TransGriot

Willard Doesn't Care About Very Poor People

2012-02-01T14:00:00.000-06:00

Gee thanks Willard for letting me and the rest of America know that.

But it's something that anyone with intelligence that doesn't watch Fox Noise could have figured out by Romney's Greed Is Good capitalism stint as the CEO of Bain Capital.

"I'm not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs a repair , I'll fix it. I'm not concerned about the very rich.... I'm concerned about the very heart of America, the 90-95 percent of Americans who right now are struggling."

Soledad O'Brien gave him a chance to clean up his remarks by saying, "There are lots of very poor Americans who are struggling who would say, 'That sounds odd.'"

But Willard kept right on going by saying, "We will hear from the Democrat party, the plight of the poor.... You can focus on the very poor, that's not my focus.... The middle income Americans, they're the folks that are really struggling right now and they need someone that can help get this economy going for them."
Wow, talk about a major gaffe less than 24 hours after you captured the winner take all Florida primary and opened up a little delegate separation between you and Newt. Romney just gave President Obama, his GOP primary opponents, DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chairs of the DCCC and DSCC and other progressive constituencies two money quotes to bash him over the head with from now until November 6 should he become the Republifool nominee.

Gordon Gekko, Jr also just effectively admitted in the same CNN interview that the Democratic Party is the one concerned with the very poor and low income people.

I hope you very poor and low income people were paying attention and consider that on Election Day.
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Yep, It's Black History Month

2012-02-01T12:00:00.016-06:00

February not only ushers in Valentine's Day on the 14th but is also the start of Black History Month. We get an extra day to celebrate it on the 29th thanks to 2012 being a leap year.

As you longtime TransGriot readers know, every month on this blog is Black History Month.

As the child and godchild of historians I'm always on the lookout for nuggets of Black history that African-American transpeople past and present have made.

It's also one of the missions of this blog to post it here and kick that knowledge to you.

Moni's also going to do her part to talk about it live and in person when I journey to the University of Arizona on February 28. I was also asked by GLAAD to write a post they will publish on their blog concerning Black trans icons and Black trans history which I'll crosspost here when it finally goes up.

I might have something cooking locally Black history related in H-town as well and if it comes to pass I'll let y'all know.

And yes, I'm gonna hit y'all with my second annual TransGriot Black Trans History quiz sometime this month.

And a hint to the wise, some of the answers to that Black Trans History quiz can be found in TransGriot.

So get ready to get your learn on about my people for the next 29 days.

'Soul Train' Creator Don Cornelius Dead

2012-02-01T09:00:00.003-06:00

Feeling my age after hearing the news this morning that Soul Train creator Don Cornelius was found dead at his Sherman Oaks, CA home at 4 AM PST from what police and TMZ are reporting as a self inflicted gunshot wound.

The 75 year old Cornelius was a journalist who realized that there was no show like American Bandstand that featured the music of African-American artists and created the long running syndicated show in 1971.

Soul Train quickly became must see TV for African-Americans and an iconic part of my childhood and any other kid who grew up in the 70's, 80's, 90's and early 2K's and ran until 2006.

Soul Train was instrumental in getting wider television exposure to Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five, and James Brown amongst many other acts in the R&B, and hip hop music world.

Soul Train was so popular that even Elton John and David Bowie made appearances on its stage and Spike Lee described the show as 'an urban music time capsule'.

That it is. The TransGriot and more than a few other peeps learned the latest dances by parking ourselves in front of the TV and watching the multicultural and gracefully acrobatic Soul Train dancers execute their moves every Saturday.

And yeah, I'll admit was more than jealous of the sistahs that strutted their stuff on the show in the fashionable clothing and hairstyles of the day.

Soul Train is also responsible for something that is an iconic part of African-American culture, the Soul Train line that you see at every wedding, social gathering and party in ours and other communities..

I'm sure the story of what happened to Mr. Cornelius will continue to evolve and come out, but in the interim the only way to close this post about an iconic broadcasting pioneer is use his classic Soul Train show sign off line.

Wishing you love, peace and soul Mr. Cornelius.

Rev Al Rips Rick Tyler A New One

2012-02-01T02:00:00.004-06:00

Enjoy this debate between Gingrich super pac head Rick Tyler, Rachel Maddow and Rev. Al Sharpton as they take him apart over his attempts to spin the fact that Newt Gingrich is race baiting in this Republifool presidential primary .

Rick Tyler's reponses are why African-American continue to overwhelmingly vote for Democratic candidates.

Rick Tyler claims he headed for ten years the GOP outreach to African-Americans. Based on what I'm watching in this exchange no wonder it failed miserably.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Congrats Janet Mock For Making TheGrio 100 List!

2012-01-31T15:00:00.019-06:00

Had to take a moment to give a TransGriot shoutout and congratulate my sis Janet Mock for making TheGrio's 2012 list of 100 people making history today in the Media category .

Here's the full list in case you wish to peruse it.

It's nice that people get to read her story and realize that African American transpeople exist in our community who are successful and are proud of being who we are.

Much love and respect for you making this list of community movers and shakers.

Keep on being a positive role model for your generation of trans women, mine, and future generations to come.

Happy Birthday Kerry Washington!

2012-01-31T12:00:00.000-06:00

I love actress Kerry Washington, and had fun watching her thoughtfully eviscerate conservafools in various debates in the runup to that historic 2008 election as a Obama supporter.

My respect level for her went up to stratospheric levels when in an interview she gave while promoting the movie Life Is Hot In Cracktown in which she played transwoman Marybeth she made this thought provoking point.

Because, really, what a trans woman is, is somebody who is a woman but whose biology has betrayed them in someway. For me, I take for granted my identity as a woman. I take for granted my anatomy and physiology. I don't really think about those things. What if actually I was born with my body betraying me in some way? I would think about it differently. I go to the gym four times a week to get rid of my ass but what if instead I was paying thousands of dollars on the black market in hormone therapy to have an ass? [Laughs] I might walk differently, stand differently, dress differently -- I might think about celebrating my identity as a woman in a different way.

I also discovered that in the process of filming that movie, to more authentically play Marybeth, she hired Valerie Spencer as an advisor. Valerie and I talked about that experience she had with Kerry when I finally had the pleasure of meeting her during the 2011 Out on the Hill Conference.

Well, today is Kerry's birthday and I wasn't letting it pass without giving her a TransGriot shout out

Naw, It Ain't 'The New DADT'

2012-01-31T07:00:00.001-06:00

A new OutServe article talks about an issue we loudly were trying to point out to you GLB peeps back in December 2010 when the DADT repeal was being blitzed through that lame duck session of Congress that trans military personnel couldn't openly serve either. .

While DADT didn't specifically mention trans people, it was still being used to out trans military personnel and kick us out of the US armed forces. We pointed out the DADT repeal bill needed language in it to cover trans military personnel and wouldn't do squat for us if it didn't , but you deliberately ignored that point.

Then when you loudly crowed about the DADT repeal being signed by President Obama and celebrated your win when it took effect September 20, 2011 about GLB peeps finally getting to serve openly and proudly after a 17 year fight, elements of you accused the trans community of 'sour grapes' for not being happy about being thrown under the bus by y'all once again as you stuffed yourselves at the human rights table and left us behind because you wanted a win after that 2009 Maine marriage referenda defeat.

We are painfully aware that as long as one house of Congress is controlled by the Republifools, nothing is going to happen to fix this problem. We are going to need the reelection of President Obama, the retaking of the House by the Democrats and the Democrats holding the Senate in the upcoming 2012 election before w get any congressional action to rectify this.

So where do the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and our 'fierce advocates' in the GLB community stand on the issue of pushing for their trans brothers and sisters to serve openly as GLB people do? While SLDN includes this trans service page on their website, you'll have to go to a drop down menu to find it..

While SLDN talks about the need for trans people to openly serve, they haven't walked the walk. They are more preoccupied with marriage and partner related issues than doing things to help speed up the day that trans people can openly serve their country.

So naw it ain't 'the New DADT' as this OutServe article mistakenly called it. It's the same BS that transpeople in the United Sates who want to openly serve in our nation's military have had to contend with for years that could have been rectified in 2010 but wasn't.

Canadian Air Travel Regulation Changes Concern Trans People On Both Sides Of The Border

2012-01-31T00:00:00.043-06:00

Air travel is a stressful enough situation for trans people to endure, especially when we have combinations of identity documents that may or may not match our current gender presentations for various reasons.

Mercedes Allen has a post up at her Dented Blue Mercedes blog which comments about a Canadian regulatory change in the Aeronautics Act pushed through by Harper government ministerial fiat that may affect the trans communities on both sides of our shared border.

The air travel regulation change happened July 29. It has trans Canadians concerned and has the potential to cause problems for transpeople of other nations either flying to, from or transiting Canada if they possess documents that don't reflect their gender presentation.

Sec 5.2(1)(c) of the ID screening regs of Aeronautics Act "An air carrier shall not transport a passenger if the passenger does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents."

Hmm. That's problematic to say the least. What if you're from a province that will not allow you to change gender markers on your ID without surgery? The Canadian government also will not allow you to change the gender marker on your passport without proof of surgical reassignment or a letter guaranteeing you will undergo SRS within a year..

So in a nutshell, our Canadian transpeeps in that mismatched gender marker situation are effectively banned from flying on airplanes inside or out of their nation.

There are also a few US states that will not allow you to change the gender marker on ID without proof of SRS either, but that is mitigated somewhat by the State Department regulations allowing us to obtain United States passports with the correct gender marker without surgical intervention.

The regulation's unintended (?) discriminatory consequences needs to be pointed out to Transport Canada.

Another Obama Administration 'Crumb'- HUD Housing Nondiscrimination Rule To Be Enacted

2012-01-30T14:00:00.001-06:00

The rainbow fixated on gay marriage only detractors of President Obama or busy selling out to the GOP were loud about hollering 'crumbs' every time the administration made regulatory or policy changes that positively impacted this community.

Well, here's another 'crumb' they can gripe and mumble incoherently to themselves about.

The Federal Housing Administration announced today in a press release they have released the final text of HUD's new nondiscrimination rule that will prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in several HUD programs including Title VIII based public housing and FHA backed loans.

It was also announced during the just concluded Creating Change conference in Baltimore by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.

According to HUD the new nondiscrimination rule will:

Requires owners and operators of HUD-assisted housing, or housing whose financing is insured by HUD, to make housing available without regard to the sexual orientation or gender identity of an applicant for, or occupant of, the dwelling, whether renter- or owner-occupied. HUD will institute this policy in its rental assistance and homeownership programs, which include the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance programs, community development programs, and public and assisted housing programs.
Prohibits lenders from using sexual orientation or gender identity as a basis to determine a borrower’s eligibility for FHA-insured mortgage financing. FHA’s current regulations provide that a mortgage lender’s determination of the adequacy of a borrower’s income “shall be made in a uniform manner without regard to” specified prohibited grounds. The rule will add actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity to the prohibited grounds to ensure FHA-approved lenders do not deny or otherwise alter the terms of mortgages on the basis of irrelevant criteria.
Clarifies that all otherwise eligible families, regardless of marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity, will have the opportunity to participate in HUD programs. In the majority of HUD’s rental and homeownership programs the term “family” already has a broad scope, and includes a single person and families with or without children. HUD’s rule clarifies that otherwise eligible families may not be excluded because one or more members of the family may be an LGBT individual, have an LGBT relationship, or be perceived to be such an individual or in such relationship.
Prohibits owners and operators of HUD-assisted housing or housing insured by HUD from asking about an applicant or occupant’s sexual orientation and gender identity for the purpose of determining eligibility or otherwise making housing available. In response to comments on the proposed rule, HUD has clarified this final rule to state that this provision does not prohibit voluntary and anonymous reporting of sexual orientation or gender identity pursuant to state, local, or federal data collection requirements.

The rule will be published in the Federal Register and will take effect 30 days after its publication.

The Muppets Strike Back At Fox Noise

2012-01-30T12:00:00.000-06:00

Remember the ridiculous assertion that Faux Business news commentator Eric Bolling made that the Muppets were 'communist', 'anti Big Oil' and 'brainwashing kids against capitalism' last month?

Well, the Muppets have struck back.

And naw, it isn't brainwashing kids to let them know that the almighty business sector at times will stoop to cheating, theft, crony capitalism and unethical behavior in the name of making profits.

2012 Team USA Women's Olympic Soccer Watch- Clean Sheet To Title

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

The highly anticipated showdown between the USA and Canada for the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament championship last night had a disappointing result for much of the record pro-Canadian sellout crowd of 25,427 at BC Place Stadium.

It was another dominating day at the office for Team USA, another USA win on Canadian soil and their third straight CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament title with the 4-0 win.

It didn't take Team USA long to get on the scoreboard as Alex Morgan scored her first goal of the evening only four minutes into the first half. Abby Wambach followed it up with a pair of goals in the 24th and 28th minutes to propel the FIFA number one ranked squad to a comfortable 3-0 halftime lead. Morgan contributed another goal in the 56th minute as the USA kept up the pressure on their northern neighbors all night.

The win allowed the USA to complete this CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament without giving up a goal while blistering opposing nets 38 times in five matches. It also increased their record to 5-0-1 in matches played against Canada on their side of the border.

Shoot, save some of that firepower for London.

Can't wait until the chase for the Olympic threepeat starts in July..

Transphobic Actions At A Tennessee A'Gaci?

2012-01-30T01:00:00.006-06:00

One of the things I was concerned about when the bigot eruptions started happening at the governmental level in Tennessee last year is that the legislative bigotry they were peddling would filter down to the unwashed masses in the rest of the state.

I had good reasons to be concerned in light of some highly publicized Volunteer State incidents such as transwoman Forresta Bee being publicly disrespected at a Nashville radio station party at LP Field to another transwoman being arrested after a protest at a Tennessee drivers license facility to a state legislator trying to pass an unjust transphobic bathoom bill.

The reactions to the overt and covert hatred peddled by Republican politicians has been heard loud and clear in the Volunteer State, and now in the wake of the increasing transphobia I received this e-mail from an African-American transwoman living in the state.

She recounted a less than pleasant experience she and a gay friend endured recently at the A'Gaci location at the Stones River Mall in Murfreesboro, TN.

***

My name is Paris Pinkerton andI’m 22 year old transgender woman who lives in Middle Tennessee. Last Saturday (January 21),a friend and I went shopping at the Stones River Mall. We ended up experiencingdiscrimination in A’Gaci that day, which is a department store that’s locatedinside of the mall.

Once we arrived at the Stones River Mall, we both wentinside A’Gaci and started shopping. I found a few items that I wanted tobuy so I walked to the cash register to pay for the items I had selected. Myfriend was standing right beside me while I was at the register, and I keptnoticing that one of the cashier’s had a look of disgust on her face. She wastelling me how cute my purchases were, but she kept eying my friend who is aflamboyant gay male.

After Imade my purchases, I put on the items inside of the store and walked out withmy friend. We shopped in the mall for a couple of hours until we got tired and decided to leave, and proceeded to exit the mall through A’Gaci.

I saw a childhood friend while I was exiting the store and westarted talking. My childhood friend was actually working at the cash registerinside of A’Gaci during that time, and I noticed that her manager (Alicia) waslooking at me while standing next to a security guard. After our conversationwas over, her manager (Alicia) called my friend and I over to where she wasstanding. That’s when the security guard informed me that we were banned fromthe store. I asked why and the manager refused to give me an answer, and justkept insisting that we leave.

Notlong after that, the security guard left and I asked the manager if I couldspeak to her manager. She informed me that the store manager was not there, andthat’s when I asked her why I was being banned from her store. This time,she told me that there was a misunderstanding. I told her that I thought shewas discriminating against me, because of the fact that I’m an African-Americantransgender woman. However, she denied that was discrimination and that Iwasn’t banned. I was still upset at how she approached me so disrespectfully,that I demanded to speak to the store manager (Amy). She informed me that shewouldn’t be in until Monday, and that I could talk to her then. I called themanager (Alicia) back, because I forgot to ask for the store manager’s (Amy)name. She told me that her name was Amy, and that she had spoken to after myfriend and I had left. She also went on to tell me that they had both made thedecision to go ahead and ban us from the store.

The following week, I called the A’Gaci store manager(Amy) and explained what happened to her. She pulled the report, and told methat I was banned because I caused a scene by accusing her manager ofdiscrimination. She started being rude and getting loud whenever I told herthat I did not cause a scene in the store. I let her know that her manager andthe mall security singled my friend and I out by humiliating us in front ofeveryone, and that I was just taking up for myself. She went on to say thatthey have the right to ban whoever they want, and that she stands by hermanager’s (Alicia) decision. That’s when I asked for corporates number, whichshe did give to me.

Shortly after my discussion with the store manager (Amy),I called corporate and was directed to the A’Gaci district manager. I explainedwhat had transpired, and that I was a paying customer, as well as an awardscard member in her store. That’s when she told me her team had handled thesituation incorrectly, and that she was sorry. She went on to say that shedidn’t want to lose me as a customer, however I informed her that I wouldn’tshop at a store that allowed their employee’s to openly discriminate againstwhile still remaining hired. She told me that she was not able to fire themanager that had discriminated against me, but she could train her employee’show to handle situations better. I told her that I didn’t think that wasenough, and she told me that loss prevention would be contacting me later inthe week to discuss the matter.
The week has already passed,and I have still have not heard from the A’Gaci district manager or lossprevention. With that being said, I know that my rights were violated in A’Gacithat day and it’s sad that I still have not received a concrete reason why I wasbanned from the store.

I think that everyone should boycott A’Gaci, becausethey allow their employees to openly discriminate against customers who are part of the LGBT community!

***

For those of you who wonder why I go ballistic when I hear some transpeople ignorantly assert that we don't need public accommodations language in any trans human rights legislation, situations like these are the reason why.

But back to this post. Ms. Pinkerton has a point. Why is she being banned from a store for simply doing what anyone else would have done in her situation? Wouldn't you if you felt you were being disrespected and discriminated against not only be pissed about it, but demand answers as to why as a loyal customer of the store was being treated that way?

I suspect she's correct in presuming by the A'gaci management actions she is being unfairly treated, and there may be a strong undercurrent of homophobia and transphobia undergirding why this is happening to her and her shopping companion.

It's a things that make you go hmm question that Paris, the Tennessee TBLG community and all inquiring justice seeking minds deserve a straight (pardon the pun) answer to.

At the least, Ms. Pinkerton and her companion deserve an apology.

2012 Team USA Women's Olympic Soccer Watch- USA vs Canada Final

2012-01-29T12:00:00.000-06:00

The only thing that was settled on Friday night were which two teams were going to represent CONCACAF in the upcoming Olympic women's soccer tournament. There's still a little matter of determining who will win this 2012 Olympic Qualifying tournament

As the experts and fans predicted before it started, the final will be contested between the FIFA world number one ranked USA squad and the FIFA world number seven ranked homegirls from Canada.

They faced each other in the 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying finals and it took a penalty kick shootout to decide it. They also faced each other in the Beijing Olympic quarterfinals with the USDA emerging victorious in that instance and know that they will probably see each other again in London.

It's probably going to be just as tight in this one. Team USA scored 34 goals in this tournament while Canada only gave up two while scoring 16. Nine of them were courtesy of the tournament's leading scorer in Christine Sinclair.

Who said they didn't have anything to play for? Team USA has never lost a match on Canadian soil, has played Canada five times north of the border and is 4-0-1.

The fun will be televised on NBC Sports Network starting at 7 PM CST and looking forward to an exciting a closely contested game.

GOProud Stuck On Self-Hating Stupid

2012-01-29T00:00:00.004-06:00

Saw this from Wonder Man and had to shake my head at the delusionally colossal stupidity that oozes out of this press release from GOProud, the organization of gay conservafools that used to have Andrew Breitbart on its board of directors.

The press release has this line in it amongst others that had me doubling over in laughter

“After last night’s Republican debate one thing is clear: any one of the four remaining GOP Presidential candidates would be a dramatic improvement over the failed Presidency of Barack Obama. All Americans, gay and straight, are living in the disastrous Obama economy.

Oh really, GOProud? President Obama and his policies are the reason this country isn't in a second Great Depression that the disastrous fiscal and tax policies of the previous Republican occupant of the Oval Office set in motion
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Failed presidency? I don't think so. You have him confused with your boy George Walker Bush..

You sellouts are trying to say with a straight (pun intended) face that Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum, who all have anti-gay platforms would be better for the rainbow community than the POTUS who has delivered and then some for this community while facing vehement opposition from your conservafriends?

President Obama damned sure has been the best president ever on trans issues and is undeniably the most gay friendly one that has ever sat in the Oval Office.

GOProud, keep thinking your wallets are more important than your human rights and kissing up to the people who oppress and disrespect you.

It's what your organization does best and you're too stuck on self-hating stupid to see it..

Moni's Coming To Arizona

2012-01-28T20:00:00.002-06:00

The University of Arizona that is.

I've been invited to speak there on February 28 from 7-9 PM MST with the title of the discussion being TransGriot: Blogging at the Intersection of Race and Gender

It'll be at the Gallagher Theatre at the UA Student Union and is sponsored by ASUA Pride Alliance, the Women's Resource Center, and African American Student Affairs as part of their Black History Month.activities

I'm honored you gave me this opportunity, you know I'm looking forward to it, and I'll have a lot to talk about when I arrive.

I'm also looking forward to continuing a tradition I started when I began doing speaking engagements and add another collegiate coffee mug to my collection. At any college campus I'm invited to speak on, I make sure I get a university coffee mug from it..

Get to add a University of Arizona one to my collection.

As those of you who regularly read this blog know, in many ways African American transpeople were (and still are) key players in shaping the trans human rights push, were pioneering leaders, and even broke ground in some cases. I get to have fun not only discussing that, but my six years chronicling those intersections of race and gender at TransGriot and helping facilitate discussions about them.

Hope to see, meet and greet many of you UA students and Tucson area peeps there who read TransGriot, and I'll provide you with more details about the event as it draws closer.