Number 18 - Rest In Power Kashmire Redd

Knew it was just a matter of time before we lost another trans person to anti-trans violence, and sad to point out that we have lost out 18th trans person and first trans masculine one of 2017.

28 year old Kashmire Nazer Redd was stabbed multiple times in the upper chest area in the early morning hours Monday morning during a domestic dispute by his partner in Gates, New York.    Redd stumbled out of the apartment on Cocchia Crescent and collapsed on the front lawn.

Gates PD arrived on the scene at 4:30 AM EDT and Redd was still alive when they arrived.  He was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

His partner, 40 year old Doris Carrasquillo was arrested and has been charged with second degree murder in this case.  She has pleaded not guilty, and is being held in the Monroe County Jail without bail.

Redd is the 18th trans person killed in 2017, and sadly the first trans masculine one.   Once again he fits the ongoing pattern of trans people under age 30 dying due to anti-trans violence, and the 15th African American trans person who has been murdered this year..

I ask the question once again.   When will our Black trans lives matter to you, Black America?

As per usual, I will be tracking this case until justice is served.   If there is a memorial service, I'll pass that information on as soon as I receive it

Rest in power and peace, Kashmire.   We won't rest until justice has been served in your case.

2017 Williams Watch- Aunt Venus Is In The US Open Semis!

Venus Williams became an aunt on September 1 when Little Sis gave birth to a 6 pound 13 oz girl who is probably ranked in the Top 100 of the ATP women's tennis ranks.

And yeah, rest of women's tennis tour, she and her child will be at the 2018 Australian Open

Meanwhile Aunt Venus is upholding the Williams family name at Flushing Meadow and now playing a second week of tennis at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

After 9th seeded Big Sis dispatched Maria Sakkari of Greece in straight sets 6-3, 6-1, she faced a tougher task in the fourth round as she took on Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain.  It took her three sets, but she survived and advanced to the quarterfinals by a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 count.

That  win earned her a quarterfinal matchup with the Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova, who was fresh off upsetting 2017 Wimbledon champ Garbine Muguruza in straight sets.

This was another three set battle for Venus. and that third set was decided in a tiebreaker.  It went Big Sis' way 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2) to punch her ticket to her third Grand Slam semifinal this season.

Her opponent will be fellow American Sloane Stephens, who also survived a three set match that was decided on a third set tie breaker against Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova.

Can Aunt Venus make it to her third Grand Slam final and her first US Open final since 2002?

And more importantly, can she finally break through and win a Grand Slam title this year?  

Sure hope so.      

Number 13- Rest In Peace Josie Berrios

Once again, we have lost another US trans woman of color to anti-trans violence in 2017, and sadly she is another trans woman of color.

At 6:58 AM EDT Tuesday morning the burned body of 28 year old Josie Berrios of Ithaca was found in the Breazzano Center building under construction at 209-215 Dryden Avenue in the Collegetown area of Ithaca, NY near the Cornell University campus. .

The body had apparent burns when it was found at the scene along with an accelerant in a gallon can of gasoline that was found at the scene.

Today 45 year old Michael Davis was arrested by the Ithaca Police Department at 10:00 AM EDT and charged with two counts of second degree felony murder and one count of felony arson.

According to reports in the Ithaca Voice, Davis was captured on surveillance video wearing an Alpha Security Bureau uniform and carrying a black duffel bag into the Dryden Avenue building.  Another photo was taken with him wearing the shirt and carrying the duffel bag inside the under construction building and exiting the building later without the shirt

That black duffel bag containing a green lighter and the Alpha Security Bureau shirt was found by IPD at 309 College Avenue.  At Davis' residence Ithaca Police allege they found a plastic bag that contained work gloves and clothing with a strong petroleum smell.

He is being held without bond in the Tompkins County Jail at this time.   Davis is also alleged to have had a personal relationship with Berrios at this time.

The IPD is also asking for as part of its investigation into Berrios' death for information from anyone who was walking or hitchhiking along Ellis Hollow Road, Turkey Creek Road or Ellis Hollow Creek Road between 5:45-6:45 AM EDT on Tuesday.

As i get further information about this heinous crime, I'll pass it on to you TransGriot readers.

Ms Bostick Is Trans Feminine

There has been some confusion sown in the last few days about whether the latest person we have lost to anti-trans violence in Brenda Bostick was actually trans feminine.   That came in the wake of a unverified report of a person claiming on Facebook she was a caseworker showing a male pic of someone she alleged was Bostick was named Kenneth.

Because I had a trans panel discussion event I was participating in on Saturday with a memorial service component part of it,  Rev. Denise Junious who organized it had been hearing the chatter, and wanted to make sure the names list was accurate when we read those ten names of the people we've lost in 2017.

The claim wasn't adding up either. so I tapped some of my reliable sources and contacts in New York who also had the same questions because they were planning a vigil for her and we're making calls and talking to people themselves

And yes, because I strive for accuracy in whatever I post here at TransGriot, especially when it comes to keeping track of anti-trans murders, needed to know for myself if it was true that we've had our first trans masculine murder since 2013.

So what did my contacts tell me?   In the case of Ms. Bostick,  She's trans feminine.  Turns out that two of those contacts got in touch with the coroner who performed the autopsy on Bostick's body and shared with my contacts the body had a penis and breast implants.

So yes I repeat.  Ms. Bostick is a trans feminine person with possibly some genderqueer elements at play here and a story that is still evolving..

I'm quite aware of the fact trans men have been assaulted and murdered like Evon Young was in Milwaukee.  Murders of trans men also happen internationally like Yoshi Tsuchida in Japan and F Hilario in Brazil have also been horrifically brutal, and in Evon Young's case his body has never been found. 

Trust that if God forbid, we have a trans masculine person taken from us far too soon, I'll be just as diligent and on the case about putting info about a memorial service or vigil out there, ensuring the trans masculine person isn't misgendered  by the media, pushing for justice and keeping you informed about what happened as I have been about my sisters

But one thing we can all agree on is that I don't want to have to write another story or press release about another trans person being killed in 2017.

But sadly, we have seven more months left in this year .

Rest In Power and Peace, Brenda Bostick

We have lost another trans woman to anti-trans violence., this time in New York

We don't know the name, or the ethnic background of the 59 year old woman who has unfortunately become the 10th trans person we have lost to anti-trans violence in the United States in 2017.

What we do know at this time is that she was found severely beaten, unconscious and badly hurt on April 25 outside of a Five Guys restaurant at 10:30 PM EDT on 7th Avenue.

She was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center, where she died from her injuries on May 4.
It is unknown at this time whether she regained consciousness, but law enforcement sources are stating that her injuries do not appear to be self-inflicted nor from a fall and they are investigating this case as a homicide.

NYPD doesn't have at this time any suspects in this murder case, so if you have any information about that April 25 night that can help solve this case or lead to the identification of the victim, you are asked to call the NYPD

An autopsy is being done by the medical examiner to determine the cause of death, and notification next of kin is happening at this time.  My New York area trans family are working to discover who this fallen trans person was, and as soon as I get more details either from the media or the New York area trans community, I will pass them along to you.

Rest in power and peace Number 10.   Hopefully we will find out what you name was so we can honor you and your life properly.  We also pray for the expeditious capture, prosecution and conviction of the person or persons who callously took your life, and won't rest until that happens..

TransGriot Update  Thanks to Elizabeth Rivera, we now know number 10's name.  It is Brenda Bostick, and yes she was Black .  

Ms. Bostick is now the ninth Black trans woman we've lost in a five month span due to anti-trans violence

#SayHerName  #StopKillingBlackTransWomen   #BlackTransLivesMatter

There's A Reason I Wasn't Feeling Gaga's Show Last Night

Watched the Super Bowl like 100 million plus other peeps last night, and know the chatter in Gay World was all about the halftime show and Lady Gaga.

Some of you marveled about how she mentioned the word transgender while singing 'Born This Way' and gushed about other points in the show that were frankly meh for me.

By the way, for those of you claiming this Gaga show was political, this Beyonce performance last year is the gold standard for a Super Bowl halftime show that is political.   When wingers are STILL complaining a year later, and people are still talking about it, you know the message was received..

The reaction from the conservafool media to Gaga's Super Bowl show was they were glad she didn't go political. That confirms my initial impression of it that is wasn't as political as some people in Gay World are desperately trying to make this out to be.

Because her mentioning the t-word in NRG Stadium during her show and people commenting about it in social media just reminded me of why I'm not a huge fan of hers.  

If you're wondering why, we need to go back to 2011 and the fight to pass marriage equality in New York.

While the New York state marriage equality push that year had the HRC, former president Bill Clinton, Gov Andrew Cuomo, then New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and a host of politicians and celebs going gaga (pun intended) in pushing for its passage after passing the New York Assembly for the fourth consecutive time, ,GENDA, the trans rights bill had for then three consecutive years overwhelmingly passed the New York Assembly but was in an infuriating pattern of getting stuck in the Republican controlled NY senate.

GENDA if passed would amend the New York state non-discrimination laws to add gender identity and expression to the list of characteristics protected from discrimination in employment, education, public accommodations, housing and credit. It would also add gender identity and expression to the state hate crimes law. 

Currently there are seven cities in the Empire State, Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Ithaca, New York City, Rochester and Syracuse, and three counties, Suffolk, Tompkins and Westchester  that have legislatively enacted trans non discrimination protections. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has signed an executive order that prohibits discrimination against trans people in the Empire State.

But as we are witnessing in Washington DC right now, executive orders can be overturned, which is why passage of GENDA to secure the human rights of transpeople in New York State is needed and necessary.   It is also necessary in light of the fact that when SONDA was passed in 2002, New York gay and lesbian activists violated a deathbed promise to Sylvia Rivera and threw New York transpeople under the legislative bus to selfishly enact human rights protections for themselves.

In June 2011 GENDA overwhelmingly passed in the New York state assembly for the third consecutive time and was awaiting action in NY Senate just like the marriage bill was after it passed for the fourth consecutive session.  

But unlike the marriage bill, GENDA wasn't getting the attention it deserved and eventually died in the New York Senate without a hearing or a vote as gay peeps celebrated, claimed it was a 'victory for equality'  and planned their weddings when the marriage bill passed after that all out push for passage .

I note that Lady Gaga at that time was urging her 'Little Monsters' to call the NY Senate and urge passage of the marriage bill, but the word 'transgender'' didn't pass her lips at the time to have the same happen for GENDA.   Never mind the fact that some of her 'Little Monsters' as her fans are called are transgender peeps

I still believe that had she in 2011 made that same exhortation for her fans to call NY senators and demand GENDA's passage, that may have possibly been the publicity nudge GENDA needed at that time to get it attention during that 'all marriage all the time' media frenzy to get it passed in the New York Senate and to Gov. Cuomo's desk for his signature.

Lady Gaga has been a champion for marriage equality, and I'd like to see her put the same level of effort into speaking out on behalf of trans human rights as she consistently did for marriage equality. My trans siblings could use her help and star power, especially in her home state of New York  to break that legislative logjam that GENDA seems to be in.

Her trans Little Monsters that idolize her would love to see that as well. especially the ones that call New York State home..

So Lady Gaga, ball is in your court.   Saying the trans word during your Super Bowl show isn't enough these days.  How about some action to back it up just like you did for marriage equality?

Rest In Power Jay Kallio

Was advised by Joshua Holiday that our community lost New York based trans man and longtime TBLGQ community activist Jay Kallio to cancer today at age 61.

Medical transphobia may have played a major role in Kallio's death

Kallio's activism began when he was fired from his job for being a lesbian in 1972 and angered about the lack of human rights protections for LGBT people   Kallio along with his late partner Eleanor Cooper provided critical compassion and care for terminally ill persons during the height of the AIDS crisis in the 80's, and the former EMT transitioned to male when he turned 50

He added action against medical transphobia and discrimination aimed at trans people in a medical setting to his activist platform when Kallio was not told during a checkup about a malignant tumor discovered during a 2008 mammogram.  

Dealing with the medical transphobia in the so called liberal blue oasis of New York unfortunately delayed the critical early treatment he needed to increase his odds of beating the cancer.  

Jay's story about fighting terminal cancer and medical transphobia was published in the New York Times in their Faces of Cancer series.

When I receive information from my New York area trans folks and allies concerning any memorial service for Kallio, I'll pass it along for you TransGriot readers in the area wishing to pay your respects to a longtime human rights warrior in out TBLGQ community ranks.

Rest in power and peace, Jay.   You will be missed by all who loved you.

2016 Williams Watch- Moving Towards A US Open Semifinals Clash?

Sadly, no.   My fave tennis playing siblings are in this year's 2016 edition of the US Open, and were until yesterday on track to meet in the semifinals.

Serena hasn't dropped a set yet on her way to the quarterfinals.   She beat Russia's Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, then took down fellow American Vania King by the same 6-3, 6-3 straight set score in the second round.

In the third round it took Little Sis exactly one hour to blitz Johanna Larsson of Sweden 6-2, 6-1 to set up her fourth round match with Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan, who also bowed down to the Queen of Tennis in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 to punch her ticket to the quarterfinals.

Serena with the Monday win over Shvedova, also became the winningest player of any gender in Grand Slam tennis history with her 308th match win in Grand Slam play, passing Martina Navratilova (306) and Roger Federer (307).

She will face number 5 seeded Simona Halep of Romania, and should she get past Halep, would face the winner of the Ana Konjuh-Karolina Pliskova match in the semis.

Big Sis was a third set tiebreaker match point away from joining Serena in the US Open quarters, but alas it didn't work out for her.

Venus started her 2016 US open by beating Ukraine's Kateryna Kozlova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, then beat Germany's Julia Gorges in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 in the second round.

Venus then got past Germany's Laura Siegemund 6-2, 6-1 in the third round before running into Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the fourth round and falling in three sets 6-4, 4-6, 6-7 (3-7).

So we won't see another Williams Sisters Grand Slam clash, but i'd rather have those happen in a Grand Slam final anyway.

 

Black Trans Advocacy Conference Regional Summits

While we're counting down to the sixth annual Black Trans Advocacy Conference in Dallas next April, BTAC executive director Carter Brown is hitting the road for a series of BTAC regional summit events that will take place in several cities around the country.

The first one was in Topeka, Kansas August 26-27, with upcoming ones in New York on September 10, Atlanta September 24-25 at the Phillip Rush Center, and Baltimore October 7-9 at a location TBD.

As more are scheduled will pass that information along to you.




The New York event will start at 12 PM, and if you're interested, head on over to 115 W 113th St to check it out.

The goal of the BTAC summits is a multi faceted one..  In addition to getting the opportunity to meet Carter and other local BTAC leaders, it's spreading the word about the Dallas based national conference that is unique in trans conference world of being focused on Black trans people.

While this conference is focused on Black trans people, we encourage trans people of all ethnic backgrounds to come along with allies and significant others.

The BTAC regional summits summits are also seeking people interested in starting Black Transmen, Inc (BTMI) and Black Transwomen Inc (BTWI) local chapters, joining existing local chapters, participants and regional sponsors for the Black Trans International Pageantry System (BTIPS) pageants, people interested in stepping up to become leaders in BTMI/BTWI, and people wishing to help plan the 2017 BTAC national conference.

At a time in which right wing politicians are attacking the trans community and bald face lying to deny our existence combined with faux faith based resistance to our trans lives, events like BTAC are critical to building self esteem, and meeting and bonding with other trans people from around the world.    We were blessed at this year's event to have trans people from Brazil and Jamaica attend this year, and that's one pattern I hope continues for BTAC

Events like these regional summits help them get the word out about the conference and hopefully get people to come and check it out.

The 2017 BTAC Conference that will take place in Dallas April 24-30 is now in its 6th year, and is setting a goal of breaking its attendance record set earlier this year of 150 participants.

So hope that you can attend one of the regional summits when it comes you way, and even better, if you can attend the BTAC national conference that is now just eight months away from happening.

Moni And Janet On The Chautauqua Amphitheater Stage

Woke up to both of us being the front page featured story in the Chautauquan Daily (and a picture of me I despise), but at this moment Janet Mock and I are having a conversation on the historic Amphitheater that presidents, Supreme Court justices, ambassadors, congress members, authors and Nobel laureates have graced with their presence.

And I will be enjoying every nanosecond of it.

We'll be discussing trans issues for a learned audience that wishes to be educated on these issues, and hoping we have a full house or close to it for this featured conversation.

We are scheduled to go for about 40 minutes, with questions and answers from the audience once we've completed the discussion part.   I don't fly back home until tomorrow, so there's a brief meet and greet after the event concludes

Moni's At Chautauqua

After my flight from Hobby through Baltimore to Buffalo and my ride down I-90 through western New York wine country and the Seneca Nation to Chautauqua, I've been since yesterday afternoon chilling in my nice digs here on this picturesque campus that since 1874 has been dedicated to ongoing education and learning.

Only glitch I had was my 737-500 on the HOU-BWI leg had no wifi..

Just great.  The 3 hour flight leg has no wifi, but the short hop from BWI-BUF did.   Go figure the logic in that one.  Oh well, still getting my frequent flyer miles for it.

I'm in the Hagen-Wensley House, just across the street from the Athenaeum Hotel and down the hill from the open air auditorium when Janet Mock and I will be the featured talk tomorrow.  It's the place where performers and speakers stay then they are on the 750 acre Chautauqua Institute campus next to the lake bearing the same name.

Speaking of Janet, she's on her way here, and I'm looking forward to being in the same space with her for the first time in several years..

Chautauqua Institute is a place for ongoing education and learning about not only the current issues of the day, but subjects that include science, technology and the arts.

That point was driven home when I got a chance last night to have dinner on the Athenaeum's patio overlooking Lake Chautauqua with today's featured speaker in Dr. Randy Schekman, a Nobel prize winning molecular and cellular biologist

The conversation was even better than the meal, which was quite tasty

One of the subjects that Chautauqua Institution wishes to discuss and learn more about is trans issues, which is why Janet and I are here.

The Hagen-Wensley House has the feel of home, and I'm on the third floor of it.  I along with the other guests have snacks, drinks and munchies we can nibble on until we get our breakfast, lunch and dinner, and there's other spots in the town square just a short walk away

I said walk because you get around by walking or biking here, and there's not much vehicle traffic on the streets except for the Chautauqua Institution vehicles, carts and scooters.   Hey, not complaining because I am getting my exercise.

Got up early to do a 9 AM EDT radio interview this morning on WJTN-AM about the upcoming chat with Janet, and may do another one before I leave for Houston.   It has been nice chatting with Rachel, our hostess here at Hagen-Wesley House, the staff and getting to meet various members of the Chautauqua education department who are sponsoring this event.

Well, later peeps.  Need to take a walk along this lakefront and enjoy the cooler summer temperatures in comparison to the triple digit heat I left back in Houston Tuesday,.

The Air Marshal Is Headed To Chautauqua, NY

The third of my three consecutive trips to three different events in three weeks is finally happening as I take to the friendly skies once again to go to Chautauqua. NY via Baltimore and Buffalo, then the road trip to southwest New York state and the Chautauqua, Institution grounds..

I'm headed to Chautauqua Institute to do a historic talk on Thursday with Janet Mock that takes place at 10:45 AM from their Amphitheatre Stage as part of their Pushing Our Bodies Limits Summer Lecture Series.

It is a venue that has seen a president, a Supreme Court justice, senators, poets and scientists wander its grounds dedicated to learned discussion, and now two Black girls like us will be on that hallowed ground.

And one again I'll have the blessing of TSA Pre, which means I won't have to nearly strip down to clear security

Well. time to start this latest road trip.    Hope it's a drama free one.

Moni's Going To Chautauqua Institute!

I've had the blessings of being able to do some groundbreaking, amazing and historic things since my 1994 transition, but what is going to take place next month is mind blowing even by those standards.

On August 11 I'll be at the historic Chautauqua Institution as part of their Pushing Our Bodies' Limits Chautauqua Lecture Series interviewing Janet Mock at 10:45 AM EDT from their Amphitheater stage.

So what's the Chautauqua Institution?  It's a nonprofit 750 acre education center and summer community on Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York state 17 miles north of Jamestown that draws over 100,000 people for its wide range of events every summer.

It was originally founded in 1874 as a training camp for Sunday School teachers but broadened its offerings in 1878 with the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC) and mission to provide those who didn't have the time or money to acquire the skills and essential knowledge of a public education.

By 1880 it had acquired the reputation of being a national forum for discussion of public issues, international relations, science and literature where the leading thinkers of that time came to discuss the issues and concerns of the day.

Some of the long list of people who have graced the Chautauqua Institution grounds have been people such as Susan B. Anthony, who argued for women's suffrage from there in 1892.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave his 'I Hate War' speech from here in 1936.  Margaret Mead, Amelia Earhart, Thurgood Marshall, Jane Goodall, Sandra Day O'Connor, and Kurt Vonnegut are some of the people who have spoken there.

The Chautauqua Institute tradition of timely conversations by thought leaders discussing the issues and concerns of the day continues with a timely discussion on race relations and Black Lives Matter this week with Deray Mckesson.

It also is a place where dance, music,opera, theater and the visual arts also reign along with an Abrahamic Program that seeks to build positive relationships among Jews, Christians and Muslims complete with services for those faiths.

In a month, I'll get to experience that.

Even more wonderful is that on August 11, Janet Mock and I will be joining that long distinguished list of people speaking from the historic Chautauqua Institute Amphitheater stage,

And I'm so looking forward to it.  

Stonewall Inn Declared National Monument

History was made yesterday as New York's Stonewall Inn was declared a national monument by President Obama days before the 47th anniversary of the June 28, 1969 Stonewall rebellion that was the spark for the modern TBLG rights movement.

The new national monument would encompass the Stonewall Inn, Christopher Park and the surrounding streets and sidewalks in the area   It is the first ever specifically LGBT historical site to be given national monument status and something that is long overdue.  



"I believe our national parks should reflect the full story of our country -- the richness and diversity and uniquely American spirit that has always defined us, that we are stronger together," said President Obama.

And with this happening a week after the attack on the Pulse club in Orlando on the club's Latino Night that took 49 lives and wounded another 53 people, it's even more important for people outside our trans, bi and SGL community to recognize that TBLG history is also American history.

GENDA Overwhelmingly Passes NY Assembly For Ninth Consecutive Time!

In the wake of the historic press conference in which Attorney General Loretta Lynch and head of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division Vanita Gupta countersued the state of North Carolina for the unjust HB 2,  in New York State they were celebrating the announcement that the Gender Expression Non Discrimination Act (GENDA) has passed the New York State Assembly for the ninth consecutive time.

GENDA if passed would protect New Yorkers from discrimination based on their gender identity or expression in employment, housing and education..

Once again, the vote wasn't close in the Democratically controlled New York State Assembly, in which they hold a 103-47 supermajority,.  GENDA (A-4558b/S-0061b) passed on a 81-46 vote.

"This legislation represents the Assembly's continues commitment to protecting all New Yorkers from discriminatory practices," said NY Assembly Speaker Carl Hastie.  "It is unconscionable that neither the federal or state government have declared discrimination against transgender individuals illegal.  This bill addresses that injustice."

'Transgender rights are human rights," said Chairman Richard Gottfried, sponsor of the bill. "it's an embarrassment to New Yorkers that 18 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws barring discrimination on the basis of gender identity, while GENDA can't even get a vote in our State Senate.  While North Carolina and other states try to roll back progress by attacking transgender rights, New York should stand up for common sense, fairness and justice,"  

But the problem for GENDA has consistently been since 2007 that the bill has gone to the Republican controlled New York Senate, and hasn't even gotten a floor vote because it keeps getting killed in committee..

Hopeful this will finally be the year in which Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) uses some of that political capital and his bully pulpit to get it done like he did on gay marriage.

It is now in the New York Senate's Investigations and Government Operations Committee.  The entire nation will be watching to see if this will be the year that GENDA actually gets out of committee and gets and up or down vote in the GOP controlled  Senate.

NYC Trans Woman Attacked For Riding While Trans

Anti-trans hate thoughts + anti-trans hate speech = anti-trans hate violence/murders.  That is the equation that unfortunately adds up to anti-trans violence aimed at our community

The Republican Party and the conservative movement has been putting unchecked anti-trans hatred in the air, and as I and other trans leaders have been warning, it's just a matter of time before the ignorati seize on that hate speech they put out there and turn into anti-trans hate violence aimed at us.

Here's video recorded by Translatina Network outreach social worker Pearl Love while she was minding her own business on the subway back on April 28.

This member of the ignorati began flinging unsolicited bigoted and transphobic comments at her, and then became agitated as she realized she was being videotaped and subsequently attacked Love.

Love is okay, but  it's just a taste of what we trans folks are increasingly seeing no thanks to the Republican Party gleefully spewing anti-trans hate for fun and political advantage.

And oh yeah, New York State, when are you going to add gender identity to the list of categories in your state's hate crimes law?  This video is more evidence that adding coverage for transgender New Yorkers is sorely needed.

Hillary's In A Winning New York State Of Mind

I'm in such a good mood tonight I feel like singing.

Start spreading the news,
We voted today
Hillary Clinton beat Bernie's azz in New York, New York

Okay, I'll spare you Sanders folks the rest of the song I was gleefully writing, but did I not tell y'all last month that Bernie Sanders failure to connect with Black voters would cost him the nomination?

Once again. Moni knows a little something something about a lot of subjects, and especially politics.

Sanders outspent the Clinton campaign in New York, had all those YUGE rallies, the Brooklyn debate with Spike Lee mugging for the cameras, and went negative, but the result was predictably the same with Clinton cleaned his clock in another diverse state with a large delegate cache available.

Slanders Sanders also made some unforced errors in New York with the sliming of Clinton as 'unqualified', the disastrous New York Daily News interview that revealed he hasn't thought about how he will achieve what he is proposing in his standard stump speeches, and his surrogates engaging in more unsolicited misogyny by making references to 'corporate whores' and throwing dollar bills at Clinton.

With 98% of the votes counted, Clinton won by 16 points, garnered over a million votes and won in addition to New York City, Long Island and the affluent collar counties, Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester

Far from the predicted Sanders win, it was a convincing Clinton blowout victory that gets her the lionesses share of the 291 delegates available.  It sets her up nicely for the five upcoming closed primary contests on April 26 in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania that could be the knockout punch for the Sanders campaign fading hopes of hijacking the Democratic presidential nomination.

A gleeful Clinton touted her successes during her victory speech.  "In this campaign, we've won in every region of the country, from the North to the South to the East to the West.  But this one's personal. New Yorkers, you've always had my back, and I've always tried to have yours." she said. "This campaign is the only campaign, Democrat or Republican, to win more than ten million votes."

And in more bad news for the Sanders campaign, in addition to Clinton padding her already large delegate lead and getting another YUGE step closer to securing the Democratic nomination, in the five April 26 contests. Maryland and Pennsylvania not only have large delegate hauls, but also have large African-American populations, with African-Americans making up 30% of the population in MD.

#BlackVotersMatter in our party Bernie, and once again that message got sent loud and clear in this closed New York primary.

Looks like we'll have to send it again next Tuesday.

Islan Nettles' Confessed Killer To Be Sentenced Today

James Dixon, the confessed killer of Islan Nettles will be sentenced staring at 9 AM EDT.

As part of a plea deal, he's getting a 12 year sentence for the brutal killing of our trans sister, and many local activists are not happy about that development.

I agree with my New York trans family, 12 years in jail is a joke considering the level of brutality of the crime, and really don't care if it was his first offense.  He killed somebody.

Dolores Nettles, the mother of Islan Nettles is requesting that trans community members able to do so join her in the courtroom for the sentencing.   If you live in the New York metro area and can take the time out of your busy day to be there in solidarity with Ms. Nettles, I urge you to do so.

And here's hoping the New York media covers it this time.    

New York Primary Election Today

After nine days of hard fought campaigning, New York state goes to the polls for their primary elections on the Democratic and Republican sides in a few hours.

It's the state in which Hillary Clinton has resided in since 2001, was elected twice to represent in the US Senate, and if the polling holds up (and the last poll showed Hillary Clinton maintaining a double digit lead), she will once again continue the pattern of blowout wins in the big delegate haul states that look like the Democratic Party.

How many delegates are at stake?  291 delegates total are up for grabs, and in more cascading bad news for the Sanders campaign, it's a closed primary state, which means only registered Democrats can participate.  

It's also a state with an 18% Black population.   #BlackVotersMatter, but then again, we've been sending that message since Nevada.

So we'll find out in a few hours who will take New York and get the momentum leading up to April 26 and the five Northeastern states that will be having primaries on that date.  

Ted Cruz Getting Not So Warm New York Welcome

When the late Molly Ivins and a long list of Texans tried to warn the rest of America not to elect George W. Bush to the White House, many of you shrugged off that warning to this country's detriment.

It ended up with us suffering through the worst presidency of my lifetime and one in which President Obama had to spend much of his first term cleaning up the Bushit left behind.

Now we're approaching 2016, and we have another Texas Republican born in Calgary trying to get the Republican nomination.   And while Caitlyn Jenner may like him, she's living on her California estate and  not inside the borders of the Lone Star State like I am having to watch Damien Thorn, Jr's dominionist azz.

So you know I've been enjoying the denizens of New York giving Ted Cruz a proper NYC welcome during his visit to attempt to mend fences for the upcoming April 19 primary in the state.

But it isn't going well, as that NY Daily News cover is emphatic testimony to.  He's been called out at various appearances, and one event at a high school had to be cancelled when the students threatened to walk out.

They haven't forgotten Cruz dissing their beloved city during a GOP debate in January in which he slammed Trump for his 'New York Values'.  The fact a Texas senator (yuck) did so only served to piss them off even more.




Hey New York, many of us in the Lone Star State don't like Cruz either, so keep the anti-Cruz insults coming.