Todd James will be selling attitude dancer and dropping a brand new print on Thurs Nov 20 at 12:00 noon NY time.

Here is an image of the print “The New Deal” The printing quality is so good the graphite ink has fooled everyone he’s shown. He made an edition of 150 they are 29.9″ x 22″ printed on coventry rag 335g archival paper. www.toddjames.com

“[O]n June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that, ‘The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men,’ a ‘basic civil right.’”

As late as 1967, it was illegal for people of different races to marry or have intimate relations in some US states. Laws prohibiting “interracial relations” are called anti-miscegenation laws (or sometimes just miscegenation laws).

The anti-miscegenation laws originated in the British colonies of Virginia and Maryland and were originally meant to prohibit marriage between white people and slaves/indentured servants. However, laws were eventually enacted that prohibited interracial marriage solely on the basis of race and not on one’s condition of servitude - prohibiting marriage between “free” men and women of varying melanin content.

The constitutionality of anti-miscegenation laws was upheld by the Supreme Court in the 1883 case Pace v. Alabama. The Supreme Court ruled that anti-miscegenation laws did not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the constitution because, according to the court, both races were treated equally, with both white people and black people being punished in equal measure for breaking the law against interracial marriage and interracial sex.

From the late 1800s through the 1900s, congressional lawmakers proposed making a constitutional amendment to prohibit interracial marriage. Rep. Roddenberry of Georgia: “Intermarriage between whites and blacks is repulsive and averse to every sentiment of pure American spirit. It is abhorrent and repugnant to the very principles of Saxon government. It is subversive of social peace. It is destructive of moral supremacy…” Congressional Record, 62d. Congr., 3d. Sess., December 11, 1912, pp. 502-503.

We are hearing similar calls for a constitutional ban on marriage between people of the same gender.

Rep. Pence of Indiana, in 2004: “President George W. Bush called on
this Congress to adopt a constitutional amendment defining marriage historically and culturally as it has ever been, as the union between a man and a woman, …preventing the courts from changing that ‘most enduring of human institutions.’ …[M]arriage is the glue of the family and the safest harbor for children. Congress should heed President Bush’s courageous moral leadership, pass the marriage amendment, and affirm the confidence of the American people in our ability to defend their most cherished of institutions.” Congressional Record, February 24, 2004, page H518.

Loving for All

By Mildred Loving*

Prepared for Delivery on June 12, 2007,
The 40th Anniversary of the Loving vs. Virginia Announcement

When my late husband, Richard, and I got married in Washington, DC in 1958, it wasn’t to make a political statement or start a fight. We were in love, and we wanted to be married.

We didn’t get married in Washington because we wanted to marry there. We did it there because the government wouldn’t allow us to marry back home in Virginia where we grew up, where we met, where we fell in love, and where we wanted to be together and build our family. You see, I am a woman of color and Richard was white, and at that time people believed it was okay to keep us from marrying because of their ideas of who should marry whom.

When Richard and I came back to our home in Virginia, happily married, we had no intention of battling over the law. We made a commitment to each other in our love and lives, and now had the legal commitment, called marriage, to match. Isn’t that what marriage is?

Not long after our wedding, we were awakened in the middle of the night in our own bedroom by deputy sheriffs and actually arrested for the “crime” of marrying the wrong kind of person. Our marriage certificate was hanging on the wall above the bed. The state prosecuted Richard and me, and after we were found guilty, the judge declared: “Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.” He sentenced us to a year in prison, but offered to suspend the sentence if we left our home in Virginia for 25 years exile.

We left, and got a lawyer. Richard and I had to fight, but still were not fighting for a cause. We were fighting for our love.

Though it turned out we had to fight, happily Richard and I didn’t have to fight alone. Thanks to groups like the ACLU and the NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund, and so many good people around the country willing to speak up, we took our case for the freedom to marry all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. And on June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that, “The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men,” a “basic civil right.”

My generation was bitterly divided over something that should have been so clear and right. The majority believed that what the judge said, that it was God’s plan to keep people apart, and that government should discriminate against people in love. But I have lived long enough now to see big changes. The older generation’s fears and prejudices have given way, and today’s young people realize that if someone loves someone they have a right to marry.

Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the “wrong kind of person” for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights.

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.

we did it! si, lo hicimos!

if there is anyone out there who doubts that America is a place where anything is possible… tonight is your answer.

Join us on November 12 and enjoy wonderful food, spirits, sweeping views of the river, and the company of artists, collectors, and other downtown luminaries—all in support of a truly good cause.

All proceeds from BLOCK PARTY will support HSNY’s GreenHouse, our horticulture-based program that provides job training and therapeutic services to men and women incarcerated on Rikers Island.

Individual tickets start at $100.

The Horticultural Society of New York is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and relies on the generous support of individuals like you to continue providing our unique services to all New Yorkers.

Mr. Windrunner videos by Todd James (REAS).

click here

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

this inspirational article was stolen from Venus Zine:

Ink for a good cause

The Healing Art Foundation and Tats for a Cure help breast cancer survivors embrace their beauty through tattoos

By Selena Fragassi
Published: October 10th, 2008 | 4:10pm

Monica Louise Terrazas was only 41 years old when she lost her battle to breast cancer in January 2001. A caring wife, devoted mother of four, and successful CEO of a California-based mortgage company, her passing came all too soon for family and friends and marked the beginning of an especially dramatic year for cousin France Garcia.

While still mourning Terrazas’ loss, “things just got worse,” Garcia says. “I was working as a high impact designer in the adult industry when I was injured and told I could not use my right hand or arm to design anymore. Then, my husband Al (aka “TatDude”), suffered a major heart attack at the age of 34.”

With both her graphic arts career and her husband’s tattoo profession in jeopardy, “I needed a way to take control back of my life,” Garcia says. So, as she and her husband recovered together, they were inspired by an idea that would combine their talent of visual arts with their newfound passion for helping breast cancer survivors.

What developed was called The Healing Art Foundation, a not-for-profit charity set up in memory of Terrazas that combined a two-tiered approach of services for survivors and education for others at risk. Through its Tats for a Cure™ initiative, the organization pays for alternative options like tattoos, permanent make-up, areola re-pigmentation, and piercings for survivors living with the scars of devastating surgeries. The Save the Boobies™ campaign provides awareness and prevention through monthly exam promotions and knowledge of a less talked about strain called inflammatory breast cancer that generally presents itself at a younger age.

“Starting the charity for Monica was therapy for me, both spiritually and physically,” Garcia says. “Not only did it help me deal with her loss, but in the process, I taught myself how to do my graphic arts with my left hand.”

In time, Garcia would not only master command of her non-dominant hand, but would also gain strength in her right hand by learning the art of tattooing. “It was something I always wanted to do,” she says, “but now I get to tattoo cancer survivors, which is just awesome.”

Providing the service is something Garcia prides herself on because it helps her give survivors the opportunity to take back control of their bodies. “It’s a way of saying ‘Fuck You!’ to cancer — ‘It’s my body and I decide what I can do!’” she says. “We offer options for survivors that insurance and medical treatments normally don’t. What we provide is an alternative to reconstructive surgery that also helps with the healing process because survivors can actually get tattoos to represent what they’ve gone through and their spirit seems to be lifted tremendously by being able to express that.”

One example Garcia provides is a woman by the name of Amy Shaw. “Amy actually has the largest piece we’ve provided,” says Garcia. “She has a pink ribbon that wraps around her shoulders and comes to the front of her chest, covering the area where she lost both of her breasts. It’s a symbol of the breast cancer ribbon, but it has the hands of God coming down and hugging her. Inside are details of her life, details of her children — everything that means a lot to her, she can be reminded of every day instead of looking at a scar.”

Through the efforts of Garcia and her husband, the mission and outreach of The Healing Art Foundation has vastly expanded. This April marks the foundation’s 2nd Annual Tats & Arts for a Cure Convention at the Los Angeles Convention Center, which will also include a benefit walk. Other initiatives include tours and compilation CDs that have included the participation of such heavyweights as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and TSOL, plus a variety of merchandise and PSAs that have helped both to publicize their efforts and fund the costly cosmetic services.

“Our shop, Tatdude’s Healing Art Studio, is the main sponsor,” Garcia says. “Whenever the funding gets low, we step in. But we greatly need donations since we want to ensure that the tattoos we supply for survivors are always quality.”

Through others’ generosity, the Garcias are able to continue spreading the message about the value of prevention and the cost of losing a life like Terrazas’. “Just do me a favor,” says Garcia. “Look at your breasts every day and make sure they’re okay, because we don’t want to lose any more people.”

—

For more information, visit healingartt.com, tatsforacure.com, and tatdudeshealingartstudio.com.

Heraty Law clients Anna Sheffield and Bing Bang are having a sample sale later this week.

what:
50%-75% off retail prices of designer jewelry and handbags

when:
oct 9th and 10th - 1pm-7pm
oct 11th - 12pm-4pm

rsvp:
jana camen
offices@annasheffield.com
212-925-7010

London’s Lazarides gallery is hosting Outsiders NY for two weeks (Sept 26 - Oct 12) at 282 Bowery (corner of Houston). Make sure to check out the downstairs!

Outsiders NY is a group show featuring Heraty Law client Todd James (REAS) along with Faile, Paul Insect, JR, Antony Micallef, Jonathan Yeo, Miranda Donovan, Invader, David Choe, Mark Jenkins, Vhils, Polly Morgan, Mode 2, BAST, Conor Harrington, Zevs, Blu, Borf and Ian Francis.

Starbucks Backs Off, Leaving Rat City Rollergirls Logo Intact

posted by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee on September 18 at 15:00 PM

The Rat City Rollergirls have, by default, won a trademark dispute with the Starbucks corporation, and will not have to change their logo.

Back in May, Starbucks raised concerns that the roller derby team’s logo has a “very similar look and feel” to the Starbucks logo.

According to the RCR’s attorney, Quinn Heraty, Starbucks never filed an official objection to the Rollergirls’ logo, and their trademark inquiry has been terminated.

a couple fun things this week to welcome you back to the city:

Julie Ragolia at CITY Magazine sends word of Taco Tuesday and bartending for charity:

There’s always a reason to drink in New York…this time, it’s for the good of the people. Please come out tonight as we tend bar in support of SFOTE. There’s a little competition between CITY Magazine and Exposure PR to see who can earn the most tips for our SFOTE friends, so please order from me and my CITY Mag brethren only…ha!
Cheap drinks, cheap tacos, and good fun. Hope to see you there!
REWIND - 137 Essex Street - Tues, Sept 2 - 7PM to 11PM?

And tomorrow night, Wednesday, Sept 3, we’re celebrating the release of Cringe at Housing Works - 126 Crosby Street - 7PM - 8:30PM:

Cringe creator and editor Sarah Brown will host a reading of some of the best stories from the past three years of the popular reading series now published in the new book.

Selected contributors read from their most cringe-worthy teenage diaries, journals, notes, letters, poems, and abandoned rock operas. With Happy Hour drink specials!