Join Us For These Events: SAVE THE DATES     Currently, we have several upcoming events scheduled.  Others will be added as the year progresses. Please call the QEJ office (212.564.3608) for details about these, and other, events.      HIV/AIDS and the Fight for Universal Healthcare: Bridging the movements for health justice   Tuesday, May 1st 6:30 - 8:30PM   LGBT Community Center 208 West 13th Street (btwn 7th/8th aves.) New York City Free and open to the public - Refreshments will be provided   Speakers Include: Eustacia Smith, ACTUP-New York Rebecca Fox, National Coalition for LGBT Health Ajamu Sankofa, Healthcare-Now! Moderated by: Joseph DeFilippis, Queers for Economic Justice   Co-sponsored by: ACTUP-NY, Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP), Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), Healthcare-Now!, LGBT Center, Metro New York Health Care for All Campaign, Physicians for a National Health Program-NY Metro Chapter, and Queers for Economic Justice   For more information or to be added as a co-sponsor, contact Kim at champ@champnetwork.orgor 212-937-7955 x3.   ________________________________________________________________     __________________________________________________________   May 1: Rally & March for Immigrant Rights   Join QEJ as we march with the Audre LordeProject:   Nothing About Us is Illegal - Our Bodies, Genders, Partners, Tongues LGBTST Immigrants Resist!   We will meet at: 13th & Broadway (line-upalong13thStreet) at 3:30 PM 4:00 PM– Rally at Union Square 5:30 PM– March to Foley Square   Have any questions? Call Debanuj at 212.564.3608 ext. 16 Or Trishala at ALP at718.596.0342x12ortdeb@alp.org   ________________________________________________________________________     QEJ's Shelter & Welfare Warriors Projects Present... Do you want to improve your shelter? COME TO A CONFLICT RESOLUTION TRAINING! Speak to Other Shelter Residents & Advocates About Making Your Shelter Safer! Wednesday, May 2nd @6:00-8:00pm Dinner and metro fare provided Location: Housing Works 320 W. 13thStreet, 4th floor A,C,E,L trains to14th Street&8th Ave OR F,V,1,2 trains to14thStreet& 6th Avenue   Questions?: Call Doyin at QEJ at 212.564.3608 ext.11 ________________________________________________________________________     GENDER ACTION COALITION (GAC) – The Gender Action Coalition works to guarantee that all transgender and gender nonconforming people receive safe, affirming, and non-discriminatory services when accessing the Human Resources Administration. Meeting Date & Time: Tuesday, May8th @ 6:30p Location: 16 W. 32nd Street, #10H Directions: N,R,Q,W,F,V,B,Dtrains to 34th street/herald square Dinner & Metros Provided GAC is comprised of The Gender Identity Project (of the LGBT Community Center), Sylvia Rivera Law Project, TransJustice (of the Audre Lorde Project), and Welfare Warriors (Queers for Economic Justice). Questions?: Call Doyin atQEJ at 212.564.3608 ext. 11     ________________________________________________________________________     OffCenter Presents:   ARE WE TYING THE KNOT TOO TIGHT?: GAINS AND LOSSES IN THE RUSH TO NORMALCY   Wednesday, May 9, 2007 at 7:30PM   New York, New York—March 22, 2007—On Wednesday, May 9, 2007 at 7:30pm, Off Center will present “Are We Tying the Knot Too Tight?: Gains and Losses in the Rush to Normalcy.” This moderated panel will address some of the issues the LGBT community faces when dealing with whether and how to support the movement for same-sex marriage.   If same-sex marriage becomes a reality, members of the LGBT community who choose to marry would be one huge step closer to full-fledged equality and protection under the law, attaining the same rights and privileges as heterosexual couples.   It has often been assumed that members of the LGBT community support the grantingof marriage rights and responsibilities to those who would like to marry, but it is usually not discussed in terms of what, if anything, we would lose if same-sex marriage were to be legalized throughout the U.S.   What if the focus on marriage has functioned to obscure other aspects of our sex/love relationships that are not acknowledged or legitimized, and which legal same-sex marriage would push further into the closet and marginalize more overtime?   The present focus on weddings, nuclear families, and having or adopting children leaves a lot of us out. Some of us do not want these normative arrangements, or we do not have partners who we wish to marry, or we do not want to raise children. We have more information about what will be gained with the granting of legal sanction to our relationships, but what if this rush to normalcy is contributing to a loss of the radical vision that critiqued the heterosexual norm and which once was so essential to the LGBT liberation movement.   Join us for a spirited discussion of these issues with panelists Joseph DeFilippis, Executive Director of Queers for Economic Justice, Lisa Duggan, NYU Prof. of Social and Cultural Analysis Kenyon Farrow, writer and activist, Susan Sommer of Lambda Legal.   The panel will be moderated by Carol Buell, an attorney who has dealt with LGBT issues for many years. “Are We Tying the Knot Too Tight?: Gains and Losses in the Rush to Normalcy” will take place at the LGBT Community Center located at 208 West 13thStreet in New York at 7:30pm on May 9, 2007. The suggested donation at the door is $10, ($7 for Center members). All are invited to attend.     ________________________________________________________________________   THE AMAZINGLY QUEER RACE FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE   Saturday, May 19   Join us for this really great event!   It is somewhat a scavenger hunt, somewhat skill test and all fundraiser for Queers for Economic Justice. The day will include good-natured competition, crazy antics and a HOT party.  We think that you will love the entire experience! Queers for Economic Justice (QEJ) is a progressive non-profit organization committed to challenging the systems that creates poverty and economic injustice in our communities and promoting an economic system that enhances sexual and gender diversity.  We work with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people who are homeless, are on public assistance and/or are immigrants. You can go our website (www.QueersforEconomicJustice.org) if you want to learn more about our work.  As a grassroots 501(c)3 non-profit organization, we rely upon the generosity of our volunteers, donors and community members. We at QEJ are Amazing Race enthusiasts!  With this inspiration and our queer spin we are creating a daylong event, The Amazing Queer Race for Economic Justice that will be held on May19th, 2007.ThisManhattanbased, city-wide event will bring together a multitude of social justice organizations, local celebrities, businesses and local and national community members to raise awareness of and gain support for QEJ and to further the necessary, unique and ground breaking social and political work we do for low-income New Yorkers.  Our goal with this fundraiser is also to raise enough funds cover one year of our building rental expenses. The Race will consist of 50 teams (each comprised of two people working together), who race from check-point to check-point to check-point throughout the city.  At each check-point, the team who arrives first will win a prize, and the teams that come in last will be eliminated. Some of the check-points will involved different kinds of fun challenges and competitions.  At the last leg of the race, the remaining teams will be competing to see who crosses the finish line first, and wins the grand prize, and bragging rights. Each two-person team will need to raise a minimum of $250 per person (a minimum of $500 per team) in donations (rather like the pledges raised by folks participating in events such as the AIDSWalk).  If altruism is not enough of an incentive, there is an added enticement is a special prize for the team that raises the most donations.  By completing the registration form you are agreeing to compete in the race on May 19th, and participate in fundraising. Because space is limited (we can only accommodate 50 teams) you should find a partner and register right away if you are interested in racing. If you cannot participate in racing, but are interested in fundraising or volunteering to make this event successful please let me know or emailmaryg@q4ej.org. Let us know asap if you are interested. ________________________________________________________________________   Join QEJ as we march in a campaign coordinated by Housing Here and Now   fight to preserve New York City’s Affordable Housing   Save the Date!   March & Rally Wed. May 23rd, 2007 5:00pm StuyvesantTown,1st Avenuebetween14th and23rdStreetinManhattan   Advocates, housing groups, labor unions and the Working Families Party are uniting to: -Repeal rent destabilization -Preserve Mitchell Lama and Section 8 housing -Stop unfair rent increases and harassment -Ensure adequate state funding for NYCHA housing -Limit rental payments for people living with HIV/AIDS to30% of income   Campaign for Affordable Rents