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Dear John,

Happy Pride Month! I am wishing you and your loved ones joy and safety during this celebration of LGBTQIA+ history, activism, and community. 

I know that celebrating this year (as in recent years) can be complex and difficult for many people. Targeted attacks, both legal and physical, on queer and trans folks and communities around the country are on the rise. Meanwhile, corporations attempt to co-opt this month with pinkwashing and rainbow product marketing. For that and many other reasons, it’s necessary to remember that this month is rooted in a deeply radical history. As many have said and will continue to say: the first Pride was a riot. It took place at the Stonewall Inn in New York City in June of 1969, where openly gay and trans youth fought back against all-too-common police raids, state sponsored homophobic violence, and widespread discrimination that plagued LGBTQIA+ folks, spaces, and communities. 

That tradition of resistance and of demanding nothing less than freedom and the ability to live authentically still continues today. From weaving together issues like housing discrimination and police violence, to centering those most impacted and living at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities, to trusting communities to come up with the solutions that meet their needs — our current movements for justice owe so much to queer and trans organizing. We can look to examples like the leadership of Black and Brown folks at Stonewall and the multi-organizing tactics of ACT-UP for both inspiration and instruction in our fights today. 

We know that LGBTQIA+ liberation is foundational for collective liberation. This month should be a reminder that the alliance of billionaires and politicians working to decimate trans rights and ban books from classrooms are the same ones who are polluting our air, eroding worker rights, blocking tenant protections, and more. Our fights and issues are more than interconnected, they are interdependent on one another. We must keep resisting, holding and caring for each other in a system that would rather see us divided, and fighting for the community solutions that will truly transform our society.

For over 10 years, POWER Interfaith has been among key groups leading the fight for education equity in the state. Earlier this month, their efforts resulted in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passing House Bill 2370, a transformation piece of legislation aimed at ensuring stability, fairness, and racial and economic equity in public education funding across the state. Now, POWER is keeping the momentum around HB2370 going as the bill moves on to the Senate. 

Earlier this month, the NY State Assembly unanimously passed the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act! Thanks to advocacy and organizing by New Yorkers for a Fair Economy, a coalition of labor unions and community organizations led by Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN), the bill will not only establish industry-wide safety standards, but hold employers like Amazon accountable for worker safety. As Theodore A. Moore, Executive Director at ALIGN, puts it: this legislation is “a huge victory for tens of thousands of workers tired of putting their health on the line for their jobs.”

More than eight years after legislation was introduced in California, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has finally voted to pass heat regulations for indoor workers. Warehouse Worker Resource Center supported the early legislation that created indoor heat standards, has helped workers file heat-related complaints, and testified before Cal/OSHA alongside workers and advocates. Now, they’re working to make sure that these critical standards are implemented before the summer heats up even more.

Last month, hundreds of low-wage workers with Missouri Workers Center and community allies traveled to the Secretary of State’s office to submit over 210,000 signatures calling for guaranteed earned paid sick leave and a $15 minimum wage to be put on the state ballot this year. This moment marked the culmination of more than a decade of low-wage workers organizing for living wages, better rights on the job, and a union. 

After an empty lot in the Guinida neighborhood of Anaheim, CA became overrun with abandoned vehicles, community members requested that the city fence off the area. Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development (OCCORD), which is connected with residents and the Guinida Neighborhood Union, saw the potential for a productive use of the space. OCCORD gathered input on what residents would like to see at the empty lot, surveying 100 community members who suggested ideas such as a community garden, shaded benches for children and teens waiting for the school bus, and even a small mobile library. As enthusiasm grows among Guinida residents, OCCORD’s next steps include organizing a community debrief to share the survey results and collaborating with the City of Anaheim in order to implement solutions that make good use of public land and benefit the Guinida community.

East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE), alongside the Oakland People’s Budget Coalition, is working towards the passage of a people’s budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year as Oakland faces a historic budget deficit of $155 million. The coalition is proposing investments in solutions that truly benefit community members, like tenant protections, as opposed to programs like the City’s $2 million ShotSpotter contract, which has proven ineffective and detrimental to community safety. They’re calling on Councilmembers to implement policy alternatives and amendments that would avoid proposed cuts and freezes, and help restore funding to important community programs like Democracy Dollars, which engages voters historically left out of the system. EBASE and coalition partners are pushing for communities and leaders to play a large role in identifying priorities and crafting solutions for the City budget.

Earlier this week, drivers from across the country came together to launch Activate Respect, a new campaign to end unfair deactivations and win new rules on the road. They’re calling for transparency, fairness, and an equitable appeals process. Check out these photos from rallies that took place in Denver, Chicago, and San Jose!

Hear directly from drivers in this video and show your support by signing on to their petition.

The Los Angeles Times: "Amazon fined nearly $6 million for violations at Inland Empire warehouses"

CityLab: "Amazon Promised to Deliver Affordable Housing. How’s It Doing?"

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Oakland, CA 94612
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