JFK and Moni Are Liberals

 

Enough said.  

And that quote is from the September 14, 1960 speech from then senator John F.Kennedy. This should be read and reread by everyone who calls themselves a liberal.  .

NBJC Presidential Midterm Report Card

If you're wondering what the African-American TBLG/SGL community perspective is concerning President Obama, I can say with certainly it's vastly different from the one expressed by elements of the white GLBT one.

To point that out, thought you needed to peruse the Presidential Midterm Report Card that was issued by the National Black Justice Coalition, the organization  that advocates for the African descended TBLG community on issues of concern to our community.

As NBJC  Executive Director Sharon Lettman-Hicks pointed out in the foreword to the Presidential report card,: she wrote:

NBJC believes that President Obama has not been given the appropriate credit due for the monumental strides this nation has made on his watch to advance efforts toward full equality achieved for LGBT people. In this spirit, NBJC has created a Presidential Midterm Report Card in recognition of the outstanding record-to-date of the sitting President of the United States, who happens to be an African American, in advancing LGBT equality. For example, he has excelled at having federal agencies investigate and root out every obscure administrative rule and policy that impacts the lives of LGBT people.

In addition, the Obama administration has been diligent in amending language, where necessary, to eliminate barriers in our quest for “…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Here's the link to that NBJC Presidential Report on issues that matter to us and the grades he received for them..

 

TransGriot Nuke A Troll 18- MIRVing Houston Fools

It didn't take long for the haters to come scurrying out to attack yours truly when I simply asked some questions in relation to the Pool race.   So it's time to leave drydock, cruise the cyberseas and irradiate some fools once again.

First up is someone calling themselves Silliness (their chosen name, not mine) who expressed themselves in two comments about the Houston Rainbow Flavored Political Intrigue post.

Why would Bo Fraga take your political advice? You obviously know nothing about Houston politics. Judging from the trash like this that she is putting out, neither does Jenifer Pool.

The first comment was followed up with this gem.

Noel Freeman said on Facebook that he was never asked to run. You are a liar. The Jenifer Pool campaign has nothing but lies and trash to spread.

Tsk, tsk tsk. I'm going to have to launch a MIRVed troll nuke today.   5...4...3...2...1...Launch!

Why would I take seriously commentary from someone hiding behind a pseudonym?   You got something to say, don't be 'scurred'.   Be bold and put your name on it.   

Make up your mind.  Either I don't know anything about Houston politics (which I obviously do because I wrote a post about survey says, Houston politics) or I know enough about the subject of Houston politics to the point you started your two sentence diatribe with 'Why should Bo Fraga take your advice?'

I'm asking questions in this post, not dishing out political advice.  Your reading comprehension needs work.

As for your second comment accusing me of lying.  See the GOP, FOX news and any right wing blog for examples of lying so you can discern the difference.  

I stated from the outset it was a rumor.  Noel Freeman left a comment in the post post thread   Haven't seen the FB thread in question yet to verify your comment to see if you aren't lying.   In the post I stated several prominent gay Houstonians were contacted about getting into the Position 2 at large race.   Didn't mention Jenifer by name except to establish a basis for a timeline as to when the back channel activity is rumored to have started.   

So how in your mind is asking questions about whether a rumor is true or not jump to 'lying'? 

Sniff sniff, smelling smoke in the air, so a fire may be blazing somewhere in the vicinity.  Why are you getting all bent out of shape about it?   Is your last name Fraga? 

And in regard to the Jenifer Pool campaign, if they have in your limited words, 'nothing but lies and trash to spread', why has she raised over 30K?   Why has she gotten the endorsement of the GLBT Caucus among others?   And why did someone feel so threatened by her campaign and the prospect of Jenifer raising her hand and taking the oath of office in January 2012 the mystery person allegedly called the Victory Fund and said she 'wasn't a viable candidate' ?

If her campaign isn't all that, why the need to go to those lengths?  

Moving on to the next MIRVed target.  There's Johnny, who also had something negative to say about that same post.

Pool is not a viable candidate. She has very little political experience and virtually no electoral base. Fraga isn't much better though. Both will lose to former State Rep. Kristi Thibaut, a victim of last year's Tea Party wave.  As for CM Jones, well she's crazy. Her unwavering support for the GLBT community is not enough to make up for her divisive antics at the Council table, not to mention her record of abusing her position to further her legal practice.


The smell of vanilla privilege is strong with you, Johnny.   First up, damned sure didn't appreciate you calling a sitting African-American council woman 'crazy' and divisive'.  That's standard whiteness attack speak aimed at any Black politician that takes stances you don't like.  

And gee, running a flyer on a city of Houston copier is 'abusing her position'.  Turn off Fox26 and watch some real news for a change.  I guess if she had less melaninn in her skin, had blond hair and blue eyes and wasn't calling people out on their BS it wouldn't be an issue.


And still Councilmember Jones rises.


The voters of the city of Houston will decide on November 8 who gets that Position 2 seat.   It will probably go to a runoff thanks to six candidates being in this race, so the person who bust their behinds getting their message out, garnering support, does the GOTV prep and gets their voters to the polls will win this one.

Ask the people in my neck of Houston who Kristi Thibault is and you'll get a collective who?   But I've observed Pool signs in parts of District D and other sections of Houston, so obviously she's got some support.  Ask Mayor Parker about what being a past president of the Houston GLBT caucus can do for your chances of winning elective office in H-town

And never underestimate the power of casting a ballot for a candidate that if elected will make history by doing so.

Thank you for playing.  You peeps can pick up your coupons for your six packs of sour grapes flavored Hateraid on your way out. 

Oh yeah, duck and cover, and don't look at the flash when the troll nukes go off.

Houston Rainbow Flavored Political Intrigue

One of the sad and infuriating patterns in the rainbow community is that when it comes to trans civil rights and potential groundbreaking advances in it, we have GL people in this community who can be bigger oppressors of transpeople than our religious right opponents.

In Houston while our TBLG community is a relatively unified one at the present time, it wasn't always so. Back in the 90's we transpeople fought a pitched, contentious decade long battle just to be included in the then named Houston Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus.  Since then we have had transpeople serving on the Houston GLBT Caucus board and like Jenifer, even leading the organization.

As you TransGriot readers know, I'm keeping track of the potentially historic campaign of transwoman Jenifer Rene Pool for the Houston City Council's Position 2 At-Large seat now held by out lesbian and currently term limited councilwoman Sue Lovell..   

Jenifer, like Sue was president of the Houston GLBT political caucus.   Lovell served in that office from 1984-85 and Jenifer served in that position from 2007-08.   You would think that as a former GLBT caucus president Lovell would want someone like Jenifer to succeed her, would help a transsister out and wish to have someone that served on the Caucus to continue representing the Houston rainbow community's political interests on Houston City Council. 

But some interesting stuff is playing out right now that are raising doubts about that.

Rumors are flying in the Houston rainbow community that after Jenifer made her announcement to run for the Position 2 seat, several prominent gay Houstonians were contacted including current GLBT caucus president Noel Freeman about jumping into the Position 2 At-Large race. Freeman ran in 2009 for the Position 4 At-Large council seat that is currently held by councilmember and former HPD chief Clarence Bradford.

The person that did emerge to the community's surprise was little known and recently out in the community Bolivar 'Bo' Fraga.

He's the son of legendary Houston Latino activist and former District H councilmember Felix Fraga.  He filed to run in the Position 2 race against Pool and was promptly endorsed by Lovell.  

There is the additional things that make you go hmm community buzz that alleges Victory Fund board members were contacted and told that Pool is not a viable candidate in the council race despite the fact that she has as of this writing the endorsements of the Stonewall Democrats, the Stonewall Young Dems and the Houston GLBT Caucus for the Position 2 At Large Seat. 

The Caucus endorsement is huge in Houston liberal progressive political circles.  People who get that Caucus seal of approval usually tend to win in the fall.   Pool is also outfundraising Fraga as well.  According to the last city campaign report filed July 15,  Pool's campaign has raised over $30,482 and still has $15,015 in the bank   Fraga has raised $27,285 and has $14,988 in the bank

So explain to me how somebody who has raised more money than Fraga is 'not a viable candidate'?

One of the things that has me scratching my head about this situation is that District C, which includes the Montrose gayborhood, has a term limited councilmember in it as well in Anne Clutterbuck.  While former state rep Ellen Cohen is a friend of the community and is currently running for that seat, the smart political play would have been for Fraga or another gay candidate to run in that race and give the rainbow community the potential of having more than one TBLG person on city council instead of cannibalizing each other.

When we were building our post Voting Rights Act political power, a rule we African-American Houstonians followed until the late 70's was trying not to deliberately run against a fellow African American in Houston political races. 

Because of reapportionment and the Houston city population passing the magic 2.1 million mark, a charter mandated expansion of city council occurred which was just approved by the Department of Justice on August 9.   The Montrose gayborhood was moved out of the African-American dominated District D and paired up with the Heights and Meyerland.  Two additional seats opened up as well that Fraga could have run for.   Since he has the famous name in Houston political circles, he could have also run for the District H seat his father once held.   Why Position 2, especially in light of the fact the Houston trans community is trying to get representation on Houston city council for the first time since the late Kathryn McGuire tried to run?

Another one of the perplexing sidebars to this unfolding political drama is why in Hades is Fraga attacking two term councilmember Jolanda Jones, who is running for her third and final term in the Position 5 seat and like Jenifer Rene Pool, has also received the endorsement of the Houston GLBT political caucus?

Fraga is running in Position 2, not Position 5, so why is he whacking on somebody he's not running against?  Is it because his endorser Sue Lovell has issues with Councilwoman Jones? 

Or is it because Jones has been a standup ally for the Houston trans community?  I talked to her at the 2010 Houston TDOR after she eloquently spoke at, and know she was involved in the struggle to get Covenant House Houston to change their transphobic ways.

Jones has also been a warrior for Houston's African-American community on many of our issues as well, which makes her hated by elements of the Houston community.  

If Fraga has a problem with Councilwoman Jones, maybe he should have filed for the Position 5 race instead. 

Stay tuned, because the Houston political battles and intrigue really starts heating up after Labor Day.