ConGRADulations Sahhara!

Wanted to take a moment to give a TransGriot shoutout to my sister across The Pond Sahhara, who graduated yesterday with her master's degree in digital media from London Metropolitan University

Beauty and brains.   Devastating combination.

Congratulations Sahhara on that major life achievement, proud you consider me a friend and looking forward to getting to know you better.   Wishing you much success in life, your future endeavors and giddily anxious to see what positive things life has in store for you.

Anytime, SaHHara!

When I write these posts or start commenting about some injustice aimed at the trans community, sometimes you never know if the person or persons you're busy advocating for are reading them..

Earlier today I received a lovely e-mail from SaHHara thanking me for the message I'd left on her Facebook page and the private one I sent her after I put the Thai based Miss International Queen pageant system on blast for what appears to be a pattern of bigotry against contestants from the African Diaspora and the shady conclusion to this year's event.

I was in a less than chipper mood when I woke up this morning, and seeing her message jolted me out of the funk I'd been and made me smile.  She also thanked me for my efforts on behalf of the international trans community and expressed told me how much she loved the blog.

I thanked her for her kind words and extended her an invitation to write a guest post from her perspective about what it's like to be an African descended trans person in London. 


Looking forward to hearing from her, and I'm also looking forward to continuing our conversations and getting to know her. 

UK Home Office Considering Gender Neutral Passports

I'm late to this one, but in the wake of Australia changing its policies, the UK Home Office announced on September 19 it was considering following the lead of Australia and not displaying gender on UK passports.   

While transpeople in the UK can get passports with the correct gender markers, intersex people who may not identify with either gender are forced to choose either 'M' or 'F'.   The Home Office in those cases would allow for an 'X' to be placed in the gender marker field or eliminating it altogether.  

A UK Home Office spokesperson stated: “We are exploring with international partners and relevant stakeholders the security implications of gender not being displayed on the passport".

Mismatched gender codes are a major hassle for transpeople who travel internationally.  Those mismatched gender codes have led to transpeople being hassled when transiting customs in various countries, denied entry into nations or being subjected to embarrassing and humiliating situations while doing so.

The US State Department implemented rule changes last year that allow for transpeople to get passports without requiring genital surgery.  Australia recently announced in September they would no longer require genital surgery in oder to issue new passports and would issue them to sex and gender diverse applicants in either  M (male), F (female) or X (indeterminate/unspecified/intersex).

The proposed passport policy change would not require legislative action since passports are considered under royal prerogative and would require only a simple ministerial order to implement.

Will keep an eye on it and see if that happens.

It's Caroline's Birthday!

The Caroline I'm speaking of who is having a birthday today is British born trans woman Caroline Cossey. 

She broke ground as a fashion model, author, Bond Girl and Playboy magazine centerfold    She also fought for trans marriage rights in her native country winning in 1989 and losing on British government appeal in September 1990 her case in the European Court of Human Rights..

She was also one of the people who turned the light bulb on for me in the 70's.  Seeing her story in the news helped me begin to define and realize I was trans and it was possible to make something happen to rectify the situation.   

She's happily married these days and living on our side of The Pond and hope she has a blessed low stress birthday.

It Gets Better-Paris Lees

Another trans themed It Gets Better video with British transwoman Paris Lees.

One Year Until London 2012

One year from today's date, we will witness the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.  It will be the first time since 1948 that the city has hosted the Games and the third time it has done so.  


After over 10,000 athletes parade into the Olympic stadium in alphabetical order with the Greeks going first and the host nation Great Britain last, we'll witness the torch lighting ceremony.   Ever since Barcelona used an archer to light the Olympic cauldron in 1992, it has been getting more and more creative with every passing Olympiad.   During the 2008 opening ceremonies for the Beijing Games Li Ning 'skywalked' to the Olympic cauldron.   How's London going to top that one?.

It will also be interesting to see what British Olympian will get the honor of lighting the torch.

And another question the trans community around the world will be asking is will this be the Games a trans athlete finally qualifies for their nation's Olympic team?


I've been an Olympic junkie ever since I watched the 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympics and later that summer the Mexico City Games.  I'm looking forward to seeing it take place not only in London, but watching some events like the tennis competition taking place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, or seeing the marathon run past world famous London landmarks and the soccer final in Wembley Stadium

But most of all I'm looking forward starting one year from today until August 12, 2012 to world class competition in 26 sports composed of the world's best athletes all battling for gold, silver and bronze medals.

And of course I want the USA grabbing its share of them.

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Upcoming Burgess Murder Trial In Britain Begins Soon

I posted a few months about noted British Civil rights attorney Sonia Burgess being pushed to her death at a London subway station back in October by 34 year old Nina Kanagasingham.

Turns out the accused killer is a pre-operative transperson herself and is being charged with murder of the noted human rights attorney.  . 

My British trans cousins have been more than a little pissed about the sensationalist and transphobic coverage being generated in the British media concerning this case. They are also not happy about how Kanagasingham has been treated by the British legal system either.   In addition to being housed in a men's prison, she was hauled into Old Bailey unshaven, a point in which the British press took great glee in pointing out in their stories.

The British media has also pissed our trans cousins across The Pond off by sensationalizing Sonia Burgess' life away from the courtroom. 

I'm a person who believes that if a trans person does the crime, they should accept the consequences and do the time.  But I'm just as adamant that neither should trans people be put in a position in the process of being punished by the justice system for the crime the committed, which will result in mistreatment, gross violations of their human rights, bodily harm or sexual assault either.

The trial of Nina Kanagasingham for the murder of Sonia Burgess will take place at Old Bailey starting July 18.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out not only in the courtroom, but in the British media as well.