The Social Justice Team has been identifying populations we believe will be facing the greatest difficulties during the coming administration.
Here's who we worry about most: Immigrants; LGBTQ+ People especially Trans People especially Trans Youth; People Needing Reproductive Health Care; Black, Indigenous and People of Color ("BIPOC"); and Poor, Disabled and Elderly People.
Team News:
The Social Justice Team is delighted to welcome our newest member, Katy Archibald: “I'm a US Air Force veteran who had been meaning to start coming to church after moving to Middleboro. Seeing the Saturday standouts finally inspired me to join. Being part of the Social Justice Committee allows me to actively contribute to meaningful causes and connect with others who share a vision for a more equitable and compassionate world.” At our November 7 meeting, we were also delighted to be joined by our longtime member, Jane.
The nationwide If/When/How Repro Legal Helpline reported on Nov. 19 that calls to their abortion and pregnancy legal hotline service have increased 360% since the election.
Here in Massachusetts we can be proud that we have guardrails against the degree of criminalization being faced daily by the clients of If/When/How's lawyers. (See below.)
There is a new statewide virtual community for LGBTQ+ elders.
It is a secure, private network on the Mighty Network platform. They currently have eight well-qualified hosts and moderators and 400 members, and they are growing all the time. They offer a general members' chat, a monthly banned book club on Zoom, likewise a meteorology group, and a group on legal subjects, with more offerings coming.
The Cash in the Plate for the first week of December will be donated to the Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network IBIJAN). The Cash in the Plate for the remaining four weeks of December will be donated to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund.
November is Trans Awareness Month, and the Transgender Day of Remembrance comes on Monday, November 18. Central Square Church in Bridgewater (71 Central Square) will host a candlelight vigil at 5 pm to which all are invited. The Day of Remembrance was started in 1999 by advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a way to honor Rita Hester, a trans woman who was tragically killed in 1998. It has since become a powerful tradition to commemorate all trans people lost to violence.
1.The Trevor Project, which supports LBGTQ+ youth, reports that they experienced an increase of nearly 700% in crisis service conversations on November 6. 2.The Boston Globe and New York Times report that the FBI is investigating a nationwide rash of email messages to Black people, including students, instructing them to report at the nearest plantation to pick cotton, and similar messages, some very specific as to when, where, and in what vehicle to look for the “slavery executive.” The messages state the recipient’s full name and , in many cases , threaten violence. They have been received by students at
The Cash in the Plate for November will be donated to the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe Fund (non-profit) to acquire 38 acres of their ancestral land on Triangle Pond in Plymouth. https://www.herringpondtribe.org/
Thanks to Bill and Suzi Howe for creating some beautiful new signs. Sandy Smiley suggests people consider whether they could commit to a half hour a month (Saturday 11:30-12:00). If a few more people could do that, we would always have enough folks to make a good showing.
Kudos to Lois Aldrich who organized this effort, and to the many members and friends of the congregation who participated. The messages were non-partisan and went to registered voters in Pennsylvania and Florida who had a sketchy record of actually voting. (Whether you vote is public record. How you vote is private.)
