Washington Post now uses FEAR, not political issues, as a way to gain support for Clinton

Once again the Washington Post, like the New York Times, has attack the Sanders campaign. This time with the more subtle voice of the smart Jonathan Capehart . My response is:

Can we leave this discussion to after the convention please. It will be in order then. I find the the use of fear by Clinton supporters muffles debate over the real ideas both Clinton and Saunders are raising. this debate is healthy and engaging . The Clinton camp made its first big mistake by refusing to expand the number of formal debates and by laying down such strict rules by DWS at the DNC. If the Clinton camp at this stage turns to fear as a tactic it will only exacerbate the mistrust many millennials and many seniors have of the Clinton campaign already. Let both candidates debate their positions so each voter in the primary can make an informed choice. How this is played now will be key to how voters on either side will vote in November. Clinton has great skills as a debater and should stop with the snide personal swipes at Sanders and do as Sanders does and keep to issue based debate. Clinton sends messages in her debate persona to her supporters. Corporate media appears to be in the Hilary camp. The attacks on Sanders are in my view on their pages in particular the Washington Post only serve to harden the Sanders camp. I have chosen at this point to keep my focus on the Primary and the issues raised by each candidate.. And defend either candidate when attacked unfairly. First things first I say. Note: I have respect for the out person of color commetator JC ... Which allows me to think about what he writes and to decided for myself if I agree or not... I think that is called democracy

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/02/01/a-warning-to-warring-democrats-in-the-clinton-sanders-race/

REMEMBERING LIZ SWADOS : Memorial Concert for Composer Elizabeth Swados—La MaMa ETC, New York—Sun...

How fitting that a memorial honoring the late composer, Elizabeth Swados,  who went from off off Broadway to Broadway should be held held at the one place she always felt was her creative home and the community of artists friends and family be it here at La MaMa or up the street at the Public Theater was so right.  It is also personal for me . Liz was a lesbian in a long term relationship. The theater historically had been a place where lesbians and gay men had led two lives the public and the private. But Liz Swados never did. Nor did  she fall into the sinkhole of identity politics. . She simply was a whole creative person. No double life.  She once said to me that being whole in public and private is the center of her creativity. Condolences to Roz, lawyer extraordinaire and long term partner .You are are not alone in your loss .. all of us are grateful for her presence in our lives and will honor her as an artist and to many of us as a friend.



When we die what we leave as our work and passion is what is remembered .

Thank  you LIz Swados for a live of creativity and a legacy of indelible work,

Kendrick Lamar "seizes the moment" at Grammys and puts mass incarceration front and center for black people in the US BLACK LIVES MATTER

Black Lives Matter created the space for creative and artistic pushback by public figures of color to seize the moment and maximize their ability to reach masses of people in response to institutional racism and the killing of black men and women by militarized police forces across the country., The public saw  Beyonce finally stepped  up at the Super Bowl and now Kendrick Lamar front and center at the Grammys links mass incarceration of black men and women to the roots most black Americans were ripped from to be  put on slave ships. HIs album was my choice for record of the years. How to "seize the times " has many different applications . Kendrick Lamar showed  his with artistic expression and naked reality at the Music industry most visible moment. I need to find out who conceived and choreographed and directed this spectacular call to history and change. All creative forces need to be recognized.

CLICK ON LINK TO EXPERIENCE THIS BOLD MOMENT

http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.html#ec=trOW14MDE6gCowO43SPHW0Wdr_Ehb2Xy&pbid=dcc84e41db014454b08662a766057e2b&docUrl=about%3Asrcdoc

DO NOT MISS: TRAPPED | HBO documentary peek IFC screening just before the Supreme Court decides on a Women's Right to Choose

Trust me you will LOVE this film and the people you meet . There are two cases on the a woman's right to choose. This doc educates us to the horrible barriers the Right Wing Anti-Choice groups are putting up to a woman's' access to abortion and  the health care clinic and Doctors who are providing these services . It is happening all over the country.. here we learn about how two  amazing Southern women refuse to back down when their State Legislature passed rules and regulations which will shut them down.. I have to tell you when the subjects showed up at Sundance I cried ...The filmmakers will be present ..



TRAPPED | Stranger than Fiction

OH BOY/GIRL/V :Weekly Update from the Bureau of General Services, Queer Division, February 15, 2016

Dear friends of the Bureau,

We hope to see you soon at the Bureau's upcoming events and during

our regular hours, Wednesdays-Sundays, 1-7 PM.

Monday, February 15, 7 PM

Union Square Slam present JOSÉ OLIVAREZ and our LOVE AND HEARTBREAK THEME SLAM

Oh. It's that time of year again. That time when no matter who you are, you got something to say about Love. Welp. Let's hear it!! Join us for an incredible feature by Chicago's own literary badass, José Olivarez, and our Love and Heartbreak Theme Slam!!

COMPETING POETS, TAKE NOTE: THIS IS THE LAST THEME SLAM BEFORE THE IRON POET SLAM ON APRIL 26TH. IF YOU HAVEN'T COMPETED IN A THEME SLAM YET AND WANT TO GO FOR TEAM, THIS IS YOUR SECOND TO LAST CHANCE TO DO SO.

6:00pm: Free Poetry Workshop with Sara Emily Kuntz

7:00pm: Sign ups for Open Mic and Slam

7:30pm: Open Mic

8:00pm: Feature

8:30pm: Poetry Slam

About our Feature:

José Olivarez is the co-author of the book of poems Home Court. ... Keep reading

About our Slam:

Bust out your sexy erotica, your heartfelt odes, your viled and anguished break-up lines.

::THEME SLAMS::

We have a variety of Theme Slams, meant to introduce different artistic elements, challenges, and inspiration to our work. ... Keep reading

RSVP on Facebook (not required)

Wednesday, February 17, 7 PM

Radicals Reading Series | New York Featuring legendary writer and activist Larry Kramer, along with writer and editor, J. Bryan Lowder, and educator Damon Jacobs.

Radicals | New York features some of today’s leading LGBTQ activists, educators and commentators. From gay history and identity to awareness and sexual health, Radicals honors those who strive to make a difference through their work, provoking thought and demanding change. Featuring legendary writer and activist Larry Kramer, along with writer and editor, J. Bryan Lowder, and educator Damon Jacobs.

Free event

RSVP on Facebook (not required)

Thursday, February 18, 7 PM

Benjamin Fredrickson in Conversation with Hunter O'Hanian

Benjamin Fredrickson. EJ Sleeping, 2015, 10 x 8” Gelatin silver print from paper negative. Edition # 1/3.

In conjunction with the Bureau's exhibition Benjamin Fredrickson: Salon, the Bureau hosts a conversation between Benjamin Fredrickson and Hunter O'Hanian, Director of the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art.

Suggested donation of $5 to benefit the Bureau.

No one turned away for lack of funds.

RSVP on Facebook (not required)

Saturday, February 20, 7 PM

Newfangled 9: Robert Siek hosts Yanyi Luo, Sam Ross, and Nomi Stone

Join us for the 9th installment of Newfangled, poetry readings by emerging poets hosted by Robert Siek. Newfangled 9 will feature Yanyi Luo, Sam Ross, and Nomi Stone.

Suggested donation of $5 to benefit the Bureau. No one turned away for lack of funds.

RSVP on Facebook (not required)

Monday, February 22, 7 PM

Union Square Slam presents FRANNY CHOI and SEMIFINALS #2

It's that time of the year again! Time for Union Square Slam's top poets to duke it out for the next two spots on our first Finals stage ever this May, with none other than the legendary Franny Choi!!!

6pm: Free Poetry Workshop with Sara Emily Kuntz

7pm: sign-ups (open Mic Only)

7:30pm: Open Mic

7:50pm: Feature

8: 20pm: Semifinals Slam (invite only)

About our Feature:

FRANNY CHOI is a writer, performer, and teaching artist. ... Keep reading.

About our Slam:

::Union Square Slam National Team Competition::

There are 3 quarters of competitive poetry slam, each culminating in a Semifinal. Each quarter consists of six open slams (one or more of which is a New Shit slam -- competition in New Shit slams counts towards your total points!) ... Keep reading.

RSVP on Facebook (not required)

Wednesday, February 24, 7 PM

Celebrating Queer: A Reader for Writers, featuring Editor Jason Schneiderman, and contributors Charles Rice-Gonzalez (moderator), Justin Vivian Bond, Mark Doty, & Ebony Smith

Join us for the launch of Jason Schneiderman‘s anthology Queer: A Reader for Writers, the first freshman composition reader built entirely around queer topics. Charles Rice-Gonzalez moderates a discussion amongst fellow contributors Justin Vivian Bond, Mark Doty, Ebony Smith, and Schneiderman.

Suggested donation of $5 to benefit the Bureau. No one turned away for lack of funds.

Thursday, February 25, 7 PM

NYC Revolutionary Feminism Study Group

Join us for week 17, the final week of the Fall-Winter 2015/2016 NYC reading group of Revolutionary Feminism: Communist Interventions, vol. III, a reader from the Communist Research Cluster. All NYC Revolutionary Feminism meetings are open and welcoming to the public. Week 17 will look at dual systems theory, reading pieces written by Heidi Hartmann and Iris Marion Young.

The reader can be found online here.

RSVP on Facebook (not required)

Friday, February 26, 7 PM

Tell 21: My Passion

TELL is an evening of story telling from the mouths and minds of queers in NYC hosted by Drae Campbell at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division since February 2014. Come celebrate the second anniversary of TELL!

My Passion is the theme of the twenty-first installment of TELL. Featuring Aviya Eschenazi, Tanisha Thompson, Jess Tell, and Jacob Tobia.

$10 suggested donation – no one turned away for lack of funds

RSVP on Facebook (not required)

Saturday, February 27, 7 PM

Keith Taylor Presents

Keith Taylor presents an encore screening of his short film “The Last Day,” directed by Infinite, followed by an acoustic musical performance by YouTube sensation Rockstar Sissy (Catherine Taormina), and displays of art work by visual artists Trevon Latin (as S. Relentless) & Catherine Taormina.

Suggested donation of $5 to benefit the Bureau. No one turned away for lack of funds.

RSVP on Facebook (not required)

Tuesday, March 1, 7 PM

Union Square Slam presents GEOFF KAGAN-TRENCHARD

Well, here we are! A fresh new quarter on our Brand New Day: as of this show, Union Square Slam has officially moved to TUESDAYS!! Take note, then get your Art Hearts down here for the indominable Geoff Kagan-Trenchard, and our very first open slam in our last quarter!!

6:00pm: Free Poetry Workshop with Sara Emily Kuntz

7:00pm: Sign-ups

7:30pm: Open Mic

8:00pm: Feature

8:30pm Poetry Slam

About our Feature:

Geoff Kagan-Trenchard is a nationally recognized poet and theater artist. His work has been featured on HBO, All Def Poetry, TEDx, and Upworty. … Keep reading.

About our Slam:

::Union Square Slam National Team Competition::

There are 3 quarters of competitive poetry slam, each culminating in a Semifinal. Each quarter consists of six open slams (one or more of which is a New Shit slam -- competition in New Shit slams counts towards your total points!) … Keep reading.

RSVP on Facebook (not required)

Wednesday, March 2, 7 PM

Juliana, the novel (Vol 1: 1941-1944): A Dramatic Reading with Vanda, the Author, and Actors

Vanda, author of Juliana, will be joined by actors in a dramatic reading from the new novel. JULIANA is the story of dreams, the dreams of two women who randomly, inevitably cross paths, of stage stardom and soulful songs amid the deceptions required in a 1940s New York City, where love was presumed to be straight, and destiny was supposed to be written in the stars.

After the reading refreshments will be served and there will be an opportunity to talk with the author and the actors.

Suggested donation of $5 to benefit the Bureau. No one turned away for lack of funds.

RSVP on Facebook (not required)

Thursday, March 3, 7 PM

Natalie Diaz, Ocean Vuong, and Christopher Soto: tour to end queer youth homelessness

Please join Natalie Diaz, Ocean Vuong, and Christopher Soto for a reading celebrating the launch of Soto's first chapbook Sad Girl Poems on the national TOUR TO END QUEER YOUTH HOMELESSNESS.

Suggested donation of $5 to benefit the Bureau. No one turned away for lack of funds.

RSVP on Facebook (not required)

Friday, March 4, 7 PM

DREAM CLOSET: Meditations on Childhood Space

Event image by Aram Jibilian.

Dream Closet: Meditations on Childhood Space is a new anthology of poetry, essays, and visual art edited by Matthew Burgess and published by Secretary Press. Contributors reflect on enclosures from their own childhood—the closet, the fort, the tent of bed sheets, the inverted cardboard box—and explore their various meanings. Whether found or made, these spaces are often sites of privacy, of escape, of aesthetic or erotic self-discovery, and of queer self-identification. This event will include a reading from selected contributors and a short Q&A.

Featuring Melissa Febos, Luis Jaramillo, Christina Olivares, Jason Zuzga, Lara Mimosa Montes, Ian Hatcher, Ryan Skrabalak, and Margaret Douglas.

Suggested donation of $5 to benefit the Bureau. No one turned away for lack of funds.

Check out the Dream Closet book trailer created by friend and contributor, Matthew Sandager.

RSVP on Facebook (not required)

Sunday, March 6, 5 PM

A Paper Cuts Zine Reading

Event image: Drawing by Paul Moreno

Paper Cuts is an exploration of the contemporary world of zines and DIY publishing that airs on Clocktower.org. In 2015, Paper Cuts took the show on the road in a monthly reading series that's touring independent bookstores in New York. We feature writers, zinesters, artists, and performers who typically share their work in print, on paper, and in small editions. This series is a cross section of the varied landscape and rich history of publishing and the institutions that support it. Listen to voices that would normally live in your hands and demand your eyeballs.

Readers:

Paul Moreno

Arno Mokros

Posture // Winter Mendelson and M. Lamar

Sy Abudu

Nicholas Boggs

Suggested donation of $5 to benefit the Bureau. No one turned away for lack of funds.

RSVP on Facebook (not required)

***

Check out the Bureau's current exhibition: Benjamin Fredrickson: Salon

January 21 through March 20, 2016

Organized by Daniel Cooney Fine Art

The Bureau of General Services—Queer Division and Daniel Cooney Fine Art are very pleased to present New York City artist Benjamin Fredrickson’s solo exhibition at the Bureau’s space in The LGBT Community Center on 13th Street. This exhibition coincides with Fredrickson’s collaborative exhibition with Juan Betancurth at Daniel Cooney Fine Art in Chelsea.

The exhibition, titled Salon, will feature previously unseen Polaroid photographs and new images made with paper negatives. Fredrickson’s early work documents his sexual life and his community of gay men. His new work, while less explicit, unexpectedly offers deep intimacy and beauty among his subjects. Fredrickson relies on his intuition while working with his subjects and achieves an ephemeral quality that is unique to this new work.

Fredrickson himself appears in many of his own images as part of the culture he photographs as his work is highly autobiographical. He photographs other men but he never photographs “the other”, instead he is interested in revealing himself, his humanity and his vision of the world around him. His photographs are loving and honest, brimming with sexual desire. Many of his subjects look directly at the camera, all of them are aware that they are being looked at and gladly present themselves for that purpose.

The consistent theme throughout Fredrickson’s images continues to be a longing for human connection, either by sexual interaction or through the act of photographing and being photographed. He makes himself vulnerable and in turn his subjects reveal themselves for his camera and the viewer’s gaze.

Fredrickson graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2003 and moved to New York City in 2010. He has been included in the Museum of Art and Design’s “New York Makers”, group exhibitions at Darkroom Gallery, La Mama Galleria in addition to collaborations with Visual AIDS. His work has been published in Apartamento, BUTT, Capricious, Dazed and Confused, and Pin-Up. He is represented by Daniel Cooney Fine Art.

The Bureau will host a conversation between Benjamin Fredrickson and Hunter O'Hanian, Director of the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, on Thursday, February 18, 7 PM.

Image: Benjamin Fredrickson, Dog, 10 x 8". Gelatin silver print.

Download a PDF of the press release for Benjamin Fredrickson: Salon.

he Bureau also recommends:

SPEAK OUT at Bronx Art Space through February 20th

SPEAK OUT demonstrates the persistent visions of cultural fortitude, resistance, and insurrection that make up our community in the Bronx and the greater New York City. In a borough with a rich history of resistance and community organizing, we are honored to produce this exhibition at BronxArtSpace at the start of a new year in the post-no indictment era, contemplating a justice system in the United States that is clearly unjust.

Artworks and performances address legacies of injustice, offer alternatives to institutional racism, and present empowering and honest images of the self, body, community, and reality that affirm that #BlackLivesMatter.

James Baldwin states “the most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose.” A culture that deprives Black and Brown women and men of educational opportunities, housing, human equity, sexual, gender, and financial, protection leaves nothing more to lose. SPEAK OUT strives to acknowledge and further legitimize the pain and anger while also sparking concepts for a greater future.

Speak Up, Speak Out

Curated by Linda Cunningham, Eva Mayhabal Davis, and Dalaeja Foreman

Atikur Abdul, John Ahearn, Antonia Andrioti, Aileen Bassis, Thom Bess, Janet Braun-Reinitz, Michael Paul Britto, Suzanne Broughel, Lex Brown, Walter Cruz, Richel M. Cuyler, Tasha Dougé, Dominique Duroseau, John Edmonds, Jay Espy, Adam Farcus, Shelley Feinerman, William Folchi, Cacy Forgenie, Alvaro G. Franco, Jonathan Gardenhire, Camilo Gordoy, Josué Guarionex, Christopher Hill, William Howard, Ariel Jackson, Daniel Johnson, Gauntam Kansara, Pat Lamanna, Erin Lefevre, Joe Lewis, Carlos Martiel, Rafael Melendez, Traci J. Molloy, Kaytea Petro, Michael Pribich, Dennis RedMoon Darkeem, Vincent Romaniello, Jaffia Royes, Tajh Rust, Alex Seel, Brittani Sensabaugh, Rudy Shepherd, Spencer Washington, Cinnamon Willis, Quay Quinn Wolf, Lachell C. Workman, Allison Yasukawa, MG Young

BronxArtSpace

305 E 140th St #1A

Bronx, NY 10454

(718) 401-8144

Transfigure

Leon Mostovoy

Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, Prince St. Project Space

February 27 - February 28, 2016, 12 - 6pm

Transfigure is a project of corporal self-expression, presented as an experimental, visual feast. It’s a celebration of bodies that transcend the gender binary. As a transgender man I created the project as a step in my own self-acceptance and to promote positive body image in the Trans Community.

During the installation, which includes the book, life-size photographs, a film, and interactive website, attendees are encouraged to reconfigure the physical book, play on the website, and communicate online using the Transfigure Website Community Forum Page to engage with people outside the walls of the gallery.

This project began with the concept of a traditional children’s flipbook, made up of transgender bodies, and created to explore our bodies in a safe and playful way.

Opening Reception: February 26, 6 - 8 pm

127-B Prince Street

New York, NY 10012

(At Prince & Wooster)

Leon Mostovoy will give an artist lecture on February 25, 6:30-8:30 pm in the Main Gallery,

26 Wooster Street

New York, NY 10013

(Between Grand & Canal)

We continue to add new events, so please check our events page on our website for the most up-to-date information. We always welcome your suggestions, recommendations, and proposals. Thank you for your support!

love,

Greg & Donnie

BUREAU OF GENERAL SERVICES—QUEER DIVISION

@ THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY CENTER

208 WEST 13TH STREET, ROOM 210

NEW YORK, NY 10011

646-457-0859

CONTACT@BGSQD.COM

KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE!

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The Bureau relies on volunteers to help run the store and the many events that we host. If you would like to volunteer please contact Greg at contact@bgsqd.com or at 646-457-0859.

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