ESSENCE Honors Black Trans Women In Hollywood

One of the big three iconic magazines in the Black community is ESSENCE.   It has been chronicling the stories of Black women since its 1970 founding. 

I'm gratified to see that after a problematic history with trans women, that ESSENCE featuring more Black trans women in their stories and coverage to the point I'm seriously considering restarting my subscription to the magazine.

In the January 2020 issue discussing Black Women in Hollywood, I was pleased and proud to see my trans sisters and trans sibling in the article celebrating  Black Women in Hollywood..

The women of POSE are not only #BlackTGirlMagic personified, they are doing groundbreaking work on this FX show.   I just hope that all their hard work starts getting reflected in them finally starting to get nominated for and actually making more history by taking home some awards

It's also my wish for them that in addition to receiving awards they deserve to be nominated for, that other movie, Broadway and television roles start flowing from their time on this show as they already have started to happen for Angelica Ross and MJ Rodriguez .

And can't forget the groundbreaking work that Janet Mock is doing behind the POSE camera lenses as a writer, director and producer.  I'm also looking forward to seeing what happens in Season 3 of POSE later this summer. 

You may wish to head to your local newsstand and grab this latest issue of ESSENCE before it's gone. 

TransGriot Gets 5th Nomination For GLAAD Media Award!

Woke up to the wonderful news that TransGriot has been nominated once again for a GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding Blog category.

It it is my fifth overall  nomination, and the fourth consecutive nomination since 2017.  As you long time readers know, I won the Outstanding Blog award in 2018.

Once again the Outstanding Blog category is packed, with the other nominees being 2019 winner Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents, 2011 winner JoeMyGod, Gays With Kids and My Fabulous Disease.

Ever since this category started in 2011, there has never been a repeat winner of it.  Will this be the year that happens for me or the other two previous award winners, or will Gays with Kids or My Fabulous Disease finally get their first wins?

There are also folks who got nominated for GLAAD media Awards in which I had a participatory role in. 

Lauren McGaughy of the Dallas Morning News received a nomination in the Outstanding Newspaper Article category for her article  "Texas Leads the Nation in Transgender Murders. After the Latest Attack, the Dallas Trans Community Asks Why”

In the Outstanding TV Journalism Segment Category, Vice News Tonight was nominated for their 'Black and Trans in Texas' one.

ABC News Nightline was nominated  in the Outstanding TV Journalism category for "Am I Next? Trans and Targeted

Congrats also to my homegirls Trish Bendix, Raquel Willis, Geena Rocero and Dawn Ennis who also received GLAAD Media Award nominations for their work.

Bendix and Ellis are nominated in the Outstanding Digital Journalism category, while Willis and Rocero were nominated in the Outstanding Magazine Article category

I Am Jazz received another nomination in the Outstanding Reality Series category, so congrats to the Jennings family again..

The winners will be announced during the GLAAD Media Awards events in New York at the Hilton Midtown on March 19 and in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton on April 16.

Congrats to everyone who received nominations today, and good luck!

Jessica Zyrie Featured In The 'Absolut Acceptance' Ad

Y'all know how much I love my sis Jessica Zyrie.   In addition to her ripping Fashion Week runways, we are fortunate to have her here in the Houston area doing her thing to advocate for our community.

Jessica recently shot a commercial for Absolut Vodka released just in time for Pride Month and Father's Day.  The commercial also featured her amazing dad who I got to meet on my birthday trip  last month. 

I'm going to need to hit Wayne's Wings again the next time I find myself in the Alamo City.

Anyway, here's the commercial, entitled Absolut Acceptance

 

Shea Diamond Nominated For A GLAAD Media Award!

I'm not the only Black trans person who will be watching and waiting to see if I get a GLAAD Media Award when those shows happen in LA and New York.

My BTAC sister Shea Diamond has been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in the Best Music Artist category for her album Seen It All. |

Here's her website if you wish to check out her music.   Of course, Shea would also deeply appreciate it if you buy it as well and add it to your music collection.

My fave songs on the album are American Pie and I Am Her.



Just like my Outstanding Blogger category, it's a stacked field.   She is part of a ten person nominee field that includes another trans music artist in Kim Petras, Janelle Monae, Troye Sivan and Hayley Kiyoko just to name a few of the folks she's competing with for the honor..

Congrats Shea!   Here;'s hoping that you get to make some history of your own when they announce the winner of this highly competitive category. ,

Let Arqueze Girdy Compete!

As y'all know I'm am a huge proponent of letting trans people compete in whatever sporting events they have the talent and drive to win in.

Growing up in Texas and getting the opportunity to see the Houston Rodeo, I have watched people compete in barrel racing.   It's a sport in which a competitor riding a horse tries to navigate three widely spaced barrels in the fastest time on a triangular course.

You also must do so while directing the horse to go in a cloverleaf pattern around the barrels without knocking them down,  you falling off the horse, or the horse falling during the run and failing to cross the start-finish line.  If any of or a combination of those events happen, you receive a NO TIME for the run. 

Barrel racing is one of the few rodeo events in that macho rodeo sporting world that women are the predominate participants in.  We also have smaller rodeo competitions that happen here in the Houston area and across the state.

Since Black cowboys like Bill Pickett are credited with inventing the sport, many of these smaller rodeos are Black owned and run. .

It's time to introduce you readers to barrel racer Arqueze Girdy



Arqueze is a 5th generation rodeo competitor in her family who is trying to make it to the WPRA (Women's Professional Rodeo Association) professional ranks in her sport.

She also happens to be trans feminine.    That shouldn't be a problem, but it looks like somebody at the MLK Scholarship and Rodeo taking place at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds tomorrow has a problem with Girdy being there.

She's dealing with transphobia on the amateur rodeo circuit as she pursues her quest n to get to the professional ranks and one day compete in the WPRA events like the Houston Rodeo at NRG Stadium.

'They never come out and say it's because I'm transgender.  They say I'm not qualified", Girdy said in an interview with Houston's ABC13.   "I want to make history and open doors and help people. There are other people in my situation," she said.

Girdy texted her entry form and paid her fee to compete in the rodeo slated to happen at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds, but still hasn't heard from them. 

After not returning requests for comment from ABC13, the promoters for tomorrow's event finally put out a statement on Thursday evening.

"The promoters of the 1st Annual MLK Scholarship Rodeo and Trail ride are pleased to hold its inaugural event on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 9 a.m. at The Fort Bend County Fairgrounds. 

The goal of the event is to raise scholarship funds for deserving students in the Houston and surrounding areas. The rodeo and trail ride are open to ALL to attend and participate. 

Prospective participants should recognize that although this is an amateur event, which claims no professional affiliation whatsoever, all rodeo events and participants will be governed by rules and standards similar to those set forth by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and Women's Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (WPRCA). 

As for Ms. Girdy's concern regarding her ability to compete in this inaugural event, she first should make sure she has been in contact with official event promoters and affiliates, as we have only taken pre-registration up to this point and have yet to collect any funds from any participants; all registration will be completed at the fairgrounds. Secondly, if she has pre-registered, she should be aware of what is required at the time of entry. 

We are looking forward to Saturday's event and welcome everyone out to support our scholarship fund and enjoy a day of rodeo fun and entertainment."

Yeah, right.   Looks like y'all were planning to not let her compete until this made the news.

We'll see if the organizers of this event actually let Ms. Girdy compete, or are just selling woof tickets so they don't look transphobic to the world.

Hmm, looks like I may need to make a trip down I-69 to Fort Bend County to see what's happening with my barrel racing trans sibling.

The bottom line though, is that Black trans people exist, and you need to let her compete.

TransGriot Update (12 January):  Hearing disturbing chatter from peeps who attended the event that Arqueze was NOT allowed to compete.    Formulating next steps now

POSE's Dominique Jackson Coming To UH!

Been wanting to meet Dominique Jackson from POSE.   Now she's coming to Houston. 

The University of Houston Center for Diversity and Inclusion as part of their fall speaker series is bringing her to H-town.   Dominique will share her story about being a transgender woman and other aspects of her life. 

And she may talk about the show and her role as Elektra Abundance Evangelista on POSE. 

This conversation will take place on October 16 in the Houston Room on the south side of the UH Student Center at 6 PM.   Hope y'all come, check it out and show Dominique some love.     

Shea Diamond Sings At The HRC National Dinner

I met Shea Diamond during the 2017 BTAC conference in Dallas, and one of the highlights of it was our Family Day when she, Shea Freedom, Diamond Stylz backed up by Carmarion Anderson on percussion gave us an impromptu mic drop worthy singing performance.

Last Saturday the 22nd annual HRC National Dinner was held in Washington DC at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and Shea Diamond was tapped to sing at the event. 

Shea has been blowing up since I last saw her at BTAC.   She has been signed by a major label, and she is currently working on her debut EP that is being executive produced by Justin Tranter. 

After being introduced at the dinner by Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon, she went on stage and handled her business, singing an acoustic take on her hit song 'American Pie'.  She also gained a new fan in our former Vice President Joe Biden. 

VP Biden was so moved by her performance he met with Shea backstage after she finished



Congrats Shea on all the positive things happening in your life right now.   Looking forward to hearing that EP when it drops.

Tona Brown Blazing Trails Again

You know my sis Tona Brown has been #BlackTGirlMagic personified throughout her music career when it comes to trans people gaining attention in the classical music world.

She has sung for a sitting US president and performed at Carnegie Hall.  Now this December she will be participating in an all LGBTQ ensemble of soloists and musicians performing Handel's Messiah. 

Tona told me in a phone interview that she's still in shock that this is happening for her.

"I didn't know if this would happen for me in my lifetime," Brown said. "They asked me, and I'm still in shock about it."   "I'm pleased to be part of this groundbreaking event," she added.

This historic performance of The Messiah will take place at the First Presbyterian Church in Arlington, VA on December 15.   Address is 601 N Vermont Street in Arlington, and if you're in the DC-MD-VA area I hope you'll support this event

Ciora Thomas Named To PA Commission of LGBT Affairs

That was fast.

Just posted yesterday about the Pennsylvania Commission of LGBT Affairs being devoid of Black trans representation, and now comes word that the oversight has been fixed.

Ciora Thomas of Pittsburgh has been added to the commission as of today.   And yes, she's a proud girl like us.

She's the founder of Sisters PGH,  serves on the Pittsburgh LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council secured a partnership and position on the board of Proud Haven, an organization that provides a safe shelter for homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth/adults.

Congrats Ciora!  I know you'll be an unapologetic voice for Pennsylvania trans folks.   Kudos also to whoever was reading and listening to Ernest and myself, and fixed the representation problem with the LGBT Commission that Ernest Owens and I were calling out.

Breanna Sinclaire Sings The National Anthem At Another MLB Game

As an Astros fan, I'm enjoying the 2018 Major League Baseball season almost as much as I enjoyed last year's 2017 World Series championship run.

One other thing I'm enjoying is hearing about my talented opera singing sis getting the opportunity to sing the national anthem at another Bay Area baseball game.

She first did so three years ago on June 18, 2015 at an Oakland Athletics game.  By doing so, Sinclaire made some trans history became the first out trans person to perform the national anthem before a Mator League Baseball game.

Sinclaire is also featured in the Nicole Opper documentary Mezzo, that chronicles her life.

Now the San Francisco Conservatory of Music grad on Friday has received another opportunity to sing the national anthem on the other side of the Bay.

Sinclaire on Friday sang the national anthem before the San Francisco Giants game at AT&T Stadium against the San Diego Padres.   

Congratulations again Breanna!   Continue to blaze trails and be a possibility model for our trans kids out there.

Janet Mock Named To The 2018 ESSENCE #Woke100

You know that I have much love for the all around awesomeness of Janet Mock as a New York Times best selling author, motivational speaker, thought leader and trailblazing advocate.

Her current book is Surpassing Certainty, and I'm planning on getting a copy of it soon and taking some of my next scheduled down time to read it.

And because she is so awesome, I'm not surprised when I hear that Janet has broken new ground or been included on some list.

ESSENCE magazine has released their second annual #Woke100 list of Black women who are doing wonderful things for our community as proven change agents here and around the world

There was one trans feminine person included on the list this year, and it wasn't moi., it was Ms. Mock. 

Congratulations Janet for blazing another trail and repping #BlackTGirlMagic  and #BlackTrans Excellence in everything you do. 

'Star' Season 2 Starts Tonight

More Must See Trans TV action kicks off tonight with the season 2 debut of Star, the spinoff Empire show chronicling the rise of a girl group that has a major trans feminine character played by surprise surprise, an out Black trans woman in the lovely Amiyah Scott.

When we last saw Cotton, she was on a hospital gurney either about to get or recovering from her SRS, and handcuffs were being slapped on her. 

There was also other drama in the Season 1 finale in which Hunter and Eva shady behinds were both killed by a hitman mistaking him for Jahil while he was in the middle of coitus with Eva. 

There's Alexandra's pregnancy and the BLM activist father of the child being possibly paralyzed after a car accident,  and Big Trouble winning the NextFest music contest.



While I'm not liking that part of Cotton being arrested, the fact remains that Amiyah is playing a major trans character on a hit television show that is now in its second season. 

Besides my inquiring mind wanting to see how the group develops with Carlotta as their new manager and with a new name, I also want to see what happens in the relationship between Cotton and Carlotta, and now Jahil Rivera, the group's former manager who was revealed during Season 1 to be Cotton's biological father.

The Seson 2 fun on Star starts tonight at 8 PM CDT

Minha Filha! A Black Trans Daughterhood - Coming Soon In The ATX

I get to enjoy the brilliance of my homegirl Dora Silva Santana on a regular basis when I pop up to Austin, see her at BTAC or chat with her on the phone from time to time..

Now you peeps in the ATX have a chance to witness it when her performance piece Minha Filha! A Black Trans Daughterhood happens this month.

Minha filha! A Black Trans Daughterhood

What happens when the work of love comes through navigating precarity? My daughterhood was learning and trusting a mothering style that filled with meanings the absence, the landscape, the struggle. I couldn’t be mothered-protected from history, but I could learn to see my daughterhood in the seek-and-hiding from it. My girlhood was an imaginative-embodied space where running my little legs on the mud of northern Brazil without being caught in my girly motion was my favorite freedom game. At times, I drudged in the muddiness of daughterhood-motherhood. Allowing oneself to be the daughter of your own so that you can mother yourself, blurring boundaries, daughterring in order to open space for mothering. This is part of the story I want to share with you as we engage in this journey of remembering and living. Every time I would have hungry little eyes in the middle of the struggle, my mother would say “de mais longe a gente já veio” (from further we’ve come). Every time we stumble, it is healing to look back.

The event is free, and is being sponsored by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin's Economic Development Department, the Trans Justice Funding Project and allgo.

It will be held on August 13 at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center,  600 River Street in Austin from 3-5 PM.

Hope you peeps in the ATX area check it out, and I get a chance to roll up from Houston to see it as well

Laverne's 'The View' Suggestion As To Why Trump Hasn't Done A Pride Proclamation

Had to chuckle when I saw this video of Laverne Cox's recent appearance on ABC's The View and Joy Behar asked her for her thoughts on Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) Orange Is The New Black, transgender rights issues, trans people in the media and why 45 hasn't issued a pride proclamation like his predecessor President Obama did.

Laverne as usual does a fantastic job in driving home the point that TBLGQ Americans are also Americans, then slides a comment aimed at 45 you'll have to watch.

Enjoy

Call Me Ashley

As I have repeatedly pointed out over the history of this blog, trans people are part of the diverse mosaic of human life and we can be found on nearly every inhabited continent on planet Earth and every region of it.

That includes as we definitely can tell you at the Black Trans Advocacy Conference, Jamaica and the Caribbean.

Meet Ashley Gordon, a girl like us from Montego Bay who is and out and proud fashion blogger and model. She tells her story in two videos for the Jamaica Observer that were originally posted in September 2015.

Janet Mock's New Book 'Surpassing Certainty' Out Today

The last time I spent some quality time with my amazing sis was when we were making history together last summer at Chautauqua Institute.   She was telling me about her latest book she was writing at the time as we waited to go on that historic amphitheater stage

That book she was telling about in the green room, Surpassing Certainty, goes on sale today and is available in hardcopy and e-book formats.  

The latest book picks up from where Redefining Realness left off and covers Janet's twenties and navigating college, the corporate world and trying to find her purpose and place in the world without a roadmap to guide her along the way.

I know I'm looking forward to reading it and getting my copy autographed by her the next time i get to spend quality time with her.

Best of luck Janet with Surpassing Certainty, and hope it is another New York Times Best Seller for you.  

Sharron Cooks Makes History Again

Last summer Sharron Cooks made history by becoming the first out trans person in the state of Pennsylvania to become a DNC delegate.  She's made history once again by becoming the first out trans person to chair a city commission in Philadelphia.

 On Thursday she was elected as chair of the 23 member Mayor's Commission on LGBT  Affairs.

"As chair of the Mayor's Commission on LGBT Affairs, I am committed and dedicated to serving the needs of the City of Philadelphia's LGBTQ community.  I am committed to advocating for equality and building and maintaining positive and supportive community relationships with trust, honesty, transparency and integrity, " Cooks said in a G Philly Interview.

"This is a new role for me as a Black transgender woman.  I am open to learning and receiving respectful feedback, and I am looking forward to working with all members of our LGBTQ community and allies here in Philadelphia and abroad as well as working with other organizations and institution to help address the needs of our community."

Congrats Sharron for making history once again and being a trailblazing leader for your community.   Have no doubts you'll do a wonderful job in that chairperson's role.   

Black Trans Women Are Leaders

"It's got to stop somewhere, and it won't unless somebody steps forward and takes a stand.  I guess that's me.  Lady Java,  October 21, 1967 

On the way back from Austin I was thinking about once again in the early morning hours of International Women's Day the comment Diamond Stylz made about all the ways that Black trans women show up for many movements, but are in many cases dissed, dismissed or ignored as we are whitewashed out of the historical narrative.  .

And that needs to stop.  'Black trans women aren't just here to entertain you, provide melanin for your photo opps or be saddled with the 'tragic transsexuals' meme that your predominately white LGBTQ equality org uses to fundraise and lobby on.

Even when talking about trans kids, far too often the issue is framed through a white cultural lens. Black trans kids exist, and their voices need to be in this ongoing cultural conversation.  

There is this problematic narrative in the Black community that being trans 'is a white thang'. The best way we Black trans people and our community allies counter and attack it is having visible Black trans leaders combined with whacking the haters saying this with historical examples of the existence of Black trans people.

It can't be just in some photo op.  It must be a targeted, sustained media effort as well.

Black cis people need to consistently see and hear Black trans people talking about trans issues.  A white spokesperson can do that all day long and the massage will just be ignored.  

But let Laverne Cox or another Black trans person say the same message and their ears will perk up. We know how to talk to our people.  

When we lobby local, state and federal legislators, there are things I can say that doesn't have quite the same context when a white trans person says them.   And let me remind you that some of those local, state and federal legislators we're trying to persuade have my ethnic background.

Note that it was Laverne Cox that came up with the perfectly succinct line to talk about the Grimm case and our lives in general.

To further illustrate my point in the importance of centering Black trans people in our work, there was an incident that happened during the SB 6 hearing yesterday in which Sen. Eddie Lucio said to Dr Colt Keo-Meier that 'you don't know what discrimination is like".

Do you think Sen Eddie Lucio would have dared say that to me?

If he had tried that with me,  I would have immediately pushed back and said, "Sen Lucio,  I'm old enough to have started my school days in a segregated HISD school.  So yeah, being Black and trans I know what discrimination is like, and SB 6 is a discriminatory bill."

And at a time when we have hostile GOP state and federal administrations, we don't have time for non-intersectional BS.  It's nation time as far as we're concerned.  We're wanting action and solutions to the problems that ail our community, because we see this as a Defcon 1 emergency level situation because our sisters are being murdered,

The bottom line is that if you wish to have lasting success in this trans rights movement, it ain't gonna happen without Black trans women being at the table helping to formulate the strategies and tactics to do so.

We have numerous examples around the country of Black trans feminine leaders like Raquel Willis, Angelica Ross, Sharron Cooks, Janet Mock, Dee Dee Watters ,Precious Brady Davis, Andrea Jenkins, Tracee McDaniel, Rev Carmarion Anderson, Jazzmun Nichala Crayton, Lourdes Hunter, Elle Hearns, Bryanna Jenkins, Kim Watson and countless others,

There are also emerging young Black trans feminine leaders like Trinity Neal.

We Black trans women have been handling our leadership business even before Stonewall when you think about Lady Java, Lucy Hicks Anderson,  and post Stonewall in the person of Miss Major, Dawn Wilson, Marisa Richmond and yeah, some Texas based blogger y'all know.

So ponder this thought during International Women's Day in that Black trans women are leaders. We have a proud legacy of Black feminine leadership to draw on from our history and build upon.

In many cases  we are making history as we blaze these leadership trails   So why wouldn't you have capable Black trans women in your organizations?

You can either reach out and have us at the table to help create a winning strategy for all of us, or you can continue to wallow in the depths of anti-Blackness and spite, not include us as equal partners, and watch us do the damned thing anyway and look fly while doing so.

Your call.

'Star' Renewed For A Second Season

While I was more than a little shocked and pissed off to hear that Doubt has been canceled by CBS after only two episodes, I was happy to hear that the other primetime TV drama series with a major trans character in FOX's Star has been renewed for a second season.

While the show is a spinoff of Empire and focuses on an Atlanta based girl group trying to make it in the music business along with all the drama that comes with it in their personal lives, the storyline I have been focused on is the one involving Amiyah Scott's character Cotton and her mother Carlotta, played by Queen Latifah

They have a rocky relationship because of her transition and mom's reluctance to accept that her only child has become her daughter, and each week more of the backstory of both characters is revealed.

There aren't many episodes left in this initial 13 episode run, but looking forward to not only seeing how this first season ends, but picking up on all the storylines in Season 2

Tschan Andrews' TedX Talk

Tschan Andrews is a former model, activist, writer and former model who in this TedX talk tells her story and experience as a Black trans woman, and how these two facets of her identity intersect.

She is also one of our international trans sisters based in London, and talks about the trans experience from a much needed Black international perspective.   She is willing to use any platform to campaign for the inclusivity,  awareness and human rights for not just that group of the population, but for all. 

This is her TedX talk at University College London that was posted on January 18 entitled 'Transploitation: The Reality of Being A Black Trans Woman'