Told Y'all Our HERO Opponents Are Haters

When I conducted an interview in the wake of the HERO vote delay back on May 14, I called the opponents 'haters'.  

I obviously struck a nerve with the faith-based Forces of Intolerance.   In a Thursday interview on KTRK-TV, one of their pastors defensively said 'we're not haters' before launching into the usual lies about the HERO. .    

Well, y'all keep proving what I have to say about you Houston Forces of Intolerance, because KPRC-TV2 is reporting that Mayor Parker has been receiving alleged death threats since the ordinance passed Wednesday night  serious enough to warrant police security posted outside her home.

As the late Maya Angelou once said,  'When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.' 

With every passing day, you faith-based haters in the anti-HERO camp show us who you are.  And it ain't pretty 

It isn't Christian love either.

H-town, It's Decline To Sign Time!

The HERO has been passed and autographed by Mayor Parker, and predictably the faith-based haters are starting to fan out and make a cosmetic attempt to gather signatures in different parts of the city so they aren't all coming from the  Second Baptist and Grace KKKommunity Church hate megachurches.

Received some anecdotal reports this morning about people being spotted yesterday in the 'hood trying to collect signatures to force a repeal vote on the HERO. 

Fortunately in both reported cases to me, we had HERO supporters that explained to people in the vicinity of the attempted signature gathering that the HERO passage on May 28 benefited them.  They were advised that if they signed those petitions, they were in effect signing to take away human rights from themselves

Needless to say the petition gatherers in those cases went away empty handed. 

The faith-based haters have 30 days to try to collect over 25,000 signatures in order to force the repeal vote.   So if someone approaches you over the next 30 days trying to get you to sign a petition, politely decline to do so.

The petition gatherers knoweth not the HERO benefits them, and have been hoodwinked and bamboozled into doing Dave Welch and Dave Wilson's dirty work.   

So assume that any petition being presented to you over the next 30 days that you are being asked to sign is a bait and switch one related to repealing the HERO and refuse to do so.    Every day they don't hit their signature targets is one day closer they come to failing to get enough qualified signatures to place a repeal effort on the November ballot.  

If they get their signatures, they get them.  But let's make them work as hard as possible in this humid Houston air to do so.    

Thank Y'all For The HERO Love

It's been a little more than 24 hours since the historic vote happened on the HERO, and I do thank everyone from around the world for the congratulations, well wishes and love you have sent my way concerning this historic human rights win for my hometown.

Y'all know as a proud Houstonian I have been gleefully celebrating the fact that my hometown is now listed in the over 180 jurisdictions, 17 states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia which protect the human rights of all their citizens

While I appreciate the love, the media shout outs, and the thanks from all of you inside and outside Beltway 8 for standing up for all Houstonians human rights against the faith based haters, the fact remains I was just one of many Houstonians working together as part of a multicultural Team HERO to get it passed.  

This HERO passage was a personal dream of mine I have pondered ever since I took that first plane ride to Washington DC nearly 16 years ago to participate in my first GenderPac Lobby Day.   My activism is also based on the deceptively simple principle of leaving all the communities I intersect and interact with better than when I initially encountered them. 

Fighting for passage of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance was also the right and morally correct thing to do.  Once that long awaited opportunity presented itself, I was going all out to make it a reality, even if that meant starting to appear in front of City Council to urge passage of a comprehensive human rights ordinance back in January before it was even introduced.  


Discrimination's time in H-town has expired and I want to keep it that way.   As of May 28, 2014 we have a non-discrimination ordinance that protects the human rights of all Houstonians, and I'm exceedingly proud to say I played a role in making it happen.  

How much I'll leave to future historians to judge, but I will be able to proudly tell my nieces and my H-town trans brothers and transsisters I put my butt on the line and fought hard for them to have their human rights covered in their hometown. 

So thank y'all for the HERO love. 

The struggle for Houston human rights continues.

HERO Updates, Notes and News-May 29

H-town discrimination, I'm sorry, but your time has expired.

The marathon May 28 combined 11 hour council session ended with the 11-6 vote passing the HERO and unbridled celebration of it going well into the night.

It was a great and historic day for LGBT Houston and everyone else inside Beltway 8 who value the human rights of all who call this 628 square miles of Texas territory home.

While much of Team HERO was celebrating at the Guava Lamp and other places last night while Mayor Parker was signing it into law, I took my behind home.  I called Mom, chatted with her about the events of the day, watched the local news reports, and finished the initial post concerning my first impressions of an emotional day I've been waiting to arrive for nearly 16 years of activism and 30 years of my life.

And what do you do when a long time activism goal of yours finally becomes a reality?  I cried for a minute, processed the thought that Houston is now on the list of cities that protect the human rights of everyone, profusely thanked all the councilmembers who voted for it, talked to some that didn't, and then proceeded to hug everyone in sight. 

Now let's move on to post-HERO vote business.   This is how the historic 11-6 council vote broke down last night.  :

Mayor Annise Parker- YES

A. Stardig             NO
B  Davis                YES
C  Cohen               YES
D  Boykins            NO
E   Martin             NO
F   Nguyen             YES
G   Pennington      NO
H.  Gonzales          YES
I     Gallegos          YES
J.    Laster             YES
K.   Green             YES

1.  Costello             YES
2.  Robinson            YES
3.  Kubosh               NO
4.  Bradford             YES
5.  Christie               NO

Surprise and angering NO votes to LGBT Houston were CM Christie and CM Boykins.  Both did indicate to the LGBT caucus in the 2013 cycle when they were seeking the community's endorsement they would vote YES should this ordinance pop up. 

CM Christie shouldn't have really been a surprise to throw us under the human rights bus.  He knocked more community friendly former CM Jolanda Jones out of her at large council seat in 2011 and has raised some red flags by being anti-vaccine.

CM Dwight Boykins' NO vote really disappointed and pissed me and a lot of Black LGBT Houston off, his publicly expressed exasperation with the process and Mayor Parker notwithstanding.    

As one of the council newbies (and my councilmember) the sellout Houston pastors in the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston and Vicinity focused much of their browbeating on him and it worked.  

Like you personally Dwight, but dude, you're going down in the Houston history books as having voted against a human rights ordinance that BENEFITS our entire Houston community.    

And your statement that District D is conservative?  You're kidding, right?   Um, no.  You have two universities in TSU and UH in your district, the peeps who can't afford to live in the Montrose gayborhood and folks who aren't followers of the sellout Baptist minster kneegrows that were browbeating you  

We are liberal-progressive in District D and proud of it.  And as you probably noted a Republican doesn't stand a chance of getting elected in District D unless he lies about it or keeps it on the down low. 

As for CM Kubosh, when he made his comment at the Grace KKKommunity Church Hate Rally, he became a target the day he made that problematic 'God put me on council to oppose the HERO' comment.

And yes Councilmember Kubosh, you don't think we didn't have some of our peeps and allies in the crowd at the Hate on the HERO event reporting back to us? 

As to what the Daves and the faith-based haters will do.  As I said in a previous post, if they want to commit political suicide and boost Democratic turnout in Harris County by attempting to roll the HERO back via a referendum, make mine, Battleground Texas and the Harris County Democratic Party's political day.

As to what I wrote back on May 23:.

Houston and Harris County provide 16% of the statewide votes in an election cycle.  Are the conservafools that pissed off about the HERO passing they would go there and give our liberal progressive voters another valid reason to bumrush the polls this November, especially in an election cycle in which Wendy Davis and Leticia Van de Putte sit at the top of our statewide Democratic ticket?  

And with that juiced up Harris County turnout showing up and showing out, we'd urge those same progressive voters to handle their electoral business and cast ballots for every Democrat in down ballot race like the judicial ones.  

So please, be that politically stupid and go there.   Make my political day. 

While the HERO is law and there will be many happy celebrations of that fact at Houston Pride next month, we still have much human rights work to do in H-town. 

Passing HERO was the easy part.  We still have work to do to defend it while simultaneously implementing it   There was far too much toxic anti-trans disinformation put out there Houston trans people and our allies will have to clean up. 

The offer I made to do the Trans 101 education still stands.

LGBT Houston, we have to do a much better job of showing up and showing out for human rights fights that aren't predominately our own battles from this May 28 day forward because the H-town human rights struggle still continues.

But last night's successful HERO vote ensured that we woke up this morning to a changed Houston human rights landscape.  And I damned sure am going to do my part to fight to keep it that way. 

HERO Updates, Notes and News-May 28

It's the big day in H-town, and I'm in City Council chambers awaiting my turn to speak and waiting to see if my beloved hometown joins the rest of the cities of Texas in passing a non-discrimination ordinance that protects all her citizens.

I've been up since 6 AM to make sure I was in line when City Hall opened at 8 AM to get my visitor's badge and a seat in the council chambers.

Besides waiting to see how this HERO vote and wading through all the one minute public comment speeches pro and con,  the ACLU of Texas legal and policy director Rebecca Robertson weighed in on this HERO battle with an op-ed in the Sunday Houston Chronicle and here were the money quotes in it.

But a law that conflicts with a personal religious belief, no matter how deeply held, is not a violation of religious liberty. Nothing in our Constitution gives people of faith a special exemption from following laws meant to protect everyone. Nor could it. In a country with as many diverse religious traditions as ours, imagine what would happen if each of us could choose, according to our individual beliefs, which laws to follow and which to ignore.

The proposed Houston Equal Rights Ordinance creates no conflict between equality and religious liberty. The ordinance claims no power to compel any of us to relinquish a sincerely held religious belief, to endorse something we believe profoundly to be immoral or to offer services of which we disapprove. That is not the province of law.

Boom.

Okay, time to remind 'errbody' where we are outside of Beltway 8 in this process.  Takes nine votes to pass anything on our 16 member city council and Mayor Parker gets a vote for a total of 17 votes..

As far as the HERO whip count goes, we already have three declared solid NO votes in CM Stardig, Kubosh and Pennington.

Rumors are Kubosh may be on the Leaning NO fence, but I doubt that after his appearance at the Grace KKKommunity Church hate rally.  

Leaning NO is CM Boykins.

The solid YES votes are Mayor Parker and CM Cohen, Gallegos, Gonzales, Laster and Robinson
Leaning YES are CM Bradford, Christie, Costello, Davis, Green, and Nguyen,
Undecided is CM Martin

CM Martin has the Grace KKKommunity Church haters in his backyard.  Boykins has me (that's my council member) and the liberal progressive community leaning on him on one side and Rev. Miller and his sellout haters on the other.  Hope he chooses wisely because Moni has a long memory and won't forget in November 2015. .

We'll find out how the votes shake out in this HERO battle in a few hours..

The Historic Houston HERO Hearing And Vote

The combined city council meeting today starts in mere moments with the HERO on the agenda.   There will be a public comment session followed by a Houston City Council vote. 

It takes nine votes to pass anything on our 16 member city council, and Mayor Parker also gets a vote in our strong-mayor system.  Since there are over 100 plus speakers signed up (and the TransGriot is one of them) it's going to be a long time before we get to the actual vote.

We've outgunned them 247-78 in terms of pro-HERO speakers vs the anti-HERO speakers, out pastored them by a 2-1 margin and we are determined to maintain those advantages in addition to packing our art-deco era council chambers with red clad supporters. 

I'm not usually a morning person, but in order to accomplish our Houston human rights goals for today I'll do whatever is necessary to make HERO passage happen.   If it means I get my behind up at 4 AM CDT like I did this morning, so be it.   

It'll be a story I can tell my soon to be three year old niece when she asks me what I did to protect and expand her human rights.    We'll also need your prayers, wam thoughts and best wishes because the hate will be flowing from the anti-HERO side.   We will have counselors  standing by to deal with that issue and doughnuts (Shipley's of course) lunch and dinner for the marathon session to come. .

But if you peeps inside and outside Beltway 8, around the Internet and the world want to check in and see what's transpiring, you can watch the proceedings at this link     We will also be Tweeting updates at #HERO and #HOUequality.  I'll also be bringing my laptop today.    

Whip counts are leaning our way, so we should have good news to report later this afternoon or evening.

We're looking forward to saying this afternoon or evening, Discrimination, I'm sorry, but your time has expired.

HERO Updates, Notes and News-May 27

We are now 24 hours from what we hope will be a historic city council meeting in which Houston removes itself from the short list of cities that don't cover the human rights of all their citizens.

These HERO discussions are being held all over the city in groups large and small.   One of them took place in last weekend's Houston Oasis group meeting on May 25 in which activist Amanda Hernandez made this speech in favor of HERO passage.

   


The anti-HERO haters are working hard to try to address the fact that we have not only held the council chamber, we have outgunned them in pro-HERO speakers 247-78.     We have had pro-HERO ministers speaking in a 2-1 ratio vs anti-HERO ones.    Of the 78 anti-HERO speakers, hey have been predominately ministers beating the anti-trans talking points into hamburger.

We've already concocted our double secret plan to ensure that council chambers are a predominate sea of red tomorrow for the vote. 

We are also pushing back hard against the faith based anti-trans hate.


But one thing they have had an advantage in is the number of anti-HERO vs pro- HERO calls because they went national early, so we could use some help in that area.   Need y'all to call Councilmembers Brenda Stardig, Jack Christie, Dwight Boykins, and C.O. Bradford for us at the numbers listed in the infographic.

But to point out how out of step the haters are, here's a message from Bob Harvey, the president of the Greater Houston Partnership.  It's the influential 2000 member local business org that employs 20% of the Houston area's workforce, and they have sway over pro-business councilmembers.

"Houston is an extraordinarily welcoming city that embraces diversity and inclusivity – this was true even before this ordinance was conceived. We are certainly not a city that condones discrimination. We believe that a properly constructed ordinance that enshrines our values, protects the rights of our citizens, is fair in its treatment of businesses, and signals to the world that we are, indeed, a city that welcomes and respects diversity is a proper step at this time." -- Bob Harvey, President, Greater Houston Partnership.

Boom.

And yes, going to bed early tonight.  It's going to be a long but hopefully positively historic day tomorrow. 

The struggle continues to pass the HERO.   

HERO Updates, Notes and News-May 26

Happy Memorial Day people!   Today means we are now down to 48 hours before the historic Houston City Council session happens on Wednesday in which the HERO will be voted on

Yesterday the Houston Newsmakers show on KPRC-TV 2 that Amelia and I taped Thursday was broadcast Sunday morning.   We felt good about that show when we left the studios, and our optimism about it was justified.

Megathanks to host Khambrel Marshall for the invitation to appear on Houston Newsmakers.   It gave the Houston trans community for the first time in this HERO debate an opportunity for peeps like us to actually get a chance to talk about our issues untainted by lies from our not so esteemed opponents.

Haven't heard yet if the conservafool megachurches like Second Baptist and Grace KKKommunity fueling the opposition preached any anti-HERO hate sermons yesterday.   We did have some folks go to services at both to keep an eye on them and they haven't reported back yet.  .   

Or maybe the haters tried to keep their christopimpin' of anti-trans hate on the down low knowing that were getting close to May 28.

Speaking of someone who should have kept his loud and wrong ignorant HERO opposition on the down low but I'm glad he didn't, here's local activist Quanell X. 

He's another example of the cadre of Black people who fell for the white conservafool okey doke of anti-trans attitudes injected by the Daves (Dave Welch and Dave Wilson) into this HERO debate to bamboozle people into not supporting an ordinance that protects their own human rights.   

I find it mind boggling you and others who should know better, are kissing up to the same white conservatives in Dave Wilson and Dave Welch who are working diligently on the behalf of the Texas Republican Party to oppress our community and kill this much needed human rights ordinance. . 


FYI to you Quanell and anyone else who shares the ignorant opinions you spouted on FOX Noise 26:   I'm quite aware of who I am and damned sure ain't 'confused' about it.   I am an African-American transfeminine woman who is unapologetically Black, trans and proud.   The only thing I do in public bathrooms while out and about in H-town or wherever I roam in this country is poop, piss and wash my hands when I'm done. 

Quanell X, if you claim to love all African-American Houstonians, African-Americans also includes Trans, SGL and bi Houstonians, too

If you want to know what trans people actually do in the city of Houston, I suggest you hit Google or watch this TransGriot space.  I will also be happy to school you on basic Trans 101 so you never embarrass yourself like you did on the Houston television airwaves like you did that evening.  

I find it mind boggling, troubling and a problematic sign your cognitive abilities are questionable that you and the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston and Vicinity are kissing up to the same white conservatives in Dave Wilson and Dave Welch working diligently on the behalf of the Texas Republican Party to oppress our community. 

If you want a debate Quanell, we can make that happen, too.  But the one thing that is not subject to debate is the humanity of myself or my trans brothers and sisters.  

Every Houstonian living inside our expansive city limits deserves to be free from discrimination.  That also includes those of us in the Houston TBLG community ranks.  It's why the HERO needs to pass and if you claim to love human rights, then that includes everyone in the 628 square miles of Texas soil we call home. 

The struggle to pass the HERO continues.

HERO Updates, Notes and News-May 25

We are in the middle of the Memorial Day weekend and counting down to that marathon May 28 council meeting that will hopefully result in us celebrating the addition of Houston to the long list of cities that protect the human rights of all their citizens.

The Houston Newsmakers show segment that Amelia and I taped Thursday aired this morning at 10 AM.   I'll post the video for it in a future HERO update when it becomes available. 

I took some time before the Trans Town Hall to go attend the Rev. Dr. MLK, Jr statue and plaza unveiling and dedication that started at 11 AM.   Unfortunately the speechifying dragged on so long that when I left a little after 1 PM civil rights warrior Rev Dr. Joseph Lowery was just getting to the mic.

In addition to Rev. Lowery, Martin Luther King III was there along with Houston based US Reps Sheila Jackson-Lee and Rep Al Green, Councilmembers C.O. Bradford, Dwight Boykins and Michael Kubosh, and local civil rights legend Rev William Lawson.   Many of us from Team Pass The HERO were there in full effect to watch the historic event.

With the unveiling of the statue, Houston is now one of three US cities (Atlanta and Washington DC are the others) with statues and plazas dedicated to the memory of the Rev. Dr. MLK, Jr. 

I ended up at Grace Lutheran Church a little before 3 PM for the town hall in which we were graced with the presence of Councilmember Ellen Cohen and Councilmember Dwight Boykins.   Both were given  standing ovations by those of us in attendance and given an opportunity to speak    

Councilmember Cohen had just finished speaking on MSNBC about the HERO and took time out of her busy day to check out our event before she had to leave for another one.  

Councilmember Boykins answered the assembled crowd's questions and listened attentively to our concerns about the HERO.

We made the point that for the TBLG community, this is intensely personal and these are our very lives and human rights we are fighting for. 

I also let him know on behalf of the African-American community I was not happy about the continued demonization of trans people by Rev. Max Miller and friends that has now filtered down to street level.  I've also been bothered by the silence of many African-American leaders and the local NAACP about it. 

Since I mentioned it, here's the video of Councilmember Cohen's MSNBC appearance 



FYI  Councilmember Boykins, Houston NAACP and other African-American political/community leaders and institutions.  The offer I and others made to do Trans 101 for you and your orgs still stands.
 

The town hall was facilitated by Daniel Williams of Equality Texas and featured a trans historic first.  This town hall was the first event jointly sponsored by the Houston Chapters of Black Transmen, Inc and Black Transwomen, Inc  

And based on some of the chococentric anti-trans ignorance running rampant in the African-American community that was unleashed by the faith-based haters, BTMI-Houston and BTWI-Houston are going to be quite busy rolling it back and getting the truth of our trans lives out there..  

Speaking of chocolate flavored anti-trans ignorance, here's an example of the uphill battle that Tye and I as the chairs of the BTMI and BTWI Houston chapters will have combating the lies as we seek to build allies and educate our African-American community on trans issues.

This is a screenshot of a comment from Demetria Smith, who was one of the 12 candidates who ran in the recent 2013 city election cycle for the District D seat now occupied by Councilmember Boykins.    

Demetria, when you repeat ignorant statements that are proven transphobic lies about my trans community, that's a problem.    

Will be interesting to discover if we have more trans bigot eruptions and hate sermons epicentered on Second Baptist and Grace KKKomunity Church

The struggle the pass the HERO continues.
 

HERO Updates, Notes and News-May 24

We kick off today's HERO update with last night's phone bank at Harris County Democratic Party Headquarters.

Three council districts were targeted, and I'm still waiting for the final stats as to how many supporters were called and contacted as the folks participating urged them to contact their councilmembers and support the HERO.

One of the questions I'm getting from people is where do our Houston based US reps Gene Green,  Sheila Jackson-Lee and Al Green stand when it comes to supporting the HERO?

As of this writing, none of them have released statements indicating their support for the HERO.

Going to be a busy day for many of us as the Dr MLK Jr statue is unveiled.  Since it is right up the street from me at MacGregor Park I'm planning to check the event that starts at 11 AM before heading off to get ready for the Trans Town Hall taking place at Grace Lutheran Church from 3-5 PM.  

Invited panelists are Tye West, Katy Stewart, Cristan Williams and some blogger y'all know.  Address of the church is 2515 Waugh Dr in Montrose, and hope to see you there.  .

We're creeping closer to the big May 28 day in which the HERO will be voted on, and the faith based haters are getting more desperate as it gets closer.   They are now threatening to collect petitions to force recall elections on Mayor Parker and any council member who vote for the much needed human rights law. 

Whether they can actually do so is questionable, but it speaks to their level of desperation and it's typical conservafool crap.  If you can't beat 'em, bamboozle, bully and browbeat them.  

What they fail to realize is by their nekulturny actions they are our best arguments for passage of the HERO.
Swastika Cakes?    Seriously Steve Riggle? 

Ed Young, the pastor of the Second Baptist megachurch who threw stones at the trans community in his Sunday hate sermon, better be focused on what's going on in his own church instead of eagerly bearing false witness against the trans community.

I'll close with a quote from Harvey Milk, whose birthday was May 22 and is apropos to this HERO human rights struggle.    

“It takes no compromise to give people their rights...it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression.”  

HERO Updates, Notes and News-May 23

This one is thirty minutes later because I had to do my usual Friday noon CDT Shut Up Fool post, but the commitment I made to keep you peeps updated with the latest HERO news continues.

Amelia and I had an enjoyable early afternoon at KPRC-TV 2 taping our segment of Houston Newsmakers with host Khambrel Marshall.   That show we taped will air at 10 AM on Sunday. 

The Houston Stonewall Young Democrats will be hosting a phone banking effort at the Harris County Democratic Party Headquarters in which several council districts will be targeted.  It's designed to mobilize supporters in those respective communities to contact their Council Members and also urge them show up next Wednesday in support of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.

May 28 is going to be a historic day in H-town that you'll want to be there for.

Received an interesting phone call yesterday evening from an SGL community source that confirmed what I suspected about Houston NAACP President James H. Lilley. 

Lilley cryptically expressed 'concerns' during his May 13 testimony about the HERO and dodged questions from Councilmember C.O. Bradford when he tried to find out what those concerns were.    What were those 'concerns' he was reluctant to say in the council comment session?   

Give you one guess what they were.  Those concerns were inclusion of trans people in the HERO ordinance.

 
Seems as though elements of the local NAACP and possibly President Lilley have bought the right wing anti-trans Kool-Aid Rev. Max Miller and his hate pastors are pouring on behalf of their conservative controllers Dave Welch and Dave Wilson.   The local NAACP's silence about the ongoing attacks on the trans community is also pissing us and our allies off inside and outside the Houston LGBT community

And hello Houston NAACP, some of the transpeople being attacked by this rhetoric are survey says, Black trans people. 

Rev. Miller, you and your Bible thumping homeboys in the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston and Vicinity are in violation of two commandments when it comes to the Houston trans community.   Thou shalt not lie, and thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

I don't like the transphobic hate speech you and your fellow faith-based bigots have continually engaged in since this HERO passage effort ramped up, and nether does the Houston African-American trans community and our allies.    You don't like what I have to say or being called faith based bigots. tough.   Stop palling around with white conservative bigots and oppressors who are playing you for the useful fools you are and you won't be called bigots or oppressors.

Back to talking about the Houston NAACP.  

Here's my TransGriot proposition to you Houston NAACP.   Since that knowledge of the real lived lives of trans people is obviously missing, why don't you talk to some living, breathing transpeople, starting at 3-5 this Saturday at Grace Lutheran Church?   It'll be the start of a much needed conversation at the local level and beyond the one on May 24, I and other Houston trans African-Americans are willing to do Trans 101.

Just say the word, and we'll make it happen.   And Black SGL, trans and Bi community, think it's past time we started signing up for memberships in the local NAACP and getting involved. .   

But I want to ensure before we Black trans folks do so we'll be welcomed into the organization and the transphobia the ministers 'fear and trans smear' tactics introduced is squashed.
   

HERO Updates, Notes and News -May 22

It's Thursday and we're creeping closer to the May 28 session that will hopefully result in a historic human rights win.  I'm enroute to the KPRC-TV 2 studios to tape an interview for the Houston Newsmakers show that will be broadcast on Sunday.

Amelia Miller will also be in the studio with me representing our community along with show host Khambrel Marshall 

We are still having meeting across the city and gearing up for the big day.    There's an upcoming trans town hall on Saturday afternoon and the unveiling of the Rev. Dr MLK Jr. statue that will bring out the Houston Black politicos and allies.

Interesting poling numbers to note in this update.  Despite the faith based hate sermons of pastor Ed Young and Steve Riggle, 78% of Houstonians support the HERO.   In the African-American community despite Rev. Max Miller's best efforts to unleash the anti-trans hate at the behest of his controllers Dave Welch and Dave 'Fake Black Man' Wilson, that number is 85% support in the African-American community.

Yep boys, you're still on the wrong side of this human rights issue, and bussing in more peeps from The Woodlands, Tomball and whatever other Houston exurbs won't help.  

I also needed to show y'all me and other Houston trans peeps handling our HERO business at last Tuesday's hearings.




Interestingly enough, Dee Dee Watters and I have been mysteriously paired up to where we end up speaking immediately behind each other.    That happened last Tuesday, but in this case Dee Dee took everybody to church.   She is a POD deaconess, so I wasn't surprised when this happened.




Lou Weaver's testimony.



and I'll end it with the person I'll be sharing the KPRC-TV stage with in Amelia Miller.


 
  

HERO Updates, Notes and News-May 21

In our latest edition of HERO updates, notes and news we discovered that the Riggles weren't the only ones sowing transphobic hate speech from the pulpit on Sunday.   Pastor Ed Young of the Second Baptist megachurch was also stooping to that level to torpedo the HERO

Councilmember Michael Kubosh came out of the closet to declare he was a NO vote and while at the Sunday Riggle hate rally at Grace KKKommunity Church declared 'God put him in that council seat to oppose the HERO'. 

Silly me, thought it was a majority of the city of Houston's voters. Guess the Michael Kubosh campaign slogan next year will be: 'Fighting AGAINST You LGBT Houstonians'.


For those of you needing ammo to destroy the bathroom meme the haters are beating into hamburger, here's a Media Matters story that points out what we already know.  Laws like the HERO don't lead to the parade of horribles the christopimps are pushing to their low information sheeple. 

As a matter of fact Dave Welch and his Pastor's Council fools already tried to go there in April 2010 when Mayor Parker signed the executive order extending protections to trans* city workers

They lied then, and they are lying now.

Because I got so fed up with all the anti-trans hatred being pushed by the anti-HERO pastors, wrote this post to push back against it.   And speaking of pushback, I got asked along with Amelia because of all that off the charts faith based trans hate to do an interview on KPRC-TV 2 to discuss our local trans community uninterrupted by the haters.  The show will tape tomorrow and air Sunday.

Keep those calls coming to City Hall.

Time For Some Truth In This Houston Trans Narrative

One of the things that has pissed me and the Houston trans community off in this battle to pass the HERO is the opponents nonstop reliance on demonizing the trans community as their primary method for trying to defeat the much needed human rights ordinance.

And I'm tired of bald faced lies dominating this human rights discussion about our trans lives instead of logic and reason.  The thing that has most disheartened and upset Black trans Houstonians is the people squawking the loudest about it are ministers who share our ethnic heritage.  

It's time for some truth in this Houston trans narrative.

Bottom line is that at least 1%-3% of the 2.2 million people in the Houston area are gender variant folks on one level or another.   It's not a myth we are facing anti-trans violence and employment discrimination. 


And the one I really have been incensed about when I hear it is the ignorant attempt by the hate ministers to pimp the lie we don't as LGBT people face discrimination, because our Black skin ensures that we Black LGBT people most certainly do.  

Trans people have been here in the Houston metro area probably as long as this city has existed.  It's interesting to note the anti-crossdressing ordinance that was repealed in 1980 was enacted in 1904.

We have a proud history.  The ICTLEP conferences from 1992-1997 that set the stage for the modern trans rights movement took place here in Houston   Wilmer 'Little Axe' Broadnax was a transman and renowned gospel singer during the 40's-70's who was born here.   I'd need another post to talk about the accomplishments of Judge Phyllis Frye, the Godmother of the Trans Rights Movement. 

We have a history of producing human rights warriors.   From Toni Mayes who in 1975 sued HPD to get them to stop harassing her to the late Kathryn McGuire, Dee McKellar and Brenda Thomas who played major roles in shaping trans Houston history along with Sarah DePalma. 

Jenifer Rene Pool will hopefully finish what Kathryn McGuire started and sit on City Council.  A certain award winning Houston based blogger continues to blaze trails, tell our stories and fight for the increased visibility and empowerment of trans people of color.

Cristan Williams continues to do her thing and pick up where Brenda Thomas left off in fighting the spread of HIV in our community.  And we have some new school emerging leaders in Lou Weaver, Tye West, Dee Dee Watters, Dr. Colt Keo-Meier and Amelia Miller just to name a few. 

We transpeople have much to contribute to make a Houston better than its promise. 

Transpeople are all around you.  We're the transmasculine and transfeminine people toiling hard at our various jobs when we have them.   We're studying at our local colleges and universities.   We're your hair stylists, blue and white collar workers, makeup artists, teachers, accountants, doctors, lawyers, office workers and entrepreneurs.  We're your artists, writers and musicians.  We're your leaders and worker bees in various organizations that strive to make life better for all who call Houston home.

We're the hell raisers standing up for the human rights of all the people and communities we intersect and interact with.   And we are voters who can not only determine the outcome of an election, but as Mayor Parker discovered will bust our butts to help you get elected.

We are your brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, parents, church congregants and neighbors to other cisgender Houstonians.  We're your homeboys and sistahgirls   We're interesting, diverse, and pretty cool people once you get to know us.   And if you're loyal to us, we'll be loyal to you. 

But piss us off...

I repeat: Houston trans people are part of the 2.2 million folks who call our city home.  Not having our human rights protected is causing many people in our community to trade one stifling closet for another one of anonymity. 

Anti-trans hate sermons like the one Pastor Ed Young unleashed on Sunday along with the Riggle hate rally are why many of us choose to non-disclose along with the lack of human rights protections. 

Trans people would like to play an even larger role in helping our city grow and prosper, but for that to happen, the hate speech, lies and falsehoods against us must end.  The passage of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance with gender identity language must happen so that we can reach our full potential. 

We have to win this HERO fight because it's not just for us.  It's for all those transkids from preschool to the collegiate ranks who are counting on us to handle our human rights business.   We need to win this HERO fight so all those present and future Houston trans kids will have to focus on is dreaming their dreams as big as the Lone Star State and working hard to make them a reality.

All we want as trans Houstonians is to be treated with dignity and respect, have our humanity acknowledged and have the same human rights coverage you take for granted. 

HERO Updates, Notes and News-May 20

Due to repeated requests from my readers locally and around the country hungry for information about our historic human rights fight, I'm going to do a daily series of posts from now until the Houston Equal Rights Amendment passes and the Forces of Intolerance leave it alone with news and information about what's happening with it.

Today's HERO update starts with the advocacy training event for people scheduled to speak at the May 28 combined city council meeting held at Legacy Health Services building last night.

The two hour training was attended by a standing room crowd of over 80 people and facilitated by Ryan Leach and Januari Leo.  Attendees were given presentations concerning the current political situation surrounding the HERO, what to expect when attending the May 28 meeting and tips and tricks for surviving what is going to be a long marathon session.

I was happy to be able to give an example of how to do one minute of testimony for this meeting.  My loquacious behind actually concluded the timed example I gave with nine seconds to spare.  

Then again I've had plenty of practice lately.

I was also tempted to go over the one minute to see if Ryan would do his dead on impression of Houston City Council Secretary Anna Russell and her famous line 'I'm sorry, your time has expired."


If there is a desire from the community to have another one of these trainings by the folks who missed yesterday's event, there is a possibility another one will happen before the 28th .  Watch this TransGriot space for info as to date and time.

In yesterday's update I posted some of the speakers stats, but neglected to mention the stats concerning the ministers.   Ministers speaking in favor of the HERO have been running 2-1 over the anti-HERO ones, which is why you saw the anti-HERO councilmembers moving the hate ministers up the speakers lists to give the impression to the news cameras there's widespread opposition to the HERO's passage.

There isn't.  The opposition is being bussed in from the exurbs.   Even with all the loud and wrong African-American ministers speaking, public opinion is still running 85% in the Houston African-American community in favor of HERO passage, and many of our elected African-American officials support it.

My state Senator Rodney Ellis is one of them.    From the May 13 HERO press conference at City Hall.

   

In the previous video and in my testimony last Tuesday,  Senator Ellis and I both referenced the 1984 attempt to pass a sexual orientation only non discrimination law that was rolled back in a referendum.

Here's a DailyKos post discussing that series of H-town events 30 years ago, the 'Straight Slate', and Louie Welch's Shoot The Queers remark that cost him (thank God) the 1985 mayoral election against incumbent mayor Kathy Whitmire.

This Saturday a trans town hall concerning the HERO will be held at Grace Lutheran Church from 3-5 PM.  I'll pass out more details as the date gets closer for it and the final panelist list is firmed up..

As you probably suspected I'm one of the people who have been asked to participate.     

Where Will You Be On The 28th?

'A man who will not labor to gain his right is a man who would not, if he had them, prize and defend them' --Frederick Douglass

That quote came to mind during a conversation I was having with Meghan Stabler yesterday about this HERO fight.in which we talked about the optics and the importance of this fight, especially for the trans community. 

Meghan used to live inside Loop 610 before moving to North Texas, and while here she served as the President of the Pride Houston board.   She lamented during our conversation updating her about the HERO political situation that Pride Houston draws over 250,000 people to party and grab the trinkets  She wondered aloud how many of those people who will be attending Pride Events next month are involved in this fight for their H-town human rights, much less will show up at 901 Bagby Street.

I asked the same question about the peeps who attended the just concluded Houston Splash.   How many of them are involved, signed up to speak and ready to prize and fight for their human rights?

This is the human rights fight of our 21st century time.   This is the moment we've waited 30 years for in terms of taking Houston off that short list of cities that don't protect the human rights of their TBLG citizens.  

We are on the correct and moral side of the arc of the human rights universe and it's bending toward justice for us.  So what's stopping you from joining the fight to pass the HERO?   
 

For my trans brothers and sisters, it's even more important we show up and show out.  We Houston trans people have a long and proud history of struggle against oppression.   Whether it was Toni Mayes filing a successful lawsuit against HPD in 1975 to get them to stop harassing her,  Judge Phyllis Frye who helped kill the anti-crossdressing ordinance in 1980 among her many accomplishments as the Godmother of the Trans Rights Movement, the late Dee McKellar, Sarah DePalma, myself and Vanessa Edwards Foster being part of the team that founded NTAC,  we've been fighters not only for our own human rights but the human rights of the communities we intersect and interact with.  

And we have another generation stepping up to lead and build on our work.. 

So where will you be on the 28th?   I know where I'll be and I'd like you to be, but if you can't make it to City Hall, make those phone calls to city council members.   If you happen to hear people badmouthing the HERO as you're out and about in your daily Houston lives, correct the disinformation as I did on my bus ride yesterday by pointing out the HERO would expand their human rights.

And if you're not ready to tell your story in front of city council or one on one, you can at least wear red on that day to silently support it.