The 2017 Trans 100 List Goes International!

Well international trans folks, you are finally getting what you have asking for ever since the Trans 100 List founded by Antonia D'orsay cranked up here in the US several years ago.

The Trans 100 List is going international.

The 2017 Trans 100 International List will honor those trans people who are NOT in North America (North America for the purposes of this award is Canada, Mexico and the United States)
North America will have its own 2017 Trans 100 nomination list that you can nominate people for via the link provided.

Here are the guidelines for the 2017 Trans 100 Nominations

– Nominees must have been living and working to improve the lives of trans people for at least six months of the prior year. (International will be 2015 and 2016)
– Nominees can be working at any scale, locally, regionally, or nationally.
– We would like to see all parts of the country represented.
– We particularly encourage the addition of the otherwise unsung or only locally known workers.
– We particularly encourage the addition of persons of color.
– Nominees must identify as trans.
– Nominations must include a means of contacting them.
– Organizations are eligible, provided the organization is entirely run by trans persons.

This is not an award. The goal is to recognize outstanding members for the Work itself, and it is the work they do that is considered before anything else.

Nominations will close on March 1, 2017, at midnight MST.

Notes:

– Voting is anonymous.
– The list will not be ranked, and the tally will not be publicized.
– Nominees will be contacted by the Trans 100 Team for permission before the list is published

Here's the link for the 2017 Trans 100 International Nominations

So yes, I'm excited to see what trans folks in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Australia, Europe and the Middle East will be nominated and eventually make the final cut for doing the work of standing up for transkind in 2015 and 2016.

The Trans 100 Class of 2015

Even though I expressed my concerns about Sunday's event and the glaring omission of Texas trans activists in a year in which two Texas cities passed trans inclusive ordinances , make no mistake about it, I am as a 2013 Trans 100 honoree an unabashed supporter of it.   

Congratulations to all the people who were selected for the 2015 list, which included our first international honoree in Victor Mukasa and our first posthumous one.

And now, the Trans 100 Class of 2015

Maddie Adams
Ben Power Alwin
Joe Bates
Oliver Bendorf
Andrea Bowen
Avi Bowie
Myles Alexander Brady
Meghan Buell
Lexie Cannes
Daniella Carter

Joanna M. Cifredo
Thomi Clinton
Dr. Lynn Conway
Yvonne Cook-Riley
James Darling
Samantha-Jo Dato
Jordan Gwendolyn Davis
Rashida Davison
Mashuq Mushtaq Deen
Dallas Denny

Ashley Diamond
Rev. Tammy Jubilant Butcher Ojcr
Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi
Kale Edminston
Lauryn Farris
Sam Feder
Dylan Fluker
Theo George
Katrina Goodlett
Dr. Kai M. Green

Brooke Cerda Guzman
Gretchen Rachel Hammond
Rhys Harper
Imani Keith Henry
Joe Ippolito
Mary Irons
Monica James-Lawren
Sandy Evan James
Jennell Jacquays
Sawyer Andrew Johnson

Monica Jones
Nic Key
Bryn Kelly
Aydin Kennedy
Mira Krishnan
Malachi Larrabe-Gaza
Jiz Lee
Justin Lenley
Aryah Lester
Dr. Rachel  Levine

Jennifer Louise Lopez
Kristen Parker Lovell
Tommy Luckett
Mickey Mahoney
Greta Gustava Martela
J Mase III
JD Melendez
Julian Melson
Joselyn Mendoza
Victor J. Mukasa

Michael Munson
Toni Newman
Maxwell Ng
Kean O'Brien
Elijah Oberman
Marcus Alexander Xavier Ordane
Reyna Ortiz
Alexis P. Paige
Ben Panico
Petey Peterson

Dianne Grace Piggott
Chelsea Poe
Penelope Poppers
Rebeka Refuse
Dr. Sam Reisner SCD
Geena Rocero
Rev. Megan Rohrer
Avi Isaiah Rudnick
Jayden HC Sampson
Greyson Simon

Ms. Dr. Joseph L.Simons
Grace Sterling Stowell
Turner Stulting
De Sube
Emma Violet Todd
Crispin Torres
Jos Truitt
Alek Vaid-Menon
Jay Very
Victoria Villalbe

LaSaia Waide
Bonn Wade
Melvin Antoine Whitehead
Willy Wilkinson
Dawn Josephine Wilson
Hina Wong-Kalu
Evan Young
LaLa Zannell
Leslie Feinberg (posthumously)

Impressions Of The Trans 100 Class of 2015 Reveal Show

For the first time I got an opportunity to actually be in the Mayne Stage house for the third edition of The Trans 100.  I congratulate every honoree who was named in the Trans 100's Class of 2015 including my Louisville homegirl Dawn Wilson.

As a 2013 honoree I have been pleased and proud to see this dream of Toni D'orsay's grow to become a much anticipated event thanks to Jen Richards' efforts.

But because Toni and I are friends, we have had long discussions over the last two years on the direction of it and where she would like it to go.

Not only was Toni not happy about what transpired at the 'Chicago Trans Advocate Awards' last night, neither was I.

While I also with everyone else in the audience enjoyed emcees Precious Davis and Myles Brady AKA the #TransObamas, when it came time to read the names for the Trans 100 Class of 2015, I was shocked to note that in a 2014 year in which trans inclusive non-discrimination ordinances were passed in Houston and Plano and a court case that erased the transphobic Littleton precedent happened, for only ONE Texan (Lauryn Farris) to make the list was a travesty.

It also has the problematic smell of homerism when 8 Chicagoans make the 2015 list, including one of the current board members of the Trans 100. 

Under Toni's original vision, she and Jen didn't allow themselves to be added to either previous Trans 100 class out of transparency

Something else that is problematic was adding Leslie Feinberg posthumously to the list.  

That opens the thorny question of if you add Feinberg, then who else should be added for lifetime work?   Sylvia Rivera?   Marsha P. Johnson?   Marcelle Cook-Daniels?  Alexander John Goodrum?  Where do you draw the line?

Toni's Trans 100 vision also called for the list to diverse not only in ethnic terms, but regionally as well, and it appears that neither happened last night either.

I loved being able to see Tona Brown perform live for the first time ever.  Enjoyed Laura Jane Grace, and seeing Rocco doing his thang on stage as well.   Tiq's keynote was first rate and loved seeing his wife Kim again.
. 
Loved talking to Gloria Allen, and have a standing invite to spend some quality time with her the next time I'm in Chitown.  

I also got the opportunity at the after party at The Glenwood to meet Kristen, our blonde haired  trans ally in the bathroom meme I created from a pic someone sent me.

And thank you for letting me know you appreciate my work as well to all the peeps who told me how much they enjoyed reading TransGriot.

Yes, I'm still an enthusiastic supporter of the Trans 100 for being a FUBU trans community production.  But at the same time I'm concerned about the problematic direction that the Trans 100 has taken in the absence of its visionary creator, who was busy caring for her terminally ill husband.

I hope that in the 2016 edition of the Trans 100, those problematic mistakes won't be made again.

Trans 100 Is Tonight!

The 2015 edition of the Trans 100 Live unveiling show at the Mayne Stage  happens in a few hours.   Thanks to being in town for the just concluded #NTAVC15  convening, I'll be able to attend the live event for the first time ever. that starts at 7 M

I;m looking forward to seeing who are the members of the 2015 Trans 100 Class.   Also looking forward to getting the opportunity to  see a few friends and meet Lana Wachowski.

The Mayne Stage is located at  1328 W Morse St i the 60626 zip code

For those of you who won't be at the Mayne Stage with me tonight, you'll be able to see the Trans 100 Live event via the live feed.

What 100 trans peeps will join the Trans 100 Class of 2013 and Trans 100 Class of 2014 as the latest honorees?   We'll find out in a few hours.