BTMI 2013-Honored To Be In Dallas

I'm on the other end of I-45 in Dallas for the second annual Black Transmen, Inc Conference and having a blast. It's not only the first time I've attended this rapidly growing event, it's one of the few in our community that is primarily focused on African-Amercan transmen and the issues that concern them.

And this year, they invited the transwomen to take part. 

I'm feeling blessed and honored to be chosen as the first transwoman to do a keynote speech for this event.  What made it even more special was sharing the stage with one of the transmen I have much love for in TPOCC's Kylar Broadus.   Kylar was also a 2013 BTMI keynote speaker as well.

It has also been a blast  to see Kye Allums and Louis Mitchell again, FINALLY meet the wonderful Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler, the amazing Carter Brown, Sean Coleman and an increasingly long list of transbrothers who have either stopped me in the halls in between seminars or taken other opportunities to let me know how much they love and appreciate me and the blog.

They've also been spoiling me rotten.   A girl can get used to that.

And yeah, my 19th floor room with the spectacular view overlooking the DART rail line and Greenville Avenue has been the bomb as well.

It's also been wonderful getting to spend some quality time with Rev. Carmarion Anderson on Wednesday and Thursday for the first time since OUT on the Hill 2012.  Arianna Inurritegui Lint from TransLatinas is in the house to do a seminar tomorrow.

It's also been a joy and fascinating to talk to the spouses and significant others of many of my transbrothers in attendance, and during the quiet moments hear the stories of my transbrothers.

It was also cool to talk to Dallas area allies and activists like Omar Narvaez of Lambda Legal, Dr Oliver Blumer of TENT and many of the spouses of the transmen here in attendance.

I have a panel discussion to do tomorow before I head back to Houston on Sunday.

For you transbrothers who didn't come or couldn't make it, you're missing a wonderful event and I hope you'll consider coming next year or making plans to attend OUT on the Hill this September 18-22 in Washington DC.

And if the BTMI brothers will have me, I definitely want to come back to Dallas for BTMI 2014.


TransGriot note: Photos by Kortney Ryan Ziegler