Leaving On A Jet Plane-To Denver

Chilling at Hobby Airport for the first time this year waiting for my plane that will take me to Denver and Creating Change 2015.

And looking like the wishes of the local CC15 organizing committee are going to come true because the weather in Denver for the event is going to be great for it.

It's a business trip, because I will spend much of tomorrow in a facilitated TPOCC meeting, then I will be participating in two panels during the second annual NBJC The Black Institute.

After that?   Well, unlike last year, I'm not part of the Creating Change Host Committee busting my behind to help ensure my part of it runs smoothly while juggling four panel discussion around that.

I get to see my friends in the movement,  see some seminars, and see if the Denver folks back up all that smack they let their loose lips utter during CC14.

Hopefully I'll get to see some of my friends in the Denver area, my Denver trans family and hit a  TBLG friendly local baker under attack by the faith based haters for some cupcakes before I head home.

Escaped From New York, Back In Houston

Well, I didn't have Snake Plisskin to help out, but I escaped New York and I'm back home in Houston..

But it was only after sitting on my Houston bound Southwest bird on the LGA tarmac for nearly an hour after we pushed off the gate at 3:35 PM EST before we took off, hitting bumpy air around Atlanta and Birmingham, and landing at Hobby at 7 PM CST but not walking into my apartment until 10:30 PM because my METRO bus back to my crib was grossly late,

This was not only my last scheduled trip of 2014, it obviously was the most interesting trip of the year. It was the first time I'd ever gone to New York this close to Christmas, and when I found out the tree lighting ceremony was happening the day I arrived I was really excited about it. 

As I pull into the B-3 LGA arrival gate on Wednesday the news of the non indictment happens.  I have to get past NYPD barricades just to get to my hotel on W. 51st Street, which is closed off and packed with emergency and police vehicles expecting drama at the Rockefeller Center tree lighting.that night when the action ended up being on the shut down West Side Highway.

I didn't find out that's what triggered the massive police response until I called my mother to let her know I'd arrived safely in New York

I was out of the news loop for a few hours because of the flight and immediately upon arrival hooking up with Stacey Langley to get dinner.

Note to self.  Southwest has Wifi equipped airplanes that have MSNBC as one of the live TV options.  Use it.

The protests continued in New York as I met with other trans leaders from around the country at that Arcus Foundation sponsored event and got to spend some breakfast time catching up with ELIXHER founding editor Kimberley McLeod before starting my subway and bus  trip to LGA from Manhattan.

And yes, I did get that Texas style barbecue Stacey promised me.   It was even served up on butcher paper and had Blue Bell ice cream available for dessert.  And yes, the cooks and servers after finding out I was from Houston asked my honest opinion about their BBQ, and I gave them two thumbs up.

It is the closest you'll get to Texas style BBQ in the New York area, and they also have one in Washington DC now.   I recommend the moist, but the lean was tasty too along with the sauce they had for it.

They just need to add a baked potato to their menu.

But it was wonderful getting to be in the room with these amazing media people and community leaders.   It was also cool to finally meet Eden Lane, Andy Marra, Tracee McDaniel and Kimberly reed in the flesh for the first time.  

For those of you who missed me on the NYC trip, y'all will probably have to do what Stacey did. (and what Ruby Corado-Walker or Samantha master do whenever I go to DC)

If you want quality time with me, grab the Air Marshal when I arrive at your city's airport, bumrush my hotel or grab me before I leave for your airport.

Looking forward to the next time or opportunity that comes my way that puts me in the same space with many of these peeps and others in the community again in 2015.

Moni's In New York Again...

For the first time since 2012 when I was here to do the GLAAD POC Media training.

This is the first time I've ever been to New York close to Christmas even though I flew up here multiple times to hand out with friends during my Air Marshal days.   I just never attempted a trip close to Christmas because of weather concerns and fear of getting bumped.

The reason I'm here in the Big Apple is not to peruse the Christmas decorations, flip the finger at Trump Tower or do some laps around the Rockefeller Center ice rink (yes people, I can ice skate), but for an Arcus Foundation trans media event along with other trans media peeps from around the country.

The Club Quarters hotel I'm staying at is on W. 51st Street in Rockefeller Center, and I'm loving the fact it has complementary wifi in my 26th floor room.

Thanks to Stacey Langley for grabbing me at LGA and taking me for a Texas style meal at Hill Country BBQ.

I also didn't know that while I was breaking bread and  having a pleasant time catching up with Stacey, I'd be here when a major news story was breaking out in terms of a grand jury not indicting the cop involved in the Eric Garner murder which has jumped off protests that are blocking the West Side Highway

Too bad I'm only going to be in it until Friday morning, then I have to bounce back to a much warmer and less volatile for now H-town.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in a few hours, but I need to get my behind in bed..

Leaving On A Jet Plane-To New York

I'm about to board a plane at Hobby for another trip to handle some community business, with the destination this time being New York City.   The best part is I have nonstop trips up there and back to Houston.

It's my last trip of 2014 unless something pops up that requires my physical presence outside of Harris County, and looking forward to being back in New York for the first time since I was there in 2012 for the GLAAD POC Media training.

It's basically an in and out trip, with me heading there for an Arcus Foundation event and Trans Media Think Session on Thursday and then returning home Friday to tear into some post flight barbecue when I arrive at Hobby..

And yeah, you know my laptop and WNBA notepad is coming with me so I can tell y'all all about my latest adventure in advocacy.

Looking forward to seeing some New York when I get there on this nonstop bird to LaGuardia

Back Home Again From Dallas And The Facing Race 14 Conference

Wish I had been able to stay for the final day of seminars for the Facing Race Conference, but had to fly back home from Dallas last night.

During the a little over 24 hours I was in the Hilton Anatole Hotel for this event I got to have fun being one of the emcees for the opening plenary with Jeff Chang. 

And you know if I was missing Scandal to have my face in the place for this opening plenary session, I felt it was important for me to be there repping H-town and my trans community

I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Rinku Sen, Rosana Cruz, Paris Hatcher and some of the wonderful people keeping this conference running smoothly.

I got to see old friends like Nephew AKA Jaison Gardner, Key Jackson, Bishop Tonyia Rawls, Holiday Simmons, Samantha Master, Carla Wallace, Dru Levasseur and Parker T. Hurley. 

I got a chance to step away from the hotel for a moment and have lunch with Rafael McDonnell as we got caught up on developments on our respective ends of I-45.

I got to meet people in the flesh I've known for a while online like Isa Noyola and Sister Outsider and have substantive conversations with them.

I especially enjoyed meeting our young people and having those intergenerational conversations that are not only important to passing on the history and knowledge, but keeping a movement vibrant and alive.

It was also nice to see my trans fam that were involved in this event handling their panels business.  They expressed they were just as happy to see me on the opening plenary stage Thursday night.

And yes, it was my pleasure to have those conversations with every person that stopped me in the hallways of that cavernous hotel   I enjoyed talking with you, taking photos and sometimes being the one holding the camera taking photos of you. 

Thank you for expressing how much you loved my blog and my first time ever stint at a major conference as a master of ceremonies.  I suspect it won't be my last time doing so either.

What I would have loved to be able to do is to have been able to stay for today's seminars. 

There were some great ones and panels on the schedule at the Hilton Anatole with some renowned people in the progressive movement I would have loved to have had my fangirl moments with today like Van Jones and Victoria Rowell.

Oh well, it'll have to wait until the next time I either attend this conference or I bump into them while I'm attending another one somewhere around the country.   

Hopefully, I'll get the opportunity to see a future Facing Race Conference come back to Texas, but on my end of I-45 in Houston 

Leaving On A Jet Plane-To Dallas

With all the drama swirling around the logic defying PRIDE Houston board decision not to move their parade back to the traditional last week in June, it figures this would break just as I have to go to Dallas for the Facing Race conference that starts today and runs through the 15th.

It's the first time it is happening in Texas, and I'm happy to be representing my hometown as I wing my way up there for the short fight up and back to Love Field.  

It's also ironic this is the first time I will ever fly into Love Field, where my late grandfather Leo worked until he was transferred to Houston.   I've flown into DFW,  and driven by Love Field in my numerous visits to Dallas, but until today haven't flown into the airport.

I'm looking forward to seeing all the folks attending that conference, and you can follow the action at the hashtag #FacingRace14

Representing Trans* In Chicago And In The Friendly Skies

And to think I almost decided NOT to come while I was in the middle of my drama back in September and October.

I'm so glad I did decided to come to Representing Trans*.

I not only got to hang out with old friends like Tiq, Myles, Jen, Precious and Kristen, I got to meet new ones like Amos, Chase, Ariel and countless others during my weekend trip to the Windy City.

I accomplished my goals of getting reacquainted with Giordano's Pizza and a Slurpee in whatever flavor was available at the first 7-Eleven I encountered.

And I finally got to meet and have conversations with the legendary Kate Bornstein and Vivian Namaste.

Kate and I at one point talked about what is like to go for being the neophyte activists barely mentioned as leaders in the community to respected elder statespersons.

Speaking of conversations, finally got to meet the awesome Fallon Fox and Christina Kahrl.  We spent a wonderful couple of hours at a local restaurant plotting the next phase of the trans revolution that will not be televised along with getting to know each other.We had so much fun doing that  we lost track of time enough to where I missed my non-stop flight back home to Houston despite me doing the Chicago Midway 5K run to gate A19 from the TSA security checkpoint and ended up having to take another one 30 minutes later that went through Birmingham.  

And it was beginning its boarding process in 10 minutes at gate B-20.  

As in Concourse B.   Arrgh.  

On the Birmingham-Hobby leg I even had a nice conversation with a woman on that homeward bound flight.  After revealed to Rita I'd been in Chicago for a trans conference, that sparked a wide ranging conversation between us that lasted all the way back to Hobby 

Despite getting back home a little later than I'd planned, it was a wonderful weekend.   For those of you I didn't catch up with in Chicago this time, you can be assured it won't take me five years to make my next trip there.

And if you want to assure you get quality time with me, do what Ruby Corado-Walker does when I go to DC.   She just grabs me as soon as I step off the plane at DCA.

Yep, even when I'm traveling, there are times as I did with Rita, when I unexpectedly get to shift into trans ambassador mode and do some 'ejumacation' about our lives.

And it's a reminder that we are representing trans not just at conferences,, conventions and symposiums, but just by living our everyday lives to the best of our ability.

Bye Chicago! Headed Back To H-Town Again

After spending a wonderful weekend in Chicago for the Representing Trans* Symposium here, getting to demolish a deep dish pizza and some Slurpees, staying a a wonderful hotel for two nights and seeing a few of my Chicago area friends, time to head back to the warmer climes of Houston.

Was happy I got to see some of my trans peeps during my time up here, and hope I can return to the Windy City soon

But preferably in the summer months.

I thoroughly enjoyed the symposium, hanging out with some old friends on that panel, making some new ones and the fascinating conversations I had during the event. 

Thanks to Kristen and Chase for the invite and I'm so glad I came.

It's been real Chicago, but Houston and my life there awaits along with some Pappas Barbecue in the Hobby Airport terminal.

Just hope I'm not hanging around Midway as long as I did back in August.

Moni's In Chicago!

After a flight that arrived at MDW early, which allowed me to catch the first CTA train headed to downtown to my hotel, got here to the Palmer House Hilton a little after 4:30 PM

And one of the things on the agenda was destroying a Giordano's Pizza for the first time since I did so with my Louisville housemates back in 2009.

There were a few tour groups that had the same idea.

Thanks to my fellow Texan Lisa Martinez, we made that happen..  There was a Giordano's location on W. Jackson St. a few blocks from my hotel, the Palmer House Hilton.

Thanks Lisa for the pizza and the conversation.

All I can say about the hotel is wow. Nice doesn't even begin to cover it.   This historic hotel has pictures on the walls of all the artists that performed at its Empire Room like Eartha Kitt, Dorothy Dandridge, Sam Cooke and Nat King Cole just to name a few of them that were hanging on the wall of my floor.   My room has an art deco feel to it.

They are also filming scenes for a movie not far from where I'm staying.

Hoping to catch up with my Chicago peeps while I'm here, and your best shot to do that is catch my panel I'm on during the Representing Trans* Symposium tomorrow or call me on my cell.

Leaving On A Jet Plane- To Chicago

After a drama filled month of October, I'm finally taking the trip to Chicago that I had planned before the drama was set in motion by transphobic relatives resulting in me having to scramble to find new housing arrangements.

I'm headed to the Windy City for the  Representing Trans* Symposium in Chicago at the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry on the University of Chicago campus November 8.

I'm part of a 3:30 PM panel on Saturday entitled ''Artistic and Activist Approaches To Trans Representation.'  moderated by Chase Joynt..
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In addition to myself, the panelists will be Amos Mac, Tiq Milan, Jen Richards, and Ariel Schrag.  It should be a fascinating discussion scheduled to run until 5:00 PM..

Looking forward to it, and seeing as many of my Chicago trans family as I can see during my all too brief scheduled time up there.

Heading Back To Texas

After spending a wonderful few days in Louisville with friends and adopted family for the first time since I moved away from here, it's time to head back to my life in Houston.

As much as I love H-town and I'm a proud Texan, I'll admit that overall, the nearly nine years I spent in Louisville were enjoyable.

I grew to like the city, and those years were important to my development as a person and an activist.

And TransGriot was born here

It was wonderful getting the chance to see many of the people that became my friends and adopted family up here despite it being a holiday weekend.  For those of you I missed, I'll catch y'all next time.

Just hope it won't take me four years to come back

Moni's Back In Da Ville!

Yep people, if you wanted to know what my double secret destination was this time, it is Louisville. 

I'm in Jefferson County for the first time since I pointed the moving van south on I-65 toward Nashville on May 8, 2010 with the final destination being Houston.

Dawn wanted to keep it a surprise, and y'all know how well I can keep my lip zipped when it comes to keeping stuff radio silent. 

Anyway, I'm here through Labor Day weekend  and looking forward to not only destroying some Impelizzeri's pizza, but seeing as many peeps as I can before I head back home Tuesday. 

Air Marshal Taking Mystery Trip

The Air Marshal is taking a flight again, and this time it's for a pleasure trip to a double secret destination. 

I'll have to connect through Chicago Midway to get there, and hopefully I won't have the drama I had when I flew through there earlier this month.

I'll be getting to my destination in the Eastern time zone around 12:55 PM assuming everything is on schedule.

This trip is happening because not only do i need to get out of H-town or a few days, I had a voucher in my possession I needed to use and complete travel for by mid September before it expired, and I wasn't letting a $525 one go to waste. 

My host asked me to keep the destination a secret so when I started showing up at places after I arrive in that final destination, It'll be a surprise at least until the word gets out on social media I'm there..

But looking forward to going there.  See y'all in a few hours mystery city denizens.

The TTNS Road To San Marcos

Another weekend, another Moni roadtrip.  And yes TransGriot readers, at this time last week I was in Boston.  This time I'm traveling to attend the 6th annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, and for the first time in the event's history, it leaves the Houston area and hits the road.

The TTNS will make a 166 mile trip west to San Marcos, TX, the home of Texas State University, the alma mater of President Lyndon B. Johnson

As a matter of fact the Texas State University campus home of this year's edition of the TTNS will be the LBJ Student Center August 8-9.

So yep, this trip will be on Texas terra firma and much of I-10 west.  Hopefully it'll have less drama and a lot of interesting conversation from my traveling companions than last week's Escape From Midway.

Of course, I'll be talking about it on the pages of this blog, and if you want to check out  what's happening you can follow on Facebook and Twitter. 

Air Marshal Takes Flight To Boston

I'm at Hobby again to take another jet plane. 

This time I'm headed to Boston for the National Association of Black Journalists Convention.

This trip will be one full of firsts for me.  In addition to this being my first ever time to Boston after multiple ones to western Massachusetts, it's also the first time I'll get the opportunity to be in the NABJ convention house. 

I have a panel discussion set for tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to finally meeting Kellee Terrell after corresponding with her for several years on Facebook.   Looking forward to being in the same space with the awesome Kenyon Farrow again for the first time since that OUT on the Hill panel we were participating on together and seeing Tiq Milan again.

I get a nonstop nearly 4 hour flight (3 hours and :50 minutes on the schedule) for this opening leg of this trip but wasn't so lucky on the return.

On my return leg home I'll have to roll through Chicago Midway before I get back to my beloved Texas soil.

Assuming the Southwest flight is on time, I'll get there in the afternoon.    As always I'll be taking notes and doing a recap post concerning my latest travel excursion.   

Moni's Heading To The NABJ Convention!

This time next week I'll be headed to Boston for the 39th annual edition of the National Assn of Black Journalists Convention that is being held at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center. 

I'll be there to take part in a GLAAD organized panel discussion that has me in some pretty distinguished company in Kenyon Farrow and  Kellee Terrell. Tiq Milan will be moderating it.

The panel will be a timely one in terms of discussing violence against Black trans women and the media responses to it.

Sometimes the reporters I've had to call out on these TransGriot electronic pages concerning the most egregious examples of disrespectful reporting of our fallen transsisters have been my own people.

But I'm so looking forward to this panel and being in the NABJ convention house.  I've always wanted to attend this conference and the stars and my schedule finally aligned so I would have the opportunity to do so.

I've been to Western Mass twice as you longtime readers are aware of and was 90 miles away from it in Providence in 2012 for that historic Netroots Nation panel.   This will be my first time ever in Boston, and I'm excited about it.

And this time it didn't take me four years to return to Massachusetts.. 

I'm also excited that after more than a few years of being acquainted with her via Facebook, I'll finally get to meet Kellee Terrell and see Kenyon Farrow again.   Hopefully I'll also get to see L'lerret on her home turf.

And if I have time, as a history buff who loves visiting presidential libraries, would sure love to go to the JFK Presidential Library there.

And oh yeah, hashtag for the conference for those of you wishing to follow along on Twitter on the July 31 date of our panel is #NABJ14

See y'all next week, Beantown

Moni's In The Middle Of The WH LGBT Innovation Summit

It's been an amazing year so far for me and it still has five more months left in it before we flip the calendar page to 2015.

Another blessing came my way with an invitation courtesy of Dr Kortney Ryan Ziegler and Trans*H4CK to attend the first ever White House LGBT Innovation Summit.   You know as a history buff I love being at groundbreaking events, and definitely wanted to be in DC for this inaugural July 7 one.

So once again I found myself on a jet plane winging my way to DC via the ATL to be there.  

Since it was post-4th of July weekend, it was an interesting route to get there.  Normally I like going in and out of DCA (I refuse to call it Reagan National) because it's on the WMATA Metrorail Yellow and Blue lines.   But on this trip I was routed to go into BWI on Sunday and leave out of DCA on Tuesday.  In addition I had 3 hour layovers in Atlanta on both legs.  But hey, I'm still getting my frequent flyer miles.    

I got up at 4 AM CDT to head over to Hobby for my 7 AM departure to the ATL.  After Dee Dee Watters dropped me off, I'm thinking "Who is going to be traveling at 6 AM on Sunday to go somewhere?" as I entered the airport terminal..  But after I picked up my boarding passes in front of the Delta ticket counter and saw the line at TSA security I was jarred back into the reality I was traveling on the back side of the holiday weekend, as my 15 minute wait to clear security attested to. For once I didn't get some hands on attention from our TSA friends after I went through the body scanner .

It's a gorgeous flying weather day and I get to the ATL with no issues.  I've already eaten breakfast, I'm chilling at my BWI gate with my laptop playing my fave tunes from the 70s-90's on my Spotify account as I settle in to kill my three hours of Hartsfield-Jackson airport sit time.  I'm watching the world and the Delta flight personnel walk by and thinking about how much I miss the airline biz when I heard the announcement that my flight has gate changed due to a mechanical problem with my just arrived inbound aircraft.

We ended up leaving 20 minutes late on the ATL-BWI leg but my captain made up the time and we pulled into my BWI gate at 3:47 PM EDT, three minutes earlier than scheduled.    Samantha Master grabbed me a few minutes later and off we went in the direction of Washington DC and my Dupont Circle area hotel.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, because I know so many people in the DC area who would love to spend quality time with me (and it's a nice problem to have), they know to get it they have to grab me either when I land inside I-495 or on my way out of town back to DCA.  

So Samantha made sure she got first dibs on me before Ruby Corado did.
     
After taking me to lunch, doing a little shopping and discussing the current state of the movement, we eventually ended up at the Carlyle Suites hotel on New Hampshire Ave NW.   I noticed along with Samantha the Delta Sigma Theta Way sign underneath it as we turned onto New Hampshire Ave.  I discovered I would be staying less that two doors down from DST national headquarters which made me chuckle as a child of a proud AKA. 

That area also has many embassies, and the Grenadian embassy was on the corner of New Hampshire Ave and R St.  I also noticed something else in addition to the embassies sprinkled throughout the tree shaded neighborhood, a 7-Eleven.   That meant I was going to be able to destroy some Slurpees on this trip.    

I checked into my 7th floor art-deco style suite, made some calls, walked around the corner to that 7-Eleven to get my first Slurpee (lemonade) since my PTHC trip and after returning to the hotel settled in to get some rest for the big day.

Monday July 7 was another warm but beautiful clear weather day in which I debated when I woke up at 8 AM whether to go to Capitol Hill and see Yesenia Chavez or just head to the White House area for the Summit which was starting at 1 PM. 

I was anxious to see who was going to be in attendance for the Summit, and started walking toward the Dupont Circle Metro station.   I discovered during that walk the embassies of Nicaragua, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Argentina were also in the vicinity along with the headquarters of the American Library Association.   That made me smile and think about my homegirl BiblioDiva, AKA Melissa Meadows as I made the turn onto Q St. near the Argentinian embassy and headed toward the station.  

When I arrived there I got my first pleasant surprise of the day when I tapped my WMATA SmarTrip card and discovered I had $9.60 on it.  That was more than enough to get me down there and back from Dupont Circle, so I added another $7 to it to cover any other Metrorail trips I would possibly do here before jumping onto my Red Line train to head to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House grounds.        
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After changing to a Orange Line train at Metro Center Station I get off at Farragut West and realize I didn't burn as much time as I thought I would and I'm way early.   Fortunately I spot a Mickey D's and decided to burn up an hour and grab lunch there before heading to the designated WH security gate since I knew it was going to be at least 4 hours before I'd get an opportunity to eat something.

I arrive at the security checkpoint outside of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at 11:40 AM and I'm met by a female intern ironically from Dallas who is waiting to escort another party into the WH complex.   After we exchanged Lone Star pleasantries a few minutes later I start seeing the peeps arriving for the Summit.   Michael David Battle arrives with his mom, then Geena Rocero, and Krys and Kin Folkz from Oakland who I'd met during the first Trans*H4CK 

We all start catching up on what has been transpiring in our lives as the clock ticks toward 12 noon and the point that security personnel are ready to begin checking our ID for the first stage of clearing the WH security gauntlet

After arriving in the auditorium I begin to see more familiar people like Kimberley McLeod from Elixher, Angelica Ross, Lourdes Hunter, Katrina Goodlett, and the man of the hour in Dr. KRZ complete with his patriotic flag pattern tie.  Introductions are coming fast and furiously, business cards are being exchanged and pictures and selfies are being snapped as the time ticks down toward the 1 PM start of the event. 

I even got an opportunity to talk to Tim Gill about politics and a few issues.    

One of the biggest questions I got asked once I revealed I'd come to the event from Houston is 'What's happening with the HERO?'   So yeah peeps, the world is watching H-town. 

Finally the program starts with the SRO crowd settling in for the welcome from WH Office of Public Engagement advisor Gautam Raghavan.

Following his remarks, the first armchair conversation with Google [x] VP Megan Smith moderated by Lesbians Who Tech founder Leanne Pittsford to start the four hour program begins.   

That conversation focused on women in the tech field and dropped the interesting historical note that the Duchess of Cambridge's (AKA Kate Middleton)  grandmother was one of the Bletchley Park duty officers that helped decode German military messages encrypted on the German Enigma coding machine for Allied use.  It moved to discussing other diversity issues before that conversation concluded with audience Q&A.

Before the next segment of the program happened, we were given the opportunity to line up at the two mikes on either side of the room and give a 30 second elevator  pitch discussing our innovative work on behalf of the community, ask for help or resources, or share your Big Idea.

Once the time allotted for the first round of elevator pitches expired, we moved to a panel discussion entitled Challenges And Opportunities Facing LGBT Communities.   The panel was comprised of USDA Special Assistant Ashlee Davis, WH National AIDS policy Director Douglas Brooks, Out2Enroll's Katie Keith and UCLA Williams Institute Senior Counsel Adam Romero.

After discussing HIV/AIDS and the problematic inclusion of transpeople in the MSM category, the problems of rural LGBT people, and the lack of inclusion of transpeople and especially transpeople of color in Gay Inc leadership ranks and organizations with the Black transfolks in attendance leading much of the conversation in that auditorium on many of those issues, it was time for the next round of elevator pitches.

When those concluded it was time for our sis Geena Rocero to take the stage. 

Taryn Miller-Stevens introduced her and Geena gracefully strode to the podium to talk about how the power of stories fused with technology is empowering trans people, helping us change lives and influencing public policy changes.  She also talked about the motivating reason why she founded GenderProud. 

I received an unexpected shoutout during her speech, along with Dr Z and some of the other trans POC leaders who have been pushing for systemic human rights change on behalf of our community.  

When she concluded her speech to a standing ovation, she and Taryn had an armchair conversation to answer more audience questions driven by her remarks before they stepped aside to make way for the next portion of the program. 

The Presidential Innovation section of the program was an interview conducted by Senior Advisor to the US Chief Technology Officer Erie Meyer with 18F Creative Director Hillary Hartley.

After their interview and Q&A, we took a short break before we heard Tim Gill's Call to Action speech to conclude the LGBT Innovation Summit. 

After some closing thoughts and next steps from Gautam, we moved to the Indian Treaty Room on the 4th floor for a Gill Foundation hosted reception that concluded a little after 6:30 PM to end our day on the White House grounds.

Some of us decided to continue the conversations at the nearby W Hotel and its patio bar with a gorgeous view of  the White House complex, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Washington Monument and The Mall.   We were joined there by Kylar Broadus, Ruby Corado and Joanna Cifredo and engaged in debriefing conversations about what had just transpired on this historic day and discussed the lobby day taking place next week.  

We then took those conversations from that spot to another locale that lasted well into the wee hours of the morning before I had to bounce to my hotel and pack for my departure in a few hours.   

I woke up at 8 AM to another gorgeous but hot DC summer day.   Since my flight to Houston via Atlanta wasn't leaving until 3 PM, I decided before I had to check out of my room at 12 noon and because I didn't want to be schlepping my laptop and bag through Capitol Hill security, to bounce to Capitol Hill and attempt to keep my promise of seeing Yesenia before I left the Washington DC area.  

When I got to Rep Raul Grijalva's (D-AZ) office on the fifth floor of the Longworth Building a little before 10 AM, one of her coworkers advised me she'd just left for a training session and wasn't due back in until after 11 AM.  I decided after a few minutes of enjoying their hospitality to kill time by going to see my own congressmember. 

After accomplishing that mission, I headed back to Longworth to see if Yesenia was back. She wasn't and because it was now 11:10 AM I had to head back to the Capitol South station to begin my journey back to the Dupont Circle area and check out of the hotel.   I discovered later when I checked my phone at DCA after I cleared TSA security and arrived at my departure gate I just missed Yesenia by five minutes. 

Oh well, I'll catch her next time. 

Ruby showed up a little after 12 to pick me up from the Carlyle Suites and hang out at Casa Ruby for a moment before we headed off in the direction of DCA to drop me off to start my return trip home. 

So once again I got to spend a little time inside the beltway, see some old friends, meet some new ones, talk about the Trans Revolution Will Not Be Televised business with my trans peeps and get my learn on at the same time.

The evaluation for this inaugural White House LGBT Innovation Summit should be hitting my e-mail soon, but so glad I had an opportunity to be in the house for the inaugural event.   

Hope next year's is even better.   

And for those of you who missed me on this latest trip inside I-495, I'll probably be back before the year is out, so just get ready to try to get me at DCA before Ruby or Samantha do.

Headed Back To H-Town From The Innovation Summit

This was a short but nice trip to our nation's capitol for the first ever White House LGBT Innovation Summit in which I got to see some old friends, make some new ones get some more frequent flyer miles and get my learn on at the same time.


And staying in the Dupont Circle area was the bomb.  I found a 7-11 around the corner from the hotel and some large Slurpees got demolished while I was there.

I even took a moment before I headed to Washington National (I refuse to call it Reagan National) to visit Capitol Hill and Casa Ruby.

But my time in DC has come to an end, and now here come the words my peeps in H-town like to see me write when I venture outside the Lone Star State on these trips:  I'm on my way back home.

I took notes and I'll definitely do a big recap post of the event, but right now I just want to get some sleep.

I'm also ready to get back to Hobby via Atlanta and destroy some Pappas barbecue as per my post-flight arrival tradition once I land.     

I'm In DC For The LGBT Innovation Summit

Assuming my flights are on time, should be walking off the airplane at BWI and headed to my hotel to chill out in preparation for my big day tomorrow at the inaugural LGBT Innovation Summit.

I'm thrilled to have an opportunity to once again represent my community and myself at this inaugural event and looking forward to it when it happens at 1 PM EDT tomorrow.

And yes, y'all know how much I love to travel. 

Anyway, chilling with my sis Samantha Master right now before I head to my hotel in the Dupont Circle area.  And since I've been to the Dupont Circle area more than a few times on previous DC trips , I know about the Krispy Krack (what I call Krispy Kreme Donuts) in easy walking distance of my hotel I'll be hitting tomorrow morning for breakfast before I get into diva mode to head over to the White House .

As usual, I'll have my reporter's hat on to let you TransGriot readers know what transpired on my latest inside the beltway trip. 

Air Marshal Taking Flight To DC Again

The Air Marshal (my old nickname in the trans human rights ranks) is going to be up at the crack of dawn headed to Hobby to make another trip to Washington DC via the ATL. 

Probably because this one is occurring on the backside of the 4th of July holiday weekend, I've have an interesting trip in store for me.   If I'm on schedule I should be airborne at 7 AM CDT enroute to the ATL.  I have a long 3 hour layover at Hartsfield-Jackson with my final destination being BWI-Thurgood Marshall    On the return leg back to Houston I leave out of DCA on the afternoon of the 8th and have another long 3 hour layover in Atlanta.    

I'm headed to our nation's capital for the inaugural LGBT Innovation Summit that's taking place at the White House complex tomorrow July 7 from 1-5 PM EDT.  There will be a reception immediately after that until 6:30 PM

So what's the LGBT Innovation Summit about? 

This event will bring together individuals who share a desire to tackle the major challenges faced by LGBT communities through new solutions using technology, partnerships, mentorship, media, networks, and creative, market-driven, scalable models. Attendees will engage with Obama Administration officials and national community leaders about current challenges, opportunities, and successful solutions. Attendees will be active participants throughout the day: sharing insights and observations during a group session, and collaborating and brainstorming in off-site workshops.

Since I am considered an LGBT innovator because of TransGriot and being an inaugural Trans*H4CK judge, I got the attention of the planning committee for this event and deeply appreciate the invite.   

So H-town and 'errbody' else, this a quick in and out trip inside I-495, so it's going to be tough for me to see everyone that would like to say howdy to me while I'm in Washington..

You might try hitting me up on my cell phone for those of you who have my number or swinging by my hotel Sunday evening for you inside the beltway residents trying to catch me. 

I guess peeps were paying attention on my last DC trip when Ruby Corado ensured she got her quality time with me in February by grabbing me at DCA and taking me back to the airport.   One person is already scooping me up at BWI to get her quality time in.

Looking forward to this latest trip to DC and seeing what happens at this inaugural LGBT Innovation Summit.