Today is not on the Transgender Day of Visibility, it is the tenth anniversary celebration of this day
It is a day that Rachel Crandall-Crocker created in 2009 to celebrate our trans successes and those of us visibly living and unapologetically being our awesome trans selves. It has grown from a Michigan centric event to one that now spans the country and increasingly the world.
In four days I will mark the 25th anniversary of my nervously walking into IAH's Terminal C clocking in for work that day as me for the first time.
My life began on that April 4 day. It has been an amazing 25 years full of ups and downs, but it hasn't been boring. I get to do some amazing things, and I have gained an international family of trans people and supporters as a result.
I am also blessed to have a cadre of amazing cis women that have my back and were instrumental in helping me understand the journey I was about to embark upon.
I'm blessed that in these 25 years since I transitioned, I've been able to blaze trails and make history as I navigate my amazing life while evolving to become a better version of myself.
I don't have any kids, but I gained a whole lot of trans nieces and nephews along the way in addition to my two biological nieces.
I'm also pleased and proud to be considered a role model and mentor to the generations of trans people coming behind me.
By stepping into Terminal C 25 years ago, I began to own my power and become the unapologetic Black trans woman you see standing before you today .
We can't forget on this TDOV day the trans and gender non conforming people who are non-disclosed for safety or other reasons. You also play an important role in helping all of us gain our human rights and defending our humanity against all who would attack it for their own nefarious political gain.
When you are ready to take that visibility step,, your community will be waiting with open arms. In the meantime, those of us who are visible will continue to fight to make the world a better place so that you can feel comfortable in taking those steps into unapologetic trans visibility.
Trans right are human rights. And on this tenth TDOV, we are once again shouting that message as loud as we can until people get it.
2019 is already turning into a less than stellar year for the House of Xtravaganza.
The iconic New York ballroom community house has already lost one of their iconic founding members when Hector Xtravaganza passed away at age 60 in December.
Now they have lost another iconic member to an apparent suicide in Miriam Rivera. If you recognize that name, you may not have been aware of the fact that our trailblazing sis was also a member of the House of Xtravaganza.
Rivera was part of the 2004 British reality TV series There's Something About Miriam and the cast of Big Brother Australia. She also survived a horrific attack and fall from a fifth story apartment back in February 2007
Miriam was living in Hermosillo, Mexico at the time of her death, and the Xtravaganzas and all who loved her are mourning her untimely passing.
As of yet haven't heard if there is going to be a memorial service for her in New York, but will pass that info along to you TransGriot readers as I receive it.
Forsyth County, GA has a long, ugly history for the peeps in the ATL metro area of being a hotbed of racism and homophobia deep in the heart of Georgia Klan country.
17 year old Charlie Baum is a senior at Forsyth Central High School who has known she was a girl like us since childhood. She has endured bullying and even death threats for much of her scholastic career.
She started wearing makeup and doing drag in high school, and that only intensified the transphobic and homophobic hatred and public bullying being aimed at her.
Nevertheless she persisted, and started an Instagram page last June with thousands of followers that serves as an outlet for her pro TBLGQ stances and thoughts.
She didn't come out as trans until December, and was just simply looking forward to graduating and leaving Forsyth County for a more welcoming environment and to be girl like us herself.
That was until two of her classmates, Midori and Nicole, nominated her for homecoming queen.
At first her family feared that this was only a cruel joke being played on her, but once Baum was determined to be eligible for the honor, she went for it after realizing the potential historic nature of her winning the homecoming queen honor as a trans girl.
She discovered when she won, she had far more support at Forsyth Central High than she thought she had, and hopes her historic win helps normalize the lives of trans people. She also hopes it helps trans kids to not be afraid to dream big.
"I want trans individual stories to be heard, and visibility is everything. I want to inspire other trans youth to know you can do it," said Baum.
"Break boundaries! Make History! Rock that sash!"|
Congratulations Charlie for making that history, in Forsyth County of all places.
Getting closer to the live televised Miss Universe pageant, but the preliminary contest will happen on December 13.
All 94 contestants will participate in evening wear, swimsuit and an interview portion in front of judges. The scores they earn during that portion will determine who the 20 semifinalists will be competing on Sunday.
On December 10 the National Costume Show was held. It's a Miss Universe tradition in which all 94 delegates get to choose a national costume that best represents the culture of their nation.
Y'all know I'm rooting for Angela. Here she is repping Spain
If you wish to watch the entire show, have the video here for you pageant junkies.
There's a new generation of trans models who are keeping the tradition of the long stylish line of trans models going into the 21st century. The best part about this current generation of trans models for me is that I not only am pleased and proud to call some of them my friends, I'm happy to note that the fashion industry is embracing them.
More importantly, the fashion industry is giving trans models unprecedented opportunities to work and have a successful modeling career.
More evidence of this occurred during the recently concluded 2018 New York Fashion Week.
On September 9 a groundbreaking fashion show took place during this year's New York Fashion Week sponsored by LA based designer Marco Morante.
His Marco Marco brand of clothing has always catered to the TBLGQ community, and this time he took it a step further by casting all 34 spots in his New York Fashion Week show with trans people.
While it is not uncommon to have out and non disclosed trans people strutting the catwalks during the New York Fashion Week major runway shows, they tend to be in those instances cast in shows that are overwhelmingly comprised of cis models.
The Marco Marco Collection Seven show was the first time in New York Fashion Week history that a major show was cast in which all the participating models were transgender.
“Although I have always had trans and non binary people in my shows, it became apparent to me that their presence was often overshadowed by cis gay men or cis gay men in drag,” designer Marco Morante said in an interview when asked about the casting. “I wanted to create a space to celebrate trans bodies. This was an opportunity for their presence to be undeniable and reinforce that trans is beautiful.”
Morante is one of the small cadre of designers that openly prioritizes hiring trans models for their runway shows.
One of the participants in this historic show was my BTAC homie Dezjorn Gauthier, who rocked the runway along with models Laith Ashley, Geena Rocero, Carmen Carrera, Pose actresses Angelica Ross and Dominique Jackson, Transparent actress Trace Lysette, Gigi Gorgeous, Aydian Dowling, Gisele Xtravaganza, Claudia Charriez and Arisce Wanzer just to name a few of the trans peeps walking in the historic Collection Seven show that was attended by Laverne Cox.
Speaking of my BTAC homeboy, Gauthier had this to say about his participation in this historic show.
“It’s groundbreaking. Marco is breaking the glass ceiling for transgender models especially transmen. This was more than experience for me, it was an act of resilience”
Gauthier mentioned he will continue to use modeling as a form of advocacy to spread inspiration and empowerment worldwide.
“It’s about creating equal opportunity for those after me and continuing the work of those before me”
