Upcoming 1st Annual Black Transmen Empowerment Retreat Conference & Dinner

I am so happy to see my transmen stepping up their leadership game and owning their power.

Just up I-45 from me from March 29-April 1 will be the 1st Annual Black Transmen Empowerment Retreat Conference & Dinner at the Dallas Marriott Suites Market Center Hotel.  

Address of the hotel is 2493 North Stemmons Fwy in Dallas, TX 75207


The theme of the event will be "Stepping Up - Stepping OUT"  Men Uniting and Impacting The World.and is sponsored by Black Transmen, Inc.

Hope this conference is a mega successful event and it just gets bigger and better. 

3rd Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit Approaching

TransGriot Note:  The 3rd Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit on August 12-13 is rapidly approaching.  Here's more details for you folks in the Houston area and the Lone Star State who would like to attend. 

***

The Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, the Houston GLBT Community Center, and the Hollyfield Foundation present:

3rd Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, hosted by the University of Houston Department of English.

The 2011 Summit will be held at the University of Houston in the Roy G. Cullen Bldg, Room 104, on Friday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13.


The keynote speakers will be Dr Paige Schilt (Aug 12) and Megan Stabler (Aug 13).

For the third consecutive year, the ACLU will be represented at the Summit and discuss caselaw with the participants on August 12. This is exciting especially since the ACLU has presented at every Summit since its beginnings. It is now a tradition for the ACLU to talk to us at the Summit. We will also have Phyllis Frye, Frye and Associates PLLC, talking to us on August 13 about additional caselaw. Phyllis Frye is a Texas A&M and University of Houston Alum.

Currently the following colleges and universities have the phrase "gender identity and expression" included in their nondiscrimination statement:
Rice University
University of Texas Austin
South Texas College of Law
University of Texas Pan Am

The University of Houston has issued the Izza Lopez Memo indicating discrimination against transgender employment is not tolerated.

The following Texas Independent School Districts have Transgender Inclusive Policies: Houston Independent School District and Fort Worth Independent School District.

After the first day of the Summit, the Houston Transgender Unity Committee and the Houston Transgender Center have collaborated to host dinner for the attendees at their center located at 604 Pacific Houston Texas. So plan on great food and fellowship after the first day of sharing at the Summit.

==========================​==================
Here is the lineup for speakers and workshops this summer:

Day One

• UH Welcome, Dr. Ira Colby, Dean Graduate College of Social Work

• August 12, 2011 Keynote Speaker, Dr. Paige Schilt, Prof and Bilerico Project; Jordan Johnson, student; and Siobhan Cooke, student; Southwestern University;
Gender Neutral Housing for Texas Students: Strategies and Challenges,

August 12, 2011 workshops:
• Recent Developments in Transgender Legal Rights, Mitchell Katine, on behalf of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

• Creating Gay Straight Alliances (GSA), Deb Murphy, Montrose Counseling Center; HATCH Youth Services Specialist

• Transitioning on the Job at Texas State University, Prof. Kristen G. Ploeger, Ph.D, Texas State University-San Marcos

• Transgender Inclusion in University Nondiscrimination Statements: Challenging Gender Conforming Privilege through Student Activism, Prof Kim Case, Ph.D, UH Clear Lake and Josephine P Tittsworth, LMSW, Doctorial Student, UH Graduate College of Social Work

• BBQ Dinner and Social at the Transgender Center, 604 Pacific, Houston Texas 77006

Day Two

• UH Welcome, Dr Wyman Herendeen, UH Department of English, Chair

August 13 workshops:

• Inclusive Language and Policies for School Districts and Junior Colleges: A How-To Toolkit, Rafael McDonnell, Lee Taft, J.D., M.Div., and Deborah Cavazos, Resource Center Dallas Texas

• Transgender Health Priorities: A Knowledge, Barriers, Vulnerabilities Model, Katy Stewart, Transgender Education Network of Texas

• August 13, 2011 Keynote Speaker, Meghan Stabler, Board of Directors Human Rights Campaign (HRC);
You, A Life Worth Living,

• Transgender Case-Law, Phyllis R. Frye, Frye and Associates PLLC

• Building Grassroots Change in Your Local Community, Christopher Busby, President Log Cabin Republicans, Houston Texas; Jenifer Renee Poole, Candidate for Houston City Council At-Large-2
==========================​==================

We are working on setting up hotel info that will be posted here soon so keep checking in to get the latest updates for the Summit. Register today.

Registration is now open via Event Brite. Please register today.

To register by mail, send your check made payable to the Houston GLBT Community Center to:
Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, P. O. Box 1095, Baytown, Texas 77522

Regular Registration fee: $20
Student Registration fee: $10

For more information and to register, go to http://www.houstonglbtcomm​unitycenter.org/texastrans​gendernondiscriminationsum​mit/
Or email txtgsummit@gmail.com

Alyras' The Unfinished Album

I had a guest post from Alyras two years ago entitled Why She Was Out As a Transgender Entertainer.    Since then she's continued with her music career and getting connected with other trans musicians.

She sent me a note recently letting me know that she was about to release a new album of songs called The Unfinished Album.

I'll let her take it from here:

Here's a link to the demo playlist of the album; just load it into your media player and check it out:
http://www.artofpop.com/unfinishedalbum/TheUnfinishedAlbum-DemoPlaylist.zip - I think you'll smile about the results of my efforts.

If you like what you hear, please consider sharing this link on your wall - http://www.artofpop.com/unfinishedalbum - as well as logging onto http://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-of-Pop/125273134223854 and adding me to your Likes and sharing these links with your other friends. BTW, I'll be releasing it soon through CD Baby, iTunes and other outlets, but it's on sale right now. 9 songs, only €5.

Thanks Alyras for sharing that with me, and with that, well peeps, here's your opportunity to support another trans music artist.   If we don't do it, who will?

It's past time to be about helping other transpeople in the 2K10's

TransGriot Is Joining Transadvocate As A Contributor

With the What Are Y'all Gonna Do New York Trans Community? post, I wanted to announce that I am officially joining the roster of people who post at the Transadvocate blog such as Katrina Rose, Transadvocate editrix Marti Abernathey, and Gemma Seymour

Marti and I have been talking about it off and on for a few months and I believe it'll be a win-win situation for both of us.  It was simply time to make the move, have another venue and group of readers to expose my writing talents to and my style fits in with TA's tell it like T-I-S is approach.

You'll see selected TransGriot posts show up there more frequently. 


I'm pleased and honored to be posting at a transcentric group blog like TA on a regular basis as well with a great group of thoughtful writers who are just as passionate about the advancement of trans civil rights coverage and talking about trans issues as I am.   

.