ConGRADulations Class of 2013!

Seems like I just wrote that post a few months ago that ushered in the start of the 2012-13 school year. 

It's now May, and that means it's not only prom season, but time for kids all over the country to make that walk across the stage to get their high school or collegiate diplomas.  

For others it signals that promotion to the next elementary, middle or high school grade.   There are other students eagerly awaiting making the jump from elementary to middle/intermediate or junior high school, or from middle school to high school that awaits at the end of this month. 

Wanted to take a moment to salute the members of the Class of 2013 and give a special shout out to my transpeeps who are making that high school commencement walk such as Issak Wolfe in Pennsylvania, Calliope Wong in Connecticut and my Houston area homegirl Toni Zamazal. 

You made it!   You're leaving high school and moving on to the next big step in your lives.   Also sending love to my trans, same gender loving (SGL) and allied readers who are graduating this year as well.  


I also want to give a shout out to all my readers who are graduating from their various college campuses and taking that step into a world far different than the one you've gotten intimately familiar with when you first entered your various campuses as eager freshmen.

For you high schoolers about to make that jump from your beloved high school campus to a collegiate one, enjoy the experience.  Once it's over you'll be talking about it for the next thirty to forty years of your life good, bad and indifferent.  

For those of you who are trans, lesbian, bi or gay, as soon as you get your collegiate class schedules and finish orientation, find out where your campus LGBT center is located if they have one.  It'll help you navigate the tricky waters of going through college as an TBLG student.

And yes HBCU's, haven't forgotten about (and neither has the National Black Justice Coalition) the issues that pertain to LGBT students on your campuses.  There are 300,000 students matriculating on the 105 historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) campuses and you can bet that Black trans and SGL students are part of that mix. 

It's either get with the program and add inclusive gender identity and sexual orientation language in your non-discrimination and employment policies along with policies that make their on campus lives better or lose those students to predominately white campuses.  Their top 20 scores on the Campus Pride Index and being proud of it will trump family and cultural ties to your institution if you continue to have hostile climates for Black trans and SGL students.

I also want to thank those colleges and universities who invited me to their campuses during this 2012-13 school year to speak about or participate in panel discussions about trans issues, and hope I get the opportunity and invitation to do more of them inside and outside Loop 610 in the 2013-14 school year. 

ConGRADulations Class of 2013!   May you have much success in whatever you plan to do with the rest of your lives .