I got privately flamed by some freak on a local, queer email list. When I asked list members for assistance, I got no replies...until one rep. blamed ME for being unclear and provoking an emotional response! Then, I got grilled by phone from an organizer in another queer group, who basically said the same thing.If one can't hold discussions in safety and respect, why bother?
I was feeling uneasy about returning to any public meetings, as this flamer was anonymous and knows my name. I'm assured the abuse is out of state now, with no plans to return.
But I don't feel safe in an unsupportive community. I doubt I'll return.
One of the m-f transexual women I interviewed in the Kicked Out Queers segment I produced for the Homelessness Marathon got busted on an old warrant. Then, she got busted for turning tricks. She just got released yesterday for possession of drug paraphanalia.
She was very young, when she hit the streets. She wasn't welcomed at home, given her gender status. She's so typical: hustling and dealing to survive, using to cope.
When I met her, she was clean and sober, or said she was. She had a home and a not-very-good job.
A mutual acquaintance is waiting to hear from her. There's a good possibility she can be admitted to a queer rehab in California. But she hasn't called.
I did some research today on the treatment of transexual and trangender detention centers here. It's pretty dismal. The authorities assign the detainee a sex, usually based on either genital configuration or on whatever other prejudices they might have. Therefore, transexual women are thrown into general population of the men's facility. They can request protective custody -- basically, solitary confinement -- but I don't know if they are informed they have that option. A rep. of the county accidentally leaked that a current prisoner complains she was assaulted by another inmate. There are currently thirty trannies in detention.
So, I have some serious energy to investigate this, possibly for New Mexico Voice magazine, possibly for KUNM or other radio.
No queer groups I've contacted seem to know anything about this issue. Not even the legal ones. Lord.
As I checked my sitemeters today, I realized someone from the county has visited my domain. Interesting coincidence, as I just contacted them, for the first time.
I'm also getting a regular visitor from the official Albuquerque gov't. page, which makes me nervous. I wish this person would email me and identify her/himself, so I could relax a little.
My goats are big. It's almost time to start gardening again.
I'm busy with recording the queer poetry at the harwood center.
I can't wait for Ma to finish her bachelor's degree, so she can quit her crappy job and we can get the hell out of this redneck burb.
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