BTAC 2016 Day 4 Highlights

All hail our new Black Trans International Pageant royalty that was crowned last night in Taliyah Cassadine and Dane Ray who will be repping the BTIPS system for 2016.

Darn this BTAC week week is going by so fast.

Today is our last full day of seminars with our main event being the Black Trans Advocacy Awards Gala starting at 8 PM.  I also get to find out who receives the award named for moi along with the others being passed out tonight..

Prince, His Royal Badness Is Dead

Just heard the sad and shocking news that Prince has died at his Paisley Park estate at age 57.

According to local and multiple news sources, a medical response call coming from Prince's Paisley Park compound in Chanhassen, MN was received at 9:43 AM CDT.  After attempts to revive him by first responders failed, he was declared dead at 10:07 AM CDT.

He has been having health issues recently, and reportedly was hospitalized in Moline, Illinois after his plane was diverted while flying back to Minneapolis from a concert in Atlanta Friday night that was blamed on flu-like symptoms

Cause of death has not been determined at the time I write this..

The enigmatic Grammy and Oscar Award winning Prince was acclaimed as one of the most gifted and inventive musicians of our era   You could see the James Brown, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard and other influences in his music and stage performances that fused R&B, soul and funk with rock, and the Minneapolis Sound as it grew to be called was heard in groups and artists like The Time, Vanity/Appolonia 6, Mint Condition, Alexander O'Neal, Cherrelle, Sheila E and because of super producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis who were The Time members, Janet Jackson and New Edition.  .

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and much of the music soundtrack of my late teens and twenties is dominated by Prince songs. I still chuckle when I think about my late high school friend Joel Anderson who resembled the late 70's Prince complete with the big Afro he was rocking then, bristling when me and my godbrother Brent Warren teased him about it.

Some of my fondest concert memories involve going to his Dirty Mind, Controversy, 1999, and Purple Rain tours at  Hofheinz Pavilion and The Summit in the early 80's.  I stood in line at the Almeda 8 with my brother and other Prince fans in my 1999 concert T-shirt to buy tickets for the opening weekend of the movie Purple Rain when it.came out.  And when a Prince album or CD came out, I was at Soundwaves and Sound Warehouse eagerly snatching them up.

I knew that with many of my fave musical artists being in their late 50's, 60's and 70's that 2016 could be one of those years where we witnessed many of them leave this plane of existence for various reasons.  But I can't help thinking after hearing today's news that another musical piece of my childhood, my life and the lives my Baby Boomer and Gen X peers is gone.

His Royal Badness may be gone, but his towering musical legacy will endure forever.

Rest in power and peace, Prince.   The concerts in Heaven just got a little more funkier.  

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2016

Happy St. Patrick's Day TransGriot readers!

It's probably a happier than normal one for my trans cousins in Ireland thanks to the amazing trans human rights progress they have made there over the last few months.  Congratulations to the trans Irish folks who successfully stood up for their human rights, and may TENI keep that momentum going.

Hope the positive trends that have been happening for Irish trans people lead to positive action for the rest of the British Isles, Europe and eventually the rest of the world.

Here it's falling during Spring Break, and I'm spending today getting my last minute packing and other stuff done in preparation for my trip to this weekend's LGBT Media Journalist Convening in Baltimore.  I am looking forward to seeing everyone at #LGBTMedia16 and getting away from Houston for a few days

As for drinking any green beer, umm no, not for me.

Happy February 29!

Happy February 29!  This is a day that you get to see on the calendar every four years.  It's also the interesting timing to me that it happens during US presidential election years and Summer Olympiads.

So we get an extra day in this month of February, and an extra day of Black History Month.  But as far as I'm concerned, every month is Black History Month, and I'll continue with my ongoing mission of exposing you to Black trans history makers of the past and present.

But the reason we have the extra day on the calendar is so our calendars stay accurate.  Planet Earth takes 365 days and roughly 6 hours to make one trip around the sun. After four of those trips the six hours part of the solar year accrues into an extra day, so in order to keep our calendars as accurate as possible we add the extra day to it,
An extra day that for the about 4.1 million people around the world is their actual birthday.   Happy birthday to all you Leaplings born on this day.   That's what people born on this day are called and who have this unique birthday.

In case you're wondering what day do the Leaplings celebrate their birthday on in non-leap years, some do so on February 28, while others do so on March 1.

But enjoy this extra day on the calendar.            

Can Y'all Use This Photo Of Moi?

While I deeply appreciate being being honored lately on some compiled online leadership lists, one thing that is really beginning to annoy me is the consistent use of a less than flattering photograph that I absolutely hate.

he photo I hate popped up again in the latest list on Austostraddle I was named to, and while I saw attractive photos for the other honorees, what made y'all choose the one you used?

Now, this is the one that's on my Facebook page, and I would deeply appreciate it if y'all start using it.

Happy Valentines Day 2016

Happy Valentines Day 2016!  Love is in the air and I'm looking forward to seeing happen two anticipated weddings of trans couples this year.

Of course many of us are already aware of the upcoming nuptials of Precious and Myles this summer, and have seen episode of Say Yes To The Dress  that she was featured in.  It is going to be fun to finally see them jump the broom to the land of matrimony

But Precious and Myles  aren't the only trans couple I'm aware of that is getting married this year. Laila Villanueva and Logan Ireland are also stepping down the aisle less than 100 days from now. They are representative of the estimated 15,000 trans people serving in our nation's armed forces, and they got the opportunity to meet the Commander in Chief himself at the White House last year.

To both couples, love y'all both, and I wish you long, happy and healthy marriages.

As for those of you who have asked when it is going to happen for me, that depends on whether the right person comes along in my life at this juncture.  While I am blessed with many talents that I excel at, one of the things that has eluded me over the years is a long term relationship.  

I joke that I have been wandering the dating Sinai for so long that the paired off Israelites passed me up on their way to the matrimony Promised Land and shake their heads.

But for those of you who are in relationships on this Valentines Day 2016,, I am happy for you.

One of the things I am also happy to see is that the men who love us are on the verge (if they aren't doing so already) of naming and proudly proclaiming it while dealing with the issues that come with that.

 I'm talking about the trans attracted men, and despite the shutdown by some loud and wrong transwomen of that panel in Chicago, it is not going to stop the conversation from happening, and has created even more interest in having it.

Trans women need to hear that the men who love them are proud of them and see them shout it to the rooftops instead of the shame inducing current pattern for both parties of keeping those relationships secret.

We have worked hard, gone through many trials and tribulations and spent lots of money at times to live in our truth, and it's past time that the men who love us be unafraid to live in theirs as well.

We have a shared responsibility to get society on board with the idea that choosing to love a trans women is no different than preferring cis women who are brunette, blonde, tall, petite, older, younger, non-white, white, et cetera.

Love is love, and if dating or marrying a trans woman is going to make you happy, then handle your romantic business and do so.    

And as the HerStory YouTube series, the Game Face documentary and the movie Boy Meets Girl all point out, there are cis women who are increasingly kissing trans girls and discovering they like it and the trans woman they kissed enough to want to be in a relationship with them be it short or long term.  There are cis girls kissing trans guys and also ending up in long term relationships and marriages with them.

But the main point of this Valentine's Day post is that trans folks, be they trans masculine, trans feminine or non-binary, deserve and are worthy of being loved.

And what better day than Valentines Day to spread that message.

Super Bowl 50 Musings

In a few hours Super Bowl 50 will kick off between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers to determine who walks away with the NFL title and the Vince Lombardi trophy.

I've already made my Super Bowl prediction like 'errbody' else in media world, but as the clock ticks down to the start of the final NFL game of the 2015-16 season, I have other random thoughts that are percolating in my mind besides the action that will take place at Levi's Stadium starting at 5:30 PM CST.

In addition to the mass quantities of food we Americans consume during that game and the billions we bet on it legally and illegally, corporations spend millions for Super Bowl advertising slots before and during the game and on making the good, bad, indifferent and 'what the hell were they thinking' commercials that will run during it.

I'm parked in front of the TV not only for the game and the armchair analysis of it, but to spend some quality time with my friends.  You haven't lived until you've watched a Super Bowl with a room full of TBLG people and allies.  It's a hilarious and wonderful slice of life where for just a few hours, we LGBT World NFL fans can forget about the reality that on Monday or as soon as the last confetti has been swept off the turf, the rest of America will go back to hatin' us with a foaming at the mouth determination and gleefully working to roll back our human rights.

For that few hours during a Super Bowl, we trans. bi and SGL NFL fans are just like everyone else, rooting for our fave team (,in this year's case either the Broncos or the Panthers) to win and then plotting if you live in Denver or Charlotte where and how fast can you get your championship swag if they handle their Super Bowl 50 business.

Speaking of human rights, hey Mayor Turner and everyone else from Houston observing what is happening in the San Francisco Bay Area this week in advance of my hometown hosting Super Bowl LI in 2017, how about y'all doing us Houstonians a huge favor?   As soon as y'all step off the plane from Cali, how about you and City Council get busy and start working on expeditiously passing HERO 2.0?

World class cities protect the human rights of their citizens, and if you want H-town to ever be considered as a host for another Super Bowl, better get busy with that necessary human rights task.

When I watch a Super Bowl, I'm also cognizant of the possibility that if I'm fortunate, I'll get to watch some Black history being made at the same time while I'm munching on pizza or wings.

I remember bursting with pride when Doug Williams became in 1988 the first African-American quarterback to win a Super Bowl, and Russell Wilson doing so in 2014.   It was why I was so incensed when that boneheaded pass play call in last year's game call cost the Seahawks not the change to win back to back titles, but Wilson the opportunity to become the first ever Black NFL starting QB to win back to back NFL titles.

And it's no secret I want to see Cam Newton join that exclusive fraternity of Black NFL QB's who have hoisted a Lombardi Trophy in a few hours and deliciously shutting up his racist haters.

Because Newton winning the NFL MVP award for 2015 last night, leading the team to a 17-1 record and the franchise's second NFC title and Super Bowl berth won't be enough to silence them.  But I have noticed during my lifetime that winning shuts bigots up.

While as a Texans fans I despise the Indianapolis Colts, I put that rivalry aside when the Tony Dungy led Colts and Lovie Smith's Chicago Bears faced off in what we called in the Black community the 'Soul Bowl'.

Even the NFL officials calling the Super Bowl at times have made Black history.  Mike Carey, the second Black NFL referee when he was hired in 1995 and is now retired, in 2008 became the first Black referee to call the title game.  In 2013 Jerome Boger became the second Black referee to do officiate a Super Bowl.

Looking forward to seeing the day a female NFL official gets to do that and be the referee at a Super Bowl, but that's another post.

Well, hope the players got enough sleep for their busy and career making day.

I'm just hoping for a great game like the millions of people around the country that will be tuned in for it, and that one day I'll know what it is like to see my hometown NFL franchise play in one..
 

Why Were Y'all 'Scurred' Of This Trans Attracted Men Panel?

'I refuse to believe that there's something wrong with a man that is attracted to me, the way that I am'.
--Bryanna Jenkins

Still not happy about the bull feces that transpired in Chicago last week that resulted in the shutdown of the Trans Attracted men panel that was supposed to take place during NBJC's Black Institute.

The peeps who shut it down were high fiving themselves and cheesing for the cameras after they did so, but now that the backlash from their ill thought out action is smacking their millennial asses in the face, now they are furiously trying to moonwalk and spin their way out of it.

Naw boo boo kitties.  Too late now.

But the questions I and a lot of people have been asking in the wake of this action is what was the real reason motivating them to shut down this trans attracted men panel in the first place?  Why was that cadre of Black trans women so 'scurred' of trans attracted men telling their stories and their truths as they see them?  

Bryanna Jenkins has an interesting take on it that I agree with that I'm going to piggyback off of it.

But I still have to ask the question why were they so  'scurred' of the trans attracted men panel enough to launch a shut down protest of it?  And spare me the lies you used to attempt to justify last Thursday's action.

I would love to find out how many of those #CC16 protest girls were post op.  I agree there are post ops who are chasing pseudo cis privilege and believe because they have genital surgery, they are 'better than' pre-op or non-op trans women.  That divide combined with unacknowledged dysphoria around our trans feminine bodies causes problems in our trans feminine ranks.

Bottom line ladies, is the Religious Reich doesn't care whether we identify as pre-op, post-op or non-op.  They hate all of us with a foaming at the mouth passion and if they had their way, would like nothing better than to throw us into detention camps and forcibly make us all detransition.

Back to the post.  

What the trans attracted men conversation would have done had it been allowed to happen would have been to blow that pseudo cis privilege up and many assumptions trans women base their lives on.  It would have revealed that yes, some trans attracted men prefer non-op or pre-op trans women, and perusing Craigslist would easily back that assertion up.  It's also worth noting that the number one type of porn that flies off the shelves is porn featuring non-op or pre-op trans women .

That  trans attracted man conversation would have allowed them to declare to the world they unconditionally love us, and that there is nothing wrong or shame inducing in doing so.

It would have allowed them to call out the trans attracted men who are abusive to their mates or have killed their partners.  And that conversation would have allowed us to hear from their own mouths what is going on in the minds of trans attracted men and how they see us.

It would also give us a window into how the trans attracted man thinks.

And as Cheryl Courtney-Evans said in a comment she posted on Bryanna's page, "This conversation desperately needs to be had...the more this is discussed with our male supporters, the less stigma will be attached to our relationships in general, which adds to the value of ALL our lives. "

Amen Cheryl!

But that conversation didn't happen Thursday. However what you misguided trans women did do is create demand for those necessary trans attracted men conversations to be held across the country

So some of y'all can be 'scurred' all you want and try to spin what you did as `defending your sisters`   What y`all did was stifle a conversation from happening, and no amount of spin will kill the reality of that,

While you were temorarily successful in doing so, the trans adults in the room are willing ready and eager  to hear that adult conversation y`all created through your action more interest in around the country.

Happy MLK Day 2016!

"No time for apathy and complacency.  This is a time for vigorous and positive action."
--Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

When I was younger, I loved Rich Little and used to be able to do dead on vocal impressions of people and celebrities.  One of the people I used to do was the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and one day I was attempting a humorous impression of him for my classmates during my 8th grade English class.  

My English teacher Ms. Maxie liked it so much I ended up doing the last part of the 1963 'I Have A Dream' speech it at a school assembly for a Black history month program to a standing ovation when I was done.

So my love of arguably the greatest American our people every produced started early, and the more I learn about Dr. King, the more fascinated I become with his all too brief life.

His writings and speeches not only are relevant in 21st century America, they inspired a downtrodden people to stand up and fight for their human rights.   His writings and speeches resonated across this nation and the world.  His words inspire me to fight for another class of downtrodden people in our country in transgender Americans.

On this national holiday dedicated to his memory, I take this day to do as he called it, hard solid thinking about the state of human rights in our country.

In a time when people are pushing back against trans human rights and suggesting that 'this is not the right time' to push laws and policies that mandate you treat transpeople as human beings, I take comfort from my history in the fact that the same loud and wrong commentary was said when it came to the African-American and other human rights struggles.

The rime is always right to agitate for human rights.  Just like during the 1950's and 1960's, 2016 is also not a time for apathy and complacency, but a time for vigorous and positive action about the pressing human rights issues of our time.  It is a time to get busy registering people to vote, getting people informed about the issues and ensure that people take their souls to the polls on November 8 in this critical to our nation's future presidential election.

And it is also a time to contemplate what I can do as an individual and collectively in expanding human rights coverage for everyone in a time when we have a conservative movement that is hellbent on rolling back everything that Dr King and countless other human rights warriors accomplished.

Happy King Day 2016, everyone!

Happy Trans New Year 2016!

This is the first full week of 2016, and after a year like the previous one in which it seems the word 'transgender' was on everyone's lips, what can we do to build on that progress, locally, nationally and globally?

We  have much work to do over the next 52 weeks.  Part of the work we have to do in the 2K16 is stating the obvious.  We must take our butts to the polls, vote for the folks who govern us at the city, county, state and federal levels in addition to the person who is going to succeed President Obama in the White House next January.

That 2016 presidential election by the way, is also one that will determine the makeup of the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary for the next 25 years, since the next president could appoint up to four SCOTUS justices and also federal judges to replace the ones hitting retiring age who were appointed by Reagan and GHW Bush

So yes trans peeps, get registered to vote, and exercise it on November 8 and in your state primary elections when they happen.  If you don't like the selection of candidates offered, then consider running  for office your damned self.

In 2016 we have no choice but to continue fighting for our human rights and our humanity since we have right wing legislators and activists, pissed off they lost on marriage last year, now seeking to demonize and criminalize the existence of trans people.   The Forces of Intolerance are also seeking to do reparative therapy on our trans kids and attack trans friendly school board policies.

Yes, the trans rights fight requires us to multitask.   As we seek to change laws and policies to protect our human rights, we also have to continue the ongoing education efforts that have the goal of expanding knowledge about who we are, dispelling myths, and making the world safe for trans kind.

One of the things we trans folks must be careful about is our safety.  I pray that we do not exceed the record 20 trans people we lost in the United States in 2015.

I am looking forward to seeing my trans fam at the different conventions we attend like Creating Change in Chicago, the Black Trans Advocacy Conference in Dallas,  the Philly Trans Health Conference, Southern Comfort and Fantasia Fair just to name a few and whatever events pop up like the Trans Wpmen of Color one did last year..

I hope I finally get the chance to go to the LGBT Pride Reception this year because this will be the last one that President Obama will preside over.

I hope to finally get an opportunity to meet some trans icons this year like Lauren Foster, Caroline Cossey, Tracey Jada O`Brien, Tracey Norman and Justina Williams just to name a few.  

Hey, just putting it out there. I can be a fangirl at times, and just getting the opportunity to listen to the wisdom and life experiences of these women would be awesome to this trans historian.  

We`ll see if it happens for me.  And yes, trans younglings, looking forward to meeting and talking to you peeps as well.

And finally, hope that the positive trans developments continue happening for our trans cousins around the world.  

If and when it does, you know in this tenth anniversary year for TransGriot, I`ll hopefully be on the scene to cover it.

 

What I Would Like To Give The Trans Community For Christmas 2015

We're 48 hours from Christmas Day, and it's been another year for transkind filled with good and bad news.   While we have unprecedented levels of visibility, it has come at the price of the right win increasing their dehumanizing attacks on us for their political advantage and increased anti-trans violence aimed at us.

We have the amazing trans teen Jazz Jennings as a kick butt trans advocate and a newly out trans woman on the Left Coast that needs to sit her azz down and learn from Jazz and a bunch of other longtime activists how it's done in addition to take take the time to get comfortable in her skin.

But let me move on to discussing what I would like to give the trans community for Christmas if I had the power to grant those wishes.

First up is an end to anti-trans violence, and those who visit it upon us getting serious jail time for doing so.

I'd like to see the unemployment rate for trans people come down into the single digits and LGBT orgs actually hiring trans people  (and especially trans people of color) for senior leadership positions.

I'd like to see HIV infections in Trans World come down to zero along with an immediate end to the practice of lumping trans people in the MSM statistics.

I'd like to see culturally competent medical care become a reality for trans people and trans specific care be covered by medical insurance.

I'd like for all trans kids wishing to come out, but fearing they'll be tossed on the streets if they do to be able to do so.

I'd like for all trans people who wish to participate in sports to be able to do so in their desired gender presentation.

I'd like to see all nations allow trans people to change their documentation without erecting fiscal, legal, or medical hurdles for them to do so.

I'd like to see trans people begin to get elected to public office and write the laws and policies that govern them.

I'd like to give trans people pride in themselves, pride in our history and the self confidence to know that we are amazing human beings who can accomplish anything we put our minds to if just given the opportunity to do so.

And finally, I'd like to see trans people be treated with dignity and respect in every situation.

Well, it is the Christmas season, and miracles do happen.   But at least I can get the process started for those wishes to become a reality by speaking about them and getting you to do some hard solid thing about how we make them a reality as a community.

TransGriot Note: The photo of the woman wearing a Christmas hat is none other than the lovely Geena Rocero.

This sister sittin on Santa's lap is the amazing Angelica Ross.

My Thoughts About 'The Danish Girl'

The Danish Girl movie about pioneering trans woman Lili Elbe is being released this Friday, and it is already getting some Oscar buzz for its star Eddie Redmayne.

There has been a lot of commentary in Trans World about our irritation over Hollywood once again using a male actor to play a trans woman, and I share that irritation.  I would like to see more trans actors getting roles, especially when it comes to a trans woman playing a trans role on the silver screen or the small screen.

I'd also like to see reciprocity in trans actors getting to play cis roles since the excuse justifying this that comes out of cis people's mouths is 'the best actor should get the role'.   Okay, if that is the case, when will we see more trans persons, when they are  best person for the role, playing cis people?

Bella Maddo proved that we can do it, if given the opportunity.

I do have to admit I'm also somewhat conflicted about The Danish Girl as the opening date for the movie is fast approaching.    I'm curious about how this movie about one of our historical figures will be received.  .



Based on the increasing Oscar chatter and it getting moved up from a January 1, 2016 release date to one on Thanksgiving weekend, it may potentially be a lucrative reception.

The societal one is to be determined.

During This Holiday Season Trans Family, Love Each Other

The 2015 holiday season is about to start, and it can be a depressing, suicide triggering time for members of our community estranged or cut off from their blood relatives and family while relentlessly being bombarded with Christmas music and movies with family themes.

Please keep an eye on our peeps feeling down during this holiday season and try to spend as much quality time with people in that situation as you can.

And note to those trans fam members in that situation, please remember you also have chosen family members not related to you by blood who also love you and can help you though this trying period.

Some of my favorite holiday memories happened with my chosen family during the nearly nine years I lived in Louisville, and I miss them now during the holidays as much as I did my blood family when I was living in Kentucky.

Take the time this holiday season to watch out and love each other, trans family, and Happy Holidays!

If You're Not Free, Neither Am I

I loved this Audre Lorde quote that is written into this meme.   So what's the translation of it?

The short version is it speaks to the inescapable web of mutuality that the Rev. Dr MLK, Jr spoke of.  But it also talks about the point that Lorde is making that if any woman is unfree, neither is she, even if the shackles that woman deals with are different from her own.

The shackles could be whatever is dragging you down or hindering you from being the best person you can be. 

It also points out that we are our sister's keeper.  That's easy for us to say, but difficult at times to put into practice on a consistent basis.  But practice it on a consistent basis is a must if we are going to collectively do what we need to do to uplift our community.

That means that cis women are going to have to stop irrationally hatin' on trans women.   Straight women are going to have to stop hatin' on their lesbian and bisexual sisters.

And every woman is going to have to address the fact that society is set up to despise all Black women, cis or trans and we're going to have to work together to change that dynamic..

If you're not free, neither am I.  I want my freedom, and want you to get it  as well.