DFW Area White Woman Tripping About Curvaceous Black Reporter

Black women not only come in 24 different skin tones from light bright and damned near white to deepest darkest ebony, a fact that Rihanna is taking to the bank with her new makeup line, we also come in many different body types.

And one white Dallas TV viewer is mad because of that.

Meet Demetria Obilor.  She works at WFAA-TV 8 in Dallas, and does their morning traffic reports for them.  As you can also see she is beautiful, voluptuous, and curvaceous.

Conservaviewer Jan Shedd had a problem with that and took to Facebook to express herself.

“Has anyone seen channel 8’s new morning traffic reporter,” Shedd wrote on Facebook. “She’s a size 16/18 woman in a size 6 dress. She looks ridiculous. I understand that when I watch Channel 8 I’m going to get biased reporting and political correctness, but clearly they have taken complete leave of their senses."

Of course, once Jan's jealousy tinged Facebook comments were posted to Black Twitter, the ruthless dragging of Bigot Becky swiftly ensued with their usual brutal efficiency.

And yeah, Black Twitter is still putting their collective electronic foot up Shedd's behind as they call Shedd's bigoted ignorance out. 

Bitter Becky, party of one, your table is ready.

Obilor also posted a video to her own Twitter feed thanking Black Twitter for coming to her defense and calling the hater out and basically saying if you don't like her, you have channel options

You're welcome sis.  We got your back. 

Meanwhile, I have another reason to watch WFAA-TV 8 besides Dale Hansen the next time I end up on the northern end of I-45.

Dallas Lights Up Their Skyline For H-Town

Normally there is no love lost between Houston and Dallas when it comes to our ongoing civic rivalry, and being a proud native Houstonian with relatives in Dallas, I gleefully do my part to remind them they are only the third largest city in Texas and Austin is coming for them population wise.

But when bad things happen in either locale, the rivalry hits the pause button.

Every now and then I also have to give that metropolis on the northern end of I-45 their props when they do things right.  It has been unquestionably blue since 2006 and I love their 100 plus miles of DART light rail that I ride whenever I visit the city.   

Now I have to give them props for the classy move in honor of the Astros first title .

They lit up their skyline. 

Despite the ongoing rivalry between the Rangers and Astros that has only heated up since our move to the AL West Division, Dallas gave us our props for bringing a title to the Lone Star State weeks after Hurricane Harvey made life miserable for a lot of peeps in the Houston area and the upper Texas coast.

And for that gesture I definitely need to tip the Astros cap in their direction.

2018 NFL Draft Will Be In Dallas

See Texas conservafools?   When you don't pass hatemongering legislation like SB 6/3 you get nice things as a result. 

One of those nice things we just received was word that the NFL has finally made a decision on who will host the 2018 NFL Draft, and next April it will be up I-45 from me in Dallas.

Reality is it will be in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, but the city of Dallas is still going to get a chunk of that sports tourist money.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced today that the 2018 NFL Draft will be held in the DFW Metroplex from April 26-28.   

The Jerrydome, AKA AT&T Stadium will host the 2018 NFL Draft's first round in primetime on April 26. The draft's second and third rounds will be conducted on Friday April 27 at the Jerrydome, with the final rounds 4-7 on April 28 at The Star.

The Cowboys became heavy favorites in April to get the draft in large part because of  The Star, their 91 acre headquarters complex in suburban Frisco, TX that contains hotels and a 12,000 seat stadium that the Frisco ISD uses for football, soccer and commencements.

The Texas GOP attempts to pass the unjust SB 6 and SB 3 in the Special Oppression Session nearly derailed the Cowboys effort to bring the draft to the Lone Star State, with this year's host Philadelphia, Kansas City and Green Bay also in the running to host the draft 

Since 2015, the NFL Draft has become a travelling roadshow, with Chicago hosting it in 2015-16 and Philadelphia kicking it up another level last year by hosting it outdoors for the first time and creating a fan fest for it a few months ago. 

The 2018 NFL Draft will break ground as the first one held in an NFL stadium,  A stadium with 100,000 seats in which there will be a nice sized posse of Texans fans sitting there cheering the Texans draft picks when they are announced

Dallas' Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade Names First Ever Trans Grand Marshal

During our pride parade here in Houston history was made when Lou Weaver was elected to become our first ever trans masculine parade grand marshal.  

Trans history is also being made on the other end of I-45 in Dallas for their Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade.   While most cities in the Lone Star State celebrate TBLGQ pride near the traditional historic late June date that can get a tad warm down here, Dallas celebrates it in September.

When Dallas' pride parade takes place on September 17, it will have its first ever trans grand marshal of any gender in Nicole O'Hara Munro.  She's also making history as the first ever African American ever named Dallas parade grand marshal.

Born in NOLA, Nicole now lives in Dallas, and is a trans rights advocate who works with an TBLGQ youth group and A Nu Trans Movement in addition to being the show hostess at Marty's Live.

And it's so apropos that it happened for this year's parade.   Texas trans people are under GOP legislative attack, and 14 of the 16 people we've lost in 2017 have been Black trans women.

It's gratifying to see that Dallas has elected a Black trans woman as their grand marshal.

She will be joined by the parade's masculine grand marshal in newly elected District 6 Councilmember Omar Narvaez .  He is the first openly gay candidate elected to the Dallas City Council in over a decade.

I've already commented on Omar's awesomeness on this blog, and glad to see he's being recognized for the trailblazing work he has done in the DFW area

 Congrats to both of the 2017 parade grand marshals.   May need to check my schedule and see if I can be up there for this piece of modern Texas trans history.

Dallas Cowboys Chances Of Hosting 2018 NFL Draft In Possible Jeopardy If TX Trans Hate Bill Passes

If the Texas GOP transphobes are successful during the upcoming Special Oppression Session in passing HB 2899, their Trans Hate Bill, one of the first casualties of that legislation may be the Dallas Cowboys chances of hosting the 2018 NFL Draft.

After 50 years of hosting the NFL Draft in New York, the NFL decided to start moving it around again to different cities.  Chicago hosted it in 2015 and 2016, and it was Philadelphia's turn to do so back in April.

There were 22 teams and cities including Canton, OH interested in hosting the 2018 NFL Draft, which is scheduled to happen April 26-28.

Sixteen of them sent representatives to observe the draft happenings in Philadelphia and get a fell for how the event is run, with several subsequently putting in bids with the league for the event/

But Dallas is considered the frontrunner when the NFL makes its decision in August.

The Cowboys made their pitch to the NFL back in April to host the draft at two sites.  AT&T Stadium for the first two days and at The Star, their new $1.5 billion corporate headquarters and practice facility currently being built in suburban Frisco, TX for the last day of it.  

But the Cowboys are now casting a nervous eye down I-35 south toward Austin as the July 18 Special Oppression Session date gets closer.  


The NFL made it clear in comments it made during the regular session a few months ago that if Texas passed the anti-trans SB 6, it would impact the state's two NFL franchises in the Cowboys and the Houston Texans ability to host future Super Bowls or other league events.

That prompted a retaliatory salvo aimed at the NFL from a pissed off Gov. Abbott (R), so as of now the NFL and the Cowboys have been silent about their thoughts as the calendar draws closer to the start date of the special session.

But we'll see in a few weeks if the Texas Republican Party is willing and stupid enough to piss off the NFL and Jerry Jones to pass HB 2899 and if they go there, what the NFL (and Jerry Jones) will do in response.

I would rather have the opportunity to check out some of the NFL Draft related activities during next year's BTAC, but whether that happens depends on what the Texas GOP majority does..

Congratulations Councilmember-elect Narvaez!

A few hours ago I received another reminder of just how many amazing people I have in my life and who call me their friend.

I've known Omar Narvaez for several years now thanks to his work with Lambda Legal in their Dallas regional office, as a past three time president of the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas and his service on the Dallas County School Board.   He was elected in 2015 to his first full six year term on the Dallas County School Board after being appointed in May 2014 to fill a vacancy on that board.

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He recently ran for the Dallas City Council District 6 seat in West Dallas currently held by Monica Alonzo, who is also the Dallas Mayor Pro Tem and sister of Texas state rep Roberto Alonzo (D).

Narvaez during the May 6 city election made it to the runoff with Alonzo, and armed with endorsements from the AFL-CIO and former Dallas city councilmember Angela Hunt, beat her in the runoff.  All the District 6 precincts reported in a few hours ago and have been counted, so that means Omar is the councilmember-elect for District 6.

It wasn't close.  Narvaez and #TeamOmar flipped the Election Day script, and garnered 1132 votes (58% of the vote) to Alonzo's 828 votes (42% of the vote).

Alonzo was one of three incumbent Dallas council members and allies of current Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to lose their council seats yesterday.  Alonzo was joined by her council colleagues Tiffinni Young in District 7, the southeast Dallas district that includes Fair Park where the Texas State Fair happens, and Erik Wilson in the south Dallas centered District 8.

Mayor Rawlings had endorsed Alonzo and Young, and stayed neutral in the District 8 race.

"I'm ready to fight the corruption and get it stopped at City Hall and to stop the wasteful use of our tax dollars on boondoggle projects,"Narvaez said in a Dallas Observer story.  "For far too long, District 6 has been underrepresented;  It's time for thoughtful and intelligent leadership at City Hall.

And it looks like on runoff election night, District 6 agrees with you.

Congratulations Councilmember-elect Narvaez!   Amazing accomplishment, and know you are looking forward to this exciting new challenge of representing your District 6 constituents at Dallas City Hall.

My Birmingham Trans Fam Weren't Shown Any Love By TSA At Love Field

I've made the sarcastic comment more than a few times that the Transportation Security Administration's TSA initials stand for 'Transsexuals Searched (Scrutinized) Always '.

I've had my own run-ins as a frequent flyer with TSA like many trans folks have, and it gets old.

The TSA claims they are working to better train their personnel about the realities that trans travelers exist and how to treat us with the same dignity and respect you treat other airline passengers while dealing with our trans specific travel challenges.

Bu far too often, the TSA fails at that minimum level expectation of treating trans travelers with respect, and I expect it to get worse during 45's administration.

I was not happy to hear in the wake of our BTAC conference that Daroneshia Duncan, the founding executive director of the Birmingham based (TAKE)  Transgender Advocates Knowledgeable and Empowering organization and our Birmingham trans fam received less than friendly treatment at TSA's Love Field security checkpoint.

The group of seven people, six trans women and one trans man, didn't have any issues with TSA in Birmingham enroute to BTAC, but the drama started on their way back home   Three of the women had temporary ID cards issued to them by the Alabama DMV, which are legal for travel purposes because they do contain a photograph

The TSA peeps at Love Field didn't seem to know that, and harassed the TAKE group, causing them to miss their flight back home.  After sorting out the ID issues, they eventually had to go to DFW and catch a flight home on Delta and told their story on their local TV station WIAT-TV.


 
Here's hoping that we get the TSA peeps at Love Field some Trans 101 training to ensure that this travel mess doesn't happen again.

And news flash to the TSA peeps at Love Field.  Trans people exist, some of us are Black, and we do travel by air.   We deserve and expect to be treated with the same dignity and respect that you extend to other cisgender air travelers transiting your airport.

BTAC 2017- Day 6 Schedule

The final day and official event of BTAC 2017 takes place with the closing interfaith service starting at 11 AM followed by our traditional brunch at Blue Mesa.

We've had a record turnout of BTAC attendees, and many of them were first timers.  We've had folks come from Alabama to Jamaica    We've learned, laughed, networked and loved on each other, and witnessed the passing of the BTIPS crowns to a new king and queen.  

But now it's time for us to say so long to Dallas and head back to our home areas to implement the things we learned here.  It time for us to wish each other safe travels to our final destinations to do the work of building family and Black trans community power until we gather in Dallas next April for #BTAC2018

It's going to be a long 365 days until we're back together again.

BTAC 2017 -Day 5 Schedule

Thanks to all the winners who were honored at our awards gala last night.

When the sun rises in the Texas sky in a few hours, we'll be bouncing from the host hotel to take part in Black Trans Family Fun Day at the nearby Circle R Ranch in Flower Mound, TX.

It's a few hours of fun barbecue and Moni dishing out domino lessors to all who dare to cross her path.   Since these peeps are visiting my home state, I'll be nice and won't make them sign the score sheet once I'm finished giving that domino lesson.

And yeah, I still chuckle about the trash talking Syria was doing when she and her partner were at an adjacent table playing spades.

Once we return from the Circle R Ranch to the hotel, it's Black Diamond Ball time and then we'll probably be hanging out late in lobby or in our rooms as this BTAC 2017 week comes to a close. .

BTAC 2017-Day 4 Schedule

Congratulations to our new BTIPS pageant royalty in Mr. Black Transman Trenton Johnson of Dallas and Ms. Black Transwoman Tiffany Starr of Atlanta who were crowned during our pageant last night..

Hey at least we kept one of the titles in Texas.

It's Friday, Day 4 of the Black Trans Advocacy Conference, and the featured event for tonight is the Awards Gala hosted by Merrick Moses and Jade Lenore that will start at 7 PM tonight.

We also have a 12 noon press conference scheduled to discuss some issues of importance to the Black trans community along with our final day of seminars.

I'm definitely going to be interested to see who will be getting the Monica Roberts Advocacy Award that I'll be presenting tonight

Yep peeps, one of the foundation awards being presented tonight is named after me..  The other awards being presented tonight in the foundation category are the Louis Mitchell Empowerment Award, The Kortney Ryan Ziegler Awareness Award, the Kylar Broadus Equality Award and the Lawrence T. Richardson Humanitarian Award.

The Black Transmen, Inc. Man of the Year Award and the Black Transwomen, Inc. Woman of the Year Award will also be given out this evening.

There are four awards in the Community Choice category.  The Rising Star, the Trailblazers, the Ally and the Youth Leadership Awards

In the Community Advocate Category, there's the Trans Alliance, the Faith Based Alliance, Black Pride Alliance and the Black Trans International Ball/Pageant Alliance Awards

Congrats to all the award nominees and good luck to you.

Learning, Networking and Having Fun At BTAC 2017

We're passing the halfway mark of the BTAC 2017 conference, and in addition to yours truly doing my part to ensure it is an informative and enjoyable conference for all our attendees, I am enjoying my extended birthday week celebration.

It is my fave conference, and increasingly we have people attending from different parts of the world. Our brother Neish is back from Jamaica, Dora is repping Brazil, and Neo is repping The Congo.

That perspective is important for those of us African descended people who grew up here in the States, and helps give us visual evidence and proof that we are part of the African Diaspora.

One of the other things that takes place during BTAC 2017 that is important is all the networking and information sharing that happens in conversations large and small.

We have two more days of panels, with today's panels being focused on health and wellness issues

The other thing that is also important when we gather at BTAC is seeing old friends, meeting new ones from around the country and the world, and just getting to know people on a personal level you may have only regular connections with previously via Facebook or other social media.

There's also meetings with people from other organizations who wish to seriously engage with our Black trans community as we are gathered here in Dallas, and me handling my business as BTAC's Media Chair.

My BTAC siblings, like myself are taking time to have some fun.  It's not all serious business.  BTAC is at a basic level, a big family reunion and one of the few Afrocentric trans themed conferences in the US.

It's a time where I get to laugh and get loved on by my trans fam that looks like me and shares my ethnic background.

When you have a bunch of Black trans women gathered at a conference, it's gonna be a fashion show.  Mama Moni is damned sure ready and able to handle her fashion business in that department with several days of clothes and three pairs of shoes in her two suitcases.

I'm also enjoying the fact that in addition the record attendance we are having this year, we have a large contingent of trans women to go along with our trans brothers.   We also have a lot of first time BTAC attendees this year, and it makes me pleased and proud to see this happening.

You can keep up with the BTAC happenings at the #BTAC2017 hashtag.   We also have people doing Facebook Live events and I'm tweeting at my TransGriot Twitter handle when I'm not taking part in an event..

BTAC 2017- Day 3 Schedule

It's Day 3 of the Black Trans Advocacy Conference, after an amazing TransManifest Live!  talent show last night and a substantive Black Trans Community Summit conversation .

And as you probably guessed, I was busy with a Black Trans Summit panel discussion and a 'Beyond SB 6' one in conjunction with Trans United Fund.

I also read two of my poems during TransManifest Live!

This year's BTAC keynote luncheon will feature our 2017 speakers Vann Millhouse and Dee Dee Watters at 12 noon CDT.

We will also have our State of the Black Trans Union  town hall conversation at 2 PM.

The featured evening event will be the Mr. and Miss Black Trans International Pageant which for the first time will feature regional winners from different parts of the country competing for the title.

The pageant will take place starting at 8 PM

BTAC 2017- Day 2 Schedule

We're continuing to gather in Dallas for the 6th annual Black Trans Advocacy Conference,  and the first day of i t was a busy one for me.   In addition to a radio interview on KERA, I also was asked to take part in the opening interfaith service. and was part of a mazing AYOMBI conversation with my trans sisters from around the country until a little after 10 PM CDT that continued into the early morning hours.

Today is the second full day of the Black Trans Advocacy Conference here at the Dallas/Addison Marriott a the Galleria.  In addition to our second day of panel discussions starting at 9:45 AM CDT, we will have starting at 2 PM our annual Black Trans Community Summit

The featured BTAC event tonight is the TransManifest Live! open mic show that starts at 8 PM hosted by Taliyah Cassadine and  TJ Johnson

And as is the case at any conference , if you see me in the halls, don't be shy, say hi.

I'm I'm not involved in the event, I'll also be tweeting and talking about it at the #BTAC2017 hashtag along with my BTAC fam.

BTAC 2017- Day 1 Schedule

My behind is hopefully in bed as you read this instead of running my mouth, but this is what's on the agenda for the first day of BTAC 2017 from our host hotel, the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria.

So looking forward to Day 1 of the 2017 edition of BTAC.  The theme for this year's conference is Loving Ourselves Through Ultimate Service (LOTUS).  That's important in a time in which we have a hostile federal government and many of us live in states that are hostile to trans people as well.

On the agenda at 1 PM CDT is the BTAC Conference Welcome and Orientation along with the first two sessions of BTAC 2017.

At 7 PM the BTAC Interfaith Welcome Interfaith Service takes place followed by at 8:30 PM the AKANNI trans masculine support group meeting, the AYOMBI trans feminine support meeting and a new event this year, the ANCHORS cisgender women's support group.

We have always had cis women in our BTAC family who are either dating or married to trans men   This year we'll have a conference programming track set up to support them.

These women have also been invaluable in terms of breaking down to their trans feminine sisters what it's like and what the societal and community expectations are for being a Black woman as a person who has had to deal with those issues from birth.

Those conversations are vital to us building sisterhood not only in the BTAC and BTA ranks, but over time in the Black community as a whole.

BTAC 2017 Bound!

Yes, I was just on a Megabus last week headed to Austin on Easter Sunday no less to do battle with the Texas Forces of Trans Intolerance desecrating our state capitol.

Now that I've done my part to help fight the attempt to pass the unjust HB 2899, this time I get to do something that is fun for me in terms of getting on a Megabus rolling north on I-45 to go to Dallas for BTAC 2017.

The Black Trans Advocacy Conference is not only my favorite conference, it's a unique one in the trans conference ranks.  For five days, it's one that unapologetically centers Black trans people and the issues that impact our community while serving as a family reunion style gathering. 

We also get to inform, educate and network with each other while building that extended family with life changing results.  Once you attend BTAC once, you'll never be the same person again.

It's even therapeutic in some ways.  I came up during the 2014 BTAC a day after enduring a 14 hour marathon HERO committee hearing in which I heard far too much dehumanizing anti-trans language from the opposition.  By the time I'd gone through the remaining days of BTAC enveloped in the love of my community, I was refreshed and ready to go back to Houston to take the HERO haters on
 
The planning committee enjoys putting it together, and they are shooting for another record attendance year for BTAC.  You can also follow the action on social media at the #BTAC2017 hashtag.

What will be weighing on our all our minds is Chay Reed, the young trans sister we just lost this weekend in Miami.  Here's hoping they catch the waste of DNA who killed her.

During this BTAC week that starts today, we'll have the blessing of getting together to make another year of memories, laugh, cry, learn from each other, hug old friends, meet new ones, thank our allies and sponsors for their support and just gather together as a extended family once again.
     

In addition to the BTIPS pageant, the TransManifest  Live open mic talent show, the awards gala, the State of the Black Trans Community Town hall and Saturday's Family Fun Day, it's going to be another informative and fun week.  

Yeah, I spent much of the last few days since I returned from Austin catching up on my sleep since I know I have a few long nights ahead of me.  That's before I factor in all the folks in the DFW area who want to see and chat with me while I'm here. .   

This is the sixth annual incarnation of it, and as a member of the BTWI board, I also get to do my part in helping the convention trains run on time.   It's also the kickoff to my extended birthday week celebration.    

This BTAC 2017 week that we've all in the BTA family impatiently waited for since the close of last year's conference will sadly be complete when we reach Sunday, April 30.

And it's still not too late for you to join us.  See y'all in a few hours.

Handling Texas Trans Community Business At The TLI

As you loyal TransGriot readers know, Mama Moni has been in Dallas getting her learn on at the Transgender Leadership Institute sponsored by Equality Texas and Freedom For All Americans

In light of what going on down I-35 south in terms of our 85th Texas Legislative session in Austin and the repressive Republican regime in Washington DC, this TLI gathering in the Dallas suburban city of Irving was taking place at a crucial time in our history as 60 of us gathered at the DoubleTree DFW North for the all day training yesterday.

Friday night was a networking event in which we got to meet and greet our fellow TLI participants from across the Lone Star State. While many of us have come from Houston, the host city of Dallas and the Austin-San Antonio area, one person has come from El Paso, and another drove six hours from Corpus Christi to be here,

I had the pleasure of finally meeting Rev. Angie Shannon and having that long in person conversation we've both been looking forward to having that was joined by Gail Barnett and a few other attendees from time to time.   It was also nice getting to meet some more of my Black trans fam from Houston,

I also enjoyed my conversations with Gail and the other Mama Bears in attendance at the TLI.
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Saturday we got down to TLI business after breakfast at 7:30 AM and the welcome at 8:30 AM by Lou, Chuck and Katie.

The initial TLI segment was an intersectionality conversation moderated by Lou Weaver and Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen.    After a break, we moved into talking about racial justice and the issue of immigration with many of us in the room keenly aware that ICE raids were taking place in much of the state.

During lunch we received a briefing from Chuck Smith on the current state of the Texas Legislative session that because it discussed some confidential things like the response strategy around SB 6, The Transgender Oppression Bill and other anti-TBLGQ bills I can't divulge because the right wing haters read TransGriot just like y'all do.

After lunch came a discussion about messaging that started at 1:30 PM and sparked some lively conversations and commentary until our next break came at 2:30 PM.

We segued into Rebecca Kling's conversation about storytelling and its importance to our movement.
In her presentation she pointed out how being able to tell your personal story and doing it consistently can not only move legislators, but move persuadable people in your everyday life that you have one on one conversations with about our trans lives.

After some activities focused on developing the skills necessary to do so and honing telling your story in two minutes or less, several people volunteered to read the two minute stories they wrote and get feedback on it, we ended the first day of training.

Photos were taken of the allies and trans parents, trans peeps in attendance and a group picture of all the TLI attendees before we retired to our rooms for a break before dinner.at 6 PM

The hour break also gave me an opportunity to recharge the electronic devices, chuck those 4 inch heels and business attire I was rocking and change into my flats for the rest of the evening.

The dinner conversations that had their genesis in the TLI training sessions continued in the bar and lobby areas and various people's rooms until the wee hours of the morning.

I ended up in a long one with Rodrigo and several other attendees, got a chance to talk to Carter, JB and Trey from my BTAC Dallas fam before they bounced from the hotel to continue the planning for the upcoming BTAC 2017 conference in April.  

I got to shift into Secretary of Education (Monica Helms' new nickname for me) mode, do some mentoring and passing down of some history to the next generation of trans peeps until I finally called it a night.    

Hey, it IS Black History Month.   Trans folks made some of that history, too and are STILL making it.

We will have the concluding group activity of the TLI starting at 9:30 AM before we adjourn and head back to our various corners of the Lone Star State better informed and better prepared to fight for our Texas Values of inclusion, intersectionality and human rights for all.

I'm In Dallas For The Transgender Leadership Institute!

After a quick drama free flight on American Eagle up to DFW, I'm  at my hotel in the DFW area suburb of Irving, Texas near DFW Airport and destroying the chocolate chip cookie I received during at check in.

If that city name sounds vaguely familiar to you, it's where that NFL franchise north of Houston used to play until they moved to their bigger playpen in Arlington and demolished Texas Stadium.

So why am I here?  Equality Texas in conjunction with the Transgender Law Center and Freedom For All Americans is conducting a Transgender Leadership Institute.

In a few hours we'll have a welcome networking reception from 5-7 PM in which I'll get to meet other Texans from across the state and then we're on our own until the TLI starts tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM.

The TLI will be an intense all day training that runs from 8-5 PM CST with a lunch break and Texas Lege briefing at 12:30 PM, then we get right back into it Sunday morning until 11:30 AM before we head back to our various corners of the Lone Star State.

It's timely in light of the fact that the Republican controlled Texas Legislature is now in session and we're fighting the Texas Transgender Oppression Act (what the rest of the world calls SB 6) and other unjust legislation or Texas GOP majority is trying oppress us with.

So yep, I'm here to learn, meet some other advocates from around the state and once the training is over for the day, chill.   I do need to find out after I destroy these DoubleTree cookies where the nearest 7 Eleven is to the hotel.

But looking forward to the Transgender Leadership Institute, and seeing everyone who is participating in it.

Texas Bullet Train Breaking Ground In 2018?

Whenever I wish to go to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, my options rights now are to either drive or ride the nonstop Megabus between the two cities via Interstate 45 which takes four hours to do, or fly.

The flight between the two cities is only a little over an hour, but that's before you factor dealing with TSA security at airports on both ends of the trip plus driving to and from the airports, be they Hobby or IAH on this end of I-45 or Love Field or DFW on the other end.

There may be a third option added soon for those of us in both cities, and it's tantalizingly close to becoming a reality in terms of high speed bullet train service between Houston and Dallas.

The Texas Central Railway trains would be based on the Tokaido Shinkansen N700 ones that have been zipping between Tokyo and Osaka for over fifty years with a pristine safety record, and would take 90 minutes to zip between the two cities at speeds of up to 205 MPH along a 10 county route.

The Texas Central Railway is a privately funded effort that aimed to get that service started by 2020, but has been delayed a bit until 2022 because they are awaiting the final environmental impact statement and ongoing negotiations with landowners along the ten county high speed train route corridor to acquire the right of way necessary for the trains to handle their high speed travel business

The surprise election of Trump also threw some uncertainty into this with all his 'America First' campaign rhetoric.

Texas Central claims they have 30% of the land needed to get the project going, and 50% of the land needed in Waller and Grimes Counties near the Houston end of the line.   They also have two preferred sites for the Dallas HSR station near downtown.   On the Houston end are trying to decide whether the HSR station will be near downtown Houston or at the METRO Northwest Transit Center.north of the Galleria.

Grimes County, which is the home of Texas A&M University, will also have a stop along the 240 mile line.

We'll.see if they meet their goal of starting construction on the line next year so it can be completed for passenger service by 2022.  But if TCR is successful in doing so, once the line is operational, I won't have to travel to Japan, France ,China or Germany to experience riding a high speed rail train.

The best part about that is I'll get to do so  in my home state.