LGBT Health Summit At U of L Med School Coming Soon!

One of the issues that continues to plague our LGBTQ community across the country is finding culturally competent health care in our various locales we reside in..

In my old stomping grounds of Louisville, which unfortunately has the LGBTQ hatemongering Southern Baptist Theological Seminary inside the city limits, it's probably a factor in why the University of Louisville's LGBT Center is fielding calls from LGBTQ Louisvillians and residents all over the Kentuckiana area on a daily basis who are searching for doctors and health care providers willing to respectfully treat LGBTQ patients.


To address these issues, the University of Louisville  as part of their eQuality Project will host a LGBTQ Health Summit on September 12 at the UofL School of Medicine.  

It's sponsored by the U of L School of Medicine Office of Undergraduate Medical Education, Office for Community Engagement and Diversity, and the U of L LGBT Center

"Historically, LGBTQ health has not been part of any health care or medical school curriculum," said Suzanne Kingery  MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at UofL. "It is only recently that a handful of medical schools, with UofL at the forefront, have started to do this kind of training. This health summit is a wonderful opportunity for health care providers to learn about LGBTQ care so they can provide affirming care for their patients and follow best practices."

The LGBTQ Health Summit will begin at 8:30 AM EDT on that September 12 date at the School of Medicine , and early registration is encouraged for those of you health care providers wishing to attend..

White House Affirmatively Responds To Petition Calling For Conversion Therapy Youth Ban

One of the things that is a major concern for TBLG leaders is the use of so called conversion therapy on TBLG people to 'cure' them.  It was such a conversion therapy that drove Leelah Alcorn to commit suicide.

In the wake of Leelah's death, a WeThePeople.gov petition calling for the passage of Leelah's Law that would ban the use of the scientifically discredited use by licensed therapists of conversion therapy aimed at TBLGIQ youth, hit the 100,000 signature threshold for a White House response in January  and eventually 120,958 signatures when it was closed. 

In the petition response yesterday from senor White House adviser Valerie Jarrett:

Conversion therapy generally refers to any practices by mental health providers that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.[1] Often, this practice is used on minors, who lack the legal authority to make their own medical and mental health decisions. We share your concern about its potentially devastating effects on the lives of transgender as well as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and queer youth.

When assessing the validity of conversion therapy, or other practices that seek to change an individual’s gender identity or sexual orientation, it is as imperative to seek guidance from certified medical experts. The overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrates that conversion therapy, especially when it is practiced on young people, is neither medically nor ethically appropriate and can cause substantial harm.

As part of our dedication to protecting America’s youth, this Administration supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors.

I keep telling y'all that President Obama is the best POTUS ever on trans issues, and he keeps proving it with every executive order he issues and every policy position he takes.

Laverne's Reminder For You To Go Purple For Tomorrow's Spirit Day

Laverne took a break from filming Season 3 of Orange Is The New Black to remind you peeps about tomorrow's Spirit Day

So what is Spirit Day?   On October 16 we take time to wear purple to show solidarity with LGBT youth and take a united stand against bullying.   It was a proposed idea by Canadian teenager Brittany McMillan which was celebrated for the first time on October 20, 2010

Spirit Day takes its name from the purple stripe of the Gilbert Baker created rainbow flag, which represents spirit, hence the name for the day..

The day was a response to a 2010 outbreak of bullying related suicides of gay student, including Rutgers student Tyler Clementi

And yep, it has it's own #spiritday  hashtag

So here's Laverne's video, and break out those purple outfits tomorrow.

Nartional Coming Out Day 2014- It's STILL Different And Challenging For Trans People

"If you're trans*, it's even scarier and a much different dynamic from our LGB brothers and sisters because a gender transition is not easy.  After the initial coming out date, unlike our cis LGB brothers and sisters, we have to pay cash out of pocket, get trans specific medical care and counseling, and morph our bodies to be our kind of person we wish to project to the world. "  -TransGriot October 11, 2013,"National Coming Out Day 2013-It's STILL Different For A Trans Person


Today is National Coming Out Day!  While some peeps celebrated it with events yesterday because the date has fallen on a weekend, today is the official day.

National Coming Out Day is still and always will be fundamentally different for a trans person to do so than someone in the LGB community. We not only have to pay for the privilege of being ourselves, we have to have the assistance of medical science to morph our bodies to present as the people we are.

If you chose this date to come out and live your trans, bi, or SGL lives, congratulations for taking your first bold steps toward being your true selves.  

And yes, know that there are differences in the coming out experience, and it is affected by race and class just like everything else in American society is.

For my newly out transfolks, while I congratulate you for doing so, on this National Coming Out Day I do need to take some time to drop some real talk on you. 

You are coming out at a fascinating time in modern trans history.   While it is undeniably the best of times in terms of the unprecedented visibility and coverage for transgender issues, and especially seeing trans people of color represented, at the same time we've gotten the undivided attention of the Religious Right.

They have lost their War Against Same-Sex Marriage, and need a new cause to rally the hate troops around.   Since trans rights are quickly being recognized as a human rights issue, they are  joining our longtime disco-era enemies the TERF's in hating on transpeople.

We've had a rough week in terms of the trans women we have lost in Los Angeles, Brisbane, Australia, and Brazil with the Transgender Day of Remembrance just a few short weeks away. 

We are the only peeps in the TBLG rainbow community who have to pay for the privilege of being ourselves.

When I say pay for the privilege of being ourselves, of course I'm alluding to the medical and body morphing aspect of the transition.   That's the easy part.   But it is not the end all and be all of a gender transition.  If you wish to have as a trans feminine person SRS, go for it, but remember that gender is between your ears, not your legs.  

The tougher part of a transition is the ongoing part of you evolving to be the best person you can be while trying to grasp the nuances of living in the world as the man or woman you always were and now get to be full time. 

And you're trying to do so while being hated on by a way too long list of haters inside and outside the TBLG community ranks.

But the interesting note to all of this is that once you do finally start down the transition highway, you'll wonder to yourself as you get comfortable in your skin and your desired gender role why you didn't do this sooner.

You'll meet some amazing and loving people in this community to replace the people that kicked you to the curb or distanced themselves from you after you began your transition.  Your family expands to the point where you will have brothers and sisters across the country and the world. 

And you are part of a group of remarkable human beings who have a proud history, are part of the diverse mosaic of human life, and are fighting every day to just live their lives without drama and to the best of their ability.


Yes, coming out as and being trans is challenging.   But it is oh so rewarding when you do so as well.   

Welcome to the trans family.

GenderProud Twitter Chat Tonight

Tonight a Twitter chat sponsored by GenderProud will happen that will discuss an interesting topic.

Over the last decade we have seen the Philippines emerge as one of the Asian-Pacific challengers to Thailand's status as the most trans friendly nation in the region. 

Manila is the home of the Amazing Philippine Show and the Amazing Philippine Beauties pageant is a televised national event.  Philippine cultural traditions allow trans and gender variant kids to transition early.  There have been moves in several cities toward passing non-discrimination laws covering LGBTQ people in that nation, and the Philippine Congress is also pondering passage of legislation to protect the human rights of LGBTQ Filipinos.    

But at the same time, despite the efforts of STRAP, GANDA Filipinas and other LGBT orgs in the nation, there continue to be troubling reports of anti-trans and LGB discrimination still happening in the Philippines. 

The question this Twitter chat will ponder tonight starting at 8 PM EDT will be 'Is The Philippines LGBT Friendly?' with GenderProud's Geena Rocero.  

#GenderProud @rappler Twitter Conversation should be an interesting discussion, and if you can take part in it, may be worth your time to do so. 

Johnny Weir Puts Skates In Mouth

With the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Sochi a mere 62 days away, the debate is heating up in LGBT World on whether or not to boycott those Games. 

While I'm pissed off about what is happening in Russia to our TBLG cousins there, after watching the Olympic Boycotts of 1976, 1980 and 1984 I personally believe a boycott only hurts the athletes, and will not result in the change the community is seeking in terms of getting the Russians to repeal those draconian anti-LGBT laws.   That being said, if you want to try to make it happen, go for it.

The option I support and still do was moving the Games to Vancouver.  With two months left and the IOC being as cowardly as they usually are, I expect on February 7 for the Olympic cauldron to be lit in Sochi.

But the controversy over those Russian anti-LGBT laws which were pushed by anti-gay activists in the US, will continue right up until that date and probably beyond the conclusion of those Games.

Meanwhile here in the States, Johnny Weir opened his mouth and inserted his figure skate clad foot into it. He pissed off the LGBT community and his rainbow community fanbase by stating “the Olympics are not the place to make a political statement” about Russia’s anti-gay laws and “you have to respect the culture of a country you are visiting.” while speaking a group of 40 female students at Barnard College December 2.

Weir poured more gasoline on the controversy stirred up by his earlier comments by calling the four veteran activists outside his talk exercising their free speech rights to picket him 'idiots'.  

It was a group that according to a Gay City News report that had 100 years of combined activism on behalf of gay and HIV/AIDS causes that included rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker and Queer Nation's Ann Northrup.

Note to Johnny: Dude, the people you insulted made it possible for your ass to get married to your Russian husband.  Respect is due to your elders who paved the way for you to have the space to come out and live your self described fabulous life. 


Weir later apologized for his unfortunate choice of words, but the damage may be done with his gay fanbase he alienated with his comments.

We'll see what Johnny does when he has to travel to Sochi as part of the NBC analyst team covering the Games.  Question is will anyone be watching?

Spirit Day 2013

Today is Spirit Day, a commemoration day created by Canadian teen Brittany McMillan first observed in 2010 in reaction to a spike in the bullying provoked suicides of LGBT teens and young adults.

We break out the purple clothing in order to display our solidarity with TBLG youth who are victims of and who are being bullied.

Spirit Day received its name from the purple stripe on the rainbow flag created by Gilbert Baker, which represents 'spirit'

It's also a reminder of why we GLBT leaders and our organizations are fighting to ensure a world in which our trans, bi and SGL youth are respected, protected and enveloped in love just like every other child.

So here's hoping you TransGriot readers get in the spirit of this day and rock something in your closet that is purple colored to support our BTLG younglings.

Wendy And Ignacio Visit America

The Wendy and Ignacio in this case are our Cuban transsister Wendy Iriepa Diaz and her hubby Ignacio Estrada Cepero who had a very public wedding in Havana back in 2011

The Cuban dissidents arrived here in the States back on June 26 and are spending three months visiting our country before heading back to Cuba in the fall.

They also have some very interesting things to say about what life is really like for our TBLG brothers and sisters on the island.

Mariela Castro was given an award by Equality Forum in May for being a trans rights and gay rights advocate, but Iriepa has a different opinion of the woman she once worked for at CENESEX, the Cuban gender clinic that Castro runs.

“Mariela totally manipulates the LGBT community,” Iriepa said.


“Everything is fake, it’s false,” Iriepa said of Castro’s portrayal of the current status of the Cuban LGBT community.  “The gays still feel repression. When the police come, they say you have to leave here. Mariela sells to the world the same image the Cuban government does. Everything from the outside looks beautiful, but when you go inside, everything is not.” 

Iriepa said that for years she sought sex reassignment surgery, but didn’t get it until she pledged loyalty to the Castro regime.   In 2007 she became the first person on the island to have the surgery as part of the government-run CENESEX program.and was its public face until she and Castro came into conflict in 2011 over her blossoming relationship with Ignacio and his self described status as an 'opponent of the Castro government'. 

until she and Castro came into conflict over her blossoming relationship with ignaio Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2013/07/cuban-lgbt-dissidents-visiting-miami-dont-believe-mariela-castro-about-gay-rights-on-the-island.html#storylink=cpy

 
After participating in a Spanish language panel discussion at Miami-Dade College's Wolfson Campus and having events at other venues in the area, they have arrived in Washington DC. 

The couple toured Casa Ruby and the Us Helping Us HIV/AIDS service agency and are scheduled to visit with Congressmember Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) today before heading back to Miami and eventually departing back to Cuba. 

Disciples Of Christ Church Officially Welcomes TBLG People To Its Churches

During the time I was a Texan in Exile in Louisville, Edenside Christian Church, the one I attended from 2001-2010 and was a proud member of was part of the Disciples of Christ (Christian) Church denomination.

I was even prouder to 'slliiiiiiide into Edenside' after the congregation voted in 2008 to become an open and affirming church. 

So I was ecstatic to read that at the recent yearly Disciples of Christ meeting that took place July 13-17 in Orlando they passed Resolution GA 1327 that stated:

“The General Assembly calls upon the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to affirm the faith, baptism and spiritual gifts of all Christians regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and that neither is grounds for exclusion from fellowship or service within the church, but we celebrate that all are part of God’s good creation.”

One of the sponsoring churches for this resolution was our larger and down Bardstown Road neighbor in Douglass Ave Christian Church. 

Translation: If you're a trans, bi or same gender loving person, you are welcome to attend, participate in and become a member of a Disciples of Christ congregation.

There was a July 19 letter from Rev Dr Sharon Watkins, the General Minister and President of the Disciples of Christ Church in the United States and Canada clarifying the intent of this resolution. 

*It is not a statement of “unwelcome” for Disciples who did not support the resolution. All who confess faith in Jesus Christ are welcome. All means all

*It is not a policy change. The congregation where you worship and serve will not be requested to establish (or change) a policy on gay or lesbian persons in the life of the Church. The region where your congregation is affiliated is not required to change its policies on ordination. Your pastor is not required to bless same-gender marriages.

*It is not a theological mandate. It does not say that we have the same biblical understanding of sexual orientation or gender identity. Disciples, prayerfully and with biblical study and other research, come to their own understanding on these matters.

Rev. Watkins' letter goes on to say:  It points out that within the broad membership of Disciples, among the many congregations in covenant with each other, there have always been gay and straight, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender persons who participate fully in the life and leadership of the church. It urges us to treat each other with gospel hospitality as we seek to understand each other better.”

And that's a point I think we can all agree on.   But this is also wonderful news to a TBLG community that has seen far too many efforts by religious denominations to exclude, dehumanize and denigrate it instead of opening their church doors wide to embrace them as fellow human beings and brothers and sisters in Christ.

Second Annual Nike LGBT Sports Summit Happening This Weekend

The first half of 2013 has seen some interesting and dramatic events happening in the world of sports from a TBLG perspective with the coming outs of NBA baller Jason Collins, WNBA rookie ball player Brittney Griner, women's MMA fighter Fallon Fox and soccer player Robbie Rogers.

Rogers later became the first openly gay player to join an MLS team when he signed with the LA Galaxy. 

It has seen NFL players Chris Kluwe and Brendon Ayanbadejo boldly speak up as allies for the TBLG community on marriage equality and other issues of importance to the community.

It has also seen in the first half of this year some positive and especially in Fallon Fox's case viciously negative commentary and epic ignorance spew forth from people inside and outside the sports world in reaction to those events.

This weekend in Portland, OR the second annual Nike LGBT Sports Summit commenced on June 12 and ends today with the lofty goal of eliminating anti-trans and anti-gay bias in sports by 2016.

The summit is sponsored by Nike and organized by Outsports blog founder Cyd Zeigler, the National Center for Lesbian Rights Sports Project Director Helen Carroll and LGBT sports pioneer Pat Griffin. 

One of the people who is on the scene this weekend from our community is Kye Allums.

Also attending the LGBT Sports Summit are college and professional athletes, coaches, athletic administrators, political figures, LGBT advocates, journalists and allies along with representatives from GLAAD, the United States Olympic Committee, GLSEN, the NCAA, Athlete Ally, USA Wrestling, You Can Play; Campus Pride; StandUp Foundation; Equality Coaching Alliance, the Federation of Gay Games and ESPN.

The attendees are there to form the LGBT Sports Coalition, an umbrella org that will have as its mission formulating the strategies necessary to achieve the goal of eliminating anti-trans and antigay bias in sport by 2016. 

While there has been some amazing progress in letting our people play sports over the last few years, it's clear we have a long way to go to bust stereotypes and eliminate bigotry in the collegiate, professional and international sporting ranks.

The Nike Sports Summit is a step forward toward accomplishing that Herculean task.

'The New Black' Film Festival Tour

The New Black is a documentary film I was cognizant was in the process of being shot, and I'm happy to discover it has been completed and is about to hit the summer film festival circuit.

NBJC is traveling across the country to celebrate an authentic and illuminating depiction of the tension, triumphs and victories that take place at the intersection of religious beliefs and civil rights with the launch of The New Black

It is a provocative new documentary film that powerfully illustrates the story of how the African-American community is grappling with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in light of the marriage equality movement and the fight over civil rights.

It chronicles the recent marriage battle in Maryland and shows activists, families and clergy on both sides of last year's campaign to legalize gay marriage in the state.   It examines homophobia in the African-American community's institutional pillar ---The Black Church-- and reveals the Christian right wing's reprehensible strategy of exploiting this cultural phenomenon in order to pursue their anti-gay political agenda.  

There are some familiar faces in this film like NBJC Executive Director and CEO Sharon Lettman-Hicks and several NBJC emerging leaders such as Samantha Master and Karess Taylor-Hughes and I'm looking forward to seeing it.

The New Black is directed by internationally renowned documentary filmmaker Yoruba Richen, who teams with notable producers Yvonne Welbon, producer of Living with Pride: Ruth Ellis @ 100, and Emmy nominated Angela Tucker to bring us this story anchored at the intersection of Black American culture and the LGBT equality movement..

So for those of you residing in Los Angeles (June14-16) New York  (June 19-20), Washington D.C. (June 22-23) and San Francisco (June 29)  you'll get the opportunity to check out Tne New Black at your local film festivals this summer.

Unfortunately I'll have to wait until it hits an H-town multiplex near me.

Puerto Rican Senate Passes Trans Inclusive Rights Bill

TBLG Puerto Ricans got some welcome news to celebrate the IDAHOT with as Senate Bill 238, the proposed trans inclusive anti-discrimination bill passed the Puerto Rico Senate on a 15-11 vote after several contentious hours of debate and determined opposition from the island's religious leaders..

The bill submitted by Senator Ramon Luis Nieves would ban anti-TBLG discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and government services in the US territory based on real or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation. 

The bill’s passage also comes three days after San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz mandated the Puerto Rican capital’s police department to equally apply the island's current domestic violence laws, regardless of the reported victim’s sexual orientation.

The mayor also signed a second executive order that bans discrimination against San Juan's municipal employees based on their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

Senate Bill 238 isn't the only bill the island's TBLG community is watching.   House of Representatives Bill 488 seeks to extend existing domestic violence protections to any person regardless of their marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Amnesty International says that lawmakers have a “historic opportunity” to end discrimination against Puerto Rico’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community.

“The approval of these two laws would be a big step for justice and equality for an important sector of Puerto Rico’s population, which to date has fallen victim to institutionalized discrimination,” said Pedro Santiago, director of Amnesty International Puerto Rico.

“These two measures would expand the protection of rights for LGBTI people in Puerto Rico. Our legislators should be brave enough to overcome prejudice when making new laws. Human rights are not a matter of choice but of justice, and all people are entitled to enjoy them regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Santiago.

The passage of these bills would also be welcome news for Puerto Rico's trans community, which endured a horrific spike in anti-trans violence and murders on the island several years ago.

Senate Bill 238 moves on to the Puerto Rican House of Representatives for its approval before it hits Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla's desk for his signature

'Necessary Roughness' Season 2 Finale Tonight

I'm a big fan of the USA Network cable show Necessary Roughness, which follows the exploits of Dr. Danielle Santino who is hired by the fictional New York Hawks team to handle their mental health issues and eventually becomes a renowned sports psychologist.

Callie Thorne's Dr Dani character is based on the real-life story of Dr. Donna Dannerfelser, who was hired by the New York Jets as their mental health specialist.

In last week's episode setting up tonight's season finale Callie Thorne did an anti-bullying PSA for GLSEN that was put together with the help of GLSEN's Andy Marra.  .

In tonight's finale, the Hawks players who is about to come out of the closet is the team's starting quarterback.  It's going to be interesting to see how this affects the team chemistry, especially since the Hawks are chugging along with a 7-2 record and there were already some phobic remarks being tossed around in the Hawks locker room..

It's also ironic that the same quarterback who was less than supportive of star wide receiver Terrence 'TK 'King when he was going through his struggles, is now in the position of having to ask TK to have his back as he tries to come out of the closet.




While that hasn't happened yet, the odds are that we have already had or have playing right now NFL players who are in the closet.  It  is only a matter of time before this fictional coming out becomes a reality. 
 
We'll see what happens on Necessary Roughness at 9 PM CST  when this show airs how it plays out.

Ali Forney Center Destroyed By Sandy Flooding

One of the casualties of Hurricane Sandy's landfall in the New Jersey-New York region was the Ali Forney Center in New York's Chelsea neighborhood. 

The Ali Forney Center (AFC) started in June 2002 in response to fulfilling a need for a safe shelter for LGBTIQ kids in the New York Area.  It has grown to become the nation's largest organization of its kind serving homeless LGBT youth.  It provides food, shelter, education, HIV testing and treatment, mental health and substance abuse services.and other medical attention for them.

The center's location was in Chelsea half a block from the Hudson River.  The Hurricane Sandy storm surge driven flooding left four feet of water in the center and destroyed their phones, computers, refrigerator, food and supplies.  Complicating matters is the flooding left the space uninhabitable. 

The AFC takes care of 300 people a month and 1000 people a year.  While they were planning to move to a new 24 hour center in Harlem, that space won't be ready for the full services this vulnerable population needs for several months.

The Ali Forney Center team is asking for help.   They have temporarily relocated to the NYC LGBT center located at 208 W. 13th St  (between 7th and 8th Avenues)  with operation hours from 10 AM-5:30 PM EST.  Phone number is 646-358-1755

They are also asking for cash donations or checks only at this time.  

Ali Forney Center/ATTN: Andria Ottley
224 West 35th St, Suite 1500
New York, NY 10001

They have no place to store food, supplies,  clothing or utilize extra volunteers and when they have that capability or need that type of assistance, they will reach out to supporters of the AFC at that time.

GLAAD Intersection of Race and LGBT Issues Telebriefing

TransGriot Note: Saw this interesting note on the GLAAD POC media area of their website posted by Jeff Montes about a telebriefing from 2-3 PM EDT today sponsored by The Opportunity Agenda concerning the issues of race and LGBT issues   One of the participants is NBJC's Kimberley McLeod

Today, The Opportunity Agenda will hold a National Telebriefing on their recently released study entitled “Public Opinion and Discourse on the Intersection of LGBT Issues and Race.” The study analyzed research on LGBT topics in minority-oriented media that was conducted in 2010 and other data pertaining to public opinion on LGBT rights. The study shed light on how LGBT people of color are portrayed in the media and how different LGBT-related topics are discussed.


The study finds that coverage of LGBT issues is more prevalent in online-based media than in traditional print media and that pro-LGBT voices outnumber anti-LGBT ones across the board

Research also showed that African American-themed media did not shy away from topics such as LGBT discrimination, homophobia and HIV/AIDS. Spanish language and Latino media was found to predominantly reinforce the narrative that LGBT rights are the same as civil rights, compounding the idea that anti-equality measures amount to discrimination.

Both groups, however, have room to improve when it comes to in-depth discussions of the daily struggles LGBT people, especially low-income individuals, face in their communities and families.  At GLAAD, we have been committed to diversifying those voices, as demonstrated by the pair of Media Institutes held this summer in New York and Los Angeles. Between the two, we welcomed 21 people of color from across the country to gain valuable experience learning about how to share their own stories and discuss real-life LGBT issues with the media.

Today’s National Telebriefing will take place from 2 pm – 3 pm EST. Speakers will include Juhu Thukral (The Opportunity Agenda), Loren Siegel (Loren Siegel Consulting), Kimberley McLeod (National Black Justice Coalition), and Elena Shore (New America Media). They will explore some of the study’s findings and discuss how it relates to their own work. The telebriefing will also include a question and answer segment from the audience. If you are interested in dialing-in, please click the following link to register.

National Telebriefing
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST
Click here to RSVP 

A Cristan History Minute- RadFems And Trans Folks

As I've pointed out along with other trans people, after 40 years, ain't no love lost between trans women and rad fems and that war has been going on since the early 70's.

They also hate the fact that their ability to just lie like Republicans  about us without being confronted about it is over thanks to the Net and legions of trans bloggers who ain't 'scurred' to call their butts out.

Cristan has come up with another interesting post shedding more light on our trans history light at Ehipassiko that deserves signal boosting and your attention. entitled 1974: Rad Fems and Trans Folks

Eyewitness To LGBT Foundation

TransGriot Note: Guest Post by Denise Norris

I want to share some eyewitness history about the founding of LGBT and the original meaning of Transgender. As some of you know, I participated in the formative events back in the early 90s in New York City.

A Transgender Nation

The word transgender dates back decades, well before it was used by Virginia Prince in the 1980s. Overtime, it has been used to represents all types of people who transcend society’s definitions of gender, from episodic crossdressers to transsexual woman. It was first publicly re-purposed in its modern incarnation by Anne Ogborn when she started Transgender Nation in 1993 which she modeled on Queer Nation, a predominately LG radical young activist organization that arose out of the AIDS crisis and lack of civil protections for Queer people. More and more people began to substitute the work transgender when referring to themselves to avoid the stigmatization associated with ‘transsexual’ Over time, this has lead to many cis-people thinking that transgender only applies to people who have, are or intend to change their sex.

That being said, Transgender is actually an umbrella sociopolitical term intended to cover all aspects of non-conforming gender. It is not a medical term, it is not a condition, it is not something to pathologize. It was adopted to represent all the people who face discrimination because they have a non-conforming gender in the eyes of society.

So why was it important that the term was so broad? Simply put, we realized that all the groups under the umbrellas (including drag, intersex, crossdressing, butch women, fem men, transsexuals, etc…) alone lacked the numbers to effectively reform society to stop discrimination and achieve equality.

But even then, we still lacked the numbers to effectively press forward an agenda for equal rights and stopping discrimination.

Enter LGBT

While transgender was slowly becoming an accepted term within the Queer world, there was still great resistance with the older gays and lesbians who represented a majority of G&L community. Trans people were frequently frozen out of G&L support centers or we were tolerated, but a member of the family.

Things soon came to a head. 1994 was the 25th anniversary of the riots at Stonewall in NYC and we found ourselves completed excluded from the Huge Pride March that year. We were told we would have a place in the alternative march. Even worse, in the slew of Gay history books that appeared at that time, the role of what we now call transgender people in the riots was completely excised. Needless to say, we fought back and won inclusion in the parade. I recommend http://books.google.com/books?id=KmMEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&ots=YuNwga5SVH&pg=PA59#v=onepage&q&f=false to those who want to get a better understanding of the dynamics of the times.

Getting the G&L community to back down and include us acted a seed crystal in a supersaturated solution. More and more of the progressive G&L thinkers reconsidered the demands of bisexuals and transgenders for inclusion. Many people were pushing for the adoption of a word like queer, but for many, it was too loaded with negative history and as a result, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender was adopted, building on the existing Gay and Lesbian theme. Eventually this was changed to Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender to place more focus on the needs of woman and so, LGBT was born.

It was never intended that LGBT stop at Transgender. The original intent was for a rainbow of people, celebrating diversity and inclusion, while fighting against discrimination and for equality for every one under that rainbow. According to Gilbert Baker, creator of the rainbow flag, this rainbow included everyone.

Forward to the Future

Eventually, I believe that we will find a better moniker than LGBT to describe our rainbow, but like the old G&L guardians that sought (and still seek to exclude) T, there will be people who have found safety in the identity of LGBT who will resist the changes still necessary to have equality for all people in our spectrum. I, for one, look forward to true equality for all people who don’t comply with the gender binary, be they gay, lesbian, bi/omni/pan, trans, intersex, questioning or any other member of my family.

It Gets Better: Ms J Alexander

Any time I discover that a Black personality has put out an 'It Gets Better' video, you'll see it on TransGriot.  

This one features Tyra's America's Next Top Model runway catwalk coach Ms J. Alexander