2012 OUT On The Hill-What Now, Black LGBT Family?

Another exciting edition of OUT on the Hill has concluded and our Black LGBT family has scattered to our various locales around the country until we gather inside I-495 next September.  

As we traveled by plane, train, bus and auto back to our hometowns with those conversations fresh on our minds, it's now time for the real work to be done that we discussed in the various sessions, conversations we had at receptions, in the hotel bars, over lunch and dinner and even our various hotel rooms.

As we got to Own Our Power inside the Beltway as Sharon likes to remind us to do, the big question now becomes what will we do individually and as part of our Black trans and SGL community to exercise the power that we spent time learning to own?  

The first thing on our Black LGBT Own Our Power list is a no brainer.   Get Trans and SGL people  registered and get your LGBT souls to the polls on November 6 (or sooner in my case as a Texas resident). We need to make sure that we get 4 more years for POTUS 44 and give him a Congress he can work with.  We also know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this president is the best ever on trans issues and has done some groundbreaking things for the SGL community as well.

We also have to not only continue to uplift trans people, but put our trans brothers in that leadership spotlight as well.  Remember some trans people are trans guys, and I was glad to hear that during OUT on the Hill 2013 the trans men will have a Town Hall like we did during this just concluded event.

I also challenged trans people in the Town Hall to run for office so that we can start writing the legislation we need and stop begging to be included in it.  Later that night LZ Granderson point blank asked me when I was going to lead by example and run for office in Texas, which is something my cousin asked me just before I left for DC.  That conversation LZ and I had falls under The Black Trans Revolution Will Not Be Televised territory.

Segueing into Black Trans Revolution items, since there's never been a trans themed forum at the CBCF-ALC, I'd love to see that happen as well in 2013 with trans men and trans women making up that panel along with allies. 

There's a thirteen city LGBT Economic Empowerment Tour cosponsored by the SBA and NBJC that is slated to hit Atlanta, Brooklyn, Chicago, Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Newark, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Oakland/San Francisco, Washington DC and Houston that we'll need to get the word out about.   This 'Many Faces One Dream initiative to tap into the economic power of SGL and trans people and those budding entrepreneurs and business owners amongst us is going to be an important component for the Black LGBT community's ability to own our economic power.  .

We also need to do the work to ensure that when we have the next LGBT themed forum at the 2013 CBCF-ALC, it's not just us in the room attending it.

Finally, we need to in the eleven and a half months until OUT on the Hill 2013 arrives on the scene bigger, badder, better and Blacker than ever talk up OUT on the Hill at every opportunity and encourage our people to go and be part of the amazing experience of seeing and talking to trans and SGL leaders from 18-80.  

And yes, we need to continue to network, forge partnerships and uplift each other in order to help our Black LGBT community survive, grow and thrive.  

There's probably other things that people will come up with in the wake of this conference, but what needs to happen now Black LGBT family is that we roll up our sleeves and get to work accomplishing some of the short term and long term things thoughtfully discussed during OUT on the Hill 2012.

Paris Dupree Discusses Ballroom History

Something for you TransGriot readers to enjoy while I'm traveling.   The late Paris Dupree discusses and breaks down ballroom history during the 2006 Icon Ball in Atlanta.

2012 OUT on The Hill-Day 2 Recap

Missed most of the action today since I was saying goodbye to Jeri that morning, eating breakfast at her house and prepping to move to the conference hotel.   I hoped I could  get it done before it was time for the Issue Advocacy Day to start at the Church of the Redemption at 12 noon EDT and then from there head over to Capitol Hill to Own Our Power.

I also had the option of heading downtown to the Walter Williams Convention Center to witness the opening of NBJC's Exhibit Booth at the 42nd annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation-Annual Legislative Conference or CBCF-ALC in DC acronym speak.    That event was also starting at 12 noon EDT.

There was also the CBCF-ALC workshops schedule for that date of which the one I was interested in, a national Town Hall meeting moderated by Melissa Harris-Perry was scheduled for 9 AM, just as I was getting my behind up from the previous night's reception and chilling with Kimberley and Janet.

By the time I got packed, made the ride over with Jeri and checked into my room in the historic Marriott Wardman Tower it was 1:15 PM and I just decided to catch up on my blogging and take a nap before the 2012 Chairman's Reception.

You'll note I wrote the historic Wardman Tower.  In that part of the sprawling complex, by the elevators that led up to my third floor room was a black plaque hanging on the wall noting that one tine busboy Langston Hughes on November 27, 1925 nervously handed three of his poems to noted poet Vachel Lindsay while he was dining at the hotel's restaurant.  

Lindsay at a segregated event later that night in the hotel read those three poems Hughes left by his dinner plate and announced he'd discovered a talented Negro poet. 

The media picked up Lindsay's comments, remarked about the 'busboy poet' and the career of Hughes was born.  So yep, it was awesome as a writer to know that I was staying in the same hotel where Langston Hughes once worked.  

Speaking of work, back to this post.

At 7:00 PM the 2012 OUT on the Hill Chairman's Reception cranked up in Maryland Suites A, B and C.   Nice spread with a set up dance floor and DJ so we got to get our grub on, meet and greet each other and dance to tune courtesy of our DJ that covered a wide variety of music including soca from the Islands.
Since we were in DC, I requested EU's Da Butt.   Hey when in DC you gotta hear some Go-Go, so when the DJ honored my request and played it moments later, I hit the dance floor along with half the room  

Hopefully there aren't any incriminating pictures of me on the Net allegedly dancing way close to the floor..

Oh well, Day 2 over, two more to go.   

2012 OUT on the Hill-Day 1 Recap

Hey TransGriot readers, I've moved from my double secret location in NE DC at Jeri's house to the host hotel for tonight's, Friday's and Saturday's Out on the Hill 2012 activities, but needed to write up while it's still fresh on my mind what transpired during Day 1.   

As i write this there is a lobbying event going on along with the unveiling of the NBJC booth in the vendor area at the CBCF-ALC, but I needed to give y'all the 411 on what happened during Day One of OUT On The Hill

After getting my beauty sleep at Jeri's and getting my diva look on, I headed to the Georgia Ave-Petworth station, jumped on the METRO train and headed over to HUD headquarters to start my OUT on the Hill 2012 experience.   I was more than eager to get registered.for the informative action packed day that was going to unfold and feeling like a kid attending their first day of school.

I was more than ready to see everyone after my interesting travel day up there.

After I cleared security (this is Washington DC people)  I picked up my packet to the warm greetings and hugs from two of the volunteers who remembered me from last year's event.

While in the lobby area outside the Auditorium waiting for the OUT on ther Hill Opening General Session to start introduced myself to some of the first timers attending the conference.  As I talked to them, I was spotted by some of the vets, NBJC staff and other friends in the Black SGL and trans community

The General Session started with remarks from our OUT on the Hill national chair LZ Granderson, NBJC Founder Donna Payne, Darlene Nipper and eventually NBJC ED/CEO Sharom-Lettman Hicks after some thought provoking words about why OUT on the Hill was so important to this community via LZ and Donna.

After Sharon's welcoming speech and reminder to all of us we were here to Own Our Power, after some housekeeping anoouncements it was time for our first session.

It was the Legislative Issues briefing moderated by Aisha Moodie-Mills.    It had in addition to her moderating it my GLAAD media training classmate Maya Rupert, and Michael Brewer from NBJC.  There were points made about pending legislation such as the Student Non Discrimination Act, DOMA repeal,  ENDA, discussion about voter suppression and other issues pertinent to our chocolate LGBT community.

That panel ended, and we picked up our box lunches and prepared to head over on the METRO once again to the White House for our 1:00 PM briefing.    I chuckled when on my way into the White House I ran into someone I'd met during Netroots Nation who had just left as I discovred after I cleared security that had attended an LGBT Policy Roundtable that started at 9:30 AM.

I was also pleasantly pleased and surprised to discover that the White House intern who was working our event was part of our trans family. 

As we settled in to receive policy briefings from Obama administration officials and ask questions about it if we had time, my attention got diverted for a few moments from the speaker on the stage to a very familiar person walking into the briefing room carrying her purse and her travel bags  .

It was Janet Mock.   She'd told me she was coming to DC while I was in New York for the GLAAD media training, but I'd forgotten she had an invite to attend an event at Vice President Joe Biden's house that was scheduled for yesterday. 

She was attending it with Sharon Lettman-Hicks and Kimberley McLeod, so she killed some time with us until it was time for her to head over there.

After Senior Presidential Advisor Valerie Jarrett's remarks at 5:00 PM closed the event came the interesting part of the day for me.  

 There was a Networking reception starting at 6:00 PM.  No problem.  Y'all know I love hanging with my Black LGBT peeps and interacting with them during this event.  

The interesting part was the location for it, the headquarters of a certain Equal Sign organizations on Rhode Island Avenue.

As y'all know from reading this blog, as a long time activist I started during at time in the late 90's when there was a no love lost Cold War type hostility between the trans community and HRC, and the 2007 ENDA shenanigans didn't help that. 

I still have a verify then trust attitude toward HRC as a result of that formative activist drama, but as I entered the HQ after walking over there from the White House with my trans and SGL family I decided to focus on the fact I was there on NBJC business and on the activism announcement I was going to make a little later.

Got to meet more people, see more old friends, more of my TransGriot readers, and have some interesting and substantive conversations.  Finally got to see Kylar, Charles Pugh, Jeffrey Richardson from the DC city government and renew acquaintances with Shannon Minter.  I also didn't realize until after I left for the evening that I'd been sitting less than 50 feet from Kye Allums, who I have been eager to meet. 

I also had a serious conversation with members of a student group from Florida A&M.  I told them a little bit about some of the stuff I was exposed to in terms of passing sexual orientation and gender identity languge in collegiate noddisrimination policies idoing with the Texas Transgender Nnondiscrimimation Summit.  It's a battle they are currently engaged in at FAMU.

We had a moment during the reception in which we were invited to tell the gathered people in the room why OUT on the Hill was important to us, and yes I was the first up to the mic to say so. 

I also took that opportunity to announce that I was joining the Trans Person Of Color Coalition team effective immediately.

Not long after that Janet, Sharon, and Kimberley arrived from VP Biden's house and Janet took a moment along with Sharon to address the crowd.

9 PM came far too soon and Kimberley and I discovered that I was staying less than three blocks from her place, so I joined her and  Janet for a drink and converation at Chez Billy's.

After almost two hours, it was time for all of us to crash for the night since Kimberley's day started way earlier than mine and I safely made my way back to Jeri's house to prepeare for Day 2 of OUT on the Hill
 

NBJC OUT On The Hill Host Committee Gearing Up For Biggest Summit Ever

I can testify to how much work is involved in putting together a conference like OUT On The Hill, having done it while organizing the 2005 and 2006 Transsistahs-Transbrothas ones in Louisville. 

The National Black Justice Coalition has done a masterful job at the planning and execution of this event over the last two years and the 2012 one looks to be the biggest one yet.  As the reputation of the quality of it grows and word of mouth and publicity about OUT on The Hill continues to expand amongst Black LGBT people and our allies about this unapologetically Black conference of Black trans and SGL leaders, it's also time that the OUT On The Hill Host Committee get a little love as well.

OUT on the Hill Host Committee members have been working closely with other distinguished Black LGBT leaders and activists to contribute their time and talents to the event and encourage others to do the same. Host Committee members are integral to making OUT on the Hill a success.              

This year's OUT on the Hill Host Committee members include: Shaun Allende, UDC OUTLAW; Brandynicole Brooks, DC Child and Family Services Agency; Ashlee Davis, Emerging Leader; Rev. MacArthur Flournoy, Human Rights Campaign (HRC); Robby Gregg, Diversity Thought Leader; Monique Hall, DCI Group; Rev. Cedric Harmon, Many Voices; Rev. Candy Holmes, Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC); Huston Inniss, National Coalition for LGBT Health; Bakari Jones, Bois of Baltimore; Katheryn King, U.S. Bank; Stacey Long, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Samantha Master, Morgan State University; Aisha Moodie-Mills, Center for American Progress; Rev. Darlene Nipper, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Donna Payne, Human Rights Campaign (HRC); Jeffrey Richardson, DC Mayor's Office of LGBT Affairs; Maya Rupert, National Council for Lesbian Rights (NCLR); Twaun Samuel, Office of Congresswoman Maxine Waters; Andre Wade, National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH); Rev. George Walker, Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute/Victory Fund; Lauren Waters, Emerging Leader; and Isaiah Wilson, Office of Congressman Steve Rothman.   

Thanks Host Committee for the work you collectively put in to make OUT On The Hill a success and I'm looking forward to seeing y'all on Tuesday. 

Debbie Allen Wants To Reboot 'A Different World'

A Different World broadcast its first episode 25 years ago this month.  I have been griping for more than a few years on these TransGriot electronic pages about Carsey-Werner not releasing Seasons 2-6 of the show on DVD or even considering doing a reunion episode in light of the fact the anniversary of the September 24, 1987 airing of its first episode is rapidly approaching.

I not only compiled a trivia quiz for the show for last year's anniversary, I even wrote a May 7 post entitled 'Imagining A Different World 2K12' , imagined what that show would look like, and ended that post with this comment.

So will we see A Different World 2K12?    Probably only in our dreams.  

Well, somebody must have sent that post to my Houston homegirl Debbie Allen, because there was a series of tweets starting on August 23 on her Twitter page stating she was interested in bringing back a rebooted A Different World back to television

If that's true, pinch me and make sure I'm wide awake.   Big Amen coming from me. 

I love this show like many other people of my generation and would love to see Dwayne, Whitley, Freddie, Ron and the Hillman College gang blended in with some 21st century Hillman students as I demonstrated in the May 7 post I wrote. 

The successful reboot of Dallas shows it can be done.  Seeing how well it did ratings wise and how it mixed the old characters we were familiar with the new generation of Ewings and Barnes', I have no doubt that a remixed for the 2K10's A Different World would be just as successful.

Debbie Allen at the helm of it would ensure A Different World would be 'keeping it real' and it stayed as close to having that HBCU experience we all loved about the original show.

I say that because in the current TV landscape we are chock full of mindless fare and tawdry reality TV shows aimed at African American audiences.

We would love a smart, well written ensemble cast show with topical storylines like A Different World successfully pulled off from 1987-1993.   

So Debbie and 'errbody' else in Hollywood, please make the A Different World reboot happen.  If you do, I'll happily write the 'I was wrong' post as I eagerly await the return of Hillman College to my television screen.   If you're looking for script writers for the new show, where do I put in my application for it?

And oh yeah, here are the answers to last year's A Different World trivia quiz. 

NBJC Newsletter-Out On The Hill 2011 Recap Edition

The latest edition of the NBJC Newsletter is out, and if you're wondering why I'm so excited for the third edition of Out On The Hill to begin September 19-22, check out this one recapping the events of Out On The Hill 2011.   You may even see a certain blogger from Texas in a photo or two

And no, it's not too late to register for Out On The Hill.   If you do, you'll be glad you did.   

I'm taking part in two panel discussion during this edition of Out On The Hill in addition to finally getting to meet Laverne Cox after we missed each other while I was in New York.  

And yes, NBJC family, I'm deliriously happy I get to spend quality time with you once again and everybody else inside I-495 (AKA the Capitol Beltway).

And while I'm there I have an activism related announcement I'll be making during that weekend, so stay tuned.

See y'all September 19-22.

Romney Campaign Announces Its Black Leadership Council

Being that the Romney-Ryan campaign is trailing 94% to 0% in terms of garnering the African-American vote, they decided to do something about their pathetic numbers in this critical voting bloc by announcing the formation of their Black Leadership  Sellout Council

It's chaired by Rep. Tim Scott (R-SC) Rep Allen West (R-FL) and Florida Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll (R) and seeks to in the campaign's words "help facilitate dialogue between Mitt Romney and respected leaders who provide unique expertise, experience and knowledge on a range of issues impacting black American communities."

Yeah, right.   "respected leaders" in conservaspeak= sellout knee-grows.

You come to the NAACP convention Mittens and disrespect our community,  have cricket chirping silence about the voter suppression laws negatively impacting our community and think by sending these three cookie chomping knee-grows in Scott, West and Carroll who have insulted African-Americans on one level or another to outreach to our community is going to move that needle of support from zero percent? 

So what say ye about this, Reverend Al?

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Damn, you peeps in the Romney-Ryan campaign and the Republican Party really are that clueless.

Another Young Transwoman Lost In Ohio

While I was in Charlotte for the just concluded TransFaith In Color Conference, heard about another young African-American transwoman who has been killed in the Cincinnati suburb of Walnut Hills, OH.  .

As usual, we have another case of an African-American transwoman being disrespectfully misgendered in the media, followed up by transphobic comments in the jacked up story on that media outlet's website.

What aggravates me even further about the developing story besides the pimping of the Black trans prostitute meme, is before I left for Charlotte had to report about another Chicago trans woman who had been killed.  

WKRC-TV. read your AP Stylebook as to the proper way to report on trans persons.  Umm, never mind, I'll do it myself since you trained professional journalists can't seem to get it right the first time.

Before I do your job for you, here's the pertinent section of the AP Stylebook you need to pay fracking attention to since this probably won't be the last time you end up reporting on trans persons

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.

***
Shortly after 10:30 PM  EDT Saturday night, police were called to the parking lot of a Dairy Mart on E. McMillan Street near Victory Parkway Drive where they found 26 year old Kendall L. Hampton suffering from a gunshot wound    She was rushed to University Hospital where she died  

Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call the Cincinnati Police Criminal Investigations Section at (513) 352-3542 or Crimestoppers at (513) 352-3040.

***

See WKRC-TV?   That wasn't so hard was it?  So what's your excuse for the piss-poor reporting in your story?

This is early info on the latest transwoman to die in 2012   Until I find out what Ms Hampton's femme name was, I will refer to her in this and subsequent posts by her initials.

And if someone has a more flattering photo of her besides this po-po mugshot or info about Ms. Hampton, please e-mail it to me ASAP.

Thank You For The 2012 NYC Black Pride Heritage Award

TransGriot Note: I'll be in New York next week for GLAAD's POC Media Institute, but not in time for tonight's awards event that is taking place at the Schomburg Center For Research In Black Culture and is a kickoff event for NYC Black Pride.  

In case you missed the earlier post I wrote about it, I'm getting a NYC Black Pride Heritage Award from Gay Men of African Descent in their Literary Excellence Category.   I also wanted to congratulate my homegirl Tona Brown who is getting the Marsha P. Johnson Award as well. 

So here's my acceptance letter and thank you GMAD for the honor.

It is indeed an honor an a privilege to be receiving this unexpected award for Literary Excellence from GMAD.   Ever since I stated TransGriot in 2006, I have strived  to live up to the mission statement and the name of this blog, to be a 21st century griot for our community.

I wish I could be there in person at the Schomburg Center to pick up that award for a variety of reasons.  I would have loved to have sat in the same place where my late historian godmother spent many hours during her time as an NYU student.   It would have been mice to meet many of you in the New York area who have let me know throughout the time I'm been publishing the blog how much you love and appreciate it and my tell it like it T-I-S is Afrocentric flavored commentary on unfolding events in the world around us. 

And finally, it's a chance to go to New York!   

I'm honored and touched that GMAD thinks so highly of my work chronicling the history of the African descended trans community here and across the Diaspora.  I believe it is vitally important now just as it was on January 1, 2006 when I founded the blog that we African-American transpeople had a FUBU space of our own on the Net that unapologetically refleced our culture, our heritage, and began to fight back aginst the ignorance and lies propagated aout us inside and outside the rainbow community.

It was also critically important for our young trans people to know they have a proud history, and heroes and sheroes to look up to.  It was important as well for African-American cisgender people to know that transsexuality isn't a 21st century phenomenon.

So to GMAD, thank you once again for bestowing this 2012 NYC Black Pride Heritage Award on me for Literary Excellence.   

2012 Olympic Watch-Serena's Golden!

Just finished watching Little Sis blitz Russia's Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1 in a little over an hour to capture the 2012 Olympic women's singles gold medal.  

Serena not only didn't drop a set in this golden run to the singles title at the All England Club, she only lost 17 games total while doing so. 

Serena also made a little history in the process.  Little Sis is the first female player ever to achieve the career Golden Slam in singles and doubles.

The Golden Slam is winning all four major tennis tournaments plus winning an Olympic singles gold medal.  To recap, Serena just picked up her singles gold in London, and is on track with Big Sis to possibly win doubles gold.   She and Big Sis won doubles gold in 2000 and 2008.

Speaking of the London Olympic doubles tournament, my fave tennis playing siblings will take on the Russian duo of  Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova in the semifinals of the women's doubles tournament, with the winners challenging the Czech Republic's duo of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in the gold-medal match.

They beat Hlavackova and Hradecka a few weeks ago for their 'Williams'-don doubles title, and the way Serena is playing right now I have no doubts should they get past the Russian duo they will do so again.

But you still have to platy the matches.

Congrats Serena.  If anyone doubted (or hated on the fact) that you are one of the greatest tennis players of all time, they don't have much of an argument any more.

TransGriot Update:  Serena and Venus are in tomorrow's doubles final after beating Kirilenko and Petrova in straight sets 7-5, 6-4.

Shame On You, National Bar Association

In 1925, because of Jim Crow segregation, African-American attorneys such as George H. Woodson, S. Joe Brown, James B. Morris, Charles P. Howard, and Gertrude E. Rush were denied admission to the American Bar Association because of their race.  So in the spirit of those times, when they were denied a seat at the table, they built their own table.

A group of 120 attorneys included legendary ones such as Charles Houston founded the National Bar Association in Des Moines, IA at a time when there were a little more than 1,000 African-American lawyers in the United States.  

The NBA, working in tandem with the NAACP addressed issues such as professional ethics, legal education, and uniform state laws, as well as questions concerning the civil rights movement in transportation discrimination, residential segregation, and voting rights in addition to working to diversify the federal judiciary and block federal judicial appointments of persons hostile to African-American civil rights and voting rights.

One of the NBA successes in that front was helping block the appointment of controversial North Carolina judge John J. Parker by President Herbert Hoover to the U.S. Supreme Court because of his outspoken opposition to civil rights and voting rights for African-Americans. . 


The ABA began admitting African-American members to its ranks starting in 1943, but the NBA continued growing to become the nation's oldest and largest association of Black lawyers, judges, law students and educators and has over 10,000 members in 84 chapters around the world in the United States, Canada, .the United Kingdom, the Caribbean and several African nations. 

The NBA constitution states its objective is to "promote legislation that will improve the economic condition of all American citizens regardless of race, sex, or creed."

With that kind of progressive vision and history grounded in our African-American civil rights movement, you would think that the National Bar Association would have no problem adding TBLG specific language in its constitution. 

Um yeah, seems like they do.  The Civil Rights Law section of the National Bar Association recently proposed an amendment to the NBA constitution that would add five words to the document: "disability, sexual orientation or gender identity." Nothing more. Nothing less.

And what was the result of the NBA vote?   They overwhelmingly rejected the proposed amendment on a 120-30 vote.    

"The National Bar Association's decision not to include disability, sexual orientation or gender identity as part of their nondiscrimination policy fails to accurately reflect the membership it purports to represent and discourages potential members from joining," said Kylar Broadus, attorney and founder of the Trans People of Color Coalition.

"For an organization that was formed as a harbor for Black Americans due to the pervasive discrimination in society at the time and is still a support for many given the structural and systematic discrimination that exist, I would think the NBA would be in tune and open to other Black marginalized groups as well. If we aren't included in the policy, it is clear we aren't welcome."

"How can an organization claiming to advocate on behalf of all Americans and cultivate strong legal leaders, refuse to acknowledge an entire segment of the Black community and its constituency?" asks Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director and CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black LGBT people. "Black LGBT lawyers and judges are Black, too. Period. We've had several Black LGBT attorneys share with NBJC that they've never felt welcomed at NBA - now we see why."

Of course the defensive spin quickly came in a written statement from the NBA President John Page when asked to comment by EBONY.com on the organization's decision not to include LGBT-specific language in its constitution. 

"For nearly 90 years, the NBA has been a leader in the fight for civil rights and justice for all.".said National Bar Association President John Page. "Like most other legal and civil rights organizations, we decided that our mission statement was not the appropriate document to express our unquestioned support of specific minority communities but as professionals and as lawyers we have a clear focus on access, rights, equality, justice and jurisprudence."

Oh really?   Then explain why your organization shrank from this leadership test President Page. It's interesting to note this inclusive language from association of other attorneys such as the American Bar Association:

"The ABA is dedicated to equal employment opportunity for its workforce that is without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or other protected characteristics."

And here's what the National Black Law Students Association, an active partner group with the NBA that was founded in 1968 has explicitly stated in their bylaws nondiscrimination clause: 

"NBLSA will not discriminate against an individual or group on the basis of sex, race, religion, ethnic group, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, national origin, or country of abode."

Hmm.  Sharon Lettman-Hicks told it like it T-I-S is in the EBONY.com article chronicling the failure of the NBA to include Black LGBT lawyers.

"NBLSA is a grooming ground for future Black lawyers," continues Lettman-Hicks. "These young people are light years ahead of the historic organization, NBA."

The National Bar Association states it has a mission to "protect civil and political rights of the citizens and the residents of the United States." 

I must point out to you NBA, some of those United States citizens you need to protect the civil and human rights of also happen to be LGBT ones.   It's past time you dealt with that reality because we can and could definitely use your expertise in doing so right now..

Just as the NBA was founded in the last century to give African-Americans in the legal profession a seat at the table that was denied to them, it's time for you to pull up some chairs to the table you built and allow your fellow African descended brothers and sister attorneys to not only sit there, but welcome them into the fold.

Shame on you, National Bar Association for sending the message through that problematic vote that has the whiff of homophobia and transphobia that you don't wish to do so and LGBT attorneys aren't welcome.. 

Lt. Gov. Carroll: How Dare You Denigrate Me and My Beautiful Black Lesbian and Bi Sisters?

TransGriot Note: I had my say about Florida Lt. Gov  Jennifer Carroll's jacked up comments about my Black lesbian and bi sisters, and now I'm pleased to signal boost for my readers this post from the NBJC blog and from NBJC Communications Director Kimberly McLeod

July 16, 2012   06:26 PM

Florida's Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll is on the defensive (and has apparently lost her mind) after former staff member Carletha Cole claimed that she caught Carroll and her female travel aide in a compromising sexual position in Carroll's capitol office. In an absurd attempt to deflect questions about the alleged same-sex encounter, Carroll told a local news outlet that Black lesbian and bisexual women don’t look like her.

“My husband doesn’t want to hear that. He knows the type of woman I am for 29 years. I’m the one that’s married for 29 years. The accuser is the one that’s single for a long time,” Carroll continued on camera while chuckling. “Usually Black women that look like me don’t engage in relationships like that.”
What exactly do Black lesbians and bisexual women look like, Lt. Gov. Carroll, since you seem to know so well? And what “type of woman” have you been for the last 29 years that by default makes you not lesbian or bisexual?

Actually, don’t answer that. Because who knows what more ignorance and utter word vomit you can further spew. As a self-identified Black lesbian who embraces and celebrates her femininity, allow me to answer that for you.

At the core of Carroll’s problematic statement is the misconception that people “turn” gay because they are unattractive, cannot meet someone of the opposite sex and out of desperation “switch teams.” Being gay isn’t our “Plan B.” It is part of our identity that isn’t dependent on our physical features or “success rate” with men. Someone’s marriage to a man, good looks, or femininity isn’t evidence of anything related to their orientation.

There is nothing “wrong” or deviant about being a lesbian. In fact, the lesbians I’ve met personally, as friends, co-workers, lovers, partners and mentors, are some of the most radiant Black women – inside and out -- I’ve been blessed to know. They are mothers, sisters, daughters, community organizers, spiritual leaders, artists, wordsmiths, CEOs, doctors, and more. Their brilliance and beauty is undeniable. These women engage in some of the most loving and committed relationships I have witnessed.

What “type” of woman exactly are you, Lt. Gov. Carroll? You seem so keen on differentiating yourself from me and my Black lesbian and bi sisters. And what makes your relationship with your husband so different from the thousands of Black women raising children together? Inquiring minds would like to know.

The fact that Lt. Gov. Carroll went out of her way to specify that Black lesbians and bisexual women don’t “look like her” implies that non-Black lesbians and bi women are entitled to more a fluid gender expression. This is yet another problematic notion of female sexuality so many Black women, and women in general, have internalized from the patriarchal policing of Black female sexuality.

To add insult to injury, then there’s Lt. Gov. Carroll’s jab at single Black women. As if those single for extended periods of time have somehow gotten the short end of the stick, or, gasp, are gay. Heaven forbid there are Black women who are single by choice or who are happily single for long lengths of time.
For the record, this is what a Black lesbian looks like. They look like me. They look like comedian Wanda Sykes, actress Jasika Nicole, model Az Marie, singer Tracy Chapman, activist Angela Davis, poet Staceyann Chin and others. Many, Lt. Gov. Carroll, look just like you.

You can defend your marriage without dissing Black lesbian and single women. You can protect your reputation without revoking Black lesbian femininity.

That is why I am standing with the National Black Justice Coalition, the nation’s leading Black LGBT civil rights organization, and with Black lesbians, bisexual women and our allies everywhere, demanding that Lt. Gov. Carroll retract her statement immediately.

Tweet your photo to @NBJContheMove to show Lt. Gov. Carroll and others what Black lesbians look like. Use the hashtag #whatablacklesbianlookslike.

Kimberley McLeod

Kimberley McLeod serves as NBJC's Director of Communications.

Black SGL Peeps, Don't Forget The T

Black SGL peeps have had it going on for a while and have been intertwined with the kente cloth life of African-Americans for generations.  

They were thinkers, leaders and creative forces in the Harlem Renaissance.  Bayard Rustin was a major leader in the civil rights and gay rights movements.  Lorraine Hansberry helped finance some of the activities of the civil rights movement.  They are advisers to presidents, members of our community legacy organizations from the NAACP to Divine Nine fraternities and sororities  and in some cases power players in gay and non-gay organizations

People such as LZ Granderson and Jonathan Capehart get air time on cable news shows as pundits on issues other than GLBT ones.  Others are getting themselves elected to major city councils, judgeships and state legislatures.  Others are actors, writers in major newspapers and magazines and even appear in popular culture on television shows, movies and book characters.

There is an old Greek proverb that states  "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” 

Hey I ain't mad at y'all. You have worked hard to get to this early 21st century moment in which you are sipping sweet tea under the shade of those trees that people planted during the last century.   But as you sip your sweet tea, don't forget that your African descended trans brothers and sisters are sweltering, thirsty for that human rights blend of sweet tea and catching hell under the blazing hot sun of ignorance fueled intolerance.  

We chocolate transpeeps want to replicate the same accomplishments for our segment of the chocolate rainbow community.  We want our humanity respected and laws to protect our human rights.  We want realistic, balance portrayals of Black trans lives in popular culture.   We want our heroes and sheroes recognized and our transkids to be able to confidently believe they have a future as big as their dreams can make it and to make them happen..

We want to plant trees for our trans brothers and sisters to sit under as well.  

What I and other Black trans people are concerned about is that you Black SGL peeps, enjoying the fruits of this early 21st century power surge may be on the verge of replicating the same mistake white gays did in throwing the trans community under the human rights bus.

Time for a wake up call and a family conversation on a few points. 

Frankly, we're tired of being ignored, dissed and treated like afterthoughts in Black SGL circles. Black transpeople are busting their ample behinds just like y'all are to be respected and recognized.

Bear in mind Black GL community, that the equality trees you sit in the shade of and sip your sweet tea under are watered with the blood of Black transpeople that we cannot allow to die in vain.   

It offends me and my fellow transpeople that some of you are arrogant enough to think we don't deserve to sit under those human rights shade trees and share sweet tea with you. 

If this hasn't occurred to you yet, need to point out African descended transpeople and our allies are not going to let you Black SGL peeps throw us under the bus without a fight.  Neither are we going to allow Black SGL peeps that are inclined to do so to forget the T part of our chocolate rainbow community.

Elements of you  in our chocolate rainbow family can be just as transphobic as elements of our white gay and lesbian counterparts are and be just as clueless in terms of where transpeople fit in the TBLG community.  You need to recognize that some of us transpeeps identify with the LGB and are same gender loving folks like y'all.  

If we have transphobic SGL folks you will be put in check just as we will do the same to Black trans people who exhibit homophobic tendencies.   We don't have time for disunity when we have much more pressing problems to solve in the chocolate rainbow community..

I will point out and continue to do so as long as this blog lives and I am standing six feet above the ground that we have a shared history.   We African American trans people are intimately connected to many of the same issue concerns that African-American SGL people and African-American cis people are grappling with such as HIV/AIDS, ENDA, marriage equality,  economic empowerment, police harassment, education, and voter suppression just to name a few.   We have a wonderful almost decade old organization in the National Black Justice Coalition that is helping all of us own our power as our nascent TPOCC grows to become muscular enough to represent our interests.

That relationship needs to continue because in many ways transpeople are the keys to helping you SGL people reach your human rights goals as we simultaneously grow to own our power and shed the shackles of shame, guilt and fear in being proud trans African-Americans.

You also have a golden opportunity to be better than your white LGBT counterparts have been in terms of uplifting your Black trans brothers and sisters as you continue to climb to greatness.  We Black trans people want to make that journey with you and do our parts to uplift the African-American LGBT community and the greater ones we intersect with.

It's not only for our mutual benefit, but for future generations of BTLG people and the African-American community as well.

It's your call on whether that happens, but the first step in it is not forgetting the trans portion of the Black LGBT community.  

Yo Jennifer, Attractive Black Women Do Engage in 'Relationships Like That'

Had to say something about Florida Lt. Governor and conservafool Jennifer Carroll (R), who is embroiled in a Sunshine State sex scandal and made this jacked up comment. 

"The problem is that when you have these accusations that come out, it's not just one person you're attacking. It's an entire family. My husband doesn't want to hear that. He knows the type of woman I am. I mean, my kids know the type of woman I am. For twenty-nine years - I'm the one that's married for twenty-nine years. The accuser is the one that's been single for a long time. So usually black women that look like me don't engage in relationships like that."

Oh really, Jennifer?   You don't get out much do you?   Guess you haven't heard of the term 'lipstick lesbian'.

I've been around the rainbow community since 1980, and I have seen, met and count as friends more than a few femme Black women with jaw-dropping beauty and Coke bottle shaped bodies capable of launching erections on any man or non-op lesbian transwoman, but prefer relationships with other women.

Women who look like you damned sure have engaged in 'relationships like that' for decades and will continue to do so whether your 49 year old clueless behind believes that or not.   Some of them have been in relationships far longer than your 29 year marriage.  

You don't (or won't) know about Black women who engage in 'relationships like that' because as they so eloquently put it at times, it isn't anyone's business who shares their bed or who they choose to be intimate with.

Hmm, is she the first closeted female Republican that has been busted?   Stay tuned to how this scandal develops especially since Carroll is the lieutenant governor under the very unpopular Rick Scott and she's been used as a shield to deflect racism charges.

And yeah, you know she's in the running for this week's Shut Up Fool! Award
..

Time To Pay Us Black Trans Speakers, Too

One of the things that irritates me and other African-American trans community people who have gotten the opportunity to do speaking engagements is running into a meme, mindset or mistaken belief by organizers and planners of these events.

It's a mistaken belief that because we African-American trans speakers don't get as many of these speaking opportunities vis a vis our white counterparts, we are so starved for the attention that we'll do these for free or severely reduced rates.

We African-American trans peeps have bills to pay and need to replenish our bank accounts like just like our white trans community counterparts do.  To be honest, it's our stories that urgently need to be heard by society in addition to us getting the visibility that white trans people have had since 1953.

Our chocolate trans people not only need to be heard because they bring fresh perspectives and innovative thinking to the ongoing rainbow community human rights discussion, frankly y'all need the 'ejumacation' about what our lives are like and what we think about the hot topic issues inside and outside our rainbow community. 

And Black trans speakers also need to be standing up at podiums inside the Black community as well doing the 'ejumacation' and sharing our knowledge as Kylar just did at the recently concluded NAACP convention in Houston..

Black transpeople need to be showcased far more frequently than they are nowadays because it will blow up the erroneous perception in communities of color and society that thoughtful, visionary trans people like us don't exist.   It also is concrete evidence we have out and proud unapologetically Black trans people who are involved in the rainbow human rights struggle and we Black trans people have some ideas about where the movement needs to go..

And yes, those fresh perspectives are worth paying for to hear them.if you have the ability to do so.

Two years ago Dan Choi was getting flack because either he or his agent was allegedly asking for $10,000 before he'll even step to the microphone to speak.  It was something a then Texas Tech student complained about and I rebutted in my Activists Need To Get Paid, Too post.

My fee is not even close to that.  

A few years ago in the wake of my keynote speech at the 2008 gender conference I was part of at the University of Colorado, I had an inquiry come in about my availability to speak at a large west coast city's pride march.   They were willing to go as far as fly me roundtrip out from Louisville and put me up in a hotel, but when I asked for a mere $500 on top of that there was cricket chirping silence.

Considering my profile in the trans activist community and status, they were getting off extremely cheap.  I also believe that had I been a melanin free trans human being I would have been standing at the podium that day and had more money than that mere $500 in my purse on the way back to Da Ville.   

I'm also hearing the same complaints from other African-American activists who have had a few colleges or groups balk at paying speaking fees when we are quite aware they had no problem shelling out far more money for white activists who don't have one-tenth of the activist resumes many of us have put together.

But yes, if you want to help speed up that day when trans African-Americans can do our parts to help uplift our community and be financially stable enough to be able to donate to your causes, y'all have make that investment in our talents as well.

Time to pay the Black transman and Black transwoman for their stories and valuable time that they are willing to spend to enliven you event when you summon the courage to ask them to do so.

Introducing NBJC's Leadership Advisory Council

Y'all know how much love and confidence I have for and in the National Black Justice Coalition.  

I not only love the fact they are like the TransGriot unapologetically Black, I love the fact the NBJC is also about us Black trans and SGL peeps 'owning our power' as NBJC Executive Director Sharon Lettman-Hicks is fond of saying.

They are building working coalitions with others to help us do precisely that and are like yours truly driving home the point that Black LGBT people are part of the kente cloth fabric of African-American society.

Stepping off electronic soapbox, getting to the main point of this post. 

NBJC recently rolled out its Leadership Advisory Council.   The 40 members of the LAC are a distinguished body of exemplary thought leaders with the purpose being to serve as both an incubator of ideas and a conduit connecting some of the most authentic advocates in our community to the NBJC leadership. LAC members update NBJC on significant developments at the core of our community's needs, strategically assess the direction of the organization and deepen NBJC's impact on federal, state, and local initiatives. They represent a wide range of geographical regions, professional disciplines, subject matters and generations.

Some of the trans people involved are Kye Allums, Valerie Spencer, and Louis Mitchell.

"LAC members have unapologetically served as positive messengers, advocates and ambassadors for NBJC in their own communities and professional and social networks," says Sharon Lettman-Hicks, NBJC Executive Director. "The LAC also creates a unique opportunity to highlight the brilliant and important social justice work of many Black LGBT leaders across the country."

Congratulations to all the NBJC LAC members and looking forward to hopefully seeing and meeting you at Out On the Hill this September.

Birth of The New Black Transwoman

One of the things I'm determined to make happen is doing my part to help eradicate the negative perceptions and stereotypes aimed of African descended transwomen. 

I'm more than sick of the 'unwoman' shade and negativity aimed at Black transwomen.  I'm tired of the hypersexualization, the othering and the outright lies written and uttered about who we are. 

I want our next generation of African descended trans kids to dream big and not have their lives cut short by anti-trans violence or be crippled by shame, guilt and fear of being a trans person.

So what am I going to do about it?    For starters, I'm going to use this electronic platform and get y'all to do some hard, solid thinking with me as we ponder the birth and rise of a New Black Transwoman. 

If it sounds like I'm borrowing a term from the Harlem Renaissance, congratulations intelligent reader, I most certainly am . I'm borrowing it from Alain Locke and putting a trans spin to it. 

Locke and other Harlem Renaissance writers during the 1920's talked about the New Negro being one who was a more outspoken advocate of dignity for our people and one who refused to quietly submit to the practices of Jim Crow segregation and the Jim Crow laws of the era.   They also began to think about and tackle the Unholy Trinity of shame, guilt and fear that plagued Black people at the time and began thinking critically about our images as African descended people. 
 
At this point in the second decade of the 21st century in which we are seeing trans human rights progress in various parts of the world combined with more discussions anout trans issues, it's time for a New Black Transwoman to arise. 

The New Black Transwoman is an outspoken advocate for the dignity of herself and all transwomen, and refuses to submit quietly to anti-trans oppression and injustice.  

She is grounded in her spirituality, constantly evolving on her feminine journey and strives to be a compliment to Black womanhood and not regarded a joke or detriment to it.  

She fearlessly tackles the shame, guilt and fear issues we face and expresses pride in being a Black transwoman. 

My beautiful Black transsisters, if you're frustrated and fed up with the falsehoods aimed at us (and still continue to be aimed in our direction) time for us to make some changes that will help bring into fruition the  New Black Transwoman in you that is dying to get out.

We can begin the process by remembering this and repeating it like a mantra as we go about our lives:

What I do reflects on you.  What YOU do reflects on me.  What WE do reflects on the ENTIRE Black trans community.  

Translation: You are your transsister's keeper.


We need to raise our standards, period.  If we say we are Black women, we need to step up to our A plus games in terms of how we present ourselves to the world.  We need to emulate the historic role that Black women have had and continue to have in uplifting themselves and our community.

As the late Dr. Dorothy Height once said,  "I believe we hold in our hands the power once again to shape not only our own but the nation's future -- a future that is based on developing an agenda that radically challenges limitations in our economic development, educational achievement and political empowerment. Undoubtedly, African-Americans will have an integral role to play, although our path ahead will continue to be complex and difficult."


In order for African American transwomen to play our role in shaping our own and our nation's futures, we have to get busy raising our standards and becoming as Sharon Davis exhorted us to be, finer specimens of womanhood. .
 

Raising our standards means getting as much education and knowledge as we can.  It means us being cognizant of our feminine presentations since we know we're being scrutinized and judged in terms of how we interact with the world.  It means dropping the 'drag queen English' when we're out and about in the world and adopting as a trans human rights strategy speaking impeccable English.  

It means no more silently taking crap from those who work tirelessly to slime us and retard our human rights progress because we have the mistaken belief grounded in shame and guilt that it's unfeminine to do so. It means confronting the transphobic lies, being proud of who we are, knowing our history and putting ourselves in the best possible position to advance our trans human rights struggle.

 It means loving and respecting ourselves and demanding nothing less from others.   .

And by raising our standards individually, Black transwomen benefit collectively.  So do the communities we intersect and interact with. 

Hopefully this decade and the succeeding ones will witness the birth, growth and development of the New Black Transwoman.  It's past time that happened and for the sake of our own and the African-American community, it must.  .

NBJC's Out On The Hill 2012 Coming Soon!

I attended The National Black Justice Coalition's second annual Out On The Hill conference last year and had as you can probably guess from the posts I got to compile during that week one fantastic week in Washington DC.

In addition to meeting many African-American rainbow community leaders, allies and the wonderful people associated with the National Black Justice Coalition, I had time when it was done to play tourist and see the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Memorial and the National Holocaust Museum before I headed back to Texas. 

It's almost time for the third annual Out On The Hill to take place, and it will be happening September 19-22.   This year's national chair will be ESPN/CNN columnist LZ Granderson, who was one of the long list of people I had the pleasure of meeting at last year's event.

"LZ embodies what is at the heart of OUT on the Hill - informed, intentional and purpose-driven leadership," says NBJC Executive Director Sharon Lettman-Hicks. "As one of the most influential and powerful Black LGBT voices in media, his vision and guidance as National Chair will be invaluable."

Last year, Granderson moderated "From Civil Rights to LGBT Equality: African Americans and the LGBT Community at the Intersection," the first-ever, LGBT-themed Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Issue Forum sponsored by NBJC and the National Education Association (NEA).

OOTH attendees get to participate in an inspiring week of discussion, strategizing and organizing as well as educate congressional leaders, the White House and federal agencies about Black LGBT public policy concerns and meet other African-American TBLG leaders while doing so..

I definitely want to be there for this year's edition of it, and if your schedule allows you to be in Washington DC during that weekend I highly recommend attending OOTH.2012..

Another Unexpected Honor

There are days that happen in which you receive a blessing that you have absolutely no clue is coming your way.

I was just alerted moments ago that I have received a 2012 G.M.A.D. Black Pride Heritage Award in the Literary Excellence category.   The awards will be given out in a ceremony that will take place August 15 at the Schomburg Center for Research In Black Culture in New York

I also note that Tona Brown was given the 2012 Marsha P. Johnson Award by G.M.A.D. as well.   Congratulations sis!

Wow.   I'm honored that this has happened.for me.   All I wanted to do when I started TransGriot six years ago was ensure that the voices of African-American transpeople were not only represented in the blogosphere, point out we Black transpeople are part of the kente cloth fabric of our community, transpeople exist across the African Diaspora and on the second largest continent on the planet . 

I also sought to obliterate the negative perceptions and ignorance that were being put out there about us and tell it like it T-I-S is about the issues that affected African-American transpeople and other trans people of color.

I also wanted to write a quality blog, document our history and talk about many of the issues inside and outside our community as I saw them.   Six years and almost 4 million hits later this blog has grown to be an internationally read one and I'm regarded as one of the national leaders in this community.

So thank you G.M.A.D. for the Literary Excellence Award.