FIERCE

Youth First Texas members attend Creating Change

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the growing "ex-gay movement" were among the myriad of issues that dominated the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s annual Creating Change conference in Dallas earlier this month, but the all-day Youth of Color Organizing Summit was among the confab’s many highlights for local attendees.

More than 2,000 people from across the country descended upon the Sheraton Dallas for the four day conference. FIERCE, a New York-based organization whose focus remains on advocacy for LGBT youth of color, sponsored the all-day Youth of Color Summit. It included workshops and seminars about how to start youth-led campaigns and organizations and how to keep them operational while building grassroots activism at the local level.

LGBT Youth Leaders the Focus of Saturday's Plenary

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Seven LGBT youth leaders from Texas, New York and Massachusetts spoke poignantly and powerfully about the issues that affect their communities. Moderated by noted social critic and political commentator Kai Wright, the panel discussed at length the importance of empowering LGBT youth of color with the skills to be leaders in their communities; addressed the crisis of homelessness among LGBT youth; and offered projections of where they wanted to see the LGBT movement in 10 years.

Praying for Change

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Activists from across the country gathered at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel this week for the 22nd annual Creating Change conference sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

The conference opened on Wednesday, Feb. 3 with daylong institutes on racism. Thursday’s institutes covered a variety of topics including youth issues, aging and ageism, transgender rights, moving marriage forward, family issues and community centers.

Creating Change: Day 1

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Creating Change opened today with day long institutes tackling racism within the LGBT community.

Attendees continued to arrive and received their welcome packets at the registration desk located on the first floor of the conference center across the street from the hotel. Saturday will probably be the busiest day at Creating Change. Many of the attendees were planning to head over to Cedar Springs for First Wednesday this evening.

Right to the City NYC Launches Condo Conversion Campaign

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

New York City - On October 27, 2009, Right to the City-NYC held a rally and press conference to launch our campaign to convert vacant luxury condos into housing for low-income people and to release some preliminary data from our citywide vacant condo count; the participatory research project we have been working on for the last three months.

Park act needs changes

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Letter To The Editor:

Re “Pier 40 Rubik’s Cube” (editorial, Oct. 7):

After years of debate over development plans and uses of Pier 40, community groups have consistently put forth two essential elements for any Pier 40 proposal: 1) strengthened community oversight, and 2) increased community decision-making power. The Hudson River Park Trust’s latest decision to take a “fresh look at Pier 40” should not move forward without a firm commitment to uphold these principles.

Bloomberg announces appointees to LGBT homeless youth commission

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

As rates of homelessness among LGBT youth in the five boroughs continue to rise, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced at an Ali Forney Center fundraiser in Chelsea on Monday night the appointment of 25 people to the city’s Commission for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Runaway and Homeless Youth.

The appointees include Ali Forney executive director Carl Siciliano, Glennda Testone, incoming executive director of the LGBT Community Center, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, FIERCE executive director Rickke Mananzala and Gay Men’s Health Crisis chief executive officer Dr. Marjorie Hill. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn was among those who joined Bloomberg.

FIERCE Gains Riverfront Clout

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The efforts by FIERCE, the Fabulous Independent Educated Radicals for Community Empowerment, to create a 24-hour LGBTQ youth center on Pier 40 at West Houston Street, got a significant boost on September 23 when the group won a seat on the Advisory Council to the Hudson River Park Trust, a quasi-public group that administers the land where the pier is located.

Council Candidates Get FIERCE

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

In an August 28 Friday Forum hosted by FIERCE, a Chelsea-based advocacy group for LGBTQ youth of color, District 3 City Council candidate Yetta Kurland repeatedly signaled her personal identification with the struggles those young people face.

One of her opponents, Maria Passannante-Derr, who has at times clashed with the group in her role on Community Board 2, voiced her respect for FIERCE’s goals, even as she challenged them to aggressively seize opportunities already available to impact policy debates.

FIERCE switches from protest signs to PowerPoint

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Last Thursday FIERCE (Fabulous Independent Educated Radicals for Community Empowerment) held a Campaign Steering Committee meeting at their office and 20 members and staff between the ages of 15 and 25 broke into groups to discuss their strategy for an upcoming Community Board 2 meeting.