September 3, 2011
5. Newblog2011: 09/03/11 The Pine Street Inn
I only have until 3:00 p.m. to be on the computer for the rest of the day. This computer has had a lot of problems; it's slow, and the Internet connection keeps failing. I was trying to publish something on WordPress a few minutes ago; I tried to publish it at least 3 times, and each time I tried, the connection failed.
In addition to what I first wrote about the PIne Street Inn yesterday, there have been other issues.
I haven't talked about racisim much over the past year and a half, except to defend myself from accusations of it by the White House. The Pine Street Inn, as does a lot of shelters, has both staff and clients of several races, mostly white, black, Asian and Latino. There are staff who are verbally and emotionally abusive to the clients, and there are staff who aren't.
There have been plenty of white people in various places who have harassed me. There were also some white staff who harassed and abused me at Pine Street.
There has been some severe abuse from black staff at the PIne Street Inn:
--I walked past a group of staff, women of color, and one of them timed what she was saying to the rest of them to say "And it was so juicy," exactly as I walked by. She saw that I had to pass by them, and did that.
--I was told, by a black staff person, that I wasn't allowed to wear the ear protection that helps muffle the sound of the faction of the homeless women who would do the fake, repetitive coughing in the middle of the night.
--One night, when I went to the lobby for a little while so that I could get away from the noise, there was a black, male staffperson there and a black, female staffperson. Even though there were 2 homeless women trying to sleep on cots in the lobby, as soon as he saw me the male staffperson started with the loud, retching, fake, repetitive coughing. I tried the nice version, "Goodness, what a cough you have, hope you feel better soon," which had no effect. Saying "However did you get that terrible infection in your throat," was immediately answered by the female staffperson with a yell "BE QUIET!" and the male staffperson saying about me "Why is she in the lobby?" People can be in the lobby for a little while if they can't sleep; that's not unusual at all.
There are other women who have been bullied in the place, when I wasn't even in the room but could hear it. Everyone has to take a shower at night, and I heard one of the other women getting told, as she went to the stall that has a bathtub "Better bring the mop; you always make a watery mess!"
This isn't only about me. I've said that a lot.
There's also a billboard near the Pine Street Inn, visible from the highway, that says "Fins Up, Boston!" by Landshark beer.
There's also been a poster in more than one place around, inside the Inn, that says:
"Confused about diagnosis?"
There's a picture of an umbrella, and rain on the umbrella.
It's from the Boston Medical Center. It's says, also:
"Clinical Trials for HIV/AIDS
When It Rains, It Pours"
Copyright, with noted exceptions, L. Kochman, September 3, 2011 @ 3:04 p.m.
5. Newblog2011: 09/03/11 The Pine Street Inn
I only have until 3:00 p.m. to be on the computer for the rest of the day. This computer has had a lot of problems; it's slow, and the Internet connection keeps failing. I was trying to publish something on WordPress a few minutes ago; I tried to publish it at least 3 times, and each time I tried, the connection failed.
In addition to what I first wrote about the PIne Street Inn yesterday, there have been other issues.
I haven't talked about racisim much over the past year and a half, except to defend myself from accusations of it by the White House. The Pine Street Inn, as does a lot of shelters, has both staff and clients of several races, mostly white, black, Asian and Latino. There are staff who are verbally and emotionally abusive to the clients, and there are staff who aren't.
There have been plenty of white people in various places who have harassed me. There were also some white staff who harassed and abused me at Pine Street.
There has been some severe abuse from black staff at the PIne Street Inn:
--I walked past a group of staff, women of color, and one of them timed what she was saying to the rest of them to say "And it was so juicy," exactly as I walked by. She saw that I had to pass by them, and did that.
--I was told, by a black staff person, that I wasn't allowed to wear the ear protection that helps muffle the sound of the faction of the homeless women who would do the fake, repetitive coughing in the middle of the night.
--One night, when I went to the lobby for a little while so that I could get away from the noise, there was a black, male staffperson there and a black, female staffperson. Even though there were 2 homeless women trying to sleep on cots in the lobby, as soon as he saw me the male staffperson started with the loud, retching, fake, repetitive coughing. I tried the nice version, "Goodness, what a cough you have, hope you feel better soon," which had no effect. Saying "However did you get that terrible infection in your throat," was immediately answered by the female staffperson with a yell "BE QUIET!" and the male staffperson saying about me "Why is she in the lobby?" People can be in the lobby for a little while if they can't sleep; that's not unusual at all.
There are other women who have been bullied in the place, when I wasn't even in the room but could hear it. Everyone has to take a shower at night, and I heard one of the other women getting told, as she went to the stall that has a bathtub "Better bring the mop; you always make a watery mess!"
This isn't only about me. I've said that a lot.
There's also a billboard near the Pine Street Inn, visible from the highway, that says "Fins Up, Boston!" by Landshark beer.
There's also been a poster in more than one place around, inside the Inn, that says:
"Confused about diagnosis?"
There's a picture of an umbrella, and rain on the umbrella.
It's from the Boston Medical Center. It's says, also:
"Clinical Trials for HIV/AIDS
When It Rains, It Pours"
Copyright, with noted exceptions, L. Kochman, September 3, 2011 @ 3:04 p.m.