Queer Womens March: Hundreds Take Back the Night

Hundreds of marchers took back the night in Uptown on Thursday January 29th, braving zero-degree temperatures to take a stand against homophobia and hate. Marchers packed the parking lot next to the Dunn Bros. in Uptown, listening to speakers condemn violence against queer women. The march looped around Uptown, dispersing around 10pm without interference from the police.

The protest was in response to the violent gay-bashing of Kristen Boyne, who was walking less than three blocks from her home last week when she was brutally attacked by two men. The unidentified assailants called her an "f---ing dyke", then punched and kicked her until she lost consciousness.

The attacked received some coverage in the corporate media (http://www.kare11.com/includes/tools/print.aspx?storyid=537504). Using Facebook, text messages, and email, organizers quickly mobilized a giant protest for Thursday night. March organizers wrote:

"Love, compassion and understanding is the only cure for hatred and fear. So in response to this senseless act of hate and violence, we will march to demonstrate that queer women (and all women!) will not tolerate being victimized by hateful bigotry and violence. Let us gather the collective energy of our community to promote awareness and understanding with a loving and peaceful demonstration."

The march was attended by a plurality of queer and left organizations, including Outfront Minnesota, members of the DFL, unaffiliated anarchists, and the IWW. Organizers urged marchers to obey traffic signals and patronize local businesses. They thanked the police for their swift response to the hate crime.

Photos from the march can be viewed at: http://www.eleventh-avenue-south.com/archives/2009/01/hundreds_march.html

Email "queerwomenmarch@gmail.com" for more information.