Number 2- Rest In Power Alexa Ruiz

While it has been queit since New Year's Day in terms of trans people being killed in 2020, in the years I have been tracking anti-trans deaths here in the US,  there has always seemed to be been somewhat of a lull in the early winter months of January and February before the numbers start exploding as the weather gets warmer. 

I've also been marveling at the streak the Latinas had been on in whch they had gone nearly 15th  months since I last wrote about a Latina trans woman being murdered.   

September 18, 2018 was the last time that happened on this blog, when Nikki Enriquez was killed in Laredo, TX  by the ex Border Patrol serial killer Juan David Oritiz. 

Ortiz is still in jail awaiting trial for her murder and the murders of three other women that occured between September 14-15, 2018. 

While the trans Latina community has had  some close calls, including the shooting of Daniela Calderon in Dallas back in October,  I worried that it was only a matter of time before their remarkle luck ran out.

And the circumstances of this second anti-trans murder of 2020 are frankly pissing me off.

We go to Puetro Rico for the latesr trans murder.    Her name was Neulisa Luciano Ruiz, better known as Alexa,  was shot and killed early Monday morning in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico  mere hours after someone called the po-po on her for using the women's restroom at a McDonald's.

We still don't know her age yet,  but the perps of this latest hate crime are alleged to be four teenagers. who videotaped themselves doing so.   Here body was found at approximately 3:50 AM local time.   No  one has claimed her body as of this writing.   

But let me say this about the latest murder

Going to the bathroom while trans shouldn't be an effing death sentence. But anti-trans hate thoughts + anti-trans hate speech = anti-trans hate murders.

Alexa Ruiz was homeless. She didn't get the chance to get the help she needed to get out of that situation because somebody killed her in Toa Baja, PR yesterday. .

That ended a remarkable streak in which the US based Latina trans community had gone since September 2018 (Nikki Enriquez, Laredo, TX) ,without having someone murdered.

While they have had some close calls, with Daniela Calderon in Dallas being the most recent example, who survived after being shot at point blank range six times at a bus stop, this senseless death is marjorly pissing me off.

The most vulnerable among us sadly will pay the price for the anti-trans posturing of Republican politicans, TERFs, evilgelicals and transphobic Roman Catholic Church officials, and conservafool media.

Alexa's blood is on their hands, not that they really care. It's also on the hands of the transphobe that made the call on her for simply using the damn bathroom

They are all working in concert to make the lives of trans people here and around the world hell for their own nefarious purposes.

Alexa Ruiz shouldn't have died for simply using the bathroom at a McDonalds. But because some transphobic fool called the cops on her, that's the result.

Rest in power and peace Alexa May the fools who committed this crime be swifrly caught.

And oh yeah,  Let my people pee in peace.  .

Trans Girl Gets Callback For Miss Puerto Rico Universe Pageant!

A few weeks ago my sis Joanna Cifredo and I were on the phone catching up with each other about the events that had transpired in our lives since our last conversation.   She recently moved back to Puerto Rico  to start a youth centered organization there, and after finding out how that was going, our conversation turned to beauty pageants.

It happened in the wake of Angela Ponce's historic week in Bangkok as the first out trans contestant at Miss Universe, and we talked about the Miss Puerto Rico Universe pageant opening their doors to trans participation. 

We wondered aloud about the odds that the next girl like us to be a Miss Universe trans contestant could possibly come from Puerto Rico. 

We knew Denise Quinones,  the 2001 Miss Universe winner and new national director of Miss Universe Puerto Rico, has been vocally supportive of trans women competing in the Miss Universe pageant system

But we wondered if she was serious about taking the next step and actually making space for Puerto Rican trans girls to compete for this title.

Apparently, Quinones wasn't kidding, and our conversation put some positive vibes in the air for it to happen. .

University of Puerto Rico journalism student Daniela Victoria Arroyo announced on her Instagram page that she'd received a  call back for the second round of the Miss Puerto Rico Universe pageant contestant search.

What's the significance of that callback?   Puerto Rico is considered one of the Miss Universe pageant superpowers in  the long history of this contest. . 

A Miss Puerto Rico has won the Miss Universe title five times  (1970, 1985, 2001, 2003, 2006) ,but its last win came in 2006 when Zulekya Rivera captured the crown. 

Rivera is also supportive of trans women being able to compete for the Miss Universe crown.

Quinones wants to change that, and she wants another Puerto Rican Miss Universe titleholder as soon as possible under her watch as the pageant national director.

Arroyo has already made Puerto Rican history.  She was part of the group of trans feminine plaintiffs that successfully sued the Puerto Rican government in 2017 for the right to change their names on their birth certificates.   

In addition to her university studies, she has also been a fierce advocate for the rights of Puerto Rican trans people. 

The question we're all asking is will Daniela Arroyo get that opportunity to compete for Miss Puerto Rico?   If she does, can she win the crown on May 26 and make it to the 2019 Miss Universe stage as Puerto Rico's representative?

Congratulations Daniela!   Hope you get a shot at making more history.

Trans Puerto Ricans Can Compete In Miss Puerto Rico Universe

The Miss Puerto Rico Universe is one of the most competitive pageantry titles on the island.   It also has since 1970 produced five Miss Universe winners in Marisol Malaret, Deborah Carthy-Deu (1985), Dayanara Torres (1993), Denise Quinones (2001) and Zulekya Rivera (2006).

While the Miss Universe pageantry system since 2013 has allowed trans women to compete,  Puerto Rico along with Venezuela, the Philippines and surprisingly Thailand have been among the holdout organizations among the perennial Miss Universe contender nations barring trans women from competing.

But in the wake of a t positive federal court decision earlier this year from US District Judge Carmen Consuelo Cerezo that allows trans Puerto Ricans to update their gender markers, and Angela Ponce's breakthrough win in the Miss Universe Spain pageant, that's changing.

Quinones, took over as the new Miss Puerto Rico Universe pageant director in March and has long been an advocate for trans women being allowed to compete. 

She announced during a pageant registration event taking place on the same day that trans Puerto Ricans were allowed to change their gender markers,  that trans women would be allowed to compete in the Miss Puerto Rico Universe pageant starting in 2019.

Like other contestants, trans Puerto Ricans who are ages 18-27, have changed their documentation and wish to compete in the pageant either must be born on the island,  have one parent who is Puerto Rican or ha lived on the island for 10 years or more, will be allowed to compete for the title.

We'll have to wait until 2019 to see if any trans contestants enter Miss Puerto Rico Universe.  Time will tell if there will be a trans Miss Puerto Rico that wins the title, and goes on to compete at Miss Universe and bring another crown back to the island.

Puerto Rico Says 'Si' To Statehood

Yesterday Puerto Rican voters took a major step toward the island becoming the 51st state.

In Sunday's non binding referendum that drew 23% of the island's registered voters to participate in it, statehood received over 500,000 votes, with free association/independence drawing over 7800 votes and 6800 votes for the current status as a territory

Gov. Richard Rossello (NPP) in the wake of the vote told supporters that he would create a commission to select two senators and five congress members that would head to Washington DC and demand statehood from the US Congress.

Will Puerto Rico become the 51st state?  Congress would have to approve the change in status from a commonwealth to statehood and the President would have to sign it, but good luck getting the Republican controlled Congress to agree to do so.  The 3.4 million peeps on that Caribbean isle tend to vote for Democrats, and the GOP is going to have enough problems trying to hold on to power in 2018 and 2020.

Trump has stated he's in favor of it, but you can never believe anything Dear Cheeto Leader says
But you never know.

But like the residents of Washington DC, Puerto Rico has voted to say si to starting the process toward statehood.   It's just will it happen in our lifetimes?

Clinton Sweeps Caribbean Democratic Contests

Break out the broom, because Sec. Hillary Clinton had a great weekend in the Caribbean without riding on a cruise ship or going on vacation..

This weekend there were two Democratic presidential nomination contests in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico worth a combined 79 delegates, and Sec. Clinton has taken both of them.

She overwhelmingly took the Virgin Islands caucus on Saturday, and in the Puerto Rico primary went on to another overwhelming win there.

With the 36 delegates as of this writing she picked up during her Caribbean sweep, she is now poised to clinch the nomination in 24 hours when the Democratic Omega Primaries kick off.

It also proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Black and Latino voters matter when it comes to Democratic primary races.

Looks like I hear an opera singer warming up and singing the 'It's Over' aria.

 But then again that was obvious to anyone grounded in political reality.  She's no less than 30 delegates away from clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, and how apropos for it to happen on the day that she conceded the race to President Obama back in 2008.

Tuesday will be a historic day for this country and Sec. Hillary Clinton despite Bernie Sanders and his followers unwillingness to deal with it.  But it's past time for this contest to be over so that we can focus as a party on beating Donald Trump in the fall.

One Down, One To Go In Puerto Rico

The Caribbean primary weekend is almost over, and Sec. Hillary Clinton moves even closer to clinching the Democratic Nomination and the Omega Primaries on Tuesday.

But first up was  the Virgin Islands caucuses, and it wasn't even close.  Clinton on an overwhelming victory, getting 1306 votes to Bernie Sanders 190.

That gives her a little momentum going into the Puerto Rico primary today, and the Omega Tuesday primaries in which  California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota all have nominating contests, with the huge delegate prizes being California and New Jersey.  

One down, one to go until we can say 'Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton'.

Crucial Caribbean Democratic Primary Elections This Weekend

The calendar page has flipped to June and thankful for Democrats, the end of the contentious primary season is in sight with Hillary Clinton poised to make American history. .

Clinton is only 94 pledged delegates away from passing the magic 2383 delegates needed for clinching the nomination.  She has 1770 pledged delegates plus an overwhelming 520 of the 715 superdelegates available.

And for the supporters of Bernie Sanders, they realize that time is running out.  While some have resigned themselves to #FeelingTheMath and realizing that it's a matter of time before she clinches the nomination and began the process of unifying the party to take on Republican nominee Donald Trump, there are others who support Bernie who have been showing their vanillacentric privileged  behinds and ramping up the nekulturny behavior and sexist Hillary hate as this weekend, the upcoming Omega primary on June 7 and the final primary in the District of Columbia on June 14 close out the Democratic presidential primary calendar.

The Virgin Islands will have their caucus today with 12 delegates available, and Puerto Rico will follow that up with their primary election tomorrow in which 67 delegates will be up for grabs.

If nothing else, the winners of these Caribbean weekend contests can claim having momentum into the Omega primary June 7.

For my readers in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, all i ask is that you handle your business and vote.

WTF Just Happened In Puerto Rico With SB 238?

Oops, guess I spoke too soon about SB 238 passing the Puerto Rican House and Senate .

Seems that while the news was being trumpeted around the world about the sweeping trans inclusive version that would have protected TBLG Puerto Ricans against discrimination in public accommodations, housing, governmental services and other private entities, the faith based haters were still actively working to strip those categories from it before it reached Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla's desk for his signature.

According to an AP report they succeeded.   On May 27 a modified version of the bill was passed by the Puerto Rican Senate that removed the clauses banning discrimination against TBLG Puerto Ricans in commercial transactions, property rentals, public accommodations, and other circumstances.

So now the question inquiring GLBT human rights minds like moi are asking is which version of the bill did Governor Garcia Padilla sign into law?   Is it the version of SB 238 that has those clauses or the May 27 one the faith based haters were pushing to strip them from the bill and keep their special right to discriminate alive?

Governor Alejandro García Padilla signed the legislation at his official residence in San Juan along with HB 488, which adds domestic violence law protections for gender identity, sexual orientation, and marital status. 

He issued a statement via Twitter: 'The dignity of being a human being is inviolable because we are all the same and we must be equal under the law.'

He added: 'Today is a great day for Puerto Rico. I feel that I have fulfilled my duty as a Christian to sign these laws.'

But my question is how great a day?  Which version of SB 238 did you sign Governor Garcia Padilla?  If you signed the original sweeping bill, it was a doubleplus good day for the Puerto Rican TBLG community. 

If it was the modified one that strips commercial transactions, property rentals, public accommodations, transportation and other circumstances from it, you signed a worthless, unjust Massachusetts style law and far from 'fulfilling your duty as a Christian' to treat everyone equally, you just failed in that task. 

How can you even part your lips to call it equal if you have a LGBT non discrimination law that keeps you as a rainbow Puerto Rican from being fired from your job, but the transphobic bus driver transporting you to that job can kick you off his bus?  

You can work for a restaurant, but the homophobic restaurant owner can kick you out of his establishment if you and your trans, gay and lesbian friends attempt to eat there.  If you're trying to rent an apartment or beachside cottage the phobic building owner can refuse to rent it to you without fear of being punished for it.. 

Who the hell LGBT activist wise was watching the Puerto Rican legislature and the governor's office to ensure the tougher bill was the one that received Governor Garcia Padilla's signature?   Instead of doing the civil rights job right the first time you'll now have to (like Massachusetts is painfully doing right now) go back to the Puerto Rican Legislature and refight the pitched battle you just fought to have those categories the Senate just stripped out added back into the law.  

A human rights law without public accommodations language in it is not only unjust, it's a worthless law.

And since 2014 is an election year, good luck making that happen and getting a governor who narrowly won his seat in the 2012 election cycle to sign it.

Puerto Rico House Passes Trans Inclusive Rights Bill

In a historic day for the Puerto Rican TBLG community, the Puerto Rican House of Representatives  approved the trans inclusive Senate Bill 238 on a 29-22 vote after nearly three hours of debate in a session that ended well after midnight. 

“I can serve God without having to discriminate against anyone,” Rep. Lydia Méndez Silva said before she announced her support of the anti-discrimination bill.

The bill authored by Senator Ramon Luis Nieves would ban anti-TBLG discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and government services in the US territory based on real or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation. 
.
The Puerto Rican House also approved by the same 29-22 margin House Bill 488, which extends existing domestic violence protections to any person regardless of their marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity.  

HB 488 will now move to the Puerto Rican Senate for its approval while Senate Bill 238 heads to the desk of Governor Alejandro García Padilla.

Governor Garcia has indicated he will sign into law the passed SB 238 and HB 488 if it reaches his desk. He is also in favor of a bill that would extend second parent adoption rights to gay and lesbian couples and met with legislators on Thursday morning to garner support for the human rights legislation.

Puerto Rican homeboy and singer Ricky Martin also urged legislators to vote favorably on that pending TBLG rights legislation in an open letter he penned to Puerto Rican House members.

“The rights of gay people are human rights, and human rights are for everyone,” Martin wrote.“The passage of [SB 238] would represent the respect of our brothers and sisters’ rights.” 

American GL community, I hope you were paying attention to what transpired in Puerto Rico.

This is the 'Dallas Principles' in action in terms of not leaving anyone behind and moving forward to make collective human rights progress.  Unfortunately that's a concept that seems to have escaped some selfish people in this community. 

Trans inclusion helps TBLG human rights move forward for all of us, not backwards. 

It's also another concrete example of what I've been saying for years.  If you want liberal progressive change and laws, you have to elect liberal progressive politicans to do the job. 


But megacongratulations to my TBLG brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico.  It would be nice if our politicians in Washington DC would follow the sterling example of what yours just did, say no to the faith based haters and do the same thing on the mainland.

Puerto Rican Senate Passes Trans Inclusive Rights Bill

TBLG Puerto Ricans got some welcome news to celebrate the IDAHOT with as Senate Bill 238, the proposed trans inclusive anti-discrimination bill passed the Puerto Rico Senate on a 15-11 vote after several contentious hours of debate and determined opposition from the island's religious leaders..

The bill submitted by Senator Ramon Luis Nieves would ban anti-TBLG discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and government services in the US territory based on real or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation. 

The bill’s passage also comes three days after San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz mandated the Puerto Rican capital’s police department to equally apply the island's current domestic violence laws, regardless of the reported victim’s sexual orientation.

The mayor also signed a second executive order that bans discrimination against San Juan's municipal employees based on their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

Senate Bill 238 isn't the only bill the island's TBLG community is watching.   House of Representatives Bill 488 seeks to extend existing domestic violence protections to any person regardless of their marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Amnesty International says that lawmakers have a “historic opportunity” to end discrimination against Puerto Rico’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community.

“The approval of these two laws would be a big step for justice and equality for an important sector of Puerto Rico’s population, which to date has fallen victim to institutionalized discrimination,” said Pedro Santiago, director of Amnesty International Puerto Rico.

“These two measures would expand the protection of rights for LGBTI people in Puerto Rico. Our legislators should be brave enough to overcome prejudice when making new laws. Human rights are not a matter of choice but of justice, and all people are entitled to enjoy them regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Santiago.

The passage of these bills would also be welcome news for Puerto Rico's trans community, which endured a horrific spike in anti-trans violence and murders on the island several years ago.

Senate Bill 238 moves on to the Puerto Rican House of Representatives for its approval before it hits Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla's desk for his signature

Puerto Rico Considering TBLG Inclusive Anti-Discrimination Bill

It's past time it happened, but it took the November 6 election for this welcome news to become a reality. 

The Puerto Rican legislature is proposing a trans inclusive anti discrimination bill.    It would make it a crime to discriminate against someone based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Until the Popular Democratic Party gained control of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives and the Puerto Rican Senate, this bill would be proposed, pass the House of Representatives, but die in the conservative leaning Senate controlled by the pro-statehood New Progressive Party.

The proposed bill was submitted by Senator Ramon Luis Nieves and seeks to protect people in Puerto Rico from being discriminated at work, in public places, and during transactions including renting or selling property.

“A human being’s dignity cannot be violated,” said Sen. Nieves, who was flanked by supporters including Pedro Peters Maldonado, a San Juan legislator who is Puerto Rico’s first openly gay elected official.

The bill has long been sought by human rights activists and organizations in the territory who have long complained about the transphobic and homophobic attitudes that deleteriously affect TBLG Puerto Ricans. 

Despite most government departments having their own anti-discriminatory policies, local human rights advocates say they are far too often not enforced.  The spike in anti-BTLG violence on the island also has activists demanding that the human rights of the Puerto Rican LBGT community be protected. 

The bill will be debated in the upcoming weeks and is expected to pass.   We'll see once it starts going through the legislative process.  

 The spike in anti-LGBTRead more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/01/15/4012500/puerto-rico-to-consider-anti-discrimination.html#storylink=cpy

Puerto Rico Legislature Moving To Strip GLBT People From Hate Crimes Law

Frederick Douglass said the price of liberty is eternal vigilance, and what's going on in Puerto Rico is a prime example of it.

The Isle of Enchantment back in 2002 passed a hate crimes law that included gender identity and expression and sexual orientation language.  But possibly because of increasing conservative Roman Catholic and fundamentalist influence prosecutors have ignored the law.

Late last month the Puerto Rican Senate put a lump of coal in the GLBT community civil rights stocking by voting to strip sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, ethnicity and religion language from the current statute but left the language covering political status, age and disability in it.

The measure is now in the Puerto Rican House of Representatives with Puerto Rico's governor Luis Fortuño (R) on record as saying he favors the current hate crimes law.

Of course the action of the Puerto Rican senate is causing an uproar on and off the island especially in light of the fact there have been 23 murders of trans and gay people and increased hate attacks aimed at the Puerto Rican rainbow community since 2009. 

"It’s an outrage and now we’re calling upon the House to restore this to where it should be,” said Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Singer Ricky Martin, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Congressman Jose Serrano (D-IL) have blasted it as well. Congresswoman Velázquez, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and New York City Councilmembers Melissa Mark-Viverito, Rosie Mendez, Daniel Dromm and Jimmy Van Bramer urged lawmakers to reject the measure in a joint statement they issued on December 6.

Puerto Rican native Ricky Martin cited the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights when wrote on his blog "All citizens are equal under the law and have, without exception, the right to equal protection under the law." 


"To say this is appalling is an understatement," Congressman Serrano said, noting record homicide and other crime rates on the island. "Excluding more people from protections under the law is exactly the wrong thing to do, especially right now."


Damn skippy.  So people, time to get busy voicing your outrage and helping our peeps in Puerto Rico stop this attempt by bigots with legislative power to turn a just hate crimes law into an unjust one.