October birthday sign-up and more!

Dear FoW community,

Check out the many ways to get involved, learn more, and take action this month!

****SEND OCTOBER BIRTHDAY CARDS****
We have cancelled all in-person letter writing events for the foreseeable future However, because prison visitation is shut down and folks are more isolated than usual, we still want to get cards sent in. This month, we will focus on October birthday cards! Join us for this important way to show solidarity with our incarcerated LGBTQ+ and HIV+ community members in California!

If you can sign up to send a card or two from home for our September birthdays, please fill out this form. We will send you the address(es) - and some tips if it’s your first time. You will need to provide your own stamps and supplies, but we have plenty of both and can coordinate to get you some, if needed. You can spread the word and invite friends on fb here. 


****UPCOMING EVENTS****

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020 AT 2 PM – 4 PM
Representing Incarcerated TGI People During COVID-19
"Learn how you can support our communities during COVID-19! As COVID-19 spreads through prisons and jails, outside legal information is critically important to people who are incarcerated in California. This training will train participants on the rights of people who are incarcerated in California, strategies to support incarcerated people during COVID-19, and technical rules regarding corresponding with people in California prisons and jails. Participants will also be briefed on transgender, gender-variant, and intersex (TGI) cultural competency and receive information that is necessary to support incarcerated members of this community, who are especially vulnerable to COVID-19"

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2020 AT 12:30 PM UTC-03
Against the carceral state: Making (Black) freedom in a time of crisis and revolt | Robyn Maynard 
"The Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies is pleased to invite you to the Shirley Greenberg Annual Lecture in Women’s Studies" with a talk by Robyn Maynard. "Robyn Maynard is the author of Policing Black Lives: State violence in Canada from slavery to the present and has a long history of involvement in community activism and advocacy."


***BECOME A PENPAL****

Now is also a great time to become a penpal. If you want to start a penpal relationship, you can learn more and sign-up here anytime.


Check out our instagram page where we spotlight some of our incarcerated members who are seeking penpals. Or if you want us to match you with a penpal, just reach out!

Once you become a penpal, you can join this facebook group to stay connected to other outside penpals for support and resources.


****SENDING MONEY INSIDE****
Thank you to everyone who has joined us these past few months in sending money to hundreds of folks in CA prisons, both directly through FoW and in coalition with the Transgender Advocacy Group (TAG). To date, we have sent money to all of our local chapter's study group members and inside leaders, supported TAG’s work to send money to about 300 trans folks in CA, and most recently sent funds to each to our B&P members in San Quentin SP, where there has been one of the largest COVID-19 outbreaks on record.


We are deeply concerned for the lives and wellbeing of our loved ones inside prisons, who aren't able to practice social distancing and who don't have access to basic hygiene supplies unless they are able to purchase them. You can donate here to support our local chapter, and we will continue to prioritize using funds to support our incarcerated members as well as any support we can offer to our formerly incarcerated community.


****DEMAND DECARCERATION*****
Instead of releasing people, CDCR puts people in solitary confinement and in unsanitary and unsafe conditions, and punishes them for sharing crucial information with the public. This is a public health crisis, and Governor Newsom, CDCR, and the California State Legislature are failing to address it. The ONLY way that incarcerated people will be safe is if the state releases people NOW!


Call on Governor Newsom, CDCR, and the State Legislature to de-populate the prisons, release elderly and medically vulnerable people and #BringThemHome!
Newsom’s Email: https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/
Newsom’s Phone: (916) 445-2841
Look up your state legislator here:
http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
Form letter for representatives:
https://bit.ly/ActNowNewsomLetter

Search #StopSanQuentinOutbreak or follow @nojusticeundercapitalism or @c_c_w_p on social media to connect to more info.

​
****COMMUNITY NEWS & RESOURCES****
Now is a critical time to fight to get our people safe and free. There are many campaigns currently to decarcerate our folks from jails, prisons and detention centers. Please find a campaign or an organization and support it!


The San Jose District Attorney Jeff Rosen and several of the San Jose judges working under presiding judge Deborah A. Ryan have been working together to challenge a couple of senate bills that aim to reduce life sentencing (Senate Bill 1391) and unjust felony convictions (Senate Bill 1437). The DA and Judges in San Jose have been working together to deny any relief to inmates under Senate Bills 1391 and 1437. Our community is being called to protest D.A. Jeff Rosen’s office, the San Jose Court building and write letters to the following two people asking that the DA’s office and courts stop challenging S.B. 1391 and 1437.
D.A. Jeff Rosen

70 W Hedding Street
West Wing
San Jose CA 95110

Presiding Judge Deborah A. Ryan
Hall of Justice
190 W Hedding St
San Jose CA 95110


Sign up here to support TGI Justice Project.

Our partner collective, ABO Comix, publishes the work of incarcerated queer and trans people with profits going back to them and their families. They currently have 4 comic anthologies written and drawn by LGBTQ+ prisoners, including the most recent Confined Before COVID-19, as well as zines, artwork and merch. You can support the artists and buy copies for yourself or your penpals at 
https://www.facebook.com/abocomix


Watch the recent webinar from Boston Black & Pink, called "Queer Abolition: Building Love and Power.” It's a strategic discussion about abolishing police, prisons, and how how these systems target LGBTQ people, B/I/POC people, and those living with HIV.

Prisoner Advocacy Network has put together step by step guides to #prison #release #decarceration for #covid19 here https://www.prisoneradvocacynetwork.org/covid-19.html


Beyond Prisons - Prisoner Support Guide For The Coronavirus Crisis https://tinyurl.com/vb6yrpp 

In solidarity,
FoW