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The city's first homicide of 2022

Morning Update: Thursday, March 31

In this newsletter

The city's first homicide of 2022

Good morning, Madison.

It's Thursday, March 31, also known as Transgender Day of Visibility. Today (and every day) we celebrate our trans friends, family, and community members as well as raise awareness for the violence and discrimination that trans folks face.

Federally, President Joe Biden will announce a series of measures in support of transgender Americans as they face legal efforts to curb their rights across the country.

People in the transgender community often face violence and discrimination at a much higher rate than their cis-gendered counterparts. As Time reports, 2021 was the deadliest year for transgender and gender non-conforming people in the U.S. on record. Across the nation, anti-trans legislation has been working its way though statehouses (Wisconsin is no exception).

There are plenty of local businesses also taking part in celebrating trans visibility.

Notably, Giant Jones Brewing is kicking off a weekend of celebrations today with a pop-up trans bookstore in partnership with Room of One's Own. Tomorrow, the brewery will host an art opening featuring work from Rae Senarghi, better known on Instagram as @transpainter. The weekend will be capped off with a comedy show from Dina Nina, a transgender stand-up comedian, speaker, and actor.

— Hayley

🚓 Madison's first homicide of 2022.

🚧 A potential development to watch on Regent Street.

  • CRG Acquisition of Chicago is proposing a new 10-story building with housing, commercial space, and parking on the 800 block of Regent Street.
  • The new development would come at the cost of several buildings, including the historic Buckingham’s, which the Downtown Historic Preservation Plan has identified as a potential landmark.
  • As the State Journal reports, there's still a ways to go before anything is finalized for the project. The city's Plan Commission must approve any demolitions and development plans must go through a committee review process. And when historic buildings are involved, you can bet the committees will take their time when making considerations.

🎭 What's coming up at the Overture.

  • Mark your calendars: The Overture Center announced it will unveil its 2022-23 season lineup at a May 2 event.
  • The event is free and will be hosted in person, but it will also be live-streamed via Facebook and Youtube.

🎸 Don't worry about needing your vaccine card at FPC Live shows anymore.

  • FPC Live — better known as the owners of The Sylvee, Majestic Theatre, Orpheum Theater, and High Noon Saloon — announced Tuesday they will no longer require proof of a negative Covid-19 test or vaccination to attend events at its venues.
  • It's important to note, however, visiting artists may still request audience members to provide proof of vaccination or negative test results, NBC15 reports. (So having a photo of that vaccine card on hand can't hurt.)

❤️ The MOMs of Madison East.

  • Following a string of fights at Madison East High School, a group of Madison mothers stepped in to show support for the students and work to prevent and de-escalate future violence at the high school.
  • The group is called Moms On a Mission (MOMs) and they've had a daily presence at the high school's lunch, handing out snacks, chatting with students, and building relationships.
  • Madison365 reports the MOMs are working to make meaningful change at the high school — starting with lunch. Currently, there's only one lunch period at East. The MOMs are pushing for a staggered lunch period to help prevent violence. In the past, many of the school's biggest fights have occurred during lunchtime.
  • Want to get involved? Sign up to volunteer during lunch here. Or help out by donating snacks.

🥕 Fifty years of farmers' market.

  • The Dane County Farmers' Market is set to kick off its 2022 outdoor season on April 16 (!!!).
  • This year marks a big milestone for DCFM, as it will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. In 1972, five farmers gathered at Capital Square for the first market. Now, there are more than 250 vendors (and a hefty waitlist) for shoppers to browse.
  • The market runs weekly through Nov. 12 from 6:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., aside from July 9 when it will move to Breese Stevens Field to make way for Art Fair on the Square.

🏳️‍⚧️ Your lunchtime read: Madison prepares to counter-program the TERFs.

  • From Tone Madison: "Emily Mills reports on a planned TERF conference, "Sisters4Sisters," in Madison next month as the legal and social landscape for trans people is at its most dangerous yet. In 2022, State legislators around the country have proposed nearly 240 bills alone that seek to take rights away from LGBTQ Americans. Mills encourages support of the Madison Area Transgender Association (MATA) and OutReach LGBT Community Center who are organizing a "Trans Day Of Joy" as a counterweight, planned for Saturday, April 23 from 1 to 4 p.m., at 502 Walter St, in and around the Olbrich Park shelter. Other grassroots activities are also planned for the same weekend, including the "Ride Against Hate," a critical mass bike ride on Saturday, April 23 at 10 a.m. The ride is meant to show visible support by and for trans people, while also countering the TERF bike ride planned for the conference."

🦠 Covid-19 Update

Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 60.7%

Dane County Vaccination Rate: 78.5%

Resources

📅 Events: Multi-day

Thursday, March 31

Wondering what that 🟠 means? That symbol next to an event listing means that Tone Madison’s team of writers and editors recommends checking it out.

(Header image via MPD)

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