Progressive Democrat Issue 69: MANHATTAN GROUPS AND EVENTS

Men of Color: Sexual Health & HIV Conference: Thu, 03/30/2006 - 9:30am
Men of Color: Your Sexual Health & HIV Today

Men Sharing about Sexuality, HIV Prevention & their Overall Well-Being
9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Black Veterans for Social Justice
665 Willoughby Avenue, Brooklyn
[Between Throop and Marcus Garvey Avenues; Nearest subway trains: "G" & "J"]

Conference attendees will receive METROCARDS

Co-Sponsors: HIV Arts Network, Black Veterans for Social Justice
Keynote Speakers: Professor Darrell Wheeler (CUNY Hunter College/i), Eddie Rivera (NYC HIV/AIDS P.P.G./i)

Panelists & Discussants: Julius Powell, Von’Michael Hanton, Edward
Shaw, Jonathan Santos-Ramos, Yves-Michel Fontaine, Matt Ignacio,
Michael Batshaw, Mark Colter John, Doneley Meris & more...
Program includes: keynote speeches; panel discussion on the state of affairs for men of color and HIV prevention; small group discussions about stigma and discrimination, immigration, mental health, homelessness, substance use/abuse and harm reduction, male sexuality – identity, behaviors and practices, religion, spirituality and family systems, and male well-being

Co-Sponsoring Institutions (in formation):
• Project Hospitality
• Callen-Lorde Community Health Center
• Community Health Action of Staten Island, Inc.
• Hispanic AIDS Forum
• The Institute of Gay Men’s Health – Gay Men’s Health Crisis
• Brooklyn AIDS Task Force

Hearing on Voting Machines in NYC: Mon, 04/03/2006 - 1:00pm City Council Chamber at City Hall

Subways: N or R to City Hall; 4, 5 or 6 to Brooklyn Bridge; J, M, or Z to Chambers Street; or 2 or 3 to Park Place

DFNYC is supporting Resolution 131 for paper ballots/optical scanners and opposing electronic voting in NYC. Join us in the City Hall balcony to support those speaking on behalf of PB/OS at this hearing on voting machines and NYC’s compliance with the Help America Vote Act.

The Committee on Governmental Operations of the NY City Council is giving us this opportunity to support Resolution 131 which urges the adoption of paper ballots and precinct-based optical scanners and accessible ballot-marking machines for voters with disabilities and minority languages. This resolution is against electronic voting!

If you want to speak as part of the New Yorkers for Verified Voting coordinated panel, please send an email to Teresa Hommel at admin -at- wherethepaper.org (replace -at- with @).

Danny Schechter's "Weapons of Mass Deception" Thu, 03/30/2006 - 7:00pm
To mark the 3rd Anniversary of the War in Iraq

Chelsea Neighbors United to End the War will present the award-winning documentary "Weapons of Mass Deception" by Danny Schechter at the historic Hudson Guild, 441West 26th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues) in Manhattan.

Danny Schechter will speak about the film and answer questons.

"Weapons of Mass Deception" is a 100 minute non-fiction film that explores the story that there were two wars going on in Iraq - one was fought with armies of soldiers, bombs and a fearsome military force. The other was fought alongside it with cameras, satellites, armies of journalists and propaganda techniques. One war was rationalized as an effort to find and disarm WMDs - Weapons of Mass Destruction;
the other was carried out by even more powerful WMDs, Weapons of Mass Deception.

Mr. Schechter, a Nieman Fellow in Journalism at Harvard University, and radio news director turned CNN and Emmy Award winning ABC News Producer, Schechter wears several hats at the same time. He is now an award-winning independent investigative journalist and filmmaker as well as an outspoken author.

Tickets are $5 in advance, $7 at the door. Call 212-726-1385 for reservations or more information.

Chelsea Neighbors United to End the War is a grass roots neighborhood group that was formed at the beginning of 2005 to oppose the war in Iraq and to
work in the neighborhood of Chelsea.


CRITCAL MASS BICYCLE MOVEMENT! Critical Mass is a bicyclist movement (NOT an organized group!) that holds weekly protests all over the world to protest pollution. Rides are the last Friday of every month starting in Union Sq. Park North, 7PM! At a DFNYC meeting attended by Norm Seigel, Norm used Critical Mass as an example of the kind of activism that NYC needs most and the way Bloomberg is trying to squelch our rights and our voices. Critical Mass deserves our help. According to Bloomberg, my inclusion of this in my newsletter is probably illegal. Well, I refuse to let Bloomberg tell me what I can and cannot write in my Newsletter.

And see their worldwide calendar for Bike Workshops and other locations.

There is more you can do to support Critical Mass. This comes from a reader in Manhattan:

To help keep people involved in Critical Mass, people who might be sacred off because of renewed aggressiveness by the police, I have started a pledge drive that sponsors arrestees. This is a great way for people to stay involved in Critical Mass, stay on top of the issue, and use the NYPD and Bloomberg's tactics to work for us not against us. I am pledging $2 per arrestee, and the money will go to the Legal Aid Society. Pledges are made on the honor system. The more bicyclists the cops arrest the more money for defending civil rights is raised.

New Democratic Majority General Meeting

NDM Fundraiser with David Sirota - May 11th, 2006
Please join us for a fundraiser with Progressive author and activist David Sirota on May 11th.

David will be joining us to talk about his new book, "Hostile Takeover - How Big Money and Corruption conqured Our Government - and how we can take it back".

To learn more about David, please check out his web site.


Democracy for America Meetings: CLICK HERE! WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 7PM

Upper West Side, Cosi (downstairs) 2160 Broadway @76th Street, guest TBD, with host Merle McEldowney

Upper East Side, Manhattan Lounge, 1720 2nd Ave. (btwn. 89th & 90th), guest TBD, with hosts Lewis Cohen and David Kogelman

West Village, Kettle of Fish, 59 Christopher St. (near 7th Ave.), guest TBD, with hosts Dana Northcraft and Judith Ren-Lay

East Village, location TBD, with hosts Abhishek Mistry and Ben Morrison

DRINKING LIBERALLY: An informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics. Here are our local Manhattan groups:

Upper East Side Last Tuesday of each month, 6:30 pm onward, Doc Watson's, 1490 2nd Avenue (at 77th). In the backyard, weather permitting. Hosted by Matthew Bachiochi, ues (at) drinkingliberally.org

In Manhattan: Thursday, 7:30 pm onward, Rudy's, 627 9th Avenue (between 44th & 45th Streets). Hosted by Justin Krebs and Matthew O'Neill, nyc (at) drinkingliberally.org

Bar Hopping Manhattan: Second Tuesday of each month, 6:00-9:00 pm
A monthly Democratic drinking club at different gay bars around Manhattan. Join the mailing list to receive updates of future venues. Hosted by Dirk McCall, outnyc (at) drinkingliberally.org

East Village: Last Wednesday of each month, 8:00 pm onward, Grassroots Tavern, 20 Saint Mark's Place (between 2nd and 3rd). Hosted by Quinn Raymond, Elena Morin and Abby Cook-Mack, eastvillage (at) drinkingliberally.org

For those who prefer running to drinking, you can join RUNNING FOR CHANGE: Building a progressive America through organized runs and other grassroots activities.

To find your nearest Manhattan Democratic club, please CLICK HERE.