Chaz Bono On DWTS-Cue Transphobia In 5...4...3...2...1.

The new competitors for Season 13 of DWTS have been revealed, and among the celebrity contestants chosen to compete for the mirrored ball trophy one surprise was Chaz Bono.    He will be the first trans contest ever for the show and will be partnered with Lacey Schwimmer.

"At this point I want people to know that transgender people are just like everyone else. We're not people to be afraid of or misunderstood," Chaz told Us Weekly. "I would love to get that message across."

Unfortunately some peeps not only don't want to get that message, they don't wanna hear it.

While that piece of trans and television history excited and pleased the trans community and our allies, it didn't take long for the transphobes and christohaters to chime in on this historic moment.

Kmto61056 said, "This show has completely lost a viewer(s). I am DISGUSTED that you would have Chaz Bono on there. He/she can live however he/she would like to live, but do we need to flaunt it for ratings? Really? I hope your ratings sink as low as you have sunk in having Chaz on there."

Your ignorance is showing Kmto61056.

Cher took to Twitter to defend her child and others swarmed the DWTS website to do battle with the transbigots.

I'm usually watching other shows instead of Dancing With The Stars, but in solidarity with Chaz I will be tuned in starting on September 19 and will keep watching it as long as he is competing .

New Jersey GOP Legislator Resigns Over Wife's Racist E-Mail To Carl Lewis

50 year old Carl Lewis is a University of Houston alum and one of this nation's most decorated Olympic athletes, but even he can't outrun bigotry and racism.

Lewis is a native son of the Garden State who grew up in the middle class town of Willingboro, left to go to college in Houston and lived here and in California but in 2005 returned home to live in Medford, NJ.

He is running for a New Jersey state senate seat  and it's being fought tooth and nail by the Republicans who are claiming he hasn't met the four year residency requirement to run for the 8th District senate seat against incumbent state Sen. Dawn Addiego (R) 


New Jersey Lt. Gov. (and Secretary of State) Kim Guadagno (R) ruled Lewis ineligible to run for office this spring, and has also declined to certify his name for the November ballot.   Lewis has challenged the ruling in federal and state courts, and an injunction allowed his name to appear on the uncontested Democratic primary ballot.. 

The fun started when according to the Politicker NJ blog,  Jennifer Delany, the wife of freshman Republican state representative Pat Delany sent an offensive July 7 e-mail to Lewis' campaign headquarters in response to an e-mail blast sent out by the Lewis campaign.

“Imagine, not having to pay NJ state income taxes...It must be nice. Imagine getting a court ruling overturned so your name could get put on the ballot. Imagine having dark skin and name recognition and the nerve to think that equalled (sic) knowing something about politics.  Sure, knowing someone with fat purse strings is nice, but you have no knowledge."   Later, she added, "Remove my email. To think you STOLE my email and name from a complaint letter. I'm reporting you as SPAM.”

"I am deeply disappointed in my wife's decision to send that email to Mr. Lewis' campaign; it does not reflect my personal beliefs whatsoever," said former state Rep. Delany  "In an attempt to repair the serious damage this has caused to our marriage, and to protect our kids from public humiliation, I decided to leave public life.  On behalf of my family, we sincerely apologize to Mr. Lewis for any pain this caused him."

Oh really Assemblyman Delany?   Then how do you explain this anti Latino bill that you, Scott Rudder and Sen. Dawn Addiego filed?  

Delany was running for a full term in the New Jersey Assembly, but resigned on August 12

Burlington County Republican Party chair Bill Layton added, "The Burlington County Republican Party has a proud tradition of being the most inclusive, diverse Republican organization in the state and it’s something we are extremely proud of.  On behalf of the party, I offer Mr. Lewis our apologies for any pain this issue may cause him or his family, and we stand with all Burlington County residents who believe this kind of language has no place in society or in public discourse.”:

The Lewis campaign of course is trying to handle its electoral business. 

“We are in receipt of the email, but right now our focus is on campaigning,” said Lewis campaign manager Chris Walker. “It’s something we don’t want to give any comment on. We are focused on the campaign. We’re knocking on doors and we’ve been encouraged by the response of thousands of people to Carl Lewis.”

Well folks, y'all still clinging to the fantasy that this is a post racial nation?

2011 FIBA Americas Tournament Gets Underway

We are less than a year away from the start of the 2012 London Olympic Games, and the qualifying to see who gets those coveted spots in the Olympic basketball tournament next summer is happening as I compile this.   

Since the USA men won the 2010 FIBA world title in Turkey last summer and qualified for the Games in the process, they and Coach K get the luxury of watching everybody else on the planet play as they take their time deciding who will be on the USA Olympic roster when the tournament tips off on July 28.

But everyone else who wants to be in London besides the defending Olympic champion and FIBA world number one ranked USA and host nation Great Britain will have to play their way into one of those nine remaining tournament spots. 

FIBA Africa Champion Tunisia pulled off a huge upset against perennial African champ Angola 67-58 on Sunday to punch their first ever Olympic basketball ticket. The silver medalist Angolans and bronze medalist Nigerians will get a final opportunity just before the Games commence to qualify at the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament July 2-8 in which the final three spots in the men's tournament will be up for grabs.

Speaking of spots up for grabs, the FIBA Europe Championship gets started in basketball mad Lithuania today and runs until September 18 with two Olympic berths for the taking and their third, fourth, fifth and sixth place finishers heading to the Qualifying tournament.    

The USA handling its basketball business also meant we didn't have to play in the FIBA Americas Championship like we had to do in 2003 and 2007 to qualify for the Athens and Beijing Olympics.  That ten team tournament started yesterday and will run through September 11 in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

The 2004 Olympic champion and 2008 bronze medalist Argentinians have every intention of making the home folks happy by taking one of those spots for themselves..

So why am I'm paying attention to this tournament if the USA isn't involved in it?   I'm paying attention because I want to see who will be playing in London next summer. Like the FIBA European Championship, there will be NBA players participating with their national teams. 

Sixteen NBA ballers will play for seven of the ten national teams participating in this tournament.  The way the NBA lockout negotiations are going, this might end up being one of those rare opportunities to see NBA players dribbling on somebody's court.


The tournament draw was held back on January 27 and in Group A we have the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba and Canada.  Group B is comprised of FIBA number three world ranked Argentina, Puerto Rico, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Panama    

In case you're wondering Canadian readers, Team Canada starts FIBA Americas Group A play in a few hours with a game against the Tiago Splitter led Brazilians, then on September 1 faces the Dominican Republic and its trio of NBA players in Al Horford, Charlie Villanueva and Francisco Garcia.   Canada then plays Cuba on September 2 and finishes up group play September 3 with the Grievis Vazquez led Venezuelans

But one thing that puzzled me was why isn't Tristan Thompson, Corey Joseph or Dwight Powell playing on this squad?


The group play phase will run through September 3 with top four teams in each group going to the quarterfinal round and playing against each other which will run from September 5-8.  

After the quarterfinal round the top four teams will proceed to the knockout round on September 10-11 to determine who gets the two Olympic berths alloted to the Americas    The third, fourth and fifth place teams in the FIBA Americas Championship will play in the Olympic Qualifying tourney next summer

Should be interesting to watch.

TransGriot Note: Corey Joseph is playing on the Canadian FIBA Americas squad.

2011 Williams Watch-Serena's Starting Fast

It was the first match that Serena has played in New York since that infamous 2009 semifinal, and it didn't last long for the crowd gathered at Arthur Ashe Stadium either.

She's had a tough year injury wise and spent more time recovering from them than playing, but 28th seeded Little Sis took only 56 minutes to execute her 6-1, 6-1 opening round victory over 19 year old Serbian Bojana Jovanowski.  

In the process  she served notice that despite her seeding, she is one of the favorites to win the 2011 US Open women's singles title.

She moves on to her second round match against Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands while Big Sis tackles Sabine Lisicki of Germany in hers..