NBJC Supreme Court Rally For Marriage Equality

The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments March 26-27 on two cases that could potentially lead to the demise of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Prop 8. 

Hollingsworth v. Perry, the challenge to California's Proposition 8 will be argued today and United States v. Windsor, the case challenging the unjust Defense of Marriage Act, is scheduled Wednesday, March 27.

Events have been organized inside I-495 and in all 50 states to rally for marriage equality and the National Black Justice Coalition will be at the Supreme Court along with its United For Marriage coalition partners 

The NBJC team and volunteers will join a coalition of supporters of marriage equality on the steps of the Supreme Court at 8:30 AM EDT on both days of the hearings at 1 First St. NE in Washington, D.C.

NBJC Executive Director and CEO, Sharon Lettman-Hicks, will be addressing attendees at the Wednesday, March 27 rally.

Wear RED to show your solidarity!

Together we will stand up for our love and show the nation that all Americans deserve to be treated fairly and equally under the law - no matter who they love.   All we need are five or more Supreme court justices to realize the same thing.  NBJC asks that you spread the word on Twitter with the hashtag #UnitedforMarriage.

For those of you in the Washington D.C. area or planning to hang out and watch history unfold, the nearest Washington Metro station is Union Station for the Red Line and Capitol South for the Blue and Orange lines. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring anything you'd need to be outside

14th Annual Center For Black Equity Conference In Houston

It would be just my luck that this conference is hitting town the same weekend I'm heading to Philly for the LGBT writers convening, but for those of you in the Houston area that want to check out this event and the conference, they would be glad to have you there..  

The Center For Black Equity (CBE) will be having their 14th Annual Meeting in Houston, TX from February 22-24, 2013 at the Crown Plaza Houston Downtown Hotel.

The hotel is located at 1700 Smith Street.


The CBE was formerly known as the International Federation of Black Prides, and they and our local Black Pride event Houston Splash will be co-hosting a reception honoring Jason Black, Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis and the Emerging Leaders Program graduates.

It's a free event and there will be wine, soft drinks and food.   The CBE and Houston Splash would love for you to join them and Black LGBT activists from all over the United States and abroad to celebrate 14 years of building Black LGBT communities around the globe.

The reception will be held at the Houston Ballet building at 601 Preston St, Houston, Texas 77002.

For those of you in the Houston metro area, if you can stop by and give a warm Texas welcome to our out of town visitors here or the CBE conference and the Houston Splash folks, please do so. 

It's an opportunity for you to talk to them and the CBE international board members, and if you've ever attended Houston Splash, you get a chance to commend them on the job they are doing hosting our local Black pride event or give them suggestions. 

They would love to have your face in the place and at the conference. .

I Believe There's An LGBT Community, But...

One of the ongoing arguments I hear and I reject whether it comes from the LGB end of the spectrum or the trans end of it is that 'there is no LGBT community'. Granted I've railed more than a few times on this blog about some of the contentious history that has occurred between elements of it, but the evidence is overwhelming that an LGBT community exists.

While I believe there is an LGBT community, at the same time I as a person of color have seen, heard and experienced enough negativity to give me pause.enough to seek to emulate what my people have done in interacting with a predominately vanillacentric privileged parent society.

The BTLG community as a microcosm of the society at large has the same drama, race, class and inequality issues that permeate the parent society and just because we fly rainbow or pink, white and blue striped flags it didn't change that dynamic one bit.

Black trans and same gender loving (SGL) peeps still get called the n-word just as quickly by people inside this community as they do by knuckle-dragging idiots outside of it.  So to combat that, for our own sanity and well-being we POC members of this contentious group we interact with have to do our parts to ensure we have vibrant trans and same gender loving communities of our own across the nation..

It's why during this Black History Month I'm making sure that trans history makers get highlighted on my  blog and my Facebook page.  It's why the National Black Justice Coalition got founded ten years ago and the Trans Persons of Color Coalition got founded in 2010.  I don't doubt because of that same dynamic you will soon (if it hasn't happened already) trans and SGL organizations that cater to the issues unique to the Latin@ community. 

We aren't doing it just to separate from predominately white TBLG groups as we've been accused of doing, but to strengthen our own voices.   We're owning our power and pointing out to the members of the ethnic groups we belong to that yes, we exist and being a person of color and trans, gay, bi or lesbian is not an oxymoron.   We're addressing in our ranks the shame, guilt and fear issues by building pride in being same gender loving and trans people of color.  That's needed so that we can be better, more powerful allies in our common human rights struggle.
We're also calling attention to the fact that we're feeling marginalized, invisible and ignored in the greater GLBT community and that policy issues need addressing besides 'all marriage all the time'.
. 
This LGBT community is a diverse group we are a part of, and we all agree that our human rights as BTLG citizens of our nation must be respected and protected under the laws of our land and the 'We the People' in the United States Constitution also applies to trans and same gender loving citizens of this nation 

I believe there is an LGBT community.  But because we are a diverse bunch, much work has to be constantly done to ensure we are all on the same human rights page and keep moving forward to accomplish our human rights goals.

NBJC Launches 'Many Faces, One Dream' Economic Empowerment Tour

"What does it profit a man to be able to eat at an integrated lunch counter if he doesn't earn enough money to buy a hamburger and a cup of coffee?" Dr. King in a 1968 speech to workers. 

I talk often about how trans rights are human rights, and how our struggle at times mirrors the African-American civil rights one of the 50's and 60's

We have seen one of our Holy Grail federal legislative objectives pass in terms of the Byrd-Shepard Hate Crimes law, but have yet to see the Employment and Non Discrimination Act become law.

The National Black Justice Coalition is going to do their part to help address the economic part of the Black LGBT community 'Owning Their Power' by joining forces with the US Small Business Administration to launch the Many Faces, One Dream LGBT economic empowerment tour for communities of color.   

“Despite the challenges we face, gay and transgender people represent an untapped segment of aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners,” explains NBJC Executive Director Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks. “Rich with ideas and talent, LGBT men and women are creating and leading their own companies. It’s time to expand the conversation from economic security to economic empowerment. It’s time for us to own our power.”

Janet Mock is one of the National Ambassadors for this tour which will hit 13 cities including my hometown  of Houston.   The others are Atlanta, Brooklyn, Chicago, Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Newark, Oakland/San Francisco, Philadelphia and Washington, DC.

"Some claim they don't know any LGBT people of color thriving; others argue that we simply don't exist. The Many Faces. One Dream. tour shatters those assumptions and challenges that invisibility,” says Janet Mock, writer, public speaker and Many Faces. One Dream. National Ambassador. “As a trans woman of color, I'm all too familiar with the fact that my people have been activating at the intersections of many oppressions for far too long, and my goal as a National Ambassador is to unveil the unseen, overlooked, untapped talent that exists in my community."

"This groundbreaking initiative is an exciting continuation of NBJC's ongoing work to empower people at the intersection of the movements for racial justice and LGBT equality," says The Honorable Darryl Moore, Berkeley City Councilman and NBJC Board Chair. "NBJC envisions a world where all people are fully empowered to participate safely and successfully in society, regardless of race, class, gender identity or sexual orientation. Many Faces. One Dream. brings this vision one step closer to being a reality." 

For more information, visit nbjc.org/many-faces-one-dream. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities for Many Faces. One Dream., please contact Michael J. Brewer at sba_tour@nbjc.org or 202-319-1552 x104.

Where Y'all At For TDOR And Beyond, GLB Community?

Cheryl Courtney-Evans at her abitchforjustice blog wrote a post entitled 'Paying REAL Homage to Our Transgender Fallen' that discusses a recurring problem in the rainbow community.

When events are centered (or supposed to be centered on) the "T" end of the community, far too often the people predominately in the room when said event is scheduled to happen are trans with little or minuscule representations from the GLB end of the community.

Even the Transgender Day of Remembrance is not immune from this phenomenon, and that's galling since it's an event the trans community created.  For those of you who profess to be our allies, the least you can do if you're able to do so is show your support for our community on a day we created that transpeople all over the world are memorializing the people we've lost due to anti-trans violence.

Even if the GLB allies are well intentioned, it can still leave the transpeople in attendance feeling left out, as Cheryl points out in this excerpt from her post.:.

I attended one such dinner two nights ago, presented by an LGBT HIV/AIDS prevention organization. While it was enjoyable, with a mime performance by a transman of my acquaintance, a beautiful rendition of "Wind Beneath My Wings" sung by a personable young gay man and a small local 3-piece band, I left it feeling entertained but empty. There was a great, entertaining presentation about "Stigma Surrounding HIV/AIDS Infection" given to us by a terribly charismatic transgender woman (she really "took us to church"), and the food was good.... Don't get me wrong, I had a good time, but at the bottom of it I still felt empty. 

I felt this way because I knew when all was said and done, the only reason we were 'entertained' so well was because this LGBT organization was getting funded by a  pharmaceutical company who paid for the dinner so as to give the presentation (no word of our fallen, past the fact that the event was titled "Transgender Day Of Remembrance Celebration"). No mention was made of what we're going to do about changing the position of the transgender  community in the future, although there was a "humanitarian award" given to a doctor known for her attendance to HIV positive transgender individuals, with a couple of honorable mentions for young gay men who worked with this organization (the young singer among them). I had to wonder, "What's the point?" and "Would this event even have taken place without the pharmaceutical company's funding?" as well as "Who is this helping?" Okay, so we got out for a couple of hours, ate some good food and chuckled for a minute...but what next? Out of an audience of maybe 50 people, I'd say 30 were transgender (including the presenter); nothing was learned, no future plans for transgender advancement made or real homage paid to those of us who have died due to murder, abuse or neglect.

We not only want and need you there as our allies during this emotional time, but as my trans elder Cheryl pointed out, we also need your support on the days of the calendar beyond November 20.

I'm going to echo Cheryl by stating that being a trans ally doesn't begin and end on that date.  It's a 24/7/365 journey and 366 days in a leap year like this one.   You honor our fallen trans sisters by resolving to be the type of GLB ally that doesn't pay lip service to the idea.  

We need you to stand with us and in some cases be front and center when we push for trans inclusive legislation and initiatives that help the trans community move forward.  Remember when we gain human rights coverage, your human rights expand as well. 

We need GLB people calling out and taking to task those in their ranks who spout the divisive words that trans people aren't part of 'their' community and calling out their fellow GLB people who actively work to oppress trans people.  We need lesbian and bisexual women pushing back against radical feminists and cis women who denigrate and disrespect the femininity of trans women.

We need GLB peeps to be just as fierce advocates for trans human rights and issues as we have been for your issue concerns for decades.  But most of all, we just need you GLB folks to show up and show out on our behalf.. 

.

Black Trans Women Became Visible Because We Had To Be

Was sent a link by reader Segmoh Hareema Akinak to a Clutch magazine story by Ella Vincent discussing how Black LGBT women became visible.  

Was surprised to note that it included me and Janet Mock in it since when they discuss women in these online heteronormative and cisgender oriented spaces, far too often trans women get left out of the discussion or dissed when people try to include us in it..

I appreciate the shout out, but I do need to expand on the #girlslikeus portion of Vincent's piece.

Black trans women are visible because we had to be for our own survival, political evolution and our sanity.  We face anti-trans violence aimed at us that we will sadly be memorializing this week in TDOR events here in the States and around the world.  We were getting ignored not only by our own transpeople and our African-American family inside and outside the community, but being erased from the trans and LGBT history we helped make.

Don't even get me started about the Black unwoman meme that is magnified when it focuses its negativity on African descended trans women and slaps us with a definition of Black trans femininity that is not who we see when we look in the mirror. 

In the face of that, it amazed me when I read about the Gallup survey that noted that 4.6 percent of African-Americans identify as LGBT along with 4 percent of Latinos and 4.3 percent of Asian-Americans while only  3.2 percent of white Americans say they are LGBT.   But the media faces representing the LGBT community and dominating the leadership ranks of professional TBLG rights organizations lobbying for it are far too often white ones.  The minuscule numbers of transpeople involved in those Gay, Inc organizations far too often aren't transwomen of color either. 

It's been glaringly obvious to me since the 90's that we desperately needed out and proud Black transwomen telling our stories and offsetting the disco era hate speech pushed by radical feminists about trans women. 

I've been part of that effort since 1998 and I'm happy I now have help in this vital visibility project from a new generation of out and proud trans women such as Janet Mock, Isis King, Laverne Cox, Rev. Carmarion Anderson, Bali White, Danielle King, KOKUMO, Dee Dee Chamblee and countless others around the country.

It's also wonderful that in addition to the new attitude we Black trans women have about fearlessly telling our chococentric truths about our transfeminine lives and stepping up to leadership roles in the various communities we intersect and interact with, we also have our trans elders such as Cheryl Courtney-Evans, Gloria Allen, Miss Major, Tracie Jada O'Brien, and Sharyn Grayson passing on their hard won knowledge and community history to us so we can pass on that history to future generations of African descended trans kids and our allies.

As New Black Transwomen, we not only had to become visible to attack the shame, guilt and fear that deleteriously impact our lives, we needed to do so in order to own our political and personal power, love ourselves and build pride in becoming and being who we are as proud African descended women. 

Black transwomen have become and are visible in this second decade of the 21st century because for the sake of the transkids wishing to walk in our pumps, we had to be.  

 

WFPL-FM 'Strange Fruit' Show Premieres

I'd heard this show was in the works, but WFPL-FM 89.3, Louisville's public access radio station is kicking off a brand new podcast radio show dedicated to the issues facing the local community.

It's entitled Strange Fruit: Musings on Politics, Pop Culture and Black Gay Life  (after the Billie Holiday song) and features as its hosts two of my fave people in my other hometown in Dr. Kaila A Story and Jaison Gardner.  And yes, in the interest of journalistic integrity 'Nephew' Jaison refers to me as Auntie Monica..

But back to the post. 

The first episode is entitled, "Does Your Mama Know?" and looks at the coming out process for LGBT people of color.  They started a roundtable discussion with young people who have come out to their families, talked to some mamas about their reactions to their children coming out, then had a conversation with Lisa C. Moore, editor of Does Your Mama Know?: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Coming Out Stories.   

You can keep up with what's happening on Strange Fruit via Facebook and Twitter, and the show's hosts  enthusiastically welcome your feedback.  They post a new podcast episode each Saturday; so stay tuned.

I know I definitely plan on doing so, and congratulations Dr. K and 'Nephew'.   May your show be a major success.

2012 OUT On The Hill-What Now, Black LGBT Family?

Another exciting edition of OUT on the Hill has concluded and our Black LGBT family has scattered to our various locales around the country until we gather inside I-495 next September.  

As we traveled by plane, train, bus and auto back to our hometowns with those conversations fresh on our minds, it's now time for the real work to be done that we discussed in the various sessions, conversations we had at receptions, in the hotel bars, over lunch and dinner and even our various hotel rooms.

As we got to Own Our Power inside the Beltway as Sharon likes to remind us to do, the big question now becomes what will we do individually and as part of our Black trans and SGL community to exercise the power that we spent time learning to own?  

The first thing on our Black LGBT Own Our Power list is a no brainer.   Get Trans and SGL people  registered and get your LGBT souls to the polls on November 6 (or sooner in my case as a Texas resident). We need to make sure that we get 4 more years for POTUS 44 and give him a Congress he can work with.  We also know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this president is the best ever on trans issues and has done some groundbreaking things for the SGL community as well.

We also have to not only continue to uplift trans people, but put our trans brothers in that leadership spotlight as well.  Remember some trans people are trans guys, and I was glad to hear that during OUT on the Hill 2013 the trans men will have a Town Hall like we did during this just concluded event.

I also challenged trans people in the Town Hall to run for office so that we can start writing the legislation we need and stop begging to be included in it.  Later that night LZ Granderson point blank asked me when I was going to lead by example and run for office in Texas, which is something my cousin asked me just before I left for DC.  That conversation LZ and I had falls under The Black Trans Revolution Will Not Be Televised territory.

Segueing into Black Trans Revolution items, since there's never been a trans themed forum at the CBCF-ALC, I'd love to see that happen as well in 2013 with trans men and trans women making up that panel along with allies. 

There's a thirteen city LGBT Economic Empowerment Tour cosponsored by the SBA and NBJC that is slated to hit Atlanta, Brooklyn, Chicago, Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Newark, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Oakland/San Francisco, Washington DC and Houston that we'll need to get the word out about.   This 'Many Faces One Dream initiative to tap into the economic power of SGL and trans people and those budding entrepreneurs and business owners amongst us is going to be an important component for the Black LGBT community's ability to own our economic power.  .

We also need to do the work to ensure that when we have the next LGBT themed forum at the 2013 CBCF-ALC, it's not just us in the room attending it.

Finally, we need to in the eleven and a half months until OUT on the Hill 2013 arrives on the scene bigger, badder, better and Blacker than ever talk up OUT on the Hill at every opportunity and encourage our people to go and be part of the amazing experience of seeing and talking to trans and SGL leaders from 18-80.  

And yes, we need to continue to network, forge partnerships and uplift each other in order to help our Black LGBT community survive, grow and thrive.  

There's probably other things that people will come up with in the wake of this conference, but what needs to happen now Black LGBT family is that we roll up our sleeves and get to work accomplishing some of the short term and long term things thoughtfully discussed during OUT on the Hill 2012.

2012 OUT on the Hill-Day 4 Recap

Another beautiful day on Washington DC, but it's one with a hint of sadness for me because it's the last day of OUT on the Hill. 

It's also the last day of the CBCF-ALC which has its traditional 7 AM Prayer Breakfast.  This year it was featuring Bishop Noel Jones and Kim Burrell and Valerie and Carmarion attended it as the NBJC reps.

While that was going on at the Convention Center,  the NBJC General Session started at 9 AM as I anticipated the start of the 10:15 AM Blogger's Roundtable that includes myself, LZ Granderson, Danielle Moodie-Mills of threeLOL, Kimberley McLeod of ELIXHER, Derrick McMahon of the Anti-Intellect Blog, and Huff Po contributor Darnell Moore.

This was a continuation of the conversation that was started at the CBCF-ALC yesterday that was also focused on the topic of 'How the LGBT Equality Movement Has Impacted Black America and the Media Landscape.'   There was some interesting conversation concerning that topic before we broke for our lunchtime keynote speaker, the Deputy Director of the US Small Business Administration Eugene Cornelius. 

We also had a pleasant problem during this lunch that is the result of the rapid growth of OUT on the Hill.  For a breif moment we had a few more people than seats in the Delaware Room. but the NBJC staff and volunteers quickly solved that problem. 

And yes, Eugene is family.   He not only challenged us to own our economic power, but was part of an interesting discusssion moderated by Maurice Jamal that discussed the upcoming LGBT Economic Empowerment Tour that will be cosponsored by the NBJC/and SBA.

With the afternoon session came a dilemma for me.  Now that my panels were completed, I was a spectator and had to choose which one I attended because all three had interesting topics.

I eventually split time between the Healthy Bodies, Healthy Communities one and the Stemming The Tide of Aggression one before we headed into the OUT on the Hill closing session.   

With the closing session's end also signaling the end of OUT on the Hill 2012 activity at the host hotel, there was still a community mixer at FAB Lounge in the Dupont Circle area starting at 7 PM that I skipped so I could catch up on my blogging. 

Before she split for the CBCF-ALC dinner that the FLOTUS was attending, Sharon Lettman-Hicks did give us a sneak peek at one of the events that will take place during the 2013 OUT on the Hill

There will be a transman town hall similar to the one that we transwomen had this year.  It will also be NBJC's tenth anniversary next year with an OUT on the Hill that promises in just its fourth year to be bigger and better event than it was in 2012 .

And I definitely want to be participating in it next year.

2012 OUT on the Hill-Day 3 Recap

Well, today's the day I've been eagerly waiting for ever since I received the invitation letter for it.

The National Town Hall meeting I was slated to participate in along with Danielle King, my fellow Texan Rev Carmarion Anderson, Valerie Spencer and our moderator Laverne Cox was finally happening .

It was a double treat for me because I was FINALLY getting to meet Laverne and see Carmarian, Danielle and that fun loving diva Valerie again.

I've done more than a few panel discussions over the years, but for some reason I was nervous before this one.   Maybe because unlike the historic first ever trans panel I was proud to be part of earler this summer at Netroots Nation, this historic first ever trans themed Town Hall discussion was happening in front my trans and SGL peeps and NBJC family, and I wanted to make certain it went well. 

The theme was 'Honoring and Protecting the Lives of Black Trans Women'.  After sending out some tweets and Facebook comments noting my nervousness, I headed to the Wilson Room for this 9 AM town hall.  

Commissioner Earline Budd, AKA 'Number 4' was on hand and it was also videotaped.   As usual the panel had a lot of informational ground to cover and not enough time to do so, but it was expertly moderated by Laverne.   As we stayed behind to take photos and get interviewed.  Laverne headed to the Walter Williams Convention Center to take part in a media panel at the CBCF-ALC while Carmarion, Valerie, Danielle and another local DC resident joined us for lunch along with Ace Portis of NCTE.

After some lively conversation over lunch we headed to the Convention Center on this beautiful DC weather day to check out the CBCF-ALC forum moderated by Jeff Johnson entitled ' How the LGBT Movement Has Impacted Black America and the Media Landscape.'

Joining Laverne on that panel was MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart, Clay Cane, Keith Boykin, and our summit chair LZ Granderson.

There was some mini drama near the tail end of a lively discussion when a person identifying himself as a heterosexual veteran asked a problematic trans related question that Laverne and Keith diplomatically answered.   I was three spots in line behind homey and even i didn't understand what in Hades he was talking about, but after the panel was over I noted three people politely talking to the brother and 'ejumacaing him about our issues.

I was in line three spots behind homeboy.  I got to ask my question about white trans people speaking for POC trans folks and what Black LGBT journalists could do to stand up for their trans sisters, using the example of the recent Melissa Harris-Perry show that had an all white panel discussing the Cece McDonald case as an annoying example.

While I was at the CBCF-ALC forum, continued to get compliments about that morning's town hall and my contributions to the discussion.

When it was over, hung around the room for a few moments, talked to Jeff Johnson, Clay Cane and finally met the other half of the Moodie-Mills power couple in Danielle, who was going to participate in a bloggers roundtable with me tomorrow.

Hit the METRO to head back to the hotel, get out of my paltform pumps and go to the Board of Directors reception before I crashed around 1 AM

Three days gone, one to go.

2012 OUT on The Hill-Day 2 Recap

Missed most of the action today since I was saying goodbye to Jeri that morning, eating breakfast at her house and prepping to move to the conference hotel.   I hoped I could  get it done before it was time for the Issue Advocacy Day to start at the Church of the Redemption at 12 noon EDT and then from there head over to Capitol Hill to Own Our Power.

I also had the option of heading downtown to the Walter Williams Convention Center to witness the opening of NBJC's Exhibit Booth at the 42nd annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation-Annual Legislative Conference or CBCF-ALC in DC acronym speak.    That event was also starting at 12 noon EDT.

There was also the CBCF-ALC workshops schedule for that date of which the one I was interested in, a national Town Hall meeting moderated by Melissa Harris-Perry was scheduled for 9 AM, just as I was getting my behind up from the previous night's reception and chilling with Kimberley and Janet.

By the time I got packed, made the ride over with Jeri and checked into my room in the historic Marriott Wardman Tower it was 1:15 PM and I just decided to catch up on my blogging and take a nap before the 2012 Chairman's Reception.

You'll note I wrote the historic Wardman Tower.  In that part of the sprawling complex, by the elevators that led up to my third floor room was a black plaque hanging on the wall noting that one tine busboy Langston Hughes on November 27, 1925 nervously handed three of his poems to noted poet Vachel Lindsay while he was dining at the hotel's restaurant.  

Lindsay at a segregated event later that night in the hotel read those three poems Hughes left by his dinner plate and announced he'd discovered a talented Negro poet. 

The media picked up Lindsay's comments, remarked about the 'busboy poet' and the career of Hughes was born.  So yep, it was awesome as a writer to know that I was staying in the same hotel where Langston Hughes once worked.  

Speaking of work, back to this post.

At 7:00 PM the 2012 OUT on the Hill Chairman's Reception cranked up in Maryland Suites A, B and C.   Nice spread with a set up dance floor and DJ so we got to get our grub on, meet and greet each other and dance to tune courtesy of our DJ that covered a wide variety of music including soca from the Islands.
Since we were in DC, I requested EU's Da Butt.   Hey when in DC you gotta hear some Go-Go, so when the DJ honored my request and played it moments later, I hit the dance floor along with half the room  

Hopefully there aren't any incriminating pictures of me on the Net allegedly dancing way close to the floor..

Oh well, Day 2 over, two more to go.   

2012 OUT on the Hill-Day 1 Recap

Hey TransGriot readers, I've moved from my double secret location in NE DC at Jeri's house to the host hotel for tonight's, Friday's and Saturday's Out on the Hill 2012 activities, but needed to write up while it's still fresh on my mind what transpired during Day 1.   

As i write this there is a lobbying event going on along with the unveiling of the NBJC booth in the vendor area at the CBCF-ALC, but I needed to give y'all the 411 on what happened during Day One of OUT On The Hill

After getting my beauty sleep at Jeri's and getting my diva look on, I headed to the Georgia Ave-Petworth station, jumped on the METRO train and headed over to HUD headquarters to start my OUT on the Hill 2012 experience.   I was more than eager to get registered.for the informative action packed day that was going to unfold and feeling like a kid attending their first day of school.

I was more than ready to see everyone after my interesting travel day up there.

After I cleared security (this is Washington DC people)  I picked up my packet to the warm greetings and hugs from two of the volunteers who remembered me from last year's event.

While in the lobby area outside the Auditorium waiting for the OUT on ther Hill Opening General Session to start introduced myself to some of the first timers attending the conference.  As I talked to them, I was spotted by some of the vets, NBJC staff and other friends in the Black SGL and trans community

The General Session started with remarks from our OUT on the Hill national chair LZ Granderson, NBJC Founder Donna Payne, Darlene Nipper and eventually NBJC ED/CEO Sharom-Lettman Hicks after some thought provoking words about why OUT on the Hill was so important to this community via LZ and Donna.

After Sharon's welcoming speech and reminder to all of us we were here to Own Our Power, after some housekeeping anoouncements it was time for our first session.

It was the Legislative Issues briefing moderated by Aisha Moodie-Mills.    It had in addition to her moderating it my GLAAD media training classmate Maya Rupert, and Michael Brewer from NBJC.  There were points made about pending legislation such as the Student Non Discrimination Act, DOMA repeal,  ENDA, discussion about voter suppression and other issues pertinent to our chocolate LGBT community.

That panel ended, and we picked up our box lunches and prepared to head over on the METRO once again to the White House for our 1:00 PM briefing.    I chuckled when on my way into the White House I ran into someone I'd met during Netroots Nation who had just left as I discovred after I cleared security that had attended an LGBT Policy Roundtable that started at 9:30 AM.

I was also pleasantly pleased and surprised to discover that the White House intern who was working our event was part of our trans family. 

As we settled in to receive policy briefings from Obama administration officials and ask questions about it if we had time, my attention got diverted for a few moments from the speaker on the stage to a very familiar person walking into the briefing room carrying her purse and her travel bags  .

It was Janet Mock.   She'd told me she was coming to DC while I was in New York for the GLAAD media training, but I'd forgotten she had an invite to attend an event at Vice President Joe Biden's house that was scheduled for yesterday. 

She was attending it with Sharon Lettman-Hicks and Kimberley McLeod, so she killed some time with us until it was time for her to head over there.

After Senior Presidential Advisor Valerie Jarrett's remarks at 5:00 PM closed the event came the interesting part of the day for me.  

 There was a Networking reception starting at 6:00 PM.  No problem.  Y'all know I love hanging with my Black LGBT peeps and interacting with them during this event.  

The interesting part was the location for it, the headquarters of a certain Equal Sign organizations on Rhode Island Avenue.

As y'all know from reading this blog, as a long time activist I started during at time in the late 90's when there was a no love lost Cold War type hostility between the trans community and HRC, and the 2007 ENDA shenanigans didn't help that. 

I still have a verify then trust attitude toward HRC as a result of that formative activist drama, but as I entered the HQ after walking over there from the White House with my trans and SGL family I decided to focus on the fact I was there on NBJC business and on the activism announcement I was going to make a little later.

Got to meet more people, see more old friends, more of my TransGriot readers, and have some interesting and substantive conversations.  Finally got to see Kylar, Charles Pugh, Jeffrey Richardson from the DC city government and renew acquaintances with Shannon Minter.  I also didn't realize until after I left for the evening that I'd been sitting less than 50 feet from Kye Allums, who I have been eager to meet. 

I also had a serious conversation with members of a student group from Florida A&M.  I told them a little bit about some of the stuff I was exposed to in terms of passing sexual orientation and gender identity languge in collegiate noddisrimination policies idoing with the Texas Transgender Nnondiscrimimation Summit.  It's a battle they are currently engaged in at FAMU.

We had a moment during the reception in which we were invited to tell the gathered people in the room why OUT on the Hill was important to us, and yes I was the first up to the mic to say so. 

I also took that opportunity to announce that I was joining the Trans Person Of Color Coalition team effective immediately.

Not long after that Janet, Sharon, and Kimberley arrived from VP Biden's house and Janet took a moment along with Sharon to address the crowd.

9 PM came far too soon and Kimberley and I discovered that I was staying less than three blocks from her place, so I joined her and  Janet for a drink and converation at Chez Billy's.

After almost two hours, it was time for all of us to crash for the night since Kimberley's day started way earlier than mine and I safely made my way back to Jeri's house to prepeare for Day 2 of OUT on the Hill
 

NBJC Newsletter-Out On The Hill 2011 Recap Edition

The latest edition of the NBJC Newsletter is out, and if you're wondering why I'm so excited for the third edition of Out On The Hill to begin September 19-22, check out this one recapping the events of Out On The Hill 2011.   You may even see a certain blogger from Texas in a photo or two

And no, it's not too late to register for Out On The Hill.   If you do, you'll be glad you did.   

I'm taking part in two panel discussion during this edition of Out On The Hill in addition to finally getting to meet Laverne Cox after we missed each other while I was in New York.  

And yes, NBJC family, I'm deliriously happy I get to spend quality time with you once again and everybody else inside I-495 (AKA the Capitol Beltway).

And while I'm there I have an activism related announcement I'll be making during that weekend, so stay tuned.

See y'all September 19-22.

NBJC's Je-Shawna Wholley To Keynote State Of Black Gay America Summit

I've had the pleasure of meeting and spending some quality time with this remarkable lady who is now a senior fellow with the National Black Justice Coalition

I'm ecstatic to hear that Je-Shawna Wholley will be the keynote speaker September 1 for the upcoming State of Black Gay America Summit that is one of the events for the highly anticipated Atlanta Black Gay Pride.

I met her during last year's Out On The Hill, and this Spelman alum was the president of Afrekete, the LGBT student group on campus.  In 2009 she helped organize the university's first LGBT Pride Week with the help and support of Morehouse College's Safe Space organization and for her work was invited to the White House to meet with President Barack Obama.

She's also included in the movie "Legalize Gay" about gay and straight activists combating homophobia.

The Summit will have the theme of  'Embracing Our Collective Power To Embrace Change' and will start at 11:00 AM-4;00 PM EDT at the The Melia Atlanta Hotel & Resorts.

The address is 590 W. Peachtree Street, N.E. in Atlanta, GA 30308

So if you peeps in the ATL get a chance, you may wish to take some time to check out that summit and hear one of our powerful young rainbow community leaders speak.

Thank You For The 2012 NYC Black Pride Heritage Award

TransGriot Note: I'll be in New York next week for GLAAD's POC Media Institute, but not in time for tonight's awards event that is taking place at the Schomburg Center For Research In Black Culture and is a kickoff event for NYC Black Pride.  

In case you missed the earlier post I wrote about it, I'm getting a NYC Black Pride Heritage Award from Gay Men of African Descent in their Literary Excellence Category.   I also wanted to congratulate my homegirl Tona Brown who is getting the Marsha P. Johnson Award as well. 

So here's my acceptance letter and thank you GMAD for the honor.

It is indeed an honor an a privilege to be receiving this unexpected award for Literary Excellence from GMAD.   Ever since I stated TransGriot in 2006, I have strived  to live up to the mission statement and the name of this blog, to be a 21st century griot for our community.

I wish I could be there in person at the Schomburg Center to pick up that award for a variety of reasons.  I would have loved to have sat in the same place where my late historian godmother spent many hours during her time as an NYU student.   It would have been mice to meet many of you in the New York area who have let me know throughout the time I'm been publishing the blog how much you love and appreciate it and my tell it like it T-I-S is Afrocentric flavored commentary on unfolding events in the world around us. 

And finally, it's a chance to go to New York!   

I'm honored and touched that GMAD thinks so highly of my work chronicling the history of the African descended trans community here and across the Diaspora.  I believe it is vitally important now just as it was on January 1, 2006 when I founded the blog that we African-American transpeople had a FUBU space of our own on the Net that unapologetically refleced our culture, our heritage, and began to fight back aginst the ignorance and lies propagated aout us inside and outside the rainbow community.

It was also critically important for our young trans people to know they have a proud history, and heroes and sheroes to look up to.  It was important as well for African-American cisgender people to know that transsexuality isn't a 21st century phenomenon.

So to GMAD, thank you once again for bestowing this 2012 NYC Black Pride Heritage Award on me for Literary Excellence.   

Shame On You, National Bar Association

In 1925, because of Jim Crow segregation, African-American attorneys such as George H. Woodson, S. Joe Brown, James B. Morris, Charles P. Howard, and Gertrude E. Rush were denied admission to the American Bar Association because of their race.  So in the spirit of those times, when they were denied a seat at the table, they built their own table.

A group of 120 attorneys included legendary ones such as Charles Houston founded the National Bar Association in Des Moines, IA at a time when there were a little more than 1,000 African-American lawyers in the United States.  

The NBA, working in tandem with the NAACP addressed issues such as professional ethics, legal education, and uniform state laws, as well as questions concerning the civil rights movement in transportation discrimination, residential segregation, and voting rights in addition to working to diversify the federal judiciary and block federal judicial appointments of persons hostile to African-American civil rights and voting rights.

One of the NBA successes in that front was helping block the appointment of controversial North Carolina judge John J. Parker by President Herbert Hoover to the U.S. Supreme Court because of his outspoken opposition to civil rights and voting rights for African-Americans. . 


The ABA began admitting African-American members to its ranks starting in 1943, but the NBA continued growing to become the nation's oldest and largest association of Black lawyers, judges, law students and educators and has over 10,000 members in 84 chapters around the world in the United States, Canada, .the United Kingdom, the Caribbean and several African nations. 

The NBA constitution states its objective is to "promote legislation that will improve the economic condition of all American citizens regardless of race, sex, or creed."

With that kind of progressive vision and history grounded in our African-American civil rights movement, you would think that the National Bar Association would have no problem adding TBLG specific language in its constitution. 

Um yeah, seems like they do.  The Civil Rights Law section of the National Bar Association recently proposed an amendment to the NBA constitution that would add five words to the document: "disability, sexual orientation or gender identity." Nothing more. Nothing less.

And what was the result of the NBA vote?   They overwhelmingly rejected the proposed amendment on a 120-30 vote.    

"The National Bar Association's decision not to include disability, sexual orientation or gender identity as part of their nondiscrimination policy fails to accurately reflect the membership it purports to represent and discourages potential members from joining," said Kylar Broadus, attorney and founder of the Trans People of Color Coalition.

"For an organization that was formed as a harbor for Black Americans due to the pervasive discrimination in society at the time and is still a support for many given the structural and systematic discrimination that exist, I would think the NBA would be in tune and open to other Black marginalized groups as well. If we aren't included in the policy, it is clear we aren't welcome."

"How can an organization claiming to advocate on behalf of all Americans and cultivate strong legal leaders, refuse to acknowledge an entire segment of the Black community and its constituency?" asks Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director and CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black LGBT people. "Black LGBT lawyers and judges are Black, too. Period. We've had several Black LGBT attorneys share with NBJC that they've never felt welcomed at NBA - now we see why."

Of course the defensive spin quickly came in a written statement from the NBA President John Page when asked to comment by EBONY.com on the organization's decision not to include LGBT-specific language in its constitution. 

"For nearly 90 years, the NBA has been a leader in the fight for civil rights and justice for all.".said National Bar Association President John Page. "Like most other legal and civil rights organizations, we decided that our mission statement was not the appropriate document to express our unquestioned support of specific minority communities but as professionals and as lawyers we have a clear focus on access, rights, equality, justice and jurisprudence."

Oh really?   Then explain why your organization shrank from this leadership test President Page. It's interesting to note this inclusive language from association of other attorneys such as the American Bar Association:

"The ABA is dedicated to equal employment opportunity for its workforce that is without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or other protected characteristics."

And here's what the National Black Law Students Association, an active partner group with the NBA that was founded in 1968 has explicitly stated in their bylaws nondiscrimination clause: 

"NBLSA will not discriminate against an individual or group on the basis of sex, race, religion, ethnic group, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, national origin, or country of abode."

Hmm.  Sharon Lettman-Hicks told it like it T-I-S is in the EBONY.com article chronicling the failure of the NBA to include Black LGBT lawyers.

"NBLSA is a grooming ground for future Black lawyers," continues Lettman-Hicks. "These young people are light years ahead of the historic organization, NBA."

The National Bar Association states it has a mission to "protect civil and political rights of the citizens and the residents of the United States." 

I must point out to you NBA, some of those United States citizens you need to protect the civil and human rights of also happen to be LGBT ones.   It's past time you dealt with that reality because we can and could definitely use your expertise in doing so right now..

Just as the NBA was founded in the last century to give African-Americans in the legal profession a seat at the table that was denied to them, it's time for you to pull up some chairs to the table you built and allow your fellow African descended brothers and sister attorneys to not only sit there, but welcome them into the fold.

Shame on you, National Bar Association for sending the message through that problematic vote that has the whiff of homophobia and transphobia that you don't wish to do so and LGBT attorneys aren't welcome.. 

Black SGL Peeps, Don't Forget The T

Black SGL peeps have had it going on for a while and have been intertwined with the kente cloth life of African-Americans for generations.  

They were thinkers, leaders and creative forces in the Harlem Renaissance.  Bayard Rustin was a major leader in the civil rights and gay rights movements.  Lorraine Hansberry helped finance some of the activities of the civil rights movement.  They are advisers to presidents, members of our community legacy organizations from the NAACP to Divine Nine fraternities and sororities  and in some cases power players in gay and non-gay organizations

People such as LZ Granderson and Jonathan Capehart get air time on cable news shows as pundits on issues other than GLBT ones.  Others are getting themselves elected to major city councils, judgeships and state legislatures.  Others are actors, writers in major newspapers and magazines and even appear in popular culture on television shows, movies and book characters.

There is an old Greek proverb that states  "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” 

Hey I ain't mad at y'all. You have worked hard to get to this early 21st century moment in which you are sipping sweet tea under the shade of those trees that people planted during the last century.   But as you sip your sweet tea, don't forget that your African descended trans brothers and sisters are sweltering, thirsty for that human rights blend of sweet tea and catching hell under the blazing hot sun of ignorance fueled intolerance.  

We chocolate transpeeps want to replicate the same accomplishments for our segment of the chocolate rainbow community.  We want our humanity respected and laws to protect our human rights.  We want realistic, balance portrayals of Black trans lives in popular culture.   We want our heroes and sheroes recognized and our transkids to be able to confidently believe they have a future as big as their dreams can make it and to make them happen..

We want to plant trees for our trans brothers and sisters to sit under as well.  

What I and other Black trans people are concerned about is that you Black SGL peeps, enjoying the fruits of this early 21st century power surge may be on the verge of replicating the same mistake white gays did in throwing the trans community under the human rights bus.

Time for a wake up call and a family conversation on a few points. 

Frankly, we're tired of being ignored, dissed and treated like afterthoughts in Black SGL circles. Black transpeople are busting their ample behinds just like y'all are to be respected and recognized.

Bear in mind Black GL community, that the equality trees you sit in the shade of and sip your sweet tea under are watered with the blood of Black transpeople that we cannot allow to die in vain.   

It offends me and my fellow transpeople that some of you are arrogant enough to think we don't deserve to sit under those human rights shade trees and share sweet tea with you. 

If this hasn't occurred to you yet, need to point out African descended transpeople and our allies are not going to let you Black SGL peeps throw us under the bus without a fight.  Neither are we going to allow Black SGL peeps that are inclined to do so to forget the T part of our chocolate rainbow community.

Elements of you  in our chocolate rainbow family can be just as transphobic as elements of our white gay and lesbian counterparts are and be just as clueless in terms of where transpeople fit in the TBLG community.  You need to recognize that some of us transpeeps identify with the LGB and are same gender loving folks like y'all.  

If we have transphobic SGL folks you will be put in check just as we will do the same to Black trans people who exhibit homophobic tendencies.   We don't have time for disunity when we have much more pressing problems to solve in the chocolate rainbow community..

I will point out and continue to do so as long as this blog lives and I am standing six feet above the ground that we have a shared history.   We African American trans people are intimately connected to many of the same issue concerns that African-American SGL people and African-American cis people are grappling with such as HIV/AIDS, ENDA, marriage equality,  economic empowerment, police harassment, education, and voter suppression just to name a few.   We have a wonderful almost decade old organization in the National Black Justice Coalition that is helping all of us own our power as our nascent TPOCC grows to become muscular enough to represent our interests.

That relationship needs to continue because in many ways transpeople are the keys to helping you SGL people reach your human rights goals as we simultaneously grow to own our power and shed the shackles of shame, guilt and fear in being proud trans African-Americans.

You also have a golden opportunity to be better than your white LGBT counterparts have been in terms of uplifting your Black trans brothers and sisters as you continue to climb to greatness.  We Black trans people want to make that journey with you and do our parts to uplift the African-American LGBT community and the greater ones we intersect with.

It's not only for our mutual benefit, but for future generations of BTLG people and the African-American community as well.

It's your call on whether that happens, but the first step in it is not forgetting the trans portion of the Black LGBT community.  

Introducing NBJC's Leadership Advisory Council

Y'all know how much love and confidence I have for and in the National Black Justice Coalition.  

I not only love the fact they are like the TransGriot unapologetically Black, I love the fact the NBJC is also about us Black trans and SGL peeps 'owning our power' as NBJC Executive Director Sharon Lettman-Hicks is fond of saying.

They are building working coalitions with others to help us do precisely that and are like yours truly driving home the point that Black LGBT people are part of the kente cloth fabric of African-American society.

Stepping off electronic soapbox, getting to the main point of this post. 

NBJC recently rolled out its Leadership Advisory Council.   The 40 members of the LAC are a distinguished body of exemplary thought leaders with the purpose being to serve as both an incubator of ideas and a conduit connecting some of the most authentic advocates in our community to the NBJC leadership. LAC members update NBJC on significant developments at the core of our community's needs, strategically assess the direction of the organization and deepen NBJC's impact on federal, state, and local initiatives. They represent a wide range of geographical regions, professional disciplines, subject matters and generations.

Some of the trans people involved are Kye Allums, Valerie Spencer, and Louis Mitchell.

"LAC members have unapologetically served as positive messengers, advocates and ambassadors for NBJC in their own communities and professional and social networks," says Sharon Lettman-Hicks, NBJC Executive Director. "The LAC also creates a unique opportunity to highlight the brilliant and important social justice work of many Black LGBT leaders across the country."

Congratulations to all the NBJC LAC members and looking forward to hopefully seeing and meeting you at Out On the Hill this September.

NBJC's Out On The Hill 2012 Coming Soon!

I attended The National Black Justice Coalition's second annual Out On The Hill conference last year and had as you can probably guess from the posts I got to compile during that week one fantastic week in Washington DC.

In addition to meeting many African-American rainbow community leaders, allies and the wonderful people associated with the National Black Justice Coalition, I had time when it was done to play tourist and see the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Memorial and the National Holocaust Museum before I headed back to Texas. 

It's almost time for the third annual Out On The Hill to take place, and it will be happening September 19-22.   This year's national chair will be ESPN/CNN columnist LZ Granderson, who was one of the long list of people I had the pleasure of meeting at last year's event.

"LZ embodies what is at the heart of OUT on the Hill - informed, intentional and purpose-driven leadership," says NBJC Executive Director Sharon Lettman-Hicks. "As one of the most influential and powerful Black LGBT voices in media, his vision and guidance as National Chair will be invaluable."

Last year, Granderson moderated "From Civil Rights to LGBT Equality: African Americans and the LGBT Community at the Intersection," the first-ever, LGBT-themed Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Issue Forum sponsored by NBJC and the National Education Association (NEA).

OOTH attendees get to participate in an inspiring week of discussion, strategizing and organizing as well as educate congressional leaders, the White House and federal agencies about Black LGBT public policy concerns and meet other African-American TBLG leaders while doing so..

I definitely want to be there for this year's edition of it, and if your schedule allows you to be in Washington DC during that weekend I highly recommend attending OOTH.2012..

Sharon Needles' Clueless Bigotry

Why am I not surprised that a RuPaul's Drag Race winner doesn't have a clue why it is not fracking cool to sign a photo with 'Black is the new Black ♥ you Ni***r."? 

Especially since the creator of the show supports a drag queen who thinks (and the white gays who support the tired 'act') it's humorous to watch a obese gay white male dress up in blackface and portray 'a welfare mother with 19 'chirren' all named after venereal diseases and discount stores.

This time I'm not talking about Shirley Q. Liquor, but 30 year old Sharon Needles, AKA Aaron Coady.

There's been an increasing firestorm of criticism being aimed at Needles from the rainbow POC court of public opinion  who considers that autograph in the photo problematic.

The vanillacentric circling the rainbow wagons around Needles is only pouring gasoline on the smoldering anger of African American rainbow peeps and especially when we hear the tired 'lighten up' comment come of the mouths of Sharon Needles fans.

The anger of the African American SGL community went up a few more notches after this YouTube video surfaced with Needles trying to gaysplain it.

The other night me and a couple of my friends went out to have a good time, and there's this young thing. I call her a "thing" because, you know, I don't know how to tip-toe around gender rules or queer politics. I'm 30 years old, rich, and famous; I don't have to deal with that shit anymore, you know what I mean? So we'll just call them "him"/"her"/"thing," whatever. And you know she really finds my shows offensive. ... So anyway she got upset that I paint myself brown, that I would use language that she found offensive. ... She made me an unnecessary poster child for post-racial change."

  
Sniff sniff, I smell industrial strength vanillacentric privilege in the rainbow air from Coady.   And yes Aaron, whether you and your vanillacentric fan base think otherwise, you exist with white privilege.  If a POC is telling you that your show is offensive and why, maybe you need to stop and think about that for a moment and then correct you behavior instead of trying to defensively justify it.

Let me say this once again for you peeps to understand.  Just as you hate being called the f-word that rhymes with maggot, we don't like the n-word.
It is not okay to perpetuate negative stereotypes and problematic language and flying the rainbow flag doesn't change that or give you a pass on that. 

And Aaron, you can best believe I will address the transphobic nature of what you said in that YouTube video in another post

It is NEVER okay for you white peeps inside or outside the rainbow community under ANY circumstances to say the n-word.  When it comes out of your mouth we're instantly thinking about all the four centuries of negative history behind that word and the cuss out (or beatdown) that results from you doing so will be swift and sure.

Once again it is highlighting an issue that needs to be addressed in the overall rainbow community in terms of racism in the rainbow community ranks. 

It doesn't help and pisses us off when white BTLG people not only knee-jerk circle the wagons around the people we POC's call out for the offensive bigoted behavior, but arrogantly try to tell us trans and SGL folks of color what we should and should not be offended by.

Non white LGBT people are aware that we can't eradicate racism in our rainbow ranks unless we can have a serious conversation about it and the will to do so.  

We also know much of the heavy lifting on this issue has to be done by white GLBT peeps since they still are reluctant to come to grips with the fact or play the 'if we ignore it it'll go away' game there is a rainbow community race problem.   

And Sharon Needles, you definitely need to check yourself before you end up walking in your idol RuPaul's and Chuck Knipp's pumps and find yourself becoming a community pariah and your shows being consistently protested