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-    Star's response to HRC     -
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THIS IS OUR RESPONSE TO HRC

Dear HRC

You would probably find it difficult to imagine how disappointed and
angry we are at your failure to back us in our time of need.  You obviously
can spend your money any way you want but it would cost you nothing to
lend your name.  Your representatives at Amanda Milan's memorial service
apologized to Sylvia Rivera for not knowing of the oppression and hatred
that all communities direct at us day in and day out and culminate in
murderous attacks that end our lives the way Amanda's ended  Perhaps
Octavia St Laurent's words that "straights have their rights, gays have
their rights, lesbians have their rights, and animals have their rights,
but where our are rights" impressed them, or perhaps it was the fact,
may I remind you, that it was a gay "brother" who handed the killer the
knife and urged him on.  Your people had no problem in 1969 from using
the anger of our people who gave their all, who had nothing to lose,
who brought you out of the closets you would still be in if it were not
for us.  We still have nothing to lose, and we are still giving our all.
 Sylvia told your representatives that if you did not back us we would
come knocking at your door and your representatives agreed that we would
have the right to do so.  Watch out


Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries, Sylvia Rivera, President

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-       End STAR's response to the HRC        -
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