HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!

Please take this time to remember the incredible women in your life and those that paved the way before you!

I could not have asked for a more perfect day!  I started my day in fellowship at The Well and then participating in the IWD 2009 Conference in Center City, Philadelphia.  I was a bit nervous about speaking, as I rarely get the chance to speak about faith before my peers in the LGBTQ of Color community. It is less stressful speaking before communities I have less of a personal stake in.

I made some great connections.  Suraya Pakzad, Executive Director of Voices of Women Organization, came to speak about Women and Violance in Afghanistan. I was also able to finally meet Gloria Casarez, Director of LGBT Affairs for the City of Philadelphia, Virgina Gutierrez, President of the Board at Equality Advocates, and Wahaadah Shabazz-El of Women’s HIV Network.

The Anna Crusis Women’s Choir sang “Bread and Roses” (btw one of my favorite charities) and the Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas performed Aztec ceremonical rituals and dances.  I am extremely humbled that people wanted TDP to faciliate new inter-faith LGBT dinscussions.  Many also asked for my business card after my presentation.  I definitely did not expect that reaction.

I was disappointed not to see Vanessa Brown at the conference. She is one of our newly elected State Representatives. I met her last year at a Progressive Leadership Women of Color brunch.  I asked her when I first met her about the ways in which she intended to address LGBTQ issues in her district but did not receive an answer. I thought, perhaps the second time around would be the charm.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
SPONSORED BY THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY PHILADELPHIA COALITION
LIBERATION – EQUALITY – JUSTICE!

SUNDAY MARCH 8, 2009
PROGRAM

12:00- 1:00PM RALLY AND MARCH @ CITY HALL

1:00- 1:30PM MARCH to FAMILY PLANNING COUNCIL
260 S. BROAD STREET

1:30- 2:30PM LUNCH/REFRESHMENTS

2:30 – 2:45PM CEREMONIAL OPENING
Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas Featuring Fuego Nuevo

OPENING/WELCOME/LIBATIONS by Soda Nobuhle, Arleen Olshan

2:45 -3:00PM CULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Anna Crusis Women’s Choir

3:00-4:00PM Anti-War and International Union Solidarity
Kathy Black, Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)

The United Nations (UN) Conference on Women
Berta Joubert-Ceci

Single Payer Health Care
Patty Eakin, President of the Pennsylvania Association of Nurses
and Allied Professionals

Women and HIV/AIDS
Waheedah Shabazz-El, Women’s HIV Network

CULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Sisters in Music and Poetry: Monnette Sudler and Trapeta Mayson

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Communities – A Political Perspective
Gloria Casarez, Director of LGBT Affairs City of Philadelphia

Queer Womyn on Faith and Spirituality
Kathrin P. Ivanovic, Principal Blogger at The Diversity Projekt

Violence Towards Women Abroad: A Darfuran Women Speaks
About Rape as a Weapon of Genocide in Sudan
Fatima Haroun

Women’s Heart and Health
Blanca Marti, Nurse Practitioner

4:00-5:00 PM Womyn of Color- A Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Perspective LGBTQ Womyn of Color Conference

CULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Creativity in Movement, Misia Denea

Transgender Womyn of Color – Action, Advocacy, Allies
Jaci Adams

Women In Politics
State Representative Vanessa Brown

Employee Free Choice Act
Roni Green, SEIU

Spoken in Arabic – Multicultural/Multiethnic Organizing
Nehad Khadir, Arab Women’s Committee

CULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Songs of Hope, Fatimah Lorén

Occupational Safety and Health Issues Related to Women
Barbara Rahke, Director, Philadelphia Area Project on
Occupational Safety and Health

CULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas Featuring Fuego Nuevo

Women and Diabetes
Juanita Figueroa

Housing: The Foreclosure Crisis
Louise Francis

Women and Violence In Afghanistan
Suraya Pakzad

Immigration and Health Care Access
Teresa Conejo

5:00-5:30PM CULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Poetry in Motion, Shayna SheNess Israel (SITY)

CULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas Featuring Fuego Nuevo

Action Plan
ALL

5:30-6:00PM Reflections/Closing
Sherrie Cohen, Soda Nobuhle, Arleen Olshan

IWD Philadelphia Coalition thanks its 2009 Sponsors: AFSCME District Council 47, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Anna Crusis Choir, Beta Phi Omega Sorority Inc., Carmen Bilingual toys and books, Café con Chocolate, Coalition for Labor Union Women, Code Pink, Darfur Alert Coalition, Hearts and More by Moon Queen, Lia Sophia, MayDay Committee, National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, National Association of Hispanic Nurses, PA Federation BMWED-IBT, Passion Party Consulting, Partnership for Prescription Assistance, Philadelphia International Action Center, Philadelphia NOW, Planned Parenthood, Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas , Safeguards and Family Planning Council, Sisterspace, Sisters United @ The COLOURS Organization, Inc., Tacto Peruano, The COLOURS Organization Inc., The Womyn’s Village, Women’s Community Revitalization Project.

www.myspace.com/iwdphiladelphia; Email: iwdphiladelphia@yahoo.com; Phone: 267-997-8160