Tag: Queer

Hamilton Pride Defender Update! Some charges withdrawn, others going to trial

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Update from the Pride Defender Solidarity Committee and a solidarity statement from CUPE 3906

It has been nearly two years since Hamilton Pride was attacked by white supremacists, homophobes and fundamentalist Christians. Nearly two years have also passed since a group of determined people stood their ground and drove the attackers out of the park. In the aftermath of that bloody event, the Hamilton Police showed their true colours by dedicating their efforts to tracking down and identifying Pride Defenders, while letting all but one of the attackers off the hook (despite having clear video evidence at their disposal). Of the six Pride Defenders initially charged, three of those people are still facing charges today.

Two of those three people have recently accepted a peace bond that will see their charges effectively withdrawn. The peace bonds will come with one year of probationary conditions, which is essentially the same punishment doled out to Chris Vandeweide who was caught on film committing multiple brutal assaults both at Pride, and again the following weekend in Toronto. Read More …

Where do you stand? Pride action in the class war of Toronto gay village

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This pride week, residents of Toronto’s Queer Village woke up to a question they can no longer avoid answering: WHERE DO YOU STAND?

On June 26 2020, an ad hoc affinity group of queer and trans Village dwellers peppered the historically queer Church and Wellesley neighbourhood and the blocks surrounding — our turf — with circular floor decals, a now familiar feature of the pandemic urban landscape. Read More …

From Embers: New Episodes in October 2019

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From Embers is a regular anarchist podcast produced in Kingston, Ontario. We produce a few episodes each month about actions and projects going on in so-called Canada that inspire us, or about topics that we think will be relevant to anarchists living north of the border. We are a proud member of the Channel Zero Anarchist Podcast Network. Read More …

Camp Chaos Gays Farewell Statement

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For 3 days last weekend the chaos queers held an encampment at city hall that was more inclusive, productive, and community-centred space than the last 3 years of bureaucratic work going on inside.

We are some of the same queers Mayor Fred has called fake and tried to label as agitators; some of the same ones police have tried criminalizing. We are rebel queers; still resisting. Still loud. Always political. Still seeking and creating alternatives to the status quo. Who see what happened at Pride as a symptom of an ongoing issue in this city (and beyond) and a flashpoint; not a one-off event. Our identity and consistency makes it easy for them to try and label us as agitators, but not easy to shut us down. Read More …

Camp Chaos Gays: Day 1 Report

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We’re settling down into our first night at Camp Chaos Gays on the doorsteps of City Hall. It’s been a frantic day and we never really got to introduce ourselves. Hello Hamilton! We are the Chaos Gays – a smattering of queers, trans people, fags, fairies and divas enraged by what’s happening in this city. People who don’t have any aspirations of being Mayor Eisenberger’s tame LGB. . .T. . .whatever (nice try merulla) gays willing to tolerate his endless buffoonery in exchange for a seat at his table. We identify much more closely with his chaotic, fake-gay strawman, the people who will take it upon ourselves to defend Pride when it’s under attack, the folks who will play flutes on the Mayor’s doorstep when he’s being a twit, the ones who aren’t interested in begging for scraps of his recognition, but prefer instead to organize our own townhall discussions and figure out our own solutions.
And now we have a camp. Camp Chaos Gays! Everyone’s invited.
Except the Cops. Cops are absolutely not welcome here.
And to the cops lurking on the margins: We fucking see you. Read More …

Support for the hamilton queers from Clermont-Ferrand, France

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In this rotten city of Clermont-Ferrand (center of France), two Prides (two, yes two…) were called last Saturday. So we went to the two of them, to inform about the jailed Hamilton queers. At the first one (the more « militant » one), we handed out the leaflet, had some discussions, and then we left, refusing to walk with the cops and the press (which asked us for the info that we refused to give them). Read More …

The Saga Continues: Updates on Queer Resistance and Repression in Hamilton

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Anonymous Submission to North Shore Counter-Info It’s been an incredibly hectic few weeks in Hamilton, and the situation here has been constantly evolving. Things have been beyond enraging and occasionally heartbreaking, but also quite inspiring and frequently heartwarming. For all the bullshit, stress, and violence, folks in the city have been radicalizing, conversations have been shifting (suddenly it’s not so controversial to hate the police or to condemn city council!), Read More …

Gidimt’en Access Point Solidarity Statement with Pride Defenders

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On June 15 participants at Hamilton’s Pride celebrations were attacked by members of the far-Right. This is a statement we’re releasing to the Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ community of Hamilton. To the Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ community of Hamilton: It was with sadness and feelings of encouragement that we heard about the events at Hamilton’s Pride celebration on June 15th and about what has happened since then. Sadness that some people would Read More …