TTNS 2017- Day 2

It's Day 2 of the 9th annual edition of the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, and it's the day I get to do my Contemporary Texas Trans History.

I enjoyed Day 1, in which I not only got to hear Babs Siperstein's speech, but spend some quality time with her  Phyllis Frye and a few other folks.

Got a chance to not only hang out with old friends, but meet some new ones in the process.

I mentioned that the Blueberry Festival was happening in Nacogdoches, and one of our events was impacted by it.

Our 5:30 PM reception got cut short of it's 7 PM end time because of the setup taking place on Main Street in historic downtown Nacogdoches for the Festival.

Us leaving early to ensure the car didn't get towed from the parking area that was also going to be used for festival vendors allowed me, Kayla, and Rebecca to go back to our now sold our host hotel.

My gameplan was to take a short power nap, then do some more writing and prep for my session, but ended up waking up about 10 PM.  

But back to the TTNS Day 2 story.

We'll be back in the Twilight Ballroom of the Pattillo Student Center for breakfast and to be welcomed by Dr. Janet Tareilo, SFA's Associate Provost for Academic Affairs.

We'll then start the concurrent sessions for the day at 9:40 AM before breaking to hear our Day 2 keynote speaker Jeremy Ivester.  My session will be part of the Concurrent session block that starts at 12:30 PM.

Once the concurrent session are completed around 3:30 PM, the TTNS closing ceremonies take place with remarks from our emcee Jenifer Rene Pool and TTNS founding Executive Director Josephine Tittsworth before we bring this year's edition of the Texas Transgender NOndiscrimination Summit to a close.

We'll then start the countdown to 2018 and bringing the TTNS back where it started, to the University of Houston campus for its 10th Anniversary edition. .

TTNS 2017- Day1

I'm here on the Stephen F Austin State University campus in their Baker Patillo Student Center to check out the happenings for this year's 9th edition of the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit

Our first day of action kicks off with the TNNS opening from Josephine Tittsworth, our emcee Jenifer Rene Pool and welcome from Dr. Adam Peck the Associate VP of University Affairs.  

Our keynote speaker will be Babs Siperstein, and after lunch, the concurrent sessions start and run until  4 PM , then we close out TTNS Day 1 with a reception at the Cole, Art Center from 5:30 -7 PM.

And we also hit Nacogdoches the same weekend as their annual Texas Blueberry Festival is hitting historic downtown Nacogdoches , so this should be an interesting time here on the SFA campus.
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Moni's Headed To Nacogdoches

I've probably done more travel inside the state of Texas in 2017 than I have outside of the borders of the Lone Star State.

But my out of state travel will probably catch up to my instate travel before the year is over,

I've done five trips to Austin with only one of them being the personal business variety.  The other four (so far) were to battle Texas GOP legislative oppression and looks like I'll have to do that again in July.   I just came back from the ATX at the invitation of United We Dream to speak at their Memorial Day rally.

I attended a transgender leadership training in the Dallas suburb of Irving back in February, and recently returned to the DFW area for the Black Trans Advocacy Conference in Dallas

The dates for this trip have been on my calendar since the conclusion of last year's event, but as you read this I'm headed NNE up I-69 (the highway formerly known as US 59) or the Eastex Freeway to native Houstonians, for the 9th annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit taking place June 9-10. .

I haven't missed a TTNS since my return back to Houston from Da Ville in May 2010, and the first event I attended after I came back home was the 2010 edition of it that was held at Rice University.

I had the honor of being the keynote speaker for it last year.

Over the last few years, the TTNS has ventured from its Houston area roots to hit the Texas roads and be hosted on various college campuses around the state.   In the last few years we have gone to San Marcos (Texas State),  Richardson  (UT Dallas), and last year Killeen (Texas A&M  Central Texas).   This year it was time to bring it to East Texas, and I know that trips to The Rio Grande Valley, West Texas and the Panhandle are probably in the TTNS future along with its desire to one day be on one of our Texas HBCU campuses.

So what's the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit?  TTNS is two days of teaching, learning and plotting the path of social justice in the Lone Star State and beyond.

 It has been instrumental in getting trans friendly policies and procedures implemented at Texas state colleges universities and several Texas school districts .  The TTNS is also two days of us getting to network, chat with with old friends and meet new ones.

There was a moment during last year's event in Killeen in which myself, Josephine Tittsworth, Jenifer Rene Pool and Phyllis Frye got to do something we don't get to do very often in Houston.  We sat down at a table and the four of us got to talk for longer than five minutes during a quiet TTNS moment.  

The reason I'm going to this year's TTNS is to teach my Contemporary Texas Trans History seminar again.

This year we're headed to Lumberjack Country and the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University  in Nacogdoches, which is 140 miles NNE of Houston.  

Nacogdoches is not only the hometown of Stephen F/ Austin State University, it also has the distinction of being the oldest town in Texas, beating out San Antonio for that distinction by being founded in 1716 and incorporated in 1837.

This year's TTNS Friday keynote will feature one of our trailblazing leaders in Barbra 'Babs' Casbar Siperstein,  and the last time I saw her in the flesh was at last year's LGBT Pride reception at the White House.

Looking forward to seeing and spending some quality time with her and our Saturday TTNS keynote speaker in  Jeremy Ivester.

So for those of you making the trip to Nacogdoches to be there for the TTNS, thanks for doing so and see y'all at the Baker Pattillo Student Center on Friday and Saturday.

TTNS 2016 Keynote Address

This is the text of the keynote address I delivered at the 2016 Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit in Killeen, TX.                                               

Good afternoon to TTNS founding executive director Josephine Tittsworth, our mistress of ceremonies Jenifer Rene Pool, TTNS executive and advisory board members, TTNS attendees, Texas A&M Central Texas faculty and students, TTNS volunteers, my trans siblings, honored guests, allies and friends.

I am pleased, honored and proud to have been asked to deliver your keynote address today at this 8^th annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit.  
I also found it apropos this 2016 edition of the TTNS is being held on this college campus in the shadow of Fort Hood mere weeks after the groundbreaking July 1 open trans military service announcement by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter that allows my trans siblings to openly serve in our nation’s armed forces.

I mention that factoid because a quick perusal of modern trans history will reveal that many of our past and present leaders in this movement, including our TTNS founding director and tomorrow’s keynote speaker Phyllis Frye, have the common thread of military service as part of their activist resumes.

I was told prior to taking this podium that this Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit in Killeen is now the new record holder in terms of registration and attendance for it, so please give yourselves a hand for being part of this evolving TTNS history.

So why is the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit so important to me? 

The TTNS mission was similar to a 2007 effort I was involved with in Louisville. KY to enact trans inclusive policies for students, faculty and staff in the Jefferson County Public Schools.  We were only able to my frustration get sexual orientation coverage only in JCPS, but after I left Da Ville JCPS finally added gender identity to that policy we passed under contentious circumstances in 2015.

When the 2009 TTNS event was held at the University of Houston, I was 1000 miles away in Kentucky and bummed about not being there for it.  Well, as Josephine, Jenifer. the TTNS executive and advisory board members and other people who have longtime connections to this event can tell you, haven’t missed one since I returned to Texas from Louisville in May 2010.

This is now the seventh consecutive summit that I have attended, and the TTNS is special to me because the second TTNS held at Rice University was the first activism event I had a chance to participate in mere weeks after returning to my hometown.

The TTNS event at Rice allowed me to quickly reestablish my connections with old and new Houston area advocates that I’d lost in the eight years I was away from Texas and introduce me to people I didn’t know or were new to me, but had gotten involved in Houston and Texas activist work while in was in Kentucky. 

The  subsequent TTNS events provided me opportunities to network and conme to continue to expand on those networking make connections with other advocates in Houston, Texas and from around the country that have remained useful to this day.

Because of attending TTNS, I’ve gained knowledge on a wide variety of issues that have helped me not only in my ongoing advocacy work, but help provide a base level of knowledge that I can subsequently talk about and expand on in my TransGriot articles.

And yeah, it’s been fun to see different parts of this beautiful state with people I love, respect and admire and spend quality time with you as I do so. 
  
Finally, why the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit is important to me is because I come from a family of educators.  My late great grandmother Jane Davis was a teacher.  My mother in addition to being a historian, is a retired HISD teacher.    My late godmother Pearl Suel, who along with my mother instilled my love of history in me, taught at the high school and collegiate levels.   I also have cousins and people in my circle of friends who are educators that I admire and deeply respect.

I know the importance for people, and especially marginalized people to have a quality education.  As one of my sheroes Barbara Jordan has said and I quote her, ‘Education remains the key to both economic and political empowerment.’ 

It is a lesson that my people have taken to heart ever since that June 19, 1865 day when Union General Gordon Granger read Order Number 3 from the balcony of Galveston’s Aston Villa and declared that all Texas slaves were free people.

Education is the gateway to a quality life.   A quality education is something the folks that wish to oppress us can never take away.   A quality education also makes us better citizens, and allows us to do our part to make our beloved state and our union better.

And in the words of former State Senator Wendy Davis, ‘Real Texans want their kids to have the best education possible, not the one politicians looking to brag about budget cuts have left us with’.

That is the TTNS mission in a nutshell.   We are gathering here on this campus for the next two days, and have done so other Texas colleges and universities over the last eight years with one mission in mind, so that our kids and we trans people accessing that education system at all levels can have the best education system possible. 

When TTNS started in 2009, only three Texas colleges and universities
had trans inclusive nondiscrimination policies.  As of this eighth TTNS event, that number is up to over 30 colleges and universities, and also includes some of the largest ISD’s in our state in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and El Paso.  

It’s also interesting to note that as part of the Obama Administration having the trans community’s backs, a Dear Colleague Letter jointly issued by the Department of Education and the Department of Justice that to sum it up, says that you must treat transgender students with the same dignity and respect in school settings as you do for cisgender ones, and give them the same access to a quality education that you demand for cisgender children.

If that is all the DOE/DOJ Dear Colleague Letter is stating, why is the conservative movement tripping about it to the point that Texas and 12 other states have entered into an unholy alliance to fight a battle they are doomed to lose by filing an unjust lawsuit to justify discrimination against transgender students?

Why is Gov. Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and my indicted attorney gender Ken Paxton to paraphrase the eloquent words of Rep. Senfronia Thompson of Houston, attempting to spread the hellfire flames of transphobic bigotry and aiming it at Texas transgender students?

Why has their party made it their mission to make the lives of trans Texans and trans students in this state more difficult than they need to be?

Much of it is because they hate President Obama and still massively resist any policy initiative he likes.   Another piece of that transphobic puzzle is because in the wake of their loss last year on marriage equality, they needed a new group to hate, and unfortunately have settled on attacking trans kids as their new targets to show their base they are doing something to oppose a POTUS they foaming at the mouth hate.

But I and other trans elders, my trans siblings and our allies in the human rights struggle have a major problem with that   As someone whose formal education in this state started in a segregated elementary school in 1967, I have a major problem with this remixed Jim Crow bull feces you are aiming at our trans kids.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting trans kids here in Texas and their amazing parents.  All these parents want is the best education possible for their kids who are now matriculating in Texas schools and universities without unnecessary drama

All these trans kids want to do is go to school, get their education, make friends, blend in and live their lives as their true selves without being singled out for bullying by their peers, willfully ignorant adults or misguided politicians 

It’s why it’s our duty to ensure that we do the work here in the Lone Star State to continue to expand the numbers of colleges, universities and school districts that have trans inclusive policies for students, faculty and employees and feel empowered to unapologetically defend them from attack.

It is our duty to ensure that the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit has the resources and funding it needs to survive and thrive as continues its ongoing mission of being a strong education advocate and voice for our kids.

If you have the ability to drop some contributions in TTNS’ direction on a regular basis, please do so.   You’d be amazed to learn how far $5, $10, $20 or more if you’re feeling generous can go.

It is our duty to increase the number of Texas ISD’s that have these inclusive policies to include all of the over 1000 ISD’s that are in the borders of our massive state. 

It is our duty to dispel the disinformation and outright lies that our not so esteemed opposition, misguided political leaders and the media is spreading concerning these trans inclusive policies and the DOE/DOJ letter.

It is our duty. because your human rights are inextricably tied to the human rights of transgender Texans, to fight for a world in which our humanity is respected and protected just as yours is.

This anti-trans intolerance will not be tolerated by the Texas trans community, parents of trans kids, and our allies.  Their attempts to justify human rights oppression aimed at the Texas transgender community it will be resisted with every fiber of our beings. 

So yep, I’ll be making as many trips from Houston to our state capital in Austin as necessary and my schedule permits when that 2017 legislative session kicks off down I-35 south in January.  I hope others across the Lone Star State join us when we make those trips to the state capital to kill whatever oppressive anti- trans legislation they attempt to pass.

Our legislators must get the message that we are Texans whose human rights matter, not a wedge issue or punching bags for you to score political points with your base for.   Neither we allow your misguided hatred of trans people to mess with our state’s economy.   If you don’t wish to receive or you willfully ignore that message, we’ll send another via the ballot box on Election Day to remove you from elective office. 

TTNS is one of the trans led organizations in this state positioned at this crucial time in our history to do the education and policy work that will lead to affirmative education policies that benefit all Texas students.

Those of you in this Texas A&M Central Texas campus space attending this TTNS event will spend today and tomorrow acquiring the information and tactics necessary that allows you to help promote and enact good policies, and kill the bad ones when you return home to your various corners of the Lone Star State.

It’s a war we didn’t ask for, but it’s one that we must fight and win for all those trans kids across the state of Texas.   They are counting on us, their trans elders and allies to ensure that all they have to do is go to school, get excellent grades, dream big dreams about what they wish to accomplish in their adult lives, and get the quality education they need to make those dreams become a reality.

TTNS 2016 Starts Today At Texas A&M Central Texas

The 8th annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit kicks off today, and this is the seventh (and seventh consecutive one) I have attended.  

Ever since I attended my first TTNS held on the Rice University campus mere weeks after I returned home from Louisville, I have had the pleasure of watching this event grow.  I've not only taught seminars at it, this year I was asked to be one of the two keynote speakers for 2016.

My activist mentor Judge Phyllis Frye will be the other TTNS 2016 keynoter.

The summit has grown so much that this year's TTNS event will break the record set last year at UT-Dallas.  For those of you in the Centex area, you have time to roll up or down I-35 and join us on the Texas A&m Central Texas campus in Killeen

It's a testament to the vision of its founding executive director Josephine Tittsworth that it has grown from a Houston centric event to one that for the last several years is eagerly courted by colleges and universities across the Lone Star State.and has been held in San Marcos, Dallas, Killeen this year and next year on the Stephen F. Austin University campus in Nacogdoches.

The TTNS has had a major impact on education in Texas.   We have gone from three colleges and universities that have trans friendly nondiscrimination policies to over 30.

Several Texas school districts also have trans friendly policies as a result of Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit's attendees taking the lessons they learned here and making those changes happen in the own parts of the Lone Star State.

And it's also interesting to note that it is happening at a time when the Obama Administration has emphatically stated that we have the human rights back of transgender people and issued a DOE/DOJ Dear Colleague Letter that dovetails nicely into the work TTNS has been doing since 2009.

And TTNS is proud to play its part in doing so.in the Lone Star State.

I'm also looking forward to doing my part to help that education process along, starting today.

Moni's In The TTNS 2016 House!

Well people, after a 200 mile one way bus trip that was scheduled to start at 8:15 AM CDT from Houston's Greyhound station through Austin with a bus transfer, I've finally arrived at my hotel in Killeen, called Mom and Dee Dee, and settled into my hotel room to do some prep for my speech tomorrow

It wouldn't be one of my road trips without some issue or drama.  The bus from Austin to Killeen had no working air conditioning.  Hello, this is Texas in the summer.  Ac is a basic requirement for travel satisfaction.   Wasn't Greyhound's fault, it was a regional carrier.

Called myself trying to get some sleep before this trip, but that didn't happen especially since I had to get up and this was one of those my butt needs to be at the Greyhound terminal on time and early to catch that 8:15 AM bus out of here.

The Texas A&M University-Central Texas is one of the newer schools in the Texas A&M University system, and the campus is in the shadow of Fort Hood, one of the largest military bases in the US.

One of the interesting tidbits I discovered while doing some research for my speech is that Tia and Tamera Mowry spent some time here in Killeen because their Army parents were stationed here for several years  Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III also lived near here and went to high school in Copperas Cove, TX before heading off to Baylor.   Elvis Presley was also stationed here at Fort Hood during his time in the Army along with major league ballplayer and humanitarian Jackie Robinson.

Will probably take a break to watch Hillary Clinton's historic Democratic presidential nomination acceptance speech and the one by Sarah McBride for #DNCinPhilly, but really looking forward to once again being at the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit.

For those of you in Central Texas, you still have time to join us tomorrow on the Texas A&M Central Texas campus for not only my Friday keynote and Judge Phyllis Frye's keynote on Saturday, but for all the informative seminars that will be taking place both days,


 

Headed To Killeen, TX For The TTNS

Today begins three consecutive weeks of travel for events that will see me going to Killeen, TX for the 8th annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit as its  keynote speaker and to teach a Texas Trans 101 seminar, Washington DC for the joint NABJ-NAHJ convention, August 3-7 and to Chautauqua, NY for an August 11 interview with Janet Mock from their historic amphitheater stage as part of their Pushing Our Bodies Limits summer lecture series.

But before I pile up the frequent flyer miles, it's off to central Texas by Greyhound via Austin to my final destination of Killeen and the Texas A&M -Central Texas campus in the shadow of Fort Hood for the TTNS.

And yep, already enrolled in Greyhound's frequent mileage program.

This is the eighth annual edition of the TTNS, and when i step on campus it will officially be the  seventh consecutive TTNS I have attended.   This one is special because it will be my first TTNS I get the honor and opportunity to deliver a keynote address for it, and I'm excited about that.

I'm also looking forward to seeing old and new friends on the Texas A&M Central Texas campus for this growing  conference, and see y'all in a few hours..

Countdown To 2016 TTNS in Killeen, TX

We are now a month away from the eighth annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, and this year the TTNS will be held on the Texas A&M-Central Texas campus in Killeen, TX.

The TTNS was started by its founding chair Josephine Tittsworth in 2009 with the mission of doing education geared toward initiating policy changes for transgender students, faculty and staff at Texas colleges and universities.

“The purpose of our organization is to not only educate people, but also to provide support and resources to people on school campuses all over Texas so they can engage professionally and respectfully with administration to get policies changed to be inclusive to transgender faculty, staff and students.”  Tittsworth said in an interview with the Killeen Daily News.

The initial TTNS was held on the University of Houston campus in 2009 and drew 25 attendees, and has been the only one I've missed because I was living in Louisville at the time.   The first one I attended was the second TTNS hosted by Rice University in 2010 mere weeks after I moved back home in May, followed by the 2011 TTNS at the University of Houston, the 2012 TTNS at the University of Houston-Clear Lake and UH again in 2013.

Texas State University in San Marcos was the first campus outside the Houston metro area to host the TTNS in 2014, followed by last year's TTNS on the UT Dallas campus in Richardson, TX.




The 2015 TTNS at UT Dallas holds the attendance record so far with 75 attendees, and they are anticipating breaking that record at Texas A&M-CT with 100 attendees.  

Some award winning blogger y'all know will not only be teaching a seminar during this year's event, but I get the honor of being one of the 2016 TTNS keynote speakers along with the legendary godmother of the trans rights movement in Judge Phyllis Frye.  We'll also have another outstanding lineup of presenters at this year's TTNS on the Texas A&M Central Texas campus.

As a result of the TTNS, the number of Texas colleges and universities with trans inclusive policies for students, faculty and staff has grown from just three to currently 38.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in the Killeen area in a few weeks on the Texas A&M- Central Texas, and hope the TTNS exceeds the expected attendance this year..      

2015 TTNS UT-Dallas -Day 2

Day 2 of the 7th annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit kicks off on the UT-Dallas campus with a block of concurrent sessions before we move into the keynote speech by Dr. Heather Snow.

And yeah, I get to stop playing reporter for a moment and do a session later this afternoon starting at 1:05 PM on 'Contemporary Texas Transgender History'

Congratulations DFW area!   You stepped up and broke the all time attendance record with 70 attendees for yesterday`s session.

You folks at Texas A&M Central Texas in Killeen will have some work to do to beat that for #TTNS16

So if you're in the Dallas-Ft Worth metroplex, looking to get your learn on about what you can do to advance trans human rights in Texas school districts, colleges and universities and meet a bunch of cool people from around the state while doing so, you may wish to swing by the UT Dallas campus in Richardson.

The UT Dallas campus address is 800 W. Campbell Rd. and hope to see you there in the UTD Student Union building .

2015 TTNS UT-Dallas - Day 1

The 7th annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit gets cranked up on the UT-Dallas campus this morning.as it continues its ongoing mission of working to enact  transgender friendly non discrimination policies and procedures in Texas school districts, colleges and universities.

And hey DFW, let's see if y'all can break the all time TTNS attendance record that was set last year when Texas State University in San Marcos, TC hosted it.

The fun gets started with an opening breakfast, the TTNS opening ceremonies, and a keynote speech by Dr. Stephen Sutton before we dive into the Day 1 sessions.  

In case you're wondering, yes, I will be teaching a seminar, but it happens tomorrow.   Today I'm in reporter mode.

This is the second consecutive year the TTNS has ventured from its home base territory in the Houston area, and the first time it has been in the Dallas-Ft Worth Metroplex. 

Would love to see you at the UT Dallas Student Union building, and the campus is located in Richardson, TX at 800 W. Campbell Rd.  

Mon's Getting On The Bus Again-For The TTNS

The last trip I took was to Dallas for the 2015 Black Trans Advocacy Conference ( BTW, the 2016 BTAC will happen April 25- May 3, so start making your plans now to be there) and it was via Megabus.

Since I returned from Dallas, haven't been traveling as much because I had to sort out housing issues that caused me to decide not to go to this year's Philly Trans Health Conference and Netroots Nation in Phoenix.


The Texas Transgender nondiscrimination Summit  is a trip I've had on my schedule for a while, and haven't missed since I moved back home from Louisville in 2010.  As a matter of fact, the first local event I attended mere weeks after returning home was the TTNS that was hosted by Rice University.

So once again I'm getting on the Megabus in a few hours and heading up I-45 to Dallas, but this time for the 7th annual edition of Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit.

This year it's not only on the road for the second straight year, it's going to take place starting tomorrow for the first time ever in the Dallas-Ft Worth area.   The TTNS will on the UT-Dallas campus in Richardson, TX. in their Student Union building and I'm looking forward to it.

The UT-Dallas campus address is 800 W. Campbell Rd. in Richardson, TX

What I'm not looking forward to is getting up at the crack of dawn to head downtown for this early morning Megabus departure.   However, getting up that early means I'll be up and out of town before that Houston heat gets cranked up, and it's predicted to be 101 degrees F today.

I'll also have time on that 4 hour ride up I-45 to figure out who gets tomorrow's Shut Up Fool Award.

The other benefit is I'll get there before noon.   When I arrive in Dallas and get to the St Paul DART station a 7 Eleven will be there in which I will eagerly get reacquainted with my fave frozen beverage.

And naw, it's not a margarita, although I'm not gonna lie, it's a close second.

but back to talking about the first ever TTNS in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex.  Looking forward to seeing all my friends in the DFW area, and for those of you in the Dallas-Ft Worth area or nearby, we'd love to have you join us.for the 7th annual TTNS starting Friday morning.

TTNS 2015 Rapidly Approaching

The Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit is rapidly approaching, and this year will  be coming to the Dallas-Fort Worth area for the first time.

The 7th annual edition of this event will take place July 31-August 1 on the UT-Dallas campus in Richardson, TX .

Ever since the first event happened on the University of Houston campus back in 2009, the TTNS has been pushing for trans inclusive policies in Texas school districts, colleges and universities. 

It's no accident that ever since the first TTNS event was conducted,  the number of school districts and Texas based colleges and universities with those policies in place has steadily increased, and the training being done at the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit has played a role in it.

And ever since I moved back home in May 2010, I haven't missed one.

In addition to the seminar blocks, this year's keynote speakers will be Dr. Stephen Sutton, Ph.D., Assistant Vice Chancellor University of California at Berkley and Heather Snow, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at The University of Texas at Arlington.

If you're in the Dallas-Ft Worth area, in easy flying or driving distance or just wish to attend the event, the TTNS staff, volunteers and their UT-Dallas hosts would love to have you there.   You can register for the event by clicking on this link

See y'all on the UT Dallas campus in a few weeks

TTNS 2015 Accepting Workshop Proposals

Another one of my fave instate events will be happening soon and for the second straight year will be on the road with Jenifer Rene Pool serving as the Mistress of Ceremonies .

The 7th Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit will take place July 31 to August 1, 2015 at the University of Texas at Dallas with the keynote speakers being Dr. Stephen Sutton, Ph.D., Assistant Vice Chancellor University of California at Berkley and Heather Snow, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at The University of Texas at Arlington.

The Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit is currently accepting workshop proposals and poster session proposals. Our website is www.txtns.org    It's also a 501(c)3 organization, so if you feel inclined to donate to TTNS, your donation is tax deductible.

So what's the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit?  It's an event in which over its two days we are gathered onsite, the TTNS teaches and provide resources to people on how to effectively engage administrations on Texas colleges, universities, and public schools campuses to advocate for inclusive policies for transgender faculty, staff, and students.

And it's coming to the DFW area for the first time.  Hope you will join us at UT-Dallas for this event  this summer, and if you need further information about the TTNS you can also reach them at info@txtns.org ,on Facebook and Twitter.. 

TTNS Heads To The DFW Area!

The Texas Transgender Non Discrimination Summit is now seven years old, but until last year's event at Texas State in San Marcos, had never been held outside of the Houston area where it was born.

I'm happy to announce on these electronic pages that the TTNS board has selected the dates and the site for the 2015 edition of the event.

The dates ate July 31-August 1, and it will be held on the campus of the University of Texas at Dallas.

This is another history making edition of the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, as it will be the first time the TTNS will be held in the DFW metro area and the second consecutive year it has ventured from its Houston area turf.

I'm really looking forward to another TTNS related road trip as this time those of us coming from Houston will be rolling up 1-45.   Hopefully I'll get to see many of my Dallas-Ft Worth area friends and North Texas and East Texas peeps who wish to attend this two day conference that seeks to look at strategic grass roots centered approaches to the issues of social justice and policy implementation as it pertains to the issues of gender identity and gender expression in higher education.

It is one of my favorite in-state activism events, and I haven't missed one since I returned home in 2010.  Since it focuses on opening doors for trans people in higher education, it is a cause and conference that has the enthusiastic TransGriot seal of approval and support.

And the cool part about it is that you''ll have academics, policy experts, students, activists and allies who want Texas public schools and higher education to be accessible to gender variant people in one spot for that fascinating TTNS weekend.
Since the start of the TTNS, the number of Texas school districts, colleges and universities with non discrimination statements and trans friendly policies on their campuses has exponentially increased across the Lone Star State thanks in large part to the strategies, tactics and information shared at previous TTNS events. 

So yes, I have much love for TTNS founder Josephine Tittsworth and the board, and the July 31-August 1 date is already blocked on my event calendar. 

Hope you will join me and other higher education minded Texans in attendance on the UT-Dallas campus for the seventh annual edition of the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit.

TTNS Accepting Hosting Proposals For 2015 Event

The sixth annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit is history, and the event for the first time was hosted outside the Houston area on the Texas State campus in San Marcos.

Been advised that the TTNS is now accepting hosting proposals for the summer 2015 event. 

The minimum requirements to host the TTNS are:  A campus liaison, a room at no charge to TTNS capable of accommodating 100 people, and at no charge to TTNS three rooms capable of holding 35 people for seminars.








If your Texas based college campus is interested in submitting a hosting proposal, please email Josephine@txtns.org with it or for further information

6th Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit Recap

To be honest, I'd like to take a road trip to San Antonio, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Austin or even better one of our Texas HBCU campuses in Texas Southern University or Prairie View A&M to attend or teach a seminar at a TTNS one day.
-TransGriot, July  21, 2013    5th Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit Recap.


You know what they say about being careful for what you wish for, you just might get it.  

And what we got for the 6th Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit on August 8-9 was a road trip.  For the first time in TTNS history, we Houston folks would have to hit the road to attend an event that was born inside Beltway 8.  

The 6th edition of the TTNS would be hosted by the wonderful folks at Texas State University in San Marcos, and I hit I-10 west on a warm sunny Thursday morning with Maria Gonzales, Kristen Capps and Daniel Williams for the 166 mile run to their campus nestled between Austin and San Antonio. 

And yes, there were some very interesting conversations during that drive. 

Texas State used to be known as Southwest Texas State until the 2003 name change, and its most famous alum is Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States along with country singer George Strait and actor Powers Boothe.. 

After a lunch stop at the 80 year old Frank's Restaurant along I-10 in Schulenburg, we hit San Marcos a little after 2 PM   Our hotel was across the street from a popular outlet mall, and the hotel was surprisingly full because we had the double whammy of summer graduation on the Texas State campus transpiring Friday and the start of the Texas tax free shopping weekend.  

Ironically it was hotter in San Marcos than the home sweet humidity I left behind, with the temp hitting 102 degrees F (39 C).  Not long after I settled into my room and decided to grab some ice and something to drink, I ran into my roomie Nikki Vogel in the hallway.   The last time I'd seen her was when UH was trying to pass the Tittsworth Act.   Since then she's been working on her masters at UT-Austin and is taking a killer class load to get it done in less time.

Several hours later we were making the short drive down I-35 south to New Braunfels and Oma's Haus to sample its tasty German-Texan cooking.  I had their German chocolate cake for dessert, and Mom, yours is light years better. 

I passed on the peanut butter fudge knowing I needed to get some sleep for our busy day tomorrow. 

Friday dawned with Nikki and I after a pit stop at a nearby Starbucks to get her coffee, heading to the LBJ Student Center at 8 AM to help set up its cavernous third floor ballroom for breakfast and the historic first day of the TTNS.  

After the meet and greet phase, founder Josephine Tittsworth took to the stage at 9:30 AM to welcome everyone to the TTNS and introduce Dr. Sherri Benn, the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and the Director of Multicultural Student Affairs at Texas State. 

I'd already started during the meet and greet at our table having an awesome conversation with her, Dr. Audwin Anderson and Jesse Silva in which we were discussing a wide range of topics before the TTNS day started.  

She welcomed everyone to the Texas State campus and laid out in her occasion speech why we were there.  Dr. Benn is also an ordained minister, and it was evident in her rousing speech.
 
After Dr. Benn's speech concluded, Josephine introduced our MC Jenifer Rene Pool, who shortly after taking the stage introduced our Friday keynote speaker in Dr. Gage Paine, the Vice President for Student Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin just up I-35 from San Marcos.

Dr. Paine's keynote started at 10:55 AM and was entitled 'The Power of Paradox'.  She talked about the university paradox of being a guardian of tradition, yet also being an agent for change.  Another interesting point she made during her keynote is that what needs to be done to create allies for systemic chance is not to talk more, but to listen. 


Another point that jumped out at me during her speech is that mixed messages are part of the paradox.   Dr Paige closed with another thought provoking message in be yourself, but live in community before taking questions from the audience.

After lunch came the initial session of the 2014 TTNS conducted by Iliana Melendez, the Student Conduct Officer for Texas State, entitled Understanding Title IX on a College Campus.   Melendez's presentation focused on the parts of Title XI discrimination claims based on gender identity or failure to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity and femininity.

In addition to pointing out it protects students, faculty and staff, she then talked about the expansion of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act of 2013 that takes effect October 1, and the Know Your IX website.  When she was done answering questions about her presentation, Josephine took to the stage to talk about the Macy v Holder case and the Title XI sections that help trans collegiate students

After a ten minute break, at 2:30 PM we prepared to leave the ballroom and head to the first concurrent sessions of our choice.  The choices were Chris Busby's Engaging The Conservative Movement In Meaningful Dialogue or Supporting Trans* Students of Color

Since I'd checked out Chris' seminar last year, I decide to check out the one in LBJSC 3-14 taught by the Texas State team of Corey Benson, Jesse Silva, Iliana Melendez and Texas State police officer Sue Taylor.

It was an interactive seminar that discussed the point that we all have multiple dimensions of identity.   There was some lively discussion about privilege being brought into all marginalized spaces and needing to be aware of that ended far too soon at 3:40 PM  

After we returned to the ballroom for closing remarks from Josephine, Day 1 of the TTNS at Texas State ended with a reception that lasted until 5:30 PM  

Two hours later Nikki, Josephine, Cheryl Cabusas and I headed to Centerpoint Station, another local eatery that had milk shakes made with Blue Bell ice cream.  Passed on them this time because I was full from the meal.

Day 2 of the TTNS began with Corey Benson introducing our Saturday welcoming speaker in Dr. Brandon Beck who had made a little trans history of his own the day before.   Dr. Beck became the first open transperson to earn a doctorate at Texas State, and he picked it up at the summer graduation ceremony the day before.

After his speech, I got to teach starting at 9:30 AM my Contemporary Texas Trans History seminar in LBJSC 3-14, while in LBJSC 3-13 the other concurrent seminar was Transgender Perspectives: Learning From Literature that Dr. Brandon Beck was teaching. 

After that seminar block, we returned to the ballroom at 10:55 AM for Jenifer's introduction of our Saturday keynote speaker in Equality Texas Field Organizer Daniel Williams.

Daniel's entertaining and informative keynote speech was entitled  'A Tale of Three Amendments'.  It discussed the odious attempts by Texas Republican legislators Wayne Christian and Bill Zedler to shut down LGBT resource centers on Texas collegiate campuses and the progress made in getting bipartisan support to keep them alive.  His speech also discussed the Littleton v Prange and Delgado v Araguz trans marriage cases and noting that with the looming January start of the 2015 Texas Legislative session we will have to fight  hard to defend those gains  

After the opportunity to ask Daniel some questions we moved to lunch and the concurrent sessions starting at 1:15 PM.  The choices were the Transgender Legal Issues one by the Frye, Oaks and Benavidez PLLC Law Firm in LBJSC 3-13 and Trans*cending Limitations: Student Panel on Creating Spaces For Trans* Identified Students and Allies moderated by Dr. Brandon Beck in LBJSC 3-14.

I wanted to see the student panel, so LBJSC 3-14 was where I ended up.   It was an interesting discussion of Texas State students that lasted right up until the scheduled 2:45 PM end time and our return to the ballroom. 

Ten minutes later a panel comprised of people who have helped create change on collegiate and school district level policy answered questions from the audience until 3:45 PM.  . 

Then came the What's Next? remarks from Jenifer, followed by the closing remarks and thank yous from Josephine.   And as quickly as it had started, the 6th annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit at Texas State came to an end. 

The Houston contingent on our way back home stopped in Luling to chow down on some tasty barbecue before we played tag with each other on I-10 east all the way back to H-town.  I got to ride with Nikki on the way back so she wouldn't be making that drive by herself..

This TTNS broke its all attendance record set at the 2010 event at Rice University with 82 people in attendance.   Two attendees thought it was important enough to make a 495 mile drive (one way) from West Texas A&M in Canyon, TX to the San Marcos campus of Texas State. 

It also exposed the event to Central Texas, got it out of the Houston-Gulf Coast area where it was founded, and fulfilled the dream of founder Josephine Tittsworth that the TTNS be an event held on college campuses around the state to discuss these transgender-specific higher education issues     

As to what Texas school will host the 7th annual TTNS?   Good question.   If you're interested in hosting it, send the proposal.  But you know I'll pass on that news as to the 2015 host school as soon as I receive it.