NBJC OUT On The Hill 2016 Starts Wednesday!

Unfortunately I won't be there in DC because of other commitments, but had to let you TransGriot readers know that the National Black Justice Coalition's (NBJC) OUT on the Hill Black LGBT Leadership Summit is one of my favorite events.

The 2016 edition of OUT on the Hill will be taking place September 14-17, with the theme of The Post-Obama Era: What's Next?   Since this also takes place at the roughly the same time as the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference,

OUT on the Hill has always had some collaborative panels with the CBC-ALC event and provided opportunities for OUT on the Hill attendees to access the CBC-ALC event taking place over at the DC Convention Center.



OUT on the Hill kicks off with an Issues Advocacy Day at the US Capitol on September 14, a welcome reception on Thursday sponsored by HRC, the OOTH 2016 one on Friday  and the closing State of the Black LGBTQ/SGL Community brunch on Saturday.

While I won't be in the OUT on the Hill house this year, as always I hope this event is megasuccessful, and hope my schedule will allow me to attend it in 2017.

And if your schedule allows you do do so, here's the link to register for the OOTH2016 conference.

OOTH 2015-Saturday Recap

The last full day of OUT on the Hill 2015 activity, and Saturday morning I awakened to what is a familiar sight to Washingtonians but not to this Texan.

I was awakened by the roar of motorcycles and sirens and got to my seventh floor hotel room window just in time to see the presidential motorcade speeding by heading in the direction of the White House.

I went from witnessing that sight to witnessing an amazing State of the Black LGBTQ/SGL Community panel that started at 9:00 AM focused on the wellness of our community.

It was a panel moderated by the Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington featuring Valerie Spencer, Faith Cheltenham, Dr. Cleo Manago. Tim'm West, Geneva Musgrave and Rayceen Pendavis had some tell it like it T-I-S is moments and commentary about what we needed to do in a multipronged ongoing strategic way to build and continue focusing on Black LGBT community wellness.

It ended way too fast, and I stayed in that room to check out a Tim'm West moderated panel entitled Brave Education: OUT Black Educators Advancing Educational Excellence.

The panel that started at 12:15 PM discussed the issues, challenges and joys in K-12 schools for TBLGQ students of color and the out teachers and administrators seeking to prepare them for collegiate studies and the world.

There were also comments from the panelists that pointed out that the public education system need to just as concerned about producing students who are critical thinkers than their ability to take a standardized test.

It also pointed out how important it was to have out Black LGBTQ educators on these campuses representing and being possibility models for Black LGBTQ and other students.

The final plenary session was another after lunch State of the Black LGBTQ/SGL conversation that focused on Faith and Spirituality featuring the Rev Rodney McKenzie, Minister Verdell Wright, Bishop Allyson Abrams, and the Rev Dr Jamie Washington.

The conversation touched on many issues including the been for Black LGBTQ folks to forcefully push back against the loud and wrong anti-Black doctrine that has been remixed to attack us, talk about Black liberation theology from a Black LGBTQ lens, and do a much better job of integrating trans people in this mix.

After closing remarks from Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Kylar Broadus, and Venton Jones, the bittersweet moment of #OOTH 2015 coming to a close was upon us.   I also found myself in the middle of an intergenerational conversation in which I and youth with Trini, Haitian and Nigerian heritage started a fascinating conversation in which we discussed the African Diaspora, our shared connections and history, and where Black LGBT people fit in this.

And yeah, I got to destroy two more Slurpees before I called it a day and crashed from conference fatigue.    

OOTH 2015- Friday Recap

My second full day in Washington DC was chock full of activity in addition to my OUT on the Hill business I was scheduled to handle at 12:30 PM EDT.

I ended an enjoyable two day stay with Joanna to move into the conference hotel.

The last time I was at The Beacon, there was six inches of snow on the ground and I landed at DCA thirty minutes before they shut the airport down.

This time I ended up on the seventh floor, but I had to wait two hours before that room became available after checking in at 8 AM.  I left Joanna's early and headed there in the hope that I'd be able to move my stuff in. get in diva mode for the plenary I needed to do that was scheduled at 12:30 PM, and get to handle the #OOTH2015 reporter role by live tweeting the panels before and after my session.

It was also moving day for OUT on the Hill 2015, because after having events at HRC headquarters for the last two days. we were moving to the Beacon Hotel for the afternoon session and tomorrow's events.

There's an old saying that if you want to make God laugh, plan something. The room not being ready screwed that game plan I had to move, get into diva mode and get mentally ready for the panel.

Mu main business of the day was the Valerie Spencer moderated panel entitled a Focus on the Plight of  Trans Women of Color in America that featured myself, Lourdes Hunter, and Angelica Ross..

While many of the #OOTH2015 attendees liked the panel and told me so after it was over, I wasn't happy about it.

I felt the conversation got far too focused on sex work.  I was also not happy about some drama stirred up by one of the panelists, and our panel's start being delayed not only by that drama and her shady behavior during it,by a speech from a DOJ official who stated in it that he wanted to ';learn more about the trans community', then bounced after his remarks.

I spent an hour after that panel taking with Donna Payne-Hardy, so I didn't rejoin the OOTH2015 action until it was time for the final workshops of the day.

I checked out one entitled I Just Don't Do Doctors' which was an enlightening discussion about the medical needs of aging Black lesbians that got broadened to talk about the health needs of Black LGBTQ women in general,

We then headed up to the Beacon's Sky Bar for the OOTH 2015 Partners and Sponsors reception. While I was still a little bummed about the trans panel, getting some delicious food in my system, conversation and straight up partying with a purpose helped ge get over it.

So did that free Slurpee I got a few hours later.

Leaving On a Jet Plane-DC Bound Again

Been piling up the frequent flyer miles this summer and loving every minute of it as you TransGriot readers have noticed. 

My trips have basically been for one community event or another.

Whether it was the first ever trans themed panel discussion at Netroots Nation, the double secret trip I took to DC for business I still can't talk about,  the one to Charlotte to do the keynote address for the TransFaith In Color conference or the GLAAD National POC Media Institute in New York I not only felt blessed to be at all these events this summer representing our community, I not only enjoyed them, but loved seeing my trans and SGL peeps. 

Getting out of Houston's blast furnace heat for a few days is a bonus, although July was the coolest summer month on record for us and it's been in the high 80's-low 90's temperature wise for the last few days..

This time I'm bouncing from H-town to go back to Washington DC and inside I-495 for the third annual edition of Out On The Hill.  I'm looking forward to it, hanging with my National Black Justice Coalition family, my Black trans and SGL peeps my freinds in the area and participating in the two panel discussions I'm slated for.  

Oh yeah, will be making a major activism announcement while I'm up here. 

If I get the time or opportunity to hit a computer will talk about what happening at Out On The Hill 2012.  And DC area Facebook friends, I'll be here until Sunday.

Time to get the beauty sleep.    See y'all in a few hours Chocolate City.

No More Down Low TV-Out On The Hill Youth Leaders Summit

One of the things I really enjoyed during the 2011 Out On Th Hill Conference in addition to meeting many of the leaders in the Black GLBT community was meeting our future leaders as well.

Had the pleasure of meeting people such as Jeshawna Wholley, Jane Vaughn and a host of students who are either recent graduates of HBCU's like Jeshawna or are currently matriculating on HBCU campuses as we speak.   

On the Saturday of the conference there was a youth leaders summit and panel discussion in which we got an insight on the issues that affect them, what they are thinking about and what thy need from those of us who have been in the rainbow community human rights game for a while.

The TransGriot did ask some questions and made some comments during it, but it didn't make the final edit for this segment.  

This is the No More Down Low TV video for the OOTH Youth Activist Segment