Paint The Town (La) Red is a celebration of survival that raises awareness of LGBQ/T partner abuse and its impact on our communities.
BOSTON—On April 19th, The Network/La Red (TNLR) will host its annual gala, Paint the Town (La) Red at China Pearl Restaurant in Boston. The event, which will raise money for vital domestic violence services, will feature local drag performer JP as emcee, performances by Violencia Exclamation Point; the all transgender youth acapella group, Transpositions; as well as a silent auction. TNLR will also release its powerful new short film, Surviving with Wild Tongues.
Surviving with Wild Tongues is part of an ongoing campaign, Survival, and Resistance, Power With Survivors, Power For Communities, and centers the lives and experiences of survivors of partner abuse who are queer, transgender, Black, Indigenous, working class and people of color. The full-length short film will be released through social media on April 5th, and clips will be shown during the event.
“For many survivors, our identities and experiences shape how we exist and live in our communities”, said The Network/La Red’s outreach and education associate, JP Delgado Galdamez. “Survival and Resistance gives a platform for us to share our truth, and to make the connection between partner abuse (domestic violence) and oppression. What more effective way is there to teach others about survivor experience?”
“The video beautifully weaves survivors’ stories with music, art, and dance to create a multidimensional depiction of their lives,” says Sabrina Santiago, Co-Executive Director at The Network/La Red.
LGBQ/T people experience partner abuse in their lifetime at the same alarming rate as heterosexual, cis-gender women, 25-33%. Unfortunately, the potential support for LGBQ/T survivors can be reduced by the lack of seriousness attributed to the issue. Paint the Town will raise awareness about partner abuse and raise money to fund supportive services for survivors and their families.
“Paint the Town (La) Red is a celebration of survival. This is our annual opportunity to celebrate accomplishments, uplift the voices of survivors, ensure another year of addressing partner abuse, and of course, have fun!” said Beth Leventhal, Co-Executive Director of The Network/La Red.
There will be a silent auction with items for every budget including weekend getaways, gift cards to popular local restaurants and movie and theatre passes. The silent auction will run online April 2nd through April 16th, and then reopen in person at Paint the Town (La) Red on April 19th. Tickets are $50 each or $90 for two. Tickets must be purchased in advance by April 12th through their ticketing site. For more information including information about the auction, visit www.tnlr.org.
About The Network/La Red
The Network/La Red (TNLR) is a survivor-led, social justice organization that serves survivors of partner abuse from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, polyamorous and SM communities. Formed in 1989, the organization offers a hotline, individual and group support, court accompaniment, housing assistance, and advocacy. TNLR also provides community trainings, educational materials, technical assistance to create more LGBQ/T-inclusive partner abuse services, and does survivor-led organizing to end partner abuse. For more information about the organization, its services, the campaign “Survival and Resistance: Power With Survivors, Power For Communities,” and Surviving with Wild Tongues, call 800-832-1901 or visit www.tnlr.org.
[From a News Release]
