Juneteenth 2015-Up, Up, You Mighty Black Trans Texans!

150 years ago today Union Major General Gordon Granger ascended a balcony at Ashton Villa in Galveston, TX and read General Order Number 3 that proclaimed that all slaves in Texas were free. 

Last year in honor of Juneteenth I wrote a post that called for all Black trans Texans to engage in a Juneteenth o our own to emancipate ourselves from the mental plantations we inhabit and stride boldly into facing the world as our true selves..

Yes, trans rights are international human rights.  We are at a tipping point moment that sees us on the verge of making them a reality around the world. Even a red trending purple Texas can't resist the forward momentum of trans human rights forever.  If we want a Texas that protects our human rights as trans people, we will need to show up, show out and fight tooth and nail to make it a reality. 
--TransGriot June 19,2014

It has been a tough year for us.  We beat back with the help of our allies the attempts of two transphobic Republican legislators to criminalize being trans and incentivize bullying of trans kids.

One of the names we will memorialize at TDOR in November is 24 year old Ty Underwood of Tyler,.

While the perpetrator in the Underwood case has been caught and is awaiting trial, we still have much work to do to promote a culture in Texas and beyond that emphatically proclaims #BlackTransLivesMatter. just as much as cisgender Black lives do.

While we fought off anti-trans legislation in our state this time, the transphobes will try it again in 2017, and we need to start preparing now to deal with that.   Dee Dee and I must have help in the next legislative session from other Black trans people around the state.   We cannot continue to be the ONLY Black transpersons willing to go to Austin and walk the halls of our state capitol to lobby our state reps and state senators.   Our legislators need to see more of you from Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Beaumont, Tyler, Austin and those of you who live in small towns across our ginormous state.

We also need to be involved in he life of straight and SGL Black America as well.   We need to show up and handle the community's business on issues of importance to ALL of us as Black Texans and Black Americans.

So up, up you might Black Texans!  Your community, your state, and your country need you to stand tall and represent.

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