[Nyclocal] Picture The Homeless & Radical Homosexual Agenda Protest Bloomberg For Affordable Housing For All

Fri Jun 27 09:29:21 MDT 2008

                  PTH & RHA Turn The (Buffet) Tables On Bloomberg's LGBT Dinner

                  What could an LGBT dinner possibly have to do with the homelessness crisis in our city?

                      By Radical Homosexual Agenda

A coalition of homeless people and their allies, queers and straights,
lined the streets in front of Gracie Mansion. Inside, Mayor Bloomberg
welcomed LGBT constituents for a dinner and a reception. On the
streets, Nikita Price, an organizer with Picture the Homeless, led us
in raucous chants so loud they could be heard even behind the mansion. 

               Keywords: 

                  Analysis,

                  Bronx,

                        And the verdict is...

June 24th, 2008: A coalition of homeless people and their allies,
queers and straights, lined the streets in front of Gracie Mansion.
Inside, Mayor Bloomberg welcomed LGBT constituents for a dinner and a
reception. On the streets, Nikita Price, an organizer with Picture the
Homeless, led us in raucous chants so loud they could be heard even
behind the mansion: 

“Homeless People, Straight and Gay! 
We Need Housing Right Away!” 

What
could an LGBT dinner possibly have to do with the homelessness crisis
in our city? Well, for starters, the day of the dinner, June 24th,
2008, was also the four-year anniversary of Bloomberg’s Five-Year Plan
on Homelessness. In 2004, he had promised that his policies of
privatization would drastically reduce homelessness in New York City
within five years. But on this, the four-year mark of his program, the
number of homeless people remains extremely high  http://www.picturethehomeless.org/blog/node/38 . In fact, shelters are so full—approximately 34,000 people a night at last count—they’re turning people away. 

Picture
the Homeless, an advocacy group comprised of homeless people and their
allies, called for a day of action on June 24th, which included a
“trial” of Bloomberg and his policies. At the last minute, PTH learned
of the LGBT dinner and joined forces with the Radical Homosexual Agenda
to deliver the guilty verdict to the Mayor at his doorstep. 

We
hoisted a banner into the air that depicted a raised fist with a wrist
made of a building. Beside it, the message: “Hey Bloomberg! Your
Homelessness Plan Is A Five-Year Sham!” 

Perhaps, though, one of Nikita’s more whimisical chants said it best: 
“His Homeless Policies Are So Wack! 
Bloomberg Must Be Smoking Crack!” 

Security
turned our queer delegates back from the entrance to Gracie Mansion and
from what likely would have been an enjoyable meal. Then the NYPD
fumbled with some riot shields and surrounded us with barricades. 

Mayor Mike! This is simply no way to treat your guests! But really, how perfectly appropriate, given his track record. 

“$3
billion and four years later, we know that what Mayor Bloomberg is
doing isn’t working,” said Lynn Lewis, Director for Picture the
Homeless. “What we don’t know is is why, after repeated requests, the
mayor still refuses to meet with us, with the communities most
affected, to hear our solutions to this crisis.” 

It wasn’t so
long ago when city leaders wouldn’t have been caught dead in a room
with out queer people, let alone listen as they discuss our solutions
to various community problems. It’s unfortunate our mayor still seems
to feel that way about people, queer or straight, who need homes. 

Mayor
Bloomberg could learn a lot from Picture the Homeless if he sat down to
talk with them. Recently, PTH worked with Manhattan Borough President
Scott Stringer to conduct a survey of the city—they found that there
are more than enough empty buildings to house each and every homeless
person in New York. PTH advocates not only opening these buildings for
housing, but also shifting Department of Homeless Service budgets from
shelters to rent assistance. 

Photos of the action: 

Additional info, future actions and additional ways you can help protect people against homelessness: 
 http://www.picturethehomeless.org/blog/ 
 http://www.homelessyouthservices.org/ (services for homeless queer youth) 

Happy Pride all. And see you in the streets Sunday. 

xoxo 
Radical Homosexual Agenda 

                     By Radical Homosexual Agenda

                     wewantyou at riseup.net

                     http://www.RadicalHomosexualAgenda.org

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                           More Photos

                           Jun 27, 2008 12:15PM EDT

                              RHA

                        Housing Is A Human Right

                           Photos

                           Jun 27, 2008 12:18PM EDT

                              RHA

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