Happy 50th Birthday Jevon Martin!

He doesn't look a day over 25, but Jevon Martin is celebrating his 50th birthday today.

I first met Jevon at the 2013 BTAC, when he and his trans brothers were spoiling me rotten to the point that he sent my butt away from the Doubletree Campbell Center host hotel to get a mani-pedi before the Awards Gala on the night in which I received the BTAC Advocacy award that is now named for me.

A year later he brought his wife Christina to meet the BTAC fam, and she and I have become great friends.   Christina and I usually do the Sisterhood discussion at BTAC in addition to both of them organizing to trains running on time perfection the BTAC Black Diamond Ball.

Speaking of running thangs, Jevon is  the founding CEO of Princess Janae Place

Princess Janae Place is New York State's only trans led organization that since 2015 has helped trans and gender non conforming people transition from homelessness to housing.

Y'all might wish to drop a donation or two as a birthday gift to support the important and life changing work they do there. .

But I can talk about PJP anytime.   You only turn 50 once.

So happy milestone birthday Jevon!   It has been (and still is) a blessing to have you and Christina in my life.   You are also a blessing to all of us as a leader in our community.

And yes, have much love, admiration, and respect for you.

Happy birthday Jevon!  Hope this 50th birthday is an amazing and blessings filled one for you, and you get to celebrate many more of them .


  .   

Sade's Child Comes Out As Trans

Peeps who have known me for a while know that I have mad love for Sade, and I own every CD she's ever produced.  Even got a chance to see her in concert in Houston back in 1988.

Some other interesting news that has come out this week is that Sade's 21 year old child has recently come out on his Instagram page as a trans man.

There's also no word yet about what his masculine name will be, and hopefully he'll let us know that soon, especially since the usual reprehensible transphobes in Black gossip blog world (cough, cough 'Sandra' Rose) have already started throwing facts free shade.

No reaction from his Grammy winning mom yet, but we're happy to welcome him to our international trans family.

FTM Fitness World Body Building Competition Video

I talked about the FTM Fitness World Conference in Atlanta in a previous post, and in addition to this Al Jazeera America story about the transmasculine body building world, while searching for video I stumbled across this CNN video with interviews by Neo Sandja and Shawn Stinson about this trans masculine bodybuilding competition.



I hope I get the opportunity to go to the 3rd annual FTM Fitness World event next year in the ATL, see it in person and write about it for the blog

Two Trans POC Involved Events This Weekend

As I've stated more than a few times on this blog, intersectionality is an important value for trans people of color.   We are keenly aware of the fact that our skin color makes our transitions different from our white trans counterparts and we can't (nor do we wish to) separate our ethnicity from our trans status. 

We are also quite aware of the fact that issues that affect our Black and Latino communities also affect us.as trans people who also are members of those communities.    

There are two events happening on different coasts that involve elements of our diverse trans community. 

Here in H-town members of the Trans Latin@ coalition will be in full effect at the FLAS 20th Anniversary Gala that will take place tonight starting at 6 PM CDT at the Hilton Southwest Hotel. 

FLAS stands for Fundacion Latinamericano de Accion Social, a Houston based organization that provides health services and social programs for the Latin American community.

FLAS has provided education, HIV counseling and testing and treatment referrals for Latinos affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as STD referrals. Throughout the community, we host education seminars and health fairs at a variety of locations, including churches, civic organizations, consulates and even on-street corners
 
For those of you in the Houston area that may wish to join the TransLatin@ coalition and attend this event, the hotel is located at 6780 Southwest Fwy.  If you need more information call Elia Chino at 713-772-2366.

In Boston, the transbrothers are there and in full effect for the LGBTQ Health and Wellness Weekend that is running through tomorrow.  It started last night with a dinner in honor of birthday boy Rev. Louis Mitchell.

The event is sponsored by Body Image 4 Justice, TPOCC and long list of orgs.  It will feature a keynote speech from Fallon Fox, our fave MMA fighter and trans human rights warrior in keeping with this year's theme of LGBTQ Athletes And Sports.

The Health And Wellness Weekend features seminars, panel discussions, live demos and more at two venues.  Emerson College's Max Mutchnick Campus Center will host Saturday events, and the Holmes Sports Center on the Simmons College Residential Campus will be the venue hosting Sunday events. .

For those of you in those areas, hope you can attend and support these events orgs that are also supporting our community.

Happy Birthday Mr. Brown!

It's TransGriot birthday shoutout time!

Today is the birthday of the founding CEO of Black Transmen, Inc and one of my fellow Lone Star State Trans 100 travelers in Carter Brown.   

I'll let him disclose how old he is, but it's undeniable he has been doing some amazing and groundbreaking work in not only leading BTMI, but shepherding the amazing growth of the upcoming Black Trans Advocacy Conference that will be in Dallas April 29-May 4.

Happy birthday Mister Brown!   Hope it is overflowing with love, smiles as wide as our state, abundant blessings and you continue to be blessed to have many more of them.

Kortney In Vegas

Dr. Kortney R. Ziegler is in Las Vegas this weekend for Tech Cocktail Week and handling his business there in the run up to next week's Trans* H4CK Vegas style.

So what's Trans* H4CK?  It's Dr. Ziegler's innovative melding of a hackathon with trans social justice to solve real world problems for our community by creating programs and apps to do so.

In 2014 Kortney is taking the Trans* H4CK show on the road from its Oakland home base and birthplace with the next one scheduled to happen in Chicago March 28-30 in conjunction with the revealing of the second edition of the Trans 100 and all the events planned around it.  

The Trans* H4CK that is fast approaching will take place February 21-23 at The Center in Downtown Las Vegas, and you still have time to sign up for it and participate.  In addition to them being fun, all skill levels being welcome and they being safe spaces for all participants, did I forget to mention there are cash prizes as well?. 

The hacking team that comes up with the best project wins $500, second and third place teams get $250. 

There will also be two Bonus Prizes: Best Hack to Support Trans Entrepreneurs: TBA

Best Hack for #VegasTech Trans Community: 1 month Nomad Membership to Work In Progress

So come check out Trans* H4CK Vegas style.  You'll be glad you did come down and participate.  

First Ever Black Trans Homecoming King Crowned

Just in time for Black History Month, some more Black trans history being made.

17 year old Blake Brockington became the first trans homecoming king in the state of North Carolina and the first out Black trans homecoming king ever in the United States when he was crowned during a halftime ceremony last night at East Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte.

Blake was one of 13 seniors nominated for and competing for the honor, and raised the most money for East Mecklenburg High's chosen charity, Mothering Across Continents.  It's a non-profit organization that funds the building of schools in the Sudan.

"It's an honor to become part of East Meck's history," he said in a WCNC-TV interview.
  .
Brockington thanked his supporters, and says he wants to inspire students to never give up on their dream.
"They can be themselves regardless of what anybody else says. Even though you go through some things and have some negative encounters in your life, anything is possible. You can do anything you set your heart to," said Brockington.

As to what the newly crowned king's future plans are?   Brockington is headed to the University of North Carolina Charlotte in the fall, and plans to continue playing rugby and mentoring young trans students.   

Tiq Milan On Today's CNN"s 'Reliable Sources'

So yeah media peeps, how about trying harder in the 2K14 to broaden the transmasculine discussion to include transmen of color?  --TransGriot, 'When Are Transbrothers of Color Going To Get Their TV Closeups?  January 8, 2014  

I've been complaining for a few months that transmen of color also need their media face time to discuss not only transmasculine issues from their perspective, but trans issues in general.

Guess somebody was paying attention.

In addition to my sportswriting sis Christina Kahrl appearing on today's Reliable Sources episode on CNN, we will also get to witness Tiq Milan representing the community in his capacity as GLAAD's Senior Media Strategist on our cable TV screens at 10 AM CST. 

Congrats Tiq.  I couldn't be happier to see my fellow GLAAD POC Media Institute classmate doing his thing on my TV screen in a few hours.

I just hope this isn't the only time I see a transman of color on my TV screen discussing trans issues this year.

When Are Transbrothers of Color Going To Get Their TV Closeups?

While I'm very happy that my transsisters like Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, Arianna Inurritegui Lint on the Spanish language side and Carmen Carrera are getting their television time and long overdue closeups, I'll have to admit one thing that is bothering me as I observe this positive trans media pattern in the first full week of 2014.

In the six decades since Christine Jorgensen stepped off her SAS flight in New York on February 13, 1953, when the media has deigned to turn the discussion of transsexuality towards transmasculine issues, far too often that discussion has centered on white transmen. 

That has been majorly frustrating to me as a Black trans woman and also Black and Latino transmen.   They don't get enough television time as is to discuss transmasculine issues, and what little there is has yet to realize they exist, ignores them altogether and the issues unique to being transmen of color. 

And frankly, transwomen of color for balance purposes in our communities need to have those stories told.

Our ethnicity trumps our transitions, and those transitions are affected by race, class and economic issues. That dynamic is no different in the transmasculine community.   We have yet to hear a discussion on how Black transmen have to deal with being considered suspects and hated for EWB (existing while Black).  

Latinos are the fastest growing minority group in this country.   It would nice to have Latino trans men talking about the cultural issues inside and outside the Latino community that affect their transitions.

To make you go hmm even more, how about Asian transmen?   What are the issues that affect them?   

It's not like it's hard to find transmen of color who are willing to chat about those issues all over the country.   Carter Brown, Dr Kortney Ryan Ziegler, Tiq Milan, Kye Allums and Kylar Broadus for starters can easily and eloquently hold it down on the Black trans masculine end of things.  

Mark Angelo Cummings, Diego Sanchez, Ignacio Rivera, Yosenio Lewis can do the same on the Latino transmasculine side.  Yosenio can also bring another dynamic into the trans Latino conversation by discussing those issues from the perspective of being a dark skinned Latino.     

So yeah media peeps, how about trying harder in the 2K14 to broaden the transmasculine discussion to include transmen of color?    

You'll not only broaden and bring about a long needed diversification of the transmasculine conversation, but get some fascinating and compelling stories out of it as well.

DR. KRZ Named To 2013 The Root 100 List!

As I said when I was congratulating him in a previous post for the award he's getting from the Transgender Law Center October 3, at the rate he's collecting accolades, awards and honors  he's probably going to need to build a trophy case.

The Root announced its list of 100 influencers and achievers, and in addition to people like Danielle Moodie-Mills, Jay Z, Serena Williams, Benjamin Jealous, and Corey Booker is our brother Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler.

This is a big deal to be named to the Root 100 list and I couldn't be happier and more proud of him as a fellow African descended trans person..

Congratulations again Kortney!

Dr. Z -On Being A Good Black Man

Another blac (k) ademic post from Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler that needs to be signal boosted.  

Brought back some not so pleasant memories when I was on that side of the gender fence and dealt with the bigotry, microaggressive and macroaggressive crap of walking around in society in a Black male body that Kortney and other black trans brothers are dealing with now.. 

We live in a world that assumes the worst of young black masculinity to the point in which it causes concerned citizens–even those of color–to act as race vigilantes who enforce preventative measures with the hopes of keeping black men from acting out our criminal nature. The absurdity of the policing of black male violence by “good racists” lies in the reality that violence itself is used and celebrated as the preferred tactic of approach. Ultimately relaying a message that black men and boys are fair game for public scrutiny–even to the extent of annihilation. The murder of Trayvon Martin and the subsequent violent posturing of his life as an acceptable defense for his death is a perfect example.

And sometimes those negative assumptions about Black masculinity bleed over into trans world, too. 

Check out this latest post by Dr. Z. 

BTMI 2013-Surprise, I Have Another Award!

The BTMI brothers had a few surprises for me while I was up there in Dallas this weekend. 

While I was busy telling the world I felt honored to be in their presence, they were busy spoiling me rotten while at the same time enveloping me and the other trans sisters in attendance in love. 

I had more than a few brothers who pulled me aside during events, after panel discussions or while I was kicking it with them in the lobby or outside as they smoked how much they appreciated TransGriot, the work I'd done to uplift and serve as an inspiration to the Black trans community and how long they been fans of my blog. 

Even Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler, who I admire for not only having a doctorate and producing the movie Still Black, A Portrait of Black Transmen (that was doing brisk sales in the lobby and you can purchase by the way), confided that he was a fan of my blog and was as excited to meet me as I was him.

.I was planning to check out CD Kirven's seminar 'The Power Of Us-Bridging The Gaps Between The L and T' but Jevon Martin and the guys had other ideas.   Jevon sent your fave blogger to a nearby nail salon on Greenville Ave and treated me to a mani and pedi.

I got back in time to catch the tail end of Rev. Lawrence T. Richardson's Trans 102 seminar before we moved on to the other event I was scheduled to participate in besides the keynote speech. 

It was a Black Transgender Community Summit that included Kylar Broadus, my Houston homegirl and esteemed video blogger Diamond Stylz, Rev Carmarion Anderson, Minister Louis Mitchell, Diwa Cain and moi. 

It was an hour and a half of tell it like it T-I-S is commentary that we could have used two hours for, but when it was over a little after 5:30 PM we all had to get ready for the formal dinner and the BTMI Awards.

So as I sat there two hours later with my tablemates getting my grub on and making conversation until that moment in the program happened in the Skyline Ballroom the hotel's 21st floor, I was just happy to be one of the nominees.   


But I was stunned to discover when Treach read the name of the winner of the BTMI Advocacy Award it was my name being read aloud along with it popping up on the video screen set up in the ballroom.  It was also accompanied as I got up to a standing ovation by Treach, Javon and a few of the brothers saying, 'Surprise!'  

Y'all know that usually I'm not at a loss for words, but this time I was not only stunned into temporary silence but beginning to cry as the realization hit me I was not only getting an award given to me by my own trans people, but it was happening in my home state.

And even better, from now on the award I was given by BTMI would be known as the Monica Roberts Advocacy Award.

So thanks BTMI for the Advocacy Award that I took back to Houston.  It means so much to me because it's from you transbrothers and it looks great on my shelf.. 

BTMI 2013-Honored To Be In Dallas

I'm on the other end of I-45 in Dallas for the second annual Black Transmen, Inc Conference and having a blast. It's not only the first time I've attended this rapidly growing event, it's one of the few in our community that is primarily focused on African-Amercan transmen and the issues that concern them.

And this year, they invited the transwomen to take part. 

I'm feeling blessed and honored to be chosen as the first transwoman to do a keynote speech for this event.  What made it even more special was sharing the stage with one of the transmen I have much love for in TPOCC's Kylar Broadus.   Kylar was also a 2013 BTMI keynote speaker as well.

It has also been a blast  to see Kye Allums and Louis Mitchell again, FINALLY meet the wonderful Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler, the amazing Carter Brown, Sean Coleman and an increasingly long list of transbrothers who have either stopped me in the halls in between seminars or taken other opportunities to let me know how much they love and appreciate me and the blog.

They've also been spoiling me rotten.   A girl can get used to that.

And yeah, my 19th floor room with the spectacular view overlooking the DART rail line and Greenville Avenue has been the bomb as well.

It's also been wonderful getting to spend some quality time with Rev. Carmarion Anderson on Wednesday and Thursday for the first time since OUT on the Hill 2012.  Arianna Inurritegui Lint from TransLatinas is in the house to do a seminar tomorrow.

It's also been a joy and fascinating to talk to the spouses and significant others of many of my transbrothers in attendance, and during the quiet moments hear the stories of my transbrothers.

It was also cool to talk to Dallas area allies and activists like Omar Narvaez of Lambda Legal, Dr Oliver Blumer of TENT and many of the spouses of the transmen here in attendance.

I have a panel discussion to do tomorow before I head back to Houston on Sunday.

For you transbrothers who didn't come or couldn't make it, you're missing a wonderful event and I hope you'll consider coming next year or making plans to attend OUT on the Hill this September 18-22 in Washington DC.

And if the BTMI brothers will have me, I definitely want to come back to Dallas for BTMI 2014.


TransGriot note: Photos by Kortney Ryan Ziegler