Brooklyn Grassroots Feminist Organizations Unite: Benefit Party to Celebrate the Nation’s New First Lady Brooklyn, NY: Three Brooklyn-based, feminist organizations—Girls for Gender Equity (GGE), RightRides, and Students Active For Ending Rape (SAFER)—have joined forces for “First Lady,” a benefit party to celebrate the county’s new First Lady and support the exciting and innovative work of these local grassroots groups. The party, featuring DJ Barney Iller, will take place at Trophy Bar in Brooklyn on Thursday, February 12, from 7-10pm. “The goal of this event is to take the energy, excitement, and enthusiasm about our new administration and translate it into the real work that people do on the ground every day in this city,” said GGE board of directors member Emily May. “These organizations remind us that social change happens on the ground, not just in the White House.” The suggested $10 donation will directly support the work of these organizations, and donors will receive free drink tickets from 7-8pm. The event will also feature Bush’s Yard Sale, a silent auction dedicated to getting rid of the old to fund the new, as well as a short documentary by Jonah Levy highlighting the work of the recipient organizations through the lens of possibilities that the Obamas bring to our future. A team of community organizers will greet attendees and provide information about volunteer opportunities, along with other ways to get involved in building safer and more just communities. The volunteer-run beneficiary organizations are joined by a commitment to grassroots community organizing and empowerment through direct action on a local level. GGE (http://www.ggenyc.org) is committed to the physical, psychological, social and economic development of girls and women. In the words of GGE’s Sisters in Strength youth organizers, “We don’t wait for change . . . we make it happen.” Through education, organizing and physical fitness, GGE encourages communities to remove barriers and create opportunities for girls and women to live self-determined lives. RightRides (http://www.rightrides.org) offers women, transgender and gender queer individuals a free, safe, late night ride home, and works against harassment and sexual assault through community organizing and related direct service and educational programs. SAFER (http://www.safercampus.org/) empowers students to hold colleges accountable for sexual assault in their on- and off-campus communities by training students in effective organizing tactics. “SAFER offers student activists the necessary support and resources, as well as leadership skills, to rally the community and encourage school administrations to take action on this crucial issue” said SAFER board of directors member Kaja Tretjak. “Collaborations such as First Lady are a fantastic way for small, grassroots groups to pool resources and raise awareness of their work. We hope to see many more of these kinds of events in the future.” All proceeds of the event will directly support the work of these organizations. Directions: Trophy Bar, 351 Broadway (between Rodney and Keap), Brooklyn. J/M/Z train to Marcy Ave., walk 1 block east on Broadway; G train to Broadway, walk 4 blocks west on Broadway.