September 14, 2015 – RI Future

September 14, 2015September 15, 2015

FANG activists on this morning’s action at Spectra

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Just before sunrise this morning three FANG (Fighting Against Natural Gas) activists locked themselves to construction equipment at Spectra‘s fracked gas compressor station in Burrillville, RI. Shortly after being released from court in downtown Providence, after being arraigned on charges of trespass and disorderly conduct, I asked Nick Katkevich, Matt Smith and Keith Clougherty about their actions.

In the video below they talk about the action, the reaction of the authorities, and what they hope to say with their political statement.

September 14, 2015

RI ACLU urges PVD to reject exclusionary zoning

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The ACLU has written the City Council of Providence and Mayor Jorge Elorza calling for the rejection of Jo-Ann Ryan’s exclusionary zoning provision.

The zoning, as proposed, would limit students to three-to-a-house occupancy in Zones 1 and 1A of Providence’s zoning code. Affecting areas with large single-family homes, many of the buildings in question can house far more than three people. Exclusionary zoning has major downsides for equity, and is also a big problem for transit, biking, and other non-single-occupancy-driving modes of transportation.

The proposal passed its first test last week when City Council voted 10-3 for the provision. Zoning provisions must pass twice, and either have veto proof majorities or gain the support of the mayor, to become law. Knocking just one vote off the victory margin would allow a mayoral veto, though the prospects of such a veto are unclear.

Read: Ten PVD City Councilors voted for exclusionary zoning

As of this weekend, a tweeted email reply from Elorza representative Evan England suggested that the Mayor Elorza’s administration was leaning towards support of the provision, though the language was vague enough to leave the administration open to changing its position (Hat-tip, Patrick Anderson, Projo).

The ACLU joins critics of the zoning provision, which have included the three “no” voters on City Council, Transport Providence, Greater City Providence, and Eco Rhode Island News.

In the letter to the Council, ACLU of Rhode Island executive director Steven Brown stated that, “The ordinance’s undue stigmatization of Providence’s students is contrary to the City’s reputation as a robust host to the local colleges and universities. The focus on this one criterion is unfair and extremely unlikely to help resolve any of the legitimate concerns prompting calls for action in the first place.”

The letter cites rejection by Rhode Island courts of similar laws, citing a 1994 Narragansett zoning provision that attempted to keep non-related persons from cohabitating (This answers a question I had had–a reader pointed out that Providence indeed also has such a law, preventing more than three unrelated persons from living together, and wondering whether the zoning law was ever enforced. It must be left over from before such provisions were struck down in the courts). Quoting the judge who rejected the provision, the ACLU letter shows how arbitrary many zoning provisions truly are:

“It is a strange—and unconstitutional—ordinance indeed that would permit the Hatfields and the McCoys to live in a residential zone while barring four scholars from the University of Rhode Island from sharing an apartment on the same street.”

The City Council is scheduled to vote on second passage of this ordinance at its meeting this Thursday, September 17.

A full copy of the RI ACLU’s letter is here.

If you haven’t contacted your city councilperson and the mayor, contacts for both along with voting records are in the original RI Future profile on this issue, here.

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September 14, 2015

AIDS Walk RI remembers the past, challenges the future

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Participants and observers of the AIDS Walk RI opening ceremonies were given a treat when Ronald Lewis, activist poet and actor, spoke about the forgotten transgender, women of color origins of the Stonewall Uprising, the birth of the LGBTQ liberation movement. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera are only recently being given the recognition they deserve by history, they are true heroines in the ongoing struggle for full rights for all persons, and to be reminded of their contributions ahead of an important walk to raise money to combat the scourge of HIV and AIDS was invigorating.

Do yourself a favor and watch this video.

This year’s theme for AIDS Walk RI was “Keeping Hope Alive” and despite the reality of nearly 100 new cases of HIV being diagnosed in our state every year, there is hope that one day HIV will be eradicated. Dr. Philip Chan, MD, from the Miriam Hospital’s Immunology Center said that giving a positive HIV diagnosis to a patient is the worst part of his job. He talked about the virtues of a new drug, PrEP, a pre-exposure prophylaxis that prevents the transmission of HIV.

Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH spoke of three foci at the RI Department of Health, where she is the director. “We want to continue to enhance partner services, making sure that people know how to stop their partners from getting infected by raising awareness. getting tested and letting them know about PEP ad PREP. We also want to highlight our ‘men who have sex with men communities’ that are disproportionately affected by HIV and syphilis and some of the other STDs… our third priority is also highlighting our youth and our communities of color, where there are higher rates of STDs as well as HIV.”

Members of Hope Harris‘ family gathered on stage to present the “Hope Harris Award.” Harris was a member of the AIDS Project RI board for the last part of her life. She was also a longtime receptionist for the late Senator John Chafee and also served in Senator Lincoln Chafee‘s office. She was known as a kind and deeply religious person who recognized the value of person, without regard to race, orientation or gender identity.

The award was presented to the amazing Paul Fitzgerald, president and CEO of AIDS Care Ocean State. He was the founding executive director of “Family AIDS Center for Treatment and Support” (FACTS) for children with HIV. FACTS was one of the first 13 pediatric AIDS demonstration projects in 1988. FACTS grew into a full-service AIDS organization, and merged with “Sunrise House” to become AIDS Care Ocean State.

Entertainment was provided by the Providence Gay Men’s Chorus, and other speakers included by Mayor Jorge Elorza, RI State Treasurer Seth Magaziner and US Representative David Cicilline. Cicilline lead the event in a moment of silence for Guy Abelson, well-known local philanthropist, who passed away recently and was deeply involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

AIDS Walk RI 2015 was conducted by AIDS Project Rhode Island, a division of Family Service of Rhode Island, and AIDS Care Ocean State.

September 14, 2015September 14, 2015

FANG activists lock themselves to Spectra construction equipment

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Activists opposed to methane gas expansion locked themselves to construction equipment being used to prepare an area in Burrillville for a gas pipeline project early Monday morning.

“I expect them to be arrested at some point today,” said Sherrie Andre, who sent out a press release and photos of the action on behalf of FANG, or Fighting Against Natural Gas. “If not, they are pretty determined to stay there as long as their bodies can hold out.”

Three fire trucks and local police are on the scene, said Andre, but she did not know if the three activists had been arrested or were still attached to the earth-moving equipment.

“Matt Smith of New Jersey, Nick Katkevich of Rhode Island, and Keith Clougherty of Massachusetts locked down with fortified PVC pipes to disrupt construction for the day at the compressor station which Spectra is hoping to double in capacity as part of the AIM project,” according to the press release.

“Spectra Energy, Invenergy and those that support them are on the wrong side of history, we will keep coming back with more people until their projects are cancelled.” said Katkevich, according to the press release.

FANG has waged a high profile campaign against both the Algonquin pipeline project and a methane gas compressor station that Governor Gina Raimondo has hailed as good business expansion for Rhode Island. Both projects would be built on land owned by Spectra Energy in Burrillville.

Andre was arrested for a tree sit at the site this summer and, two weeks ago, Peter Nightingale and Curt Nordgaard were arrested for chaining themselves to a chain link gate on Spectra property. Nightingale was also arrested at Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse’s office for protesting fracked gas and methane gas expansion. While Whitehouse has been supportive of the pipeline project, he has reserved judgment on a methane compressor facility in Burrillville.

“What happens in Burrillville doesn’t stay in Burrillville. This project hurts communities across the Northeast and climate change is already killing people around the world,” said Keith Clougherty, one of the activists locked to Spectra construction equipment this morning, according to the press release.

September 14, 2015September 14, 2015

Congratulations Steve Ahlquist!

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I know of no journalist more deserving of accolades than my dear friend and colleague Steve Ahquist, who was honored by Rhode Island Pride last night for his impressive and extensive coverage of issues affecting the LGBT community.

Here’s a sampling of some of the posts he’s filed for RI Future over just the past two years that earned him this award.

RI General Assembly still voting on marriage equality – July 9, 2015
SCOTUS marriage equality decision celebrated in RI – June 27, 2015
RI Pride is radicalized – June 22, 2015
LGBT community protests Haven Brothers hate crime – May 4, 2015
Rhode Island needs to repeal its RFRA – March 30, 2015
Experts agree: Criminalizing HIV transmission a ‘backwards step’ – February 25, 2015
Black and Pink sends holiday cards to LGBTQ prisoners – December 8, 2014
Online hookup sites key to combating AIDS in RI – December 4, 2014
Tobin, Stenhouse backpeddle on ‘thorny cultural issues’ – October 27, 2014
SF archbishop’s decision to speak at anti-LGBT rally has RI roots – June 19, 2014
Providence Renaissance Hotel lost its gay-friendly rating – May 19, 2014
Is anti-gay therapist Dr. Cretella a therapist or not? – February 18, 2014
Providence College postpones controversial LGBT lecturer – February 17, 2014
Mass ‘hate groups’ focus attention elsewhere – November 12, 2013
Hate groups not welcome – August 2, 2013
Video: Marriage party at Providence City Hall – August 1, 2013
Marriage equality is here! – July 31, 2013

Thanks for everything you do, Steve, for RI Future and for all the constituencies of Rhode Island and the world that are still fighting for the rights and privileges that you and me were born with. You are both a journalistic superhero, and a hero to me personally.

September 14, 2015September 14, 2015

Rhode Island NOW: We stand with Planned Parenthood

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by Kate Gorton

Ninety-five years ago on August 26, women fought for and won the right to vote. This victory came after decades of defending our intelligence and capacity to make informed decisions, a struggle that continued for many women long after the right was won.

2015 sure feels like déja-vu.

More than ever in recent history, a woman’s ability to govern her own body is under attack. We are tired of the intimidation tactics and malicious statements being made in an effort to turn back the clock on hard fought wins towards equality. We urge all of you who stand for equality to denounce the recent attacks and false claims made against Planned Parenthood. Freedom of religion provides the right to practice your faith without harm; it does not allow individuals to dictate the health decisions of others. Any effort to limit women’s access to health care is a threat to women’s health and their autonomy.

At Rhode Island NOW, we take action to bring women into full participation in all aspects of public and private life without experiencing barriers based on gender, and that includes any barriers to adequate health care. We are not here to address the slander against Planned Parenthood being perpetuated by political activists with feign concern for women’s health. We are here to remind everyone of the facts and the value Planned Parenthood provides to the community.

The vast majority of Planned Parenthood’s resources are spent on providing general health and wellness services, including: screenings for cervical, breast, and ovarian cancer, physicals and checkups, prescriptions for contraception, and testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, which avoids infertility later in life and ensures healthy pregnancies. To claim federal and state dollars are being used for abortion services is completely false. Under federal and Rhode Island state law no public money can be used for such services, therefore all public dollars given to Planned Parenthood go directly to the essential preventive health services laid out above.

It’s ironic. The “pro-life” lobby is surprisingly disinterested in these lives: millions of women, men, and (yes) children are alive and healthy because of the resources Planned Parenthood provides every day. A vote against this agency isn’t a blow to the ominous, faceless threat of abortion. It’s a direct hit to the health of our communities: our neighbors, families, and friends.

The war on women in America is real. The reasons behind it are about power and control, not the health or the well being of women. Rhode Island NOW trusts women, and we trust Planned Parenthood. We stand with them and applaud them for the care and counsel they provide to millions of Americans every year.

*Kate Gorton is a Rhode Island NOW member, writer, and blogger.