No More Down Low TV-Out On The Hill Youth Leaders Summit

One of the things I really enjoyed during the 2011 Out On Th Hill Conference in addition to meeting many of the leaders in the Black GLBT community was meeting our future leaders as well.

Had the pleasure of meeting people such as Jeshawna Wholley, Jane Vaughn and a host of students who are either recent graduates of HBCU's like Jeshawna or are currently matriculating on HBCU campuses as we speak.   

On the Saturday of the conference there was a youth leaders summit and panel discussion in which we got an insight on the issues that affect them, what they are thinking about and what thy need from those of us who have been in the rainbow community human rights game for a while.

The TransGriot did ask some questions and made some comments during it, but it didn't make the final edit for this segment.  

This is the No More Down Low TV video for the OOTH Youth Activist Segment

No More Down Low TV Debunks Black Bible Myths About GLBT People

One of the people I had the pleasure of meeting during Out on The Hill 2011 was No More Down Low TV Executive Producer Earnest Winborne.  I was already a fan of the show and it was a pleasure watching him and his team filming all the DC happenings during that remarkable week. 

The latest episode of No More Dow Low TV is out and it not only shows Dr. Sylvia Rhue doing some some Black Bible myth busting, it also shows the Saturday Youth Summit that occurred during Out On The Hill.

No More Down Low TV is in its second year and seeks to cover the stories of the African American SGL/ rainbow community which are often overlooked .

This is video for the Episode 203 entire show:



This is Dr Rhue's Segment Debunking Black Bible Myths

Miss Major Hospitalized

Y'all know how much I love and admire one of our pioneering trans elders in Miss Major.  

Was saddened and alarmed to hear from Minister Bobbie Jean Baker last night that Miss Major has been hospitalized due to seriously elevated blood pressure.   They've got it down and she's at this writing under observation at Kaiser Permanente Oakland hospital where they are running tests to determine what's causing the problem.

Minister Bobbie Jean e-mailed me they are going to keep her under observation for another day and we should have more news about what's happening with Miss Major at noon PST.  

Will keep people posted as I receive the info, and you may wish to send prayers, positive thoughts and well wishes to Miss Major for a speedy recovery.

It Gets Better: Ms J Alexander

Any time I discover that a Black personality has put out an 'It Gets Better' video, you'll see it on TransGriot.  

This one features Tyra's America's Next Top Model runway catwalk coach Ms J. Alexander

Danielle King Tells Her Story In Colorlines

"And for the first time in my life, I feel like the African American trans community is beginning to work together; technology has helped us with that. I also think we’re much kinder to ourselves. We got our start in ballroom culture, which is all about being passable, pretty and fierce. But I think our collective understanding of beauty has become wider and more inclusive."   Danielle King

One of the people I had the pleasure of finally meeting while I was in DC for Out On The Hill and Tte ALC was Danielle King.  We had a  few long in person and phone conversations while I was up there and also took part in a panel discussion together at the DC City Hall on trans issues.

Colorlines is doing a series called Pass The Mic: Transgender Women In Chocolate City Tell Their Stories and one of the first people to do so is Danielle .

I enjoyed the Colorlines article about her.  You can read the rest of what she had to say in it by clicking on this link.  I'll also be interested in seeing the stories of the other transwomen from DC they interviewed for this series as well. .

Lois Bates Wake And Homegoing Ceremony

I mentioned that Chicago's Lois Bates, one of the African-American trans community's builders and pioneers passed away on November 17 just three days before the TDOR.

Thanks to Rod 2.0 found out that her homegoing ceremony was held at 11 AM CST yesterday at Galting's Chapel on 10133 S. Halsted in Chicago. The wake was held on Sunday, November 27 at Pillar of Love Fellowship UCC.

She's had some health challenges over the last few years, but that still didn't stop her from serving the local community.   She will be missed by those who knew and loved her in the Chicago area and in the national African American trans community.  

Rest sis.  You've earned it

'For Better Or Worse Debuts' Tonight On TBS

I know some of you would rather gouge your eyes out than watch anything Tyler Perry produces, but I'm going to probably check out tonight's TBS 8 PM CST debut of the show For Better Or Worse.

It's based on the movie Why Did I Get Married and stars Tasha Smith and Michael Jai White reprising their roles from the movie as outspoken salon owner Angela and sports anchor Marcus.Williams.

It not only follows Marcus and Angela's lives but the lives of their friends who are in various stages of their relationships and the ups and downs in those relationships.

On of the couples For Better Or Worse follows is Richard Ellington, who is involved with Marcus' ex and mother of his kids Keisha.   I'm also interested in the show because it also has as part of the cast former Miss USA 2008 and my Houston homegirl Crystle Stewart.

I also love me some Tasha Smith. 

So yeah, I'll flip the channel and take a look at the show and see what's up with it.

Three Beautiful Ladies

Love this pic of my sisters Janet Mock, Laverne Cox and Isis King.   You are not only beautiful, smart and talented in your own rights, you are also doing yeoman's work in busting stereotypes about who and what African-American transwomen are and what we can accomplish if just given the opportunity to do so.

RIP Minister Lois Bates

Received word that another one of our transpeople has passed on.   Minister Lois Bates of Chicago passed away this morning in an area hospital.

As soon as I find out about the homegoing service arrangements I will post them on the blog for people who wish to pay their last respects to her.

I had the pleasure of trading e-mails and chatting with her at various times back in the 2K's but we'd unfortunately never had the opportunity to formally meet despite the fact I was only five hours from her during my time as a Da Ville resident..  

There is a story about her on The Body's website that you may wish to peruse in terms of getting to know a little about this remarkable lady who will be missed by all who knew her.

Another one of the people who helped build our African-American trans community has been called home.

Rest in peace, Minister Lois Bates.  .  

TransGriot Note:  Thanks Helena Bushong for e-mailing me another story about Lois.   It's a huge loss for the Chicago community and all of us.

Black America, Give Black Transwomen The Same Unconditional Love Y'all Give Madea

"Blacks have no problem with cross dressing and transgenderism as a form of entertainment.  It’s only after the lights go off and the camera stops rolling that it becomes an issue if the dress and heels are still on." Jasmyne Cannick, February 24, 2006   Black America's Infatuation With Butch Men Up In Heels

One of the things that has irritated me and other African descended transwomen is the glaring disconnect that we observe between the community showing much love and respect for Tyler Perry's Mabel 'Madea' Simmons movie character.  We are your children, daughters, parents, sisters, aunts, cousins, co workers, fellow churchgoers, classmates and friends while Madea is a movie character played by a man wearing a dress. 

But Black transwomen who live their lives 24/7/365 (366 in a leap year) as themselves get dissed and are sometimes subjected to violent transphobic negativity.

I've talked about that disconnect in numerous posts here.  Jasmyne Cannick mentioned it a February 24, 2006 blogpost, and it inspired a poem that I wrote and posted on TransGriot a few months later that I entitled 'Y'all Love Madea But You Hate On Me'.

I left this February 26 comment on that JasmyneCannick.com post :

Amen Jasmyne!
As an African-American transwoman I get irritated with the Jurassic attitudes that our people have concerning gender and sexuality.

Those attitudes are not just the exclusive province of straight peeps. They are also prevalent among the gays and lesbians who are SUPPOSED to be our allies.

Black America needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Transgender peeps are 3% of the population and we have much to offer our people. They have to open their minds and hearts and realize that we are also African-Americans who are ready to do our part to uplift the race.

What I, Jasmyne Cannick and others observed back in 2006 is unfortunately still prevalent in elements of the African-American community today.  We have Black people who give far more unconditional love, respect and authenticity to a fictional character than they do the transwomen in their midst.  Those people unfortunately are also eager to express that hate and fear of transwomen in ways deleterious to us.

Bottom line, we are women in heart, mind and soul whose bodies caught up later to the reality of our lives.  Increasing medical evidence and ongoing research on gender identity is backing up what we transpeople already knew and dispelling the lies told about us by the Forces of Intolerance.

I'm also noting more African Americans who are willing to step up, educate themselves beyond a Trans 101 level about our lives and gender identity issues and be stand up allies and supporters of chocolate transpeople.

I'm especially heartened to see increased support in Black academic circles, amongst HBCU students and our legacy organizations begin to tackle those internal community conversations we need and must have to continue to educate our community about trans African-Americans. 


Those same conversations are happening inside the SGL community as well.  While the National Black Justice Coalition is role modeling that new paradigm when it comes to inclusion of Black transpeople in their activism, others like the NAACP and our HBCU's still have a long way yet to travel, but have taken their first tentative steps forward in doing so.

Any progress in terms of African Americans becoming aware of the issues we face is welcomed as long as it results in community comprehension that we trans African-Americans deserve more unconditional love as flesh and blood human beings than a movie character. 
  .