Janet Mock To Receive 2020 GLAAD LGBTQ Advocacy Award

The last time I had the opportunity to talk to Janet Mock face to face was back in August 2016 when we were at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York.   We were less than 24 hours from becoming  the first out Black trans folks to hit their historic Amphitheater Stage to talk about trans issues and the current events of the time period.

Since then, she's been a little busy.  Her first book in 2014, Redefining Realness, debuted on the New York Times bestseller list    She released a second book in 2017 entitled Surpassing Certainty that focused on the years in her life that she was not out as trans.

Y'all may have heard about a hit TV show she writes, directs and produces called POSE on FX.

Janet Mock has been making history ever since I had the pleasure of meeting her when I was in New York in 2012 for a GLAAD POC media training. 

Some of the things Janet Mock has been recognized for have been TIME naming her to its 100 Most Influential People list, The Hollywood Reporter naming her one of its 2019 “Women in Entertainment Power 100,” Ebony naming her to the Ebony 100 list, Vanity Fair named her on its “New Establishment” list, while the PEN Center USA honored her with an Award of Honor during the 2017 Literary Awards.,

In Hollywood, Mock has continued to blaze trails.  She became the first trans woman of color to write and direct a television episode when the 'Love Is The Message' episode was broadcast during POSE's first season.

She also became the first Black trans person to sign a deal with a major movie studio when she inked a multiyear deal with Netflix.

I am exceedingly happy to find out that when the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards happens, she will be honored with an LGBTQ Advocacy Award! 

Janet is Black Trans excellence personified, and I'm proud to call her a friend in addition to watching her make moves and still do some amazing things.

And yeah, I'm a huge fan of POSE and can't wait until its third season happens. 

Angelica Ross Featured In Sophisticates Black Hair Magazine

When I stated life as my true self 25 years ago, one of the things I started doing was picking up copies of Sophisticates Black Hair from my local Walgreen s and CVS magazine shelves

Sophisticates Black Hair Magazine, or SBH for short , has for over 30 years featured  hair styling and makeup tips geared toward Black women , but features our Black female celebrities looking fab at various events and on our fave television shows and movies..

It also has an issue dedicated to the Ten Best Styled Women of the Year

So it was a big deal when Angelica Ross announced that she has an article in the latest issue of SBH with our forever FLOTUS on the cover

Congrats Angelica!  Looking forward to the day when you are on the cover of Sophisticates Black hair magazine.

Number 22- Rest In Power and Peace Ciara Minaj Carter Frazier

Little did I know that when I posted my cumulative trans murder stats for this year, I'd have to go back into the post to correct it a mere 24 hours later. 

We unfortunately go to Chicago for the second time this year to discuss the latest trans woman we have lost to anti-trans violence.

She is 31 year old Ciara Minaj Carter Frazier.   At 9:28 PM CDT Wednesday night she had been arguing with a person inside an abandoned building in the 4500 block of West Adams in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, 

That person stabbed multiple times, then left her body in the backyard of the building.    She was pronounced dead at the scene by police and Cook County medical examiners.    A subsequent autopsy found that Frazier died of multiple sharp force injuries, and her death was ruled a homicide.

The Chicago Sun Times story l based this post on,  is being accused of leaving out some disturbing details that I'm hearing about from local trans advocates and people who knew Ciara. 

They allege that the perpetrator mutilated her body by cutting off her genitalia, and the body was nude when it was discovered.   Those missing details, if confirmed, escalates Ciara's murder to a hate crime.

It also fits into the excessive violence beyond lethality pattern that we know is a part of the profile of murders of trans women.

Her murder is being investigated by Chicago PD Area North detectives.

Frazier was well known in Chicago's ballroom community, and she was the second trans person to die in the city in less than a month.   She is also the 16th Black trans person to die in the US in 2018. 

And once again, she was under 40 years of age. 

#StopKillingUs    Our Black trans lives matter.   When will we hear community leaders, our legacy organizations, faith leaders and the politicians we put into office with our votes say that?

Or are you content to stay silent about it as the plague of violence being visited upon Black trans people continues? 

If You Can't (Or Won't) Unapologetically Love A Black Trans Woman, Step

This cartoon has been making the rounds in Black trans feminine world probably because it has struck a nerve to the point it motivated me to write this post about relationships.

Far too often we have some trans attracted men who wish to date us, but only if we keep it a secret. Many are too scared to live in their truth about declaring their desire to openly date trans women without judgment from society.   Some demand relationship secrecy out of concern for their own egos, concerns about what other cisgender women or their homies will say, or fear they will have their manhood questioned for openly dating us.

That social and political shaming of cis men who date trans women is a factor in what is killing us.

So hear me on this fellas and my trans sisters.  Time for a new game plan.  If you can't or won't publicly date me or my trans sisters, don't need your cowardly behind. We'll go to someone else who ain't 'scurred' to unapologetically date us and is ready to do so.

We Black trans women want to be taken out during daylight and early evening hours to public places. We wish to be occasionally spoiled and treated like the regal queens we are.

And if the relationship progresses to another level, we wish to be proudly introduced by you as your girlfriend to your family and friends.

We are not your secret lovers, hit it and quit it sloppy seconds, your punching bags because life is frakking with you or your after 2 AM booty call. We are women of quality and substance who scratch, fight and claw with every fiber of our being daily to be recognized by society as the women we know we are.

We are women who know they deserve better in relationships and aren't afraid to demand our suitors meet or exceed those high LTR standards.

Being in a relationship with a Black trans woman requires you to step your relationship game up. The world at times is unrelentingly cruel to us, and there are days we just need a hug, an empathetic ear, chocolate, an "I love you" whispered into our ear as were cuddling or all of the above.

We need you to be a best friend and a lover.

If you can't handle the challenge of loving a Black trans woman, then step. If you can, like the Marines, we're looking for a few good men, be they cis or trans.

Black trans women are their unapologetic selves 24-7-365, and 366 days in a leap year. We need LTR partners who not only recognize that, but are confident and secure in their own personhood to do the same.

Laverne's Historic Cosmo Cover

Just in time for Black History Month, Laverne Cox continues to blaze trails and make me and other Black trans peeps proud of her.

Her latest history making endeavor is to become the first out trans woman of any ethnic background to be featured as a cover girl for Cosmopolitan magazine. 

Cosmo South Africa decided to focus their February issues on the TBLGIQ+ community and love, and tapped Laverne to be on the cover of it.

In her letter to the magazine, she also continued to speak about trans women  dating and finding love.

'Trans women need to be loved out in the open and in the light,' she said.    I agree with her.  I also believe that if their wasn't a stigma toward dating trans women and the people who love us could do spenly, it would go a long way toward cutting our murder rates and the domestic partner violence we see.

But that's another post.

This one is all about celebrating Laverne's historic Cosmo cover achievement.   

Hope she also gets some solo covers on ESSENCE (she's done two group covers) and EBONY magazines this year as well

You Are Beautiful, Black Trans Women

'I defy any doctor in the world to prove that I am not a woman.  I have lived, dressed, acted just what I am, a woman.'-Lucy Hicks Anderson

One of the things that we all struggle with at times as Black trans women is dealing with the dysphoria that whacks us from time to time.

Yes, we know that we are women, too, but whether you're pre, post or non op, there are times the 'that;s a man' insults that seems to come at you from all directions stings harder on some days than others.

And yes, we trans women can be some of our own harshest critics when it comes to scrutinizing ourselves and how we stack up with our trans sisters

You come in 24 different skin tones from light bright and damned near white to deepest darkest ebony.  Your fine brown frames come in all shapes and sizes.

It also doesn't help that we cis and trans Black women are also dealing with a beauty standard that never had us in mind when whiteness and white supremacy decided to elevate white women as the penultimate example of beauty, femininity and fertility that all women should aspire to. 

Deep breath, everyone.

I know it is a challenging time for us and the trans community.  We're under sustained attack by the Forces of Intolerance with a hostile Republican controlled federal government in place.   We have Black cis women in our own ranks sounding like white cis feminine TERF's.   You have days when your mood goes up and down with your hormones, and you feel like you can either conquer the world or wish you could just crawl back under the covers and not deal with crap today.

But remember, you are Black trans women.  You can accomplish anything you put your minds to.

You helped kick off a movement at Stonewall.  You stood up to oppression repeatedly at Compton's Cafeteria in 1966, Dewey's Lunch Counter in Philadelphia in 1965, and Cooper's Donuts in LA in 1959.  Sometimes you did it alone, sometime in coalition with others.

You have Black trans women who blazed trails and defiantly fought for your right to exist from Mary Jones to  Lucy Hicks Anderson  to Marsha P. Johnson    My generation picked up that leadership torch from and are now carrying it for you until it is time for y'all to accept it from us.

One of us got elected to a state legislature in 1990.   One of us is about to be featured in Playboy as their first ever playmate.   You are cutting edge thinkers, leaders, educators and trailblazers in this movement.   You stylishly rock fashion runways and red carpet.   You write New York Times best selling books like Janet.  You slay pageants and balls.  You grace our television screens like Amiyah and Laverne and you sing like angels all the way to Carnegie Hall like Tona Brown.

You have Black trans women who are not only running for office in Minneapolis, you are making trailblazing steps to shape the direction in which one of our major political parties will go as Marisa Richmond will do as a DNC member.   You are handling your business when it comes to getting your education, and you are desired and wanted as a life partner in a long term relationship.

You are all that and ten bags of barbeque chips.   And our Black trans feminine teens like Trinity will do even more amazing things as they grow to adulthood and I hope I'm around to see it. 

And yes, I need to say it, since Black trans women don't hear it enough.   You are beautiful, my Black trans sisters.   You are enough, to borrow your trans brother Kye Allums' words.

You are valid.  You are part of the diverse mosaic of human life.  You undeniably exist no matter how many times our right wing and TERF opposition try and fail to denigrate our humanity.

You are fabulous and you are my sister, no matter where you live across the Diaspora.  Whether you live in Brazil, the Caribbean, the USA, Europe, or on the African continent, we are connected through our DNA, history and being Black on a planet that universally reviles Blackness.

Never forget that.  Never forget  that you are beautiful, Black trans women.

Black Trans Women Are Leaders

"It's got to stop somewhere, and it won't unless somebody steps forward and takes a stand.  I guess that's me.  Lady Java,  October 21, 1967 

On the way back from Austin I was thinking about once again in the early morning hours of International Women's Day the comment Diamond Stylz made about all the ways that Black trans women show up for many movements, but are in many cases dissed, dismissed or ignored as we are whitewashed out of the historical narrative.  .

And that needs to stop.  'Black trans women aren't just here to entertain you, provide melanin for your photo opps or be saddled with the 'tragic transsexuals' meme that your predominately white LGBTQ equality org uses to fundraise and lobby on.

Even when talking about trans kids, far too often the issue is framed through a white cultural lens. Black trans kids exist, and their voices need to be in this ongoing cultural conversation.  

There is this problematic narrative in the Black community that being trans 'is a white thang'. The best way we Black trans people and our community allies counter and attack it is having visible Black trans leaders combined with whacking the haters saying this with historical examples of the existence of Black trans people.

It can't be just in some photo op.  It must be a targeted, sustained media effort as well.

Black cis people need to consistently see and hear Black trans people talking about trans issues.  A white spokesperson can do that all day long and the massage will just be ignored.  

But let Laverne Cox or another Black trans person say the same message and their ears will perk up. We know how to talk to our people.  

When we lobby local, state and federal legislators, there are things I can say that doesn't have quite the same context when a white trans person says them.   And let me remind you that some of those local, state and federal legislators we're trying to persuade have my ethnic background.

Note that it was Laverne Cox that came up with the perfectly succinct line to talk about the Grimm case and our lives in general.

To further illustrate my point in the importance of centering Black trans people in our work, there was an incident that happened during the SB 6 hearing yesterday in which Sen. Eddie Lucio said to Dr Colt Keo-Meier that 'you don't know what discrimination is like".

Do you think Sen Eddie Lucio would have dared say that to me?

If he had tried that with me,  I would have immediately pushed back and said, "Sen Lucio,  I'm old enough to have started my school days in a segregated HISD school.  So yeah, being Black and trans I know what discrimination is like, and SB 6 is a discriminatory bill."

And at a time when we have hostile GOP state and federal administrations, we don't have time for non-intersectional BS.  It's nation time as far as we're concerned.  We're wanting action and solutions to the problems that ail our community, because we see this as a Defcon 1 emergency level situation because our sisters are being murdered,

The bottom line is that if you wish to have lasting success in this trans rights movement, it ain't gonna happen without Black trans women being at the table helping to formulate the strategies and tactics to do so.

We have numerous examples around the country of Black trans feminine leaders like Raquel Willis, Angelica Ross, Sharron Cooks, Janet Mock, Dee Dee Watters ,Precious Brady Davis, Andrea Jenkins, Tracee McDaniel, Rev Carmarion Anderson, Jazzmun Nichala Crayton, Lourdes Hunter, Elle Hearns, Bryanna Jenkins, Kim Watson and countless others,

There are also emerging young Black trans feminine leaders like Trinity Neal.

We Black trans women have been handling our leadership business even before Stonewall when you think about Lady Java, Lucy Hicks Anderson,  and post Stonewall in the person of Miss Major, Dawn Wilson, Marisa Richmond and yeah, some Texas based blogger y'all know.

So ponder this thought during International Women's Day in that Black trans women are leaders. We have a proud legacy of Black feminine leadership to draw on from our history and build upon.

In many cases  we are making history as we blaze these leadership trails   So why wouldn't you have capable Black trans women in your organizations?

You can either reach out and have us at the table to help create a winning strategy for all of us, or you can continue to wallow in the depths of anti-Blackness and spite, not include us as equal partners, and watch us do the damned thing anyway and look fly while doing so.

Your call.

Tracey Africa Norman Hired Again As Face Of Clairol!

Woke up to the fabulous news that one of my trailblazing trans elders in Tracey Africa Norman is  being hired once again as a face of Clairol!

The Cut is reporting that Clairol called Tracey and asked her at age 63, just short of her fast approaching birthday, to come back and be the face of their Clairol Nice 'n Easy "Color As Real As You Are' campaign.

Wow!  So happy this amazing blessing has happened for her!

I wrote about Tracey on these TransGriot pages starting in May 2010 after seeing the video interview she'd done with The Luna Show about her amazing modeling career we trans people didn't know about because of her nondisclosed status at the time.

For those of you who aren't aware of it, time for a trans history moment ,

Back in the 70's and 80's, Tracey was not only the face of Clairol, but had contracts with Avon Cosmetics, Ultra Sheen and had graced five ESSENCE magazine covers.

But adhering to the prevailing trans community transition protocols at the time, she was undisclosed while doing so.

Her booming modeling career was messed up by a transphobic hater who outed her to then ESSENCE managing editor Susan L. Taylor in the early 80's while shooting a sixth ESSENCE cover.

While Susan L Taylor claimed in a subsequent interview that she supported Tracey, the ESSENCE actions post outing don't support her words, and modeling work for Tracey immediately in the wake of that outing dried up..

Hey ESSENCE, here's an idea.  How about making it right by inviting Tracey to shoot that cover that was so rudely interrupted?  

Here's the new Clairol video featuring Tracey.




While I understand what the transition protocols were at the time, it would have been amazing for teenage me to know there were trans women like Tracey out there who not only existed, but had thriving careers.

But I am happy to know that me simply documenting the Black trans history that she made as part of the long stylish line of trans models may have been the catalyst for this day.  

I hope I get the opportunity, honor and pleasure to one day meet my trans elder, hug her, and thank her for clearing the way for trans models to work openly as who they are even with all the challenges they face,

I also want to thank Tracey for being a possibility model to mine and the next generations of Black trans kids, and hope this Clairol opportunity leads to more work for her..

Maya and Rick's Bold And Beautiful Wedding

While I was working on escaping from Casa de Slumlord, I didn't have cable during that time period, and I missed some of the groundbreaking episodes in the Rick and Maya trans story line on the Bold and the Beautiful leading up to their wedding.

While that was going on, Maya was trying to repair the relationship between herself and her father Julius Avant that had become contentious between them when she transitioned in her teen years .

First her younger sister Nicole, and now her mother Vivienne relationships with Maya have been improving to the point that Nicole accepts and loves her unconditionally as her big sister, and the relationship between her and her mother Vivienne was improving during that time period she was visiting her in LA.

But Julius is still transphobically unrepentant concerning his feelings for Maya, she overheard him during the run up to the wedding, and it came to a head as Maya was about to get married to Rick Forrester

This is a groundbreaking story line that not only features a major character who is trans, but that character also happens to be African-American.

This wedding may also be the first for a soap opera in terms of it involving a trans feminine character marrying a cisgender male.

It has also been groundbreaking (and emotional at times for me) to see how the issues surrounding Maya's transition have played out in an African-American family


Well, speaking of those episodes, here they are for your perusal TransGriot readers.

Registration Now Open For BTAC 2016!

Dee Dee Watters and I zooming past our old hotel on the DART  light rail (and I'm not kidding about the zooming part) on our way to and from Richardson and the just concluded TTNS reminded me that the clock is ticking toward the next time the BTAC family gathers in the Dallas Ft.Worth area for the 2016 Black Trans Advocacy Conference.

The theme for 2016 is 'Thinking and Speaking A Better World' and the dates are April 25-May 1 for this fifth annual edition of it.   The BTAC will have a new hotel hosting it.the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria.   Personally I'm gonna miss the Doubletree Campbell Center, especially since it was on the DART Red and Orange light rail lines, had great views of the downtown Dallas skyline and was an easy trip from the downtown Dallas Megabus dropoff point for me, but sometimes change is necessary for your event to evolve and be positioned for greater success and growth.

Wow, it has been five years for this growing event in which I have been a part of since 2013 when I was asked to be a keynote speaker that year. 

Since it happens so close to Cuatro De Mayo (my birthday) and it's just a four hour drive or Megabus ride up I-45 from me, it has quickly become one of my fave conferences. 

It's also one of the few national conferences in which you get to meet many of our Black trans masculine and trans feminine leaders.  We were also honored to have some trans folks from Brazil, Panama and other places in the African diaspora in the house in 2015, and hope that trend line continues.

And trans women, did I mention all the handsome trans men that will be in the house?  Okay, just wanted to make sure I pointed that out.

I'm not only planning on being there but hopefully taking a more active role in BTAC 2016.  I plan on doing two seminars in 2016 and looking forward to administering more dominoes beatdowns at Family Fun Day  

You have been warned. 

And yes, it goes without saying that cis and trans community allies are also enthusiastically welcomed to attend BTAC 2016.  If you wish to have further information about BTAC 2016, you can click on the following link to do so.

Hope i do see y'all in the BTAC 2016 house.

See y'all in Dallas in a few months for BTAC 2016.  Looking forward to checking out the new hotel, seeing my.BTAC family and meeting more allies during that extended birthday celebration weekend for me.

Isis King To Appear On 'The Bold And The Beautiful'

Y'all know how much I love my little sis Isis King and enjoyed hanging out with her and the cast of the Hello Forever movie when it debuted at WorldFest here in H-town.

Well, my sis is going to be back on the small screen to do a guest appearance on the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.

As you know The Bold and the Beautiful has an ongoing and evolving trans lead character in Maya Avant played by Karla Mosley. 

Maya is the lead model for Forrester Creations, and starting on Wednesday there will be a fashion show featuring Maya and Isis as one of the models.

I also noted this photo of Isis, Karla and possibly Carmen Carrera on a website that tracks soap opera news, so can I presume based on that photo this particular soon to be broadcast Forrester fashion show in question has all trans models? 

The B&B episodes featuring Isis will start on Wednesday and run through Friday, and I'm pleased and excited for her . I'm looking forward with heightened interest to watching those upcoming Bold and the Beautiful episodes and see how they transpire.

As for my sis Isis, she's becoming more visible these days, and I hope this leads to more amazing opportunities and acting work for this hard working lady.

Moni's Thoughts On The Root 8 Trans Women Of Color Doing More Than Being Visible Article

I had three major goals when I began my transition in 1994. On of them was wanting to be a visible role model for other girls like me.

The other was I wanted to be considered a complimentary to Black womanhood and not seen as a detriment to it.

The third was wanting to be the best Moni I could be to the point that my trans and cis sisters would be proud of me and whatever I accomplished.

I've been honored with a lot of awards, profiled in articles and added to some lists, but was not expecting to be part of this Samantha Master article in The Root that profiled 8 Trans Women Of Color Doing More Than Being Visible.

Speaks to how long I've been in the movement when I've met or personally know the other seven amazing women who were profiled in this article.

While I'm honored to be one of the people in this article, and I thank everyone for the kudos on my FB page, I can't nor will I let you peeps forget we have some amazing trans women of color leaders across this country and beyond our borders.

Let's not forget we have some powerhouse Latina sisters like Bamby Salcedo, Jennicet Eva Gutiérrez, Arianna Lint, Maria Roman, Joanna Maria Cifredo, Ruby Corado, Johanna Saavedra, and Elizabeth Marie Rivera. just to name a few of them.   

My native Hawaiian sisters like Cathy Taffy, Ashilana Hawelu-Fulgoni, Stacia Ohira, Hina Wong-Kalu, and Maddalyn Ashton Sesepasara and Asian sisters like Kim Coco Iwamoto, Cecilia Chung, Tita Aida, Geena Rocero and Andy Marra.  

Native sisters Mattee Jim, Stella Johnson, Michelle Enfield and Trudie Jackson.

And a shoutout goes to all trans women of color who are yet unknown on a local, statewide or national stage, but are doing their part to lead in their communities and advance our just trans human rights cause.

All trans women of color are representing our overall community not only as leaders, but as leaders role modeling a transition experience formed by their cultural experiences.

Women of Color means more than just a default way to write Black or African-American.

While the media focus may be on Caitlyn Jenner, Trans World, our trans men and allies know who the people are who have been doing the heavy lifting to make it easier for Caitlyn and other to have a community to come out to.and who would have her back when the haters started coming out of the closet.

Black Media, I Expect Higher Standards From You When It Comes To Covering Black Trans People

When I traveled to Boston for last summer's National Association of Black Journalists conference (NABJ) to discuss with fellow panelists Kenyon Farrow, Kellee Terrell and moderator Tiq Milan how to cover Black trans folks, it was with the intent of not only fostering that discussion, but impressing upon the attendees of that panel how accurate reporting about Black trans people from our media peeps is critically important.

In the first two months of 2015, seems like some Black media peeps needed to have some seats in that panel discussion as well.

Been more than pissed off to see disrespectful reporting aimed at my transsisters who have tragically lost their lives.   I've been even more irritated to note that some of the culprits guilty of transphobic reporting and failing to read their AP Stylebooks have been African-American journalists.

I expect disrespectful reporting from non-Black cisgender journalists and media outlets.   But I have a severe problem with it when the disrespectful reporting happens on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, newspapers, my hometown television and radio stations and other Black controlled media outlets and blogs

I don't even waste my breath or bandwith calling out Bossip and Sandra Rose. They are unrepentant cesspools of media transphobia that couldn't spell journalistic integrity even with the help of spell check.  But I do have higher expectations and standards for Black journalists when it comes to respectfully reporting on Black trans people.  

And here is the money paragraph once again from the AP Stylebook that has been there since 2001.

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 individuals live publicly.

If you have questions, peruse those AP Stylebook pages.   There are also the styleguides from the NLGJA and GLAAD to help a journalistic brother or sister out and avoid the wrath of Moni, my chocolate transpeeps and our allies from coming down upon you for some fracked up reporting  that could have been easily avoided.

I'd like to also see as soon as possible an entry in the NABJ Styleguide about transgender people since it seems to have become necessary to request it expeditiously happen.

And yeah, here's the difference between a transgender man and a transgender woman since y'all media peeps have picked up that annoying conservatactic of conflating the two to be snarkily insulting.

A transgender man  (or trans man) is one who was born with female genitalia but has transitioned to and lives life as a male.  

A transgender woman (or trans woman) is one who was born with male genitalia, but has transitioned to and lives life as a female.

And one other thing Black media.  Focus on what's between our ears, not what genitalia may or may not be between our legs.

Also sick of the 'deception meme' being pushed in Black media stories about trans people.  We're living our authentic lives.   You need to deal with and approach us transpeeps as you would any other person you are writing or reporting on.

It's important because ignorance in African-American ranks about trans people is being pushed by sellout Black right wing pastors from their pulpits.

The bottom line Black media is that Black trans people are not only part of the diverse mosaic of human life, we have been and still are part of the kente cloth fabric of Black America.  We aren't going away, and as Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, Tona Brown, Tiq Milan and a host of Black transpeople prove on a regular basis, and still we rise.

We have abundant talents to contribute to our Black community.  Black journalists need to get with the program and take the lead in pointing out Black trans people are Black people and our issues are Black community issues.

Black journalists and bloggers also need to realize that coverage of trans people is not click bait for your blogs, a way for you to add salacious details to your radio broadcasts, newspaper or television stories, or 'scurr' or mislead people about the purpose of non-discrimination laws that cover you and whatever other category they happen to cover.

You also have a journalistic legacy to uphold of being fierce advocates for our community.  Black transpeople once again are part of your constituency.

It's also infuriating and mind blowing to contemplate that Black journalists in the pre-AP Stylebook days writing for JET,. EBONY, HUE and Sepia magazines did a better and more respectful job of writing about transpeople than their 21st century counterparts.

Unchecked anti-trans hate speech kills.   In the wake of the murders of  17 trans women since June with the vast majority of them being African-American trans feminine women under 40, it's past time for Black media and Black journalists to ponder if their media misgendering of African-American trans women is a contributing factor to the anti-trans hatred that leads to anti-trans violence and the far too frequent murders of Black trans women.

Black Community, Does My Black Trans Life Matter?

In the wake of another young Black transwoman being murdered in Los Angeles, am definitely going to signal boost this post by Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi asking the Black community a question that's on the minds of all African descended transpeople no matter what our age is.

Do our Black lives matter?   

They most certainly do.   #BlackTransLivesMatter.    Here's a taste of what Lady Dane had to say.

***

Trans women are not killed by trans women, we are killed by cisgender men. Often cisgender black men. Is this why our black community is so afraid of having this conversation? Trans folk are the greatest embodied form of revolution against colonization. Our very existence spits in the face of all that colonization wishes our black community to hold true: is this why our black community is so afraid to have these conversations? Is it that the poison of colonization has seeped so deeply into the  veins of  the black movement that it is easier to ignore black trans folk and use them as place holders then to honor our existence? We must begin to honor not just our fallen  cis brothers but our fallen trans siblings and cis sisters. We must fight against the notion that we black women must ignore our brutalizers, although many of us are forced to co-exist with them

***

You can read the entire to the Black community she wrote by clicking this link.