Showing posts with label Denver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Denver. Show all posts

Friday, April 17, 2015

Marjorie Silva & Azucar Bakey Under Attack From Sore Loser Wingnuts Again

AzucarBakery
Marjorie Silva in Denver was just victorious in a recent loud and wrong racist human rights complaint in Colorado filed against her and her Azucar Bakery by right winger Bill Jack over a hate cake he wanted her to bake. 

Unfortunately she's going to have to defend herself again from another copycat filing by a second white male right wing troll who wouldn't know discrimination if it slapped him in the face multiple times, but does know how to oppress people.

Azucar-MarjorieRobert Mannarino filed his 'discrimination' complaint March 6 with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission claiming he is the 'victim' of 'religious discrimination'.

Ordering a wedding cake with hate speech on it is NOT discrimination.  Too bad your dumb azz wasn't paying attention when Jack lost his case.

He's also attacking her five star reviews by leaving nasty messages on the wedding sites TheKnot.com. WeddingWire.com, and MyWedding.com that people use to find bakers for their special day.

I'd be laughing my azz off if it weren't so serious for Ms. Silva, or the fact that these racist trolls keep trying to attack this Latina bakery and ruin her business to prove a failed point. 

Business is booming since they attacked her, and let's ensure it stays that way.   After Ms. Silva wins again, hope she civilly sues Mannarino and Jack for damages.

I hope that peeps on our liberal-progressive side will continue to support Ms. Silva because she stood up for us as an ally, and we need to make sure we continue to stand and deliver for her as the wingers continue to demonstrate and do what they do best:

Oppress people that don't look like them.

Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Colorado Civil Rights Division Rules In Favor Of Marjorie Silva!

Remember Marjorie Silva, the Latina baker in Denver who the right wingers tried to troll with a civil rights complaint for refusing to write anti-gay slogans on two Bible shaped cake she agreed to bake for conservafool activist William Jack?

Before Creating Change 2015, I asked that we support Ms. Silva by buying any baked goods we needed for CC15 from her bakery in a show of solidarity with her, and people did exactly that.

Well, the verdict is in concerning the religious discrimination  complaint Jack filed with the Colorado Civil Rights Division.



They ruled that Ms. Silva did not discriminate against Jack when she refused to prep two Bible shaped cakes with anti-gay imagery and write derogatory phrases like 'God Hates Gays' in icing on the cakes.

The Colorado Civil Rights Division noted in its decision that Silva is Catholic, and her refusal to complete the customer's requests was based on "derogatory language and imagery" rather than their religious nature.

Boom.

So happy to hear that Ms. Silva won and the trolling Christohater lost    Of course Jack is going to appeal the ruling, and it will probably result in the same finding.

Hope you Denver LGBT peeps will continue to support her Azucar Bakery when it comes times to buy your wedding cakes, but cakes of all kinds and for all occasions.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Eden Lane Honored As 'Best Non-Network TV Personality'

And now, time for some much needed good news .
My Denver based sis Eden Lane recently received a wonderful surprise from Westworld, the local alternative weekly newspaper

Every year the editors of Westworld along with their readers select 'Best Of' winners in various categories.  And guess who won 'Best Non-Network TV Personality''?

Here is what they had to say about our hard working media sis.:

Since 2009, Eden Lane has been hoofing her heels all over Denver to cover the burgeoning performing-arts and media beats, using a scant crew to grab an interview with new talents and introduce them to the world via her weekly, self-produced In Focus show on Colorado Public Television (Channel 12 to those in Denver). Always professional, effervescent, creative and dressed to kill, Lane's recent openness on living life as a trans woman just might bring her to national eyes as a role model for how journalism should be done.

Take note of that underlined last sentence.

Hey, I've seen In Touch, and you can also watch the show on YouTube.  I'm still wondering why some network or local station hasn't hired her yet..   But nice to see quality work and a quality person recognized!

Congrats Eden!   Hope this is just one of many awards you'll get and it results in more positive attention for you!

Monday, February 09, 2015

CC15-Passing The Torch To Chicago

The last day of a Creating Change is always a bittersweet one for all involved.   The host committee is sad after spending nine months putting the event together. that it's come and about to be entered into the history books,.

After the last sessions concluded at 11:00 AM, the final plenary session of #CC15 started thirty minutes later.    Congrats to CeCe McDonald for winning the Paul A Anderson Youth Award!

Watch live streaming video from thetaskforce at livestream.com


Once the plenary ended, Creating Change Denver was officially over and the torch was passed to Chicago.

And yeah, Chicago, you get the same challenge I issued to Denver.   Ensure that there is trans representation on your local host committee and y'all rep the 'T'.

Saturday, February 07, 2015

CC15 Day 4 Recap

Since I'm done with my workshops and seminars, I decided to take this Saturday to catch up with some people who live here in the Denver area that I know.

One is an old friend of mine from Houston who moved here in 2001 and I haven't see her for years, but we made it happen over lunch at the Denver Hard Rock Cafe just up the 16th Street Mall from the hotel.

While I was marching up the street to the Hard Rock Cafe and my reunion, a protest was being held that started at 12:15 PM MST back at the hotel aimed at the Denver po-po's.  

It was still going on by the time I returned to the hotel and commenced to running my mouth with my sis Samantha Dato.   We talked about PTHC and whether I was coming for it (maybe)

My activist mentor Dainna Cicotello called me while I was talking to Samantha, and we set up a meeting for dinner at 6 PM.

I killed some time for that meeting by attending a seminar entitled The Psychology of Debunking LGBT Myths that Brynn Tannehill was an informative part of before I had to jet to meet Dainna in the lobby as we headed to a nearby restaurant.   I also got the bonus of seeing her daughter Laurie, who was celebrating her birthday

After a great meal, some peanut butter cheesecake and two hours of catching up since I hadn't seen either Cicotello in the flesh since the 2000 IFGE Conference, I was back at the Sheraton hanging out in the lobby just chilling and trying to decide what to do next.

Stacey Langley (happy birthday Stacey), Latisha, and Lynette arrived and after a few minutes, we decided the check out the 50+ Dance.    There was also a Masqueerade Ball happening., but after handing out at the dance for 30 minutes, headed back to my room after talking to Omar Narvaez about Texas politics in the bar to write up the days events and pack.

Needed some beauty sleep for my last day in Denver for awhile.

CC15-Day 4

It's Day 4 of Creating Change 2015  and the last full day of activities before it closes tomorrow and the organizing torch gets passed to Chicago.

I'm done with my seminars unless I get drafted into being a panelist on another one.  I'm basically a spectator for the rest of my time here in Denver. and will probably use much of today to catch up with people I know here.

For those of you who want to find out the latest 411 on the HERO, there's a panel discussion for that topic called How Houston Got A HERO at 9:30 AM.

There's also a 3:00 PM one by Rev Kenneth Samuel entitled Battling Bigotry In The Black Church.

The vendor and organizational table area is still up, so check with those folks and see what they have to offer in terms of goods and services.   Various organizations also have information tables set up there, so this is also the time to ask them questions about the programming .

This is also the last day the suites will be open, so check those out as well.

There's also a police violence protest jumping off at 12:15 PM aimed at the Denver police for the killing of Jessica Hernandez

Friday, February 06, 2015

CC15-Day 3 Recap

Today marked the first full day of workshops and seminars, but I needed a little sleep and time to do some writing before I kept my promise to Imam Daayiee Abdullah to attend the Friday prayer service at 12:30.

I was pleased to see the attendance has grown, and Imam Abdullah announced some exciting news for the LGBT Muslim before the service started about an exciting initiative.

While that service was happening, Rea Carey's State of the Movement Address  was simultaneously taking place.



After talking to Imam Abdullah for a few moments after the service ended, I headed down to the vendor area to kill some time before my panel.  Ran into Andy Marra, Samantha Dato, Dani Heffernan , Kimberley McLeod and Kylar Broadus before we headed to Governors Square 14 for the 3:00 PM panel.

The Trans Women of Color: The Sisterhood featured Tela La'Raine Love, La La Zannell, Bamby Salcedo, Arianna Lint and some based Texas blogger y'all know breaking down the issues that impact us as trans women of color.

Kim Coco IwamotoAfterwards I got to finally meet a shero of mine in Kim Coco Iwamoto, talk to Trudie Jackson, Bishop Tonyia Rawls, Diego Sanchez, Johanna Saavedra, Elizabeth Clair an my fave power couple in Aisha and Danielle Moodie-Mills.

Also ran into my NFL prognostication partner Michael Watts, and that started an almost two hour conversation in which we discussed everything from what was transpiring in our lives, football and politics to the movie Blazing Saddles.  Ran into Myles Brady, who thanked me for the engagement post I wrote about him and his now fiancee.

And the thing I'm really enjoying is running into all the people here at #CC15 who let me know how much they love the blog.  A writer always loves to hear that what they put out there is the universe for you to peruse and ponder is not only read, it's appreciated.

And the feeling is mutual TransGriot readers.

One last Slurpee run, and then I've got to shut it down for the night.

CC15-Day 3

Embedded image permalinkIt's Day 3 of Creating Change Denver style, and after last night's excitement at the opening plenary, going to be fun to see what happens next.

Today is the first full day of panel discussions and workshops.  I have the Trans Women of Color: The Sisterhood one at 3 PM.   It will be moderated by Cecilia Chung, and will be in Governor's Square 14 for those of you #CC15 attendees who wish to see Moni and her sisters talking about some of the issues that impact trans women of color.

But before I handle that business, I'm headed to the Muslim service at 12:30 PM led by Imam Daayiee Abdullah.  I met Imam Abdullah during the 2012 OUT on the Hill and had some interesting conversations with him about the growing movement in the liberal progressive Islamic ranks to create LGBT affirming mosques.   When I attended the service in Houston, it was beautiful to watch a young woman do the call to prayer and see men and women sitting together as Imam Abdullah  gave his sermon.

Those of us who aren't Muslim as noted by the comments in the previous paragraph are welcome.

And if you need some quiet rooms to relax and unwind from the convention hustle and bustle, grab a snack, or just chill out with some peeps you met at a workshop that you wish to get to know better, check out the #CC15 suites.

The (Hospitality) Suite Life at CC15:
Youth                                                                Plaza 793
Senior                                                               Plaza 712
Disability                                                         Tower 2209
People Of Color                                               Tower 2236
Trans* Intersex Non-binary                             Tower 2212
Bisexual/Omnisexual/Pansexual/Polysexual   Tower 2215


And yes TransGriot readers, the offer for free hugs when you stop me in the Sheraton Denver halls still stands but time is running out on it.  It expires when I leave for Denver International Airport on Sunday.

Thursday, February 05, 2015

CC15-Day 2

I'm getting my beauty sleep right now because Day 2 of Creating Change features the Day Long Institutes covering a wide variety of topics from Bisexual Organizing to Digital Strategy Training.

And yes, the one I'm participating in, the National Black Justice Coalition's second annual The Black Institute.

I have two panels in that NBJC sponsored event in Governor's Square.  The opening one at 9:30 AM entitled From The Grassroots To The National Stage: Movement Building With intersectional Justice For Black LGBTQ/SGL People.

My fellow panelists for this moderated by Angela Peoples discussion will be Mandy Carter, Earl Fowlkes, Dr. Kenneth Samuel, Chai Jindasurat,  and Geneva Musgrave.

You can follow the Black Institute discussion on Twitter  with the hashtag #BI15

Speaking of hashtags, the Creating Change one is #CC15

The Welcome To Denver Opening Plenary session entitled Ferguson on Our Minds will also happen tonight at 8 PM and features Rinku Sen, Rashad Robinson and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.


Wednesday, February 04, 2015

CC15-Day 1 Recap

The first day of the 27th Annual Creating Change jumped off in Denver with us waking up to snowfall for a few hours before the snow laden clouds moved on and the temp warmed up to melt it.

But then again I had other business on my plate this morning.  While other people were getting registered and perusing their programs to ascertain what discussions they would be taking part in during the Racial Justice Institute, I had to straighten out the residual issues left over from my arrival yesterday evening in which my hotel room disappeared in cyberspace for an hour.

But stuff eventually got sorted out by the friendly hotel staff and the Creating Change team., I have Internet access in my room and I'm a happy Denver #CC15 camper.

I was taking part in  a day long Trans Persons Of Color Coalition board meeting in which we spent several hours handling our TPOCC organizational business that confidentiality won't let me talk about here.

On my way to our meeting room started seeing more of the peeps I know in LGBT World like my Louisville fam Carla Wallace and Kathleen Campisano,.   Finally met Trudie Jackson and saw the lovely Leslie Herod, who is one of the four co chairs for Creating Change Denver style.

And yeah, got another reminder just how popular TransGriot is as I was greeted with hugs from many of my readers.   One offered a suggestion as to who I should select for this week's Shut Up Fool Award I'll pass out Friday.

People are continuing to wing their way from across the country here and hit 16th Street Mall which is literally on the hotel's doorstep.

And yes, I discovered to my gleeful happiness there's a 7 Eleven right across the street, so Slurpees are being destroyed by moi.

So now it's time for me to check out the lobby and see who else has arrived here before I shut it down for the evening.  I have two panel discussions tomorrow.

CC15-Day 1

Moni is in the Rocky Mountain CC15 house,

Even though I've picked up my badge and conference booklet so I can plan out what exciting panels and seminars I would like to see while I'm here in the 303, I'm going to be spending the first day of CC15 in an all day facilitated TPOCC meeting in which I'm sworn to confidentiality on.

But I'm definitely looking forward to seeing my TPOCC family and 'errbody' else who is here for Creating Change when I'm not handling my CC15 business.. 

Don't be shy, say hello.   I don't bite.  You'll get a hug if you dare to do so.

While peeps are still winging their way from across the nation , the Racial Justice Institute is kicking off with the Opening Plenary starting at 9:00 AM MST, and then breakout sessions delving into various topics

One I'm hoping  my meeting is done with so I can attend is 'Race and The Trans Experience' starting at 2:00 PM.

Should be an interesting and informative day for everyone here.

Tuesday, February 03, 2015

In Denver For CC15

Had a bumpy flight after takeoff from Houston and during initial descent into the Mile High City, but made it in one piece and I've finally arrived in Denver for Creating Change 2015! 

I'm chilling in my hotel room  and contemplating the fact it's the first time I've ever been able to attend back-to-back Creating Change events.

I'm looking forward to finding out who I will run into while walking the CC15 halls and seeing my TBLG family once again.

But in this one I'll probably won't be as busy because I get to simply participate in it instead of being part of the team making sure everything is running smoothly as was the case in Houston.

All the CC15 action will be taking place at the Sheraton Denver Downtown, and for the next several days the Mile High City will be the center of the United States LGBT human rights universe.

And that is an exciting thought to contemplate.

I have a facilitated meeting tomorrow, and I'm participating in two panels as part of the National Black Justice Coalition's second annual The Black Institute on February 5.   I will probably be out and about in the hotel talking to as many people as possible while I'm here for CC15.

Looking forward to meeting CeCe McDonald, who will be receiving the Paul A. Anderson Youth Award during this CC15 convening and seeing my Denver area friends..

So as usual when I'm at these conferences, I'll take some time to go back to my quiet room since I'm at the conference hotel and do a recap of the day's events for all of you who couldn't get to CC15.

Just an FYI, if you are wondering where next year's Creating Change will be if you're considering attending it, CC16 will be in Chicago..  

And the Chicago CC16 organizing team is probably praying they catch the same weather break that Denver seems to have gotten this year.

Leaving On A Jet Plane-To Denver

Chilling at Hobby Airport for the first time this year waiting for my plane that will take me to Denver and Creating Change 2015.

And looking like the wishes of the local CC15 organizing committee are going to come true because the weather in Denver for the event is going to be great for it.

It's a business trip, because I will spend much of tomorrow in a facilitated TPOCC meeting, then I will be participating in two panels during the second annual NBJC The Black Institute.

After that?   Well, unlike last year, I'm not part of the Creating Change Host Committee busting my behind to help ensure my part of it runs smoothly while juggling four panel discussion around that.

I get to see my friends in the movement,  see some seminars, and see if the Denver folks back up all that smack they let their loose lips utter during CC14.

Hopefully I'll get to see some of my friends in the Denver area, my Denver trans family and hit a  TBLG friendly local baker under attack by the faith based haters for some cupcakes before I head home.

Monday, January 26, 2015

CC15 Delegates, Let's Support Marjorie Silva While We're In Denver

When we start gathering in Denver next week for Creating Change 2015, I hope that one of the places we delegates visit and patronize is the Azucar Bakery owned by Marjorie Silva.

Remember the ridiculous 'swastika cakes' line that Houston suburban hate preacher Steve Riggle uttered during our HERO fight last year?  

It stems from a Colorado case in which a right wing leaning baker named Jack Phillips ran afoul of Colorado's anti-discrimination law for refusing to bake a weeding cake for a gay couple.  Because white privilege addled right wingers wouldn't know discrimination if it slapped them in the face like it does non-whites, TBLG people and women on an almost daily basis, they have a loud and wrong conservainterpretation of it that is not based in reality.

They seem to think their religious beliefs trump human rights law.   Um, no they don't.

And by the way Steve, Houston bakers still aren't being forced to bake swastika cakes.  But Houstonians are still having to deal with discrimination inside our city limits because HERO hasn't been implemented because of your friends baseless anti-human rights lawsuit.

Okay, back to Ms Silva's story.

In their zeal to prove a false equivalency,  right wing activist Bill Jack rolled over from Castle Rock, CO and trolled 40 year old Marjorie Silva's Denver bakery and asked her to make a Bible shaped cake, which she agreed to do. 

But when they were about to complete the order, according to Silva, Jack then handed her a piece of paper with hateful words about gays that he wanted written on the cake. He also wanted the cake to have two men holding hands and an X on top of them.

"It's just horrible. It doesn't matter if, you know, if you're Catholic, or Jewish, or Christian, if I'm gay or not gay or whatever," said Silva to KUSA-TV, adding in the interview that she has made cakes regularly for all religious occasions. "We should all be loving each other. I mean there's no reason to discriminate."

Silva said she would bake the cake, but would give him a pastry bag and icing to write the hateful anti-gay words on the cake himself.   

Jack didn't want that, claimed he'd been 'discriminated' against and subsequently filed a complaint against Azucar Bakery with the Colorado Civil Rights Division.

"There's no law that says that a cake-maker has to write obscenities in the cake just because the customer wants it," said Mark Silverstein, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Colorado.

And that's the key difference in the Silva and Phillips cases.   She didn't refuse to bake the cake, she refused to write the offensive message on it.   She offered a solution for the customer to do it himself that he rejected.  That's a First Amendment free speech issue, not a public accommodations one

And I'm also not liking the racist fact the right wing christobigot chose a Latina owned bakery in Denver to attack.

Since Creating Change 2015 will be kicking off in Denver next week, why don't we show Ms.  Silva some love and support and buy any baked goods needed at the conference from her Azucar Bakery while we're in the Mile High City? 

There is also a gofundme campaign that has been started to help defray her legal expenses from this right wing trolling of her.

And for you TBLG peeps and allies in the Denver metro area, may I suggest pre and post CC15 you put Ms. Silva's bakery on your support list when you need to purchase a cake or baked goods for your future rainbow community events.

This is also a golden opportunity to show the nation and the world that we TBLG folks stand by and with our community allies when they are unjustly attacked while sticking it to the right wing christobigots at the same time.

And I can't think of a more delicious way to fight anti-LGBT hatred.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

CeCe McDonald To Receive The Paul A. Anderson Youth Award At CC15!

The 2015 edition of Creating Change is rapidly approaching, and one of the things the Task Force does during this event is present awards to honor the people involved in our human rights movement.

So happy to discover that the person who will receive the Paul A Anderson Youth Award is none other than CeCe McDonald.  

Since being released last January after 17 months of unjust incarceration for defending herself against a July 2010 racist and tranphobic assault aimed at her and some friends in Minneapolis, CeCe quickly became a leading and outspoken fighter in the movements for LGBTQ liberation, prison abolition, and racial justice.

She is currently working on a forthcoming documentary with actress Laverne Cox on her case entitled Free CeCe. Since being released, CeCe has spoken across the nation: she served as the Grand Marshall of Seattle Pride, received the Bayard Rustin Civil Rights award, was featured in an article published by Rolling Stone Magazine, and has appeared on Democracy Now!, MSNBC, and in various other media outlets.

And I'll finally get the chance to meet her!  Looking forward to giving her a big hug when that happens and hearing her acceptance speech.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Denver Trans Community, You Handling Your #CC15 Trans Business?

So as we pass the torch to you Denver trans community, we in the Houston trans community issue you a challenge.  We want you to meet or exceed our Houston trans community level of involvement as you put together next year's conference .   
We'd like to ask you to make sure that when the Denver Host Committee is formed to organize #CC15, it has significant and diverse trans representation on it like ours did.
--TransGriot, February 3, 2014, 'Denver Transpeeps, Make Sure Your #CC15 Host Committee Reps The 'T"
That was the challenge I issued to Denver as a #CC14 Houston Host committee member as we passed the torch to them as the host city for the next Creating Change Conferenec to be held in the Mile High City February 4-8. 

And while the peeps in Denver will have a tough act to follow in H-town, one of the things I hope they match or exceed us in is trans representation throughout their conference. 

At this point in the Creating Change organizing process, they have already had at least two organizing committee meetings and have selected the faces of their conference in their four Host Committee co-chairs (Leslie Herod, Krista Whipple, Rachel Chapparo and Sydney Andrews).  They have had their meetings determining who will chair and co-chair the fifteen various subcommittees. 

And yeah, TransGriot readers, I was surprised to find out I know one of the four Denver Host Committee co-chairs.  I wasn't kidding about how many people I know nationwide in this community.. 

cc15preheaderbordered640x100
But the Denver peeps are quite aware they are on the organizing clock for their upcoming conference.  If their process was anything like ours, the various committees and the leadership in them are just sorting things out because it is Pride Month and the primary LGBT community organizing at this time is centered around that event..

But once Pride is over, it will be time to get down to #CC15 business, and I know Courtney Gray, Host Committee Co Chair Krista Whipple and the Denver trans community took my challenge seriously.  

Challenge accepted! https://www.facebook.com/groups/446151722178870/.

Meanwhile we're just observing, fondly remembering what last summer was like for us and  waiting in Houston for another opportunity to host Creating Change and prove to LGBT World that we can exceed the high #CC14 bar we set earlier this year

Oh yeah, those of us on the Houston Host Committee haven't forgotten the alleged boasting by some of you Denver peeps while y'all were at the Hilton Americas during  #CC14 that you would break all the Creating Change records we just set.  

Sounds like someone was smoking Colorado's finest when they said that, so yeah, bring it..  Let's see if y'all topple our attendance record along with the other ones we smashed..   

When me and my Houston peeps roll up to the Mile High City in February, we would love to see transpeople involved in every facet of the Denver #CC15 Host Committee.  

And Denver trans peeps, not too late for y'all to find a #CC15 sub-committee that interests you and get busy to help plan it.  The benefit of this experiece is that you'll not only be doing your part to plan #CC15, you also foster some better networking relationships with a cross section of the Denver area TBLG community, and meet folks outside you normal influence circles you probably wouldn't have met.

There's also another perk with being on the Creating Change Host Committee I'll let your organizing committee tell y''all about.  And you may make some friends in the process.

So Denver Trans Community, are you handling you #CC15 trans business?    Just checking.

Monday, February 03, 2014

Denver Transpeeps, Make Sure Your #CC15 Host Committee Reps The 'T'

Now that Creating Change Houston style is over, we get to rest, bask in the afterglow of a job well done and wait to pounce on another opportunity to bid for it again.

In the meantime our thoughts and gaze is turning towards Colorado and the city we passed the Creating Change torch to in Denver

I'm sure you are quite aware of by now that Houston set the bar high in terms of how to organize and run this event.

One of the things that we were wildly successful at was getting the Houston trans community and our allies involved.

The only constant is change: Creating Change 2014 host committee co-chairs are (l–r) Tamira “Augie” Augustine, Christina Canales Gorzynski, Bryan Hlavinka, and Lou Weaver. Photo by Dalton DeHart.
Lou Weaver was selected as one of the four Houston Host Committee co-chairs.  We had transpeople as chairs and co-chairs of various subcommittees and a small army of them either as members of the host committee or who volunteered their time to make the event run smoothly.   

We had transpeople presenting seminars or having major roles in panels.  And it didn't hurt that one of the people on the Houston host committee was a GLAAD Media Award nominated blogger documenting much of it..   

Our local trans community benefited immensely from having to focus along with our SGL brothers and sisters in bringing sustained collective work toward organizing a major convention. It has laid the groundwork for the work and cohesion that will be necessary when we gear up to get a comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance with gender identity and sexual orientation language passed.

It has also had the ripple effect of not only getting us better connected with each other. but with our Houston GLB family we worked side by side with on the host committee.

So as we pass the torch to you Denver trans community, we in the Houston trans community issue you a challenge.  We want you to meet or exceed our Houston trans community level of involvement as you put together next year's conference .   
We'd like to ask you to make sure that when the Denver Host Committee is formed to organize #CC15, it has significant and diverse trans representation on it like ours did.
I know that Denver's trans community has groundbreaking leaders there that the rest of the country needs to know about.  You have television personality Eden Lane in your backyard who would probably make an excellent keynote speaker or panelist.  Pam Bennett has run for office in suburban Aurora twice.    My activist mentor Dainna Cicotello lives in the area, and you have unsung trans heroes and sheroes who would benefit from having the #CC15 spotlight shined on them.

And when we roll up to Denver on February 3-8 we'd love to meet them.

So Denver transpeeps, you're now on the Creating Change clock.  Please make sure that when the Denver Host Committee starts forming in a few months, that you are there in full effect repping the 'T' and your community is reflected in the programming, suites and seminars.

But you have to be part of the organizing process to make that happen.

Sunday, February 02, 2014

Creating Change 2014- Passing The Torch To Denver

My last day at Creating Change 2014 started with a 9:30 AM panel discussion with Stacey Langley, Liz Elsen and Sable Schultz entitled Building A Bridge Over The Rainbow: LGBTQ Women Creating Community.  

We discussed many of the issues keeping us from building sisterhood amongst the letter in our community and attempted in the hour and 30 minutes we had for the discussion to come up with the beginnings of a solution to that problem.   After that panel was done, so was the seminar portion of the entire conference

We then headed to the ballroom for a brunch, a speech from Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia, a closing keynote speech, watch Houston's own Kristopher Sharp receive the Paul A. Anderson Youth Leadership Award on his last day in town before jetting off to DC to do his internship and see the fabulous Nona Hendryx close it out for us.

After Nona stepped off the stage John Denver's Rocky Mountain High started blaring over the speakers to signal that Creating Change 2014 was really over and our committee is now passing the torch to Denver.

I also got a chance on behalf of her trans fans like me after the closing concert was over to thank Nona Hendryx for her decision to not play MichFest last year.

The Houston Host Committee accomplished its mission.  Our goal was simple.  We wanted to put on the best Creative Change ever and do it with Houston flava..  We smashed records, proudly showed off our city, and were told that this just concluded Creating Change is the largest conference ever in the history of the Hilton Americas Hotel

To those of you who attended our record setting conference, visited the hospitality suites, interacted with us and our volunteers, and built community over the last few days, thank you and safe travels back home.  I had just as much fun being there as you did and hope you get many opportunities to put your newly learned skills to good use 

Okay Denver, you're now on the clock for #CC15.