*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 7, 2011*

Contact: Gunner Scott
617-778-0519
gscott@masstpc.org

The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition Endorses Occupy Boston  

The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) is endorsing Occupy Boston, Occupy Wall St. and the Occupy Movement across the United States. MTPC is in solidarity with call for economic justice, government reform, and equal representation in government, which has been echoed by Occupy Boston activists.

Transgender youth, adults, and their families are part of the 99% of Americans who are not being represented equally by our government and whose basic needs such as housing, employment, and education are not being met.

“Coupled with gender identity discrimination, the current economic crisis has plunged many transgender people even further into poverty. For organizations like MTPC, advocating for a marginalized group, such as transgender youth and adults, we virtually have no voice or representation in state, local or federal government.” said Gunner Scott, MTPC’s executive director.

Studies have shown that economic inequality for transgender communities is severe and is often the direct result of discrimination including job loss because of being transgender, being denied a job or housing because of having to disclose one’s transgender status, or transgender youth being forced to drop out of high school or college because of harassment.

The 2009 National Transgender Discrimination Survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force found that for transgender community members:

·      Transgender survey respondents experience unemployment at twice the rate of the population as a whole nationally;
·      15% of Massachusetts transgender adults live on $10,000 a year or less, also at twice the rate of the population as a whole
·      20% Massachusetts transgender adults were fired from their job and 39% were not hired due to their gender identity;
·      22% Massachusetts transgender adults were denied equal treatment by a government agency or official;
·      79% of transgender youth in K-12 were harassed and this led 11% leaving school in K-12 settings or college.

Members of MTPC, including the executive director Gunner Scott, transgender youth and adults, including many currently homeless transgender women and youth have been actively participating since the planning for Occupy Boston began on Tues. Sept 27, 2011. Transgender people continue to be welcomed and encouraged to participate in Occupy Boston at Dewey Square by the other activists, many of who are not familiar with transgender communities.

Additionally, Occupy Boston’s internal solidarity statement “recognizes the task to unify the 99%” and that transphobia, racism, classism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression are not welcomed as part of Occupy Boston.

Through this endorsement, MTPC will offer Occupy Boston activists cultural competency workshops on transgender communities and assistance in continuing to be actively inclusive and welcoming of transgender activists in the Occupy Boston movement.

MTPC will continue to reach out to transgender participants of Occupy Boston and provide resources and referrals. MTPC will also continue to maintain an open dialog with Boston City Officials and Boston Police Department’s LGBT liaison to ensure if any issues should arise that transgender youth and adults participating are treated with respect by city officials and the Boston Police Department.

In order to begin to even address some of the disparity transgender people face, MTPC calls on the Massachusetts state legislation to pass the Transgender Equal Rights Bill quickly and for Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act this session.

For more information about MTPC visit www.masstpc.org or call 617-778-0519.
Link to original release.

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Founded in 2001, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) is a 501(c) 3 that works to end discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. MTPC educates the public, advocates with state, local, and federal government, engages in political activism, and encourages empowerment of community members through collective action.

For anyone interested in volunteering with Occupy Boston in any capacity, please email your requests to this address:

volunteeroccupybos@gmail.com

Live conversations will allow us to provide up-to-the-minute information regarding people at camp, donors, supporters, and interested members of the public.

We *hope* to have someone from camp online in the channel at all times to answer questions regarding conditions in camp, though please understand that this may be difficult, pending logistics problems around keeping us online in a Boston public park.

Check it out at: http://irc.lc/indymedia/OccupyBoston

Stay well, Stay Strong

-Leighton

Occupy Boston is looking for people to help manage the hundreds of visitors, volunteer requests and media inquiries we have been struggling to manage.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:  We need folks that are available to help manage the Occupy Boston site and various groups and tasks associated with the project.  Everyone has to have a laid back sense of tolerance for a process that involves building consensus with wide ranging opinions and styles.  Militant bossy people need not apply.  But if you’re kind and fun and have a desire to participate in a revolution, please let us know what you like to do and what your availability is.

Types of work:

SITE OPERATIONS:  we need people ONSITE to run errands, and help with the operation of the camp. We need a few committed managers, but also need folks that can be onsite to help with emptying trash and miscellaneous chores.  If you have skills as a handy person, even better.  We are often struggling with trying to set up tarps as tents that will withstand the rain/wind and other various weather-related and site management challenges.  The ideal person for management will have have a cell phone and mobile email and will have lots of patience and creative energy.  Assertive, but non-confrontational, very patient personalities required.

WELCOME DESK OPERATIONS:  we need people to sit at the welcome table in 1-2 hour shifts.  If you’re friendly and enjoy talking to the public, and can remember a few “messages” that we are trying to convey, please come help.

VOLUNTEER TOUR GUIDES:  we need people who are supportive of the cause to walk visitors around and show them the camp.  We envision that the

STAGE MANAGERS:  we need people with experience managing and/or being on stage to help manage a smooth flow to the comings and goings of speakers, musicans, etc.  Some technical experience with a PA is helpful, but not necessary.  Please be prepared to commit to 2 hour shifts.  Assertive, but non-confrontational, and very patient personalities required.

VIRTUAL WORK-AT-HOME VOLUNTEER PROJECT MANAGERS:  if you work stuck at a desk but want to help, this work might be for you.  We need people who can help for a couple hours a day chasing down supplies, making phone calls, answering emails, managing lists, etc.  If you are proficient on the computer and can manage lists of tasks, and are OK talking to strangers and helping find people and things, please let us know.

FINANCE AND POLITICAL SCIENCE SPECIALISTS: Must be objective and patient to work with groups through complex public policy and social challenges.  Must have warm weather gear and be able to stay onsite for hours.  Ability to post/blog respectfully is helpful, but not necessary. But the ability to respect disparate viewpoints is required.  The ability to deconstruct labels and sort through language differences to dig out the core goals is very very helpful.  Any length of time.  10 minutes or 10 hours.  Please come on down…