Thanks For Blaming The Black Guy

This graphic says it all doesn't it?

Bush was handed, as in Texas a surplus, a country at peace and a booming economy and spent eight years screwing it up.

The Black president is trying to clean up the toxic mess the Bush misaministration left behind and some of y'all are too obtuse to see that.

Ke$ha, We Need To Talk

Yeah, I know you're trying to raise your OQ (Outrageousness Quotient) vis a vis your competition such as Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, but statements like this only leave us questioning your Intelligence Quotient.

"Freaks are what make everything mildly more interesting in life but with trannies, they make me want to be a better woman. I see these men who have way better bodies than I do, more beautiful faces, better complexions, beautiful makeup, and they're more fun than any person I've met in my life. They make me feel like I'm not a very good woman."

First of all pop tart, 'tranny' is a derogatory term to many people in our community.

Just an FYI to you. Trans women are WOMEN, not men. The sooner you get that concept burned into your brain, the better so you can avoid the TransGriot, our allies and the rest of the trans community calling you out on it next time.

We just had to take another more pothole filled obstacle strewn road to get to the point where our physical bodies match our gender identity.

We transpeople are here on Planet Earth to live our lives as part of the diverse mosaic of human life. Yes, some of my transsisters are so stunningly beautiful even I get a little envious at times when I check them out. Others are just ordinary women that fade into the background living their lives, and some would have a hard time as my Kentucky friends would say, 'passing in a coal mine at midnight'.

We are fun to be around, but we aren't 'freaks', 'men' or 'trannies'.

Ke$ha, one of the things we transwomen have learned in terms of the feminine journey is that an evolving woman recognizes the areas where she is deficient, and expeditiously makes those corrections and improvements in her life.

One area where you are woefully deficient is knowledge about trans people and our lives. When it comes to transwomen of color, even if we are drop dead gorgeous, we still don't get called or considered 'beautiful'.

If you're feeling a little insecure and self conscious about your body issues, please deal with them without using language that is insulting to the trans community.

GL Community, It Ain't POC Democrats That Are Your Problem, It's White Anti Civil Rights Republicans

One of the things I noticed in the aftermath of the NY Senate committee 12-11 vote that killed GENDA for another session was all the vitriol being hurled at NY state senator Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx).

While Diaz deserves it for being a longtime foe of TBLG rights coverage, what I didn't like was seeing and hearing once again, the 'conclusion jump' that ensued and recitation of the inaccurate meme that Democrats are no better than Republicans when it comes to GLBT rights issues.

Hmm, guess y'all conveniently forgot about the last eight years under the Bush misadministration, much less last week's State Department rule change that drops the SRS requirement for a passport gender marker change.

That came from a State Department run by Hillary Clinton, not Condoleezza Rice.

Lost in the GL community rush to condemn Sen. Diaz was the fact that 10 Democrats voted to pass GENDA out of committee and that the eleven Republicans voted against it.

Those eleven Republicans all happen to be white.

Why haven't you condemned those Republicans, especially Sens. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) and George Maziarz (R-Niagara) who reneged on their commitment to support GENDA, only to vote against it in committee?

Maybe the answer lies in the perception that GLBT people of color have about the predominately white led GLBT rights movement.

The perception of many GLBT people of color is that white GLBT people are so desperate to regain what you see as your lost white privilege and show conservative whites you're 'just like them', you're reluctant to voice or mute your criticism for whites who oppress you.

But you have no problem expressing yourselves when that oppressor happens to be a person of color.

You also have no problem expressing yourselves and your feelings about an African American president you lukewarmly supported that you don't feel is moving fast enough on your issues.

So why no rising volume of condemnation for what is glaringly obvious to any person of color? It's white Republicans who are and have been for decades the enemy of TBLG rights.

Let's Play TransGriot Jeopardy!

Every now and then I get an interesting comments on the various posts I write that I just have to elevate into a post in order to properly eviscerate it.

This one comes from commenter Renee W, who alleges she's a Black female Republican and took issue with my recent post slamming Angela McGlowan.

****
Dear Mrs. Roberts

First of all as a Black female, can I give you a bit of advice give honor were honor is due. You need to get off of Angela's back, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican stand for what you believe and leave it at that.

Mrs. McGlowan has won my favor and regardless of if she doesn’t fit into what you think she should fit into. Watch yourself, because one day you’re going to look around and see a new breed of republican who skin may just be a little darker than you would like. Angela has won my favor as well as the favor of many BLACK women, who are secure in their race. Women who are bold, fierce and willing to stand up for things that are right. Now you take that how you want to take it, and please feel free to comment. I will be awaiting your reply.

Real quick question why in the world would anyone support the abortion industry? When more black baby’s die at the hands of Planned Parenthood than any race. Hummm possible genocide? Duh you think.
I don’t care if your republican, independent, democrat shows me good politics and I will show you real change.
Renee. W --Plainfield--


****

Renee, Renee, Renee.
Mrs. Roberts is my mother. I'm Ms. Roberts and happily single. But thanks for the respectful props anyway.

Your Republican minders are going to have to prep you better before you step to me with these tired GOP talking points.

Oldest conservative Internet trick in the book is for you vanilla flavored peeps to go into an African American blog or online space, try to claim you're Black, and then launch into conservative talking points and spin.

There's only a 2-10% chance you actually are Black, but I'll give you the benefit of a doubt on this one just for fun.

USS Monica going to DEFCON 1...spooling up 20 megatons of knowledge to drop on this poor deluded Faux News watching person. Board is green, rhetorical Tomahawks ready. Begin countdown. 5..4..3..2..1..launch

Renee, I too admire Black women who are bold, fierce and willing to stand up for things that are right.

But the women I admire such as Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), the late Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), the late Rep. Barbara Jordan (D-TX), the late Rep. Shirley Chisholm, the late Audre Lorde, Dr. Julianne Malveaux, Jasmyne Cannick, Dr. Marisa Richmond and the late Coretta Scott King stand and stood up for what is right, not right wing.

And what I define as right is advancing the same social justice, civil rights, political and economic justice we've been pushing as a people since emancipation.

And what exactly has Angela McGlowan 'stood for that is right' that motivated you to post a comment on TransGriot to 'get off Angela McGlowan's back'?

Expound on that in terms longer than a single sentence.

Now let's play Final TransGriot Jeopardy!. Remember your answer must be phrased in the form of a question.

The Final TransGriot Jeopardy category is 'Black Leadership', and the answer is:

This noted political scientist and commentator from the University of Maryland penned the 'Definition Of Black Leadership'. Name this distinguished professor.


Times up...the Final TransGriot Jeopardy answer is:

Who is Dr. Ronald Walters?

I am simply judging her by the definition of Black leadership as articulated by Dr. Ronald Walters, and Angela McGlowan falls far short of that.

In case you aren't aware of that...here it is:

The task of Black leadership is to provide the vision, resources, tactics, and strategies that facilitate the achievement of the objectives of Black people.

These objectives have been variously described as freedom, integration, equality, liberation, or defined in the terms of specific public policies. It is a role that often requires disturbing the peace. And we constantly carry on a dialogue about the fitness of various leaders and the qualities they bring to the table to fulfill this mission.

If Angela were working for the uplift of the Black community, maybe I could 'give credit where credit is due'. Impressive resume, Ole Miss grad, minister's daughter. But it's the people she's chosen to align herself with politically that's the problem.

I can't ignore the fact that Condoleezza For The New Millennium supports a party that has worked tirelessly AGAINST the interests of African-Americans for over 40 years. The fact she's from Mississippi makes it particularly odious and she should fracking know better.

She has aligned herself with the racist Teabagger movement, worked for Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) and as a Fox News commentator willingly participated in attacks on President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and African-Americans in general.




As for the 'many Black women who are secure in their race' that you claim support Angela McGlowan, I have to ask you, in what alternate universe? Maybe in Fox 'News' watching Bizarro world, but in the reality based universe Black women proud of being Black and seeking to uplift the race are predominately politically liberal-progressive, Democrats and members of Black Greek letter sororities and social organizations, not conservative teabagger sellouts hating on the President, the First Lady and the Black community.

And since you brought it up, let's talk about that proud legacy of negro Republican women such as Condoleezza Rice, Judge Janice Rogers Clown, oops Brown, Star Parker, Amy Holmes, Alveda King and Tara Wall.

So far all I see and hear from the 'new breed' of negro Republican women is the same tired, failed, racist GOP policies and message white male Repugnicans spewed for decades. They are regurgitated by pretty packages all too willing to sell their people out for designer clothes, book deals, media attention and face time at conservative conventions.

I also see many of these women, such as Amy Holmes distancing themselves from their African heritage as well or more concerned with being loyal to the conservative movement and clocking those sellout dollars than they are to the Black community.

Ahh, makes me wanna go get a pair of Ferragamo pumps and rush to change my voter registration to Republican.

Dr. Julia Hare, another fierce Black woman, warned us at a recent 'State of the Black Union' event there's a difference between Black leaders and leading Blacks.

Angela McGlowan sadly doesn't fit into either category.

And finally, why bring up Margaret Sanger in the context of your alleged defense of Angela McGlowan?

FYI for you, contrary to the lies the anti-abortion industry pimps about Planned Parenthood and Margaret Sanger, she had the support of W.E.B. Du Bois and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. If she was as 'racist' as you and your anti choice friends allege, why would she in 1930 open up a family planning clinic staffed with a Black doctor and Black social worker in Harlem?

The mission of that clinic was to enlist support for contraceptive use and extol the benefits of family planning at a time when Black people women were routinely denied access to their city's health and social services

This clinic was endorsed by the way by powerful institutions in the African American community such as The Amsterdam News newspaper, the Abyssinian Baptist Church, the Urban League, and W.E.B. Du Bois.

Renee, Duh, we're only 13% of the population, so there are far more white women terminating their pregnancies than Black women.

BTW Planned Parenthood was run from 1978-1992 by Faye Wattleton, an African American woman, so that blows your 'Black genocide' talking point straight to Hades doesn't it?.

But if you had other news sources besides Fox, the sacreligious Reich and the conservative movement you would have known that.

Thank you for playing Renee W, and we have lovely parting gifts for you.

Tiger, Now That You Lost 'Honorary White Male' Status, Don't Come Running Back To Us For Support

Now that Mr. Cablinasian has fallen seriously out of favor with the predominately white fans of the golfing world over his marital woes and infidelity issues, I wonder how long it's going to take before he remembers he's Black and tries to appeal to us for support?

Save it homes. Seen this pattern before with the most recent examples being O.J. Simpson and the late Michael Jackson.

Been there and done that. The sad part is I'm a huge fan of the Athlete of the Decade, but I and much of the African-American community is just through with Eldrick Woods.

There are a lot of ways to be Black, but we get more than perturbed with the lot of you who have at least one African descended parent and are in severe denial about the African part of your heritage.

We get a little pissed with you peeps who are chasing 'honorary white male' status, ignore Black women as potential life partners as a part of that and our community as a whole during your pursuit of superstardom.

But when your ample round butts get into trouble or you fall out of favor with whites for whatever reason, you suddenly remember you're Black and start calling up African-American media outlets and magazines to do interviews. You then try to show you're down with the people in your bid to mend fences with the African-American community and garner our support.

Naw homes. We don't want sloppy seconds. We wanted then and still want to be your first love. But your declaration you were Cablinasian, that you had every right as an individual defining himself to make, was seen as a slap in the face by those of us who are proud to be Black.

One of the biggest surprises of President Obama's Inauguration Week last year was Tiger's participation in the Sunday 'We Are One' event.

Many peeps in the African-American community expressed surprise he was even there, seeing his reluctance to speak out on any issues political or otherwise pertaining to the African-American community over the last decade. Even when he did his short speech, he did so without mentioning President Obama by name.

If we weren't good enough for you to show solidarity and pride with beyond the superficial level when you were doing all those amazing things on the golf courses of the planet, give me and the African descended community one good reason why we should show any love or support to you in return, especially in light of the fact that many of your golfing buds like Jesper Parnevik are openly turning on you like rabid dogs?

But being we African descended peeps are a forgiving bunch, after we get over the simmering anger of being jilted and ignored for the last decade, if Mr. Woods is sincere about doing a much better job in the 2k10's and beyond about staying in better touch with his African descended roots, we'll probably make room for him at the family table.

Hell, somebody's gotta show him some love. But it's definitely going to take awhile before we warm up to you again.

Long Time Coming

I've been taking time to sort out my feelings after hearing the Shepard-Byrd Hate Crimes Bill finally passed Congress on Thursday and is awaiting the president's signature on Wednesday.

The act expands federal hate crime laws to include crimes where the victims were targeted on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender and disability.

This passage of one of the transgender community's legislative crown jewels has been a long time coming. I've personally done my part by making four trips to Washington DC since 1998 to lobby for both hate crimes and ENDA. There have been legions of trans activists living and deceased that lobbied, wrote letters, faxes and e-mails, told their stories to congress members and staffers, and prayed for this day to finally happen.

I heard about the news from Dawn after returning home from work. As I absorbed the news that it passed, I couldn't help but think about what happened to Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, who the bill was named after.

It also brought up the bitter memories of transpeople in Texas being cut out of a state hate crime bill named for James Byrd, Jr in 1999 and 2001 thanks to the efforts of the Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby (the predecessors to Equality Texas) and its then director Dianne Hardy-Garcia.

She said in a January 1999 Texas Monthly interview, “People from different walks of life come to the Texas Capitol to compromise and try to make it so that all of us can live together. Being part of that is a beautiful thing.”

Yeah, Texas transpeople got compromised right out of that bill twice.

I thought about the 1964 Civil Rights Act when it finally passed and was signed on July 2, 1964 by President Johnson. Yes, the law was forever changed on that day as well, but the violence against my people continued for three more years.

And yes, this passage of this bill also comes when we are about to embark next month on another year of TDOR ceremonies. I'm writing a speech right now I'll be delivering for a Long Island, NY event on November 22.

Make no mistake about it, the folks that hate us won't care that a hate crimes law has been passed and signed. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once stated, "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important

But the message it does send is that transgender people ARE American citizens who have been violently attacked and murdered just for having the temerity to live their lives and be who they are, and that needs to stop.

It has been a major concern of mine because far too many of the transgender victims of these crimes have been either African descended, Latino/a people or other POC.

Our government said in a 68-29 vote in the Senate and a October 8 281-146 House vote that the federal definition of "hate crimes" needed to be expanded to include us.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said, "The answer to hate and bigotry has to be ultimately found in increased respect and tolerance for all our citizens. In the meantime, strengthening our hate crimes legislation to give law enforcement the tools they need is a necessary step."

That necessary step is better late than never.

While this historic change comes too late for the people who have already succumbed to hate violence, this law once it's signed by President Obama will give the Justice Department some new tools to combat it.

This new law will not make the transphobes stop hating us, but what it will do over time is send the message that it's no longer open season on transgender people.

I am a transgender citizen of the United States. It is NOT okay for you to kill me because you hate me, and if you do so, you will get punished for it.

It puts us one step closer to the full citizenship we deserve and is our birthright as Americans.

It also puts us one step closer to being included in the 'We The People' preamble to the United States Constitution.

White Gay Peeps, Back The Hell Up Off President Obama

One of the things I'm alarmed about is increasingly hearing from the African American acquaintances around the country I talk to, various Black GLBT people and family members who know that I interface with the GLBT community is escalating anger in the Black community over the continued attacks on President Obama.

What's feeding that anger? Hmm, where do I start?

*The Black community is still pissed over the displays of overt racist behavior and being blamed for the Prop 8 loss in California.

*We also haven't forgotten that many of the president's white gay critics were Hillary supporters.

*We remember that many white gay people unfairly attacked the President BEFORE he even entered office in January by proclaiming him as the 'worst president ever on gay rights.'

The one good thing about the Maine marriage fight is that if a loss happens there (and I pray it doesn't) you won't have Black people to blame for it since we're only 1% of the population there.

But with the President in the process of having to clean up the eight years of toxic waste from the Bush misadministration, extricate us from two wars, shut down the Dick Cheney Memorial Torture Prison in Guantanamo, Cuba, get a Supreme Court nomination through the Senate, pass health care reforms, repair and restore our battered national image around the world along with other myriad challenges he's faced since assuming office January 20, it's seen by many Blacks as selfish whining in the context of the major challenges that this country faces when you holler "Obama isn't doing anything for us', "He's all talk and no action' or 'I want (marriage equality/DOMA repeal/DADT repeal) now.'.

Hell, I and other transpeople since 1994 have wanted a trans inclusive ENDA and hate crimes passed. Thanks to you peeps who fought it like right wingers opposing your marriage rights I'm STILL waiting for that to happen.

May I also remind you that Black people have been waiting for full equality for over 200 years now.

I'm also tired of seeing the bullshit meme from white gays online that Black people hate them and don't care about GLBT rights.

No, what Black people hate is you white gays acting like spoiled brats and being called 'racist' or 'homophobic' when Black people of all stripes call your asses out on it. It's not 'racist' to state the fact that President Obama's critics in the gay community are predominately white gays. Deal with that reality.

And oh yeah, pick up a Sociology book and learn the difference between racism and prejudice. Racism=prejudice plus power.

POC's calling out whites for their behavior isn't racist. Only people who wallow in vanilla flavored privilege and conservative white males believe that.

Black GLBT people are especially sick of it. In addition to being stuck uncomfortably in the middle between the white gay community and our fellow African descended citizens when you do that, our votes, money and support of Obama helped put him in the Oval Office along with the votes of Black, Latino/a and progressives of all stripes.

It's also starting to piss off the middle class Black people whose support GLBT people cannot afford to lose. You still have much to atone for in the Prop 8 aftermath and much bridge building to do in the African-American community. Constantly attacking a still immensely popular president in our community who has only been in office ten months is seen as unfair by the Black community and it's not politically smart either.

He gets enough crap from the 'white' wing and so many death threats a day the Secret Service can barely keep up with it, and you vanilla flavored GLBT peeps are complaining he hasn't done enough for the 'gay community'?

Buy a fracking vowel and get a rainbow clue. Last time I checked, the gay community was not made up exclusively of white gay people. We're getting tired and fed up with you vanilla flavored privilege wielding GLBT peeps not only attacking our community and conveniently ignoring the fact that Black GLBT people not only exist, but we chocolate flavored GLBT peeps have a diametrically opposed view of how President Obama is doing.

The Black GLBT community is also concerned that your constant attacks are not only pissing our people off and alienating our African American cis and straight allies, you are making our job much tougher in the African American community to make the case why they should support and fight for these issues.

The reality is that Bush left the Obama Administration him a toxic mess to clean up and the man has his hands full. If the rest of us and Stevie Wonder can see that, what's wrong with y'all?

And spare me any spin lines in subsequent commentary of 'you're saying we're 'racist' for attacking President Obama or we can't criticize him.

You can criticize him all you want, but free speech cuts both ways. If you're going to loudly defend your First Amendment right to criticize the president, don't get huffy when I use my First Amendment rights to call y'all out for going overboard on your criticism of President Obama and state the obvious fact about the color of his GLBT critics. Getting mad and attacking Black and other POC critics with the 'racist' and 'homophobic' label because we did so isn't smart either.

Renee's Rule applies to this critique. If it ain't about you, don't make it about you. The people who I'm directing this critique at know who they are.

But seriously, white GLBT peeps. Don't get this twisted. I'm someone who has been in this fight with you for over a decade. I'm a marriage equality supporter and support the repeal of DOMA and DADT, but I also realize that the president can't sign bills to do precisely that unless congress PASSES the legislation. Executive orders can be overturned by the succeeding president as Bill Clinton did to Daddy Bush, Junior did unto Clinton and now Obama is now doing to George W. Bush.

I'm also a proud African descended transwoman who has her antennae up in the Black community, and the chatter I'm hearing is alarming. You can either heed the warning I'm passing along in this post and take the necessary steps to correct this perception problem or dismiss it at your political peril.

But y'all really need to back the hell up off President Obama and give him the time he needs to be the president we believe and know he can be.

What Does It Mean To Be A Woman?

Eternal Lizdom asked this question at her blog and invited women from various perspectives to answer it.

Some of my trans sisters have chimed in with their thoughts, and now it's my turn to do so.

What does it mean to be a woman? I interpret that question the same way that philosopher Simone de Beauvoir does. One is not born a woman, you become one.

My life is a living testament to that de Beauvoir quote. I wasn't born with a female body, but I morphed into my fine brown frame as fast as I could.

I've been evolving toward being the statuesque African descended women who loves her some Monica for 15 years now and I'm still a work in progress.

Diana Ross said it best in an October 1989 ESSENCE magazine interview.

'I never considered it a disadvantage to be a Black woman. I never wanted to be anything else. We have brains. We are beautiful. We can do anything we set our minds to.'

My mind is set on evolving into a Black woman of trans experience who is viewed as a compliment to Black womanhood, not a detriment to it. I'm on an evolutionary path to be a Black woman who is cognizant of her history, is eager and willing to serve her people, am proud to be trans and is just a phenomenal transwoman joyfully living her life.

While there are some aspects of being in a female body from birth I'll never know, I do know all too well the sting of sexism, was a target for assault long before I transitioned, have the heightened awareness of personal safety and share the pain with my cis African descended sisters about our beauty and Black womanhood in general being demonized, denigrated and dismissed.

In addition to that, I have to deal with the baggage that society heaps upon me for being Black, trans and having the temerity to stand up and boldly demand my place at the African American family table.

I think about the threads of Black womanhood that stretch back to the African continent and how they were spread throughout the Diaspora.

I think about the faith and spirituality that is part of a Black woman's life, be she cis or trans. I ponder where I fit in and what is the status of my and my African transsisters relationship with my African descended cis sisters.

So what does it mean to be a woman? It means comfort in my own chocolate skin so that I can love and accept the person I am and was born to be. It means standing up for my constitutional rights. It means mind and body being in harmony for the first time in my life. It means using the talents God gave me to help my country, my community, and myself. It means striving every day to be the best person I can be. even if there are some days I fall short of that.

But most of all, it means being the best sister, friend, aunt, cousin and daughter I can be, and being blessed that I'm finally able to do so.

Blog Donate Buttons

One of the things I didn't put on this site for a long time on this blog was a DONATE button in my sidebar.

I wasn't really concerned about it even though I saw sites much larger than my own not only put them on their blogs, but in some cases aggressively solicit donations to it.

One thing that changed my thinking on it in addition to a certain Canadian blogger pointing out that fact about blogs larger than mine having them in a phone conversation one evening was visiting Pat Buchanan's blog.

I surfed over there to read his 'Brief For Whitey post and noted that his blog had a DONATE button on it. This is a man who makes ten times the money I do, but has a DONATE button Thirty minutes later I had one on my sidebar as well.

A goal of mine is to eventually get to the point where I can write full time and get paid for it.

I'm also thinking about future expansion. I'm weighing the pros and cons of moving to my own server. People have asked for transcripts for videos. Unlike some blogs that have a team of people to split the writing chores, it's moi wearing a lot of hats as editor in chief/correspondent/researcher/writer. I'd have to hire someone to produce that transcript.

Basically, it's there so that if you really like a post or feel moved enough to support what TransGriot does, you have the opportunity to drop a dollar (or two or three) if you wish.

Thanks to those of you if you choose to do so

Feeling A Little Blue Today

TransGriot readers,
Taking a break today. Been feeling down about some things going on in my personal life that I need to do some hard, solid thinking about.

It isn't helping that my hormone script ran out as well. ;(

Some of it is just part of being Moni the activist and educator on trans issues. I'm human and need to recharge the batteries every now and then, even if my haters don't think so.

Part of it is the fact I haven't been back to Houston since the summer of 2005 or inside Texas borders since November 2006. Recent opportunities to return to the home state that I was looking forward to such as the family reunion have fallen through.

At any rate, gonna turn off the cable news for a little while, chat with some of my cis and trans girlfriends, talk to my family, watch some movies from my expansive DVD collection, do some fiction writing and pull out the PlayStation 2 and just chill out for a few hours.

After sacking some virtual college quarterbacks I'll figure out a few interesting topics to write about.

Enjoy your day.

First It Was ACORN

TransGriot Note: My friend David Williams in Louisville got this one started. The first two lines are his, the rest are mine. It echoes the famous quote from Pastor Martin Niemoller.

First they came for ACORN, and I did not speak out because I had never benefited from ACORN's services.

Then they came for the Service Employees International Union, and I did not speak out because I was not a union member.

Then they came for the progressive blogosphere, and I did not speak out because I wasn't a blogger.

Then they came for the progressive activists, and I did not speak out because I wasn't an activist.

Then they came for the Democrats, and I did not speak out because I was mad at the Democrats for not being progressive enough.

Then they came for my country, and there was no one left to speak out or stop them from doing so.

What I Wrote is EXACTLY What I'm Thinking

No matter how many time I say that what I write is what I'm thinking at the moment I penned the piece, too many times I'll get people who will try to decipher it as if I typed my words on a World War II era Enigma code machine.

The header on this blog states:

News, opinions commentary and a little creative writing from an African-American transwoman about the world around her.

While I'm happy that peeps think my writing is valuable enough to read, pontificate on and peruse, I'm not kidding when I say that I'm blunt and straight to the point about putting my thoughts down in this blog.

That means whatever I'm thinking about concerning the issues of the day is what gets fashioned into a post and goes up on TransGriot (or whatever blog I'm posting to) at that particular time and date.

You can't read my mind. If you have that ability, I suggest you call up the feds, have them pay you a seven figure salary and give you a high level security clearance. That way your abilities can be used to serve the country as you read the minds of various world leaders and our enemies.

So don't go off on some wild tangent about what you think I said or get it twisted.

What I wrote is exactly what I'm thinking.

That's a starting point for healthy debate and discussion about those issues whether you agree or disagree with the conclusions I came up with.

Why You Tripping About What I Said?

I've been involved in online discourse for over ten years now.

It never fails that when I or any Black person, be they gay, straight or trans, posts ANY commentary that critiques how whiteness insidiously operates in our communities and beyond, calls out a white person operating in a racist way, or points out that race relations aren't as 'post-racial' as people claim they are the usual predictable stuff happens.

*We're called 'angry','emotional' or whatever euphemism du jour is used to personally attack the writer.
*There is a demand for dissertation level evidence or statistics to back up whatever we said in our commentary.
*We have our commentary nitpicked for perceived 'flaws'.
*Whatever we said in the post is dismissed, belittled or labeled 'anecdotal'
*We're accused of being racist.
*Our post is accused of being 'counterproductive' to the issue we're bringing up.

So why are you tripping about what I said? Is it because deep down, you have exhibited the behaviors at one time or another that I'm talking about in the critique and it's making you uncomfortable?

Or is it because you wish to deny the mountains of evidence that racism is still a problem in our so called post-racial society?

The point is, I have four decades of experience living on this planet. I've been exposed to racism and its effects, observed its impact on my people throughout our history, and had long conversations on an almost daily basis with other African descended people from across the Diaspora about it.

Whites don't have that life experience. So how can you tell me as an African-American or presume to have the authority to tell me what is and ISN'T racist?

Why is anger a legitimate emotion for white people in discourse, but not for Blacks or other people of color?

Why is any critique by a white writer on an issue not greeted with the same shifting goalposts of 'proof' that you require of us?

Why is it that whites can freely criticize my community, but Blacks aren't allowed to do the same without a hostile or angry reaction to it?

Why is it that when white people who make controversial statements that are later proven blatantly false ignore demands from the Black community to apologize for them, but ANY controversial statements that are penned by a Black or POC writer are immediately followed with demands to apologize for them by the White community?

Explain that to me.

September 2009 Villager's Black Blog Rankings

Many people are spending this Labor Day holiday weekend firing up their grills and getting their last shots in at summer fun before the weather starts turning cooler and colder.

Well, hot on the heels of the August BBR rankings he just revealed is this month's edition of the highly anticipated and increasingly prestigious event in the Afrosphere.

Villager made some adjustments to the BBR's that resulted in a 19 blog dip in the number of ranked blogs. There were 1747 blogs ranked this month as opposed to the 1766 blogs ranked last month.

Villager has instituted a new policy in which any blog not updated in 120 days gets sent to the bottom of the BBR list.

One that will never be at the bottom of the BBR's is Pam's House Blend. For the 15th consecutive month, it's the BBR Number One ranked blog.

Renee at Womanist Musings finally reached her goal of cracking the BBR Top 5. Congratulations my Timmy's icecap sippin' sister, you're BBR number 5.

For the rest of the Top Ten and Top 25 BBR blogs, check out his post at Electronic Villager. Here's the September 2009 BBR list.

So did I hang on to my BBR Top 25 ranking? Well, yes and no.

As of the September 1st compilation date I'm tied with Crunk & Disorderly with a 94 Technorati ranking. But due to the BBR tiebreakers I slipped two spots from BBR number 24 to BBR Number 26.

The BBR's are set up where there are no ties. According to our illustrious BBR compiler:

If a blogger's authority number drops ... they are placed at the TOP of the grouping of blogs at the new rating.

If a blogger's authority number rises ... they are placed at the BOTTOM of the grouping of blogs at the new rating.

If a new blogger is added to the BBR ... they are placed at the BOTTOM of the grouping of blogs at the rating found for them when they join the list.

If a blogger is no longer being rated (either link unknown or authority rating is > 120 days) then they are placed in alpha order in that portion of the BBR.

If it seems like I'm angry about it, yeah I am.

I've worked hard to build and put together a quality blog that a cross section of people would find interesting, entertaining and informative. I've used the BBR's as one of my measuring sticks to grow TransGriot.

To be bumped out of the BBR Top 25 on a tiebreaker sucks.

All it's done is to piss me off and motivate me to set a new goal. I want to grow TransGriot to a point where I will NEVER be bumped from the BBR Top 25 again.

My Liberal Identity:

You are a Social Justice Crusader, also known as a rights activist. You believe in equality, fairness, and preventing neo-Confederate conservative troglodytes from rolling back fifty years of civil rights gains.

I am a proudly unapologetic liberal progressive person. I despise conservatism, ignorance, fundamentalist Christians and propaganda networks such as Faux News and right-wing talk radio.

I believe in justice, civil rights coverage for all, government staying out of my bedroom and bathroom and a level playing field for all.

I also believe in freedom to pursue your dreams to the best of your abilities and God-given talents.

I am also aware that we have problems in this country that require government intervention to solve. The private sector is NOT the only answer to them, nor should they be left alone. They have proven over three GOP administrations to be irresponsible and too greedy to be concerned about the welfare of their fellow citizens, and need regulation.

We must do more to employ our people with good jobs at livable wages. I define livable wage as being paid enough to not only keep the basics of food, clothing and shelter ensconsed around you, but be able to save for a rainy day as well.

Every citizen deserves a quality education and affordable, universal health care. Our greed is good system that only benefits the insurance companies needs to be overhauled and regulated.

So yeah, that's a snap shot of what I believe as a proud Houstonian, Texan, and African-American. We can respectfully debate those beliefs at any time.

But don't come at me with Rush Limbaugh or GOP talking points. I'll blow those out of the water.