Moni's Going To The 2012 GLAAD POC Media Institute

Well, looks like I'll be piling up more frequent flyer miles in late August

Was deliriously happy to discover that I've been accepted to participate in the 2nd annual GLAAD National People of Color Media Institute that will be taking place in New York August 24-27.

I'd heard about last year's inaugural POC media institute too late to apply for it, and when the opportunity presented itself this year, I made sure I got the application done and sent it in before the June 1 deadline.

And why did I consider this a priority to do so?  Because you long time TransGriot readers know lack of media visibility for non-white TBLG people is a issue that I have griped about for years on these electronic pages.   To borrow the words of Eldridge Cleaver, "If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem."  This was an opportunity to do something about it.

“While there have been major strides to increase visibility around the stories and issues LGBT people face, far too often the voices, views and faces of LGBT and allied people of color are underrepresented, if represented at all,” said Herndon Graddick, President of GLAAD. “Our community needs to work together to change this. We are extremely proud to host this program which will help our community elevate more voices and celebrate the rich diversity of the community and our allies."

This program is created specifically for people of color who are LGBT or LGBT allies.  .In its first year, GLAAD worked with 30 LGBT and ally advocates through the National People of Color Media Institute. As a result, their stories and views reached millions through national media outlets including National Public Radio (NPR), Black Enterprise, Ebony, as well as community and ethnic media outlets such as El Diario, The Afro and New York Amsterdam News. 

The Institute is basically a two-day, training program in New York (August 24-26) and Los Angeles (September 7-9), where GLAAD staff, leading journalists and talking heads and key media trainers will develop Institute participants with best practices for on-camera and radio interviews.

It's also limited to 20-25 people, so as one of the people accepted for the New York one I'll get to meet my fellow 2012 POC Media Institute attendees and be part of it.  I'm also looking forward to being inside the New York city limits for the first time since 2000 even though this is primarily going to be a business trip. 

See y'all in a few weeks, Big Apple.

GLAAD Ain't Happy About Letterman's Amanda Simpson Skit...And Neither Am I

Damn, can a transwoman, or transpeople in general get through the first full week of the New Year and new decade without being disrespected?

Sadly, the answer is no.

We have a moment in which the entire trans community is bursting with pride at one of our own getting an historic federal appointment by the president, only to have tabloid newspapers and comedians turn it into a fracking joke.

GLAAD has already highlighted some problematic coverage of the news by the reliably transphobic New York Post, and now David Letterman piles on with this skit from last night's show.



The 'cis man gets physically ill at presence of transwoman' is unfortunately a lame and depressingly far too common meme in the entertainment world.

It has manifested itself in films such as Bachelor Party, The Crying Game and Ace Ventura Pet Detective.



Guess I should be counting my blessings that Late Night bandleader Paul Shaffer didn't fire up the band and play 'The Crying Game' song to go with it.

And before y'all start typing the 'damn it's just a joke, lighten up' BS in the comments, I have a sense of humor as people who know me will tell you. I know the difference between a good joke and one that goes a bit too far and is hurtful to the persons and the community that was the punchline of said joke.

The Letterman Amanda Simpson skit crossed that line last night. It mined a tired meme for the sake of a laugh.

And the 'cis man gets ill at sight of transwoman' sight gag needs to die

What Does Transgender Day Of Remembrance Mean To You?

TransGriot Note: It figures that less than 12 hours after I wrote the TransGriot post talking about the glaadBLOG series of guest posts for the TDOR, mine pops up today.

So as I promised, here it is with a link back to the glaadBLOG as well. Thanks to GLAAD Fellow Amanda Morgan for honoring me with the opportunity to write it.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance exists so that we don’t get so consumed living our own lives, dealing with our own drama and fighting our own battles to live our lives that our fallen brothers and sisters fade from our consciousness. It’s a vehicle to help us remind the world that the people we mourn on this day were somebody’s son, daughter, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, cousin, or friend.

But what does the Transgender Day of Remembrance mean to me personally?

A Transgender Day of Remembrance is the time that this proud, African descended transwoman pauses from dealing with the hustle, bustle and drama of living my life to do as Dr. King so eloquently put it, some ‘hard, solid thinking’ about the transpeople whose lives were cut short due to anti-transgender violence.

I ponder the painful reality that a large segment of the people memorialized on the list are trans people of color. I lament the loss of the potential positive contributions to our societies these fallen transpeople have, would, could and should have been able to make to our various communities.

I remind myself as we add new names to this tragically expanding list to not forget Stephanie Thomas, Ukea Davis, Chanelle Pickett, Ebony Whitaker, Nakhia Williams and Kellie Telesford and scores of others. I keep in mind as I silently pray for them that the people who brutally murdered them either still haven’t been brought to justice or received the equivalent of a legal slap on the wrist for doing so.

It’s also the time I remind myself, there but for the grace of God go I.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a time I get to engage in coalition building activities and education efforts with our allies organized around this event. It’s when I get to see the trans people in my local community I may not interface with on a regular basis, but who will show up for a TDOR before going back to living their lives in the shadows.

It’s the time I refocus my energy to the task of continuing to remind people that trans people are part of the diverse mosaic of human life, and pray that the day soon arrives in which a trans person’s life matters as much as a cisgender* person’s life does.

Lil Mama Apologizes For Negative Comments To Leiomy

I'll admit because I have such disdain and contempt for reality TV shows, I missed Sunday's America's Best Dance Crew show on MTV in which judge Lil' Mama made disparaging comments to Leiomy Maldonado.

If you haven't heard it by now, the leader of the New York based Vogue Evolution team is a trans woman. These vets of the NY ballroom scene have been ripping it up for several weeks now in their quest to not only represent the GLBT community, but win the $100,000 grand prize as well.





Leiomy has also taken this time in the media spotlight to openly talk about being trans and has done a few interviews with Vogue Evolution about being an out and proud dance crew.

But back to the business at hand. During the August 30, 2009 episode rapper Lil Mama, one of the judges for this show, said this during a critique:

“Leiomy, come on. Your behavior…it’s unacceptable. I just feel that you always have to remember your truth. You were born a man and you are becoming a woman. If you’re going to become a woman, act like a lady. Don’t be a bird, like ‘Oh my god, I’m not doing this!’ You know what I’m saying? It gets too crazy and it gets confusing. You’re doing this for America. Even though you’re the face for transgenders, you’re the face of America right now with this group and it’s not about anybody else. It’s about y’all. You know what I’m saying? So do it for the team. Do it for the team.”

GLAAD reached out to Lil Mama and MTV after receiving numerous calls and e-mails from community members and allies regarding those comments.

GLAAD sent me an e-mail this afternoon letting me know that Lil Mama has now apologized for those comments.

Lil Mama: "I would like to clarify anything that was misunderstood from Sunday's show. My remarks were never meant to be disrespectful regarding Leiomy's  gender nor offensive to the LGBT community, which has been a community that has supported me in all my endeavors.

However, in hindsight, I recognize that my words may have come across as hurtful. I spoke with her privately after the taping to express that it was not my intent to offend her or any member of the transgender community and that I still live for Vogue Evolution."

"While we thank Lil Mama for her apology, this incident demonstrates the need for more education around the lives and experiences of transgender people. Lil Mama’s comments during her critique attempted to impose standards of conformity for gender identity and expression -- a mistake that many people make,” said Rashad Robinson, Senior Director of Media Programs at GLAAD.

“Transgender people, particularly transgender women of color, become targets of discrimination and violence when inaccuracies and acts of insult like this are advanced. Contrary to what was said on the program, as an openly transgender woman and dance contestant, Leiomy is living her truth,” Robinson continued.

“It was surprising that MTV, a network that has shown a strong commitment to fair and accurate inclusion of transgender and gay people, would choose to air a clip that includes such disrespectful comments,” said Robinson.

MTV has not yet publicly addressed the comments made by Lil Mama in the episode.

But while we're waiting for their reaction, I'm gonna have to start tuning in to America's Best Dance Crew and see if Vogue Evolution can win it all.

NBJC and GLAAD Will Host Forum At Upcoming NAACP Image Awards

On the eve of the 40th Annual NAACP Image Awards which will be hosted by Oscar winning actor Halle Berry and screenwriter-actor Tyler Perry, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) will jointly host a forum February 11 on the infrequent intersection of African American and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) images in media, and the importance of these stories being told, particularly in the wake of California's Proposition 8.

The panel will explore the historical under-representation of these images, the ongoing advocacy efforts to promote the telling of these stories and the professional issues and challenges facing openly gay African American artists.

The planned two hour forum will also be co-sponsored by The Screen Actors Guild LGBT Actors Committee and the Beverly Hills-Hollywood Branch of the NAACP starting at 7 PM PST in the Screen Actors Guild James Cagney Board Room.

The panelists confirmed for the event include Willis Edwards, Member, National Board of Directors, NAACP; Vice Chair of the NAACP Image Awards, Deondray Gossett, Writer/Producer/Director, "The DL Chronicles", Maurice Jamal, Writer/Producer/Director, "Dirty Laundry," "The Ski Trip", Sonja Sohn, Actor, "The Wire" and J. Karen Thomas, Actor; Founding Member SAG LGBT Actors Committee

The panel will be moderated by GLAAD Senior Director of Media Programs Rashad Robinson.

"For the first time we have five openly gay individuals and multiple gay-themed projects nominated at the NAACP Image Awards," said Jasper Hendricks, NBJC Director of Field Operations. "We are hopeful this historic achievement will begin to break down barriers to openly LGBT arts and entertainment professionals in getting roles and jobs in the industry. We need to continue to highlight our successes and this forum will be a part of educating the media and the industry as to the issues LGBT people face."

"This year's nominees for the NAACP Image Awards demonstrate significant progress at a time when LGBT African Americans continue to be underrepresented in the media and those representations are often based on stereotypes," said GLAAD Senior Director of Media Programs Rashad Robinson. "We hope that through open dialogue with industry leaders at forums like this, we can continue to open doors for stories and images of our lives and our communities. These stories – when told in a fair, accurate and inclusive way – have the power to change hearts and minds."

The "Knocking Down the Door: Black LGBT Images in Media" will be held on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 from 7-9 PM PST at the Screen Actors Guild, James Cagney Board Room, First Floor.

For any further information contact: Damon Romine, GLAAD, (323) 634-2012