Friday, May 30, 2014

An Open Letter to Jane Doe

Background:

Jane Doe is a 16-year-old trans girl of color that is currently in an adult prison in solitary confinement and has been for over 50 days. She is there despite not having been charged with any crime. 
For more information about Jane Doe: We Must Not Forget Jane Doe's Humanity
To write a letter to the governor: Email Governor Malloy
To write a letter to the Commissioner for the Department of Child Services: Email Commissioner Joette Katz
To contact Jane Doe: Justice4JaneDoe@gmail.com

Open Letter to Jane Doe:

Dear Jane Doe,
    My name is Jennie (I'm 25) and I'm one of the thousands of people that are supporting you. I know you must feel incredibly alone right now. I know that in your letter to the governor you wrote that you felt forgotten and thrown away...I know that the so-called "justice" system is neglecting you...I know that you are almost always alone physically, but despite all of that, I want to let you know that in spirit, you are surrounded by people that care about you and that are fighting to get you out of the horrible place that you've found yourself in, through no fault of your own. Most of us have never met you, don't even know your name, but we care. We will not forget you. You are not trash to us but a wonderful teenage girl that deserves so much more than what life has given her. There are people around the world that are writing the governor, signing petitions, writing the commissioner, and spreading the word about the injustice that you are experiencing right now. 
    I'm a college student and I also have the privilege of being the president of my university's LGBTQA Coalition and I have let everyone in our coalition, and everyone I know outside of the coalition, know about what is happening to you. I, along with thousands of others, am tweeting #JusticeForJane every day and I've let all of my Facebook friends know what is going on. People are writing articles about your mistreatment by the "justice" system. Organizations are fighting for you. You are not forgotten. We will not rest until you are free and in a safe and healthy place where you don't have to be scared or lonely. 
    I've told you what we are trying to do for you, but if you need anything that you're not getting (other than freedom, which we're trying to get for you), please let me know what it is so I, along with others, can provide it for you!
     I know that the world must seem like a horrible place to you given what you've experienced, but there is good out there. Don't let the darkness that you're in right now dim the brilliant light inside of you. 
   
 Hang in there Jane! Stay strong! I hope to hear from you soon! 

Sincerely, 
Jennie

It's Been A Long Time...

Wow!
It's been a LOOOOOONG time since I've blogged. So much has changed since I've blogged last. I'm still in college, I'm still chronically ill, and I'm still writing, though now it's mostly on Twitter.
The biggest piece of news (other than the fact that I no longer have an appendix and I kinda have a dog now...and an awesome BFF Shelby-Lynn) is that I'm now (for the second time) the president of my university's LGBTQA Coalition and have been elected senator for Undergraduate Student Government. I have always been passionate about social justice and LGBTQIA rights, but after my diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, I've become even more involved. As I was laying in my bed that year out of school, in constant pain and struggling to find a reason to not give up, I discovered activism and now I'm hooked. Everyone deserves rights. Everyone deserves respect and dignity and equal opportunities...and I'm working to make that a reality! So...stay tuned!