Getting Another Award From The Houston GLBT Caucus!

Yesterday afternoon I was having a particularly crappy day until I got a phone call from the new Houston GLBT Political Caucus president Jovon Tyler that had me singing Ice Cube's 'Today Was A Good Day' when it was over.

Jovon called to inform me that I was being honored with the 2020 Don Hrachovy Lifetime Achievement Award!

Who is Don Hrachovy?   He was the second president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus and Texas A&M Aggie alum who not only was a ten year member of the organization, but spent thousands of hours putting together that formidable 100,000 name database that has made the Houston GLBT Caucus one of the Big Four must get endorsements in Houston area liberal progressive politics.

That database Hrachovy created has paid dividends in helping endorsed Caucus candidates get elected and making the Caucus a formidable political force.  He was also one of the founders of Resurrection MCC and the second person to receive this award named for him in 1987. 

Before he died at age 37 from complications from AIDS on June 4, 1988, Hrachovy requested that the AIDS Quilt panel being designed for him be made to look like a voter registration card.   He served as the Caucus chair of membership and voter registration.

This is not the first time I've been honored by the Caucus.   Back in 2016 I received the John Paul Barnich Award from them at that year's Equality Brunch in recognition for the work I'd done to that point. 

But this one is huge.   The Hrachovy Life Achievement Award was last given out in 1995, and the list of people who have previously won it reads as a Who's Who list of iconic Houston TBLGQ leaders.

The award was first given out in 1986, with Cicely Wynne receiving the inaugural award.  Hrachovy received it in 1987   The other iconic Houston leaders who have received this award are Joe Thornton (1988)  Jack Valinski (1989), David Fowler (1990) , Pat Hall (1991)  Ray Hill (1992) Annise Parker (1993), Eugene Harrington (1994) and Jim Owens (1995) 

For some reason they stopped giving out the Hrachovy after 1995 at the Equality Brunch until Tyler and the Awards Committee revived it for this year. 

As you probably guessed, when I do receive it, I'll be making history once again.  I will become the  first Black and first Houston trans person of any ethnicity to win it .   The Caucus wasn't open to trans folks when it was founded, and it sadly took until 1999 to change that.policy.

A meeting my neophyte activist self  was sitting in the room for when the Caucus board voted to change it.

That's why despite us having some formidable trans leaders in the 713 like Toni Mayes, Phyllis Frye, Sarah DePalma, Dee McKellar, Vanessa Edwards Foster and Brenda Thomas who have done the work and whose shoulders I stand on, it's ironic and humbling that I will be the first trans person to receive this lifetime achievement award.

While I'm always focused on my goal of doing what I can to make, Houston, Texas, and the nation better than when I encountered it and haven't been concerned about getting awards for the work I do, it is nice and deeply appreciated when that work is recognized by your community.

I'll have to wait until the Equality Brunch happens on October 4 to receive it, but already clearing some space on my increasingly crowded awards shelf for it.

You Mad Because I Didn't Meet With You, Nick Hellyar? Stay Mad

The municipal political season is starting to heat up here in H-town with our November 5 election day rapidly approaching.

That also means that because many people in the Houston area respect my time in the movement and my political opinions as a social media influencer, candidates who are running for office believe that it is important to contact me and seek my endorsement. 

My political star has also been rising in the wake of the HCDP's JRR luncheon and the well received acceptance speech for the Barbara Jordan Breaking Barriers Award back in May.

The candidates that I endorse for local office will be announced in a TransGriot post I'll write before early voting in our municipal election starts on October 21.

We had a contentious GLBT Caucus endorsement meeting this past weekend in which I discovered during the debate for the Caucus' At Large 4 endorsement that candidate Nick Hellyar was talking shyt about me behind my back.   

In his words, Ana Andrea Molina, myself and Ashton Woods are in his words 'poor leaders' because we didn't take time out of  our busy schedules to meet with his vanillacentric privileged azz to discuss an endorsement.

And I have receipts in terms of how busy I have been.   This is just a snippet of some of the things I have done since April.  What was more important than spending my time with Nick Hellyar to discuss an endorsement? 

Let's see:

*Traveled to Minneapolis to participate in the Andrea Jenkins Lecture Series on the U of Minnesota campus

*Attending a rally for Muhlaysia Booker in Dallas    

*The 8th annual BTAC Conference April 23-28

*A Lambda Voices radio interview on KNON-FM in Dallas  

*A 9 AM press conference on April 29 in Austin urging passage of HB 1513 

*The HB 1513 hearing in Austin at 9 PM on April 29 
*Supporting Frankie Gonzales Wolfe's potentially historic council run in San Antonio on my May 4 birthday.  

*Being given the Barbara Jordan Breaking Barriers Award at the HCDP JRR Luncheon  

*Attending Muhlaysia Booker's wake and funeral  

*Interviews with CNN and other media outlets concerning anti-trans violence aimed at Black trans women  

*Lobbying the Texas Lege a total of six times this session  

*Marching in the Dallas Pride Parade with the BTAC and Dallas Black trans people contingent 

*Participating in the March For Black Trans Lives in Dallas 

*Being a Houston Pride honorary Grand Marshal  

*Being honored by Sara Ramirez on the Barclays Center stage with Ana Andrea Molina and Ashton P. Woods at NYC WorldPride opening ceremony  

*Taught during the 2019 TXTNS a seminar on Contemporary Texas Trans History 101 

*MCing A Black Trans Lives Matter rally in Austin 

          *Netroots Nation 2019 panel discussion in Philadelphia 

*BTAC board meeting and Leadership Institute in Dallas  

*Taping an ABC Nightline interview with Dee Dee Watters and Diamond Stylz 

*Writing my columns for OutSmart and my TransGriot blog posts

The At large 4 seats started drawing candidates from other crowded races because At Large 4 incumbent CM Amanda Edwards decided to run for the US Senate., 
The Caucus decided not to endorse anyone in the At large 4 race   Dr. Leticia Plummer also screened for it after switching from At Large 5, and I wish she could have gotten that endorsement. 

Christel Bastida, the candidate originally in the At Large 4 race (and a problematic one at that) didn't even bother to screen for it.   Hellyar only switched to At Large 4 after it became clear he wasn't getting any traction in this district.   It has two strong front runners in Shelley Kennedy and Abbie Kaman who are likely to be in a runoff.
Speaking of problematic candidates, the more I looked into Hellyar and talked to people about him, the more problematic stuff came out, including his controversial turn as GLBT caucus president.  

Questions about whether he actually lived in District C, which was the position he was running for before filing for At Large 4 came up, in addition to his condescending answers at a Pride Forum focused on council candidates 

It also came to my attention that trans folks are not part of his vision for HERO 2.0 either. 

So be mad and stay mad that I haven't met with you.   And news flash, when I endorse in At Large 4, chances are very high you won't be getting the TransGriot thumbs up.

 

Why I'm Endorsing Mike Webb For Reelection As Houston GLBT Caucus President

This month's Houston GLBT Caucus meeting is one in which we will be electing officers and board members for new terms. 

Mike Webb is only the third Black president ever of the Houston GLBT Caucus, but in his first term accomplished much.

*The Caucus raised over $100,000 this year, and ALL the funds went toward helping elect our endorsed candidates.
*We had more visibility on TV and radio than ever before.
*We had the largest endorsement card that reached more people throughout Harris County and beyond in Caucus history.
* A very inspiring new batch of volunteers and equality supporters joined our coalition, which helped us mobilize over 270 voters to the polls with our new Pride2ThePolls initiative.

All of this was accomplished through inclusive leadership and coalition building with diverse partners. Now let’s make 2019 our best year yet!

I was asked by Mike in February 2018 to help lead a Caucus initiative in which myself and my team members helped broker a deal between the Caucus and the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston and Vicinity.   That team helped clear up some misunderstandings between both groups, got an apology from them for their actions during the HERO fight, and set the stage for future meetings and cooperative ventures with them..

Mike also worked for state senator (now Congresswoman) Sylvia Garcia during the 2017 session and currently works for Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis.   Translation: They (Mike uses gender neutral pronouns) have the legislative experience we will need as a community and the organization will need at the state, county and local level to advance our community's policy agenda.  

With a Houston municipal election coming up, and a 2019 Texas Legislative session commencing on January 8, why throw out proven leadership for someone who will have to learn the job on the fly? 

These are just a few of the reasons why I'm endorsing Mike Webb for another term as the president of the Houston GLBT caucus< and why I will be casting my vote for him later this evening. 

He has proven he can lead this organization, so why not stay the leadership course?   
.  . 
Here's hoping they are reelected to the Caucus presidency again later tonight!

2018 Houston GLBT Caucus Equality Brunch Award Honorees

The 9th Annual Equality Bruch will be taking place later this month to not only raise funds for the Houston GLBT Caucus, it will also honor some our local advocates and accomplices in our TBLGQ rights struggle.

I was honored by the Caucus with the John Paul Barnich Award in 2016, and now the Caucus has released the names of the persons that will be honored at the upcoming edition of the Equality  Brunch in the Hotel Zaza's Grand Ballroom.

Since I mentioned it, I'll start by announcing the winner of the John Paul Barnich award for 2018. 

The Barnich Award goes to the person whose work is rooted in justice for the LGBTQ+ community, and this year it goes to Ana Andrea Molina.

The Eleanor Tinsley Award for distinguished community ally goes to Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen 

The Don Hrachovy Award for distinguished Caucus member goes to Jim Taylor. 

The Kristen Capps Award for social conscience (and well deserved) goes to Kandice Webber. 

The President's Award for distinguished community leadership goes to Parker Sheffy

The Tony and Bruce Award for distinguished philanthropic leadership goes to Legacy Community Health 

The Tim Brookover Award for lifetime achievement goes to Bill Baldwin.

The Equality Brunch will take place on September 30 from 12:00 noon to 2 PM at Hotel Zaza, located at 5701 Main Street near Hermann Park.  Tickets are going fast for it, so if you wish to attend, you may wish to get busy securing those seats or tables before they sell out. 

My Thoughts On The Houston GLBT Caucus-Baptist Ministers Assn. Initiative

People are weighing in on the what WAS a quiet effort to talk to the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston and Vicinity and the GLBT Caucus.

As one of the people considered a major unapologetically Black trans leader in the Houston, Texas and national TBLGQ community, I have also been asked my thoughts about this from multiple people including political candidates, members of the Caucus, and other thought leaders.

So here's what I have to say about it

You know from perusing this blog that I not only have been a vocal critic of the Baptist Ministers Assn, I was not in 2014-15 happy with them colluding with the Harris County GOP and our longtime assorted haters in Dave Welch, Dave Wilson and Steven Hotze.

And Moni STILL isn't happy with them and the rampant miseducation about the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance they helped grease the skids for that was critical in how it was framed and why it was rejected in the Houston Black community . 

But I also have been just as critical about the piss poor effort of Houston Unites and their Prop 8 2.0 campaign that spectacularly failed to educate about and defend the much needed ordinance in my community in large part because of the failure to listen to Houston Black TBLGQ leaders.

In order for us to pass and successfully defend a HERO 2.0 ordinance, you not only need to listen to Houston Black TBLGQ leaders, we are going to have to deal with the Baptist Ministers Assn and also the just as odious to me COGIC PAC. 

I also have some ideas about what else needs to happen, but it's going to cost you to hear what they are.  Y'all in the market for hiring experienced Black trans leaders, equality orgs?  It's kinda obvious we're needed and necessary to advance equity in this human rights movement, and not just equality.

We cannot allow Houston Black voters to ever again be hoodwinked and bamboozled into voting against a local human rights law that protects them in the Bayou City.   Neither can we tolerate sellout Black folks who collude with the Harris County and Texas Republican Party and white fundamentalists to make that miseducation happen.

It is past time for a 'Come to Jesus' Houston Black community meeting with those groups.  This is a family conversation that Houston Black trans, bi and SGL leaders need to facilitate because we need to and KNOW HOW to talk to our people. 

And as a member of Black Lives Matter HOU, I'm confident that we can successfully along with POC Caucus leaders and other Houston Black community leaders have that conversation.  Both groups are coming to the table with the common points of our Blackness and being sick of the narrative we are 'more homophobic and transphobic' than the white folks who draw high five figure paychecks working in anti-TBLGQ orgs , the white fundies ministers that get their jollies hating us, and support a Republican Party dedicated to oppressing us. 

Just before the January 2018 Caucus meeting, Mike Webb pulled me aside and asked if they could talk to me about an initiative that was being worked on.  I now know because of the drama this was the initiative they were talking about. 

I'm also not happy about the conclusion jumps being made in the article that the trans community is 'being thrown under the bus' and that Houston Black SGL leaders expressing their opinions about this situation informed by their Blackness and political knowledge of our Houston Black community and the players in it is 'cisplaining'.

Really?   Don't even insult my intelligence with that BS. 

This initiative is a Houston Black family conversation that once again, we need to and must have.  That means Houston white TBLGQ community, y'all are going to have to sit on the sidelines for this one until if and when we call for you.

It is an initiative that I definitely agree needs to have Houston Black trans representation at the table since we were the people attacked by the inflammatory anti-trans rhetoric.  Because of that anti-trans hate speech, Black trans people have undeniably taken the brunt of the anti-trans violence uptick that resulted from that 2015 campaign, the GOP efforts to pass anti- trans 'bathroom bills'  and the anti-trans rhetoric surrounding the failed dual attempts to pass SB 6.

So would I talk to a group that as you know I'm seriously pissed off at?  I sure would.   I definitely wouldn't mind talking to Max Miller, FN Williams and whoever else is leading the Baptist Ministers Assn of Houston and Vicinity as long as that apology to the trans community happens

The ministers need to know from a living breathing Houston Black trans person we not only exist, that their collusion with our longtime enemies was hurtful to Houston's trans community.

The Black ministerial collusion was harmful specifically to the Houston Black trans contingent of it, and the Baptist Ministers Assn of Houston and Vicinity need to as a starting point publicly apologize to us for their reprehensible actions to the Houston Black trans community.

And the Houston Black TBLGQ community will have a major say in how and what that looks like.

2018 GLBT Caucus Endorsement Meeting

As a proud member of the Houston GLBT Caucus, spent the day at the 2018 Houston GLBT Caucus Endorsement Meeting that started at 11 AM CSI and ended at 5 PM.

It was a packed house at St Stephen's Episcopal Church for much of the day as candidates were there to compete for one of the Houston Big Four political endorsements for liberal-progressive candidates. 

It was contentious at times, and some results i questioned along with others in the room,  but in the end the Caucus  endorsement process worked.

Congrats to the folks who received their endorsement! .

Democratic Primary

U.S. Senator - Beto O’Rourke
U.S. Congressional District #2 - Todd Litton
U.S. Congressional District #7 - No endorsement
U.S. Congressional District #10 - Madeline K. Eden
U.S. Congressional District #14 - Adrienne Bell
U.S. Congressional District #18 - Sheila Jackson Lee
U.S. Congressional District #22 - Sri Preston Kulkarni
U.S. Congressional District #29 - Sylvia R. Garcia
U.S. Congressional District #36 - Dayna Steele
Governor - Andrew White
Lieutenant Governor - Mike Collier
GLO Commissioner - Tex Morgan
State Board of Education #4 - Steven A. Chambers
TX State Senate #15 - John Whitmire
TX State Senate #17 - Fran Watson
TX State House #27 - Ron Reynolds
TX State House #28 - Meghan Scoggins
TX State House #29 - Dylan Forbis
TX State House #126 - Natali Hurtado
TX State House #133 - Sandra G. Moore
TX State House #134 - Allison Sawyer
TX State House #138 - Adam Milasincic
TX State House #139 - Randy Bates
TX State House #142 - Harold V. Dutton Jr.
TX State House #146 - Shawn Nicole Thierry
TX State House #147 - Garnet Coleman
TX 14th Court of Appeals, #3 - Jerry Zimmerer
TX 14th Court of Appeals, #8 - Margaret “Meg” Poissant
55th Civil District Court - Paul Simon
113th Civil District Court - Rabeea Collier
185th Civil District Court - Jason Luong
188th Civil District Court - Scot “Dolli” Dollinger
234th Civil District Court - Lauren Reeder
269th Civil District Court - Cory Sepolio
281st Civil District Court - George Arnold
246th Family District Court - Angela Graves-Harrington
280th Family District Court - Barbara J. Stalder
309th Family District Court - Linda Marie Dunson
313th Family District Court - Natalia Oakes
County Criminal Court #2 - Harold J. Landreneau
County Criminal Court #5 - David M. Fleischer
County Criminal Court #7 - Andrew A. Wright
County Criminal Court #11 - Gus Saper
County Criminal Court #12 - Juan J. Aguirre
County Criminal Court #13 - Raul Rodriguez
County Criminal Court #15 - Kris Ougrah
County Probate Court #2 - Jim L. Peacock
County Probate Court #4 - Michael Galligan
County Civil Court at Law #2 - Jim Kovach
Harris County District Clerk - Marilyn Burgess
Harris County Clerk - Diane Trautman
County Treasurer - Dylan Osborne
Harris County Commissioner #2 - Adrian Garcia
Harris County Commissioner #4 - Penny Shaw
Harris County Justice of the Peace Pr 3, #2 - Don Coffey
Harris County Justice of the Peace Pr 7, #2 - Audrie Lawton
County School Trustee At Large #3 - Elvonte Patton
County School Trustee Pos 6, Pct 1 - Danyahel (Danny) Norris

Republican Primary

U.S. Senator - Mary Miller

Now go handle your business and vote for them in the upcoming Texas primary elections February 20-March 2 (Early Voting) or on March 6  (Election Day) 

Congratulations To New Caucus Prez Mike Webb!

It was a packed January meeting for the Houston GLBT Caucus to start this 2018 political season which had a dual purpose tonight.

In addition to the many Houston area candidates seeking the prized Caucus endorsements in their state legislative, congressional and state judicial races, the Caucus membership was also meeting to elect a new president and board.

A long list of speakers that snaked around the Montrose Center room took turns getting one minute to explain why they were seeking the Caucus endorsements for their various races.

One candidate I was shocked to see walk through that door was Demetria Smith.  She had a failed run for the District D council seat in 2013 and for Houston mayor in 2015.  She's now running for the Democratic nomination for Texas governor.. 

She was also a transphobic HERO opponent during that failed 2015 mayoral run, but was allowed to come to the mic and address the crowd.  She had a meltdown after her time expired and is now trying to claim she was 'excluded' from the event.

Did Demetria Smith really think the Houston TBLGQ community would forget she opposed HERO and dissed the trans community while doing so? 

Naw boo boo kitty, we didn't.   And Moni is an unapologetic part of the trans community you dissed to oppose HERO.  I damned sure haven't forgotten who my enemies are from the 2015 HERO repeal fight.

Smith had the nerve to come ask for the Houston GLBT Caucus endorsement tonight in her doomed Democratic governor's primary race, and act a fool when her one minute ran out with a line of speakers snaking around the crowded room patiently waiting their turn to do so. 

FYI- 25% of the vote in a Texas statewide election comes from the Houston area.   The other fact is that if you're seeking to win a Democratic primary, the endorsement of the Houston GLBT Caucus (of which I am a member BTW) is a major Houston area political step towards making that happen. 

So have several sections of seats at Toyota Center.  I didn't forget you were anti-HERO and you hated on the Houston trans community while doing so.  And yeah, she's a SUF award nominee.

But back to the post.   Once the speeches were over, it was on to the main business of the night.

Caucus VP Mike Webb was elected as the organization's new president to succeed Frances Valdez,it's first ever Latina one.   Valdez decided not to seek a full term of her own, and was finishing the remainder of Fran Watson's term after she resigned to run for the Texas Senate.

Congrats Mike!  The Caucus leaders once again is in good hands.

Houston GLBT Caucus 9th Annual Equality Brunch

Last year it was yours truly being honored at the Houston GLBT Caucus Equality Brunch.   This time I got to sit back yesterday in the audience as a guest of Texas state Sen. Sylvia Garcia for this year's 9th annual edition of the Equality Brunch held yesterday at the Hotel ZaZa overlooking Hermann Park.

The Equality Brunch is a fundraising event for the Caucus, which is considered the oldest  TBLGQ political organization in the South.     

As part of the Brunch, awards are given to community heroes and sheroes

We were also thrilled to have Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner in attendance and giving some brief remarks before he left to attend another event.

Our previous Mayor Annise Parker was also in attendance along with CM Robert Gallegos, Judge Stephen Kirkland, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and a long list of political candidates, advocates and supporters in the sold out venue.

The spectacular view from the 11th floor of the hotel was a bonus.

Sen. Garcia was there to receive the Eleanor Tinsley Award, which goes to an ally of our community.  She was definitely that with all her hard work to help us kill SB 6. 

The John Paul Barnich Award that I received last year went to Kevin Anderson,  The Don Hrachovy Award to Kris Banks , and the new Kristen Capps Award to Alan Dettlaff.

The Houston trans and gender diverse community was well represented this year.   In addition to the Tony and Bruce Award going to Gender Infinity co-founders Becca and Colt Keo-Meier,

Gender Infinity's two day conference will once again take place at the University of Houston October 13-14.

The President's Award was given to a longtime trans advocate in Atlantis Narcisse.

She's been active for 20 years in our Houston trans community, but has been in the background doing her work as she supports more visible folks like myself,  Dee Dee Watters and Kaleb Elijah. 

It was well deserved sis, and congrats on receiving it.

Congrats indeed to all the members of the 2017 Class of Caucus Equality Brunch Award recipients, and thanks for everything you do to make our community, Houston and our state better.   

The Houston GLBT Caucus Goes To Austin

The Texas Legislature is in session, and those of us whose human rights are being targeted by our GOP majority are making sure they know we're watching what transpires in this legislative session.

At 6 AM CDT this morning the Houston GLBT Caucus along with their partner organizations United We Dream, the Transgender Foundation of America, Women and Allies,  the Iota Chapter of Delta Phi Upsilon, the TransAdvocate, the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and the Montrose Center got on the bus and headed to Austin.

They are there as you read this to talk about SB 6 and other unjust laws that impact our diverse state and the city of Houston such as racial justice, immigration, economic equity and LGBTQ equality.

They plan to be at the capitol until 7 PM and then head back to Houston.

Best of luck while you're up there and hope that you get to talk to as many of our legislators and state senators as possible.

Houston LGBT Legislative Community Forum On December 14

In the 2015 Texas Legislative session we faced 24 anti-TBLGQ bills, with four of them specifically targeting the Texas trans community.   People outside our state thought we had zero chance of stopping those bills but we proved them wrong.  

We rolled up our sleeves, got to work and thanks to a collaborative community effort all those unjust bills failed to pass.

In a few weeks the Texas Legislature will be gaveled into session in Austin, and we will once again face a renewed anti-TBLGQ legislative assault from January until June from our Texas Republican majority seeking to pass unjust bills aimed at our community into oppressive laws.

That's why on December 14 the Houston LGBT Caucus and Legacy Health Services are cosponsoring a LGBT Legislative Community Forum.

The forum will feature our state legislators discussing their thoughts about the issues that affect out TBLGQ community, discuss what we can do as a community and at the grassroots level in terms of fighting this unjust hate legislation, and discuss what you can do to help kill the bad bills and advance the positive legislation.

The LGBT Legislative Community Forum will take place from 6:30- 8:30 PM and will take place at the Council on Recovery-Houston building.  The address is 303 Jackson Hill St in Houston, and the zip is 77007.

If you have questions about what needs to happen in Austin starting in January to protect our human rights, this is the forum you need to attend to ask those questions.

Hope to see you at this important community event.

Moni's At The Equality Brunch 2016

I know I wrote about it on Sunday, but wanted to post more pics from the 8th annual Equality Brunch.  And yes, I was still shaking off the jet lag when I walked into the venue.

In addition to this being a fundraising event for the Houston LGBT Caucus, I was one of several people being honored with awards.  It gave me an opportunity to break bread with and spend some quality time hanging out with my Houston liberal-progressive community family.

We had a few of our Houston political peeps there like CM Robert Gallegos and CM Mike Laster, TX state Senator Sylvia Garcia, Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen, Judge Maria T. Jackson, former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia and candidates for various offices in the room like Harris County DA candidate Kim Ogg, Harris County Sheriff candidate and former CM Ed Gonzales, judicial candidate Ramona Franklin and Harris County Commissioner's Court candidate Jenifer Rene Pool.

This year I became the second out trans person to receive the John Paul Barnich Award, and I thank the Caucus for honoring me with this award named for a trailblazing member of our Houston LGBT community.

The other awards presented on Sunday and the deserving folks who received them were:

Eleanor Tinsley Award
Erika Richie

Don Hrachovy Award
Maria Gonzalez

President's Award
Melanie Espinosa Pang

Tim Brookover Award
Greg Jeu

The Tony and Bruce Award
Bruce Smith

The 2016 class of Equality Brunch honorees were also surprised by a presentation from Audrey Natividad with Congressional Recognition Certificates signed by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee  (D-TX).

It was a wonderful event across the board.  Capacity crowd, amazing venue, delicious food, and most importantly, the fundraising target of $10,000 was hit.   That money will help get those Caucus endorsement cards out in time for early voting that's starting on October 24.

This year's edition of the Equality Brunch set the bar high for future ones, and enjoyed being there for it.

8th Annual Houston LGBT Caucus Equality Brunch

The reason I left Louisville yesterday a little sooner than i would have liked is because I had this event on my calendar for today in the 8th Annual Houston LGBT Caucus Equality Brunch.

In addition to having it at the fabulous La Colombe d'Or Hotel in the Montrose gayborhood, this brunch that started at 11 AM is a fundraiser for the Caucus.   It's also an event in which several Houstonians including a certain activist blogger y'all know were honored with awards for our efforts to make Houston a better place to live.

Was great after shaking off my jet lag and being in the house for it, hearing the remarks of Rev. Lura Groen, Caucus President Fran Watson, Caucus Vice President Mike Webb and my fellow honorees.

And yes, I'm now the second trans Houstonian to win the John Paul Barnich Award.  Thanks for this honor Houston LGBT Caucus.

We were also given certificates presented by Audrey Natividad denoting congressional recognition for our work in various fields to make Houston better thanks to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)

It was an amazing event, and congrats to everyone who attended, gave money to the Caucus to help facilitate their work, and helped put it together.

It was also wonderful to get to see all the elected officials in the room and hopefully soon to be after November 8 elected officials in Houston and Harris County.

I'm The Caucus' 2016 John Paul Barnich Award Winner!

I don't do what I do activism wise just for awards, it's to help advance human rights for all.  But it definitely is nice when people think so highly of your work and what you do that you get nominated for them, and occasionally win a few.

 It's even nicer when the people in your hometown recognize and value your work on their behalf.

The Houston GLBT Caucus, one of the oldest TBLGQ organizations in the southern US, has for the last several years hosted their Equality Brunch at various locations around the city.  

It is a fundraiser for the organization that we in the Houston LGBTQ community and our allies get to break bread, spend quality time with each other and share a delicious meal.

At the Equality Brunch there are several awards given out by the Houston LGBT Caucus to honor members of our community.  Those awards are the Eleanor Tinsley Award, which goes to a distinguished community ally, the Don Hrachovy Award for the most distinguished LGBT Caucus member, the Presidents Award for distinguished Houston community leadership, the John Paul Barnich Award for justice for the LGBT community, and the Tim Brookover Award for lifetime achievement.

This will be the 8th annual edition of the Equality Brunch, and it is being held deep in the heart of the Montrose gayborhood this year at the La Colombe d'Or Hotel's Grand Salon

I'm pleased and proud to announce that when this 8th annual edition is held next month, I will be receiving the 2016 John Paul Barnich Award!

Judge John Paul Barnich was an attorney and a trailblazing leader in our community who was the first openly gay person appointed to become a municipal judge here and in the state of Texas.

He received that historic appointment from Mayor Lee Brown in 1999, and served on the municipal bench until illness forced him to resign in October 2007.   Barnich was also chairman of the Houston AIDS Foundation board, and created in partnership with the FBI the criminal justice program at Waltrip High School that evolved to become HISD's High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice

He passed away at age 63 from diabetes complications in 2009.

There have been some amazing people and advocates in our Houston community who have preceded me in receiving this award like John Nechman (2010), Noel Freeman (2014) and Brad Pritchett (2015).

I'm not the first trans Houstonian to win the John Paul Barnich Award.  Lou Weaver won it in 2013, and I'm honored to be joining the distinguished ranks of the winners of this award.

Thank you to the LGBT Caucus for bestowing me with this honor, and for those of you who will be attending the Equality Brunch, see y'all at La Colombe d'Or on September 25.

Happy Fran Watson Day!

Many of us were not aware of it, but today Houston GLBT Caucus president Fran Watson was given another honor in what has started out to be an amazing year for her.

In addition to her historic election as the first African-American female president in the history of the Caucus, today she received at her inauguration celebration event a gavel from Texas state Senator John Whitmire (D) and a city of Houston proclamation signed by Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) and presented to her by Councilmember Robert Gallegos declaring today as Fran Watson Day!

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Whereas, founded in 1975, the Houston GLBT Political Caucus is one of the oldest LGBT civil rights organizations in the south. The Houston GLBT Political Caucus continues to be the City of Houston's primary organization working to advance equality for all LGBT Houstonians and,

Whereas, the Houston GLBT Political Caucus has been led by 30 past presidents. The election of Fran Watson as president marks the first election of an African American woman; and,

Whereas, Fran Watson has distinguished herself in the struggle for equal rights for all people through her tireless advocacy efforts organizing around LGBT equality, supporting homeless LGBT youth, working to combat the mistreatment of people of color through the Black Lives Matter movement, organizing to protect the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance and engaging communities of faith in support of social justice; and,

Whereas, on January 27, 2016, Fran Watson will be honored for her commitment to the advancement of LGBT Houstonians. The City of Houston commends Fran Watson and extends best wishes for her continued success.

Therefore, I, Sylvester Turner, Mayor of the City of Houston, hereby proclaim January 27, 2016, as Fran Watson Day in Houston, Texas.

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Congratulations, Fran!  Hope this is just the first of many well deserved honors you receive as one of our trailblazing community leaders I have mad love, respect and admiration for.

Happy Fran Watson Day!