Announcement from Asheville Stonewall:

The Stonewall Uprising of 1969 continues to be celebrated as the birth of the modern LGBTQQIA movement. This year's Stonewall commemoration comes at an interesting time politically. The recent passing of Amendment One in North Carolina reminds us that we still have so much ahead in our struggle for liberation. While the gay rights movement mourns this denial of our basic civil rights, we understand this as one more reason to push beyond the limited scope of politics. While we understand the real impact that Amendment One has had on members of our community and their families, we are reminded that these "rights" are neither the most pressing need nor the last step the movement must take.

Just one disturbing example of how far we have yet to go is the recent ruling in the case of CeCe McDonald, the black transwoman who is serving four years in a male prison for defending herself against white attackers; she will definitely be in our hearts and on our minds as we remember that for large parts of our community, the struggle is still so much one of survival. There are many people whose lives are in jeopardy if they come out as queer or trans because of their family, religion, or location. Let us not forget about them and the ongoing struggle against racism, transphobia, the prison system, etc., in a quest to grant rights to an already privileged part of our community.

We weren't surprised by One's passing; the world of heteronormativity and heavily policed gender conformity is not for us. Like other marginalized groups such as the American Indian Movement or the Black Power movements have expressed in the past, we have no interest in fighting to gain rights from a system that only concedes to our demands in order to assimilate us. Not all of us are able to fit neatly into the family-friendly image portrayed by the mainstream gay rights movement that reassures the world that we are "just like you". In fact, we actively seek the total destruction of a world based on forced adherence to these societal norms.

This is the meaning of this year's Stonewall theme: QUEERPOCALYPSE. It's 2012. Let the epic battle against heteronormativity and gender conformity begin! The end is QUEER!

EVENT SCHEDULE: (ALL ON JUNE 30)

Basic Self-Defense & Know Your Rights Discussion @ Aston Park (Hilliard & S.French Broad) 11-1pm
Trans 101 Workshop @ Wall Street Coffee (62 Wall St.) 1:30-2:30pm
MARCH!!! Meet under the N. Lexington Ave. Bridge (near Rosetta's) @ 3pm. March begins @ 3:30 sharp!
RALLY & Ice Cream @ 4:30pm in Pritchard Park (Thanks Ultimate Ice Cream Co.!)
Why Stonewall Is Still Relevant & Incarcerated Realities Workshop @ Smokey's (18 Broadway St.) 5-6pm
BDSM Safety & Ethics Discussion @ The Underground (Back of O'Henry's 237 Haywood St.) 8-9pm

STONEWALL 2012 QUEERPOCALYPSE DANCE PARTY BENEFIT!!! @ The Underground (237 Haywood)
Doors @ 9:30. Show @ 10pm $5-15 sliding scale donation* (but not one turned away for lack of funds!)
Drag performances by: Dimitri Savage, Yeraldine Kennedy, & Malachi
Music by: DJ EB, DJ Soulja Byrd, & DJ Queen Plz (Requests taken!)
Raffle! With tons of great prizes from local businesses!

*Donations this year will be split between Tranzmission Prison Project, the Mt. Hope Infinity Defense Fund, and Asheville Transformers. Those who donate will receive something special as a token of our appreciation!