Do I Have People I Admire In This Community? I Sure Do

Much of the time I'm in the position of having someone come up to me and tell me how much they admire me, how long they've been a faithful reader of TransGriot or treat me like a rock star when I'm at a conference or a speaking engagement.. 

Most of the time I'm trying to stay on a even keel about the attention, focus on what I need to do panel or speech wise and not get Big Head Syndrome about it. 

But rest assured, if I start exhibiting signs of it, I have people in my circle of close friends who are ready, willing and eager to pop the air in my big head balloon and quickly bring me back to reality. .

With the looming visit of 4000 of our closest LGBT friends, allies and colleagues in the TBLG human rights struggle headed to my hometown, I've been making sure I've been getting my beauty sleep.  Creating Change 2014 starts for me tomorrow when I walk into that training session at the Hilton American Hotel.

I'm excited because it will not only be my first Creating Change since 1999, I'll get to see some of my old friends in the community on my home turf for a change and get the opportunity to make new ones. 

Also included in that group of 4000 people we Houston Host Committee members are anticipating here at the Hilton Americas and the other overflow hotels around the downtown area are people that I have known for years and been linked with via social media, but for one reason or another our paths haven't crossed for us to officially meet until now.

And yes, I'm excited about that.

Hey, I have my fangirl moments just like 'errbody' else in this community.  I also have much love and respect for many of my contemporaries in the trans, bi and SGL communities who are handling their human rights business and doing it well and I've told them as much.  

With the untimely death of Min. Bobbie Jean Baker a few weeks ago, it was a reminder for me to tell the people I care about how much I love and respect them while they are still on this space rock to hear it. 

It really shouldn't be a shock that with 2014 being the 20th year since I transitioned and this being my 16th year in trans oriented human rights activism, that I have people that I admire who do this work just as much as they do me. 

The folks I admire have many qualities.  Their intellect.  Their longevity in the movement.  Their public speaking or writing talents.  Their willingness to speak truth to power.  Their trailblazing leadership. The intangible qualities they possess that compel me to want to get to know them better as human beings.

And some are allies like Nona Hendryx.  I want to meet her when she does our CC14 closing concert and personally thank her for standing up for the trans community and not playing MichFest last year.

From January 29-February 2 I'm going to get the opportunity to tell them personally how much I love, respect and admire them.  

After the shaking of hands, the hugs, the exchange of compliments and updates on our personal lives, we'll start discussing what they came to Houston for and what I spent almost a year along with the hundred plus members of the Houston Host Committee helping to plan. 

We'll get busy discussing the tactics and strategies necessary to move our BTLG human rights movement forward.