Anti-LGBT Hate & Violence March + World CUpdate

Today I went to the anti-LGBT hate and violence rallies and march that the New York Anti-Violence Project and many other community organizations and figures convened in New York's Greenwich Village. The rally began at 2 pm in the East Village, at 14th St. and 1st Avenue, and then proceeded across 13th Streets to end up at Sheridan Square in the West Village, just outside Christopher Park, a stone's throw away from the Stonewall Bar. I was heartened by the large and diverse crowd (there had to be over 100 people easily, comprising all races, ethnicities, ages, and genders) at the pre-march rally, and then even more so by the large number of people who joined the march and by the many onlookers, including parents and their children, who showed support during the procession.

Performer Kevin Aviance, who was attacked a week ago, was present at and addressed the post-march rally (see below), which also called attention to other attacks that had happened this past week in Queens, as well as the long history of anti-LGBT attacks that have occurred, both in New York and elsewhere. (According to Andrés on his Blabbeando blog, Aviance did not have health insurance at the time of the attack, so the AVP is asking people to make donations if they can).


At the pre-march staging spot, at 14th St. and 1st Ave.

The march is underway

Walking down 1st Ave. to 13th St. (journalist Andy Humm is wearing the black shirt)

The incomparable Hedda Lettuce, at the head of the marchers

Some of the marchers, including an AVP contingent

Representatives from the Audre Lorde Project

Turning down Seventh Avenue

A vocal supporter (a second is partially hidden at her right)

At the rally, at Sheridan Square, outside Christopher Park

Hedda Lettuce, with Kevin Aviance partially obscured (his hand is holding the red heart aloft)

Some of the people at the post-march rally (gentleman-scholar Larry Lyons, one of the co-founders of the Rashawn Brazell Collective, is on the right)

Emanuel Xavier, reading a moving poem about his attack

Singer and performer Billy Porter, reading a letter from his partner Ari Gold

There are more photos and a thoughtful writeup in Blabbeando's post on the event.

***

They may have played as if they were zonked out in their first game, but the US soccer team made bid to remain in the World Cup today when they tied Italy 1-1 on an unexpected own goal by Italian defenseman Zaccardo to keep their hopes of advancing alive. They nearly won the game 2-1 when DaMarcus Beasley knocked in a pass, but the referee disallowed it on an offsides call against Brian McBride. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller was as sharp as a stilletto this game, and dispelled concerns that British Premier League goalie Tim Howard should be starting. Still, to hold the powerful Italian team to a tie while short two men the entire second half, after defensemen Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Popewere ejected on red cards in the first and second halves respectively, was a triumph, and demonstrated that the US team could potentially do as well as their 2002 record in Japan and South Korea had foretold.


ITA : USA, 17 June 2006, Kaiserslautern, Germany, Italy's Luca Toni battles US defender Oguchi Onyewu for the ball, Copyright: AFP / afp.com

ITA : USA, 17 June 2006, Kaiserslautern, Germany, Defenseman Eddie Pope nearly falls over Italy's Alberto Gilardino, Copyright: AFP / afp.com


ITA : USA, 17 June 2006, Kaiserslautern, Germany, The referee is surrounded by US players (l-r) Landon Donovan, Brian McBride and captain Claudio Reyna, Copyright: AFP / afp.com

They were helped by their next opponent, Ghana, whose achieved a stunning 2-0 upset win, the first by an African team at this World Cup, over the Czech Republic, which had mazurka'd all over the US in their opener. The Ghana Black Stars got goals from Gyan and Muntari to topple the second-ranked team in the world, putting the entire group in play. Italy leads with 4 points, Ghana and the Czech Republic have three, and the US has one. A Czech defeat of Italy coupled with a US defeat of Ghana moves the US to the next round, where their likely opponents would be favorite Brazil, which played a mediocre match against Croatia.

The only other game played today involved Portugal, one of the better teams in the tournament, defeating Iran 2-0, to advance to the next round.


CZE : GHA, 17 June 2006, Cologne, Germany, Ghana's Stephen Appiah moves the ball past Czech Pavel Nedved, Copyright AFP/afp.com


CZE : GHA, 17 June 2006, Cologne, Germany, Czech Republic's Tomas Ujfalusi controls the ball as Ghanaian Asamoah Gyan, who scored the winning goal, chases him, Copyright: AFP / afp.com