22Letter101.png

Workshop: ABO + Flying Over Walls, Prison Letter Writing 101

Saturday, 11/19/2022
2:00 - 3:30
James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center - 3rd Fl
Main Library
Address

100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

Contact Telephone

Connect with LGBTQ+ prisoners!  Come learn the basics of writing with people in prison from two prisoner advocacy organizations based in the Bay Area: A.B.O. Comix Collective and Flying Over Walls.

Are you interested in making a difference in the life of an incarcerated person? Are you looking for ways to build bonds of solidarity with queer and trans people across prison walls? Are you curious about the what and the why of the prison industrial complex? We will be writing birthday cards for LGBTQ+ people incarcerated all over the nation, and our collective members will be available to match people with one or more of our hundreds of friends in prison looking for penpals. We'll have all the necessary supplies on hand; all you'll need to participate is an open heart and a willingness to try something new.

A.B.O.Comix LogoA.B.O. Comix is a collective of creators and activists who work to amplify the voices of LGBTQ prisoners through art. By working closely with prison abolitionist and queer advocacy organizations, we aim to keep queer prisoners connected to outside community and help them in the fight toward liberation. The profits we generate go back to incarcerated artists, especially those with little to no resources. Using the DIY ideology of "punk-zine" culture, A.B.O. was formed with the philosophy of mutual support, community and friendship. Our collective is working towards compassionate accountability without relying on the state or its sycophants. A.B.O. believes our interpersonal and societal issues can be solved without locking people in cages. Our mission is to combat the culture that treats humans as disposable and disproportionately criminalizes the most marginalized amongst us. Through artistic activism, we hope to proliferate the idea that a better world means redefining our concepts of justice.  A.B.O. publications will be available at the event. 

Flying Over Walls logoFlying Over Walls is a Queer/Trans Prisoner Solidarity Project in the SF Bay Area. Our work towards the abolition of the prison industrial complex is rooted in the experiences and wisdom of currently and formerly incarcerated people. We are outraged by the violence of the prison industrial complex against LGBTQ people, and respond through advocacy, education, direct action, and community building. Our letterwriting & penpal program resists the violent isolation of the prison system by connecting queer and trans prisoners to community members outside of prison.

Connect: 

A.B.O. Comix - Website | A.B.O. Comix - Twitter | A.B.O. Comix - Instagram 

Flying Over Walls - Website | Flying Over Walls - Twitter | Flying Over Walls - Instagram


Events and workshops curated around SFPL’s One City One Book selection. One City One Book: San Francisco Reads is a citywide literary event that encourages members of the San Francisco community to read the same book at the same time. For more information, see sfpl.org/onecityonebook.

Learn about and increase your awareness of issues related to jail, prison, incarceration and reentry resources. Find out more about our services: sfpl.org/services/jail-and-reentry-services.


This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.


Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.


Public Notice and Disclaimer

This program uses a third-party website link. By clicking on the third-party website link, you will leave SFPL's website and enter a website not operated by SFPL. This service may collect personally identifying information about you, such as name, username, email address, and password. This service will treat the information it collects about you pursuant to its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each third-party website or service that you visit or use, including those third parties with whom you interact through our Library services. For more information about these third-party links, please see the section of SFPL’s Privacy Policy describing Links to Other Sites.

The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.