you know, when things like this below bubble up, it makes it reeaallly hard to separate plain parade from my actual life.

im sharing this with you because i’m a mixed-up combination of sadness, anger and confusion. i wouldnt even wish stupid shit like this on my worst enemies.

i mean, its so baffling. here they are, telling me ive done something wrong, yet, will not disclose why. all i want is some information, so that PP can help the victims. lord knows it does not bring us great comfort to find out we’ve been harboring a rapist.

if anyone knows more about the alleged situation, please come forward. right now all ive got to go on is a ton of scattered puzzle pieces without an image to guide me.

From: plain parade
Date: May 30, 2006 10:27 PM

Supporters of Plain Parade,

We thought it was important to pass along the following series of exchanges we’ve had with the radical, feminist anti-rape organization Philly’s Pissed / Philly Stands Up. Their goal is to assist survivors of sexual assault by fulfilling their demands.

With their assistance, they were able to have one of the attackers at the 2004 Pointless Fest arrested, and brought swift justice to the other guilty parties. You can learn more about them here.

PP/PSU contacted us late Monday afternoon regarding a possible sexual assault and named us as a “collaborator”; whether it occurred at a showof ours or was committed by someone we know is unclear at the moment.

Plain Parade takes these accusations very seriously.

However, when we asked for clarification of the situation, we were refused further information. We’d like to aid in the healing process for the potential victims, but it is impossible to do so when those attacking us won’t provide us with assistance. If we do not know who has done what, it is unfair to view us as complicit in their actions.

We’re not the only organization who has been earmarked. The good people at Danger Danger House have been called out, sans information as well.

Plain Parade has a history of assisting feminist-/LGBTQ-friendly organizations such as Ladyfest Philly, Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR), Bryson Institute, SMART Inc. and many more; we got our official start with Sugar Town way back in 2001, which only booked female bands. Through the years, we’ve gone out of our way to make our spaces safe, friendly and welcoming for bands and fans alike (especially at the notoriously unfriendly Doc Watson’s) — and why not state the obvious — we’re women ourselves. It goes without saying that we’re shocked, saddened and hurt by the accusations.

Furthermore, the quasi-threatening tone of the messages worry us greatly. We’re concerned about the safety of our bands, audiences and naturally, ourselves. They’re throwing around terms like “U-Lock justice,” after all. (For the non-bikers: the phrase “U-Lock justice,” means physically harming someone with metal U-shaped lock. The irony of an anti-violence group utilizing this method is not lost on us, by the way.)

That said, if you or anyone you know has information regarding this specific situation, contact us immediately via Myspace or at booking@plainparade.org. We’d like to learn more, so that we can take a course of positive action for all involved. WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Sincerely,

Maria Tessa Sciarrino & Sara Sherr
Plain Parade
http://www.plainparade.org/

—————–

Dear Plain Parade,

There are rumors that we’ve heard that people who have played your shows may or may not have committed sexual assault, but because we live in a patriarchal society we have to take all stories we hear seriously and assume it’s true. Obviously, the rumors that are circulating are enough to set off an alert in the community.

So until we do have specific information, consider Plain Parade ON NOTICE as a collaborator for sexual assault. We don’t know any specific stories, only rumors at this point, but when we find out we will make it public. Those who harbor sexual assaulters are, in our eyes, considered as guilty as the assaulters themselves.

We support survivors by carrying out their specific wishes, through methods as simple as notifying the public of their assaulter’s actions to u-Lock justice. We will not stop until the assaulters make reparations to the survivors. It is up to the guilty party to step forward to take accountablity for their actions. We will always support survivors by notifying the public of the actions of their assaulter. Any actions taken in the name of supporting the survivor must be given support. This is not up for debate.

-Philly’s Pissed and Stands Up

—————–

Hi there, We like to think of ourselves as very anti-violence, so needless to say we’re a bit alarmed at receiving this message. Would you care to elaborate?

Perhaps there’s something we can do to help, or at the very least, get a dialogue going.

Best, PP

—————–

We’re not going to have discussions about this with you. As far as we’re concerned you’re collaborating. Dialogue is not going to solve the issue.

We feel you are downplaying the seriousness of the issue by merely stating your position as “anti-violence”. Combating sexual assault is not about making yourself look good, nor is it about your ego, it’s about making change.

As we stated before, we don’t have any specific information yet who was assaulted or was the assaulter so we’re not going to speculate. And your demanding “proof” is akin to accusing the survivor of being a liar or looking for attention.

be safe this weekend, fools. excitement to come!

» have a listen to the new promo for my impending summer radio show. i had a blast making this and it was all done in garageband. [i recorded the vocals at work because we have nice mics there.] yes, yes, its back to her jazz. two states, as much fun as it was, is not happening this summer. oh, don’t cry — there are eight skillion places on the internet where you can listen to local music, like the WHYME? and Local Support podcasts. i am looking forward to a normal rock show and i think im going to try and interview a ton of bands for it — pre-recorded, of course, ’cause there’s nothing like the fear of a band unexpectedly swearing on air.

» sara posts again! now comment on her blog so she keeps writing.

» the oohlas record is totally awesome in that 90’s girl indie rock sort of way.

» i was feeling lost enough, but last night i realized the daily show/colbert report are on vacation and now i *really* dont know what to do with myself. oh right — watch “private benjamin”, which happened to be on cable three times this week. and i saw each showing.

The official sign that I’m a loser.

Beginning 5/31, yours truly will be back on WPRB (103.3 FM) every Wednesday from 2-5 p.m. EST. Good times to be had by all, and with special guests.

You can tune in by frequent modulation, or by ye olde internet. How? Click the link above.

» ugh, make it stop.

» classic riot grrrl self-defense compilation free to fight is now online.

» soon enough ill find out the time slot for my summer show on WPRB.

» i have nothing else interesting to say, right now.

Ever wanted to know who played a show with Plain Parade? By a sheer stroke of luck, I discovered that our Blogger archives [what we use to maintain the front of our site] extend all the way back to Day One. I’ll figure out a place to put them on PP’s site, but in the meantime, entertain yourselves.

Sugar Town events included here as well. If no venue is listed, show was at Doc Watson’s.

…Dragon City have played 13 shows with us. I think they deserve an award.

Read the rest of this entry »

Listen: The Mice, “Not Proud of the USA”

Read: Robert Frost, “Mending Wall”

Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it
And spills the upper boulder in the sun,
And make gaps even two can pass abreast.
The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there,
I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go.
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
“Stay where you are until our backs are turned!”
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
Oh, just another kind of outdoor game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, “Good fences make good neighbors.”
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
“Why do they make good neighbors? Isn’t it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That wants it down.” I could say “Elves” to him,
But it’s not elves exactly, and I’d rather
He said it for himself. I see him there,
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father’s saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, “Good fences make good neighbors.”

its been a very slow week here, mainly due to work, allergies, birthdays, graduations and then some. sorry to disappoint, kids. i did get to see parts & labor, who were really fantastic. they need more female fans.

SLOTS AND THE CITY: A PUBLIC DESIGN FORUM

Wednesday, May 24
6:30-9 p.m.
Pennsylvania Convention Center

The event is free, but space is limited, register by fax or email with your name and address to: slots@phillynews.com or 215-854-5910 (fax), attn: slots.

BACKGROUND

The two slots parlors destined for Philadelphia will make an indelible imprint on the city. What will they look like? How will they alter the landscape? And how well will their design reflect some of the concerns of the people who live here?

The Daily News, and University of Pennsylvania’s PennPraxis, with support from the Design Advocacy Group, is sponsoring a public design forum that will give you a chance to see all of the proposed casino designs, and hear about the vision behind each. Moderator Harris Steinberg will lead a panel of design experts,* who will react to the presentations and talk about their strengths and weaknesses. The public will have a chance to ask questions.

Panel Participants include: Genie Birch, Chair, Department of City and Regional Planning at University of Pennsylvania School of Design and co-director of the Penn Institute for Urban Design; Winka Dubbledam, Principal, Archi-Tectonics, NY, NY, and Associate Practice Professor, University of Pennsylvania; Alan Greenberger, principal, MGA Architects, Philadelphia, PA., co-founder of Design Advocacy Group; Bob Hillier, principal, Hillier Architecture , Princeton, NJ; Sarah Thorp, PennDesign Preservation grad and Fishtown activist