2012 Out On The Hill-Moni's Panels

As the days get closer to September 19-22 I get more excited about the third annual Out On The Hill that will happen in Washington DC and being part of the star studded lineup for OOTH 2012..  

While there will be some outstanding panels, lobbying on Capitol Hill, policy discussion, the opportunity to attend the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation-Annual Legislative Conference at the Convention Center during Out On The Hill in addition to opportunities to meet and network with outstanding Black LGBT leaders from all over the country, I am looking forward to the two panels I'm involved with. 

One of the panels I'm taking part in happens on Friday, September 21, 2012, 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM EDT and its entitled ' The System, The Reality, The Solution: Honoring and Protecting the Lives of Black Trans Women.”

Here's the synopsis of it..

“The System, The Reality, The Solution: Honoring and Protecting the Lives of Black Trans Women” -- For some of the most likely targets of hate crimes – Black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people – the options for survival are slim. For transgender women of color, in particular, the odds are even less in their favor. The Black and civil rights communities are shamefully silent when victims of violence are both Black and transgender. Stories like CeCe McDonald’s represent a larger system of violence and institutional biases. Her case is part of an ongoing string of attacks and mass murders against trans women of color. But even in the mist of adversity, this community of resilient, powerful sisters has managed to come together and demand a seat at the table. The purpose of this town hall is to discuss the current state of the Black trans community – specifically as it reflects the current policies of our government, the social climate of our nation and the lived experiences of Black trans women. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the systems in place as well as resources available and actions to take in order to see substantial progress in this community. This town hall meeting will feature an unprecedented briefing of prominent Black trans women who are activists, media personalities and experts as they discuss why it is important to be intentional about including the “T” as we develop the national Black LBGT agenda.

The invited panelists for it include Rev. Carmarion Anderson, Kokumo Kinetic, Danielle King, Valerie Spencer, Bali White with our moderator for it being Laverne Cox 


On Saturday, September 22, 2012, 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM. EDT I'll be part of the session “Bloggers' Roundtable: How the LGBT Equality Movement Has Impacted Black America and the Media Landscape."

“Bloggers' Roundtable: How the LGBT Equality Movement Has Impacted Black America and the Media Landscape” -- Since the president’s historic endorsement of marriage equality, civil rights leaders and celebrities—from the NAACP to Jay Z—have come out in support of marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Recent opinion polls suggest a record shift in support of marriage equality among people of color. But despite the prevailing media narrative, research has long shown that the Black community isn’t monolithically homophobic or transphobic. In fact, polling of African Americans has previously indicated that when it comes to issues of harassment and violence (hate crimes, bullying in schools, etc.) more than 50 percent feel that it’s a very big problem for gay and lesbian people. This session will feature a fishbowl style discussion where prominent Black LGBT bloggers discuss how the conversation has changed in new media. Attendees will leave with a more nuanced understanding of media representation and public opinion of African Americans as it pertains to LGBT equality.

Still not too late to register for the third annual edition of Out On The Hill.