The US Trans Caucus Meets!

Back on May 9, the US Trans Caucus got together via Zoom to discuss the changing landscape of American politics.

The US Trans Caucus is comprised of Minneapolis city councilmembers Andrea Jenkins and Philippe Cunningham, and state Reps Brianna Titone of Colorado, Reps Gerri Cannon and Lisa bunker of new Hampshire and Del Danica Roem of VA 

Here's the video of that historic meeting of out trans legislators moderated by Councilmember Jenkins.. 

Thank You Minneapolis and U of M!

I had an unexpected additional day in the Twin Cities after the event because of a massive spring storm that slammed the state with several inches of snow combined with sustained 25 mph high winds that cancelled flights at MSP.

That storm also resulted in the cancellation of my return flight home to Texas, but I wasn't too pressed about it.  I needed the additional day of rest because I know when I get back home I'll be going back to Austin to deal with our TXGOP legislative craziness.

I had a wonderful first visit to the Twin Cities and the state of Minnesota to participate in the second annual Andrea Jenkins Lecture Series.   While I was disappointed I didn't get to see more of my Minneapolis trans family because of the approaching storm, there were 100 souls who braved the weather to see Dr C Riley Snorton and myself.

In addition to Andrea dropping some of her poetry on us, Dr Snorton and I took to the Mayo Auditorium stage to discuss Black trans history and other subjects over the next two hours.

And yes, it was wonderful to see Rev Lawrence T. Richardson and Councilmember Andrea Jenkins again and meet Dr. Saby Labor , the director of UM-Twin Cities Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life. 

It was also a pleasure, honor and privilege to reconnect with Dr Snorton, and I'm going to enjoy reading his latest book on the plane ride home.   I also discovered Dr Snorton and I have a mutual acquaintance in his University of Chicago colleague Dr Kristen Schilt.

I also got to do some touristy things before the snowstorm hit like see the world famous First Avenue nightclub where Prince, The Time and countless other music legends have performed.   I visited the Mall of America  and went to Nicollet Mall downtown to see the Mary Tyler Moore statue.

Did I visit Paisley Park?  Not this time.   It's in the 'burbs and off the beaten public transit path, so I'll save it for a future trip.

But what I do wish to say is thank you Minneapolis for a wonderful first visit, and hope I can return to the Twin Cities soon.

Texas, I'm headed back home. 

Leaving On A Jet Plane-To Minneapolis

It's a travel day in which I get to take a jet plane out of Hobby and head to Minneapolis for the Andrea Jenkins Lecture I'll be participating in tomorrow with Dr C Riley Snorton on the UM campus.

Already have a shot of me next to the Bronze Fonz, and Minneapolis has its own iconic statue of a fictional TV character in Mary Tyler Moore at Nicollett Mall. 

It recreates the scene from the Mary Tyler Moore Show opening credits in which her Mary Richards character throws her tam in the air in front of the downtown mall along with scenes from the show. 

I was a huge fan of the Mary Tyler Moore show growing up that put Minneapolis in the public consciousness before His Royal Badness came along later..

I'm looking forward to seeing as many of the Minneapolis based trans peeps I know while I'm there, and hope everyone can come to check out the event at the Mayo Auditorium on the University of Minnesota campus.

Also looking forward to spending some quality time with D. Snorton.

The interesting thing is I have to fly to Denver first and then catch my connecting flight out of there to Minneapolis.   Here's hoping I have no drama or ATC delays.

Moni's Heading To Minnesota Soon!

It's official now so I can talk about it.

Last year I went to Wisconsin for the first time back in November for a TDOR, and now I'll be back in the upper Midwest again to do a lecture with Dr. C. Riley Snorton on the University of Minnesota campus.

What I'm heading to the Twin Cities for next week is the latest installment of the Andrea Jenkins Lecture Series that happens on the UM campus.   This year it's happening on April 10 in the Mayo Auditorium.

So yep, I'll be in the Twin Cities for the first time ever after some failed attempts to go there during my airline days, and so looking forward to spending time with y'all up there in Minnesota.

I'm also looking forward to getting to spend some quality time with CM Jenkins and hopefully see CM Cunningham, too along with the rest of my Minnesota trans family

I'm also looking forward to meeting Dr Snorton, whose work I have admired for some time now, and it is a sincere honor and privilege to share a stage with.

As someone who is a huge Prince fan and owns a DVD copy of Purple Rain, hopefully I'll find some time to swing by the legendary First Avenue club and take a photo in front of it. 

And just like in Milwaukee, Minneapolis has a bronze statue of a famous TV character that called the city home in Mary Tyler Moore's Mary Richards.   There's a shot from the opening credits of the Mary Tyler Moore Show in which she takes off her tam in front of the then brand new Nicollette Mall in downtown Minneapolis and throws it in the air

A statue in front of the mall recreates that moment.

May also try to roll by the Mall of America while I'm up there as well

But once again Minnesota trans fam, I'm headed your way, and hope to see y'all on April 10 at 6 PM in the Mayo Auditorium .

What's Phillipe Doing On The Minneapolis City Council?

When I wrote the post about Councilmember Andrea Jenkins being elected Minneapolis City Council vice president, I was also researching what Ward 4 Councilman Phillipe Cunningham was doing and what committees he was serving on in order to put it in a standalone post.

Just a reminder we have two awesome Black trans folks serving on the Minneapolis City Council as freshman council members, and they aren't the average freshman councilmembers.

Phillipe served as a senior policy advisor to Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges from 2015 until he resigned to successfully run for the Ward 4 seat

I also wanted my trans brother to get his moment in the TransGriot sun since he earned his place in this history books as well.    Phillipe also made history by becoming the first Black transmasculine person ever elected to office in the US in any capacity.   He also beat a 20 year incumbent and the former Minneapolis council president who had a three to one fundraising advantage in doing so

Phillipe is serving as the chair of the Health, Environment Civil Rights and Engagement Committee, the vice chair of the Committee of the Whole,  and vice chair of the Race Equity Subcommittee  (Andrea is chair), and is a member of the Ways and Means, and Public Safety and Emergency Management Committees.

And he's also meeting with his Ward 4 constituents 

So as you can see, Phillipe is definitely earning his paycheck, and then some. 

Andrea Jenkins Elected Minneapolis City Council Vice President!

Time to drop another Black history nugget on y'all.

As many of you know we had two Black trans persons in Andrea Jenkins and Phillipe Cunningham be elected to the Minneapolis City Council.   One of the first things that was done in the wake of the January 9 inauguration of the Council was holding an organizational meeting to determine who the new council president and vice president would be, the committee chairs, and the committee assignments for all thirteen councilmembers.

The council president one is a big deal because that person determines who chairs the twelve standing Minneapolis council committees and the membership of them.  It was during that organizational meeting that Jenkins was elected vice president of the council

Andrea is not your average freshman council member.  She is well prepared for the council vice president position, having served for 12 years as a policy aide for two Ward 8 council members in Robert Lilligren and Elizabeth Glidden, who both served as council vice president. 

Andrea is also chairing two of the council's permanent committees.

Sharon Sayles-Belton, another Ward 8 council member, served as the president of the council before being elected Minneapolis mayor in 1993. 

Andrea is also keeping a Ward 8 council leadership tradition going, and major props to her for doing so.

2017-18 NFL Playoffs- Super Bowl LII

After the games of Championship Sunday were contested, I split the picks, getting the AFC one right (boo hiss) and getting the NFC one wrong to stay underwater record wise at 4-6 for these playoffs

Now the big game is upon us at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, and we now have the team everyone loves to hate in the Trump loving New England Cheatriots Patriots taking on a Philadelphia Eagles team playing for their first NFL championship since 1960.

The NFC champion Eagles are probably playing the theme from the Rocky movie in their locker room because they are underdogs in this game but thy are used to it.   

They have been the underdog in both their NFC playoff games despite their 13-3 record and their number one seed because they lost their staring QB Carson Wentz in Week 14. 

And yes, the other thing I love about the Eagles is they are 'woke'.   They have been taking part in the 'Take A Knee' protests, and have led efforts in Pennsylvania to push criminal justice reform along with other charitable and community social justice issues.

They are facing a Patriots team that is not only seeking their sixth NFL title, they haven't lost since the Miami Dolphins upset them 27-20 at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 14

And as we know, they are 45's and white supremacists favorite NFL team.

So let me get to my Super Bowl pick.   While I am rooting for the Eagles to win their first title since 1960, my NFL prognosticator head says I'll unfortunately have to watch the disgusting spectacle of Tom Brady hoisting the Lombardi trophy again

Patriots to win Super Bowl LII

It's Inauguration Day For Councilmembers Cunningham and Jenkins!

Today was the public inauguration in Minneapolis for Councilmembers Phillipe Cunningham and Andrea Jenkins, Mayor Jacob Frey and their council colleagues in the Minneapolis City Hall rotunda. 

After the public inauguration, and the mayor's inauguration speech,  they and their city council colleagues immediately went to the council chambers to meet and elect a new council president and determine who the various committee chairs would be.

It's going to be an exciting but busy day for Andrea and Phillipe in Minneapolis today.  They'll find out their committee assignments, and after that get busy with the nuts and bolts work of helping to run Minneapolis.

And looking forward to hearing them talk about it the next time I get to spend quality time with either of them.

Minneapolis Council Members Cunningham and Jenkins Get Acclimated To Their New Job

With us being in the second day of the new year, that means that the trans folks who were elected in those groundbreaking historic elections back in November now over the next few days and weeks get sworn in and start to handle their constituents business.

Here's now Councilmember Andrea Jenkins in a picture from her FB page getting sworn in this morning in Minneapolis.

Here's Councilmember Cunningham's inauguration pic.   He's ready and eager to do the job for the residents of his northside Ward 4 along with his staff .

There's also in the wake of the election, interviewing and hiring the staff for your council office.  And yes, you also have training to go through as a councilperson like any other job. 

There was a three day orientation in which Andrea and Phillipe spent several days learning the nuts and bolts basic rules in filing ordinances and bills, voting procedures and getting up to speed on local state and federal policies that impact the city

And at $98,695 a year, the salary is nice as well.

Yes people, you have to put in the work to be an effective legislator, and having the pleasure of knowing both of them, I know they are more than prepared and ready to hit the ground running as councilmembers.

The big public one takes place on January 8 in Minneapolis when all the councilmembers gather in the City Hall rotunda to be sworn in starting at 9:30 AM CST.

Following that swearing in, the organizational meeting for city council will take place in which the Minneapolis City Council leadership will be elected.   Remember Philllpe beat the incumbent council president Barb Johnson in his race who had been in that Ward 4 seat 20 years and spent the last eight of her term as the Minneapolis City Council president.

The new council president, once elected by majority vote of the council, then will assign members to various committees and appoint the committee chairs.

January 8 will not only be a historic day not only for Andrea and Phillipe, but the city of Minneapolis and the trans community as well.