What's Nikki Araguz Loyd Up To? Running Nectar

You know that some of my archived posts track the progress of Nikki Araguz Loyd's landmark marriage case that overturned Littleton v Prange and established the marriage rights for trans Texans

Since that Araguz v. Delgado case successfully concluded, she has been busy selling her husband William Loyd's amazing artwork, being a mom, doing some trans advocacy work of interest to her and most recently the PTA president , 

Nikki is now flexing her entrepreneurial talents in running Nectar.

So what's Nectar?   It's a cafe that serve delicious waffles, baked goods, nitrogen infused cold brew coffee and nitrogen infused ice cream in the Humble- FM 1960 area.

Nectar features a full traditional coffee bar including nitro cold brew on tap, nitro ice cream as well as nitro infused sweet and savory treats whimsically referred to as dragon's breath. The center of the café is a full waffle bar including their signature gluten free Nectar waffle reminiscent of a Brazilian cheese bread,  They also serve traditional waffles topped with items like BBQ beef, air fried chicken and for you adventurous foodies, escargot.

The nitrogen infused ice cream comes in 45 flavors and looking forward to checking it out along with some of the other offerings on Nectar's menu.   Nectar's interior is also decorated with William Loyd's  amazing artwork

Nectar's Grand Opening happened back on December 2, and so far the unique to the area family friendly cafe is receiving positive reviews..

Nectar is located at 7576 FM 1960 E in Humble, TX.   Will and Nikki would love to have you stop by and check out what they have to offer. .

The Houston Trans Community Fights Back

After spending a few days venting about the results of the HERO vote, now that we H-town trans people have gotten the venting about it out of the way, comes the time for turning this lemon situation into lemonade.

Saturday members of the Houston based Transgender National Alliance and our allies stood at the busy corner of Montrose Blvd and Westheimer Rd in the heart of the gayborhood for a rally to combat the anti-trans negativity stirred up by the HERO haters.

Yesterday at the Montrose Center another event was organized by Dee Dee Watters in which I participated in along with Melissa Murry and Veronika Simms.  The goal of the event was to begin the process of getting our diverse trans community and our allies some common media talking points about our trans lives to use if they find themselves being asked to do media interviews as I and other local trans leaders have found ourselves doing in the last few days.

This event also included some practice using the new talking points in mock interviews, and won't be the only time we do this.  It will be an ongoing thing.

Speaking of upcoming events, we also have an upcoming one at MSociety in which we will have a Trans 101 conversation with people from the Black SGL community.  

The same conversations will also be conducted in other sectors of the Houston LGB community as well since we were disheartened to learn that some of our LG allies also drank the right wing potty Kool Aid and voted against the HERO.

So yes, we suffered a disappointing defeat in which we trans folks were gleefully slimed and demonized at every turn by our opponents.  But we Houston trans folks are a resilient bunch, and far from silently acquiescing to what happened November 3, we are gearing up to fight back because resistance to transphobia is not futile.

We are taking heart in a quote by the Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr to guide our future big picture efforts as we fight back from the punch our right wing opponents threw.

"Right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."

We are on the right side of history, and we will prevail.  We just have to work harder than the Forces of Intolerance to make that day happen here in H-town.

,

Moni's Thoughts On The 35th Anniversary Of The Houston Anti-Crossdressing Ordinance Repeal

I, wanted to post this on the anniversary date, but with all the breaking news that week, slipped my mind I needed to finish my thoughts about what this August 12, 1980 anniversary date meant to me as a trans Houstonian who graduated from high school three months before the odious ordinance died 

This ordinance was hated not only by the Houston trans community but by the Houston lesbian community and the drag community as well.

Little did I know that when I stepped outside dressed as moi in June 1980, anytime I stepped inside Studio 13 and sat in the audience watching a show or was just hanging out in Montrose en femme prior to that date, I was violating Section 28-42.4 of the city’s Code of Ordinances, AKA the Houston Anti-Crossdressing Ordinance that was the harassment weapon of choice for HPD their aimed at the Houston TBLG community at the time.

I'd seen Anne Mayes and coverage of her fight in the early 70's to not be harassed by Herman Short's HPD oppressors on the local news, and it was my first inkling that there was a name for what I was feeling at the time as a pre-teenager. 

Anne after her genital surgery and a 1978 Houston Chronicle interview dropped out of sight in the Houston trans community.  I wish I could tell her thank you for standing up for me and future generations of trans Houstonians who received the blessing of not knowing what it was like to go to jail for simply wanting to put on the clothes that matched who we are as people.

I would also love to talk to her simply to get a taste of what the late 60's- early 70's were like for trans historical purposes.

I wouldn't meet Judge Phyllis Frye until a decade and a half later, but she at that time had been working for three and a half years to kill that ordinance to make it easier for hers, mine and future generations of trans Houstonians to be able to walk the streets without being messed with by HPD.

I also wasn't aware of it until much later that our paths crossed while I was a UH freshman and she was at the UH law school working on her law degree. 

When she accomplished that on August 12, 1980 I was still working on my census enumerator summer job and wasn't aware that the lobbying work she was doing at City Hall would have such a ginormous impact.

It's also fitting to revisit this seeing that we have an ongoing attempt by a transphobe to inject anti-trans hatred into our city charter.

So Houston trans younglings, the next time y'all go out, you drag artists get or stage, or you lesbians decide you wish to wear a pair of jeans while out and about, say thank you to Phyllis, Anne and Rita Wanstrom   who enabled you to do so.

Goodbye Marie Angel!

A few years ago I met this amazing and beautiful young Latina woman during a local event not long after I moved back to Houston from Louisville.

I watched her tell her story about growing up in Honduras as a young trans feminine woman who moved to the US to get her education and make her dreams come true, I was also impressed by her intellect. 

As I've gotten to know Marie Angel, I'm also been impressed by her determination and drive as she strove to balance her collegiate studies with her work and personal life.

She managed to at times add a little advocacy into her life equation.  She was part of the effort on the University of Houston Downtown campus to get gender neutral restrooms there last year, and was invaluable in explaining the issue to our local Spanish language media.

 I've also had the pleasure of doing a few panels at local schools here since that initial meeting, including last month's one of the TSU campus.   I've also had the pleasure of having some long conversations with her at times about a host of other issues.

Was experiencing mixed emotions when Marie told me after that TSU panel that she was now engaged, and will be getting married.  

While that is wonderful news and I'm deliriously happy for her. the bad news part of it is the man who was smart enough to put a ring on her finger lives in California, and she's moving there to be with him.

Thursday was the last day she spent here in H-town, and she's packed up the car and pointed it west toward California and a new chapter in her life.   While I'm going to miss being able to see her from time to time, I'm also happy that she has found someone to share her life with, even if it is on the West Coast.

Goodbye, Marie Angel!    All of us who love you in Houston will miss you, but wish you the best of luck and safe travels as you begin this new adventure and a new life

Sunday Houston Trans* Political Forum Conversation

2015 is a city election year for Houston, and in addition to the increasingly crowded field we'll have to select our next mayor, we'll also have some contested at large city council seats and the controllers race on our November 4 ballot.

One thing we don't want on it is a HERO repeal, but that's up to the judge handling the case.

Yesterday at the home of Nikki Araguz Loyd the first of several Trans Political Forum conversations took place.

The idea behind it is to have politicians talk to the trans community about issues of importance to trans Houstonians.

The inaugural conversation was with Jenifer Rene Pool, who is making her third run for council in the At Large Position 1 race.

In this two hour event she fielded questions from trans Houstonians, the TransGriot and our allies about issues ranging from education to streamlining our city government permit process to expanding rail to both airports.

And yes, HERO and the discredited bathroom meme was also discussed.

Pool also discussed the importance of the trans community getting mobilized, engaged and replicating that enthusiasm and energy we put into Annise Parker's first at large city council run in 1997.

Personally, I'd love to see the Houston trans community elect one of our own to sit in one of those nice leather chairs in City Hall, but that isn't up to me.

The voters of the city of Houston will have that final say in who sits in that At Large Position 1 seat, and if the Houston trans community wants th person taking the oath of office next January in the Wortham Center to be Jenifer, then we;ll have to bust our butt to make it happen, and show up to vote for her on November 4.

Nikki Araguz Loyd who hosted the event, stated to me that there will be more of these conversations with various candidates during the 2015 election cycle, and they are in discussions with at least two to replicate this informative enjoyable conversation.

Looking forward to finding out who that next candiate for Houston public office will be.

Trans* Political Forum Today

Speaking of events to check out, Moni chatting with Houston City Council candidates continues as I head to an event starting at 2 PM being hosted by Nikki Araguz Loyd.

It's the first of a series of candidate political forums in which the Houston trans community will get to talk to candidates about issues and concerns of importance to our community like housing , unemployment, HERO, and the latest attempt by Dave Wilson to enshrine anti-trans discrimination into our city charter.

To kick this series off, the first one will involve the only declared trans candidate running for public office in this 2015 city election cycle in Jenifer Rene Pool.

Jenifer is running for the city Council at large Position 1 seat against some formidable competition, and will be interesting to hear he take of local political developments.

Ben Hall Doesn't Deserve The Houston TBLGQ Community Vote

2015 is a civic election year in Houston, and while the real political campaign action won't get started in earnest until after Labor Day, there is already jockeying going on to see who will replace the term limited Mayor Annise Parker.

One of the people running for mayor is the guy she beat in 2013 to get that final term in former city attorney Ben Hall.   He's running again, and trying to position himself as someone that appeals to moderate voters, but don't let that act fool you.

Ben Hall has transphobic and homophobic tendencies, and I'm about to break it down why Houston trans/ SGL and LGBTQ peeps not only shouldn't give their precious cash, support or money to a Hall campaign, but make certain he NEVER takes the oath of office in the Wortham Center in 2016.

Ben Hall said in a Harris County Democratic candidate questionnaires during the 2013 election cycle that he would support what later became the HERO, then reneged on that.  

He refused to interview with the Houston Stonewall Democrats and the Houston LGBT Caucus for their mayoral candidate forums, then reached for the homophobia and transphobia in the late stages of the 2013 campaign when he couldn't make a dent in Mayor Parker's double digit lead.

He not only said he would if elected repeal Executive Order 150 that protects trans people in Houston city employment, but reached for the transphobia and homophobia when he appeared on the KUHF-FM show Houston Matters, was interviewed by a moderator before taking questions from callers.

When a homophobic man called in to announce indignation towards the Mayor for offering protections to Houston transgender people, Hall joined in on the transphobic party by announcing that in his opinion, it was unacceptable for transgendered people who are “anatomically another gender” to be treated as anything but the anatomical gender.  

He doubled down on the anti-TBLGQ prejudice by fully opposing a non-discrimination ordinance, calling homosexuality a “lifestyle choice.”

Well Ben, I not only haven't forgotten what you said to me at that 2013 northside mayoral campaign event when you straight up told me to my face you opposed me and other Houston bi, SGL and trans folks having the same human rights coverage as other Houstonians, I haven't forgotten you opposed the HERO.

Neither have I forgotten the transphobic comment you aimed at me and other trans Houstonians on that KUHF-FM radio broadcast.

Transgender and SGL Houstonians also live, work, play inside the Houston city limits and deserve to have their human rights respected and protected.

I have a long memory when it comes to people who oppress me, and I vote.   Even better, I have a blog that will remind BTLGQ Houstonians and our allies from now until Election Day on November 3 why you don't deserve to be the next mayor of Houston and encourage them to vote for candidates that will defend and implement the HERO.

You ain't that candidate, Piney Point Ben.

First Annual Transgender Outreach Service At The POD

The Progressive Open Door Christian Center during this TDOR 2014  season has really stepped up under the leadership of Deaconess Dee Dee Watters its advocacy for the trans community of Houston.

Dee Dee was one of the peeps that helped push for the passage of the HERO, and the POD and Pastor Freedom Gulley was one of the progressive congregations and ministers speaking in favor of the passage of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.

In addition to hosting a well attended Wednesday TDOR service for the second consecutive year, it also hosted  it's first annual Transgender Outreach Service that featured the Rev. Carmarion Anderson and Rev. Raymond Walker III.

I was happy to be there in attendance for yesterday's  service along with other members of the local trans community and our allies, and hope it grows next year.

In addition, at this Transgender Outreach Service that featured the trans reverends speaking and the trans deacon and deaconess of the POD, a resolution  was read at the service that not only declared the POD as a safe worship space for the Houston trans community, they committed their church to being an inclusive and outspoken advocate for the Houston trans community and the trans human rights movement and deplored the acts of anti-trans violence aimed at us.. 

It also committed the POD to having this trans outreach service every year at this time.  I will post the language to the declaration when I receive it so you can do the same for your faith community.

But it is nice to know that at least one Black church in the Houston metro area has stepped up to say boldly that trans people are children of God who are part of our kente cloth community.

The POD in its message of radical inclusiveness is also boldly proclaiming they will have no problem saying it to their fellow Christians who seriously need to hear that message.

Because like many of us in the Houston trans community, I'm tired of the current status quo of either trans hate speech or silence from the pulpit on trans human rights issues that far too many congregations get from their pastors these days.

22nd Annual Houston Unity Banquet Happening Next Month

It's been an amazing year for Houston transkind with the passage of the gender identity inclusive HERO that many of us in the Houston trans ranks fought hard to make it happen.

Normally this event happens in April, but considering we were majorly committed to pushing for HERO passage, it was probably a good thing that the Houston Transgender Unity Banquet was postponed.

The 22nd annual edition of the HTUC Unity Banquet emceed once again by Trystan Reece will take place at the Sheraton Brookhollow's Grand Ballroom, located at 3000 North Loop West.   The Unity Banquet is one of the major fundraising activities for the local trans community and tickets are on sale for it right now.  

It supports not only the Transgender Foundation of America (TFA), but the Peggy Rudd Scholarship, trans activities during Houston Pride, and the Houston Trans Community Awards in various categories (The Dee McKellar I was nominated for once back in 2001 but didn't win) 

So why do we have the Unity Banquet here in H-town?  One of the reasons we do so is to promote unity, cooperation and facilitate cooperation between several local transgender groups.

The Houston Transgender Unity Committee (HTUC) was formed to plan and coordinate common activities for the Houston Transgender Community including Tau Chi Chapter of Tri-Ess, Helping Transgenders Anonymous (HTGA), Some Transgenders Are Guys (STAG), Houston Transgender Cover Girls (HTCG), Diamond T Girls, and Transgenders of Faith-Community Gospel Church.

The Unity Banquet is the fundraising event for HTUC, and since the late 90's has been held each year to acknowledge and honor our allies and advocates in the Houston area.

After being held in the spring for many years, it's going to be an interesting shift of the Houston Transgender Unity Banquet to a fall one.  It probably needed to happen because of all the late spring organizing that happens in conjunction with Houston Pride. 

It should be an interesting night on September 20 when the 22nd annual edition of the Houston Transgender Unity Banquet takes place at the Sheraton Brookhollow.

Hopefully I'll be in town and in the Grand Ballroom when it happens.      

    

'Nikki's American Dream' Premieres Tomorrow On YouTube

I've known Nikki was working on this reality show project for at least a year and had completed 9 episodes of it, but it's finally ready and debuting on YouTube tomorrow.

Nikki's American Dream is focused on the life of Nikki Araguz Loyd,as she lives, loves, runs a business  raises a family and fights for her own and the Texas trans community's marriage rights.

The brainchild behind Nikki's American Dream is Lightning Strikes Entertainment, a content creation and branded entertainment company. 

"From the first moment I saw Nikki, I knew she was something special and a force to be reckoned with. She is a symbol of the kind of groundbreaking content Lightning Strikes Entertainment creates," says creative director Federico Traeger.

Here's a sneak peek trailer of it    




Nikki's American Dream premieres tomorrow at 11 AM EDT/10 AM CDT. and you can subscribe to see it at this link.  .   

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. 

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. 

What's The T In LGBT? Event Tonight

For those of you in H-town looking for something to do that isn't Houston Splash party related, you may wish to head over to the Montrose Center tonight for the 'What's The 'T' In LGBT? event being hosted by Dee Dee Watters.

It will be an opportunity for those wishing to get more perspective and knowledge about the 'T' end of the TBLG community to do so at this event. 

The panelists for 'What's The 'T' In LGBT?' will be Roxanne Collins, Dylan Wilde Forbis, Makai Bowie, and the hostess Dee Dee Watters.   It will be an opportunity to ask questions and get them answered from parents, children, friends and family of trans people in our area, gain knowledge and have a great time interacting with us.

The topics slated to be discussed in this forum will be Gender Inclusion, Gender Identity, Sexual Preference and will be opened up to the audience for the question and answer period. 

The forum will be held from 7-9 PM CDT in Room 112 on the second floor of the building.at the Montrose Center, which is located at 401 Branard St.   All are welcomed and encouraged to attend and we definitely won't mind if you bring a friend with you to this community building event.

Hope to see you tonight.

First Ever Houston Black Trans Organized TDOR Event Tomorrow

Dee Dee Watters noticed what other people (myself included) in the community had in terms of many of the fallen trans people being memorialized at TDOR events being Black and Latina and the TDOR memorial services not doing a good enough job reflecting the diversity of the community.

She believed it was past time for the Houston African-American trans community to hold a Transgender Day of Remembrance memorial event of its own to honor our fallen sisters and got busy making it happen.

Dee Dee's efforts to make that event become a reality received a major boost when the radically inclusive Progressive Open Door Christian Center, which ministers to a predominately African-American TBLG congregation agreed and offered their church sanctuary for the TDOR event Watters was organizing.  .

The result is tomorrow night at 7 PM CST a little Texas trans history being made inside Loop 610 as the first ever African-American trans organized TDOR event in Houston kicks off near the Texas Southern University campus .

Progressive Open Door Christian Center holds its services in the St Luke The Evangelist Episcopal Church just east of the TSU campus at 3530 Wheeler Avenue and Sampson Streets.

After the conclusion of the TDOR memorial service at 9 PM, there will be a panel discussion with trans community members discussing their lives, their struggles and answering questions about the 'T' end of' the TBLG community.

All are welcomed to attend this first ever event, and the TransGriot will be in the house for this TDOR memorial.  Hope to see you there.

Jenifer Announces Her Run For Houston City Council

She's been hard at work at it for several months, but yesterday Jenifer Rene Pool made it official and announced her candidacy for the Houston City Council At Large Position 3 seat on the steps of Houston City Hall.

And yeah, some blogger y'all know was there for the announcement a little after 3:30 PM CDT.  I wanted to be there to witness Houston and trans history.

If Jenifer is successful in this second run for a city council seat, we'll not only get to see her sitting on the inside of our art deco city hall in one of those nice green leather chairs handling the city's business, she would become the first open transperson in the city of Houston and the state of Texas to win public office.   She would also become the first trans person in the United States elected to the city council of a major US city over 1 million in population.

We're 90 days out from the start of early voting, and Jenifer's team is hitting the trail running because they are determined to make that history happen. 

In The House At The 21st Annual Houston Unity Banquet

The 21st annual Houston Unity Banquet was held at the Sheraton Brookhollow Hotel April 20 to another diverse capacity crowd.

The program for the event featured Tye West doing a spoken word poem and Dr. Susan Stryker as the keynote speaker.

Had a nice mix of trans community members from here and around the state, our allies and politicians in the room this weekend breaking bread with the Houston trans community along with a nice goodie bag with the Houston trans community logo on it to take home. 

It was emceed this year by LA's and the Task Force's Trystan Reese, and Texas state rep Garnet Coleman was in the house to break down legislative developments in Austin.  We had HISD board member Juliet Stipeche, Houston City Councilmember Mike Laster and several judges in the room as well along with Equality Texas' Daniel Williams and Houston City Council candidate Jenifer Rene Pool.   

Some of the other notable faces in the banquet crowd were Precinct 1 constable Alan Rosen,  Ann Harris Bennett, Project GRAD's Ramiro Fonseca, and District 7 congressional candidate Lissa Squires.   

There were some nice door prizes donated such as tickets to the Houston symphony and ballet, men's and women's watches from I.W. Marks Jewelers and a dinner certificate at Niko Niko's just to name a few of the items that the winning ticket holders had a chance to choose from. 

And darn it, I was an agonizing three numbers away during one ticket drawing of claiming one of those prizes.

We also had the interesting occurrence of all four Texas members of the Trans 100 List in the same space since the list was unveiled back on March 31 and subsequently published..

In addition to dinner the Houston transgender community awards were handed out prior to Dr. Stryker's inspiring speech.

The Champion Award went to Becca Keo

Champions Award went to Lesbian Health Initiative

The Dee McKellar Award went to Katy Stewart

Horizon Award to Dana Hinton

The Brenda Thomas Award to Dallas' Carter Brown 

And this year's Lifetime Achievement Award (and a much deserved one) went to Judge Phyllis Frye.

An HTUC President's Award was given out this year to Monyque Starr.  

Congratulations to all the award winners.  I had a wonderful time meeting some of the new faces in the community, seeing old friends, talking to many of the local and statewide LGBT community leaders and allies, seeing Dr Stryker who made an exciting announcement during her speech that you peeps will hear about soon (and I'm sworn to secrecy on)  and having the honor and pleasure of sitting with the people of TENT (Transgender Education Network of Texas) during this event.

It was also nice seeing Kristopher Sharp, the UH-Downtown student government presidential candidate I met Wednesday during my panel discussion visit to the UHD campus.who was subjected to a vicious smear campaign.   I also enjoyed spending some quality time on this end of I-45 with Carter again.  

Photos will be going up on the Houston Transgender Unity Committee website at htuc.org as soon as they are available.  Congrats to the Unity Committee for putting on another successful Unity Banquet and hope it's even bigger and better next year.

2013 TG Social Series Kicks Off Today

Later this evening for those of you in the Houston area, the first Houston TG Center social of 2013 will happen starting around 7 PM.  

The TG Center socials happen on the first Friday of every month through the fall and usually have barbecue chicken, burgers, chips, dips and covered dishes for people to eat.   They even have stuff  for you vegan peeps to eat for a $10 donation to the cause.

I usually try to make a few of them during every TG social cycle and especially the first one of the year since it's a sure sign that spring is definitely here.  We're getting close the the next major event on our local calendar in terms of the Houston Transgender Unity Dinner. 

The TG Center is located in the Montrose gayborhood, and I love checking out the TG socials and getting to meet, greet and talk to some of the local peeps in the community and surrounding Houston metro area.    

So hope to see you there.

Jenifer's Running Again!

I am happy to hear that my H-town homegirl Jenifer Rene Pool is going to make another run at Houston history in this election cycle and attempt to become the first transperson elected to public office here.

I chronicled Jenifer's run for an at large council seat in the 2011 election cycle, and she kicked off her campaign on Valentine's Day for the City Council at large Position 3 seat.  

Jenifer had a crowded ten candidate field to navigate in her 2011 city wide race but garnered 7,104 votes to finish seventh.

It's two years later and she is gearing up to chase history once again.   For those of you in the Houston city limits and you want things to get better for trans peeps here, this is a way to help make that happen. 

You have more than enough time before November 5 to get busy getting registered to vote if you aren't already or double checking your registrations in advance of that election. 

Jenifer is also going to need your time, sweat equity, some cash out of your wallets and purses, your votes and basically you to do whatever you can to help get out the vote and help get one of our own trans peeps elected to the Houston City Council

Here's hoping that Election Night 2013 has a much better result and we are watching her make a historic victory speech.  

Montrose Trans Summit

Hmm..guess my readership in Houston is bigger than I suspected.

Turns out when I attended last night's event at the MSociety building in Houston's Monstrose gayborhood I had Monique, one of the Houston Transgender Unity Committee board members and Cristan Williams there when I arrived.

The event the MCenter planned was one in which they screened the Logo documentary Beautiful Daughters, had a discussion about it, and then concluded with a candlelight ceremony.

What I wasn't expecting last night was the fireworks after it concluded 

There was a very contentious clear the air conversation between myself and Monique moderated by Cristan in Hillary Clinton mode in the parking lot of the MCenter over what happened at UH Saturday.

Houston Transgender Unity Committee plans this TDOR event and also organizes the Unity Banquet as well.  They recognize that Houston is a multiethnic city, are concerned about the lack of trans POC participation and tried to do their part to reflect that in this year's TDOR.   I just pointed out in that conversation where they fell short, offered some suggestions in terms of how to improve that in 2013 and beyond and suggest that one way to ensure a diverse event is to make sure the HTUC board has diverse representation on it.  

I also made the point last night that when you're trying to draw non-whites into your coalition group, your actions matter even more than your words along with the unspoken messages that go out.     

As of 10 PM CST last night the drama that started Saturday is squashed.  We'll see what happens at TDOR 2013, since I don't doubt we'll be gathering in Houston and around the world for another event on November 20.  We'll also see if going forward from this date if improvements happen for Houston POC transpeople in terms of being visible, active participants in this community who feel they have a participatory stake in it. 

But I'm not kidding about the rising frustration and anger in terms of POC transpeople not feeling the love in Houston, and I hope they take it seriously the warning I delivered last night    

And speaking of warnings, while this post is centered on Houston, this is not just a Houston issue in terms of POC transpeople being frustrated about the lack of representation in the organizations that claim to represent the entire diverse trans rainbow.    Don't sit smugly at your computer screens and think the same underlying tension isn't happening in your own trans locales because it is.  It needs to be addressed before some spark, misunderstanding, or miscommunication sets it off. .

You TransGriot readers already know that if the H-town situation doesn't improve, I'm still living inside the Houston city limits observing what's going on and will not be shy about commenting on it in these electronic pages.