A self-described “left-handed gay Jew,” #BarneyFrank was known for his acerbic wit, combative style & focus on marginalized communities. He represented the party’s left wing while keeping close with Democratic leaders who sometimes frustrated progressives.

He is best known as a pioneer for #LGBT rights. After decades of grappling with his sexuality, he publicly came out as #gay in 1987, the first member of #Congress to do so voluntarily.

#USpol #LGBTQ #MApol #Boston

This Cambridge Day gives a fairly clear picture of Monday's City Council vote to end use of ShotSpotter: https://www.cambridgeday.com/2026/05/19/council-drops-shotspotter-in-close-vote/

Many thanks once again to The Black Response (https://www.theblackresponsecambridge.com/), Stop ShotSpotter Camberville (https://linktr.ee/StopShotSpotter_Camberville), and the members of City Council who voted to remove the technology.

Now let's work on implementing social supports that will more effectively keep people safe.

#ShotSpotter #CambridgeMA #surveillance #MAPol

Members of the #CambridgeMA community, in addition to honoring the years of activist struggle leading up to the vote to remove ShotSpotter, please also take a moment to write a note of appreciation to the brave City Councilors who voted to remove the technology. These councilors are putting their necks out to do what's right on a challenging and emotionally fraught issue, while putting themselvs at odds with the Cambridge Police Department.

#StopShotSpotter #CambridgMA #surveillance #MAPol

Tonight Cambridge, MA City council voted by a narrow vote to ask the City Manager to remove all ShotSpotter microphones.

5 ayes, 2 nays, and 2 abstentions.

This has been the product of many years of work by many organizers. Many thanks to all of the people who have contributed to this win!

Truly a historical moment.

#CambridgeMA #StopShotSpotter #ShotSpotter #surveillance #MAPol

Whether you share a voice note or not, if you want to sign up to testify, you can use the Cambridge City Council form to sign up to give testimony at the 5:30pm council meeting on May 18th:
https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/citycouncil/publiccommentsignupform

#StopShotSpotter #surveillance #ShotSpotter #CambridgeMA #MApol

In response to Councilor Simmons' testimony, The Black Response (TBR) is working to re-center the perspectives of Cambridge public housing residents, which is why they are hoping to get people to use their testimony time to share voice notes from residents of the affected neighborhoods.

I can help people get in touch with a TBR organizer to use your testimony time for voice notes.

#ShotSpotter #surveillance #CambridgeMA #MAPol

At the Cambridge, MA Council meeting this week, Councilor Denise Simmons delivered a long speech implying that the organizing against #ShotSpotter is driven by out-of-touch white do-gooders. This is a massive distortion, both because ShotSpotter is technology that has been confirmed to be ineffective in communities with *much* more gun violence than Cambridge, and because it erases the perspective of public housing residents who hate being under constant #surveillance.

#CambridgeMA #MAPol

We are now in an all-hands-on deck moment with regard to organizing to remove #ShotSpotter from Cambridge, MA. The Black Response (https://www.theblackresponsecambridge.com/) wants to fill the council chamber on May 18th with people advocating to remove the microphones.

You can also sign up for testimony and use your time to play a recorded voice note from residents of Cambridge public housing who are affected by the surveillance but unable to attend the meeting.

#CambridgeMA #surveillance #MAPol

Important update on #ShotSpotter in Cambridge: at council meeting on May 11th there was an agenda item to vote to remove the ShotSpotter microphones, but Councilor Burhan exercised charter right to delay the vote for the week.

He note that emotions were running high following the highly disturbing shooting on Memorial Drive, although it should be noted that (regardless of how it is discussed in the press) that incident was unrelated to ShotSpotter.

#CambridgeMA #surveillance #MAPol #MAPoli