Tommie Ross Recovery Fundraiser

As many of you know, and I've told her personally, I have mad love and respect for my Houston homegirl and Miss Continental 1999-2000 Tommie Ross.

One of my early forays into Montrose was a trek to Studio 13 to watch her perform.  Her graceful elegance made her one of my transition role models.   I can't forget when I finally did meet her she not only is one gracious and lovely individual, she thoroughly whipped my butt when we played pool one night in 1990 at a defunct club called Uptown Downtown.

Was saddened and upset to hear that she suffered a mild stroke while traveling out of the country.  She drifted in and out of consciousness, had a fever, temporary kidney loss, suffered some memory loss and lost the ability to walk. 

I also didn't appreciate hearing about a shady drag queen making some disrespectful remarks about Miss Ross while she was in serious condition in a local hospital. 

More about that waste of DNA later.  Back to talking about Tommie. 

When she returned to the States, her condition worsened and after a battery of tests were conducted by her medical team, she was diagnosed with Legionnaires Disease.

After several rounds of antibiotics to treat the infection that got embedded in her lungs, she has begun to regain her ability to speak from the strole, and was able to stand up for the first time recently with the aid of a walker

Her medical team believes that she will fully recover over the next few months, and she is facing several rounds of physical therapy that she is determined to get through.

People have asked what they can do to help Tommie as she goes through this trying time.  A fundraiser has been set up with a $25,000 goal,.  So far as of this writing it has reached $3785,  so there's a long way to go to hit the targeted amount.

So if you can help a legendary sister out, please do so.   The link to the fundraiser is here.

Two Trans Women Elected In Alaska!

We in the lower 48 don't get much news out of Alaska, and when we do it's focused far too often on the tabloid mess coming from the Palin family.

But in a rough week for trans kind, we definitely can use some good news, and it's coming out of the city of Fairbanks.

In an electoral history making moment in the state of Alaska, two trans people have been elected to office in the area, and are now serving in their respective positions in Kathy Ottersten and Liz Lyke.

It comes during an election year in which like everywhere else in the US, women were running for office at all levels of government 

Ottersten was elected to a Fairbanks city council seat, while Lyke was elected to a seat on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly,  Fairbanks is the second largest city in the state of Alaska with an estimated population of 32,751 residents.  The Fairbanks North Star Borough has a population of over 97,000 residents.

Boroughs are equivalent to county level governments in the other 48 states.

Ottersten is serving as a newly elected representative on the Fairbanks City Council in Seat D for one year.  Lyke is ironically serving a three year term on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly in Seat D.

While Ottersten and Lyke just want to get to the business of serving their constituents and insist that being trans is just a small portion of their lives, I and the trans community recognize and salute the political history they just made in the Last Frontier for our community. 

Congrats ladies, and may you have much success serving your community to the best of your ability. 

Stan Stanart Trafficking In Anti-Semitism In Re-Election Bid

I have loathed Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart, the Republican in charge of Harris County's voting apparatus for years.  He has made it clear multiple times he is a partisan hack who camouflages it a veneer of 'good Republican' respectability in order to get crossover votes. 

In addition to wasting $2.75 million of Harris County tax dollars on an automated voter check in system that is still not ready for election prime time, he has engaged in voter suppression on behalf of his party as he desperately tries (and fails) to keep Harris County from inexorably turning blue by restricting early voting hours from 8 AM-4 PM in the Lone Star State's largest and most populous county during the first week of it to 8 AM-4 PM instead of 7 AM-7 PM.

For this midterm it was 8 AM-4:30 PM.   

He also pissed off the Houston TBLGQ community back in 2015.  On the day the Obergefell v. Hodges SCOTUS ruling dropped, he stalled the issuance of marriage licenses for same sex couples for most of the day until he was forced to issue them by Harris County attorney Vince Ryan and several couples ready with attorneys on hand to handle their marriage business. 

Stanart then later shadily changed the design of the Harris County marriage licenses to include a pic of a man and woman getting married.

The non-white community in Harris County despises him to the point that #FireStanStanart has been a hashtagged rallying cry for us every election cycle as we fume not only about the suppression efforts, but how slowly the election night returns come in from his office.

Stanart is finally up for reelection and being challenged by Diane Trautman, the Democratic nominee for his job.   It has come to light that on his campaign website he is pimping an anti-Semitic attack on George Soros in order to stave off election defeat.

Make NO mistake, George Soros wants to control Harris County Elections and Stan Stanart is in his way. If Harris County, larger in population than 26 states, allows socialists like Soros to control our elections, then Texas is next. It is almost impossible for a Republican to win the White House without the 38 Electoral College votes from Texas. 

Stan needs your help TODAY to fight the millions that Soros and his allies plan to pour into Harris County. There are many more Flag Waving, defenders of the Constitution then those who support Soros’ world views, but remember “All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing.”– Edmund Burke.

This is disgusting, and Stanart needs to be punished at the polls for it.  Fortunately we have a few days left in early voting and Election Day on November 6 to #FireStanStanart, and hire Diane Trautman in his place.

TransGriot Update:  Stanart has pulled the disgusting ad from his website.   Still needs to be bounced from his position and replaced by Diane Trautman  

'Trans People Deserve To Live' Banner Displayed During World Series Game

I wasn't watching Game 5 of the 2018 World Series in Los Angeles because I'm still salty about what happened to my Astros.   But when chatter started popping up online about something happening at the game, I took a few moments from the writing assignment I was working on to check it out.

My online social media search was rewarded with the glorious sight of a trans flag themed banner being unfurled in Dodger Stadium with the words 'Trans People Deserve To Live' on it.

The question that crossed my mind when I saw it was,"I wonder if the trans Latinas were behind this?" It didn't take long to have my hunch confirmed that it was indeed the Trans Latina Coalition handling their Dodger Stadium protest business.

Bamby Salcedo and Maria Roman were at the Red Sox- Dodgers game and during the fifth inning, dropped the banner from the left field upper deck seats of the stadium.

Even if I had been watching the game, would have found out about it until later because the banner according to multiple reports, wasn't shown during the FOX broadcast of the game.

It did hang for a few minutes before security personnel intervened, removed the banner and escorted Salcedo and Roman out of the ballpark without incident and without being arrested .

“I felt my heart was dropping along with it,” said Salcedo,  the president of the Trans Latina Coalition in an interview with INTO. “I was kind of exploding because of the adrenaline. You don’t know what’s going to happen with the police and security and all of that.”

Even though the banner drop didn't make it on the FOX broadcast of what turned out to be the final game of the World Series, it is blowing up on social media.

Salcedo is calling for trans people in other communities to take up space in mainstream community events and replicate the action just conducted in Los Angeles as a show of resistance to the anti-trans actions being aimed at us.

“I hope that this action will motivate members of the trans community, our allies and our comrades to really activate and to really understand that we have power,” Salcedo said. “We can demonstrate our power anywhere and everywhere.”

Yes, we can.    What it also demonstrates is that we will not be erased, either. 

Houston Stands With The Trans Community Rally Happening Today

We have seen this Trump Misadministration ever since they gained power gleefully attempt to roll back and eviscerate the human rights of trans Americans.

While their initial actions such as attempting to ban trans people from serving in the military have been bogged down in the courts, others they have executed have been successful such as the Department of Education not taking student discrimination complaints. 

In addition to wiping all mention of trans people off US government websites, the Sessions controlled Department of (In)Justice is tying to push a legislative interpretation that claims trans people aren't covered under Title VII and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. and open us up to discrimination.

The persecution of trans people not only extends to our trans kids and their parents, but also extends to our trans immigrant population.

Since trans people are under attack by this government, we are doing what we must do in terms of standing up and fighting back against the oppression. 

The Organization Latina de Trans en Texas (OLTT) is organizing a rally starting at 7 PM that will give our allies and accomplices a chance to show support to our local trans and gender nonconforming community. 

It will also send the message that we're here, we're part of the Houston community and we won;t be erased.

Houston City Hall is located at 901 Bagby Street, and the rally will take place on the steps near the reflecting pool side of the building.     Hope to see you there!

Why I Hate The 'Vote The Person, Not The Party' Line

One of the things I have been sick of hearing in the 2018 cycle is Republicans, knowing they are about to take a serious butt whipping at the polls on November 6, trotting out that 'vote the person not the party' line in a desperate attempt to save themselves from the Blue Tsunami that is about to engulf them.

What has me doing some hard solid thinking about this issue is a couple of local races.   There was an AKA candidate forum held here about two weeks ago in which one of the Black Republican judges, Melanie Flowers, got huffy because the Democratic ones kept saying vote a straight Democratic ticket during all their presentations. 

Flowers got appointed to the 257th District Court seat by Gov Greg Abbott, and is now being challenged by the Democratic nominee Sandra Peake for it.   

Because we have partisan election of judges here in Texas, we are subject to having these wild swings in which during the GOP waves of 2010 and 2014, we lost all the Democratic judges who had the misfortune of running that year, and in 2008, 2012 and  2016 the reverse happened to the Republicans. 

Black Republican judges also have to deal with the fact they get primary challenged by their bigot wing.  Flowers was bounced from a previous judicial bench in a GOP primary.   It's one of the major  reasons why besides the fact that Flowers is in the wrong party, why I'd rather have Peake serving on that judicial bench.

I've also been pissed by far too many white liberal progressives in my circles stating they are going to vote for the ten year incumbent Ed Emmett's problematic behind for Harris County judge instead of the eminently qualified Democratic nominee in Lina Hidalgo.   They usually say that BS line in a weak attempt to justify it, or harp on the nebulous 'experience' excuse.

Really?  Hidalgo is a Stanford grad pursuing a joint degree in law and public policy.

The vote the person, not the party' argument is highly problematic in a time in which one party has basically become unrepentantly fascist.   If you are a still a member of the Republican Party, by being a member of it you are signaling to me as a Black American you aren't a good person.

It's even more problematic to me if you are a person of color who is a Republican

You signal to me as a trans person of color by being a Republican that you are okay with the gleefully executed persecution of all non-white people, the TBLGQ community and immigrants.

You signal to me that you are okay with white supremacy as long as it doesn't personally impact you, your wallet, or that you can stay blissfully not woke about how it affects non white Americans.

You signal to me that you are okay with Trump's mispresidency, the anti-Black, anti-POC and anti-civil rights policies pushed by the Republican Party, and you're down with its platform.

Well, these Trumpian times call for you 'good Republicans' to make a choice.  If you don't want to get thrown out of office, and consider yourself a 'good person', the time has come for you to take a principled stand and switch parties.

Or you can stay and not only get swamped by the Blue tsunami that's coming, but lose your soul as well.   The choice is yours

Republicans don't vote the person.   They without question fall in line and vote for their party.  If they were really all about 'voting the person and not the party', Hillary Clinton would be living with Bill in the White House family quarters right now, Alabama Republicans wouldn't have voted in massive numbers for that pedophile Roy Moore to be their US senator, and Texas Republicans wouldn't have voted for a three time indicted felon in Ken Paxton to be our state's attorney general.

So no, why should we Democrats not do the same thing in terms of unrelentingly supporting our candidates?  Because the last few years should have taught us by now that you can't get liberal progressive policies from conservative politicians.

You also can't get justice from Republican judges who are making rulings in many cases based on concerns with fending off primary challenges from their bigot wing or getting GOP donors to back them for their next race.

If we want a liberal progressive policy agenda to be legislated into law, we must get control of our government back.   The only way that is going to happen is if we elect Democratic candidates in every election cycle in sufficient numbers.

Republicans have made it clear they don't care about the person, they vote their party.  It's past time that Democrats unapologetically do the same.
  

What Does Being A Democrat Mean?

I was challenged by someone in a Facebook thread to explain what being a Democrat means. 
This is what I came up. 

****
What does being a Democrat mean?

That evidence and fact based policy matters. That scientific research matters and needs to be consistently funded.

It means we Democrats believe public schools and universities matter because they teach our kids, and they deserve proper funding because an educated populace is important.

We Democrats believe that healthcare is a right that all citizens enjoy, shouldn't be denied because of preexisting conditions or ability to pay, and a healthy society is a policy imperative.

Being a Democrat means that our military should only be used to go to war as a last resort, and not as a first policy option.   We also believe that when people make the sacrifices necessary to serve in our military, they be compensated properly for it.   The Veterans Administration should be properly funded and serve our warriors when they return home from foreign shores. 

It means we recognize that our government at all levels works best when a diverse group of people step up to lead, and that when people of all ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to run for public office.

Democrats believe that people be paid a fair wage for their work, have the right to form a union to collectively bargain for reasonable wages, and get regular wage increases at those jobs.

Being a Democrat means that you believe that all people inside our borders should be treated fairly and with dignity and respect, even ones that aren't citizens of our country.  Who you love or your gender identity should not be justification for mistreatment. 

Being a Democrat means that we believe our country is better when we welcome people not born here to immigrate and contribute their talents to building our society.  It also means that as a multicultural society, hate speech, bigotry and xenophobic commentary is unacceptable and deserves the strongest condemnation  

Being a Democrat means that we believe the Constitution is a living document that evolves as our country and society evolves. It means that all people eligible to vote should be able to cast a ballot that counts in our elections, not suppressed out of participation in them.

It means that we Democrats believe that what determines whether a person receives justice in this country shouldn't depend on their skin color, whether the judge has a D or R behind their name, the federal judge was appointed by a Democratic or Republican president, or the size of their bank account

It means we Democrats believe in a media with journalists dedicated to speaking truth to power and reporting the facts.   We believe the media is an indispensable part of our democracy and a crucial component of creating the informed society we need so this American democratic experiment works properly.

Being a Democrat means we recognize there are many religious traditions in this country, not just right wing evangelical Christians.  The practice of those other religions inside our borders must be respected and protected.    We also recognize and respect the right of people to have no religious tradition at all, and the separation of church and state matters in a multicultural nation.

It means we recognize that infrastructure matters and it needs constant attention, funding and improvement

It means that as people who wish for America to be worthy of being called and seen as a great nation around the world, we praise our country when it is doing things right and constructively criticize it when it is on the wrong evolutionary path

It also means that we Democrats love this country, too

This is what a Democrat means.

Say Hello To Judge Tracey Nadzieja

Here's some wonderful news coming out of Arizona.

On October 12 Tracey Nadzieja was sworn in as a commissioner in the Maricopa County Superior Court.   That made her the first trans judge in the state of Arizona and only the third ever in the United States.

In case you're wondering who the other two are, they are Phyllis Frye here in Houston and Vicky Kolakowski in California.

“That’s the weird thing about doing this. Yes, I’m the first, and that’s a story,” Nadzieja said in an interview. “But on the other hand, what I had basically hoped going into this job is that people won’t see that part of the story. That the whole transgender part of the story will ultimately become an absolute non-issue. That people will just see me as somebody who is competent, fair, dedicated and just like anybody else.”

Still, Nadzieja becoming a judge is a tremendous point of pride to the Arizona trans community.   She is also ascending to a judicial bench at a time when the trans community is under assault from the Trump misadministration. 

Congratulations to Judge Nadzieja!

Moni's Latest Radio Interviews

During my time as an advocate, I've had the pleasure of doing numerous radio and podcast interviews for stations across the US and in Canada.   As someone who used to co-host a radio show on KPFT-FM in the late 90's early 2000's, I enjoy doing them. 

On Wednesday I had the interesting development of having two interviews scheduled on the same day.    One was with Genia Stevens at WORT-FM in Madison, WI during the noon CDT hour on A Public Affair.  The other was with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner's Breaking Through show later that evening at 7 PM CDT.

I have the link for the A Public Affair show, bit it hasn't been posted yet for the Breaking Through one.  When it becomes available, I'll post it here.

Here's the link for the interviews if you wish to check them out

A Public Affair- Madison


Breaking Through-

2018 Florida Governor's Debate

The race between Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) and Rep. Ron DeSantis (R) has been ugly from the start, with DeSantis wasting no time going low and deploying racist tactics against the first African American nominee for governor of the Sunshine State. 

Well, it shouldn't be a surprise since DeSantis has been swimming in the white supremacist sewers.

Early voting is now taking place in Florida as you read this, so if you live in the Sunshine State, handle you business. If you didn't see the October 21 debate that was broadcast on CNN, as a TransGriot public service, here's the debate video

Bye Megyn!

Black Santa came early this year and gave us the Christmas present of Megyn Kelly FINALLY getting fired from the Today Show for her comments defending blackface.

The karmic wheel has finally come for Kelly, who Black America has always had a hate-hate relationship with.    While Kelly was the pretty propaganda face at FOX Noise, she dished out a long stream of anti-Black comments that we still have receipts for and she's been unrepentant about.

What pissed off Black America even further was Andy Lack paying $69 million to Kelly to come to NBC, and the shady way that Tamron Hall and Al Roker were forced out of their Today Show time slot to make room fo her to do so. 

Seems like Andy Lack was the only person in America who didn't know this was a ratings trainwreck in the making. I stopped watching Today the nanosecond that Tamron Hall was bounced.

Wonder how my fellow Texan is feeling today about this news?   She's keeping it classy, so Black America will be gleefully petty for her. 

#ByeMegyn.  And a suggestion for you as you look for a new TV job.   Get some counseling to deal with those anti-Black attitudes you obviously have a problem with.

Chief Justice Lee Rosenthal Dismisses Drag Queen Storytime Lawsuit

Some good news to report for you out of Houston this week. 

As y'all know, the fake faith based hatemongers have their draws in a bunch over the monthly Drag Queen Storytime event held at the Freed-Montrose Public Library.

A group of faith based haters with a long history of filing frivolous suits in Chris Sevier, Tex Christopher, Tracy Shannon and Calvin Miller filed another one in federal court to stop this weekend's edition of Drag Queen Storytime from taking place at the Free-Montrose Library in the historic Montrose gayborhood on Saturday.

Sevier tried to claim that the library hosting Drag Queen Storytime amounted to the establishment of 'the religion of secular humanism".   His frivolous suit history includes one filed against Apple in 2013 for 'making a computer that allowed him to access pornography'.  A few years later he filed lawsuits in several states including Texas seeking the right for him to marry his computer. 

Sevier also filed suits against four Democratic congress members who flew rainbow flags outside their offices claiming that by doing so, they were 'promoting the religion of homosexuality'.

Tracy Shannon's problem with Drag Queen Storytime is that her husband allegedly left her for a trans woman.   And that pertains to Drag Queen Storytime in what way, Miss Thang?

Co plaintiff Tex Christopher claimed the event is 'grooming people to be transgender', and even threw in a comment about the suicide rates of trans children to buttress his weak argument.

"Why would they want to do that?  Transgender children have the highest suicide rate.  Why would we want to groom our children to be transgender?" Christopher said.

Naw Tex, its anti-trans hate and oppression coming from you, other evilgelicals, the TERF's and the Republican party that play a major role in spiking the trans suicide rate, not Drag Queen Storytime.

Another point is that drag queen does not equal to transgender person.   Trans people can and sometimes do work as drag artists.   But drag queens are predominately male performers who sometimes come out as trans people.

The case ended up in Chief Justice Lee H. Rosenthal's court, and she wasted little time in dismissing the suit and by extension, denying their attempt to get an injunction to stop this weekend's edition of Drag Queen Storytime.

On October 19, 2018, Tex Christopher, Tracy Shannon, Calvin Miller, and Mark Sevier sued [library system head] Rhea Lawson and [Houston Mayor] Sylvester Turner, alleging that Drag Queen Storytime at the Freed-Montrose Library violates the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution… On October 23, 2018, the plaintiffs applied for a temporary restraining order to enjoin the event… There is no basis to support the requested relief. The application is denied.

Legal mic drop.  The best part of Judge Rosenthal snatching their legal wigs is that they can't claim she is a 'liberal judge' because she was appointed by George HW Bush.

The fake faith based haters have appealed to ruling, but the end result is Drag Queen Storytime will go on as scheduled this Saturday.   The suburban haters will probably be protesting it.

TransGriot 2018 NFL Picks- Week 8

We are now at the halfway point of the 2018 NFL season.  We have a great idea which teams are looking like Super Bowl contenders, and which ones are pretenders competing for the first pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.

My Texans are now in first place in the AFC South after stomping the Jaguars.  They are playing  playing a home game unde the Thursday Night lights against the Miami Dolphins and Brock Osweiler.   This should be fun.   Keep reading to see who I picked in that game.

I had an excellent NFL Week 7, and can't wait to get at it and continue the positive momentum.

Y'all know the drill.  Teams I'm picking to win in bold print, HOME team in CAPS with Mike's picks here.   Only 14 games to pick because the Chargers, Cowboys, Falcons and Traitors Titans are on their bye week 

Also have another game in London's Wembley Stadium on the schedule.

Week 7 Results                                                2018 NFL Season Results
TransGriot  12-2                                               TransGriot  67-38-2
Mike           11-3                                               Mike           63-42-2

Thursday Night Game
TEXANS over Dolphins

London Game
Eagles over JAGUARS

Sunday Early Games
PANTHERS over Ravens
BEARS over Jets
BENGALS over Buccaneers
LIONS over Seahawks
CHIEFS over Broncos
Washington over GIANTS
STEELERS over Browns

Sunday Afternoon Games
Colts over RAIDERS
CARDINALS over 49ers
RAMS over Packers

Sunday Night Game
Saints over VIKINGS

Monday Night Game
Patriots over BILLS

MegaMillions $1.6 Billion Jackpot Drawing Tonight

As early voting is commencing in several states, the powerball and Megamillions drawings this week are worth a whole lot of life changing money.

The MegaMillions one that draws tonight is worth an all time MegaMillions record  $1.6 billion dollars.   If you take the cash option, it's only worth a measly $905 million.

The Powerball jackpot that draws on Wednesday night is worth $624 million

Even if you don't play it a lot, if you don't by at least one two dollar ticket, the only thing it guarantees by that non action is that you're NOT going to win the grand prize.  So it's why I'm going to take a chance at it and spend up to $6 maximum to get a few Powerball and MegaMillions tickets.

Yeah yeah,  I know I'll  have better odds of being struck by lightning twice or getting a date with Idris Elba than winning either jackpot, but what if I DO happen to purchase the winning ticket? 

For starters, I'm taking the cash option instead of the 30 year annuity.   After setting up my niece's college tuition trust fund, and a foundation that will benefit trans folks, may spend a hard cap amount  on some stuff I've always wanted.

The rest of that money would be invested wisely.   And yeah, I'd STILL be writing my blog, but from my own office space.

There is no doubt it would changes my life.  My family, and the trans community would benefit from my bank account getting a few extra zeroes in it.

And all you folks who hated on me before that jackpot win would get to stay in that corner and keep hating afterward.   No new friends, long lost relatives, or relatives who don't speak to me because I'm trans needed or necessary.   If you were ashamed to claim trans me before, frakk y'all afterward. 

But we'll see what happens at 10 PM EDT.   Time to go stand in line at the nearby convenience store and get my tickets.

TransGriot Update:  The winning ticket was sold in South Carolina.  

Miss Major's Comment About The Trump Trans Madness

As y'all know, I had something to say about the Trump misadministration making another renewed attempt to enact anti-trans policy to 'protect the nation'.

Really, conservafool?  Is that the lie you're going with this time, Dear Orange Misleader? 

One of the things that never fails to make my day is when I get a check in call from Miss Major.

As my trans elder, she has been through more crap that I have yet to experience, and she's #stillfuckinghere to tell us about it.   She also has been there to call our butt out on crap when we needed it, and give us encouragement  to handle our trans business as well.

So you know Miss major was down for Dolt 45's latest anti trans mess.   Here's what she posted on her Twitter feed about it.

After 70 years I am here to tell you the system has always tried to break us. All us trans girls know we got to depend on each other and when enough of us bitches come together we can it down and use the ashes to build the motherfucking mansions we deserve! #stillfuckinghere

Gotta love her.   Looking forward to the next opportunity to spend quality time with you.

You Will Not Erase American Trans People

'Should the self destructive white privilege fueled racist tendencies of white voters prevail on Tuesday, we will be stuck with people who hate us having offices in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the Justice Department gleefully making policy backed by the federal government that rolls back all the human rights games we have made since Stonewall.'
-TransGriot  November 4, 2016
I have noted since 2014 the disturbing conjoining of the Republican Party, the evilgelicals (mainly the Southern Baptists), TERF's and conservafool media with the goal of making a coordinated attack on the humanity and human rights of trans people.

As I warned before the 2016 election, trans people's humanity and human rights were on the ballot, and if Hillary didn't get elected our next president, it was going to be a problem for our community. 

Some of you dismissed my warnings as 'scare tactics'.  Now I reluctantly get to say 'I told you so' before I dive into what I need to say here.

I hope it is clear to you beyond a shadow of a doubt that the GOP and their allies hate trans you and especially Black trans me.  If you're one of the trans idiots who voted for Trump and still support him, I repeat, you are a sellout to the trans community.   You deserve  every bit of derision and shame we can heap upon you as a trans community sellout because you also voted for you own oppression.

But while venting on the sellouts will only make us temporarily feel good for a minute, when we're done chewing them out, it still won't change the fact that we have for at least another two years a federal government and in some states GOP controlled ones that are gleefully hostile to our trans existence.

The New York Times leaking a memo that details another fresh Trump misadministration attack on the human rights of the American trans community is definitely alarming. 

But as a Black trans person, I shake it off as just another day at the office. As a Black American. I'm used to whiteness and white supremacy trying and mostly failing in their 400+ year quest to attack my people's humanity and human rights.   To borrow Maya Angelou's words, and still we rise.

Yes, our ongoing centuries old human rights fight has seen some spectacular wins and progress for us and some disappointing losses and setbacks.   But as the Rev. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr reminds us, "We must accept finite disappointment, but must never lose infinite hope." 

The bottom line is our trans ancestors and elders have seen worse attacks, and they not only withstood them, they managed to build a movement that we have now taken international.

Yes, we as a community have made tremendous progress.  But it was also inevitable that a conservative backlash would emerge that would attempt to roll back whatever trans rights progress we have made in the United States.

Yes, we see the progress that trans people around the world are making as their nations recognize the human rights and humanity of their trans citizens.  One day the United States will belatedly join them.  But unfortunately that time isn't now. 

So no, take heart in not only the history of my people that we will win, but the history and resilience of the trans community.   No matter how hard the anti-trans haters try, they will not erase American trans people from existence, because frankly, they can't.

They had a better shot of doing so when we were in the closet.  We're not any more and haven't been since February 1953.   Nor are we American trans people going back into the closet.  We are going to fight Republican oppression of us with every fiber of our beings because we must for ourselves and for our trans kids.

That fight starts by firing every politician with an 'R" behind their name on November 6 at all levels of government.   And no, there aren't any 'good Republicans' if they are silent about the persecution of trans people.    It includes trans people running for office.   Then we mark the calendar for November 3, 2020 to get Agent Orange and his reprehensible misadministration out.

That fight also includes building allies.  Calling out our enemies every time they go low and attempt to push disinformation out there about our trans lives.  Educating people.   Drawing strength and comfort from our trans history.   Being our out, proud, amazing and unapologetically trans selves.

It also means that we need funders to get off the sidelines and invest in trans led organizations.  Donation money is also critically needed by POC trans led orgs like Black Trans Advocacy Coalition,  Trans Latina Coalition and others across the nation.

And yeah, if you like what I have to say on TransGriot, drop some change in the TransGriot Tip Jar in the upper left hand corner of the blog or my PayPal

Dry the tears of our trans kids.  Hug, love on and appreciate our Mama and Papa bears because they are also being viciously attacked by the right wing fake faith based haters in addition to our trans kids. 

Trans allies and trans family. check on the trans people in your lives and envelop them in love.   Listen to our trans elders for advice on what we do to navigate these troubled waters.   Trans adults, do whatever you need to do within reason to calm those rattled nerves,

Trans leaders, our trans younglings and our community constituency are looking to us for leadership, and we must provide it in this moment.

You will not erase American trans people, consevafools.   We will fight you every step of the way when you try to pass unjust laws and anti-trans policies because frankly, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain.             

And the thing we have to gain is a better America and a better world for our trans kids.