Leaving On A Jet Plane- To Orlando

It's time for me to hop on another plane to take me to another community event.  But this time I'm leaving out of as we call it in H-town the Big Airport, or Houston Intercontinental

It's always an emotional trip for me every time I fly out of IAH.   I spent 14 years of my life there working in the airline biz and have some fond memories of it and many of the people I worked with.

Probably going to be even more emotional because I'm getting close to the April 4 anniversary day I clocked in for work as me for the first time.  It would have also been my 30th anniversary year this year.

 I transitioned in the middle of Terminal C, and I still have friends there who haven't retired yet who started at CAL-UA when I did and I run into when I transit it from the ticket counters to the gates to the shoe shine guys.

That means from the moment I arrive in Terminal C,  I'll be running into former coworkers from the time I arrive at IAH until the time I return.

And if it's a Houston based flight crew on either leg to MCO and back, that means I'll also possibly be running into flight attendants or pilots I know either on the plane or in the halls as I'm heading to my departure gate.  It's also a good thing that people still think highly of you, even though I haven't worked a flight in that building since February 2001.

While that a good thing, the bad news is that IAH is on the opposite side of town from where I currently live.

But hey, I get to see some of my IAH peeps, fly on a 737-900 for the first time and if my United flight is on time, in a few hours I get to see my homies and homettes from the LGBT media world

Countdown To LGBTMedia17!

Looking forward in one week to being on a flight to Orlando and joining my media colleagues from around the nation at the 8th annual LGBT Media Journalists Convening

The LGBT Media Journalists Convening is sponsored by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund and the Arcus Foundation of which I am a member..

This year we'll be in Orlando at the Rosen Centre Hotel.   While we'll be in the middle of all the touristy things Orlando has to offer starting next Thursday, this is a business trip that is coming at an unprecedented time in our nation's history.  

It's a gathering of TBLGQ media people at a time in when journalism and the media in the US is under attack by the reprehensible regime of 45.   We're needed now more than ever to fulfill our historic role as the check and balance on the government and ensure that our citizens are informed about what their government is doing..

It is also coming at a time that for the trans media people in attendance, our very human rights and humanity are under attack by GOP controlled state and the federal government..

The LGBT Media Journalists Convening will use an interactive approach to help attendees build their journalism skills, learn more about LGBTQ-centric topics beyond marriage equality and employment law and expand audiences through on-site media training with broadcast experts.
Next week I'll be tweeting the action along with my colleagues at the #LGBTMedia17 hashtag.  And even better for moi, there's a 7 Eleven near the hotel, so Slurpees will be destroyed on this trip.

This is definitely going to be an interesting few days in Orlando, and looking forward to seeing all my media colleagues next week.

Moni's Will Be Headed To LGBTMedia17!

Got the word last month that I've been invited to attend the LGBT Media Convening that will take place in Orlando March 23-26.

It will be the fifth one I've attended since 2013, and I'm looking forward to hanging out with my friends in the LGBT media world.

It's hosted by the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association with sponsorship from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund and the Arcus Foundation.

It's an opportunity along with my media colleagues to hone and build on our reporting skills, discuss issues of importance to the TBLGQ community so that we are better versed in covering them, and also network with each other.

In a time in which we have an incoming president that hates the media, it is even more important that we have media willing to speak truth to power and fight back.  We also need media that will fight the lies and falsehoods disseminated about our community

As I get closer to my departure date for the event, I'll be giving y'all more details about #LGBTMedia17 as I get them.

Southern Comfort Conference Shuts Down

I first encountered the Southern Comfort Conference when it was being held at a hotel in the Buckhead area in 1999, and returned a year later to not only attend it but take part in an NTAC board meeting we held while we were in the ATL for it.

The last time I attended it was in 2004, and it saddened and shocked me to hear that this year's 2016 edition of the Southern Comfort Conference that was held in Fort Lauderdale was the last one.

Here's the announcement from the SCC board.

***

Dear SCTC family,

It is with a heavy heart that we must announce that 2016 was the last The Southern Comfort Transgender Conference (SCTC) as you have known it for the past 26 years.

What most of you don’t know is that we, the Southern Comfort Board of Directors (both current and a couple of past members), have been involved in a five year lawsuit that only recently concluded. Please don’t ask. As part of the settlement, we cannot discuss it at all.

Suffice it to say that it was a five year nightmare that completely handcuffed the BOD. Some have wondered why there were no new people brought onto the board. Now you know. Anyone that would have joined the BOD would have become unnecessarily involved in the litigation.

Fortunately, we did have liability insurance and that covered the legal fees of the case. However, as a result of being in a five year lawsuit, we were dropped by our insurance company (though they were obligated to continue until the lawsuit was resolved, which they did). Subsequently, SCTC had to find a new insurance policy. Only two companies would even offer a policy to us. Our premium went from $1300.00/year with no deductible to $11,000.00/year with a $25,000.00 deductible.

We just can’t afford this and, this lawsuit proved that we (the current BOD) simply cannot afford to run the conference without insurance. Had we not had the insurance policy, we would have been personally liable.

There is talk amongst a couple of the BOD to try to reorganize SCTC into something very new. Please continue your Facebook and Yahoo group presence to stay informed; any future updates on any plans will be posted to keep you informed. Otherwise, any money that is left in our account, which is being held in escrow by our attorney, will be donated to a worthy trans organization.

We’re sorry to bring you this sad news right before the holidays, but you deserve to know what’s going on.

It has been our extreme honor to serve you all throughout the years and we wish you all the best!

With love,
Your SCC/SCTC Board of Directors:
Shanti Keshavi devi dasi (Stefanie Schumacher)
Alexis Dee
Christy Anderson
Phyllis McCall
***

It's sad when our community loses an event like this, and makes the ones still remaining like Colorado Gold Rush, Fantasia Fair,  the Philly Trans Health Conference, and the Black Trans Advocacy Conference. Those trans themed events are needed and necessary for us to build community and meet your other trans siblings you may not get a chance to meet otherwise.

Those conferences with the demise of SCC, are even more precious to us and necessary to support and I hope you'll do that in 2017 and beyond.

Election Registration Deadlines Today In TX And Several States

If after watching (or not watching) the second debate and you are sufficiently motivated enough to vote on November 8, then you better bust a move because today is the deadline day to get registered.

Texas is one of those states in which today is the deadline to get registered to vote along with georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

Just a reminder, here's the rest of the voter registration deadlines for October.

In the District of Columbia today is also the deadline to register in advance of the election, but you can do same day registration there. I'd suggest you do it now DC if possible.

Florida's deadline was originally today, and Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL) refused to extend the deadline despite the fact that county offices in much of the state were closed because of Hurricane Matthew.  
Thanks to a successful voting rights lawsuit filed by the Florida Democratic Party, the voter registration deadline was extended by US District court Judge Mark E. Walker (Obama appointee) by one day, with another hearing coming later today to determine whether to extend it beyond Wednesday.


Once again, presidential elections matter, and if you wish you exercise that right to vote on November 8 or during early voting if your part of the country offers it like Texas does (October 24-November 4), you must handle the first step of it and register to vote.

The clock's ticking.    You can check your registration status or register to vote via this link.

If you believe your voting rights are being messed with, call the ACLU Voter Protection Hotline at 877-523-2792

TransGriot Perv Watch- Jacksonville Oppressor Kenneth Adkins Busted On Two Molestation Charges

It's been a while since I wrote a TransGriot Perv Watch post, and this one is too delicious and chock full of schadenfreude to not talk about another #stillnottrans anti-trans hypocrite.

If you were keeping your eye on what happened earlier this year in Jacksonville, FL when they tried literally a month after HERO went down in right wing instigated flames and failed to pass an HRO amendment that added sexual orientation and gender identity that , you would have heard me mention the name of Kenneth Adkins.

Adkins was the Brunswick, GA based megachurch pastor who was meddling in Jacksonville human rights business as the out of town frontman for the white evangelicals and GOP activists opposing the Jacksonville HRO.  He helped stir up so much negativity about the HRO that the Jacksonville City Council caved and pulled it in February.

Adkins also declared in the wake of the Pulse nightclub mass shooting in Orlando that the 'homosexuals got what they deserved'.

Thanks to a tip from one of my longtime TransGriot readers in Brenda Lunger, I was pointed to this story on the  'Joe My God' blog that announced the arrest of Adkins this morning by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation  (GBI).

The 56 year old pastor is cooling his heels in the Glynn County Jail after turning himself at 9 AM EDT this morning.   He is accused of one count of aggravated child molestation and another count of
child molestation that allegedly occurred in 2010 in a vehicle, his church, and the victim's home.

The investigation according to a GBI press release and reporting from the Florida Times-Union is ongoing.

And we'll be watching to see how it turns out.

Moni's Thoughts About The Pulse Terror Attack

I was in the midst of one of the more empowering weeks I have had in my life between getting to attend my first White House LGBT Pride reception, a well received Philadelphia Trans Health Conference media panel on Friday, and experiencing the love of much of my community (except for five haters who know who they are)

So it was a shock but not too surprising for me when I awoke on Sunday morning to hear the distressing news about the Pulse TBLG nightclub in Orlando being attacked on Latinx Night.

Why am I not surprised it happened?  Because of the ramped up anti-trans and anti-gay animus that has been stoked by the Republican Party and fundamentalist preachers like James Dobson, I have been concerned that something like this was going to happen.   When you keep demonizing a marginalized group, just a matter of time before something like this happens in a country with far too many guns and easy access to acquire them.

We have 49 people dead with 53 more are injured as a result of the terrorist attack at Pulse and my condolences to the predominately Latinx BTLG family members we lost.  I also pray for the people who survived it, but will be haunted by memories of that  horrific night for a long time to come.

But it seems to me the media is more obsessed with the now deceased shooter Omar Saleem's radicalization and playing footsie with ISIS than pointing out the fact that the Republicans were gleefully trafficking in anti-trans and anti-gay hatred for months before Sunday's attack.

In fact, Texas Lt Governor Dan Patrick unleashed a tweet at 7 AM he later retracted about people 'reaping what they sow' mere hours after the mass shooting happened.  Once again, another day when Texas Republican leaders have embarrassed the state.

I'm also not liking the Republicans, after spending decades demonizing the TBLG community, all of a sudden trying to play like they are our community's best buds.   And the Log Cabin Sellouts Republicans need to check themselves in terms of that press release they put out, but conveniently ignoring that their party was pushing fear and hatred of transgender people for political advantage.

As the details of this mass shooting continue to come out, the nation and the world mourns with Orlando and the national BTLG community.   In addition to the one held in front of the historic Stonewall Inn in New York, the Houston LGBT community held a vigil on Sunday, and there have been others either held or planned as the week has progressed.

This was an  attack on the entire TBLG community, and we cannot allow the people killed at Pulse to die in vain.  Far from the entire community cowering in fear, we should be even more determined to openly live our lives and work to ensure that homophobia and transphobia are eradicated from our culture.

Rest In Power, Mercedes

Once again, it's my sad TransGriot duty to announce that we've lost another trans sister due to senseless violence.

We move to Haines City, FL to talk about the death of 32 year old Mercedes Successful, whose body was found on Sunday at 7 PM in the parking lot of Big Lots and Tractor Supply Company at 35884 US 27.

And as you probably guessed, Mercedes got misgendered in the initial reporting by Bay 9.  While I know the deadname, I'm not using it in this post so that I can give her the respect she deserves of being seen in death as she was during her all too brief life.

And once again, we have lost another Black trans sister before her 40th birthday.  I'm beyond sick and tired of being sick and tired of this crap happening.  The conservative movement's facts free anti-trans rhetoric and transphobic hatred has real world costs, and trans women of color are paying in blood those costs.

Haines City Police are investigating her death as a homicide, but the extent of the injuries and cause of death are unknown pending the autopsy that was performed on Monday.

If you have information that will get us closer to solving this crime and apprehending the person or persons who killed our trans sister, you are urged to call the Haines City Police at 863-421-3636 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477)

Mercedes was born in Kingston, Jamaica but resided in Haines City.  She was involved in the drag and pageant world, but according to various Facebook posts had recently started her transition two months ago and was on HRT..

This is a developing news story, and as I continue to get details about this heinous crime, I'll pass the details on to you TransGriot readers.

Rest in power and peace, Mercedes.  Your trans siblings, family and all who loved you will not rest until the person who took you from us is brought to justice.

TransGriot Update:  Results of the autopsy showed that Mercedes died from a gunshot wound.

Secretary Clinton Breaks Out the Victory Broom

The voters in five states spread out from the South to the Midwest went to the polls yesterday for Democratic presidential primary elections.  There were 793 delegates at stake with the big symbolic prizes being Florida (246 delegates at stake), Sec. Clinton's home state of Illinois (182 delegates) and Ohio with 160 delegates.   North Carolina  had 121 delegates at stake and Missouri with 84.

Within minutes of polls closing in Florida and North Carolina came the first indication it would be a YUGE night for Secretary Clinton.   The network calls of Clinton wins in Florida and North Carolina came swiftly, with the call for Ohio coming an hour later.

The Ohio win for Clinton was a disappointment for Sanders, who had predicted he would win the state after the shocking upset win in Michigan last week.

Illinois and Missouri took longer to decide, with Clinton taking her home state of Illinois and eked out a narrow win in the Show Me State late thanks to the voters in Kansas City and St Louis.

#BlackVotersMatter  

Told you Bernie supporters that losing the Black vote would cost him the nomination. Clinton's massive 84-16% support with African-American voters was critical to fueling her sweep of all five primary states.

Thanks to the sweep, Sec. Clinton has opened up a 300+ delegate lead on Sanders and effectively ended the talking point among Sanders supporters that Clinton could only win in Southern states.

Next up are caucuses in Utah and Idaho and the primary election in Arizona on March 22.  Arizona is the big prize with 85 total delegates..

While Sec. Clinton is not the 2016 presumptive Democratic nominee yet, she took another huge step toward making history as the first woman to win a major party presidential nomination.

The obese opera singer may not be singing yet in this Democratic contest, but is definitely beginning to warm up to sing the aria.

Lake County, FL Needs Help With This Trans Cold Case Death

Back in 1988, the body of a trans woman was found decomposing in the woods in the Four Corners area along County Road 474.   Julie Doe as they call her was found wearing a greenish tank top, a long acid washed jean skirt with partially pulled down pantyhose.

Julie Doe also had breast implants,long dyed blonde hair, long manicured nails, was estimated to be between 24-33  years of age and was 5 feet 11.  At the time her remains were tested, the result indicated she was a cis woman who had given birth to one or more children.  

Julie Doe's remains were recently retested as part of a Florida initiative to revist cold cases, and with the new forensic technology gave the result she was a trans feminine woman.

Items of clothing found with Julie Doe's body were send to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement lab in Tallahassee, and  Detective Tamara Dale is hoping that once the results come back in several weeks, it will lead to clues that will help them generate leads in the case.

"I'm hoping their will be foreign DNA on her clothing and if so interview that person as someone who would have had contact with Julie near the time of her death," said Detective Dale in an Orlando Sentinel interview

She also hoping that the renewed interest in the case generates leads that will identify who she is.

"I would love to identify Julie so she can have a proper burial and so her friends and family can have closure on their missing loved one," said Detective Dale.  "I don't think anyone should have o lie unidentified in a laboratory while their family wonders what happened to them."

If you have any information concerning this case, please call the Lake County, FL Sheriff's office at 352-343-2101 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477

Sellout Out Of Town Kneegrow Pastor Cancels Plan To Do Jax Drag Protest

Jacksonville, FL has become the next human rights battleground in the wake of the HERO debate and the Jacksonville City Council set to consider their inclusive ERO next year.  As you probably guessed. the faux faith based haters are already trying to deploy the debunked bathroom predator lie.

Jacksonville, my offer to help combat the lies still stands.

Monday night my mayor Annise Parker was invited by the Duval County Democratic Party to discuss what happened in H-town to kill the HERO.  

Pastor Kenneth Adkins, whose behind doesn't even live in Jacksonville, but St. Simon's Island, GA and pastors a church in Brunswick, GA, decided to ignorantly stick his nose in Jacksonville human rights business.   Or was he paid to do so?

Yo, Kenneth. How much money did the local haters pay you to be the human shield for their hate campaign against the Jacksonville ERO?   My inquiring mind wants to know the answer to that question

He threatened to show up at the protest in drag to allegedly 'send a message to the Duval County Democratic Party' , but backed out at the last minute.

Mayor Parker did comment after her speech about Pastor Adkins transphobic ignorance.

“Anyone who would do that has no concept at all of what gender identity truly is and how hateful and hurtful that is,” Mayor Parker told WFOX-TV.




But this just goes to show you once again how the anti-human rights forces since 1993 are continuing to use sellout kneegrow (they don't deserve to be called Black) pastors to be the face of their campaigns while the predominately white professional gaybaiters do the dirty work to kill human rights laws behind the scenes.

As Rev. F.N. Williams and Rev. Max Miller found out here, once the predominately white professional oppressors don't need them any more, they will kick them to the curb and take all the credit for the win.

And as for Pastor Adkins, I pray you're not related to me.   I'm sick and tired of anti-trans ignorance like that in the Black community, and it needs to stop.

Hope you don't fall for that okey-doke Jacksonville.   And I also hope you'll get a transperson in the Jacksonville area to combat the anti-trans lies they are flinging..

 

SCC 2015 In New Locale

For the first time since its founding 25 years ago, a Southern Comfort Conference will not be taking place in the Atlanta metro area or the state of Georgia.

For the next three years it will be held in Fort Lauderdale, FL.   This edition of SCC kicked off September 29 and will conclude its first year in the Sunshine State on October 5.

Wasn't planning on going since my 35th high school reunion was falling this weekend, and the last time i even attended SCC was when it was in easy driving range of Louisville back in 2004.

At any rate, for those who are planning on going or are already in south Florida, hope you  meet some new and lifelong friends, network and most importantly, have fun.

Arrest Made In India Clarke Case

There has been an arrest made in the India Clarke case.

18 year old Tampa resident Keith Gaillard turned himself in to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's office on July 28.  He has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, and one count of possession of a firearm.

Police investigators have declined to cite a motive in the case (transphobic hate) but believe that he knew the 25 year old Clarke, who was found dead on July 21 from a single gunshot wound to the head.
Detectives found a fingerprint on a cigar wrapper inside Clarke's car, and Gaillard's public Facebook profile allegedly showed him showing off a small-caliber revolver, the sheriff's office said. .

Will keep y'all updated as to whether justice is served in this case.

White Supremacists Start Crap With Armed FL Brother, Guess What Happens?

All Jehrardd Williams and Jorge Hernandez wanted to do back in January was just peacefully grab something to eat at a Fort Myers, FL Waffle House and go on their merry way when they were finished.

But three drunk white supremacists had other plans.   They walked into the Waffle House in question, decided to show their azzes and mess with Jehrardd and his friend.   Dakota Fields, uttered racial slurs at the men as they sat at the Waffle House counter attempting to finish their meal.

Then Robert Black approaches Williams and wants to shake their hands.  Really?   You are that delusional, drunk or both that you think I'd want to shake you hand after you just publicly insulted me? 

He manages to shake Hernandez's hand, but when Williams justifiably declines to do so, Black punched Williams in the face, and subsequently finds out that he is messing with the wrong Black man, one who is packing a pistol.

Then as Black is probably peeing in his pants at his worst nightmare,  Dakota Field comes charging back into the restaurant to attack Williams unaware that he has a gun and gets three caps busted in him.

He and his homeboy them rush the mortally wounded Field our of the restaurant and to a waiting vehicle that while trying to find a hospital gets into an accident..  

Field was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, and no charges were filed (surprise surprise) no charges were filed against Williams for Standing His Ground. 

Here's the surveillance video of the incident.  TRIGGER WARNING for violence.




So what did we learn today white supremacist fools?  

*You white males are the violent people that society should be on guard against. 

*Black people own guns, and know how to properly use them in self defense.

*Don't start none, won't be none

. 

Another Black Trans Woman Killed In Florida

It is my sad duty to inform you once again that another Black trans woman has been murdered, this time in Tampa, FL.

25 year old India Clarke's body was found after the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department received a phone call at 9 AM EDT this morning from an employee at the University Area Community Center located at 14013 N. 22nd Street.   The employee reported that a deceased body was lying next to the basketball courts.

Clarke was last seen alive by her parents at their home on Sunday and as usual, the local media violated the AP standards for respectfully covering trans people by misgendered her.   Eric Glasser of WTSP-TV took his disrespectful reporting a step further by not only misgendering India, but putting  her chosen name in quotation marks, and aggravatingly injecting an old arrest.into this story.

Do you media peeps do that crap to white women and white people in general who are murdered?  I doubt it.  So why do you media peeps continue to racistly disrespect the lives of Black trans people by doing that BS?

If you live in the Tampa area, please pass along any updates concerning this case, arrest of suspects or pending funeral arrangements so I can post them on the blog.

India is now the tenth trans woman murdered in 2015, and what is pissing me off is that once again, the murdered trans person in question not only shares my ethnic background, but is under 30..

Once again I ask the question of my African-American cis brothers and sisters?  When will #BlackTransLivesMatter?   When will your trans brothers and sisters see ministers and politicians decry the loss of these lives as loudly as you do for cisgender Black people?

Detectives are asking for anyone with any information to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200.

My condolences to your family and friends who loved you.  Rest in power and peace, India.

TransGriot Update: A candlelight vigil in Clarke's memory is planned for Friday, 8 PM EDT at Lykes Gaslight Square in Tampa.

Unjust Florida HB 583 Is Dead!

While I was at BTAC, the Florida legislative session ended.   What that means is that is filed bills didn't pass either chamber and make it to the governor's desk to become law, they are dead for this session.

I'm doing the happy dance because the end of Florida's legislative session means the unjust HB 583 filed by transphobic GOP legislator Frank Artiles (R-Miami) is dead for 2015!

The unjust bill that sought to  criminalize trans people's lives and its senate counterpart didn't clear either chamber before the end of the Florida legislative session on April 30.   I and the trans people planning to visit Florida in the near or distant future are thankful we don't have to worry about a nouveau Jim Crow law forcing us to show our papers to pee or risk jail time to do so.

It's probably a huge relief to the just moved to Florida Southern Comfort Conference and its board, who were strangely silent as the human rights of transpeople in the Sunshine State were under attack by an unjust anti-trans bill that could have done fatal damage to SCC.

I'm happy for my trans homies and homettes living in Florida that Artiles' attempt to legislate transphobia failed. 

And yeah, Frank Artiles, you can peddle that 'this was a public safety issue' lie all you wish on FOX Noise, but let's be real, you are a vanillacentric privileged trans oppressor who gleefully filed this bill to attack and dehumanize trans Floridians because you were pissed Miami-Dade was doing the right thing for its trans citizens and protecting them from people who wish to discriminate against them like you.

And I hope the trans community and their allies punish you at the polls for being a trans oppressor.

Great job Florida trans community being agents of your own trans liberation and doing what it took to kill that unjust bill along with your allies.
.

Unjust Florida Anti-Trans Bill Clears Subcommittee

Republican trans oppressor Rep Frank Artiles unjust HB 583 had a House Civil Justice Subcommittee hearing last Wednesday which brought people pro and con to Tallahassee to comment on it.

After more than an hour of emotional testimony from both sides of the issue, the subcommittee voted 9-4 along party lines  (Republicans FOR oppression, Democrats AGAINST it) to advance the unjust bill based on Rep Artiles transphobia and being pissed off Miami-Dade passed a human rights ordinance that allows trans people to use the facilities that correspond with their sincerely held external gender presentation

The unjust bill need to pass through two more committees before it heads to the GOP controlled Florida House floor for a vote.

Florida trans peeps, hope you're keeping political score and are paying attention to which party stood up for your human rights and which one is gleefully working to take them away.

Cindy Sullivan said during her testimony to the committee “You all just don’t get it. I’m so scared of all of you. You can put me in jail for being me. This bill is government intrusion at its worst,” Sullivan said. “I’m not a protected class. I’m a throw away piece of trash in this country of freedom and liberty.”
.
After the negative vote, trans people in the room and their supporters shouted "Trans Lives Matter!"

And I'm interested in knowing what the Southern Comfort Conference thinks about this revolting development, especially in light of the fact they just moved their convention from the ATL to Fort Lauderdale for the next three years.

Unfortunately, the unjust Artiles bill is one step closer to becoming law and legalizing anti-trans discrimination in Florida.

Florida Rally To Fight Unjust HB 583 Tomorrow

The anti-trans hate is flowing in Teapublican ranks as they gleefully pimp unjust bills aimed at oppressing trans people in Texas, Kentucky and Florida.

HB 583 is the unjust bill seeking to make Florida transpeople criminals for simply peeing in the bathroom.

On Tuesday, March 3rd, Trans Lives Matter Tallahassee and allied forces will gather on the steps of the old Florida Capitol around 2 PM EST to speak out against the new HB 583 introduced by Rep. Artilles.

The house bill introduced by Rep. Frank Artilles would criminalize Trans folk from using the bathroom and other public facilities that match their gender identity. It would charge them with a $1,000 fine, up to one year in jail, and even lawsuits for not using the bathroom that matches their birth assigned gender. It would severely endanger the very safety of Trans folk all over Florida on a day to day basis.

We call for this Transphobic HB 583 introduced by Rep. Frank Artiles to be immediately stopped. We want an end to legislation that endangers the livelihood of trans people. We call for an expansion of gender neutral bathroom across the state and want to see the legislation that protects Transgender folk from hate crimes.

This speakout will be hosted by Trans Lives Matter Tallahassee, The Dream Defenders, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), The Center for Participant Education (CPE) and The E-Word.

***

For more information, contact:

Trans Lives Matter Tallahassee

Lead Organizer, Shivaani Ehsaan

Phone : 508-615-8066

Trans Lives Matter Tallahassee

Lead Organizer , Naomi Bradley

Phone: 727-271-2557

Kristina Gomez Reinwald Miami Vigil

February 19th there was a memorial held for Kristina Gomez Reinwald AKA Kristina Grant Infiniti on an unseasonably chilly (for them) Miami night at the Torch of Friendship.

They had a nice turnout for the event, with Arianna Lint commenting on Spanish language TV and our glamorous sis Lauren Foster not only taking part in the event at the Torch of Friendship, also getting some media face time on our community's behalf on their local CBS station.

One thing that marred the ceremony was flyers passed out by the Miami-Dade PD seeking information in the case had an unflattering pic of Kristina and misgendered her. 

Miami area trans peeps are on the case and doing the education with the local po-po's to let them know where they screwed up and ensure it doesn't happen again.

As for the search for justice for Kristina, her killer is unfortunately as of this writing still at large

Anyone with relevant information regarding Kristina Gomez Reinwald’s death is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

And as always, will be keeping you posted with any developments in this case and the other trans murders as I receive them.

Another Week, Another Trans Homicide - RIP Kristina Gomez Reinwald

I've been aware of this since I was tipped Tuesday, but needed more confirmation before I was comfortable enough to write about it.

46  year old Kristina Gomez Reinwald, AKA Kristina Grant Infiniti was found on Sunday unresponsive at her home in the 2000 block of Southwest 58th Court.



The death was originally ruled by authorities as a suicide, and the unconfirmed report I'd received was that she was stabbed  The police according to a NBC6 report are now calling the case a homicide.  Kristina now unfortunately becomes the latest transwoman whose life was taken by a murderer who needs to be expeditiously brought to justice.  

Our South Florida trans family and allies peeps have put together a vigil that will start at 8 PM EST tomorrow at the Torch Of Friendship in downtown Miami.

If you have any information concerning this homicide or will bring the perpetrator to justice, please contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS

As I get more information about what happened to our sister, will keep you posted.