COMMUNITY
Audre Lorde Project Faces Uncertain Future
Organization enters “restoration period” amid internal discontent, space constraints
BY MATT TRACY
The Audre Lorde Project,
a New York City-based
organization dedicated
to achieving justice for
LGBTQ people of color, is entering
a nine-month “restoration period”
during which the team will shutter
one of its two offi ces and staff
members will re-evaluate the operation
across a range of areas.
Named after the late African-
American poet, English professor,
and lesbian activist whose Staten
Island home was recently landmarked
by the city, ALP has been
in operation since 1994, initially in
Fort Greene and later in Chelsea,
as well. But six leaders of the team
made an announcement on October
2 that revealed signs of turbulence
on multiple fronts — including
fundraising — and raised
questions about the long-term stability
of one of the city’s few groups
specifi cally dedicated to LGBTQ
people of color.
The letter fi rst confronts apparent
concerns that the organization
A group participates in an Audre Lorde Project membership orientation event in January.
has, in the process of serving
the community, neglected to treat
its own team with respect, saying
that they “often have fallen victim
to capitalist ideas of productivity
over people.”
The letter continued, “This has
at times caused us to stumble —
FACEBOOK/ AUDRE LORDE PROJECT
choosing punitive responses over
transformation, placing healing
on the backburner, and not being
as transparent with internal happenings
within the organization
as needed. In solidarity with our
members, current/ former staff,
and the community that we serve,
we want to apologize for the harm
that has been caused.”
The organization is beginning
the nine-month restoration period
this month to “better focus on deep
internal study and alignment” and
bolster political education tools,
curriculum, trainings, programming,
and campaigns,” according
to the announcement.
ALP also voiced plans to update
internal policies and “relaunch” its
“membership structure” to expand
opportunities for those who wish
to gain leadership roles.
Among ALP’s current offerings
include the “Safe OUTside the System
Collective,” which is an antiviolence
program; “TransJustice,”
which mobilizes transgender and
gender nonconforming folks on key
political issues facing the community;
and “3rd Space,” which entails
working with LGBTQ people
of color who need assistance with
employment, education, healthcare,
and immigration issues. Of
those programs, the letter only
➤ AUDRE LORDE PROJECT, continued on p.11
CRIME
Gay Man Beaten, Dragged By Car in Florida
Victim, identifi ed in other reports as trans, survived, but clings to life after brutal attack
BY MATT TRACY
An individual who local
LGBTQ advocates
say is a gay man was
beaten, tied to a vehicle,
and dragged for several blocks in
a terrifying scene in Jacksonville,
Florida, on September 27, according
to police.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Offi ce
said they found the victim lying in
the street when police responded
to a report of aggravated battery
at the 4700 block of Pearce Street,
which is northwest of downtown
Jacksonville. Offi cers said the
victim “appeared to be have been
beaten severely as well as dragged
behind a vehicle” for roughly two
blocks.
The victim, whose name has not
been released publicly, survived
the brutal early morning attack
but remains unconscious and it
is still not clear whether he will
survive, according to Dan Merkan,
who serves as director of policy
at Jasmyn, a Jacksonville-based
advocacy organization for LGBTQ
youth.
According to police, the victim
was dragged to Pearce Street
from Moncrief Road and West 36th
Street, which is at the entrance
to the Majestic Plaza apartment
complex. Police utilized security
camera footage to track down the
vehicle allegedly responsible for
the attack and found out it was
stolen. Homicide detectives then
canvassed the neighborhood and
gathered enough evidence to detain
the alleged assailant, 34-yearold
Eric Shaun Bridges, who was
initially charged with aggravated
battery but later got slapped with
an attempted murder rap in the
case after detectives interviewed
him. Police have not returned calls
requesting comment, and it is not
clear whether a hate crime investigation
is underway.
Media outlets have published
mixed information about the details
of the case, with many reports
stating that the victim is
transgender. According to Merkan,
reporters who contacted him after
the attack said they heard the victim
might be transgender, prompting
him and his team at Jasmyn
to conduct their own communitybased
investigation to determine
the victim’s identity.
“We were able to pretty quickly
fi gure out the name of the victim,”
said Markan, who noted that he is
a gay man born in 1981 and might
be feminine or gender-nonconform-
➤ JACKSONVILLE BRUTALITY, continued on p.11
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