*i really wish Todd would stop speaking out against Laura.
Laura has done more than anyone else for those of us that were at the raid.

:p

We are men, woman, gay, straight, lesbian, fags, queers…but we are also americans. I WANT THE RIGHTS I WAS BORN WITH…(sorry just stepped on my soap box)

Tell me Todd – do you have my number?
Have you called to check on me or the others?
Have you done anything since the raid other than whine about Laura?

Do you see Todd – that you are making this issue about yourself and not those of us there the night of the raid?

Don’t you see you are dividing our community when we need the strength of it now more than ever?

A true community activist would put this behind them and move on to the bigger picture – the way Laura has.

I suggest anybody concerned with community actions on behalf of the Eagle raid speak to the Eagle owners and patrons themselves, this is a community effort, I am but one small voice of many.

Focus your energies on holding APD accountable & changing the policy & structure that allowed the raid to take place!

It doesn’t matter whether she used a Sharpie marker to write “ORGANIZER” on her arm; Laura Gentle-Guerry was NOT an organizer of the fantastically successful rally on September 13 at the Eagle. I was in fact the person who did all the legwork for the September 13 rally. I was also one of the community panel who addressed the APD’s actions at the community forum organized by Kyle Keyser, asking APD’s leadership in public about their possible Constitutional violations.

Everything Laura has done since September 13 has been part of an ego-boosting ploy to take the issue and turn it into something that is about midtown Atlanta, not the terrorized and violated patrons of the Eagle who need personal and legal assistance, not the Constitutional issues at stake here, not the important things. This attitude was well demonstrated by systematic efforts to exclude those same patrons, and previous organizers, from additional demonstrations; and more recently, a major blow-up with other community activists in DC at the March for Equality.

…I mean really, who makes a flyer like this to publicize a rally that should have an action-oriented tone? It’s shameful:

http://resource.glbtatl.org/events/eagle-press-20090919/laura_flyer.jpg

=====

Those of us who are actually in it to make real actions happen are currently in contact with national organizations, some of which are getting ready to pick up the human rights violation torch. So expect more news to come soon; this story isn’t over yet.

As a point of data, I was in fact the person who did all the legwork for the September 13 rally, and I was also one of the community panel who addressed the APD’s actions and possible Constitutional violations head-on at the community forum organized by Kyle Keyser. Laura Gentle-Guerry is in this for herself (demonstrated by systematic efforts to exclude those same patrons, and previous organizers, from additional demonstrations), NOT to help those who were traumatized by APD’s asinine — and possibly illegal — policies and actions.

We’re still in contact with some national organizations who are getting ready to pick up the human rights violation torch, so expect more news to come soon. This story isn’t over yet.

No offense taken. Give people my email address and tell them to contact me.

jwithers@nyc.rr.com

Sincerely,

James

This is not an ongoing situation that the gay and lesbian community of Atlanta have with the ADP. We have many, many, many gay officers that are on the APD and the APD is usually a friend of the gay community. This incident was and is a serious situation that needs to be and is being addressed.

Just an observation.