT: Spirit Day is Thursday: Wear Purple and Pass This On.
Ways to Participate.

Spirit Day on Thursday: 7 Ways to Participate!


In early October 2010, Canadian teenager Brittany McMillan promulgated
the observance of a new commemoration called Spirit Day, the first
observance of which took place on October 20, 2010, in which people
wear the color purple to show support for LGBT young people who are
victims of bullying.  Promoted by GLAAD, many Hollywood celebrities
wore purple on this day to show their support of this cause, and many
websites added a prominent purple shade to their design.

The name, Spirit Day comes from the purple stripe of the Rainbow Flag,
defined by Gilbert Baker, creator of that flag, as 'representing
"spirit"'.

The observance was inaugurated in response to a rash of
widely-publicized bullying-related suicides of gay school students in
2010, including that of Tyler Clementi.

Over 1.6 million Facebook users signed up for the event globally.

Further national and international attention was drawn to Spirit Day
when Clint McCance, the vice-president of an Arkansas school board,
posted incendiary anti-homosexual remarks on the Facebook social
networking website.  McCance ultimately apologised and resigned on the
CNN program Anderson Cooper 360, however he received further criticism
for what many perceived to be an insincere non-apology apology,
including from Dr. Phil in a later Anderson Cooper interview. McCance
submitted his resignation letter to the Midlands School District
effective November 1, 2010.

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_Day

From Davey Wavey, BTI Blog:

http://www.breaktheillusion.com/inspiration/the-insanity-of-people-pleasing/

The rainbow flag is a defining symbol for LGBT people, but it’s the
purple stripe that we’ll celebrate in a special way tomorrow. Purple
is said to be symbolic of spirit – and so, in support of the LGBT
bullying victims and to raise awareness, a very purple Spirit Day was
born.

Thursday, October 20, 2011 will mark the second Spirit Day observance.
Despite only being two years old, Spirit Day has garnered a great deal
of attention thanks to GLADD, some high profile celebrities and the
hundreds of thousands of participants like YOU!

Want to be a part of Spirit Day? Here are a few ideas:

Join countless celebrities and people all across this country by
wearing purple.
Shade your Facebook, Twitter and/or Google+ picture purple.

Tweet with the hashtag #SpiritDay.

Ask your company or school to turn their website purple for the day.

Talk about Spirit Day on your Tumblr or blog.

Upload a YouTube video about bullying.

Change your desktop background to purple – and explain to your
coworkers and friends why.

Spirit Day is all about showing support and increasing awareness. As
we reach a critical mass of attention, it becomes easier to push the
legislation that we so urgently need (i.e., 32 states don’t have laws
protecting kids from bullying).

Let us know how you’ll be participating in Spirit Day

From Tommy News Thomas:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Anti_Hate_Pride_League/

WE REMEMBER!

Updated List of LGBT Youth Suicides

Just Some of the youth Suicides caused by anti-gay hate speech and bullying:

Seth Walsh age 13

Asher Brown  age 13

Jamey Rodemeyer age 14

Jamie Hubley age 15

Justin Aaberg age 15

Phoebe Prince age 15

Billy Lucas age 15

Puja Mondal age 17 lesbian

Tyler Clementi age 18

Aiyisha Hassan age 19

Bobby Saha age 19 lesbian

Zach Harrington age 19

Their blood is on the bullies hands.


Let us know how you’ll be participating in Spirit Day

More:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Anti_Hate_Pride_League/

--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy

EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION: Keep Bloomberg and Kelly From Evicting Occupy Wall Street

EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION: Keep Bloomberg and Kelly From Evicting #OWS
Posted Oct. 13, 2011, 2:14 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

EMERGENCY #OWS EVICTION DEFENSE:
Prevent the forcible closure of Occupy Wall Street

Tell Bloomberg: Don't Foreclose the Occupation.


NEED MASS TURN-OUT, SHOW UP AT MIDNIGHT, NOT 6 A.M.
This is an emergency situation. Please take a minute to read this, and
please take action and spread the word far and wide.

Occupy Wall Street is gaining momentum, with occupation actions now
happening in cities across the world.

But last night Mayor Bloomberg and the NYPD notified Occupy Wall
Street participants about plans to “clean the park”—the site of the
Wall Street protests—tomorrow starting at 7am. "Cleaning" was used as
a pretext to shut down “Bloombergville” a few months back, and to shut
down peaceful occupations elsewhere.

Bloomberg says that the park will be open for public usage following
the cleaning, but with a notable caveat: Occupy Wall Street
participants must follow the “rules”.


NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has said that they will move in to
clear us and we will not be allowed to take sleeping bags, tarps,
personal items or gear back into the park.


This is it—this is their attempt to shut down #OWS for good.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION
1) Call 311 (or +1 (212) NEW-YORK if you're out of town) and tell
Bloomberg to support our right to assemble and to not interfere with
#OWS.


2) Come to #OWS TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT to defend the occupation from eviction.

For those of you who plan to help us hold our ground—which we hope
will be all of you—make sure you understand the possible consequences.
Be prepared to not get much sleep. Be prepared for possible arrest.
Make sure your items are together and ready to go (or already out of
the park.) We are pursuing all possible strategies; this is a message
of solidarity.

Click here to learn nonviolent tactics for holding ground.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Occupy Wall Street is committed to keeping the park clean and safe—we
even have a Sanitation Working Group whose purpose this is. We are
organizing major cleaning operations today and will do so regularly.

If Bloomberg truly cares about sanitation here he should support the
installation of portopans and dumpsters. #OWS allies have been working
to secure these things to support our efforts.

We know where the real dirt is: on Wall Street. Billionaire Bloomberg
is beholden to bankers.

We won't allow Bloomberg and the NYPD to foreclose our occupation.
This is an occupation, not a permitted picnic.

597 Comments

How To Hold Your Ground
Posted Oct. 13, 2011, 2:12 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt


Starting at midnight through tomorrow morning, we will hold our ground
against police aggression and assert the right of the people to
peaceful assembly. The following are links to resources on using
nonviolent tactics to defend Liberty Plaza.

Practical Protest Techniques
Delia Smith's Basic Blockading
Basic Strategy: Sit down, link arms and do not let go! If the police
drag you away, you can comply or go limp (both calmly and silently)
which is arguably not resisting arrest. Please also respect a
diversity of tactics.

For those of you who plan to stick around PAST MIDNIGHT—which we hope
will be all of you—make sure you understand the possible consequences.
Be prepared to not get much sleep. Be prepared for possible arrest.
Make sure your items are together and ready to go (or already out of
the park.) We are pursuing all possible strategies; this is a message
of solidarity.

17 Comments

GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY
Posted Oct. 13, 2011, 2:10 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

Following respectful and good-faith dialogue with members of the local
community which has been rebuilding since the trauma of 9/11, Occupy
Wall Street hereby announces the following Good Neighbor Policy:

OWS has zero tolerance for drugs or alcohol anywhere in Liberty Plaza;

Zero tolerance for violence or verbal abuse towards anyone;

Zero tolerance for abuse of personal or public property.

OWS will limit drumming on the site to 2 hours per day, between the
hours of 11am and 5pm only.

OWS encourages all participants to respect health and sanitary
regulations, and will direct all participants to respectfully utilize
appropriate off-site sanitary facilities.

OWS will display signage and have community relations and security
monitors in Liberty Plaza, in order to ensure awareness of and respect
for our guidelines and Good Neighbor Policy.

OWS will at all times have a community relations representative
on-site, to monitor and respond to community concerns and complaints.

Occupy Wall Street October 13, 2011

Note: In conjunction with local community members and their
representatives, OWS is also working to establish off-site sanitary
facilities such as port-a-potties.

 More:

http://www.occupywallst.org/



Dear MoveOn member,
At 7 a.m. tomorrow, Mayor Bloomberg is evicting the Occupy Wall Street
protesters from their occupation of Zuccotti Park, unless you can
help.1
Zuccotti Park is the birthplace of the Occupy protests sweeping the
nation and capturing the public's attention. It's where a community of
committed Americans are standing up against Wall Street and the
corporate capture of our democracy for the 99% of us trying to take
back the American Dream.
But tomorrow at 7 a.m., under Mayor Bloomberg's orders, the NYPD is
coming to Zuccotti Park to kick the 99% protesters out. It's being
done under the guise of "cleaning" the park, but new rules will mean
the end of the occupation.2
We have very little time to act. We need to gather a huge national
petition as soon as possible, so we can deliver it to City Hall
tonight and have it for the protesters in Zuccotti Park.
So act now. Sign the petition and tell Mayor Bloomberg: "Respect the
protesters' First Amendment rights. Don't try to evict Occupy Wall
Street."
Sign the petition.
http://www.civic.moveon.org/defend_ows/?id=31974-3095722-cDS%3DWZx&t=3

Zuccotti Park may be in New York, but the protesters are standing up
against Wall Street and the damage they've done to millions of
Americans everywhere. That's why it's an inspiration and nerve center
for a growing occupation movement that's spreading to every corner of
the country.

So it's not just this one protest that's at stake tomorrow morning,
because if we allow the eviction to happen, other mayors across the
country are sure to follow Bloomberg's lead.
What's at stake today is the very right we have as Americans to speak
out when we've been wronged and peaceably assemble as a community to
seek redress from the government.
Sign the petition, so that Mayor Bloomberg can hear from all of us
across the country right away.

Employing a tactic that's been used to break up similar protest
actions, Mayor Bloomberg is sending in the police under the guise of a
"cleaning operation." But that's a PR farce, because protesters will
only be allowed back in if they obey rules that include: no "lying
down" and no use of "tarps or sleeping bags or other covering."3
Obviously, the 99% protesters can't continue to occupy Zuccotti Park
if they have to stand for 24 hours a day, and as the nights grow
colder and the rain pours down, they can't endure without sleeping
bags, tarps, and the like. Make no mistake—this is an eviction, and we
have less than 24 hours to stop it.
So sign the petition and tell Mayor Bloomberg: "Respect the
protesters' First Amendment rights. Don't try to evict Occupy Wall
Street." Then get the word out to everyone you know on your social
networks.
Sign the petition.

http://www.civic.moveon.org/defend_ows/?id=31974-3095722-cDS%3DWZx&t=3

Thanks for all you do.
–Justin, Eli, Elena, Adam Q., and the rest of the team

--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy

GET READY: National Coming Out Day is Tuesday, October 11th 2011

GET READY: National Coming Out Day is Tuesday, October 11th 2011

-by Tommy News Thomas


Please pass this message on to everyone in your address book.

Take Action for International Coming Out Day

October 11th is International Coming Out Day. Take Action!

National Coming Out Day is Tuesday. Here are some important actions
you can take.

 Write letters, email, call, and fax your representatives asking them
to support pro-LGBT legislation. Ask them to support the American
Equality Bill Civil Rights Act Amendment to include Sexual Orientation
and Gender Identity.  Ask then to repeal  DOMA, and to pass ENDA,
UAFA, and the AEB.  Arrange a letter-writing campaign gathering as
part of your National Coming Out Day activities. Make paper,
envelopes, pens and sample letter language available. Have a gathering
and serve some festive snacks and beverages. Fly your rainbow flag and
wear rainbow pride gear.

Get contact information at http://www.congress.org/

Make a commitment to be honest about your sexual orientation or gender
identity to those who know you. Coming out and living openly as a gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender or supportive straight person is an act
of bravery and authenticity. Being brave doesn’t mean that you’re not
scared; it means that if you are scared, you do the thing you're
afraid of anyway. Polls continue to show that people who know someone
gay are more likely to support full equality.

If you are participating in Occupy Together protest events, wear your
rainbow colors and make a sign reading something like LGBT FULL
EQUALITY NOW!
PASS THE AMERICAN EQUALITY BILL FOR CIVIL RIGHTS!

http://www.occupytogether.org/


More information on AEB Here:

http://www.actonprinciples.org/aeb-senate/


From The Human Righta Campaign:


National Coming Out Day


Donate your Facebook status
for National Coming Out Day!
Go to the app

 http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/national-coming-out-day


Whether you're lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or a straight ally,
be proud of who you are and your support for LGBT equality this Coming
Out Day!

Use HRC's Coming Out for Equality Facebook app to show your support
and spread a message of equality to your friends and family. It's the
courage to come out as an active voice for LGBT equality that will
result in real political and social change.

New ways to come out for equality will be added each week leading up
to October 11.

About the App
Once you add the app, select one of the "Actions to Take" to get
started! After completing each action, be sure to claim your equality
(EQ) badge and encourage others to get involved by sharing your badge
on Facebook, inviting your friends and family to take action and
tweeting with the #comingout hashtag.

We can't do this alone, but together we can make a difference. Recruit
your friends and family to Come Out for Equality and earn a badge for
your efforts.

Learn about Coming Out Day
History of National Coming Out Day
Living Openly
However you identify, HRC and its Coming Out Project hope these guides
help you meet the challenges and opportunities that living openly
offers to each of us:

Find coming out guides and other resources
Order publications in bulk via the HRC Shop
Are You a Straight Ally?
Check out A Straight Guide to LGBT Americans to learn about the
emotional spectrum that people typically feel after someone comes out
to them and find easy ways to learn more and demonstrate your support
for LGBT Americans and equality.

Download the guide

http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/national-coming-out-day

Please pass this message on to everyone in your address book.

--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy