Publicist Leigha Hagood Comes Out As Trans

TransGriot Note: I have pointed out more than a few times over the years that trans women can accomplish and do anything if just given the opportunity to do so. 

I was made aware of a situation in which a previously  undisclosed professional #girllikeus was threatened with extortion because of the unscrupulous and criminal behavior of a transphobic former employee. 

Leigha Hagood is a real life Olivia Pope for the hip hop and PR world and as we now know because she is coming out, a trans woman. 

I'm honored that Leigha trusted me with her story, and there will be more to come from me on these electronic pages concerning our trans sister in the weeks to come.  

Publicist Leigha Hagood released a coming out statement to TransGriot blogger and civil rights activist Monica Roberts.  It was in response to a defamatory press release issued by a former employee who demanded cash in exchange for not disclosing Hagood's transgender status.

Hagood refused to give in to the extortion demands, stating, "This is not the first time someone has threatened to out me unless I pay them, but it will be the last! I'm trans and so proud."

Hagood is known behind the scenes throughout the industry as a fixer who specializes in crisis management, and worked with several high profile clients in public relations scandals. In 2012 she took control of the PR company she was working for (The Firm Global) as head publicist, which merged with LT Creative Group in summer 2013 and specializes in personal PR and brand development.

Hagood says, “I got tired of doing so much work and never really getting the credit.  Because of the delicate and highly confidential nature of the services rendered, I couldn't even publish a client list and most clients are taken on referral basis only. I even had large publicists coming to me for ideas and crisis management for their clients.” 

Hagood currently is tied deeply within the hip hop industry and works with several high profile celebrities, including Grammy nominated and Grammy winning producers, artists and athletes.   She has also worked with large corporate clients, including The Gay and Lesbian Center and Friends Without Borders.

Hagood had not previously publicly disclosed her transgender identity during the time she has been working in the PR and hip hop industry.  "It's hard enough to be a woman in this industry without having to throw trans in front of that, but enough is enough! I look at people like Laverne Cox, Tona Brown and Janet Mock, on top of the amazing support I’ve gotten, and I’m confident this is the best thing to do."

Hagood hopes that clients will see beyond her gender and that her work speaks for itself, saying, “We are all humans and strive for the same thing success, love and happiness."

When Hagood refused to pay an ex-employee for her silence, the ex-employee sent out a defamatory press release calling Hagood several anti-transgender slurs and a fraud while attaching unlawfully obtained copies of Hagood’s California ID and Social Security card. 

Hagood says, “Contrary to what was written in the (ex-employee's) press release this has nothing to do with my work and everything to do with my being transgender. My gender has nothing to do with the integrity of my work. The employee says she feels she should have been told upfront that she was working with a ‘Person’ like me.”

Hagood has filed a police report with the West Hollywood Division of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and their investigation is ongoing.

Laverne's On Wendy Williams Show Today

You may wish to check your local listings or the Wendy Williams Show website to find out when it comes on in your area, but a trans programming note for you.

Laverne Cox will be appearing on the show today to discuss the new season of Orange Is The New Black, her role as Sophia, and her thoughts about being the first trans person on the cover of TIME magazine.

And yep, after the last trans fail, I and the trans community will be watching to see how Wendy handles this interview.

Andraya Williams Update

'Appears as though the CPCC peeps seem to think that if they keep stonewalling instead of coming to grips with the fact they have seriously screwed up by disrespecting Andraya and resolving the matter, this will all go away.'
--TransGriot, April 7, 2014   'Tired of Black TBLG Women Getting Harassed For Going To The Bathroom.'

Since it's been a little quiet in Charlotte concerning this case, decided to check in with Andraya to see if she's received justice yet from Central Piedmont Community College for their transphobic sins or are they doing what I suspected was their game plan back in April. 

She confirmed to me they were still stonewalling the situation.  CPCC has not apologized, nor made changes to their nondiscrimination policies to make them more inclusive for trans and gender variant students either.. 

Okay, so that's the way they want to play this.    For starters, here's the petition calling for CPCC to do the right thing, apologize, and take the necessary step to respect trans and gender non conforming students on campus.  

They can do it the easy way or have the legal hammed dropped upon them

But will be keeping an eye on this situation in Charlotte.

Brandy Martell Anniversary Plus Two

Thanks to Tiffany Woods for reminding me that today is the second anniversary of the untimely death of our Oakland trans sister Brandy Martell. 

She was.shot to death April 29 in downtown Oakland at Franklin and 13th Street while sitting behind the steering wheel of her car at 5:15 AM PDT socializing with her friends.   She was Oakland’s 43rd murder victim in 2012 and the third African-American transperson killed during that month nationwide. 

Brandy was a peer advocate for TransVision, a Fremont, CA based organization for trans women. Martell worked there from February 2007 to November 2011, offering health information and outreach to other transgender women.

TransVision’s Linkage to Care project for transgender women of color has been named the Brandy Martell Project in her honor and furthers her legacy of helping her trans sisters, and continues awareness of the issues of violence and HIV that continue to negatively impact transgender women of color. A community remembrance is being planned for a later date and as soon as that date is passed on to me I'll let you know in a follow up post..

You can also contact Tiffany Woods, the Transgender Program Manager at TransVision at
510-456-3521 or twoods@tri-cityhealth.org


There was a memorial vigil held at that downtown corner last year in which Oakland Police Howard Jordan was also there urging folks with information on this case to come forward and help OPD solve the crime.

Brandy's case unfortunately is still unsolved two years later, and OPD is still looking for information to help solve it and bring the perpetrator who commited this crime to justice. 

Anyone with information in Brandy Martell's murder can send the Oakland Police Department tips anonymously by texting TIP OAKLANDPD to 888777, calling the toll-free hotline at (855) 847-7247, or by calling (510) 535-4867. Tips can also be given anonymously to Crime Stoppers at (510) 777-8572. The case number is 12-020709.

Brandy is still missed in the East Bay by all who knew her, and as those who loved her struggle through this two year anniversary of her untimely death, the one thing they are unified in hoping for is Brandy finally receives justice.

Deoni Jones Update-Postponed Trial Set To Start October 6

It has been over two years since girl like us Deoni Jones was killed back in February 2, 2012 as she sat at a bus stop in NE Washington DC.  Her alleged killer Gary Niles Montgomery was arrested on February 10 and charged with first degree murder.

But the wheels of justice have moved at a glacial pace since that February 2012 day to the frustration of Jones' family.   That frustration over the fact it has been two years since Deoni was killed with no resolution of the case spilled out during another mental competency hearing on February 8 to determine if Montgomery was fit to stand trial.   

Montgomery was initially found competent to stand trial in March 2012, but the case was not allowed to proceed due to the failure of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia to obtain an indictment until November 2012.   Montgomery switched defense lawyers, further delaying the court proceedings set to begin July 10, 2013 as the new attorney aggressively contested the results of the March 2012 competency hearing.   The 30 day mental competency observation didn't take place until October, and Judge Robert Morin after receiving the report in November 2013 found Montgomery not fit to stand trial.

Another mental competency observation was set for January 2014 with the hearing set for February 8, pushing the tentative trial date back to April 14, 2014.   

Jones’s father Alvin Bethea, stood up and interrupted the February hearing to express his discontent with the prosecution.  "There has been a great deal of disrespect and lack of sympathy and empathy,” said Mr. Bethea of the prosecutors’ treatment of him and his wife, “We are suffering more than enough.”

Montgomery was found competent to stand trial, with the scheduled date of the trial set for October 6. 

Let's hope and pray for the sake of Deoni's family, friends and all who loved her this date finally sticks and the far too long delayed trial of Gary Niles Montgomery finally happens.

  

Kendall Hampton Murder Case Update-Dukes Indicted

Here's the latest news I've been able to find on Kendall Hampton, the 26 year old transwoman who was shot and killed in the Cincinnati metro area suburb of Walnut Hills, OH in August 2012 who was subsequently misgendered by the local media.


19 year old Eugene Carlos Dukes was arrested in September 2012 and charged with Hampton's murder.   But the wheels of justice have been moving at a glacial pace in this case since Duke's indictment by the Hamilton County grand jury.   

The family observed the one year anniversary of Hampton's slaying with a memorial service on August 18 with justice still not being served in this case.

According to a WCPO-TV report Dukes appeared in court September 4, 2013 and I haven't found any additional stories or information indicating a trial date has been set in this case, has happened or there has been a conviction.

So I'll keep monitoring it and ask my sources in the Cincinnati metro area to pass along any information they discover.  

Tona Brown To Carnegie Hall Campaign Update

In case you're wondering where our sis Tona Brown's indiegogo campaign is in terms of raising the $3,500 she needs to get to Carnegie Hall this June, she's more than halfway to her goal.

She has as of this writing raised $2,685, but let's keep the positive momentum going.  Even if you can only spare $1, that one dollar closer to her goal.   Of course if you can do $5, $10, $20 or more that would be deeply appreciated, too

Help Tona make some more history.     And to understand why this is important to me and other transwomen, here's Dane Figueroa Edidi to explain why.

 

Charlotte Trans College Student Harassed, Detained For Using The Bathroom

While I was busy focusing on a developing situation on the WSSU campus in Winston-Salem, just down the road in Charlotte more TBLG injustice has been brewing on the campus of Central Piedmont Community College.

Meet Andraya Williams.  She's a 22 year old student at Central Piedmont Community College who is handling her academic business there.  She has been transitioning since age 18 and started the medical part of it two years ago.  

On March 18 she was exiting the women's restroom and according to an article by QNotes Matt Comer ran into transphobic security officers who detained, disrespected her, informed her she was suspended and escorted her off campus.

CPCC does not have a non-discrimination policy that covers sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, and Williams and her attorney Sarah Demarest of Charlotte’s LGBTQ Law Center have been trying to resolve the issue since then in the face of intransigent stonewalling by CPCC officials.

“CPCC’s decision to apprehend [Ms. Williams] in the restroom was based on their visual assessment of her gender,” said Demarest in the QNotes interview. “While CPCC is allowed to maintain sex-segregated facilities for male and female students, they decided that Ms. Williams fell outside both categories and treated her differently than other students. Furthermore, the differential treatment occurred in front of other students, highlighting to her peers that she does not conform to gender stereotypes and outing her as transgender.”

Now that this campus transphobia story is getting national and international attention, Central Piedmont Community College comes out with a statement from CPCC Public Information Officer Jeff Lowrance claiming they are trying to 'balance the rights of transgender students with the rights of the rest of the student body.'  

Since when CPCC?   Don't even try to tell that lie. You have no policies that protect the rights of trans, SGL and gender variant students and were in no hurry to enact them until your campus security got caught harassing and disrespecting an African-American trans student. 


Demarest said to QNotes that CPCC needs to review their polices and practices immediately, and I concur with that assessment.

“There are many transgender students who need to know what their rights are and need to know how it is they are supposed to navigate this issue,” said Demarest. “The way CPCC has handled this situation was inadequate and allowed [Williams] to be humiliated and feeling like she was without recourse.”

Demarest also pointed out the school violated her client’s due process rights, CPCC’s actions were unlawful and constitute a violation of Title IX, the 1972 federal law that bans discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs and activities.   Federal courts, and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, she says, have held that unlawful sex discrimination extends to gender stereotyping.

The 2011 Glenn v. Brumby case found that discriminating against someone based on their gender nonconformity is sex based discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause 

discriminating against someone on the basis of his or her gender non-conformity constitutes sex-based discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause. - See more at: http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-11th-circuit/1587416.html#sthash.RXe6VMwF.dpuf

discriminating against someone on the basis of his or her gender non-conformity constitutes sex-based discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause. - See more at: http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-11th-circuit/1587416.html#sthash.RXe6VMwF.dpuf

Williams and Demarest are considering filing a federal civil rights complaint and I hope they do.  I and other trans people of color are sick and tired of being jacked with for going to the bathroom..   

There is a protest being organized by CPCC students outraged over this incident in support of Andraya that will take place Friday, April 4 starting at 11 AM EDT.

We will be holding a protest in response to the treatment of our fellow CPCC student Andraya Williams, who on March 19, was harassed, detained and eventually suspended and denied due process because CPCC staff is insufficiently educated on transgender inclusion. We are protesting to show that intolerance and the violation of student rights is not something we as students believe should be part of our school's values. We welcome community members and other allies to join us to show that we stand behind Andraya Williams and all transgender students at CPCC.

It will take place on the corner of Elizabeth and Kings Streets if you wish to attend.

Will be keeping an eye on this situation as well.

Tona Plays Amazing Grace

Just a reminder of how awesome Tona Brown is and how such awesomeness needs to be on the stage of Carnegie Hall.  This video is from the Baltimore TDOR.   Tona is playing 'Amazing Grace' accompanied by cellist Kevin Jones of the Aida Strings

Tona is an advocate for transgender issues and the arts.  She founded the Aida Strings in 2005 with the goal of showcasing the talent of classical artists in African American and LGBT communities who have a harder time getting the same exposure or opportunities as others.

So enjoy this duet and pull out a dollar or two (or $5, $10, $20...) to help get Tona to New York.

Janet On Colbert Report

I usually don't watch the Colbert Report, but I had a reason to do so last night because Janet Mock
was on.

Here's the video from the show.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Video Archive

CeCe Is Free!

In case you haven't heard the news yet, after 19 months of unjust incarceration, as scheduled,  CeCe McDonald was released at approximately 8:30 AM CST from the Minnesota Correctional Facility-St Cloud.

And how apropos and cool that this is happening for her just two days short of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's 85th birthday?

She was met by a small group of supporters including Laverne Cox, who is currently along with Jac Gares producing a documentary about CeCe's story. 

Here's video from Jac Gares' YouTube account of CeCe's release

CeCe McDonald's Getting Out Today!

Assuming there are no complications and everything goes smoothly, today is the day that we've been waiting for ever since the news broke after Christmas that our unjustly incarcerated sister CeCe McDonald will be released from jail.

I say unjustly incarcerated because she was sentenced to 41 months in jail for defending herself against a transphobic hate attack instigated by Molly Shannon Flaherty and neo-Nazi sympathizer Jonathan Schmitz that he unfortunately died during it.

But she was the only one charged until the mounting outrage over it, protests and a Change.org petition that drew over 18,000 signatures probably led Minnesota authorities to finally arrest and charge Flaherty for her part in instigating it.  She only served 180 days, Cece has spent 19 months imprisoned for basically defending herself..  

Whiteness and white supremacy strikes again.  Gee thanks again Hennepin County DA Michael O. Freeman for reinforcing that message.

When she finally does get out, I know our first instincts as a community will be to envelop CeCe in love and wrap our collective arms around her.   We'll get our opportunity to do that later.   But in these first few days post release, give her a few days of privacy to hang out with her family, enjoy her freedom, just chill and honor whatever requests she makes of us for now..

When she's ready to do so, we'll probably see CeCe pop up at a few events of her time and choosing.

This was the note dated January 7 that the CeCe McDonald Support Committee sent out after the word broke that she was getting out today.

***

Dear CeCe McDonald supporters,

The rumors are true: CeCe is scheduled to be released from prison in January. She will wait and write a public statement about her release after she gets out of prison, because she wants to tell you all in her own words and own time. She would like to spend her first days out in privacy, with people she feels close to. Again, information about her release will be shared when CeCe feels it is the right time to do so. In the meantime, she and her support committee ask everyone to be patient.

We are excited to throw her a party soon after her release. As soon as the venue and date are confirmed, we will announce! This party is a chance for everyone who has been supporting CeCe to come out and celebrate her release with her.

Many of you are eager to send contributions of money or materials, to aid in her transition home. Keep an eye on the Facebook page for specific ‘asks’ in the future. Right now, because of the incredible support of her community here in Minneapolis and around the world, she will be safe, comfortable, and cared for when she rejoins us. Please consider sending a donation to other incarcerated people or abolition movements. (Check out the Rainbow Defense Fund).

CeCe has one more request: after her release, she’d like to make a scrapbook documenting the worldwide support she’s received. If you’ve organized an event, held a sign at a rally, or created art inspired by CeCe, please send it to mpls4cece at gmail dot com.

Thanks everyone for supporting CeCe, and for supporting her now in the way she most needs: with your patience.
~ CeCe Support Committee

***

We'll also be looking forward to the release of the documentary that Laverne Cox  and Jac Gares are working on entitled FREE CeCe! 

Finally, we can say the words CeCe is free.   And it will be nice to see what the next chapter of her life brings.

TransGriot Update:  It's official.  At approximately 8:30 AM CST,  CeCe McDonald was released from the Minnesota Correctional Facility – St. Cloud according to an official at the prison.

Janet Mock's 'Redefining Realness' Due In February

Despite the fact I get a chance to converse with her from time to time when both our busy schedules allow it, I'm still like many of you megaexcited that her book Redefining Realness is being released one month from now on February 4.

These are some of the early reviews about her book.

“Of the book’s many strengths, the most notable is its political bite. Mock defies the historically apolitical confines of the transgender memoir…[and] take[s] the uninitiated, non-transgender reader with her.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Undercurrents of strong emotion swirl throughout this well-written book…An enlightening, much-needed perspective on transgender identity.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Redefining Realness is loving, searing, and true.”
—Jennifer Finney Boylan, New York Times bestselling author of She’s Not There

“Redefining Realness is a classic American autobiography. Like Richard Wright and Maya Angelou, Janet Mock brings us into a world we may not know.”
—Barbara Smith, author of The Truth That Never Hurts

“Redefining Realness is a riveting, emotional, crisply written testimony. I couldn’t put it down!”
—Laverne Cox, actress, advocate and star of Orange Is the New Black

“Redefining Realness overflows with the everyday magic of survival and resiliency.”
—Susan Stryker, author of Transgender History

I'm looking forward to reading it, and hope you will pick it up when it hits your fave local bookstore.  If you have local independent bookstores, support Janet and them by purchasing it from them or hit your fave online retailer or chain bookstore to do so as well.

Let's do our part to push this book toward the New York Times Best Seller List.

Also looking forward to seeing her in H-town when her book tour finally makes it to my part of the country

Minister Bobbie Jean Baker Passes Away

I was stunned to hear moments ago from Louis Mitchell of the sudden passing of Minister Bobbie Jean Baker.

She was born in Memphis, TN, and overcame some challenging circumstances in her life before moving to the Bay Area in 1992.   She became an ordained minister at the City of Refuge UCC in San Francisco and served as the West Coast Regional TransSaints Minister of the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, and Lay Minister at Transcending Transgender Ministries of CORUCC. 

She was the lead singer of the world renowned all transgender member Transcendence Gospel Choir for a decade

I had the pleasure of meeting Min. Baker during the TransFaith in Color conference in Charlotte in July 2012, and we touched base with each other from time to time via Miss Major.  . 

Min. Baker in addition to being a seminary student at the Pacific Religion School, was a sought after speaker and workshop leader.  She worked for several Bay Area non profits as a peer advocate, case manager, supportive housing manager, with certification as an HIV Risk Assessment Counselor and Domiestic Violence Specialist. 

Minster Bobbie Jean Baker will be missed by her ministerial colleagues in the trans faith ranks and all who loved and admired her in the Bay Area and beyond.

Rest in power and peace, sis.

As soon as I find out the details of what happened and the date, time and location of her homegoing service, I will pass them on to you.

TransGriot Update:  According to Bishop Yvette Flunder's FB page, she and Deacon Bobby Wiseman were struck by a hit and run driver after Watch Night service. Deacon Bobby is in the hospital at present and reasonably stable. Min. BobbieJean passed away at the scene of the accident.

FREE CeCe! Documentary Being Filmed

One of my fave peeps in the trans community is busy producing a documentary about our unjustly incarcerated sister entitled FREE CeCe!

The upcoming documentary is being co-produced by Laverne Cox and Jacqueline 'Jac' Gares.  

In addition to an interview with McDonald by Cox, it tells the story of the events of that June 2011 night, the role that race, class and gender played in this case, the issues of housing trans feminine people in male prisons and anti-trans violence.

Gares and Cox also talked about the documentary project in a recent Persephonemagazine.com interview.

The documentary's original genesis came from research Gares was doing when she was a Series Producer on the now cancelled show In The Life.   Gares and Cox both thought the story needed to be told, and looked into doing this as an independent documentary. 

Looking forward to seeing this when it is completed.
 
.

CeCe McDonald May Be Released Soon!

Looks like the early part of 2014 could possibly be a wonderful start to the year for our unjustly incarcerated sister CeCe McDonald.

According to information posted on the Minnesota Department of Corrections website,  CeCe McDonald has a projected release date of January 13, 2014 with another 13 months of supervised release.

That's good news in a case that dates back to a June 5, 2011 night in which she and her friends found themselves under assault after having racist and transphobic slurs uttered at them as the passed the Schooner Tavern on their way to a South Minneapolis store.  A fight instigated by Molly Shannon Flaherty resulted in the death of Dean Schmitz

McDonald ended up taking a plea deal when there was clear evidence of self defense, while Molly Flaherty, the person who instigated this drama, only served 180 days.

Hope it does happen on that date for our incarcerated sister, because she shouldn't have spent one second inside the walls of that prison. 

CeCe was recently interviewed by Laverne Cox as part of an upcoming documentary currently being produced about the case entitled FREE CeCe!

Will definitely be keeping an eye on this developing story as we get closer to the projected release date.  I hope I have more wonderful news to report on January 13.

NY Islan Nettles Case Meeting

TransGriot Note:  From the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP)

On December 20 trans community leaders Laverne Cox and Brooke Cerda Guzman, along with representatives from the Audre Lorde Project’s Trans Justice and the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) met with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office regarding the Islan Nettles investigation after misdemeanor charges were dropped against Paris Wilson on November 19, 2013. 

Islan Nettles was attacked on August 17 in Harlem by an individual or group of individuals shouting anti-transgender slurs.  Ms. Nettles was taken to Harlem Hospital for her injuries and on Thursday August 22, was taken off of life support and died.

At the meeting, community leaders spoke about their concerns about the real danger that transgender women of color face in New York City and the need for the District Attorney’s Office to prioritize violence against transgender women of color.  The District Attorney’s Office assured community leaders that the Islan Nettles case remains a top priority and that they were doing everything in their power to move the investigation forward.  The group also spoke about ways in which the District Attorney’s Office and transgender women of color could work together to create safety and highlight the disproportionate impact of violence in transgender and gender non-conforming communities.

The Anti Violence Project (AVP) will continue to work with transgender community leaders and the District Attorney’s Office on the Islan Nettles case and on issues of safety for all transgender women of color in New York City.

AVP stands with transgender women of color, our allies, community members and community leaders in saying we will not be silent about the violence faced by transgender women and transgender women of color in our city.  In September 2013, at AVP’s Courage Awards, Laverne Cox called the violence against transgender women of color “a state of emergency,” and it is exactly that, both here in New York City and across the nation.  The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) most recent report, Hate Violence Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected Communities in the United States in 2012, documented 25 anti-LGBTQ murders.  73.1% of all anti-LGBTQ homicide victims in 2012 were people of color and 53.8% were transgender women.

So far this year we know of 14 transgender women nationally who have been victims of homicide.  In many of these cases, no motive is known, and we are concerned about the pace of investigations, the serial misgendering of the victims by police and media, and by a lack of public awareness about these tragic deaths.

 REPORTING VIOLENCE HELPS TO END VIOLENCE
AVP encourages you to report violence you experience or witness to our free and confidential 24-hour bilingual (English/Spanish) hotline at 212-714-1141 where you can speak with a trained counselor and seek support, or you can report violence anonymously online at http://avp.org/get-help/report-violence.

Nope, Haven't Forgotten About CeCe McDonald

Back in June 2011 CeCe McDonald and her friends were minding their own business and headed to a nearby Target store in their south Minneapolis neighborhood.  As they passed the Schooner Tavern they were subjected to racist and transphobic slurs and a fight instigated by Molly Shannon Flaherty that resulted in the death of neo-Nazi sympathizer Dean Schmitz

CeCe ended up taking a plea deal that has her spending 41 months in jail for 2nd degree manslaughter, when there was clear evidence of self defense.  Molly Flaherty, the person who instigated this mess only served 180 days.

If CeCe hadn't 'stood her ground', there a possibility that we would have been reading her name on that year's Remembering our Dead list.   But 41 months in jail is still an unjust price to pay for defending yourself against an unprovoked racist and transphobic attack

You may wish to check out CeCe's writings at the 'Support CeCe McDonald' blog.   It also has the address for you if the mood strikes (and I hope you do) to take some time out of your busy days to write CeCe a letter or send her a Christmas card to let our unjustly incarcerated sis know that she does have trans community support..

Diamond Stylz's TDOR 2013 Message

My Houston homegirl Diamond Stylz is my counterpart in the video blogging world, and peeps need to recognize that she's all that and five bags of mesquite barbecue chips if they haven't already.

Here's Diamond's commentary concerning the 2013 edition of the Transgender Day of Remembrance that needs to be seen

Tavares Spencer Trial-Coko Takes The Stand

The question was asked by the Tampa media if Coko McDonald would testify against her attacker or even be there in the audience as the Tavares Spencer trial started yesterday. 

Well, she did.  Sis was looking good as she described the events of that horrific April 9 day. 




And yeah, not a surprise to me that Spencer's defense attorneys are already trying to deploy the 'trans panic' defense.   They actually claimed that since McDonald made sexual advances toward their client, the now 17 year old teen felt scared for his life and shot her.

WTF?   Just another sterling example of why the 'trans panic' defense needs to be banned and consigned to the legal ash heap. 

Gee, I hope the jury didn't buy those woof tickets the defense attorney was selling, but then again, we have previous experience with Florida juries buying bull feces laden defense cases up the road in Sanford, FL. .  

The Spencer trial is expected to wrap up by the end of the week.