BTAC Press Release Concerning The Transphobic Attack On Iyanna Dior

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2020
Contact: Monica Roberts BTWI Media Chair
Dee Dee Watters BTWI President
855-255-8636 Ext 11
media@blacktranswomen.org

Black Transwomen Inc (BTWI) and the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition (BTAC) are shocked, appalled and angered to learn that one of our trans sisters was attacked by a mob of Black men in Minneapolis on Monday.

BTWI and BTAC are thankful that Iyanna Dior is okay, but she is understandably shaken up by the assault. We have reached out and made contact with Ms. Dior and her family, and will announce what we will do for her as a organization

What makes this videotaped assault of Iyanna Dior even more egregious is that it not only is eerily similar to the attack on Muhlaysia Booker last April, it comes at a moment when the entire Black community is calling for justice in the murder of our fellow Texan and Minneapolis resident George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

BTWI and BTAC condemns the attack on Ms. Dior. We call upon law enforcement agencies in the city of Minneapolis, Hennepin County and the state of Minnesota to find the perpetrators of this heinous attack, arrest them, and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

The Black community should be our safe haven from the slings and arrows of domestic and foreign transphobes.

But as incidents like this repeatedly prove to us tragically it isn’t.

Our Black lives matter, too. We are beyond fed up as an organization proudly serving the Black trans community of seeing our people being attacked and murdered.

It is profoundly disappointing and hurtful when those attacks come from our own people.

BTWI Statement Concerning The SCOTUS Cases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2019
Contact Monica Roberts
BTWI Media Chair 346-310-0824
Dee Dee Watters  BTWI President
855-255-8636
media@blacktranswomen.org

BTAC and BTWI along with the entire Black trans community's eyes are turned toward Washington DC on this historic day as a trans rights case is being argued for the first time in our country's history

The question before the SCOTUS is a fundamental one.   Is it legal to fire someone for being transgender?  We At BTAC and BTWI believe the quite obvious answer to that question is an emphatic no and being trans is not a fireable offense..

But where we find ourselves on this historic October 8 day is our humanity and human rights as transgender Americans being under persistent attack by the Trump administration and its reprehensible accomplices. .   

The Harris Funeral Homes vs EEOC case being brought by Aimee Stephens is a case that will not only impact the human rights of the trans community, but one that will negatively impact all Americans if this case is decided incorrectly.

If that happens, it will also disproportionately affect the Black trans community that we proudly serve.   Now that the case has been argued before the SCOTUS, we at BTWI  and BTAC will continue to fight for the humanity and human rights of our community no matter what happens in this case.

Trans rights are undeniably human rights, and we urge the SCOTUS to be on the right side of history and say no to discrimination.  If they don't, then the Roberts Court will forever set in stone the undeniable impression that it is a partisan, unjust body when it comes to the civil rights of Americans.

Ready For Our ABC Nightline Closeup

Dee Dee, Diamond Stylz and I recently taped on July 22 an ABC Nightline episode in which we talked about the violence affecting Black trans women in Texas and around the country.

The initial part of it was taped while we were in Dallas for our recent BTAC Leadership Institute, and the rest was done when we returned back to Houston.

We were also doing so in the wake of the loss of Denali Stuckey at the time we taped it.  We're now up to 20 trans women lost to anti trans violence with three months left in this year.

As y'all know, anti-trans violence aimed at the Black trans community is a serious issue.   It's past time that we were blessed to have an in-depth discussion about it with the people that it negatively affects on national television.   

It was also nice to be having that discussion with my H-town homegirls and fellow BTWI board members.

Was alerted that the show will finally air tonight.   Looking forward to seeing how this segment turned out    As for when  ABC News Nightline airs, it comes on at 11:35 PM CDT.

Hope that when you watch it, it will be an informative show and that those of you who see it will get something out of it.  .

In The 2019 BTAC Leadership Institute House

Last week I was in Philadelphia for Netroots Nation, now I've made another drive up I-45 with Dee Dee Watters and Diamond Stylz to attend the second annual BTAC Leadership Institute.

This time instead of having it in NOLA, we're having it in our headquarters city of Dallas.   Last year's event in New Orleans helped us tremendously in not only building a solid foundation for us to kick off our 2018-2019 programming year, it also had the benefits of allowing us to get to know each other better

We had a board meeting yesterday at the Wyndham Dallas Suites in which we discussed BTAC coalition business, our upcoming 2019-2020 programming year and fundraising to pay for it.

Today at the Wyndham Dallas Suites starts our two days of training to level up, and I'm looking forward to it.

Also looking forward to seeing and spending quality time this weekend with my BTAC family

BTAC Press Release Concerning The Muhlaysia Booker Murder

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2019
Contact Monica Roberts BTAC Media Chair 346-310-0824
Dee Dee Watters  BTWI President
855-255-8636 Ext 11
media@blacktranswomen.org

As a Dallas based organization, Black Trans Advocacy Coalition expressed our anger and dismay concerning the April 12 hate attack visited upon our sibling Muhlaysia Booker.   We were happy to hear that Dallas police arrested Edward Thomas in connection with that case, and are aware that the investigation into that transphobic mob attack on her is ongoing. 

This afternoon BTAC was shocked, angered, stunned and saddened to learn that the trans woman found dead Saturday morning in far east Dallas was positively identified as Muhlaysia Booker.

The 23 year old Booker was found shot to death in the 7200 block of Valley Glen Drive near the Tenison Park golf course.  As of yet there are no suspects in this case, and if you have any information that will lead to the arrest of the person or persons who killed our sibling, we urge you to call the Dallas Police Department.

BTAC wishes to express our sincere condolences to the family of Ms Booker and all the people who loved her.

Rest in power and peace, Muhlaysia.   You didn't deserve this.  BTAC is committed as an organization to do what we can as a organization and as members of this community to ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to justice.

One of the reasons why BTAC is extremely angry about this murder besides it happening in our headquarters city, is because back on April 29 Monica Roberts traveled to Austin immediately after the conclusion of our 8th annual conference to represent BTAC and testify in favor of HB 1513, a bill that would have added gender identity to the James Byrd Hate Crimes Act.

Unfortunately, after her testimony and the testimony of several other Texas trans people as to the necessity of us being covered in this hate crimes legislation, the bill was left pending in the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.  HB 1513 has died for this 2019 session. 

Now Muhlaysia has unfortunately joined the ancestors, and the negative message continues to be sent that it is open season on trans people in the Lone Star State and everywhere else in this country.

When will you care that our Black Trans Lives Matter?   When will Texas legislators right the wrong that occurred in the 1999 and 2001 legislative sessions that resulted in trans people being cut from the Byrd Hate Crimes Act?

When will you stop killing us?    When will other Black community organizations join BTAC in not only condemning this and other killings of Black trans people. but commit themselves to coordinated action in our Black community to eradicate anti-trans violence?

BTMI Press Release Concerning The Keir Rice Hate Attack

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April  24, 2019
Contact: Monica Roberts BTAC Media Chair 346-310-0824
Trenton Johnson BTMI President 
855-255-8636  Ext 11
media@blacktransmen.org

Black Trans Advocacy Coalition (BTAC) and Black Transmen Inc.(BTMI) once again has to raise its collective voice to condemn another attack upon a Black trans Texan, this time in Killeen, TX .

On April 19 Keir Rice was attacked by Garfield David Hicks, the owner of the barbershop when he worked with a child client in his chair.  He suffered a concussion, bruised ribs and a damaged shoulder. 

Rice was also quoted in a KWTX-TV news report that Hicks discriminated against TBLGQ customers, misgendered and deadnamed him repeatedly, and touched him inappropriately.

This is unacceptable on multiple levels.   We also condemn what happened to Mr. Rice in the strongest possible terms would like to see justice served in this case.

If Mr Rice is able to do so, we would love to extend an invitation for him to join us at the Black Trans Advocacy Conference currently talking place in Dallas until April 28.

This transphobic attack upon Mr Rice sadly is more concrete evidence it is past time for the Lone Star State to add Texas transgender people to the James Byrd Hate Crimes Law. 

These attacks are why BTAC enthusiastically supports Rep. Garnet Coleman's HB 1513 that would add gender identity to that existing law.

If there is any community that we Black trans people should feel safe in, it should be the African American one.   Texas Black trans people in the last ten days have unfortunately received the message with the assaults on Mulaysia Booker and now Keir Rice that we are hated by our own people.   

That needs to change, starting today.

BTWI Board Welcome For BTAC 2019

The BTAC conference welcome from the BTWI board....




See y'all tomorrow.

BTAC Is Back!

You long time readers know I like to write poetry when the mood hits me, and for the last 36 hours I've had the BTAC themed poem running through my head that I finally got a chance to sit down and write.

BTAC Is Back! An MKR Poem

BTAC is back
And unapologetically Black
We’re handling our business here in Big D
Tapping into our Afrocentric ancestry

Peeps who are trans and GNC
From sea to shining sea
Gather in Texas to build family
And become the best people they can be

The BTIPS pageant, awards gala, and Transmanifest Live
Showing the world that we will thrive
The Community Summit and empowerment sessions
Teaching us all important life lessons

The Anchors, BTMX and our Golden Flames
Putting more respect on our BTAC name
The distinguished brothers of BTMI
Are the apple of every sister’s eye

Gotta drop this knowledge
Y’all know this ain’t no lie
Have mad love for my sisters
Of BTWI

Our BTMX siblings
The new kids on the block
But you already know
Black GNC people rock  

Our Golden Flames paved the way
They’re our elders who still have much to say
They have wisdom and knowledge that just needs to be tapped
Note to you BTAC younglings: they have our back  

Our BTIPS pageant royalty
Reigning with grace and humility
Time once again in this Lone Star scene
To choose a new BTIPS king and queen
On Family Day
Y’all know this ain’t no fable
Some behinds are getting beat
At the spades and dominoes tables

The online trash talk
Has already begun
About last year’s kickball game
So tell me, who won?

On Saturday night
Ain’t no mystery to y'all
We’ll be looking for tens
At the Black Diamond Ball

On Sunday we say goodbye to this BTAC endeavor
Having made friends we hope will last forever
Once the hugs are over and we part ways  
Start the countdown to the next BTAC in 365 days

My BTAC fam is amazing
That’s an undeniable fact
Can’t wait until the next time
I can say BTAC is Back!

Enjoy it.

Getting On The Bus Early To BTAC 2019

Been waiting for this day ever since I sadly said goodbye to my BTAC family at the closing brunch last year and headed to the DART Downtown Transit Center to return home to Houston. 

This time I get to go much earlier than I usually do.   

It's time for me to be with my BTAC family again.  It's time for the eighth annual Black Trans Advocacy Conference that starts April 23 and runs until April 28.  It also serves as the kickoff to my extended birthday week celebration.   BTAC 2019 is already according to Espy Brown poised to smash last year's attendance record.

It's still not too late for y'all who are thinking about coming to join us at the Wyndham Dallas Suites-Park Central host hotel for what promises to be an empowering and life changing event..

And yeah, some of y'all need to be very afraid when Family Fun Day comes, because the BTAC Bonemaster is coming to take her dominoes title back from Kayla Gore.

But before we get to me administering domino beatdowns next Saturday and throughout BTAC week, I have a 4 hour bus trip ahead of me up I-45.   I also have the week of sessions, Trans Manifest Live, the keynote luncheon and the  Awards Gala to get through before we get to Family Fun Day. 

The reason I'm leaving today and not on the Monday before like I normally do is because my presence was requested for a Muhlaysia Booker rally happening later today.   I didn't see the logic in rolling up to Dallas, attending a rally doing th 4 hour trip back home and then repeating it 24 hours later when i could just simply stay in Big D a few extra days. 

Sure will be glad when Texas Central Railways FINALLY starts construction on the Houston-Dallas bullet train and that four hour nonstop bus trip turns into a 90 minute Shinkansen train ride.

But that 90 minute bullet train trip is in the near future.  Right now I have to make sure my statuesque behind gets to the downtown Houston MegaBus station in time for my departure to North Texas, especially after the late night I had with my OLTT fam.
 

One Week To BTAC 2019

It's T-7 days and counting until the 8th annual Black Trans Advocacy Conference takes place in Dallas April 23-28, and I can't wait.   It is shaping up to be our biggest and best ever, with the Friday awards gala already being sold out.

The best part of BTAC for me in addition to the fact that this conference centers Black trans and GNC people,  is that y'all get to come to my Texas turf and hang out for a week. 

Level UP-Elevate The Revolution is the theme for this years conference, and it will be an empowering and interesting week in Dallas for everyone in attendance.

And yes, I get to see you peeps from around the country.   I also get the pleasure of administering dominoes beatdowns at the  Family Fun Day on Saturday.and during the week in the hospitality suite. at the host hotel.

You have been warned.

But on a serious note, we are gathering in Dallas literally days after the horrific hate attack on our sibling Muhlaysia Booker, and there will be some discussion about that at our community summit along with other topics.

I am so ready for this week to be over with so I can witness what's happening at this 8th annual edition of the Black Trans Advocacy Conference..

BTAC Press Release Concerning Muhlaysia Booker Hate Attack

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April  14, 2019
Contact: Monica Roberts BTWI Media Chair 346-310-0824
Dee Dee Watters  BTWI President
855-255-8636  Ext 11 
media@blacktranswomen.org


Black Trans Advocacy Coalition (BTAC) and Black Transwomen Inc (BTWI) as a Dallas based organization is dismayed and angered to hear about the despicable hate attack that happened to our sibling Muhlaysia Booker on Friday.morning.

Booker was involved in a minor traffic accident at the Royal Crest Apartments located at 3558 Wilhurt Ave at 11:25 AM CDT.   Booker then found herself being assaulted by several people in an incident that has been videotaped and circulated on social media.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms our disgust at what happened to Ms Booker.  We call upon the Dallas Police Department to swiftly arrest the perpetrators of this attack and charge them with a hate crime.

In addition, we at BTAC and BTWI would love to extend an invitation to Ms Booker to attend our upcoming Black Trans Advocacy Conference scheduled to take place at the Wyndham Dallas Suites Park Hotel April 23-28.  

While we at BTAC and BTWI agree with Mayor Rawlings that the perpetrators of this hate attack do not reflect the feelings that many Dallasites have about our TBLGQ community, we are still angry that it happened to Ms Booker. 

We are beyond sick and tired of some misguided people in the Black community believing they have a green light to assault and kill Black trans people. 

Black trans people are Black people, and we are an intertwined part of the Black community here in Dallas, the state of Texas, the nation and across the African Diaspora.  This malignant hatred toward Black trans people, and particularly Black trans women needs to end today..

Our Black trans lives matter as much as yours do.  It's past time that the Black community, our community and political leaders, and our legacy organizations recognize that reality.

One Month To BTAC 2019

One month from now, me and a few hundred friends and BTAC family members will gather in Dallas, TX once again for the 8th annual Black Trans Advocacy Conference and Awards Gala.

The theme this year is Level Up! Elevate The Revolution

BTAC 2019 will be taking place once again at the Wyndham Dallas Suites Park Hotel in North Dallas, and I'm looking forward to spending a week there to recharge, reconnect with my BTAC family, bask in the wisdom of my trans elders, get my learn on, and dish out some well deserved domino butt kickings.

I'm also looking forward to the other events that are part of a BTAC conference in the Trans Manifest Live, the Mr, Ms and for the first time Mx Black Trans International Pageant, the Awards Gala, our Family Day and the Black Diamond Ball..

And oh yeah, it's the kickoff to my birthday celebration week.

I also want to challenge my Houston area Black trans siblings to show up in numbers to meet your Black trans siblings from around the country and the world.

Still not too late for you to join us in Dallas for this conference, and if you need information as to how you can join us or be a sponsor of the event, check out btac.blacktrans.org for further info.

Hope to see y'all there in four weeks.

Kansas Trans People Suing State For Right To Change Birth Certificates

Kansas is one of three states  (Ohio and Tennessee are the other two) that obstinately refuse to allow trans people born there  to change their birth certificates under any circumstances. 

It's BS, so four Kansas trans residents filed a federal lawsuit on October 15 to change that unjust policy.   I was happy to discover but not surprised to find out that two of the four people suing are my Kansas based BTAC fam in Luc Bensimon and Nyla Foster

The lawsuit argues that the Kansas policy violates the due process and equal protection clauses of the Constitution.   It's also arguing that the policy violates the plaintiff's free speech rights.

The other plaintiffs in the suit are a transperson person identified as C.K., Jessica Hicklin, and the Kansas Statewide Education project (K-STEP)

The defendants are Jeff Anderson, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment; Elizabeth W. Saadi, the Kansas state registrar; and Kay Haug, director of the state’s vital statistics office, a unit of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Bensimon said the state's unjust policy made it easier for people to discriminate against him, “on top of the discrimination I already confront based on my disability.”

“I’m here to seek justice,” said Nyla Foster, a transgender woman and one of the plaintiffs. “My birth certificate does not reflect the gender I identify as, and I’m here to correct it so I can move forward with my life.”|

At a press conference in front of the federal courthouse in Kansas City, Kansas, Lambda legal attorney Omar Gonzalez-Pagan explained why it was challenging the state's transphobic documentation stance.

"A birth certificate is more than a piece of paper.It's the quintessential identity document that follows a person from birth to death.  It must reflect a person's identity."

Gonzales-Pagan also pointed out that birth certificates can determine access to education, employment, healthcare, travel and impact the ability to obtain other identity documents.

Good luck to you in overturning this unjust policy.  Thanks Lambda Legal for having our backs again.

The 2018 BTAC Leadership Institute

As you TransGriot readers are aware of, I got to come to New Orleans for the first time since 1990, but it wasn't for pleasure.  This was a business trip.   I was in town because the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition came to New Orleans for its first ever Leadership Institute. 

I was in attendance for this event because I sit on the board of Black Trans Women, Inc., one of the constituent organizations of the Dallas based Black Trans Advocacy Coalition.  The other BTAC orgs are Black Trans Men, Inc., The Black Trans International Pageantry System, the Anchors spousal support group,  and the newest part of the BTAC family, BTXI for gender non conforming individuals.

In addition to  myself, there were 20 people taking part in this training conducted by BTAC Founding President Carter Brown and Director of Programs Esperanza Brown at the Doubletree New Orleans Airport in suburban Kenner, LA. 

And the best part of it for me was I didn't have to wait until April 2019 to see many of these peeps.

We came by air and car from Houston, Dallas, Austin, Atlanta, Little Rock, Lawrence and Topeka, KS, Memphis, Asheville, NC and New Orleans eager to not only be in this city, but also handle our BTAC Leadership Institute business.  

That business started on Friday morning in business attire with breakfast at 8 AM followed by us heading into the hotel's Pontchartrain room at 9 AM for the first day of the BTAC leadership Institute

We discovered during breakfast we were assigned seats for this first day, and found out why moments later.   Inside the BTAC swag bags at our seats were Kindle Fire 7 tables that were assigned to us to take home and be used during this institute and beyond to conduct BTAC business.

After getting a brief history of the organization and why it was created in 2011, we reviewed BTAC policies, the recently concluded conference, and other issues of importance to the organization before breaking for lunch at 12:30.

Lunch was none other than the New Orleans classics of red bean and rice, a salad, sweet tea and chicken with bread pudding for dessert.

After lunch we received familiarization training on our new BTAC issued tablets, some training concerning the orgs official communications apps and what we can and can't do with the new tablets before we ended the first day of training at 5 PM.

These training events aren't  all work.   Team building is going on as well in addition to getting an opportunity to see the host city.   After a few hours of rest, off we went to a popular local seafood restaurant where we were met by Syria Synclaire, one of our former BTIPS queens who is on the BTIPS board but couldn't join us for training until Saturday.

Several of us also ventured into the French Quarter to see our current BTIPS queen Malaysia Black perform in a illusionist show at a local pub on Bourbon Street before calling it a night. 

Day 2 gave us a little extra sleep since we didn't start until 10 AM.   We also got to break out the BTAC Leadership Institute shirts that were in our BTAC swag bag we received the previous day..

This day was dedicated to being in our various BTAC groups and coming up with policy for the 2018-2019 fiscal year that starts July 1.   We broke off into those various constituent groups and spent the next 30 minutes discussing and outlining programs we wished to conduct during this 2019 year, then making presentations to everyone before we broke for lunch.

Those presentation discussion ran during lunch, after lunch and up until the 3:30 PM cutoff time we had to end Day 2.   We took a few moments to begin a discussion on the 2019 budget we'll continue later before calling it a day and heading to City Park to take some group photos in our new shirts.

We got back to the hotel as we watched a building thunderstorm move toward our location.  We also  continued those discussions about Black trans community and other issues near the pool before we called it a night because many of us have early travel departure times on Sunday morning.

For the most part, this BTAC Leadership Institute for our senior leadership staff was well received.  It helped us get more in sync with each other as leaders and give us a better idea of where our constituent organizations fit into the overall plan for BTAC.

While there are parts of  this event I can't talk about because of confidentiality agreements I signed, what I can confidently say is that this just concluded Leadership Institute will be a major building block in helping the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition do a better job of serving our community.

And this also comes at a time in our country's history when the Black trans community needs BTAC to lead with love the most.

Picture credits: Rebecca Jackson, Achim Howard 

Made It To NOLA!

Finally made it to NOLA in one piece and my hotel near the New Orleans Airport around 7:30 PM CDT.  Looking forward to seeing my BTAC fam, some NOLA peeps while I'm here  and doing this leadership training over the next two days.

Amazed it's LESS humid than Houston right now as I sit around the pool area.

The leadership training starts tomorrow morning, so I do need to make sure I get into bed early enough so I can be all bright eyed and bushy tailed in the AM. 

Once we're done with Day One of the training, looking forward to spending some quality time with and catching up with everyone .

BTAC Forever!

I'm now back on my end of I-45 after spending the past empowering week in Dallas at the 7th annual National Black Trans Advocacy Conference.

And it seems like the fact of BTAC's unapologetically Black trans self existing bothers some of you  white trans peeps.  Too bad. 

BTAC is a FUBU production in which everyone is welcome to attend, but you must bear in mind if you aren't Black, when you step into our trans Wakanda it is one of the few conferences in Trans and GNC World that is grounded in unapologetic Blackness. 

I'm hearing some bull feces laden chatter from assorted bitter white trans peeps that BTAC is 'racist'.

Um no boo boo kitty, let Moni school you are something.  Racism equals bigotry and prejudice plus systemic power and majority population numbers used by a majority group to retard, roll back or eviscerate the human rights progress of a minority group.

And don't even step to me with that weak azz Webster's Dictionary definition of racism or you will get your wig snacthed.

Back to talking about BTAC. 

Black trans and GNC peeps being at a conference in they meet others like them and unapologetically celebrates our heritage them isn't 'racist'.   You need to stop sniffing that vanillacentric privilege and talking out the side of your neck about an event you probably haven't been to.

And for those of you who doubt what I'm saying, you can come see for yourself when we gather in Dallas again April 22-28 for BTAC 2019. 

BTAC wouldn't have been a needed and necessary response to the ongoing marginalization of Black trans and gender non conforming people inside and outside the TBLGQ world if a long list of white led trans and SGL 'equality' organizations like GenderPac, NCTE, HRC, TENT, and Equality Texas had been doing their job of properly advocating for Black trans people.

More importantly, when they advocate for Black trans people, they hire us to do the advocacy work for and in our community  Since you equality orgs are belatedly coming to the realization that Black trans people exist and aren't going away, BTAC will.

This BTAC event was founded and built by Black trans men, who get even less credit for the yeoman's work they have done to build our trans movement, and that crap needs to stop

For seven years BTAC has handled its business and been a healing place for the Black trans and GNC community. It also been a place where we network, learn and do so in an unapologetic Afrocentric environment that welcomes all who wish to come.

It is needed, life saving and necessary in a world hostile to Black trans and GNC bodies.  Even more galling to us, that anti-Black trans hostility also comes from white trans peeps as well

BTAC is also a place where we can meet others who look like us, their supportive spouses and accomplices who unequivocally support Black trans people in Texas and beyond

It is also a place when we can sit down, interact with and listen to the wisdom of our trans elders. 

For a week we get to live in a Black Trans Wakanda in which we talk about community issues and come up with solutions to those problems.  It is a place where we get to build friendships, are affirmed, loved on and in many cases get to heal from the micro and microaggressive crap that is hurled at us the rest of the year by an increasingly hostile to trans folks outside world until it is time for us to head to our various locales to live our lives.

This year BTAC 2018 had three seminar tracks for trans women, trans men and our anchors, AKA the spouses and allies.   We're planning to add tracks for gender non conforming peeps since we had some show up this year in numbers and they expressed their desire for that t happen. 

We're  planning to have tracks for our trans and GNC elders above age 55 that we call the Golden Flames because we value their wisdom, respect and love them, and realize they have much to teach us in terms of their lived experiences and our history.

We hope that one day as this BTAC conference continues to grow we will have enough parents of Black trans kids and Black trans kids in attendance so that we can programming for them as well   . 
 

At BTAC we get to hear our names called for awards named for distinguished leaders in our community and celebrated at a Friday gala, not a TDOR that was hosted by Dezjorn Gauthier and Jessica Zyrie . 

We show off our talents at Trans Manifest Live early in the conference week.   Our pageant peeps get to compete for the Mr. and MIss Black Trans International titles in which they know before even stepping on that stage that when they win that title, they will expected to be advocates during their reign for our community

And we cap it all off with the Family Day, Black Diamond Ball, and the closing interfaith ceremony led by our elders on Sunday.

BTAC is needed and necessary, and it needs to be supported.   It would be nice if we got to see our Black legacy civil rights orgs like the NAACP step up as sponsors for our conference or the gala. 

It would be wonderful for our BTAC attendees to see our Black trans superstars in the house someday.

But until then, this Dallas, Texas based conference will continue to chug along and serve our community.   If you wanna hate on that, that's on you.

I and the rest of my BTAC fam here and increasingly around the world will smile, mark off our calendars to the last full week of April and return here to Black Trans Wakanda. 

BTAC Forever! 

Photo credits: Rebecca Jackson 

BTAC 2018- Day 6

This day arrived way too soon and it always carries for me a mix of sadness and disappointment.

Sadness and disappointment that comes with the realization that BTAC 2018 is over and we all have to go our separate ways.   Some of us had to leave and board at the crack of dawn flights back home before the closing ceremony starts.

I've got a four hour Megabus ride back to Houston with Dee Dee Watters. 

But it is also a day in which we revel in the new friends we've made, gotten to hug and hold tight old ones, and look forward to the future recharged and energized to take on the world. 

Already know the dates.   It'll be April 22-28 once again in Dallas, and we'll announce the hotel and reservation details once the staff recovers from putting this year's event on.

At 11 PM the closing interfaith service led by when we now call our Golden Flames, our elders from age 55 and up will be conducted.  Once it's over, the countdown starts for BTAC 2019.

And I can hardly wait fir it to get here.