The US Trans Caucus Meets!

Back on May 9, the US Trans Caucus got together via Zoom to discuss the changing landscape of American politics.

The US Trans Caucus is comprised of Minneapolis city councilmembers Andrea Jenkins and Philippe Cunningham, and state Reps Brianna Titone of Colorado, Reps Gerri Cannon and Lisa bunker of new Hampshire and Del Danica Roem of VA 

Here's the video of that historic meeting of out trans legislators moderated by Councilmember Jenkins.. 

400 Years of Africans In America

Today is the 400th anniversary of the arrival of captive Africans at Old Point Comfort in what would later become Fort Monroe in Hampton, VA.

They were part of an original group of 60 Africans captured in in the kingdom of Ndongo in present day Angola.   With the Transatlantic Slave Trade well underway in the Caribbean and Latin America, the captured Africans were placed on a Spanish ship named the San Juan Bautista to transport them on an unwanted boat ride to Mexico.

The San Juan Bautista was attacked by two pirate ships, the White Lion and the Treasurer, who forced the Spanish ship to surrender its cargo of captive Africans.   Those ships got split up during a storm, and the White Lion ended up at Old Point Comfort.

I also need to emphatically point out these early Africans weren't slaves.   Slavery was not legal in Virginia at that time and wouldn't become so until 1661, so those 20 plus Africans from Angola were traded for food and supplies and treated as indentured servants. 

At the time of the Africans arrival, the colony at Old Point Comfort was failing.   The colonists were resorting to cannibalism to survive, and now you had these Africans who arrived just in time with farming and artisan skills that were spread out amongst the nearby Virginia area homes and plantations

Those African farmers also had the skills to cultivate rice, sugar and cotton, crops that were perfect for this climate, but didn't have the seven year contracts like the white indentured servants from England.  That meant the Africans were at the mercy of their plantation owners

Many of those Africans worked 15-20 years before they were granted their freedom.   Once that freedom occurred, the freed Africans started their own homesteads, married other white and Native Americans, purchased the freedom of other family members, owned land, and enjoyed their freedom during that 40 year period before slavery stained what would later become the United States for the next 200 plus years



One of the other things that happened with those first African arrivals was the first African descended child born in North America.   Isabella and Antony were part of that group of 20 Africans that ended up living at Capt William Tucker's home, the commander of Point Comfort

His home was in present day Hampton. and Antony and Isabella eventually got married and had a son named William Tucker. The Tucker family was documented in the 1625 Virginia census, and William was baptized on January 4, 1624.  William is considered to be the first documented African descended child born in English North America.

The occasion of the arrival of Africans in America will be marked by a series of events in Hampton during the August 23-25 weekend. 

In light of the fact we have ignorant MAGAts shouting 'go back to Africa' to us, this 400th anniversary celebration of the arrival of Africans in America is a timely one.

It drives home the point that we have not only been here in North America for 400 years and predate the founding of the United States, but despite all the ongoing challenges of being Black in this country, we have managed to persevere, and thrive.

Transphobia An Unacceptable Part Of A VA Middle School's Mass Shooting Drill

Because mass shootings on school campuses happen far too frequently in the United States, one of the facts of life for students currently attending our public schools is active shooter drills.

One recent active shooter drill at a Stafford County, VA middle school had a unnecessary helping of transphobia injected into it   

During the drill, a trans feminine student was not only barred from going into either the boys or girls locker rooms by school staff, she was told by the PE teachers to sit alone in the bleachers and subsequently in the hall while the cisgender students in her physical education class were immediately sheltered in the nearest locker rooms and bathrooms.

This is outrageous on many levels.   An active shooter drill happens so that kids are taught the basic procedures necessary to survive an attack like getting to shelter quickly.   Any hesitation in doing so can be deadly.

The PE teachers in question not only outed the student by doing this, they basically made the problematic statement to the world that you considered the mere presence of this trans child in the student body to be more dangerous than some assailant who is gleefully shooting up a school.

You also left that trans student, through your transphobic actions, exposed had this been an actual active shooter situation. 

Stafford County Public Schools spokeswoman Sherrie Johnson said in a statement concerning this disturbing incident:

"Stafford County Public Schools does not comment on individual student incidents to avoid divulging confidential information. However, the new superintendent has requested a review of all protocols and procedures to ensure that all children are treated with dignity and respect. We take such matters very seriously and they will be addressed. The welfare of all students is of the utmost importance for SCPS."

Ms Johnson, unfortunately the teachers at the SCPS middle school in question failed to demonstrate during the drill that the welfare of this SCPS trans feminine middle school student was of the utmost importance to them,

When asked by reporters if the trans feminine girl should have been allowed into the girls' locker room because she identifies as a girl, Johnson said that all the policies, practices and safety procedures are under review.

The Virginia and national trans community will be watching to see if the SCPS policy review is not only expeditiously conducted, but what recommendations or policy adjustments come out of it that protect this trans child and others that happen to matriculate in this district 

Of course, news of what happened to the still unidentified trans child has pissed some folks off. 
People in the district and the Stafford County area are planning to attend the next scheduled Stafford County Public Schools board meeting scheduled for tomorrow night at 6:30 PM EDT to let the board and new Stafford County Public Schools superintendent Dr Scott Kizner have it.

One thing that needs to be repeatedly stated until it drilled into the heads of every employee and administrators in that district, is that a trans child's life is just as valuable as any cisgender kid. 

And that includes protecting their lives in an active shooter situation.

Tona Brown Blazing Trails Again

You know my sis Tona Brown has been #BlackTGirlMagic personified throughout her music career when it comes to trans people gaining attention in the classical music world.

She has sung for a sitting US president and performed at Carnegie Hall.  Now this December she will be participating in an all LGBTQ ensemble of soloists and musicians performing Handel's Messiah. 

Tona told me in a phone interview that she's still in shock that this is happening for her.

"I didn't know if this would happen for me in my lifetime," Brown said. "They asked me, and I'm still in shock about it."   "I'm pleased to be part of this groundbreaking event," she added.

This historic performance of The Messiah will take place at the First Presbyterian Church in Arlington, VA on December 15.   Address is 601 N Vermont Street in Arlington, and if you're in the DC-MD-VA area I hope you'll support this event

Ebony Morgan's Killer Found Guilty

Justice has been served in the Ebony Morgan case.

23 year old Kenneth Kelley. Jr pled guilty to second degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a felony in the July 2 murder of Morgan in Lynchburg, VA. 

Kelley fled the Lynchburg area and headed to Baltimore after fatally shooting Morgan, and was found at his mother's house a few days later.

He accepted a plea deal, and was sentenced to 40 years for the murder and 3 years fo the firearm charge.  23 years of the sentence was suspended by the judge for good behavior. 

According to Lynchburg Commonwealth's Attorney Bethany Harrison, Kelley will be spending the next 20 years in state prison for the crime.

Morgan's mother told a local news station that the sentence gives her some closure and she can sleep at night.

And another on of the people who took one of our sister's lives will be going to jail for it, even if it isn't as long as we as a community would like it to happen.

Virginia Del. Danica Roem Sworn In Today

Today was the day that Danica Roem made history by being officially sworn in along with the rest of her colleagues in the Virginia House of Delegates. 

Del Roem (D-Manassas) became the first openly trans person to be elected and seated to a state legislature since Althea Garrison served one term in the Massachusetts House in 1992 

Ironically that was the same year Bob Marshall, who Roem handily beat last November, was elected to the district that Roem now represents.

Marshall was one of the more outspoken opponents of TBLGQ rights and earned the nickname 'Bigot Bob' for his longtime efforts to use his powers to legislate oppression against the Virginia TBLGQ community.

Who controls the Virginia House is still very much in doubt asn wo close races are headed to court to hopefully be resolved.   The Republicans for now have a 51-49 edge in the chamber pending the results of the court cases.

But today I'm focused on Del. Roem's historic achievement.   She's already filed ten bills, many of them focused on he campaign promise to fix the traffic problems on Route 28, and will soon find out her committee assignments as this session continues.

One Vote Matters In Decisive VA House Race

Christmas came early for the Virginia Democratic Party.  In addition to sweeping the executive office positions. a decisive House of Delegates race was decided that ended the Republicans 17 year hold on the chamber.   They erased a 66-34 deficit and picked up 16 seats to do so

But the Democrats did sp by the slimmest of margins:  ONE vote.

Shelley Simonds (D) after a recount won a extremely tight race for the District 94 seat held by Republican incumbent Ralph Yancey in Newport News, VA. 

She was trailing by a razor thin 10 votes going into the recount, but made up the ten vote deficit to win the seat 11,608 to 11,607. 

If that result is upheld by a three judge panel today, then the Virginia House of Delegate will have a 50-50 split with a power sharing arrangement. 

The speaker of the House would rotate between both parties, with a Democratic speaker in control one day and a Republican speak the next.   Committees would have an even number of members from both parties and be co chaired bu a Democrat and a Republican.

So to that person in Newport News' District 94 who took the time to vote, your one vote mattered in a historic way, 

And let that in this upcoming election 2018 election cycle be a lesson to voters in Virginia and everywhere in the country.  Never let anyone tell you your one vote doesn't matter  .

Your one vote may be the decisive one.

Danica Roem Makes History!

Ever since Althea Garrison won a seat in the Massachusetts House in 1992, was outed two days after her win and served one term, out trans women in several states over multiple election cycles have tried to get elected to their respective state legislatures.

Tonight Danica Roem cracked that legislative glass ceiling for the trans community, and did so in an impressive and huge way, beating him by 10 points 55% - 45%

It's a win that is resounding across the commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and in the American transgender community.  Roem not only took down 26 year incumbent delegate Bob Marshall (R) in their VA 13 race, the win is even sweeter because 'Bigot Bob' Marshall is one of the TBLGQ community's longtime legislative haters.

Roem also outraised Marshall 3-1, receiving $500,000 in donations.  She also had a TransUnited Fund fuelled ground game that knocked on 75,000 doors and provided critical support during this historic and now successful run to a legislative seat.   

Marshall lived up to that nickname by not only refusing to debate Roem, but repeatedly misgendered her throughout the campaign.   Looks like Danica had the last laugh and Bigot Bob just discovered the hard way that rampant transphobia is not a pathway to electoral victory

Congratulations to Del-Elect Roem, who will possibly be taking her seat as part of a Democratic majority in the Virginia House of Delegates. 

She also with the breakthrough win has become the first out trans person to be elected and in January seated to a major state legislature.

On The Verge Of Making Trans Electoral History!

Tomorrow is Election Day in many locales across the country.   One of the things I have been keeping my eye on is the group of transgender political candidates who I hope will be making breakthrough political history tomorrow night.


First up are the twin historic campaigns of Andrea Jenkins and Phillipe Cunningham in Minneapolis for two city council seats.

If they win, they would hake history on several fronts.   In Cunningham's case, he would become the first trans masculine candidate elected to any office, and the first Black trans masculine candidate ever elected, and he's in a tight race for the Ward 4 seat. 

Jenkins would become the first out Black trans feminine candidate elected to public office and the first Black trans feminine person elected to public office since Althea Garrison in 1992.

Both Cunningham and Jenkins should they get elected would become the first trans candidates elected to a large metropolitan city council.

In New York State, Chrissie Browde's New Castle, NY town council race in Hillary Clinton's hood is being watched as it hits the homestretch.   Browde made history as the first New York State trans person to have the backing of the state's Democratic Party, and wants to build on it by getting elected to the town council as the second out trans elected official in New York state after Melissa Sklarz broke that electoral ceiling in 1999.

The race getting the most coverage so far of Danica Roem's Virginia House of Delegates race in which she is taking on a longtime enemy of the TBLGQ community in incumbent Del. Bob Marshall.

Bigot Bob is definitely earning his nickname in this race while Roem is fighting to take that seat away from him by focusing on the issues pertinent to the district and calling him out on his transphobia from time to time.

If you're in that Northern VA district, please handle your electoral business tomorrow.

These four candidates are all hard at work trying to get any last minute undecided voters in their columns, if you live in their locales, I hope you will vote for them

We'll know tomorrow night whether these four trans candidates were successful in this election cycle

Hard Hitting Ad Deployed In VA Governor's Race

The Virginia governor's race has gotten nasty as Democratic candidate Ralph Northam has pulled ahead in a recent poll over former GOP chair Ed Gillespie to a 17 point lead in his race.

Gillespie went to the Republican race-baiting playbook and unleashed an ad insinuating Northam has ties to the MS-13 street gang in a desperate and despicable attempt to try to cut into that lead.

It's about time that the Democrats hit back against this BS, and they went WWE (hallelujah) with their own ad paid for by the Eva Longoria founded Latino Victory Project (told y'all don't sleep on this Tejana) .

And Eva, please consider coming back home to Texas and running for the US Senate

It hits the GOP where it hurts, in their bigoted base.   It shows kids of color dreaming about being chased by a man in a truck with Confederate flags and a Gillespie bumper sticker on it.  Just as the kids are cornered and about to be run over they wake up as the announcer asks the question, "Is this what Donald Trump and Ed Gillespie mean by the American Dream?"

.


We'll see what transpires on November 7. 

Danica's Unapologetically Trans Political Commercial

As some of you are aware of, Danica Roem is taking on incumbent Delegate Bob Marshall (R) in a historic race for the District 13 seat that he's held since 1991 and used to be a relentless legislative oppressor to the Virginia TBLGQ community.

Roem won a four way primary race back in June to become the Democratic Party nominee in this race and earn the shot at taking down one of the TBLGQ community's longtime political enemies.

If she wins, she would not only became the first out trans person elected to a state legislative seat, she would become the first trans person elected to a US state legislature since since Althea Garrison did so in 1990. 

Bigot Bob is living up to his name by misgendering Danica, refusing to debate her and being a transphobic idiot on the campaign trail.

Danica fired back with this ad embracing her trans identity that Bigot Bob has been attacking.



Hope you Virginia TransGriot readers who live in District 13 are registered to vote and planning to help Danica make history in a few weeks. 

Bigot Bob Marshall 'Scurred' To Debate Danica Roem In VA Legislative Race

The Virginia state elections are happening on November 7, and if you live in the Commonwealth of Virginia and haven't handled your electoral business, bust a move and handle it before it's too late.

Been interesting to see 32 year old Danica Roem make her historic bid to become the first out trans person in the US to get elected to a state legislature and become the first to do so since Althea Garrison was elected to the Massachusetts state legislature in 1990.

Roem is taking on District 13 long time incumbent Del. Bob Marshall (R), who is a longtime enemy of the TBLGQ community and has justifiably earned the nickname he hates in 'Bigot Bob'.

The 73 year old Marshall is a prime example of what I'm talking about when I say that the most dangerous bigot is the one who has the power to write legislation.  

He sponsored Virginia's anti-gay marriage ban that was approved by a majority of Virginia voters in 2006 and was in effect until it was struck down in federal court and has been a longtime champion of anti- TBLGQ causes.  

In 2015 he tried to get a bill passed that would have legalized discrimination against Virginia's TBLGQ community in hotels, restaurants, schools, hospitals, government agencies and businesses.

In this recent legislative session he sponsored Virginia's attempt to pass an anti-trans bill modeled on North Carolina's HB 2 that thankfully died.

Marshall, who have been in the Virginia House of Delegates since 1992 representing this northern Virginia district that covers Prince William and Manassas counties, has been a proud foe of our community.

So it's hypocritical that  Marshall is now crying crocodile white tears because he's being called 'Bigot Bob' while in the same breath, his transphobic behind is misgendering his Democratic opponent and refusing to debate her.

I guess when you've been so busy using your legislative power to oppress people, it doesn't leave you time to learn what the actual issues are that affect your district, huh?

Good luck trying to use her trans feminine status to 'scurr' people into voting for you.   She's already winning the fundraising battle by a 5-1 margin at the local, state and national levels because there are a lot of people, especially in the TBLGQ community that want you gone.

It would be exceedingly delicious to me as a trans woman to see on November 7 Bigot Bob get taken down by a trans woman.   Danica has definitely demonstrated in the primary campaign that she handily won over four opponents and in this general election campaign that she does have a keen grasp of those issues, and that's probably why he's avoiding her.

Bigot Bob can run, but he can't hide forever, and he will have to face Danica Roem sooner or later. He can either do it now, or when he's making his concession speech on November 7

Another group of people he'll have to face on November 7 is the voters of District 13, which went solidly for Clinton in last year's presidential election

Number 15 - Rest In Power and Peace, Ebony Morgan

Here we go again.  We've lost another trans woman to anti-trans violence.

For this latest murder we go to Lynchburg, VA.   The News and Advance of Lynchburg is reporting that   Lynchburg police were called to 303 Riverfront Avenue at 1:07 AM EDT Sunday morning to find 28 year old Ebony Morgan suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

She was transported to Lynchburg General Hospital where she was unfortunately later pronounced dead

Lynchburg PD as of yet is not investigating this as a hate crime, and as of this writing there are no suspects or persons of interest in Morgan's murder.

No information as of yet of any vigils or memorial services being held for Ebony at this time

If you are in the Lynchburg area and have any information in this case that will bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice, you are urged to call Detective A.O. Kittrell at 434-455-6170 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-798-5900  

Morgan is now the 15th trans woman killed in 2017, all trans women of color, and the 13th African-American trans woman to die this year.    Jamie Lee Wounded Arrow was Native American and Josie Berrios was Latina.

Rest in power and peace, Ebony.  The community won't rest until the person or persons who killed you are brought to justice.  

Danica Roem Wins VA Dem Primary!

Danica Roem made a little political history in Virginia tonight.

She surprisingly bested three candidates, Steve Jansen, Andrew Adams and Mansimran Kahlon in the Democratic primary for the Virginia House of Delegates District 13 race to become the first out trans candidate in Virginia to win a primary race.

She now gets to take on the transphobic and homophobic Republican incumbent, Del. Bob Marshall in the general election that takes place on November 7.

Marshall has been in office since 1992 and has a long uganti-LGBTQ legislative history in the state.  He authored the Marshall-Newman Amendment to the Virginia constitution that banned same sex marriage in the Commonwealth of Virginia until it was overturned by a federal judge in 2014.  

Marshall also tried to pass unjust legislation similar to North carolina's HB 2 that would bar trans Virginians from using bathrooms in state owned government building consistent with their gender identity and presentation, but that bill was quickly killed by his fellow Republicans

Demographics in this 13th District in Prince William County and Manassas Park have increasingly been leaning more the Democrats way, and Hillary Clinton won this district last November by a 55%-40% margin.

So does she have a chance of making history and becoming the first elected out transgender state legislator and the first transperson elected to serve in a state legislature since Althea Garrison did so in Massachusetts in 1992?

She's captured the Democratic Party nomination, so she's halfway there.   As for will we be calling her Delegate-elect Roem on November 7, we'll see in a few months.

50th Anniversary of Loving v. Virginia SCOTUS Case

Today is the 50th anniversary of the US Supreme Court dropping the landmark Loving v Virginia case decision which killed the laws prohibiting interracial marriage in this county.

The case was brought by an interracial couple, Mildred and Richard Loving, who had gotten married in Washington DC in 1958 and returned to Virginia to live.   They were arrested, tried and convicted in the town of Bowling Green, VA for violating the white supremacist 1924 Racial Integrity Act.

They were sentenced to a year in jail, but the sentence was suspended under the condition that the Lovings leave Virginia and not return for 30 years not even to visit family.  

The Lovings moved to Washington DC, and Mildred Loving wrote a letter to then Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy appealing for help in their case.

That letter was forwarded to the ACLU,  whose lawyers subsequently filed the legal case that went to the Supreme Court.   On June 12, 1967 the SCOTUS unanimously ruled that Virginia's laws against interracial marriage violated the 14th Amendment and were unconstitutional.  

That ruling overturned similar laws still on the books in 16 states, and led to a surge of interracial marriages.  In addition, the precedent set in the Loving v Virginia case was cited in several cases holding that restrictions on same sex marriage in the United States was unconstitutional, including the 2015 Obergefell v Hodges SCOTUS decision.

In fact, Mildred Loving on the 40th anniversary of the case commented about the then same sex marriage battle that was raging and winding its way through the courts.

"I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights."

Richard Loving died in 1975 and Mildred Loving died in 2008, so they didn't get to see that legal precedent they set by standing up against injustice being used to strike down injustice against another group of marginalized Americans.

And in the United States today, one in every six married couples is an interracial one and I know more than a few of those couples in my own life.

So while this case wasn't exclusively about love conquering all as the movie Loving would have you believe, this case at its core was about striking down white supremacist oppression and an unjust law.

At the same time, to borrow a line from Battlestar Galactica, you cannot declare war on love.

2012 Sage Smith Case Is Now A Murder Investigation

Sage Smith of Charlottesville, VA went missing ironically on November 20, 2012, the Transgender Day of Remembrance, and still hasn't been found four years later.

The 19 year old left her home to meet Erik Tyquan McFadden at the Charlottesville train station, and hasn't been seen by her family and friends since.   McFadden has also gone missing since that time

The case after four years has now been reclassified as a homicide case, which opens it up to more law enforcement resources to be brought to bear on solving it.

With the reclassification, McFadden is now considered a person of interest in the homicide case.

Sage's grandmother Lolita Smith, like myself and others in the trans community, wondered what took so long to get to this step.

“Frankly, I don’t understand why they waited so long,” she said. “It’s been four years. I think the Charlottesville Police Department dropped the ball from day one.”

Here's hoping that the reclassification into a homicide case results in justice being served and us finally learning what happened to Sage..

RIP Nooni Norwood

Have some sad news to report on this Election Day in that we have lost another trans woman to anti-trans violence.

30 year old Nooni Norwood of Richmond, VA was shot on the city's south side in the 2700 block of Hull Street on November 5 and died from her wounds at the hospital the next day.

Richmond police have released a photo of a person of interest in Norwood's killing , and if  you have information that will lead to the capture and conviction of this person you are asked to call Major Crimes Detective Anthony Coates at (804) 646-0729 or Crime Stoppers at 780-1000

She is now the 24th trans woman to have been murdered this year, and once again, we've have lost another one of my Black trans sisters.

Once again, Black community I ask the question when will our Black Trans Lives Matter?

Rest in power and peace, Nooni.  Your trans family won't rest until the waste of DNA who killed you is captured and brought to justice.

2016 Vice Presidential Debate Tonight

It was clear to myself and other observers when it was over that Sec. Hillary Clinton spanked Donald Trump's incoherent behind in the first presidential debate.

So as we move toward the one and only debate between vice presidential candidates Sen. Tim Kaine (D) and Indiana Governor Mike Pence (R), the stakes are high for both sides.

This is also another historic debate moment in that we will have the first ever Asian-American journalist as a moderator for a national presidential or vice presidential debate in Elaine Quijano of CBS.

She's also at age 42, the youngest to do so since Judy Woodruff was tapped at age 41 to moderate a 1988 debate, and the first from a digital media outlet

And yeah Debate Commission, I repeat, your selection of debate moderators needs to be more diverse.

As they step onto the debate stage at Longwood University in Farmville, VA  Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine will have the job of keeping the momentum going that Clinton seized with her debate performance in front of 84 million viewers.   Republican vice presidential nominee Pence will have the job of trying to calm the nerves of distressed Trump supporters and stop the political bleeding unleashed by his out of control running mate.

Both Kaine and Pence in addition to introducing themselves on a national stage, will also have to demonstrate they will be capable of running this nation should the president become unable to perform their elected duties.

That's a concern for some voters because the presidential candidates at the top of the ticket if elected will be the oldest (Trump at 70), and second oldest (Clinton at 69) when they are inaugurated on January 20, and both vice presidential candidates are in their 50's

The viewing record for a vice presidential debate, just in case you're wondering about it, is 70 million viewers, which was set during the 2008 debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, which may not be in any danger, but you never know.

Vice presidential debates over the last few presidential election cycles from 1976-2008 according to Gallup don't affect the overall race much,   The average they affect the polls have been about one point.

Bu the possibility of a memorable moment can happen as the 1988 vice presidential debate demonstrated. When Sen. Dan Quayle tried to compare himself in that debate to President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Lloyd Bentsen responded, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine.  You are no Jack Kennedy."



There was also this moment in the 2012 vice presidential debate in which Vice president Joe Biden as part of his demolition of Rep. Paul Ryan unleashed the "Oh, now you're Jack Kennedy" line at his challenger.



Will there moments like that in this 2016 vice presidential debate?   You'll have to tune in to find out.  
The fun begins at 8 PM CDT

4th Circuit Denies En Banc Review In Gavin Grimm Case!

Good news for transkind from Richmond, VA.   Several hours ago the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals denied the Gloucester County Schools request to hold an en banc hearing in the Grimm vs Gloucester School Board case.   In an en banc review, all the active judges in the 4th Circuit court review the case, and there are currently 15 active judges in the 4th Circuit..

That means the favorable April ruling in the Grimm case stands, and the school board's only option is to take it to the US Supreme Court   The dissent in this ruling came from not surprisingly, Judge Paul Niemeyer (GHW Bush appointee) , who was on the dissenting end of the three judge panel that heard the Grimm case in April .

Of course, Grimm was ecstatic about yesterday's ruling from the 4th Circuit.

“Now that the Fourth Circuit’s decision is final, I hope my school board will finally do the right thing and let me go back to using the boys’ restroom again,” said Gavin Grimm, the high school junior who is the plaintiff in the case. “Transgender kids should not have to sue their own school boards just for the ability to use the same restrooms as everyone else.”

Also happy about the ruling are the folks fighting Hate Bill 2 in North Carolina, since it is under the 4th Circuit's jurisdiction.  .Three cases to strike down HB2 are pending in federal court in addition to the lawsuit the Department of Justice filed against the state several weeks ago.    

We need to stay tuned to see what happens next in this case and if the Gloucester School Board wants to continue being on the wrong side of history and pushing this all the way to the Supreme Court.

US 4th Circuit Court Of Appeals Rules In Favor Of Gavin Grimm!

In a closely watched case that will possibly have an effect on North Carolina's Hate Bill 2,  a federal appeals court ruled today that a policy barring Virginia trans masculine student Gavin Grimm from using the bathroom matching his current gender presentation at his high school is unconstitutional!

The three judge panel of the US 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, VA  overturned the Gloucester County School Board's unjust policy in a 2-1 decision.

US District Court Judge Robert G. Doumar  (Reagan appointee) last year had previously sided with the Gloucester County School Board in the GG vs Gloucester County Schools case, denying Grimm's sex discrimination claim because in his words, 'Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and not on the basis of other concepts such as gender, gender identity or sexual orientation."

The three judge panel said otherwise   Judges Henry Floyd and Andre Davis (Obama appointees) ruled in favor, judge Paul Niemeyer (GHW Bush appointee) was the dissenting judge.

'Because we conclude the district court did not accord appropriate deference to the relevant Department of Education regulations, we reverse its dismissal of G.G.'s Title IX claim. Because we conclude that the district court used the wrong evidentiary standard in assessing G.G.'s motion for a preliminary injunction, we vacate its denial and remand for consideration under the correct standard.  We therefore reverse in part, vacate in part, and remade the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.'  

The Justice Department filed a 'statement of interest' in this case declaring that failure to allow transgender students to use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity was sex discrimination. .

The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling establishes legal precedent in every state in the circuit that includes, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and North Carolina.

"I feel so relieved and vindicated by the court's ruling,' said Grimm in a statement released from the ACLU. "today's ruling gives me hope that my fight with help other kids avoid discriminatory treatment at school."

Stay tuned, because we trans folks may have just gotten another legal hammer to whack HB 2 with  

This case also emphatically points out that elections not only matter, the person sitting in the Oval Office selecting who goes onto these federal judicial benches matters, too.