In 2005 at the World Social Forum, the United States was called to pull
together our own social forum, something local that will provide space to
build relationships, learn from each other’s experiences, share our analysis
of the problems our communities face, and bring renewed insight and
inspiration. We were challenged to step up and show a mobilized community
for broad based social justice and to show a local response to the effect of
US policies at home and abroad.
From June 27 to July 1, 2007 our response, the US Social Forum, will be
taking place in Atlanta, Georgia. Hundreds and possibly thousands of
community organizers, trade unionists, students/youth, elected officials,
and social movements are going to gather together to develop leadership and
develop consciousness, vision and strategy needed to realize the call:
“Another World is Possible.”
This year at Creating Change, a group of individuals gathered together to
begin planning a queer presence at the US Social Forum. At that gathering,
we came up with the following strategies:
1) Have a visible presence at the US Social Forum with signage, stickers,
hats, some consistent form that visually defines us as queers no matter
where we are in the forum.
2) Work with the primary forum organizers to include queer speakers in the
main plenaries.
3) Network to get progressive queer workshops and events taking place and
work to get a large queer presence at the forum.
We are currently working together to realize the first and second items on
that list. Here is what we are asking you:
First, please spread the word about the US Social Forum and strongly
consider coming. The US Social Forum is being held on a weekend that is
important to the history of queer organizing: the anniversary of the
Stonewall Rebellion. The Stonewall Rebellion was an event led by poor and
working class transgender queers of color. Many of them were involved in
anti-war and anti-poverty organizing. Our roots are more radical than our
current Pride celebrations. The US Social Forum speaks to those roots.
Second, consider running a workshop. This can take any form: consciousness
building or dialogue around a multitude of issues including economic
justice, US imperialism, building a sex positive radical movement, regional
organizing, etc. These workshops can be opportunities to bring queer
analysis into broader progressive movement building or to reach out to LGBT
individuals with an analysis of the intersections between race, class,
gender, and sexuality. This can also be an opportunity for cultural work,
using creativity and pizzazz for building our movement. Most of all, the US
Social Forum is an opportunity to look at our work in the United States and
to understand it within a global context. Go to www.ussf2007.org and submit
your proposal.
And for general information on the US Social Forum, visit the same website
at www.ussf2007.org
http://www.ussf2007.org
Whatever you decide to do, let us know about it. We want to know about queer
progressive workshops and cultural work that is going to take place in
Atlanta. Keep us in touch and, as broadly as you can, spread the word.