'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

Laverne on 'Hardball'

Guess someone at MSNBC was reading the tweet I put up in the wake of the HBO Milo disaster and yesterday when I said that transpeople needed to be in the studio when discussions were being had by network pundits about the issues that affect us.

I also said that trans people of color also need to be in those studios discussing the issues that affect us as well because being trans is not just a 'white thang' as elements of people in communities of color seem to think. .

So here's Laverne Cox talking to MSNBC's Chris Matthews on Hardball about the Trump revocation of  trans student protections and eloquently stating the case again that this is a human rights issue.

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And later on the show, she and Mara Keisling shut down a conservafool

Janet Mock's New Book 'Surpassing Certainty' Coming In June

When we spent some quality time together at Chautauqua Institute making some history back in August as the first out trans people to ever grace a CHQ tage that has had former presidents, senators and other luminaries and thought leaders on it,  in the quiet moments we had before that historic event, she told me that she was working on a new book.

That book my New York Times bestselling author sis was telling me about during that quality time we spent in Western New York I was happy to discover this weekend will be out in June.

It is entitled Surpassing Certainty, What :My Twenties Taught Me. is a memoir that focused on a young woman searching for purpose and place in the world without a roadmap to guide her on how to move forward.

This sounds interesting already.

Before she could become an advocate for others, she had to first become an advocate for herself, and through trial and error, she did,

From Janet's website about the upcoming book.

Surpassing Certainty begins a few months before Janet Mock’s twentieth birthday.

She is adjusting to her days as a first-generation college student at the University of Hawaii and her nights as a dancer at a club. Finally content in her body, she vacillates between flaunting and concealing herself as she navigates dating and disclosure, sex and intimacy, and most important being truly seen. Under the neon lights of Club Nu, Janet meets Troy, a yeoman stationed at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, who becomes her first. The pleasures and perils of their union serve as a backdrop for Janet’s progression through her early twenties with all the universal growing pains – falling in and out of love, living away from home, and figuring out what she wants to do with her life.

Fueled by her dreams and an inimitable drive, a woman with few advantages plots her way through New York City while holding her truth close. She builds a career in the highly competitive world of New York magazine publishing – within the unique context of being trans, a woman and a person of color.

Long before she became one of the world’s most respected voices in media and lauded leaders for equality and justice, Janet was a girl taking the time she needed to just be – to learn how to advocate for herself before becoming an advocate for others. Surpassing Certainty will embolden you as you witness Janet’s slow-won successes and painful failures, shift the way you see others, and affirm you as you seek certainty in yourself.

You already knew I was going to put the link up so that you can preorder it and get what I am certain will be Janet's next New York Times bestselling book.  

I'm looking forward to reading this one just like I did with Redefining Realness, Hope you purchase Surpassing Certainty and get a few extra copies to donate to TBLGQ centers, libraries or as a gift to that trans person in your life. 

I'm also looking forward to the next time we're in the same area code.

Raquel Willis DC Women's March Speech

Janet Mock wasn't the only trans woman speaking at the recent DC Women's March.  Raquel Willis was also on that stage to speak on that historic January 21 day, and she finally found and posted to YouTube the video from her speech.

As someone said on the YouTube comment thread, "Ms Cheryl (Courtney-Evans) is looking down and smiling."

I didn't like hearing that her mic was cut before she finished her remarks, but now I can share her Women's March speech video with you TransGriot readers

The full text of Raquel's speech entitled 'A Vision of Liberation' can be found at this link.

Black Trans People Are STILL Making Black History

"Black trans history is also vitally important to point out to Black cis people, our allies and our detractors we not only exist, we have lives that are part of the kente cloth fabric of the African American community.  

We also need to pass that history down so that it serves to inspire the next generation of trans kids who are following in our footsteps and point out that Black trans people have a legacy and possibility models they can be proud of."
-TransGriot   February 26, 2015
 
It's the first day of the 2017 edition of Black History Month, and Black trans folks are doing their part to not only uplift our community, but blaze historic trails and territory while they do so.  We're still role modelling #BlackTransExcellence in the 21st century as well, no matter what age we are..

My trans elder Tracey Norman, after making history back in the 70's and 80's by becoming a model with five ESSENCE covers to her credit and major advertising contracts like Clairol, Ultra Sheen and Avon Cosmetics before she was shadily outed during a sixth ESSENCE photo shoot, triumphantly returned to the modeling world last year.

Still waiting for y'all ESSENCE to make it right and hire my trans elder for another photo shoot.

We were represented at the National Women's March in DC by Janet Mock and Raquel Willis, who are both trailblazing women in their own rights.  Sharron Cooks not only was a speaker at the Philadelphia Women's March, but last summer became only the second African American trans woman to become a Democratic National Convention delegate and the first from Pennsylvania.

At that same DNC Philly convention, Dr Marisa Richmond (the first African-American DNC trans delegate) was the official timekeeper of the convention making sure the speakers stayed on schedule.

Angelica Ross was nominated for an Emmy Award and Her Story is still garnering positive recognition and awards nominations.   The reality TV show Strut featured models Isis King, Arisce Wanzer, Dominique Jackson and Laith Ashley,

Amiyah Scott with the debut of the FOX show Star, became the first out trans person of  any ethnic background to play a trans major character in a scripted dramatic series.

Although she missed out on that television historical note, Laverne Cox will continue to blaze trails when she debuts on the CBS legal drama Doubt on February 15 as attorney Cameron Wirth, which is a major character on that show.

Andrea Jenkins and Phillipe Cunningham are both running for the Minneapolis City Council and vying to become the first Black trans people elected to public office since Althea Garrison got elected to the Massachusetts state legislature in 1992.

If they are successful, they would also make history by become the first out trans people of any ethnic background to be elected to the city council of a city larger than 250,000 in population.

Even our Black trans kids are trailblazers.  Trinity Neal told me she would be making history, and she's making good on that promise.   She was not only one of the people featured in the recent National Geographic 'Gender Revolution' issue, she was also featured in a recent ESSENCE magazine article.

Was happy to see her during #CC17, and I suspect this won't be the last time I'm writing about this trailblazing teen

And yeah, there was some blogger y'all know who was making history as well last year.   She became the first transperson of any ethnic background to receive Harvard's Phillips Brooks House Association's Robert Coles Call of Service Award.   Some of the previous winners of it?   BLM co-founder Alicia Garza, Marian Wright Edelman and Vice President Al Gore.

So yes, Black trans people are still making Black history, and we are proudly doing so in various fields   Can't wait to see what history we collectively make in 2017.

Happy Birthday Tona!

It;'s December 30, and that means my thirtysomething sis Tona Brown is celebrating another birthday.

Tona as you may or may not know has been a trans trailblazer in her own right as a classically trained singer and violinist based in the DMV area.  ,She's founder of the AIDA Strings, and is the first out transperson to perform for a sitting US President (2011) and first out Black transperson at Carnegie Hall in June 2014.

I was blessed to spend quality time with Tona back in January when I went to Chicago for #CC16 and when I visited Washington DC a few months later in August for the joint NABJ-NAHJ Convention.

During the DC visit I finally got the chance to do the Conversations With Tona Brown interview I've been promising her for two years, but could never make the timing work with our busy schedules until that moment..

Yeah, she deserves a TransGriot birthday shout out and much more, so taking the time to wish her a very happy blessings filled birthday and Happy New Year.  

May 2017 bring even more success for this amazing woman and looking forward to the next time we're in the same area code.

Andrea's Running For Minneapolis City Council!

I posted earlier this month about Phillipe Cunningham running for the Minneapolis City Council, and now there's more wonderful trans themed political news coming out of the Twin Cities.

My tennis loving homegirl Andrea Jenkins has announced that she will be running for the soon to be vacated 8th Ward seat on the Minneapolis City Council currently held by Elizabeth Glidden, who recently announced she's not running for reelection.

"I am prepared and ready to bring positive change toward a more equitable Minneapolis," Jenkins said in a statement. "I look forward to working with the residents of the 8th Ward, and beyond, in creating the policies and programs necessary to bring sustainable improvement for everyone in our economy, housing, and services."

Jenkins worked as a policy aide for Glidden, and spent 12 years working for two different council members.   She is well known to the residents of the south central Minneapolis ward for helping to spur redevelopment in the 38th Street and Chicago  Ave area.

She is currently with the University of Minnesota as the curator for their Transgender Oral History Project, which is collecting stories from trans people in the Minneapolis area and upper  Midwest.

If she's elected she would not only become the first transperson elected to the Minneapolis City Council, she would also become the first out Black trans feminine candidate to be elected to a city council in  city of over 250,000 people.

You know I'm hoping she makes that history.

Angelica Ross Honored With 2016 HRC Visibility Award

Congratulations to my amazing sis Angelica Ross, who was given a well deserved 2016 HRC Visibility Award at the Human Rights Campaign's Chicago Gala on November 12.

For those of you who don't know my amazing sis, she is the founding CEO of TransTech Social Services,  an actress who had a starring role in the Emmy nominated Her Story web series and award winning human rights warrior for our community.

She's also an amazing person as well that I'm immensely proud of.

Here's her acceptance speech from that event, and congratulations sis!  

Moni's 2016 PBHA Robert Coles Call Of Service Award Lecture

As many of you are aware of, I went to Boston last week and the Harvard University campus to accept the Phillips Brooks House Association's Robert Coles Call Of Service Award.

The award has been given out since 2007 and it didn't occur to me until arrived at my hotel in Cambridge to see to hit Google and see who the past winners of this award were.

That's when I discovered that i was in some pretty serious company in terms of past recipients of it.   Marian Wright Edelman won the inaugural award in 2007, Vice President Al Gore and BLM co founder Alicia Garza last year.

I also discovered that I am the first trans person ever to receive this award.

Here's a link to the transcript of my 2016 PBHA Coles Award lecture, and the video.  I also answered some questions from the audience concluding the lecture before yielding to a panel of local advocates.



Thanks once again to Maria Dominguez Gray, Shaquanda Brown, Robert Bridgeman, David Dance, Jalem Towler, Dean Katherine O'Dair and the students of the Phillips Brooks House Association for making my time on the Harvard Yard a memorable time.

Hopefully I'll have a chance to come back for a future visit.
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Rest In Power, Cheryl Courtney-Evans

I was shocked and saddened to hear that another one of our trans elders and pioneers has transitioned and earned her wings.

Still trying to process the sad news that Cheryl Courtney-Evans has passed away.

The award winning Atlanta based advocate was one of the co-founders of the Atlanta based organization TILTT (Transgender Individuals Living Their Truth), worked with the SNaP Coalition, and was a blogger commenting on issues affecting the ATL community at A Bitch For Justice.

I'd known Cheryl for a few years online before I finally met and spent some quality time with her during the 2012 Trans Faith In Color Conference that I was a keynote speaker for in Charlotte.

I enjoyed having dinner with her and Diamond Stylz (who I was also meeting for the first time at that event) as she expressed her thoughts about being one of mine and Diamond's trans elders, along with the changes she'd seen since her 1968 transition at age 16.

This is Diamond's interview with Cheryl.



From time to time since I knew she was having some health challenges recently, I made it a point to call and check on her to see how she was doing at regular intervals, and I'm so thankful not only for those opportunities I did get to talk to her, I'm so happy I did this 2011 TransGriot Ten Questions interview with her.

This is a more recent January 22 interview Raquel Willis conducted with Cheryl.











As soon as I have information from my ATL area contacts concerning a memorial service for her, I'll pass that along as a soon as I receive it.

She lived up to the name of her blog in fighting for justice in the Atlanta area and beyond, and I'm going to miss the conversations we had about a lot of subjects.

I, the Atlanta and national trans community and all who loved you are going to miss you.

I know that while mine and the hearts of the people in the ATL area are heavy at this time, they will remember your legacy of love and service to our community, and we will never forget you.

Rest in Power and Peace, Cheryl, and hug all the ancestors who have moved on for us.

Bryanna's Started Law School!

In case you peeps were wondering what's happening with Bryanna Jenkins, my amazing sis who is starting her 1L year at DePaul University Law School, she's moved from Baltimore to Chicago, is getting acclimated to the Windy City, and is immersing herself in her law school studies.

Bryanna also hit her fundraising goal before she left Baltimore, and she thanks all of you who contributed to it for your support.

Major props to you Bryanna as your unapologetic Black trans self  embarks upon furthering your education and making your dream of becoming an attorney come true.

 At a time when it seems as though anti-trans lawsuits are being filed by transphobic Republican red state attorney generals at a breakneck pace, your entrance into law school is coming at a critical juncture in our community's history.

And it doesn't hurt that you are entering law school well versed in the issues that impact Black trans World.

As you're probably aware from our people's distinguished history, it was our legal warriors like Charles Houston and a fellow Baltimorean who later served on the Supreme Court in Justice Thurgood Marshall that helped dismantle Jim Crow segregation and advance the human rights of our African-American community in the federal court system.

I not only applaud you for doing so, I'm bursting at the seams proud of you for doing so.

We have needed more trans women of color attorneys to join the outstanding cadre of trans attorneys we a;ready have doing amazing things, and so glad you have started the journey to join their distinguished ranks.

Good luck in this 1L semester!

FTM Fitness World Body Building Competition Video

I talked about the FTM Fitness World Conference in Atlanta in a previous post, and in addition to this Al Jazeera America story about the transmasculine body building world, while searching for video I stumbled across this CNN video with interviews by Neo Sandja and Shawn Stinson about this trans masculine bodybuilding competition.



I hope I get the opportunity to go to the 3rd annual FTM Fitness World event next year in the ATL, see it in person and write about it for the blog

Angelica Ross Named An MHP Foot Soldier!

I missed the broadcast on Saturday because of cable issues, but was excited to learn that my Chicago homegirl Angelica Ross was named one of the first Melissa Harris-Perry show Foot Soldiers of the Week for 2015!

Angelica is founding CEO of Trans Tech Social Services, and in this segment talks about how tech turned her life around and she's now reaching out to help others.

Congrats Angelica!   Here's the video for those of you who missed the original Nerdland broadcast.

Alyras' The Unfinished Album

I had a guest post from Alyras two years ago entitled Why She Was Out As a Transgender Entertainer.    Since then she's continued with her music career and getting connected with other trans musicians.

She sent me a note recently letting me know that she was about to release a new album of songs called The Unfinished Album.

I'll let her take it from here:

Here's a link to the demo playlist of the album; just load it into your media player and check it out:
http://www.artofpop.com/unfinishedalbum/TheUnfinishedAlbum-DemoPlaylist.zip - I think you'll smile about the results of my efforts.

If you like what you hear, please consider sharing this link on your wall - http://www.artofpop.com/unfinishedalbum - as well as logging onto http://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-of-Pop/125273134223854 and adding me to your Likes and sharing these links with your other friends. BTW, I'll be releasing it soon through CD Baby, iTunes and other outlets, but it's on sale right now. 9 songs, only €5.

Thanks Alyras for sharing that with me, and with that, well peeps, here's your opportunity to support another trans music artist.   If we don't do it, who will?

It's past time to be about helping other transpeople in the 2K10's