Queer And Trans Caucus Meeting Minutes - November 7, 2011

Present: Angela, John, Laura, Jean, Shirley, Elizabeth, Reed, joined by Jason for a few hot, quick minutes.

We openned by doing a nice round of sharing about our day and our experiences with OB over the last weeks. We then generated an agenda: Report back from Anti-Oppression Group Report back from Women's Caucas Camp Issues Supportive Space Signs Leaving Mtg. Info with Info Tent and Media 1. Anti-Oppression has met weekly and continues to stay strong. On Saturday, 11/5, two important decisions were made that involve all Social Justice groups.

We decided that our presence and involvement in other working groups is important in terms of knowing what folks are thinking and doing, and for sharing our perspectives about how anti-oppression overviews and strategies are important to how & what we do. As a strategy, we will work in teams to make sure that AO members will, first of all, better identify and participate as members of AO and our particular working groups. We were sensitive to make our presence a "friendly" one and not that we are somehow trying to "embed" ourselves with an agenda. Instead, we see ourselves as being responsive, pro-active and reflective.

AO is in the beginning stages of organizing a Summit with all social justice related working groups. The summit is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 19, from 2-6. Stay tuned.

2. The Women's Caucas is very strong and continues to meet twice a week.

At a meeting last week, on site, a member from Boston Area Rape Crisis Center shared what resources are available that OB/Women's Caucas can get access to. Also, another woman help to set up some trainings about non-violent communication skills.

At the Saturday meeting, the main topics were maintaining the Women's Tent and further discussions about how we are experiencing men on the site.

Interestingly, an older lesbian who joined our QT group for the first time, shared her experience of the Women's Caucas as being overly focused on men's /sexist behavior and also, a feeling of tension or dismissing of what older women can share about the 2nd Wave of Feminism. She, and I, shared that we want to find ways to do some "consciousness raising" about feminism of the 70's and 80's.

Lastly, at the Women's Caucas meeting, folks discussed wanting to do some education about what feminism is and isn't.

3. Camp Issues are front and forward. Campers have resumed morning GAs as a way to keep building community and dealing with internal issues and concerns.

There is finally a rising up of the growing conflicts/tensions between "On-site and Off-site" Occupiers. Others are really trying to be pro-active in modeling that we not divide ourselves off, AND, that there are real issues that exist, many of which fall along class and race lines too.

Then, one of our members shared about a recent incident of harassment and threat of violence directed against him as a gay man. After this assault, and through a very complicated set of communications and attempts to remove the assaultive man, he was allowed to stay in camp. Our group member said he then felt that in addition to the harassment itself, he felt a complete lack of solidarity from other Camp Occupiers.

After spending some time expressing our validation, support and appreciation for sharing this incident, we then talked about the difficulties in implmenting our newly adopted "Good Neighbor Agreement" and Protocol for Removing On-site campers who violate these aggreements (both documents are available in the Queer/Trans Tent). One of the problems though, is about implementing these procedures, a big concern at the camp.

We then talked about if we were hearing about LGBTQ folks being scared to stay here, or even, to be here. We saw this as a clear call to action and how we could involve ourselves in pro-active, non-violent interventions. Angela also addressed some of the racial dynamics of interventions that are coming up at the camp.

This conversation led way to a discussion about options like Restorative Justice and Transformative Justice techniques. Jason L. shared some good information about the differences between the two. He explained how Restorative Justice focuses on the community as a whole, and not just the parties directly involved.

After this discussion, we then discussed what, if anything we wanted to do. The person who shared his experience of harassment and assault said he did want something to happen. We talked about how we do want to support the use of the protocol and become more involved with Community Wellness, Logistcs, Safety, etc. in implementing the procedure.

After a bit more conversation, Jean moved:

That we review the removal protocol (available in QT Tent) distribute it, and at the next mtg., we come having read it and discuss how to put it into action, urging powers to be to actually implement the protocol.

This motion was adopted by the group with a 75% consensus.

A friendly amendment was also proposed:

That we document the experiences of LGBTQ people and distribute to Community Wellness, Safety and Logistics, so that if there is another incident with the assaultive individual. Then there will be a history that exists.

This motion was adopted with unanimous consent.

4. Keep an eye out for emails sharing the proposed design and content of the "supportive space" tent signs. It's getting close to being finished.

5. We decided that we will spend 15 minutes of each meeting discussing economic justice issues as related to Occupy Boston and LGBTQ folks. We will rotate folks suggesting an article to discuss.

NEXT MEETING: THURSDAY, 11/10 and SUNDAY 11/13, at 5:30 pm in QT Tent.