Happy Trans National Holiday 2014!

In the trans* community, Halloween is sometimes known by us by another name.

It's called the Trans National Holiday.

We call it that because Halloween, like Mardi Gras and Carnival in Brazil is one of the few periods on the calendar in which you can engage in cross gender dressing and not get judged for it.

It's the other days on the calendar that are problematic.

My first Halloween en femme was spent in 1980 at the old Studio 13 on Westheimer Rd.  I thought it highly humorous at the time that one of the major streets that transited the Montrose gayborhood had the same name as the famed sexologist Dr. Ruth Westheimer.  In my case, I was taking another step toward the giant leap of me becoming Moni.

Since I'm now 20 years into transition, Halloween doesn't have that same excitement for me that it once did, but for those peeps who are on the CD end of the community, this is a big night for them until they can get to their next CD conference or group meeting or those questioning whether they should start a gender transition.

It's also a big night for the folks who provide the transformation services that help them look their gender best, too.

I do the hard solid thinking about the Trans National Holiday pondering the historical aspects of it in terms of the elaborate Harlem Renaissance drag balls of the 20's and 30's and their ballroom community successors.  

Chicago's Finnie's Ball  and similar ones that took place in New York City and elsewhere around the country drew large crowds and people competing for cash prizes that sought to flawlessly look like for that evening the man or woman they in some cases secretly wanted to be full time.

Those drag balls are a piece of our trans history we should never forget.   We should also never forget the CD peeps are also part of our community.  As the joke with a grain of truth goes that we tell in gender groups and at conferences like SCC, today's crossdresser is tomorrow's trans woman booking a flight to Bangkok for GRS.

So Happy Trans National Holiday!   If your plans are to dress in femme attire, be a drag king or your favorite person of whatever gender, hope you have a wonderful evening doing so.  

And I also hope that tonight serves as the opening steps to your arriving at your own gender epiphany, and your future happiness flows from it..

Shut Up Fool Awards-Halloween 2014 Edition

Happy Halloween!

In addition to today being the Trans National Holiday, today is also the last day of early voting in Texas.   You have until 7 PM CDT/MDT to get your electoral business handled at your choice of ealy voting polling stations, so get to it.  If  you don't handle it today, then please do so on Tuesday.

As for why I called Halloween the Trans* National Holiday, it's because once upon a time elaborate drag balls were held in New York, Chicago and other locales that offered cash prizes to those persons who pulled off looking convincingly masculine or feminine.   It's also the day the CD community circles on their calendars and plans with the efficiency of a military operation to let their femme selves soar.

It's also time for another edition of the TransGriot Shut Up Fool Awards.   It's time to call out the peeps who exhibited scary ignorance, mind boggling arrogance, and spooky levels of stupidity.

So let's get to it.

Honorable mention number one is to all the idiots who have aimed nastiness and rape threats at Shoshana Roberts, the NY woman who had a hidden camera follow her in the Big Apple as she got catcalled.

Honorable mention number two goes to Pat Robertson, who launched a double play of ignorance. First her stuck his nose in Houston human rights 'bidness' and claimed that God will punish Houston for supporting militant homosexuals'.  Translation: He's pissed because HERO passed and tio the on the ministers suing to stop it got subpoenaed. 

Pat, you can kiss my militant transsexual azz.   Your conservagod has a lousy track record when it comes to smiting your perceived enemies anyway.

The second part of that ignorance double play came from him calling gay people 'terrorists'

Hey, the only peeps I see acting like terrorists in this country are you good 'christian' ammosexuals  killing abortion doctors, bombing clinics, pining for the return of the Confederacy and calling for LGBT people to be exterminated in camps.

Honorable mention number three is Mary Forbes, who showed her ignorance and her white sheets when she tweeted this in reaction to the news the Black Panther movie had (finally)been greenlighted by Marvel.

Um Mary,' KKK Man' was already made in 1915, and it's called Birth of A Nation..

And FYI, the Black Panther comic book and T'Challa predated the October 1966 founding of the Black Panther Party For Self Defense by Booby Seale and Huey P. Newton ,but not the 761st Tank Battalion of World War II fame. I

T'Challa was also the first Black superhero comic book character.

Honorable mention number four is 'errbody' who gets busted for appearing in blackface this Halloween.   Let me say this once again so there is no doubt where I stand when it pertains to blackface:

"My people and my culture are not costumes for you put on for your or your people's entertainment and amusement. And when we call your azz out about it, you don't get to tell me as the offended POC party what is and isn't offensive or to 'lighten up' about it."
-TransGriot , October 28,2013

Honorable mention number five is Chris Christie, who tried to fan the GOP election year flames over Ebola, quarantined a health care worker against her will returning from the West African hot zone for the virus and got burned for it.

Honorable mention number six are the Southern Baptists, who unveiled in Nashville what their anti-trans hate agenda they agreed on at their Baltimore convention back in June is going to sound and look like in practice.

This week's Shut Up Fool Winner who also gets an Uncle Ruckus Award is Mychal Massie.  This cookie- chomping kneegrow claimed in a Wing Nut Daily post that Blacks were better off in slavery and Jim  Crow segregation than they are in the second decade of the 21st Century.

Excuse me for a moment while I double over in laughter.

If this post was supposed to convert us to conservatism, it did the opposite.  All you did was reinforce mine and the perceptions of many thoughtful people in our ranks that conservatism is the political arm of white supremacy, and you Black conservatives just need to have several seats and a sweet tea flavored glass of STFU.

Mr T, take it away.


.

And Now There Are Ten-RIP Ashley Sherman

We have lost another transsister to anti-trans violence.

Location this time was Indianapolis, IN, in the Tudor Park Condominiums on the eastern side of the city, and sadly it's another trans woman of color.. 

25 year old Ashley Sherman was found at that location early Monday morning by a patrolling police officer. 

She had been shot in the head, and police are trying to ascertain whether she was killed there or was brought there from another location.  While police are saying this was a homicide, as usual they are not investigating it as a hate crime.
.
A vigil was held on Wednesday at that location attended by 100 people, including Sherman's family and friends in which her mother implored the killer come forward.

Will be keeping track of this latest instance of one of our sisters being murdered until the case is satisfactorily resolved.

Rest in power and peace Ashley.   As with the rest of  our fallen sisters, we will not rest until justice is served.

Last Day To Early Vote in TX

Today is the last day to early vote in Texas, and it's apropos that it is falling on Halloween in this cycle.

Because I am definitely in fear of not having Wendy Davis as my governor or Leticia Van de Putte as my lieutenant governor.  If enough rational thinking people do so, they can win.

But it's not just the marquee peeps at the top of the ticket.  We have quality peeps running for other offices from judicial seats to the state board of education, and we need folks who will do the right thing and not the right wing thang in them

So don't just stop at the governor's and lieutenant governor's races.   Vote in the judicial races, too because they matter as well. 

You have until 7 PM today to handle your electoral business, otherwise you'll have to do so on Tuesday at your regular precinct..

Loving Myself Unapologetically

Guest Post by L'lerrét Jazelle Ailith

Marc Lamont Hill asked me once whether or not I ever felt like the burden of being trans was too much and I wanted to give up. I thought about it for a second and then proceeded to tell him that I love my being unapologetically.

What was the pause for, though? I paused because for so long, I internalized hate from the folks around me who couldn't see the beauty in my unique identity. For years, I would take off my makeup and look into the mirror and cry because I wasn't proud of what stared back at me. I thought that seeing this being that wasn't what society ideally thought to be a woman was to be abhorred. I felt that I didn't deserve happiness or love because I looked like an atrocious blend of man and woman. But once I met my chosen family amongst the #blacktransrevolution and realized my worth and worthiness, those thoughts and feelings began to slowly fade away.

Yesterday was such a weighted, stressful day for me and to practice self care, I hopped in the shower and cleansed myself thoroughly for an hour - head to toe. When I stepped out, I took a look in the mirror and cried. I cried not because of shame. I cried not because of disgust. I cried because I was able to look into my own eyes and feel beautiful. I was able to admire the rawness of my face. I saw the happiness and joy oozing out of every orifice. My mouth couldn't stop smiling. My skin was glowing. My eyes were apparent. I cried because never in a million years did I think I would find myself in a place where even without my beauty routine having been implemented, I would take pride in my being. I cried because I have been through SO FUCKING MUCH to get to a place where I feel worthy and content and to finally feel that being actualized was so overwhelming.

F**k beauty norms or ideals.... this is about loving the brown skin that I'm in! I didn't pick away at my features like I normally would. I looked at myself and I told her how much I loved her. She smiled and blew me a kiss. She thanked me for releasing her from her prison of shame and insecurity. She was free. I am free. And with this freedom - this pride - I was provided with a voice to announce my existence and honor my journey. Terrell and L'lerrét's voices have intertwined to produce something so fantastic.... something so unstoppable. I fought and fought and now look at her! All vivacious and unapologetic and whatnot! haha

And I thank my #blacktransrevolution family for helping to see that happen; for fostering and nurturing this blossoming security. Y'all so cute! I can only wish to continue building community and loving on you all so that more and more girls and boys and anyone in between can feel the same joy that I feel in this moment. This is infectious and I want every single one of my revolutionary comrades to catch this too. I can't wait to go into the house of worship in late November and fellowship with my people at #TransVoices! We are the revolution.

Worst Time For Black People In US History? Conservakneegrow Please!

One of the things that I absolutely hate about kneegrow (they don't deserve to be called Black) conservafools is that they will say and do anything to advance their own personal conservative credibility while throwing the rest of Black America under the bus.

The latest example of an Oreo cookie chomping fool cooning it up for his conservamassas is Mychal Massie.

In a waste of bandwith post for Wing Nut Daily, i addition to attacking affirmative action (which BTW conservafools, was created by Richard Nixon) this kneegrow wrote that 'affirmative action and the 1964 Civil Rights Act destroyed the Black community to the point that African-Americans were better off under Slavery and Jim Crow"

Seriously?

Naw consservafool, the best thing that has happened to African descended people in the United States was  the ending of slavery 150 years ago along with the end of Jim Crow segregation.


I submit that much of what ails Black America is because of the residual effects of those odious events of slavery and Jim Crow segregation combined by conservative political policies to roll back or eliminate the programs and laws designed to eliminate the problems cased by the 346 years that the federal government and many southern states were in the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.'s words, 'doing something special against the Negro.'

And FYI Mychal, since it escaped you in history class, let me repeat this point for you once again.

Affirmative action was created during the Nixon administration.  Richard M/ Nixon was survey says, a Republican POTUS.  It has benefited White women far more than it has African-Americans.

If Massie thought this post was going to convert Black folks into voting for conservafools, um naw homes, all you did was reinforce mine and the perceptions of many thoughtful people in our ranks that conservatism is the political arm of white supremacy and you Black conservatives just need to have several seats an a sweet tea flavored glass of STFU.

On second thought, keep talking.  Kneegrow conservafools like you keep proving with every syllable you utter just how intellectually bankrupt 21st century conservatism is and why it continues to be massively rejected at the ballot box at 90% margins by our people.

If you think slavery was so great, then you and your fellow kneegrow conservative thinkers with severe cases of Obama Derangement Syndrome (treatable by Obamacare BTW) can go back to that halcyon in your mind time when our people were bought and sold like property, worked to death without pay, demonized, lynched, our women were raped and saw the children they bore sold off.

Then come back if you survive it, and tell us if your 'happy darkie' behind still thinks slavery and Jim Crow America is better than post-Civil Rights Act America.

No comparison as far as I'm concerned/.

Meanwhile, you Uncle Ruckus wannabee, leave the rest of us conscious thinking 21st Century Black people who paid attention in history class the hell alone while you peddle that claptrap to stupid conservative white people..

TransGriot 2014 NFL Picks Week 9

We are now past the halfway mark of the 2014 NFL regular season and our prognostication contest. 

While once again I had a respectable week picking games, the frustrating pattern continues with one of my opponents doing slightly better.

Hey, considering the drama I've been through over the last few weeks, it's amazing I'm still in this.

And it's always a good week when the Texans beat the Tennessee Traitors and the Cowboys lose.

But I also lost ground on Mike, who expanded his lead to three games in our contest no thanks to Tampa Bay blowing that game to Minnesota in OT.

It figures the one week I pick the Arlington Cowchips to win, they revert to past form and lose at home to the Washington Need To Change Their NFL Nickname From That Racial Slur ASAP.

As I mentioned, the Texans ended that three game losing streak (and they are  out of my blogging NFL doghouse for now), but they face a Philadelphia Eagles team that will probably be pissed off when they come to NRG Stadium.

Well, let's get to my Week 9 NFL picks.   Only 13 games to select because there are six teams on their bye week (Falcons, Bills, Bears, Lions, Packers and Titans)

My picks are in underlined bold print as usual, and when Eli and Mike's are available, they'll be linked to later.

Week 8 Results

TransGriot  9-6
Eli               8-7
Mike           10-5

2014 NFL Season Record

TransGriot     77-43-1
Eli                  76-44-1
Mike              80-40-1

NFL Week 9

Thursday Night Game
Carolina over New Orleans

Sunday Early Games
Cleveland over Tampa Bay
Dallas over Arizona
Philadelphia over Houston
Kansas City over NY Jets
Cincinnati over Jacksonville
San Diego over Miami
Washington over Minnesota

Sunday Afternoon Games
San Francisco over St Louis
Denver over New England
Seattle over Oakland

Sunday Night Game
Baltimore over Pittsburgh

Monday Night Game
Indianapolis over NY Giants

Houston LGBT Positive Impact Day On Sunday

On Sunday night, the opposition to HERO will be meeting in a rally at Grace KKKomunity Church that as usual will be full of anti-LGBT bile, hate and anger.

Our Houston LGBT community will be meeting, too, but with a very different goal in mind.

At 2 PM on Sunday, we’ll be meeting at Montrose Grace Place (at 2515 Waugh, housed in Grace Lutheran Church). Grace Place provides services for LGBT homeless youth. Please bring canned goods, nonperishable food items and gently worn or new clothing items, which we will donate to Grace Place. While the HERO opposition is creating noise about taking rights away, we’ll be creating a positive effect on the lives of people in Houston.

But we’re not only going to be creating a better present for people in our community Sunday – we’ll be working for a positive future, too. Wear comfortable shoes, because after you drop off your donation, you can pick up a walk list to go speak to voters in the surrounding neighborhoods to make sure they get out to vote on Tuesday for candidates who share our values. We’ll be pushing the endorsement card of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus PAC.

The HERO movement has always been about creating a better future for all Houstonians. We’ll be doing that Sunday, and the contrast between our efforts and the negativity of the opposition will send a strong message. Please join us.

UPDATE: We have received some specific requests from Grace Place. Please bring:

Winter clothes, Socks, Sleeping Bags, Toiletries, Hand-warmers, Mini-flashlights, blankets,
Also, we will be collecting for Bering Omega Hospice.

We are asking people to bring:
Towels, wash clothes, robes, handi-wipes

Upcoming Texas Non-Discrimination Ordinances Discussion

Too bad I will miss this event on November 7 sponsored by the Stonewall Law Association of Greater Houston , South Texas College of Law AMICUS, Social Sciences & The Law Society and the ACLU Student Organization

It will be a timely and fascinating discussion on non-discrimination ordinances in the state of Texas with a concentration on our own fight to implement the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance that was passed back in May.

And note to those Houston area human rights hatin' preachers, there have still been no bakers forced to bake swastika cakes in the Houston city limits.

The panel will feature Houston City Attorney David M. Feldman, Attorney and human rights advocate Susan L. Hays, Founding CEO of First Person Christina Canales Gorczynski,  South\Texas College of Law Professor Richard R. Carlson, and ACLU Texas Legal and Policy Director Rebecca Robertson.

That's definitely shaping up as an interesting panel for this human rights discussion, and it will take place at the Joe M. Green Auditorium on the South Texas College of Law campus at 1301 San Jacinto St. in beautiful downtown Houston from 1:00-5:00 PM CST

Attendance is free, but you must RSVP slaghlaw@gmail.com by November 5 to attend.

CLE's will also be offered, but you need to be a member of the Stonewall Law Association of Greater Houston to receive those credits.   Membership is $20 for attorneys and $10 for non attorneys at the reduced rate in effect for the rest of 2014.

Go Vote!

I'm going to be haunting you until November 4 to take your soul to the polls for this critical midterm election.

In Texas, early voting ends on Halloween. Treat yourself to quality political representation, not political tricks that don't care about working class people.

Why not make it easy on yourself and choose from early voting centers spread all over the county and do your civic duty?  Once the early voting period ends on Friday evening, you'll have to go to your regular precinct on Tuesday.

So handle your electoral business and take a few ghouls and goblins, er your friends with you.

Because truth is, the prospect of Dan Patrick and other Teapublicans getting legislative power scares the crap out of me.  And how many times do you have to see it before you get the point that you will NEVER get liberal-progressive polices from a conservative legislator who hates the government?

We can do better.   We must do better.  The GOP has had 20 years to run this state and they have 
proven to be incapable of governing it.

Handle your electoral business.  Go vote!

Team USA Is Going To Canada!

The USA women's team on Sunday finished handling their CONCACAF business in PPL Park and captured their seventh title with a 6-0 rout of Costa Rica on the strength of Abby Wambach's four goals and another clean sheet by Hope Solo.

The Ticas aren't too disappointed.  They will be heading to their first ever Women's World Cup thanks to their showing in this CONCACAF qualification tournament in which they won their group and made it to the finals.

Oh yeah, did I forget to mention Team USA also qualified for next year's Women's World Cup in Canada in addition to winning the tournament?

That qualification business was handled when Team USA beat Mexico 3-0 in the semifinals on Friday to avenge that 2-1 loss Mexico pinned on them four years ago.

Speaking of Mexico, they will be going to the World Cup next year along with the Ticas after beating Trinidad and Tobago 4-2 in the Third Place game to capture the third CONCACAF auto qualifying spot.

As for Trinidad and Tobago's heartwarming quest to make history and become the first ever Caribbean based female squad to make it to the World Cup, they will have to play a two leg aggregate score playoff against CONMEBOL rep (South America) Ecuador in order to punch their ticket to Canada.

Since the Mexican team plays their games at high altitude (7200 feet),the Mexican Football Federation has made the classy offer of a training facility in Mexico City to help Trinidad and Tobago get ready for that 9300 foot altitude November 8 first leg in Quito that awaits the Soca Princesses.   The return leg is in Trinidad and Tobago on December 2.

Congrats to Team USA and all the CONCACAF nations that will be playing next summer in Canada.   Hopefully Trinidad and Tobago will get to join that party. 

And I'm hoping Team USA finally gets to add that third star on their jerseys next summer.

Koko's Album 'Who's That Lady?' Drops November 18

I've talked about Koko Jones,  my seriously talented musical sis from time to time on the blog and had the pleasure of doing one of my TransGriot Ten Questions interviews with her.

How talented is she?  Talented enough for this Jersey girl over her four decades in the music biz to have performed with some of the most recognizable names in the pop, R&B, jazz, house and African music worlds.

Jones has either performed or recorded as a first call musician with the Isley Brothers, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Angela Winbush, Raul Midon, Marcus Miller, Randy Weston,  Jose Feliciano, Buddy Miles, Clarence Burke, Louie Vega, Luisito Quintero, Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child, DJ Kenny Dope, Archie Shepp, and Reggie Workman.

And now you'll have something to look forward to during TDOR Week in terms of her 'Who's That Lady' LP dropping on that date..

The timing of the release of the album near that date is not an accident.  As a girl like us who happens to be a  musician, several of the tracks on this upcoming album release on Motema Music reflect either personal or universal issues facing the trans community:







“Why” honors those trans individuals who have lost their lives due to violence or suicide and “Turn It” pays tribute to the heroes, past and present, who strive for civil rights, justice and equality. “I’m Free” celebrates the joy of reveling in who you really are despite societal norms and constraints. And “Xtravaganzas” pays homage to the House of Xtravaganza, one of the most important cultural institutions in the trans community.

While she has always handled her business as a musician first and foremost, she has had an ongoing parallel role as an activist and a voice in the trans community. In addition to Koko’s ground-breaking work as an interventionist at the Center for HIV Education Studies and Training (CHEST) at Hunter College, where she is a part of T-Talk, a project delivered by trans women for trans women that seeks to reduce sexual health risk, substance use, and internalized stigma affecting the community.

Koko frequently speaks at events, and recently gave a TEDx talk at Seton Hall University and delivered a lecture on Current Issues in the Trans Community at Columbia University Teachers College. She is also an active member of Trans Women of Color Collective (TWOCC)

But it's time for peeps to get to know Koko Jones in her primary role as an extraordinary musician

Those of you in the New York area can check her out on December 1 at her CD release show that will start at 8 PM EST at Sub Culture. The venue is located at 45 Bleeker St, and if you're looking for more info hit the link or call 212-533-5470.

And yeah, Christmas and Hanukkah are coming up, so why not purchase 'Who's That Lady?' and kill two birds with one stone at the same time?  You buy a gift for someone (or keep it for your own music collection), keep our T-bills circulating in our community, and support a fantastic musician at the same time.

AISD Meeting To Add Gender ID To Nondiscrimination Policy

The Houston, Dallas and Forth Worth ISD's have done this already, and now Austin will have an opportunity to do this at their board meeting tonight at7 PM.

Thanks to Paige Schilt, I was alerted to the fact that AISD is pondering adding gender identity to the nondiscrimination policy  .  While this should be a no brainer decision for Items 14.3 and 14.5, you can bet there will be some haters in the AISD house spreading lies to try to stop it, or delay the decision so they can gather the hate troops from out of town..

If you can do so and support AISD adding gender identity to their policy, now is your time to speak and be heard.   The board needs facts and your stories to base their vote on, not lies and disinformation.

The meeting was last night, and I'm trying to ascertain if AISD became the fourth district in the Lone Star State to protect its trans students and employees.

Hoping we had people from the AUSTEX area signing up to speak during Citizens Communication. The policy for Citizens Communication can be found at http://www.austinisd.org/board/meetings.

AISD is the fifth largest school district in the state, and it would send another powerful message to the rest of the ISD's waffling or ignoring this critical issue.

AISD headquarters is located on 1111 W. 6th Street, so if you feel that Austin should be on that short list of school districts that protect their trans students and employees, you may wish to help pack the room and ensure the right thing is done.

TransGriot Update:  The AISD board voted unanimously last night to make the fifth largest school district in the state the fourth one in Texas to add gender identity to their nondiscrimination policy for students and employees.   

Now we'll see if other Centex  ISD's follow their lead.

Panel Discussion At HCC Northline

You know the old saying about when life hands you lemons, make lemonade?  And I'd consider a lemon situation what I was dealing with prior to Wednesday.

In the middle of that drama I received an invitation from Marie Angel Hernandez to take part in a trans* panel discussion on the HCC Northline Campus. Since I needed something else to focus on besides my own troubles, I'm accepting that invitation.
 
It's taking place at 1 PM in Room 115 on the HCC Northline Campus  . Address is 8001 Fulton St.  And yes, in case you're wondering, it's at the northern terminus of the MetroRail Red Line.

So yes, looking forward to a wonderful conversation with the students of HCC Northline and my fellow panelists.

Should be fun, and hope you will join me there to watch it.

Once Again, Thank You LGBT Community!

As many of you TransGriot readers may or may not be aware of, been going through since mid-September an effort by a transphobic relative to push me out of my grandmother's house where I have been living since May 2010 as her caretaker. 

Seems like it started after this trip from hell for me, and he 's made it very clear that it was personal.   I've basically been fighting him tooth and nail to ensure he didn't run roughshod over my human rights as I tried to find a new place to live.

Thought I had a solid offer that fit the bill, but after some waffling by that person, it got rescinded, which set up the series of events that got ugly on Wednesday. 

The transphobic relative tried to bait me into hitting him so he could call HPD on me to force my arrest and removal from the house, but even Stevie Wonder could see that play coming.   He still called the po-po anyway and tried to claim he felt 'threatened'.   They shrugged their shoulders and kept it moving..  He was also pissed off by the fact his eviction notice wasn't valid because his transphobic azz used my old name on it.

But that incident drove home the point that I could no longer stay in that place, and I was tired of all the micro and macroaggressive transphobia I was getting.  I was also stressed about the prospect of being on the cusp of homelessness.  

I needed immediate help, and you have responded and then some to my call.   I'm staying for now with a friend who basically drove over to the house on Wednesday afternoon, scooped me up and has enveloped me in love and sisterhood ever since.    I'll be with the Chen family until November 1, and will start another new chapter of my life when I move into a new H-town apartment for the first time since I left for Louisville in September 2001.  

An indiegogo campaign was launched so that I would be able to set up utilities and get a household started after not having to have to do that for the last four years. Others have hit up my TransGriot Tip Jar as they waited for the indiegogo campaign to start.

I have been astounded and humbled by the outpouring of love and support when I really needed the TBLG community and our allies to step up for me.   My mom has been impressed by what she has observed and sends her thanks as well.

And as for the transphobic relative that instigated this mess, all I have to say is karma not only is a you know what, but she wears a dress and stiletto heels.

Once again, thank you!    Thank you to all the people in Houston, Texas, and the nation  who offered their homes as temporary shelters and others in various cities across the state and country who offered their homes as landing spots if I had been inclined to relocate to their locales.

Thanks for the calls, e-mails, messages of support and donations from the LGBT community and allies that will ensure I land on my feet and be in a better and stronger position to be an advocate for this community.

I've always said that your family expands, not contracts when you embark upon a gender transition.

Since Wednesday afternoon, you have emphatically proven that point to me, members of my blood family who support and love me, and the entire world.

And I will forever be grateful to you for it.

Shut Up Fool Awards-CONCACAF Women's Championship Edition

The group stage of the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship is over and has now been whittled down to the four soccer teams in the semifinals to be played at PPL Park in Chester, PA.  

Three will finish this weekend making plans to travel to the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada next summer, while the fourth place squad will have to battle Ecuador in a playoff for a tournament berth.

While Jamaica's Reggae Girlz failed in their quest to qualify, there was another Caribbean based squad who has a chance to make the history that Jamaica was trying to accomplish in Trinidad and Tobago.

If Trinidad and Tobago wins the match, they will become the first ever Caribbean based women's team to qualify for a World Cup.

They will face off against Costa Rica in one semifinal match today, while the other is a rematch between FIFA world number one ranked Team USA and Mexico.

Four years ago Mexico pinned a stunning 2-1 loss on Team USA in the semis that forced them to go the playoff route to qualify for the 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany.   Will lightning strike twice or will Team USA avenge their only defeat in CONCACAF qualifying?

Yeah yeah, I know what today is.  It's Friday, and you loyal readers are ready for another edition of the TransGriot Shut Up Fool Awards, not me talking about soccer.

Okay so let's get to it shall we?

Honorable mention number one is James O'Keefe.   This conservafool is at it again trying to manufacture evidence in Colorado that attempts to 'prove' voter fraud as defined by the GOP exists.

Dude, why are you committing voter fraud to try to prove it exists?   Because you and your conservafool friend know that the only reason you have these unjust laws in the first place is to keep people from voting you don't like.

Honorable mention number two is FOX Noise fembot Kimberly Guilfoyle, who parted her lips to say that young women are too busy with 'Tinder' to understand voting.



Honorable mention number three is Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ), who admitted the GOP voter suppression agenda for 2016.

Honorable mention number four is Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX).  Gohmert Pyle continues his push for 2014 Shut Up Foll of the year by this time saying in a recent radio interview that gay serving in the military would need massages that will make them vulnerable to terrorism.

Um naw, that isn't an The Onion spoof headline.  Somebody in the Tyler-Longview area please run against this fool and get him out of Congress.

Honorable mention number five is Rep Don Young (R-AK) who blames public benefits for causing suicides.

Ooohkay, .Don.

Honorable mention number six is Mama June of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo fame, who got the family's TLC reality show canceled because she's dating a convicted child molester.  

WTF?  Mama June tried to deny she was, but obviously TLC didn't believe her.   TLC 'had already shot another season of shows and it was one of their more profitable ones, so they are taking a fiscal hit in this situation.   I never watched the show anyway, but damn, what the hell was she thinking?  

This week's Shut Up Fool Award winner is Rep. Steve King (R-IA).

Just when I start to get despondent about the plethora of elected GOP idiots roaming my home state, here comes Steve King to lift my spirits and let me know that Texas doesn't have a lock on Republicans saying stupid crap on a regular basis.

King was interviewed for a local Iowa newspaper and in it opined that 'gays won't make it to heaven'

"I would say that what was a sin 2,000 years ago is a sin today, and we need to stick to that principle,” King said. “I’ll just say that what was a sin 2,000 years ago is a sin today, and people that were condemned to hell 2,000 years ago, I don’t expect to meet them should I make it to heaven. So let’s stick with that principle.”

Dude, what make you so sure that you'll be going to heaven to find out whether there are rainbow flags flying there or not?

Judge not, lest ye be judged.   And Rep. Steve King, shutteth up fool!

January Lapuz Update

Will continue to monitor this north of the border case and see if the Canadian justice system is better than the one in my own nation when it concerns dispensing justice in the murder of trans individuals.
--TransGriot, July 20, 2013

Based on the result of this case, inconclusive.

When I last checked in on this case, Charles Neel was facing second degree murder charges in the stabbing death of trans pinay January Lapuz.

The 26 year old Lapuz was stabbed in her New Westminster, BC home in September 2012 and died in a local hospital a few days later.   Neel was arrested in December 5 and charged in the case with a trial start date of June 9, 2014.

One the date the jury trial was supposed to start, Neel pleaded guilty in BC Supreme Court to the lesser charge of manslaughter.  He accepted responsibility for Lapuz's death, but didn't admit the intent to kill her.

He was sentenced on June 12 to 8 years in prison, which will be reduced further due to time served to five years and three months.

Was justice served here?   Depends on your point of view in this case.

TransGriot 2014 NFL Picks-Week 8

It's the halfway point of the 2014 NFL season, and at this point in the season long prognostication battle I've been waging with Mike and defending champ Eli it has been tight.

But I did hold the overall lead in our competition for six weeks until I slipped and had that 9-5-1 Week 6 while Mr Watts was going 11-3-1 to take over the lead by one game 

Well, in Week 7 It came down to the Texans-Steelers game to sort out who not only won the week at 11-4, but who would take the lead in our competition.   No thanks to the Texans having a late second quarter meltdown Mike and Eli won this week.

Thank heavens this competition is still tight and I have eight weeks to stay in position to win it. 

But I'm so pissed off at the Texans right now I don't even want to post a pic of them after this game that they threw away.   I'll let y'all look at Adriana Lima instead.

Well, here's this week's picks.  15 games once again with the NY Giants and San Francisco 49ers on their bye week.   My picks as usual will be in underlined bold print, Mike and Eli's will be here once they become available.

Week 7 Results

TransGriot   10-5
Eli                11-4
Mike            11-4

2014 NFL Season Record

TransGriot     68-37-1
Eli                  68-37-1
Mike              70-35-1

NFL Week 8

Thursday Night Game
Denver over San Diego

Sunday Early Games
Houston over Tennessee
Detroit over Atlanta
Tampa Bay over Minnesota
Buffalo over NY Jets
New England over Chicago
Seattle over Carolina
Miami over Jacksonville
Baltimore over Cincinnati
Kansas City over St Louis

Sunday Afternoon Games
Philadelphia over Arizona
Indianapolis over Pittsburgh
Cleveland over Oakland

Sunday Night Game
Green Bay over New Orleans

Monday Night Game
Dallas over Washington

Politini LGBT Decoded Interview With Dr. KRZ

Y'all know how much love and respect I have for all three of these brilliant people in Aisha and Danielle Moodie-Mills and Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler.

That's too much awesomeness for one room we are not worthy to handle. (bowing in direction of Oakland and DC)

They recently got together to do a Politini interview that Danielle conducted.   In it Kortney talks about what equality means to him and why he has no problem speaking his mind when it comes to calling out injustice when he see it.

Check it out!

Representing Trans* Symposium In Chicago Soon

This one was in the works before all the unexpected drama started popping up in my life, but I'm still going  to be there.

The there is the Representing Trans* Symposium in Chicago at the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry on the University of Chicago campus November 8.

So yes people, that means I'll be coming to the Windy City, and when I arrive I'll have destroying a Giordano's deep dish pizza on my mind.  Something else I'll have on my mind is seeing as many of you wonderful folks in the Chicagoland area as possible

The symposium starts at 1:30 PM CST with a 'Sociological Approaches to Trans Representation' Panel  moderated by Dr. Kristen Schilt of the University of Chicago.

The panelists will be Vivian Namaste,  Tey Meadow, and Salvador Ortiz-Cruz.

Then it will move to the panel I'm a part of that will start at 3:30 PM, entitled ''Artistic and Activist Approaches To Trans Representation.'  moderated by Chase Joynt..
.
The panelists will be Amos Mac, Tiq Milan, Jen Richards, and Ariel Schrag and should be a fascinating discussion that is scheduled to run until 5:00 PM..

Both of those panels will take place in the Gray Center Lab Midway Studios, and the address is 929 E 60th St.

Then at 6:30 PM we move the symposium action to the Logan Center For the Arts and an Evening with Kate Bornstein.  

If you are in the Chicagoland area and wish to attend  Logan Center is located at 915 E. 60th St.

I hope to see you peeps there.

The Reggae Girlz Fail To Qualify For 2015 Women's World Cup

After their heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Costa Rica after fighting back to tie the match on a Shakira Duncan goal in the 77th minute, the Reggae Girlz found themselves in win or go home territory in their quest to qualify for the 2015 Women's World Cup 


Since Costa Rica had already clinched Group B with 6 points and the wins over both Mexico and Jamaica, both teams were playing for the Group B runner up spot and a semifinal date with FIFA world number one ranked Team USA.

Mexico and Jamaica came into the game at RFK Stadium with a win and a loss in group play and 3 points.  Because Mexico scored 10 goals on Martinique in their October 18 match with them while Jamaica scored a 6-0 win with Martinique back on the 16th,  they entered this final group match with a +9 goal differential to Jamaica's +5.  That meant that if both teams finished the game with a draw, Mexico would advance.

The Reggae Girlz struck hard and struck first with Donna-Kay Henry's third goal of the tournament in the 14th minute.  It was a  rocket fired just under the crossbar inside the far post from the right side of the box to take the early 1-0 lead.   But Mexico struck back with a Sandra Mayor goal in the 29th minute to send to match to halftime drawn at 1-1.

Mexico broke Jamaica's hearts in the 59th minute with the first of Veronica Corral's two second half goals.   She added an insurance goal in the 79th minute for the 3-1 win that allowed Mexico to finish 2-1 in Group B play while the Reggae Girlz finished 1-2.  

Jamaica came close, but dropping that match with Costa Rica turned out to be the death blow to their effort to become the first Caribbean based women's team to qualify for the Women's World Cup.

Hopefully the Reggae Girlz will get a chance to do so again in 2019, and the Jamaican Football Federation and some corporate sponsors step up with the funding.  

Let's hope they get enough funding so they can play the friendly matches they need against the international women's soccer powers to strengthen their team and make that World Cup dream a reality.

Facing Homelessness

Homelessness is  a critical issue for trans people, with one in five having experienced homelessness at some time in their lives because of discrimination and family rejection. As a result, an estimated 20-40% of the more than 1.6 million homeless youth in the United States are LGBT

Unfortunately, transgender people facing homelessness also face discrimination from agencies that should be helping them, with nearly one in three (29%) reporting being turned away from a shelter due to their transgender status. While leading experts on homelessness recommend providing emergency housing consistent with a person’s gender identity, 42% of trans people facing homelessness have been forced to stay in a shelter living as the wrong gender.

In the 20 years I've been transtioned, while I've dealt with unemployment, I've always managed on one level or another to keep a roof over my head and avoid being part of that trans homeless narrative.

Until now. 

Due to a confluence of events, I'm about to get bounced from the place I've called home for the last four years, and one of the relocation options I was counting on fell through.  

So I'm staring at the prospect of being part of the transgender homeless stats after having a triumphant moment last week in H-town of being honored with three local Readers Choice awards. 

One of the most basic parts of life is to have a roof over your head that is yours.  I've been the person that has been when I had my own apartment in the 90's offered my couch for someone in the community to stay on and get back on their feet.    

>Now I'm the one in that position, and it's a depressing circumstance to be in, especially when you're aware that many of the shelters here are transphobic and not an option, and because I was a caretaker for my  grandmother and the housing was part of the deal, I'm not rolling in cash to put a deposit down on an apartment .


And I can only imagine what it's like for a transgender kid who suddenly gets thrown out of their home because of family disapproval.

Yeah, it sucks to be in this situation.   And what hurts is I've always been the type of person that wants to  solve my problems on my own before calling for help.   It has to be something major for me to do that. 

Well, I'd say facing being out on the street qualifies as a major problem..

All I'm really looking for is a place for about four to six weeks until I can get a more permanent solution to my personal housing bubble. 

And I'm running out of time to find it

Tired Of The Williams Sisters Getting Disrespected

One of the things that will set me off in a hurry is when misgendering is aimed at Black women from the girls in the 'hood to Michelle Obama, the First Lady of the United States

And far too often, some of the peeps gleefully doing so are Black men.

It's part of the four century old attack on Black femininity, and one of the frequent targets of these sexist and racist misgendering attacks are my fave tennis playing siblings, Venus and Serena Williams.

And frankly, I'm beyond sick and tired of it.  

They were thrust into the news when Shamil Tarpischev, the head of the Russian Tennis Federation and one of the Russian reps on the International Olympic Committee, opened his mouth and misgendered Venus and Serena.

Tarpischev made the comments during an appearance on a Russian TV talk show this month alongside former Olympic singles champion Elena Dementieva. When Dementieva was asked what it was like playing against the Williams sisters, Tarpischev interjected and called them the "Williams brothers." He also said that "it's scary when you really look at them."

Tarpischev is probably mad because the Williams sisters routinely beat the Russian women on the WTA tour and elsewhere in the world.   .

Tarpischev tried to claim the usual 'it was a joke' and my 'comments were taken out of context' defenses, but the WTA isn't laughing.   They suspended him for one year,  fined him $25,000, and are seeking to have him removed as the head of the Kremlin Cup tournament, Russia's only WTA event.

 Maria Sharapova also had a problem with Tarpischev's comments. 

"I think they were very disrespectful and uncalled for, and I'm glad that many people have stood up, including the WTA. It was very inappropriate, especially in his position and all the responsibilities that he has not just in sport, but being part of the Olympic committee," Sharapova said.

Serena fired back at a press conference in Singapore, "I think the WTA did a great job of taking (the) initiative and taking immediate action to his comments," Williams said Sunday ahead of her WTA Finals  defense. "I thought they were very insensitive and extremely sexist as well as racist at the same time. I thought they were in a way bullying."

And I'm getting tired of successful Black women getting misgendered.  Good for the WTA in calling this crap out that was aimed at the Williams sisters, and society needs to chill ,too..

Happy Birthday Geena!

When I picked up the phone back in March and it was her on the other line, little did I know after that two hour phone conversation that day I was not only going to get a ringside seat for a wonderful to watch story, but I would make a friend in the process.

Ever since she exploded onto the scene with that widely acclaimed coming out TED talk, it has been one amazing year for our New York based sis Geena Rocero.

 In addition to our fave trans pinay rocking runways and the glamorous photo shoots of her day job, she founded Gender Proud, an international trans organization with the mission of advocating for the ability of trans, intersex and gender variant people around the world to have legislation in their various nations allowing them to easily change documentation to reflect the persons they are now without surgical intervention.

She has piled up the frequent flyer miles traveling the globe to lend her voice to numerous events from the White House to her native Philippines to advocate for trans rights issues..

And she does so with intelligence, grace, class and one beautiful smile. 

 I couldn't let her birthday pass without giving her a TransGriot shout out on it.

Happy birthday Geena! Thanks for all you do to advance trans human rights around the planet and look fabulous doing it!   Hope you're having a wonderful, blessings filled day!  

I'm proud to call you a friend and sister in the international trans human rights struggle, and I pray you receive the ultimate blessing of  celebrating many more birthdays to come! 

ANZPATH Conference Trans Human Rights Keynote Speech

As I've been saying for a long time and it increasingly is being borne out, trans rights are an international human rights issue.

That message was driven home at the recent Australia and New Zealand Professional Association For Transgender Health biennial conference at Adelaide University that took place October 3-6

Australian Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson gave the opening keynote speech at this event.

He was appointed in February and the appointment was notable Down Under because Wilson is the first ever openly gay human rights commissioner.

Wilson's speech clarifies the Australian Human Rights Commission position on trans human rights issues.and leaves no room for doubt for our Aussie trans brothers and trans sisters where the commission stands.

Here's Commissioner Wilson's October 3 ANZPATH keynote speech.

Why Are The Big MMA Circuits Ignoring Fallon Fox?

One of the cool things to watch over the past year has been the rise of Fallon Fox in the women's MMA ranks.  

While some peeps have been transphobically hating on her like Ronda Rousey, Tamikka Brents, Charmaine Tweet and Matt Mitrione, others have been supportive like Liz Carmouche.

When she came out as trans last year, it appears that the many of the promoters of the larger MMA circuits like  UFC, Bellator, Invicta and World Series of Fighting smugly assumed that at age 37, Fox didn't have the skills to compete at that level or she'd fight a few times, then retire.

After the upset loss to Ashlee Evans-Smith saddled Fox with a 3-1 record, they were probably feeling quite secure in that assessment.

But since that loss, Fox has reeled off two  impressive wins to bump her record to 5-1, with the most recent one (and most satisfying so far to me) being a microwaved demolition of signed InvictFC fighter Tamikka Brents.

As Fallon continues to win, it's fairly obvious that Ms. Fox has skills and is definitely head and shoulders above WMMA regional ranks littered with female fighters with .500 records or less.

So why hasn't one of the Big Four MMA orgs signed her?   Because they are in a seriously awkward spot at this point and don't know what to do about it.  

And if you're trying to prove that WMMA is a credible sport, sooner or later the female fighters that are ducking her will have to fight her to enhance their own credibility and visibility to the Big Four MMA organizations..

The Big Four MMA orgs will feel the pressure to sign her increase, especially from the LGBT community as it becomes obvious that Fox is one of the best fighters out there and she is being
denied an opportunity to pursue it at the highest levels because of transphobia.

It's also hypocritical that you have a WMMA fighter in Jessica Rakoczy with a 1-4 record signed in the UFC and Fox has yet to get a call from the Big Four MMA orgs despite her demonstrated abilities.

If the trans and SGL community comes to the ossifying impression that Fox is being denied a place in their organizations because she's a transgender female, that's scrutiny the MMA will rue the day they invited upon themselves   It will cause GLBT advocacy organizations to review the previous grossly  transphobic comments aimed at Fox and the negative history that the sport has in general with the LGBT community.

So what are you going to do UFC, Bellator, Invicta and World Series of Fighting?   The ball is clearly in your court.   You can either sign a talented fighter, or by your inaction and stonewalling, invite more scrutiny upon you that you're not doing so because of transphobia