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Communique Against Horizontal Violence:
This statement has been crafted in regards to the gender, racial, and horizontal violence inflicted on members of our community, family members, and potential comrades interested in creating better communities and safe[r] spaces. The space we are spotlighting, that has compromised the safety of queer, gender non conforming, trans identifying folx, as well as black peoples or even those willing to call out oppressive dynamics when they occur, is 7th East(https://www.facebook.com/East7th) and the group that frequents the space, known as Aborto Social (AS).
We CAN NOT stand idly by when some of our family members are being called racist or homophobic slurs, while being bullied, robbed, gay bashed, and or harassed by members of said group. We will treat this racist, hetero-sexist, homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic violence as a threat to the building of revolution and the safety of our loved ones. We are serious about transgressing all the old ways we relate to one another and will not tolerate these tendencies on par with fascistic beliefs of dehumanization. This violence and these actions brought about by the residents of this space have been proven time and time again to serve ideals relative to the violent social hierarchies protected and perpetuated by the police, nazis, and other racist, sexist, homophobic, able-ist, separatist groups. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ACT OF VIOLENCE WITHIN THIS PARTICULAR SPACE.
We denounce this space and anyone or group that blindly fuels this hatred and these forms of oppression against the most marginalized within our struggle for collective liberation. It is easy to preach and theorize about resistance, revolution, and a greater change that strives for a better world for all of us, but to stand in neutral positions amongst many counts of this abuse is to be an accomplice to injustice. This is an issue regarding the safety of so many. It is shameful that so much violence has taken place within this space so far, but we urge those who have ever organized within 7th East or whom may have facilitated events or shows in this space, to take a long pause before opting into a place that celebrates and or reinforces these styles of violence and machismo.
This is a deeply concerned, urgent call out to all groups, collectives, and organizations in L.A. that strive for safe[r] spaces within our struggles that have worked together to bring about real change against every intersecting system of oppression that disenfranchises us all. 7th East does NOT bare the honor of being called a “SAFE space” for all people. We can not in good conscience allow our loved ones or our fellow comrades to keep going into spaces like these where these actions are generally ignored and even encouraged. Our communities face enough violence as is at the hands of the police, and other oppressive institutions of the State, let alone the greater society’s unacceptance/rejection of what may be perceived to be “abnormal”, of “less value” or “queer”, so this is an even more egregious harm to those whom have internalized historical oppressions of settler colonialism’s beliefs, values, and its devastating effects on ALL of the land, our thoughts, actions, and spirits. This begs for a broader conversation about radical community guidelines in terms of long existing violence against womyn and queers (gender violence) and how we are to confront issues of micro aggressions or emotional/physical abuse often disguised as “revolutionary discipline” or “scene mentality”. Along with dialogues to create strategies for interpersonal and collective justice that doesn’t discard or leave anybody behind.
For those of you whom had the courage enough to individually stand up against, and dare question these problematic dynamics within the 7th East space, and bared the brunt of a beat down, SOLIDARITY, we thank you and applaud your courage for standing up for what is right, in being yourself, and being on the side of ourstory that strives for actual liberation of all peoples. But this injustice should not have happened to you! We are aware that for some, a stagnantly labeled “SAFE space” is a false notion, but that will not hinder many of us and our aims to try to make spaces safer for us all. These oppressive dynamics often know no bounds and SHOULD be checked accordingly and supported by some of our most marginalized and their accomplices in the destruction of anything that sustains imperialism, racism, capitalism, able-ism, cis/hetero sexism and homo/transphobia. We will not let pacifism dictate our capacity to combat against every single variation of oppression that exists whether against fascists, or the police, or groups that claim to be down for the cause, but do not reflect it in their actions. These are reactionary groups that threaten our work and communities of resistance we are building and THEY will wallow in exile from support from any radical communities whom agree with these principles until accountability is had. The winds of justice will blow in the favor of the oppressed! We are drawing the lines here and now to denounce support for Aborto Social, their shameful practices and politics, and ANY SPACE that they may try to maintain and reside in.
NO MORE COMPROMISING FOR SAFETY. JUSTICE FOR ALL. ALL GENDERS AGAINST PATRIARCHY. ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!
Read, Crafted, and Approved by: Participants/Members of Revolutionary Autonomous Communities, Los Angeles Queer Resistance
Statement supported by: CENA SIN PISTOLAS, SQUAD, TOCHTLI COLLECTIVE, F@@, more to follow…
(please comment as an individual, group, collective, or organizational supporters by commenting to on the pic)
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