2012 TransFaith In Color Conference-That's A Wrap

The TransFaith In Color conference  is over for 2012 and as long as I eagerly awaited the arrival of last weekend, it seemed to pass at warp speed once it did.  

From meeting amazing allies like Bishop Tonyia Rawls,  to the wonderful people on the staff and local organizing committee such as Gwen Rawls and Mecca Moss to the numerous volunteers that keep the conference smoothly running it was definitely worth the trip to be in that amazing space.   I even had some wonderful conversations with the host hotel staff and it was covered in the local Charlotte media.   .

But the cool thing for me was sitting at a table during Saturday's award luncheon having Cheryl Courtney-Evans on my immediate left and Miss Major on my immediate.right, an emerging award winning youth leader in Anthony Dondero and his mother,  Minister Bobbie Jean Baker, .Valerie Spencer and my Houston homegirl Diamond Stylz at it.

We had seminars over the three days of TFIC 2012 that covered a wide array of topics from becoming a man or woman to spirituality while being trans.  There was a fascinating Afrocentric welcoming ceremony Friday night and a closing church service I unfortunately missed because I was headed back to Houston Sunday morning.   

And there are those conversations that occur in  various situations during a conference like the Saturday morning breakfast one I had with Mecca, Valerie, Sade and Cheryl.   The opportunity I had to get some quiet quality time with Miss Major and while we're talking people realizing the historical significance of that moment and snapping pics of us.

She and I also talked about our respective status in the community, my observation that our path cross a lot, and her awareness of the fact that she needs to talk about the history she's witnessed since she's approaching another milestone birthday in a few days. 

There are also the new friends I made like my roommate Andrea  from Minneapolis who I discovered we have playing tennis in common in addition to both of us not being happy about how the CeCe McDonald case played out in Hennepin County.    I met Christine Arcila who I wrote about in this blog in conjunction with the SEPTA transit pass gender marker problem.  Minister Carmarion Anderson and I not only live on different ends of I-45, ironically one of her best friends is my cousin.   Meeting some amazing trans brothers who are rapidly ramping up their efforts to build community while strengthening the bonds with their trans sisters.

It's meeting people that I'd only been corresponding with on Facebook for the first time.  It's me demonstrating why the TransGriot has the national and international representation in the trans human rights community I do and our younglings realizing they can stop me in the hall and get quality time to talk to me.

It's seeing old friends and allies like new daddy Louis Mitchell, my little brother as I call him Yeshua Holiday (who is headed your way Memphis, TN), Kylar Broadus, Kimberly McLeod, Darlene Nipper, Rocco Katastrophe, Mandy Carter and countless others.

It's just being in one of the rare spaces in our community that is not only trans affirming, but also is reflective of my heritage and steeped in our spirituality as well. 

It's also cool when people you admire in this community tell you the same thing.  It more than makes up for any negativity I get from my haters.  I marvel at the honor and blessing of being the keynote speaker for it.   How cool does that get?

So when this conference returns to the Queen City in 2014, if you haven't gone, you might wish to seriously consider checking it out. 

I know I'm definitely thinking about it, and might do a seminar. .