Houston Trans Woman Murdered

Been wondering how long it would take before all the anti-trans hate peddled during the HERO repeal last year by the Republican Party, Rev. Ed Young, Steve Riddle, Steven Hotze, Dave Wilson, and the Baptist Ministers Assn of Houston and Vicinity would start negatively affecting my community.

The answer was last night.

34 year old Shante Thompson and her friend Willie Sims were fatally shot and killed in Midtown Houston late last night at the corner of Dennis and Fannin Streets.  .It appears Thompson and Sims were hit with a crowbar or tire iron before being shot. According to a KHOU-11 report the motive for the killing is still under investigation.

The blood of Shante Thompson is on your hands Harris County GOP, Max Miller, Steve Riddle, and Ed Young.  Your faux faith based spreading of transphobia for political gain has finally manifested itself into the death of this trans woman.   You cannot spread anti-trans hatred as you did for years and think it won't have real world societal consequences.

And as you probably guessed, the initial news report on ABC-13 misgendered and deadnamed Thompson before it was corrected thanks to Nikki Araguz Loyd and other community allies calling them out about it.

Nikki Araguz Loyd

2 hrs · Houston · 

Another Trans woman named "Chante" was murdered last night in Houston..... And the media led with her dead name and then said known to friends as.....‪#‎ABC13‬

Hey ABC-13 and other Houston media outlets,  there is something you need to familiarize yourself with called the AP Stylebook.  It has had since 2001 guidelines on how the respectfully cover trans people.  So does GLAAD and the NLGJA.  But then again if you have been reading it from the beginning, we'd still have HERO on the books.

Ahem.  From the AP Stylebook:Transgender: Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth. If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.

And one other thing.  It's transgender person, not transgendered.

Thompson is now the seventh trans person we have lost to anti-trans violence in the US in 2016 and the third one  we have lost in Texas.   All the Texas trans people lost have unfortunately been trans people of color.

The opening stages of planning for a vigil  have started, and I'll pass on the time and date for that event once it's finalized.  Houston Police are still looking for the perpetrator of this killing and if you have any information about what happened that will lead to the capture of the person or persons who did this, please call Crimestoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477)

As I get more information about Shante's murder, I'll pass it on to you in subsequent TransGriot post.

Rest in power and peace, sis.   We won't rest in H-town until your killer is captured and brought to justice.

Dixon Takes The Plea Deal In The Nettles Murder Case

Just before jury selection was slated to start this morning in the trial of James Dixon, the killer of Islan Nettles decided to reconsider his previous decision to reject a plea deal and take his chances on a jury trial.

After adverse legal developments in the pretrial hearings on Thursday and Friday, Dixon decided to take the offered plea deal.   He was facing 25 years in prison if he had been convicted during the jury trial.

His defense attorney Norman Williams tried and failed to block a videotaped 2013 confession by Dixon to NYPD detectives that was played during Friday's pretrial hearing for the press and the public. The hour long confession was ruled admissible for trial by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Daniel P. Conviser.

On Thursday the video statement and two written confessions were read in court in which Dixon admitted to punching Nettles so she fell and hit the pavement because 'his manhood was threatened'.after he tried to hit on Nettles and realized she was a trans female.

Yeah, Dixon and his defense attorney tried to deploy the 'trans panic defense'.  And naw homes, if you didn't want to deal with a trans female, all your trifling azz had to do was step and be on your merry way.

The District Attorney's Office initially recommended 17 years for the guilty plea, but the judge who previously presided over the trail, Robert Stoltz, reduced it to 12 years.

"With this conviction, James Dixon has finally been brought to justice for this vicious and lethal assault," said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr in a statement. "Members of the transgender community are far too often the targets of violent crime."

Dixon will be sentenced on April 19.

Countdown To BTAC 2016 Has Started

We are less than 30 days from the start of the 2016 edition of the Black Trans Advocacy Conference in Dallas and it's one of my favorite events for many reasons.   .

In addition to the fact it happens in my home state, it's one of the few conferences in which we get to see a significant level of visibility of trans masculine participation.  Since 2013 Black trans women have also been an increasingly integral part of the BTAC action with it being an unapologetically Black trans centered conference open to all who wish to attend..

I believe so strongly in the mission of this organization I sit on the Black Transwomen, Inc board.

It also ends around, on or just before my Cuatro de Mayo birthday, so I treat it as an extended birthday celebration week.. And yep, I'll be doing a couple of seminars this year during the event which runs from April 25-May 1.

The keynote speakers for this year's event are Mr. Cris and Dora Santana, and that's just one of the events taking place during an empowering week that included the Awards Gala, the Mr. and Ms. Black Trans International pageants, the Black Diamond Ball, and the eagerly anticipated Family Fun Day.

There's still time for you to make plans to be at BTAC, which is celebrating its fifth year and is moving to a new hotel, the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum.

Hope to see y'all in my home state in less than 30 days!  

Alleged Islan Nettles Killer Rejects Plea Deal, Going To March 30 Trial

James Dixon, the alleged killer of Islan Nettles was offered a plea deal today, but rejected it and is going for a jury trial.  The 25 year old Dixon is alleged to have viciously beaten Nettles to death at 147th Street and Frederick Douglass Ave in Harlem back in 2013 and subsequently confessed to several people that he was the perpetrator.  .

 Prosecutors pushed for 17 years in jail in exchanged for pleading guilty for nettle's murder, but Judge Robert Stolz, citing his age and lack of a criminal record, offered him 12 years in jail.  

Dixon turned it down and according to his defense attorney Norman Williams, "would like to exercise his right to go to trial.".

That trial is scheduled to start March 30, and the case against Dixon is considered by Judge Stolz and Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Viorst to be a strong one.

'There will be confessions the defendant made to four different civilians prior to turning himself in and a written confession he made to a detective after he turned himself in," said DA Viorst.

"There will be a lengthy, detailed, videotaped confession he made to me after that," he added.  DA Viorst also stated medical experts will also testify about the horrific injuries that killed Nettles  

"There's clear overlay of animus toward the transgender status of the victim," argued DA Viorst.

Since Dixon decided to take his chances on a jury trial, he is facing if convicted of manslaughter a punishment range of 5-25 years in jail..Unfortunately since the NY state hate crime statute passed in 2000 only covers sexual orientation, the enhanced punishment isn't available.

Yep, New York trans folks got thrown under the legislative bus to pass that sexual orientation only law.

It is a trial in which the New York trans community and all of us across the nation will be watching to see if Islan after nearly 3 years, finally receives justice.

Two People Arrested In Maya Young Murder Case

That was fast.   Two people have been arrested by Philadelphia PD in connection with the fatal stabbing death of Maya Young.

19 year old Jose Pena and 24 year old Tiffany Floyd  were arrested this week and charged with murder and conspiracy in Young's death.

Floyd was denied bail and is being held pending her scheduled March 16 hearing at 9 AM in Room 306 of the Criminal Justice Center.

Pena was also denied bail, but is being held in a juvenile facility.   His hearing is scheduled at 9 AM in Room 306 of the Criminal Justice Center on March 23.   In case you Philly area peeps wish to witness the proceedings in either case, the Criminal Justice Center is located at 1301 Filbert St.

Will be checking on this case to see if our fallen sister receives justice .  

Another Trans Person Lost-RIP Demarkis Stansberry

It's sad for me to announce that we have lost another trans person to violence in 2016

30 year old Demarkis Stansberry was fatally shot in the head on Saturday in Baton Rouge by 24 year old Nicolas Matthews, who turned himself in to the police the day of the shooting and confessed to killing him.

And in case you're wondering if Stansberry was misgendered and deadnamed by the media as does routinely happens for trans feminine people who are killed, unfortunately it happened to Demarkis.

Once again media peeps, the AP Stylebook standards for reporting on trans people exist for a reason. How about you follow them?

Rest in power and peace, Demarkis

Maya Young Makes Three Trans Murders In 2016

Sad to report that another US trans woman has been murdered this year.

25 year old Maya Taylor was found stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest in the 4800 block of Penn Street at 11:50 PM EST Saturday in the Frankford section of Philadelphia.

She was taken by police to Aria Health-Frankford, less than two blocks away from where she was found. where she was pronounced dead at 12:21 AM EST on Sunday.

"The community is heartbroken once again with the senseless slaying of another transgender woman of color," wrote Naiymah Sanchez, a coordinator with the Philadelphia based TransHealth Information project on her Facebook page.  


The Philadelphia Police Department is looking for information in this case, and if you have it, you can call the PPD Police Homicide Unit at 215-686-3344 or 911.

A $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this case.

As I get more details about this case I will post them

Rest in power and peace, Maya.  Not happy about your life violently ending before you even got a chance to spread your wings and fly.

Champion Gets Life For Killing Ty Underwood

It only took the jury 45 minutes to determine in the punishment phase of the trial yesterday that 21 year old Carlton Champion, Jr would be spending the rest of his life in jail for the murder of his onetime girlfriend Ty Underwood.

After several hours of testimony, the jury retired to the deliberation room around 2:15 PM and returned at 3:30 to let Champion and the world know his fate.

The jury sentenced Champion to 5 to 99 years in prison with a fine of up to $10,000.  Guess that little outburst Thursday in court after the verdict was read cost you, homes.

So naw, you won't be back on the streets, you'll be in a TDC facility until at least until 2045 when you'll be eligible for parole.

Of course, he plans to appeal his sentence, but he definitely won't be on the streets for a while.

Champion Found Guilty In Ty Underwood Murder

There's good news coming out of Tyler this Christmas season concerning one of our fallen trans sisters who was taken away from us earlier this year.

On Tuesday the trial of 21 year old former Texas College football player Carlton Ray Champion, Jr. commenced in Tyler for the January 26 murder of girl like us Ty Underwood.

Champion and Underwood had been in a relationship, and text messages indicate the pair had been arguing several hours before Underwood was found shot to death in her vehicle near the Texas College campus.

The trial lasted three days with the state calling several witnesses.  Champion's defense attorney Melvin Thompson rested his case without calling any witnesses, but asserted at the beginning of the trial they arrested the wrong person.

Champion's defense attorney asserted in his closing statement that the state lacked the evidence to convict his client.

"Not a single police officer got up on the stand and testified that any evidence connected Champion," he said. " The police didn't let the facts lead them to the suspect.   They got a suspect and then tried to find evidence."

Prosecuting attorney Jacob Putnam in his closing statement, went into detail about the dating relationship between Champion and Underwood, and her trans status.

"This case is not about convicting Champion because of his lifestyle or who he hung out with," said Putnam. "This case is about convicting Champion because he killed Ty Underwood."

After deliberating the case for two hours, the jury found Champion guilty of first degree murder.

After the guilty verdict was read, Champion had to be restrained by Smith County deputies after he shouted "I'll be back on the streets."

We'll see about that, homes. The jury still isn't finished with your behind yet/and you have previous brushes with the law.

The punishment phase of the trial starts at 9:30 AM CST, and Champion is facing life in prison.   Here's hoping you get to do some serious time for ending Ty Underwood's too brief life.

Ty Underwood Murder Trial Starts In Tyler

After a delay because the defense attorney's motion for more time to prepare a defense for his client was granted, the trial of 21 year old Carlton Champion, Jr, the alleged killer and former boyfriend of Ty Underwood got started in Tyler Tuesday.

KYTX CBS19.tv - News, Weather,


The 24 year old Underwood was killed back in January, and Champion was arrested January 29 and charged with first degree murder.  His defense attorney is trying to claim that police have the wrong guy, while prosecutors say otherwise.

Let's hope we get an early Christmas present of justice for Ty.

Trans Undocumented Immigrants Also Look Like Us

One thing we have been aware of is the face of trans undocumented immigrants being a Latina one.   We know that many trans Latinas are here in the US because of anti-trans violence directed at them in their Latin American and Central American nations.

But the Caribbean nations also have problematic levels of anti-trans hatred that drives people from those nations to move elsewhere to escape it.

New York based activist Kim Watson was born in Barbados in 1964, and left at age 23 to attend fashion school and avoid the anti-TBLG abuse she experienced from family and other people there

When her tourist expired in 1988, she stayed here in New York City and after some personal struggles, earned a degree from Pace University, began grassroots organizing for trans and HIV issues. Eight years ago she met and married her husband, and is now a wife and mother in addition to being a kick butt award winning advocate.

But she still faced the real possibility of being deported back to Barbados until she received the good news after a November 19 immigration hearing that she can stay in the United States.

Kim's story is one that comes at a time in which we need to to be paying attention to the lives of undocumented African, Caribbean and Afro-Latinos.  Their #BlackLivesMatter,too  and we need to be as unapologetically Black people who love all Black folks also standing up for their humanity and human rights as well.

Interestingly enough there is a first ever convening being organized to take place in Miami from January 15-17 called Undocumented and Black that seeks to create a safe space for conversations, own and tell their stories, create acceptance and awareness and become active in creating movement in Blacks for getting involved in the immigration issue.

Because as Kim's story tells us, some of the undocumented immigrants look like us.

911 Call Proves Taylor Was Arrested For Existing While Trans

I've made the point more than a few times that mismatched ID's and statutory and procedural roadblocks that prevent trans folks from getting identification that matches their present day lives can lead (and far too often does) to anti-trans discrimination.

It appears based on the transcript from the 911 call in the Meagan Taylor case, that is exactly what happened.

Meagan Taylor with the help of the ACLU, has filed a civil rights complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission over an incident in which she and her trans feminine friend Shyann were both transphobically disrespected and falsely profiled back in July after checking in at a Drury Inn in West Des Moines, IA enroute to driving to a funeral in Kansas City.  The manager called the police and it resulted in Taylor spending 8 days in jail  

The 911 call emphatically backs up Taylor's story.

911 Dispatcher: Communications, this is Holly.
Hotel manager: Yeah, hi, Holly, this is Kim, the general manager over at Drury Inn & Suites. And I have somebody that is a little unusual that is checking into the hotel, and I didn’t know if there was any way to possibly run their name or information through the database. They’re dressed as a woman, but it’s a man’s driver’s license.
Dispatcher: Okay, I can send an officer, but I can’t do it over the phone. What’s your address there?
Hotel manager: It’s 5505 Mills Civic Parkway. I’d want it to be discreet though.
Dispatcher: Okay, well, um, I can’t do it on the phone, that’s the only thing. It’s against the law. So I can have someone come over. Where — are they in the lobby there, or?
Hotel manager: They went up to the room and stuff. So I guess if they just kind of discreetly park in the parking lot, instead of, you know, right out front, that would be great.
Dispatcher: Well, I’ll leave that up to them. But, what’s your number phone number, Kim?
Hotel manager: It’s (515) 457-9500.
Dispatcher: Okay, so that’s a female, with a male’s driver’s license.
Hotel manager: There’s two males, but they’re dressed as females. And they have Illinois driver’s license.
Dispatcher: And are they — what are their driver’s licenses? Male or female?
Hotel manager: Male. And I took pictures with my camera, so.
Dispatcher: Okay, so just because they’re dressed as — is it because they’re dressed as females, is that why you’re concerned?
Hotel manager: Um, It’s just, you know, it’s, I guess so. They’re dressed a little bit over the top, too. I just want to make sure they’re not hookers either.
Dispatcher: Okay, gotcha. Okay, ma’am, we’ll have them swing over there.
Hotel manager: Perfect. Thank you.
Dispatcher: Bye bye.
Hotel manager: Bye bye.

Here's hoping that justice is served in Meagan's case.

Arrest Made In Zella Ziona Smith Case

That was quick!  Montgomery County,MD police have announce they have made an arrest in the Zella Ziona Smith murder case..

20 year old Rico Hector Leblond of Germantown was arrested and charged with first degree murder in the Zella Ziona Smith case.   She was shot in the head Thursday at 5:49 PM during an altercation between herself and Leblond while in a service alley between the Montgomery Village Plaza and Montgomery Village Crossing and died at 8:12 PM at a nearby hospital.

Police said that Ziona and Leblond knew each other and had 'some degree of friendship' prior to her murder. Her death was ruled a homicide by the Montgomery County Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

Leblond is being held without bond, and has a Monday bond review scheduled in Rockville, MD at 1;00 PM.

Will be keeping an eye on this case to see if justice is served in it.  

Number 21-Rest In Power Keisha

We have lost another Black trans woman, and it happened in Philadelphia.

22 year old Keisha Jenkins was ambushed and beaten by five to six males as she got out of a car in North Philadelphia at 13th and Wingohocking Streets early Tuesday morning at 2:30 AM EDT.   One of the males then pulled out a gun and shot Jenkins twice in the back.

Jenkins was taken to Einstein Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.  As of yet there has been no arrest in the case..

Nellie Fitzpatrick, Mayor Nutter's LGBT community liaison, called Jenkins' death "a tremendous and tragic loss for the entire city, our LGBT community, and, more specifically, our trans community."

"This type of wicked, inhumane violence just has no place here," Fitzpatrick said. "We can't take anymore. It's just too much."

Jenkins is the 21st American trans woman killed in 2015, the 16th Black trans woman, the second killed in Philadelphia, and the 11th under age 40, and I'm beyond sick and tired of being sick and tired of reciting these stats.

When will our #BlackLivesMatter, Black community?   When will #BlackTransLivesMatter?  When will it NOT be okay to indiscriminately kill a Black trans woman?  

And I'm tired along with everyone in Black Trans World of repeatedly asking those questions.

When I receive information about her homegoing services, I'll pass them along to you folks in the Philadelphia metro area who may wish to attend them and pay your respects.

Speaking of information, the Philadelphia PD needs it to help solve this case.

Anyone with any information on the killing is asked to call the PPD homicide unit at 215-686-3334 and 215-686-3335, or the department's anonymous tip line at 215-686-TIPS.

Stay tuned to these TransGriot pages for updated news about this latest trans sister who has been brutally taken away from us.  

Search Underway For Missing Houston Trans Man Darius Gatlin

I have been afraid that the ramped up anti-trans hatred the HERO opponents have been spewing into the atmosphere, and especially on Black radio stations would eventually come back upon the Houston trans community in the form of increased anti-trans violence and hate crimes visited upon us.

I hope what I have feared isn't starting to happen, but I've just been made aware of a missing trans man.

28 year old Darius Gatlin was last seen on September 11 at his home in southwest Houston wearing a pink and white tank top, blue jeans and pink and white shoes with flowers on them.

He has been missing ever since that date, and a search began on Friday to find him with volunteers in the Alief area on foot and on ATV s.  His car, a 2013 dark burgundy Nissan Maxima with Texas license plates BWH 0539 is also missing..

Gatlin also had a tattoos on his neck with the word 'Darius', and 'Brandon'  in addition to tattoos of a panther and the word 'Aquarius' on his chest.

If you have any information concerning the whereabouts of Darius Gatlin,  please call the Houston police Department at 713-731-5223

Waka Flocka Flame, Shut The Fucka Uppa

One of the things I'm really getting sick of along with the Black trans community is Black cis folks acting like we Black trans folks don't exist.   The latest to fall into this trap is rapper Waka Flocka Flame, who opened mouth and inserted foot in it while on the syndicated The Breakfast Club radio show in New York on Friday

He went on a rant during the interview attacking Caitlyn Jenner as an 'affront to God' and then kept going to attack the entire trans community.

The transphobic comments start at the 9:15 mark



'Transgenders, they're marketing evil, man" he said on air before he went on to accuse the trans community of 'doing the devil's work' and as a test of society that we needed to 'outbeat'.

Back in the day there were church folk that claimed (and still do) that rap music was 'marketing evil'. If you're so concerned about the culture. then you and your fellow rappers as people who have negatively contributed to the culture you decry need to stop disrespecting women in your alleged recordings and go back to producing rap music that uplifts the community.

Not gonna hold my breath that will happen anytime soon.

And speaking of 'rebellions against God', by you having tattoos and long braided hair, you are hypocritically doing the same thing you falsely accused trans people of.

And before you start trying to Bible beat trans folks, I suggest you read Matthew 19;12, Acts 8:26-40, Isaiah 56:5 and Galatians 3:28 for starters.

Comments like yours also amp up the anti-trans hate in the Black community that lead to anti-trans violence and murder of our people.  Of the 20 trans people that have been murdered this year, 14 have been Black, and 10 of those murders were trans women under age 40.

By the way, Waka Flocka Fool, in case you didn't know it, and based on that radio interview you don't, there are millions of transpeople around the world not named Caitlyn Jenner, and surprise surprise, some of them are Black.  

We did not lose our Black cards when we transitioned, and many of those Black trans folks are doing amazing things and have been part of the kente cloth fabric of our community for over a century.  In addition to New York Times best selling authors, Emmy Award nominated actresses, and a GLAAD award nominated blogger, we have doctors, lawyers, college professors, athletes, models, classically trained singers, soldiers and parents raising kids in our ranks.

All we want to do is live our lives to the best of our ability and contribute our talents to uplifting the Black community without drama.  But far too many of you are bringing the faux faith based negativity and drama to us instead of hitting Google and educating yourselves about our lives.

If you make negative transphobic comments on a 100,000 watt radio station, we trans people who are negatively impacted by those comments have no other choice but to infer about you based on those comments that you are a transphobic idiot.

You cannot claim Waka Flocka Flame you have 'nothing against transgender people' after you spew transphobic comments in a Friday radio interview and then say you stand by those comments.

I'm not a fan of judgmental rappers who seem to think they know more about trans lives than the folks who actually live them and the scientists who have done decades of research about them.  We trans folks are superheroes and supersheroes just for getting up in the morning and living our lives to the best of our ability in a world that irrationally hates on us.

And Waka Flocka Flame, giving a half-assed non apology apology doesn't erase the real damage those The Breakfast Club comments unleashed to the psyche of a child or person in our community struggling with gender identity issues.  

Hate thoughts + hate speech = hate violence,  and those comments can lead to a trans kid being bullied at school, suicide or to a trans adult who has to deal with the real threat of anti-trans violence fueled by the anti-trans hate speech of you and your buddies in the rap world. .

I am what God made me, an unapologetically Black trans woman, proud of being both Black and trans.  If you don't like that, tough.  I don't give a rat's anus whether you do or not.  But what I will not stand for as a longtime advocate for the human rights of trans people for nearly two decades is you and other misguided Black people demonizing the trans community, and by extension, African descended trans people without calling your behind out on it because our Black trans lives matter too.

 #WeExist, and it's because of unnecessary transphobic comments like yours that our lives are a struggle.  

So Waka Flocka Flame, shut the fucka uppa and have several sections of seats at Madison Square Garden when you do so.

Trial Postponed For Accused Murderer Of Ty Underwood

Right on the heels of the bad news we received out of Dallas in the Tovar case comes word from Smith County east of Dallas.

Jury selection in the trial of 21 year old Carlton Ray Champion, Jr has been postponed and the trial date continued until December.  

Champion was arrested January 29 on a parole violation in Gregg County, transferred to Smith County and charged with first degree murder in the killing of 24 year old Ty Underwood.

Underwood and Champion had been dating prior to her murder

Champion's defense attorney asked the judge for more time to prepare a defense in the murder case. and the request was granted.

We'll definitely be keeping an eye on this case as it develops to see if Ty gets justice, or like Kenney, Carlton Champion gets off for killing a trans woman.

Deadline Approaching For The WH Trans Petition

When the Fran Watson created petition asking for the federal government to investigate the causes of the violence leading to the murders of tans women of color went up on August 10, it was with hopeful optimism after it was posted and I signed it that we would hit that 100K signature target in a very short time.

I saw this as an easy way to show support for the trans communities of color in the wake of us having a murderous month of July, and I remembered how fast the Leelah Alcorn one hit its target in mere days..  

We are now six days from the September 10 deadline to get those signatures, and we're not even over 10,000 signatures yet,  

Guess not all trans lives matter as much.  

We have six days to get over 95,000 signatures to get a White House response to this petition.  If you have already signed it like I have, I thank you on behalf of my community and the trans women we have lost this year.   If you haven't, here's the link to it.

Here's hoping that more people sign it, share it and we at least get to 10,000 signatures for it.

Maya and Rick's Bold And Beautiful Wedding

While I was working on escaping from Casa de Slumlord, I didn't have cable during that time period, and I missed some of the groundbreaking episodes in the Rick and Maya trans story line on the Bold and the Beautiful leading up to their wedding.

While that was going on, Maya was trying to repair the relationship between herself and her father Julius Avant that had become contentious between them when she transitioned in her teen years .

First her younger sister Nicole, and now her mother Vivienne relationships with Maya have been improving to the point that Nicole accepts and loves her unconditionally as her big sister, and the relationship between her and her mother Vivienne was improving during that time period she was visiting her in LA.

But Julius is still transphobically unrepentant concerning his feelings for Maya, she overheard him during the run up to the wedding, and it came to a head as Maya was about to get married to Rick Forrester

This is a groundbreaking story line that not only features a major character who is trans, but that character also happens to be African-American.

This wedding may also be the first for a soap opera in terms of it involving a trans feminine character marrying a cisgender male.

It has also been groundbreaking (and emotional at times for me) to see how the issues surrounding Maya's transition have played out in an African-American family


Well, speaking of those episodes, here they are for your perusal TransGriot readers.

Ask A Trans Attracted Man: Trans Murders

Been a while since I've had a video up from Troy, and in this one he's commenting on the far too frequent murders of Black trans women.

You can check out Troy's other videos on his YouTube channel.