I'm In A Hotel In California!

The Hotel Zoso in Palm Springs to be precise.

After my early AM flights from IAH through Phoenix, I'm finally here and ensconced in my room getting ready for the first day of the 2018 LGBT Media Journalists Convening and the 2018 NLGJA convention.

But I'm doing so with a heavy heart.   While I was in Phoenix waiting to board my maintenance delayed flight to Palm Springs, I received word that we'd lost another young Black trans woman to anti-trans violence in Philadelphia    Rest in power and peace, Shantee Tucker.

While this is the first time I've stayed overnight in Palm Springs, I've been through here a few time back in 1988 and 1992 for gas stops.   The 1998 trip was one in which I was helping one of my mom's sorors move back to Texas.   The 1992 one was one in which I was helping my cousin move to LA.   

So yes, Palm Springs has changed a lot since my last time in the area.  Probably won't get much time to explore it, but looking forward to spending some quality time with all my friends and colleagues in the NLGJA and during #LGBTMedia18

Heading To Boston Wednesday

Next week I'm heading to New England and staying in Boston for the first time since my trip to the NABJ Convention in 2014 and Fantasia Fair last year.

The purpose of this upcoming trip is I'm heading up to Harvard University to receive the 2016 Phillips Brooks House Associations Robert Coles Call of Service Award

The Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) was founded in 1984, and it is a student led nonprofit organization at Harvard that engages 1,600 undergraduate students in 83 social service and action programs that benefit over 10,000 low income people in the Boston and Cambridge, MA areas and beyond.

The programs run by PBHA also include Y2Y Harvard Square, the nation's first youth-run homeless shelter for young adults, many of who are members of our LGBTQ community.

I'm receiving the award on October 28, and so looking forward to breaking out some of my sweaters on this trip, meeting with the PBHA staff and seeing some of my Massachusetts fam.

May also try to go to the JFK Presidential Library while I'm there as well.

See y'all Wednesday.

Moni's Leaving On A Jet Plane: Destination DC

The Air Marshal is taking flight again for Washington DC for the third time in 2015.

The purpose of this latest DC trip is to attend the national Black Justice Coalition's 6th annual OUT on the Hill which is cranking up today with some invite only meetings and discussions.

Because I had to handle some business in Houston, couldn't free up my schedule enough to get here on Tuesday for the pre-conference networking event they had last night at the St. Gregory Hotel..

Well, stuff happens.   Something else that is happening is I'm getting up at 4 AM CDT so I can catch the 7;25 AM nonstop out of Hobby to DCA.  

What I hope will happen is that my flight to DCA will be on time so I can be at that 3:30 PM EDT round table meeting I'm scheduled for on time as well.   It's an invitation only roundtable discussion that I'm honored to be repping the 'T' for  that will feature a conversation on Black TBLGQ/SGL Women's Health and Wellness issues,

I,also have as part of my OUT on the Hill agenda besides being in reporter mode,  a Friday 12:30 PM EDT plenary session discussing the plight of trans women of color in the US.

There's also some good news-bad news I'm dealing with concerning my technology.  This will be the first trip in which I've gotten to test out the smartphone and the tablet I received as a late birthday present back in June.  Still trying to learn how to take photos and video on it, and will get plenty of opportunities to get proficient at doing so during this event.

The bad news is that the Asus laptop I received as a late Christmas present in 2013 that has served me well since #CC14 and through more than a few conferences, blogging and road trips has finally died on me, so I won't have a laptop to carry on this trip. 

I hate that because it had a 17 inch screen that was perfect for watching video and movies full screen and I liked the feel and the setup of the keyboard layout on it  once I got used to it.

I was planning on getting a new or gently used one anyway, but after having to move twice in the span of six weeks, it will have to wait until after I get  back from this conference..

But first, Moni's gotta get some beauty sleep for the long and busy day I'm going to have that gets cranked up in a few hours.

Moni's Getting On The Bus-To San Antonio

Moni's doing another road trip, and this time I'm hitting I-10 west for the first time in a long time to San Antonio. 

This will be the first time I've spent time inside Bexar County and the San Antonio city limits since 1981

However, I did drive through the Alamo City on my way to and from California in 1988 and 1992

The reason I'm on the Megabus this time is I'm headed to San Antonio to speak at their Transgender Day of Remembrance event that's taking place at MCC San Antonio. 

MCC San Antonio is located at 611 E. Myrtle St and the event will start at 7 PM 

Like the Dallas bus trip a few months ago, looking forward to seeing how much the scenery's changed since I last made that journey between Houston and San Antonio and it's safe to say a lot since I was last there.

Besides the Alamodome and the AT&T Center, another thing that will be different from the last time I was in San Antonio in April 1981 is that instead of losing to the NBA Finals bound 40-42 Rockets in seven games (and me and my collegiate friends were loudly cheering that development in our hotel room), the Spurs have morphed into a perennial championship caliber squad with 4 NBA championship trophies of their own and should have had a fifth.   They are favorites to get to the NBA Finals again, but we'll see how that plays out over the 2013-14 NBA season.    

San Antonio is also the second largest city in Texas with over 1.3 million people population wise and a recently passed non-discrimination ordinance that covers gender identity and sexual orientation on the books.

But one of the things that hasn't changed is that San Antonio has a vibrant trans community with a proud history of activism, achievement, beloved icons and up and coming activists.  One of those icons I knew personally in former TATS president Michelle C. Myers, died this year on June 17 and part of their ceremony will take time to remember her. 

I also used to talk to on a regular basis Christie Lee Littleton before I moved to Da Ville and eventually lost contact with her.  Hope she's coming to the memorial tonight so I can give her a big hug and catch up on what's new in her life. 

I'm also looking forward to meeting many of the members of the San Antonio trans community and their allies while I'm in the Alamo City and hope to see you at the TDOR memorial tonight  

If the bus leaves on schedule, see y'all in a few hours, San Antonio.
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