From the open publishing newswire: Fred Phelp's 'church' which spreads their message of hate will be returning to the Portland area tomorrow afternoon at 12:15 to protest the funeral of Private Tan Q. Ngo, 20, of Beaverton, Ore., died Aug. 27 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, when his mounted patrol received small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire.

It is unknown and doubtful that the Tan was queer or had queer affiliations. The Westboro Baptist Church bigots don't care. They thank god for 9/11, Pearl Harbor and most lately Gustav. They have made it a point to protest soldiers to show that this is what god does to hurt America for 'supporting' the queer agenda.

Whatever you think about soldiers and vets, this is uncalled for. These people have no right to spread their message of hate at a person's funeral, regardless of that person's career or sexual orientation. If you can, arrive to help block out these bigots' message of hate. This funeral should not be a spectacle. On a side note, it would be nice if people would dress in black and show up en-masse to black out the bigotry coming from Kansas.

From the open publishing newswire: The Clothesline Project is a visual display of shirts with graphic messages and illustrations that have been designed by women survivors of violence or by someone who loves a woman who has been affected.

The Portland Branch of WILPF will sponsor a continuation of this project on Women's Equality Day, which is Tuesday, August the 26th, at Terry Shrunk Plaza in downtown Portland from 10am until 3pm. This will be the 17th anniversary of Portland WILPF's participation in the project. The first Clothesline event in Portland was held in a member's backyard. Hundreds of shirts have been made and hung since then. Mayor Patter has declared, "this day to be memoralized to give every woman her voice for independence and freedom from violence." UN Resolution 1820 acknowledges rape as a war crime. Shirts will be made and hung for the many, many women who have suffered violent sexual crimes in conflicts and war. There will be speakers at noon.

From the open publishing newswire: It has been fashionable in the past decades to pretend that normal human sexual and gender variations are instead some sort of voluntary or arbitrary perversion. There have been many studies—talking about science here—that show that human and animal populations have always harbored lesbian, gay and trans behaviors, because group survival requires that sex, identity and pleasure serve more functions than merely reproduction. One consequence of ignoring that science has been a severe degrading of the Army's ability to translate Arabic since the famous firing of so many translators under the Don't Ask Don't Tell era of military aggression against gays. The society is of course generally degraded when one minority or another is oppressed for no reason.

From the open publishing newswire: It's easy to look at queer Pride festivals and see the commodification. Every other booth is trying to sell you a rainbow. Smirnoff, Starbucks and Safeway are all over the place along with many many more businesses. However there are lots of other groups involved with Pride. They just don't have as big of logos as the businesses do.

I was walking around the Pride NW festival today at the waterfront park, not really paying attention to the businesses because I didn't have a dollar to give them anyway. However, I did notice the social service and community organizations that were there.

From the open publishing newswire: This Spring, two womyn from the Portland Animal Defense League, Rising Tide North America and Stumptown Earth First! will be on tour in your area with an interactive and engaging presentation. They will be offering a two hour presentation on radical eco-feminism and environmental ethics. Eco-feminism is the social movement that regards the oppression of women and nature as interconnected. It is one of the few movements and analysis that actually connects two movements. Consequently it is now better understood as a movement working against the interconnected oppressions of gender, ethnicity, class and nature.

This is a two part workshop which dives into recognizing the need for radical analysis over reformist thinking- working to drastically change the system rather than working within it. Using the method of popular education called a mind-map, the presentation draws direct links and parallels between radical-feminism and environmentalism exploring eco-activisms' need for radical feminism. And finally, it displays the reasons it is so important to include animal liberation into the radical-feminist-environmental analysis. It is interactive and provides plenty of time for discussion.

You may have seen part of this workshop at the EF! Rendezvous in Indiana or on the Rising Tide North America Climate Justice Action Tour last summer.

Northwest stops include:

• March 22- Portland- PSU
• March 23- Olympia- Evergreen
• March 24- Portland- Reed College

Interviews available by email.
Contact: stephanie@risingtidenorthamerica.org www.risingtidenorthamerica.org

From the open publishing newswire: PDX Trans/Genderqueer performers needed for a Camp Trans benefit April 12th!!!!

We're calling on the queer and trans community to come together for a day of action, critical analysis and fun focused on fighting patriarchy and questioning transphobia and misogyny in our communities.

We want to call attention to particular double binds that transwomen and transfeminine folks end up in caught between heteronormative
gender roles and transphobic vitriol from the queer women's community. We want to celebrate transwomen's participation in women's spaces, and their contributions to our communities and the world at large. We want to get a bunch of awesome people together to show solidarity with transwomen in the feminist community, and to celebrate gender deviancy of all kinds.

From the open publishing newswire: Extraordinary women's health advocate, activist, journalist, writer founder of NWHN died Febraury 28. Barbara Seaman, author of "The Doctor's Case Against the Pill" and "The Greatest Experiment Ever Performed on Women" has died. She was 72.

"The Case Against the Pill" resulted in hearings on the risks of birth control pills, and warnings placed on birth control pill packaging. She disclosed the risks of cancer and Hormone Replacement Therapy in "The Greatest Experiment Ever Performed on Women". She compares use of HRT in the US and Europe. In Europe, HRT is treated for a short period of time and women are told to taper off the medication once menopause is over. In the United States it has become a money making industry, with doctor's prescribing long-term, cancer inducing medication to women. Menopause in the US is treated like a disease.

Seaman founded the National Women's Health Network in 1975.
She was a journalist, activist, organizer, mother and grandmother.

To read more about Barbara Seaman go to womensspace.wordpress.com

From the open publishing newswire: Olga Arellano spoke at a rally at the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles on Aug. 27 about how her 23-year-old daughter, Victoria, died July 20 at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) federal detention facility in South Los Angeles. "I can only find the strength to talk about this because I want people to know what is going on inside that place," Olga Arellano stated. "I don't want another family to have to live through this nightmare."

Authorities reportedly refused to give Victoria Arellano?an undocumented Mexican transwoman with AIDS?urgently needed medical attention and her critically necessary prescribed antibiotic, despite mass protests on her behalf by other immigrant detainees. Authorities had imprisoned her since May in a men's mass detention cell.

Outrage over Victoria Arellano's death is forging a coalition of organizations that fight for immigrant rights, AIDS care, and trans, lesbian, gay and bisexual rights. The bilingual Los Angeles vigil and media conference was called by Arellano's family and Bienestar?a Latina community service and advocacy organization working to meet the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS.

From the open publishing newswire: Trans-bashing is in the news again. A woman in Palm Beach was beaten so savagely that her teeth were knocked out, and a lifeguard testified in the subsequent trial that his viewing stand reverberated with the blows, as her head was knocked against it. She was revived, covered in blood, at a local hospital. The basher got 4 months probation. His dad is seeking prosecution of the transwoman, as their consensual tryst was conducted while basher-boy was 17, and the woman was 39.

The responses to this news on gay.com are truly clueless. So it's time to explain again. Time to once again point out that I and my ilk are not monsters.

From the open publishing newswire: August 17-19, 2007

At the Hope Farm, home of Heather Coburn Flores, author of Food Not Lawns, How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community, (Chelsea Green, 2006), 12 miles north of Eugene.

GOALS OF THIS EVENT:
To bring together feminist activists from the permaculture/sustainability movement to share skills and envision future projects and opportunities for collaboration. We have all been working very hard for many cumulative years, on wide variety of projects, This gathering is an opportunity to come together and connect socially and professionally, toward a stronger and more unified community, now and in the future.

Men are welcome and encouraged to attend, as long as they openly support feminist work and are willing to participate in a non-violent and collaborative fashion. However, only women are eligible to present or post topics for open conferencing. Thanks for understanding.

From the open publishing newswire: On Monday, June 11th, two fourteen year old girls were forced off of public transportation(TriMet) when a fellow passenger complained that they were kissing. The driver of the bus allegedly referred to the girls as "Sickos" and told them to "knock it off." When one of the girls became visibly distraught, the other hugged her in a show of comfort, and they were promptly ejected from the bus.

To call attention to the issue, "The Great Kiss-In" has been organized for Sunday, July 8th at 2 pm. Members of the LGBTQ community will gather at 701 SW 6th Ave, in front of Trimet's offices, to kiss in a show of solidarity with the girls. Their message is that everyone has the right to show their loved ones affection. All allies welcome.

From the open publishing newswire: Many perform on the streets simply to give free art to the world. Many perform for political reasons, to spread a political message on public streets, as in the tradition of agit-prop (agitational propaganda). But most buskers have had days when they are playing because they need the money, not because they want to. On these days, it is more attractive than ever to "sell out." I interviewed some buskers to find out what "selling out" looks like in a busker context.

From the open publishing newswire: Members of The Surge Protection Brigade will hold protest at the Army/Marine Recruiting office at 1310 NE Broadway in honor of Gay Pride Month on Saturday, June 23 at 10:00 AM. The Theme of the protest is "DO Ask, DO Tell, DON'T JOIN. "Discrimination is wrong, said Bonnie Tinker, but serving as a hired soldier in the US Military is even worse." Youth are routinely given misleading information in an attempt to get them to sign up with the Military, says Ann Huntwork. "Once they are in they find out things are different than they expected and they can't get out."

The Surge Protection Brigade urges all youth to ASK military recruiters to leave them alone, to TELL recruiters that they can't be paid to enough go to Iraq where they will kill or be killed, and to refuse to JOIN an immoral and illegal war.

After the demonstration at the recruiting office, The Surge Protection Brigade will join Military Families Speak Out to protest a recruiting festival at Clackamette Park in Oregon City. The Army is sponsoring a picnic and play day for Portland-area residents who joined the Army. The event advertises a "virtual Army experience".