From Mo B. Dick " Here is an update on transgender/Drag King Antonio Caputo
from Germany who was apart of The Men of Club Casanova 2002 tour of US/CN. To
fill you in
- we tried entering Canada for shows in Winnipeg & were denied access cuz we
'misrepresented' ourselves. As all performers do - we lied & have done so on
other borders w/ no problem - this was different. They found out the truth &
immediately took Antonio away when we returned to US border as he is here on
a visitor's visa. So I was misinformed about Antonio. We spoke today. He is
still in
county jail in Cavalier, North Dakota. He has been very ill w/ bronchitis (&
he suffers from asthma) & he has not seen daylight nor fresh air for over 9
days. He is not permitted visitors & has not had any human contact nor can
he smoke at all. And he is being humiliated by staying in the cell for women
and constantly being referred to as 'she' & using his female legal name.
Because our justice system is so fucked up & the courts are so overwhelmed
since 9/11 - it has taken them unfortunately much longer to process his case.
He is waiting to be transferred to Bloomington, MN (NOT Indiana) which no one
knows when that will be. When he gets to Bloomington (near St Paul) an
immigration judge will hear his case & he is at the mercy of the court which
will either be immediate deportation or voluntary which we hope for.
Either way he is flagged & it's not looking too good. There is nothing anyone
can do to expedite the process which may cause more physical & spiritual harm
to Tony. He does have 2 immigration lawyers who are ready to jump on it once
he is transferred but as I said we don't know when that will be. He misses
not being in the show as we do him & sends his regards to all. His girlfriend
held a benefit for him in Germany & raised $1000 to help him with all this
mess - we will be sharing our tips with him as well so get your dollars ready
to help him out. I'm not sure what we can do when he is transferred but I
think it's imperative that any & all know of his situation. Any suggestions,
ideas are welcome. I do know that he is in need of $$$ for lawyers & his
return ticket. And media attention would not hurt.Here is contact info for
him :
Antonio Caputo c/o B. Schultz
308 Courthouse Dr #2 Cavalier, North Dakota 58220
He is only allowed TWO phone calls a day so please allow him to use them for
lawyers & his girlfriend - th courthouse # is 701-265-4122. The people who
know the most are Kris & Mark in NYC 212-505-6228 & they are recieving
financial contributions. MO & Men http://clubcasanovatour.tripod.com"
TODAYS UPDATE:
Antonio's situation has gone from bad to worse. He was transferred from
North Dakota jail cell in shackles attached with several others to an
immigration detention center in Elk River, Minn. They left behind his
belongings & medications for bronchitis & asthma.
Now is th time he needs any & all help. Here is all info necessary :
phone - 763-241-4500
prisoner # 0203782, B. Schulz, 13880 Highway 10, Elk River, MN 55330. His lawyer is Sonya at 212-766-9177 or 917-776-5707 any financial contribution can be sent to Kris Koenig - 627 E. 11 St #2B - NY, NY 10009
Since we are on the road & difficult to reach as moving targets I ask anyone
who can, please do anything you feasibly can to help him - he is beyond
miserable. Any lawyers, activists, whomever please conatct them asap !!!
thank you Mo & Men"
THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS,PLEASE HELP HOWEVER YOU CAN.
dispatches