A 'Crumb' Turns One: Byrd-Shepard Hate Crimes Act Anniversary

President Obama's GL haters slime any legislation or policy that isn't related to same gender marraige, DADT or DOMA repeal as 'crumbs'.

Today is the one year anniversary of one of those 'crumbs', the signing into law of one of the trans community's legislative Holy Grails, the Byrd-Shepard Hate Crimes Act.

Just to recap what it is, the Byrd-Shepard Hate Crimes Act is an expansion of the 1969 US federal hate crimes law to include crimes motivated by a victims actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.   The law also directs the Federal Bureau of Investigation to track hate crime statistics.

The Byrd-Shepard Hate Crimes Act

• removes the prerequisite that the victim be engaging in a federally-protected activity, like voting or going to school.
• gives federal authorities greater ability to engage in hate crimes investigations that local authorities choose not to pursue.
• provides $5 million per year in funding for fiscal years 2010 through 2012 to help state and local agencies pay for investigating and prosecuting hate crimes;
• requires the FBI to track statistics on hate crimes against trans people as it does with other affected groups. 

This is what the president had to say about it one year ago.

But our legislative work is not finished.   We still need to pass an inclusive ENDA and an inclusive SNDA.
Here's hoping that finally happens and gets signed into law as soon as possible.

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing Anniversary

Today is the 47th anniversary of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church terrorist bombing in Birmingham, AL. Four teen girls, Addie Mae Collins (aged 14), Denise McNair (aged 11), Carole Robertson (aged 14), and Cynthia Wesley (aged 14), were killed in the attack, and 22 additional people were injured, one of whom was Addie Mae Collins' younger sister, Sarah.

It took a while, but 'Dynamite Bob' Chambliss and his hooded terrorist henchmen were eventually tried and convicted for the crime. Chambliss was convicted in November 1977 and died in prison October 29, 1985. Herman Cash died before being arrested for the crime while Thomas Blanton and Bobby Cherry were arrested in 2000.

Blanton was subsequently convicted for the terrorist act as well.

Hurricane Katrina 5th Anniversary

Today is the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katina's devastating landfall in the New Orleans area.

I was pissed off when it happened then and I'm still angry about what happened to New Orleans in the wake of this disaster. And don't even get me started on Karl Rove using this tragedy for GOP political purposes.

New Orleans is one of the unique treasures of America, and it took a major blow.

It has half the population nowadays and the 2010 Census will reveal just how much population the Big Easy lost.

The aftermath of Katrina has profound social and political consequences as well. Rove went into this with the intent of turning Louisiana red and suceeded. In his zeal to do so, he may have sowed the seeds to turn Texas into a swing state thanks to all the people displaced from New Orleans who relocated to Dallas and Houston.

Thanks to all those New Orleans evacuees who stayed here combined with Latino population growth, our population in Houston finally surpassed 2 million. If it's confirmed by the census, it will trigger the addition of two more city council seats.

We Gulf Coast residents also take hurricane evacuation warnings seriously now.

We also know another affect it had-It highlighted the GW Bush administration's gross incompetence and putting a bright media spotlight on the failure of conservapolicies. It was a factor in helping eject the GOP from federal power and giving the Dems control of Congress in 2006.

So on this fifth anniversary, let's pray for and remember the people who lost their lives during and after the storm and never forget what happened to New Orleans.

March On Washington 47th Anniversary

Since Beckapalooza is happening today, rhis video is more timely than ever in showing the contrasts between Beck's vanilla flavored rally and the multicultural one that happened in 1963.

49th Anniversary Of The Building Of The Berlin Wall

Our right wing friends probably got the idea for the 'Tortilla Curtain' from what happened 49 years ago today, the start of construction for the Berlin Wall and the subsequent Inner German Border fence.



For you peeps who were toddlers or weren't even thought of, while I was a year from being born myself when the Berlin Wall went up, it was a reality for people of my generation who grew up during the Cold War and remember 'duck and cover' drills and Checkpoint Charlie.

Here's an excellent documentary from the German national network Deutsche Welle called 'Walled In'. It gives you an idea what The Wall looked like through the magic of computer animation circa the 1980s in the Bernauer Strasse area and a glimpse of the IGB.



Much of it has been dismantled since its fall in 1989, but sections of it are still preserved in Germany as memorials to the people who died trying to cross it to freedom.

30th Anniversary of Houston Crossdressing Ordinance Repeal

Today is the day 30 years ago that an ordinance was passed by Houston City Council that repealed Section 28-42.4 of the city’s Code of Ordinances, more popularly known back in the day as the anti-crossdressing ordinance.

It had been on the city's legal books since 1904 and was used by HPD during the oppressive leadership reign of hated police chief Herman Short to harass the Houston GLBT community.

Thanks to a 1972 lawsuit by transwoman Anne Mayes that got an injunction against the Houston Police to back up off her and quit using it to harass her and the 3.5 years of hard work of my activist mentor Phyllis Frye, the transpeople of my generation and beyond could walk the streets of Houston without being arrested or harassed by the Houston po-po's for wearing the apparel of the opposite gender.

And now, a link to a 2006 OutSmart magazine story by Ann Walton Sieber about the repeal

Tyra Hunter Death 15th Anniversary

Today marks another sad anniversary.

It's the 15th anniversary of the death of Tyra Hunter on August 7, 1995 at the hands of Washington DC transphobes.

Transphobes who sadly held the titles of doctor, nurse and emergency medical technician.

While her mother Margie Hunter eventually won a multimillion dollar settlement for EMT Adrian Williams' reprehensible actions at the corner of 50th and C Streets in Southeast DC, I'd wager she'd be willing to give up every penny to have her child back.

Unfortunately the lack of medical treatment and medical transphobia that prematurely ended Tyra's life is still being experienced by transpeople 15 years later.

A protest sadly will be taking place in front of Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, IN on August 17 to detail another instance of medical personnel behaving badly.

Transpeople continue to be disrespected and refused needed treatment by transphobic people in the medical profession. That lack of compassionate treatment and disrespect can have serious consequences not only for our health, but for people's lives.

People in the medical profession need to have the message driven home to them that your faith based hatred of transpeople does not override your responsibilities to expeditiously do your job in an emergency situation, and do no harm to that trans patient.

If it takes them losing some money out of their wallets and purses or pickets in front of medical facilities that disrespect us to drive that message home, then so be it.

Medical transphobia has the potential to kill people, and we owe it to Tyra Hunter's memory to make sure the medical profession and society at large hears that message.

Remembering A Sophisticated Lady

It's hard to believe that 15 years has passed since singer Phyllis Hyman committed suicide on this date a few days short of her 46th birthday.

She was one of my favorite singers in addition to me loving the fact that this strikingly beautiful sister was six feet tall without her heels.

And she could rock some hats in addition to being my fictional guardian angel in two short stories I wrote for the blog.

The Pittsburgh native had a career that spanned Broadway, did a cameo in the Spike Lee movie School Daze in addition to having hit records such as 'Betcha By Golly Wow', 'Living All Alone', 'Somewhere In My Lifetime', 'I Don't Want To Lose You' and The Answer Is You' in addition to my favorite songs by her 'Don't Wanna Change The World', 'Can't We Fall In Love Again', 'I Refuse to be Lonely', 'Meet Me On The Moon' and 'You Know How To Love Me'.








Even 15 years later, you are still loved and missed by your fans.

10th Anniversary of Amanda Milan Murder

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the viciously brutal killing of transwoman Amanda Milan at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York on June 20, 2000.

It's been ten years since that night that then 20 year old Dwayne McCuller used a knife borrowed from then 26 year old Eugene Celestine to slash the throat and jugular vein of Amanda Milan.

The New York trans community was outraged, especially after the murder wasn't prosecuted as a hate crime. McCuller pled guilty and was sentenced in November 2002 to 17.5 years to life in prison for Amanda's murder.

An emotional and well attended memorial service was held July 23 in which her friend, the late Octavia St. Laurent used her eulogy of Amanda to rip into the media, the ignorant, sexist, and the African-American community.

"Amanda was a transsexual. She was killed because she was a transsexual. Her neck was slashed and her story went unreported because she was Black and a transsexual." .

"The Black community is the worst," she said. "They who have suffered from prejudice in this country have treated us worse than any other people.

"White people have rights, Black people have rights. Gay people have rights. Animals have rights. Transgenders have no rights."

"People refer to us as `it,' `thing' and `that.' They call us he/she. They say, 'What was that?' Being gay is O.K. They are on TV. How many will have to die before they recognize we are not expendable? We are transgenders."

Octavia's question asked during that July 2000 memorial service sadly has gone unanswered. Black transpeople ten years later continue to be murdered for who they are. Unlike Amanda's killer who is still rotting in jail, many of those people brutally taken from us have yet to see their killers be brought to justice.

Black transpeople are still waiting for our government to recognize them as human beings deserving of civil rights protection.

Octavia stated during that memorial service eulogy, "Death will not be the last word for Amanda Milan."

She's absolutely right in that regard. As long as TransGriot and other trans themed blogs that cover African American transpeople are around, we will make certain that something positive comes out of it and Amanda's death never fades from our collective memory.

Happy 8th Anniversary STRAP!

Thanks to Naomi's excellent PinayTG blog, I've been able to keep up with developments happening with our transpinay sisters in the Philippines and around the world through links from her site.

I learned that the 8th anniversary of STRAP's founding is occurring this month as well. I have had the distinct pleasure of not only getting to know Naomi, but Sass Rogando Sasot, one of the founders of that trailblazing organization.

Since 2002, STRAP has grown to not only become an advocacy and support group for transpinays, they have developed transwomen who are highly regarded leaders on the world stage in terms of transgender rights issues.

So I definitely wanted to give STRAP a shout out at the beginning of its anniversary month.

Happy 8th Anniversary STRAP!

May you continue to grow, prosper, and educate people about our lives in the Philippines.

May you also continue your tradition of being shining example of courageous leadership for transpinays and your trans sisters around the world.

15th Anniversary Of Oklahoma City Bombing

At 9:02 AM CDT 15 years ago, 5000 pounds of explosives inside a rented truck were detonated by domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh near the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

The explosion McVeigh set off was heard 30 miles away, but the emotional shock wave covered the entire country.

The terror attack killed 168 people including 19 children, destroyed half of the building and injured another 800 people.

The anti-government hate that fueled it is alive and well. It's only increasing in intensity since an African-American moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with his family.

Domestic terrorists in this country are disproportionately part of one ethnic group, and the terrorism as pointed out in a 2009 Homeland Security report is predominately coming from the right wing.

We need to be cognizant of that fact as we remember what happened 15 years ago today in Oklahoma City.

The anti-government rhetoric is even more polarizing and more racist than it was during the Clinton administration.

We also need to spend as much time and effort cracking down on domestic anti-government terrorists as we do keeping an eye on al-Qaeda and breaking up their terror cells.

Not So Happy Easter

My joy at the arrival of another Easter Sunday is tempered by the fact that this one falls on a sad date in American history. Today is also the 42nd anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It's a little tough to concentrate on listening to your minster give their annual Easter themed sermon about resurrection with the backdrop of Dr. King's senseless death weighing on your mind.

But in a sense, the themes of resurrection and rebirth kind of play out in Dr. King's life. He was a leader who resurrected our pride in ourselves as a people and got us African descended Americans to throw off the mental chains that were oppressing us.

That resurrection and rebirth of pride allowed us to become tough minded enough to march boldly for our constitutionally guaranteed civil rights.

As he said in his 'I've Been To The Mountaintop' speech, we as a people would get to the Promised Land. We're not there yet, but on every April 4 I take time out of my day to ponder what I can do to help myself and other Trans African Americans get to that promised land of freedom and fairness for all.

And Easter seems to be a perfect day to ponder that as well.

Why Y'all Expect The Black President To Clean Up In One Year What It Took The Incompetent White President Eight Years To Jack Up?

January 20 was the one year anniversary of President Obama's inauguration.

It's been a rocky year for the first African American occupant of that office and not all of the drama he's faced this year has come from Republicans and their Faux News watching teabaggers. Some of the sniping has come from the liberal-progressive side as well.

Yeah, after eight years of Peter Principle incompetence I was more than ready for a Democratic president to take the reins and guide this country in a different, more positive direction than the previous misadministration.

But I think that much of the electorate who heard the word 'Change' in many of President Obama's speeches didn't hear or weren't paying attention to the rest of the speeches when he said that change isn't easy, it's difficult and it's hard to achieve.

Especially when you have politically timid wusses in the Senate.

What I'm observing once again and is starting to concern me in the wake of Martha Coakley's stunning loss in the Massachusetts senate race is the age old pattern of white people falling for the okey-doke and voting against their own economic and political interests.

My irritation is also exacerbated by gay peeps who expected in one year to have DOMA repealed, Don't Ask Don't Tell ended, same gender marriage become the law of the land, and ENDA and hate crime legislation get passed.

It was also interesting and aggravating to note that the same gay critics were not only Hillary supporters, but were openly saying before the man even spent a minute in the Oval Office last year that he would be the 'worst president ever on GLBT rights issues'.

The 'worst president ever' on gay rights signed Hate crimes into law, and repealed a travel ban for HIV/AIDS peeps seeking to enter the country, in addition to appointing GLBT peeps to various jobs in his administration.

He's also pursuing policies that will lift all boats inside and outside the GLBT community.

But what the horrible Supreme Court decision allowing unlimited corporate money in campaigns combined with this stunning loss shows is that whatever our beefs, we're much better off with this man in office than a Republican. We also need to do a better job of fighting for our agenda and making it clear to the Democrats in congress to fight harder for it, not compromise it away.

I'm irritated about the fact that this president has had the unreasonable expectation put on him of cleaning up eight years of GOP mismanagement in one year.

While I'm not happy about how jacked up health care got, I have to give the man props for even trying to solve the problem in his first term.

I also have a four word argument for an Obama second term:

Liberal Supreme Court majority.

Do you peeps want the Roberts Court as currently constituted to be deciding GLBT rights or any progressive issues? Remember Scalia and his right wing friends aren't getting any younger, and neither are our liberals on the court.

It's not only about the economy, stupid, it's about the Supreme Court, stupid.

President Obama needs some slack and the same eight years y'all gave the previous white president to do what he needs to do to get this country back on track.

And we progressive peeps need to be busting our asses to ensure he gets it. Because rest assured, in 2012 the GOP and the 'white' wing will be coming at him with a 'Great White Hope' candidate that won't be amenable to our issues and agenda.