2009 NE Trans Pride March And Rally Today

I was one of the speakers at the inaugural event last year Northampton, MA and had a blast.

I got to enjoy the New England hospitality of some old friends, make some new ones, give a speech in front of 1000 people and squeeze in a side trip to the Basketball Hall Of Fame.

The flight home did get a little scary, though.

I was happy to hear that the second annual version of the NE Pride March and Rally will be taking place once again in Northampton as I write this.

It starts with an 11 AM march and ends with a rally that will conclude at 5 PM EDT

Two of the speakers on the program are my old friends Louis Mitchell and Ethan St. Pierre.

Hope y'all have some great (and cooler) weather for it, an even larger crowd and another successful event. Sorry I couldn't be there, but hope I am blessed to make it back in your neck of the woods next year.

TLDEF and Green Family Statement on Sentencing in Lateisha Green Trial

The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) today welcomed Judge William Walsh's sentencing of convicted killer Dwight R. DeLee to the maximum term of 25 years in prison in connection with the shooting death of Lateisha Green. Green, a 22-year-old African American transgender woman was shot and killed by DeLee on Nov. 14, 2008 in Syracuse, NY.

On July 17, a 12-member jury found 20-year-old DeLee guilty of manslaughter in the first degree as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon. DeLee's conviction for committing a hate crime is the first involving the death of a transgender person in New York State. It is only the second such conviction in United States history. In addition to the sentence for manslaughter, DeLee was sentenced to a concurrent term of 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison on the weapon possession conviction.

"Today, a measure of justice has been delivered for Lateisha Green and her family with the imposition of the maximum sentence for this crime," said TLDEF Executive Director and attorney Michael Silverman. "While nothing can make up for the loss Lateisha's family has suffered, this sentence helps to bring some closure to Lateisha's family. The sentence sends a clear message that violence targeted at transgender people will be heavily penalized."

Silverman has been working with the family since Lateisha's death in November. He was on the ground in Syracuse throughout the trial working closely with Lateisha's family. TLDEF collaborated with its sister organizations, including the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the Empire State Pride Agenda and the Rainbow Alliance of Central New York.

"Transgender Americans continue to face a serious risk of violence and discrimination. African American transgender women are at particularly high risk," added Silverman. "Neither New York State law nor federal law includes gender identity or expression as hate crime categories and that sends a dangerous message that it is acceptable to leave part of our community vulnerable to hateful acts of violence simply because of who they are. We call upon our state and federal lawmakers to ensure adoption of transgender-inclusive legislation that will protect everyone regardless of their gender identity and gender expression."

Following the sentencing, Lateisha Green's family released this statement:

Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that violence motivated by anti-transgender bias is unacceptable and wrong. It affects everyone in a community and it has left many hurt and distraught. We can only hope that Teish’s story will prevent any more loss of life simply because someone is different.

It has been a little over nine months since Teish was taken away from us. On November 14, 2008, Dwight DeLee aimed a rifle and shot Teish. All it took was one bullet to pierce her heart. That one bullet ended Teish’s life and all of the possibilities that could have been a part of her future.

That one bullet took away our brave and beloved family member and friend. But it also pierced our hearts and left us all feeling fearful, sad and angry. All of our hopes and dreams that we had for Teish were taken away from us simply because Teish was transgender. One bullet shattered all of our lives.

Every possibility for Teish slipped away when Dwight DeLee shot and killed her. But today’s sentencing by the judge has left us to believe that new possibilities have replaced old ones. A possibility to begin a conversation for reconciliation and understanding in Syracuse. A possibility to pass state and federal laws that would protect everyone from this kind of violence. A possibility to share Teish’s story so that nobody will ever have to know the feeling of losing a child because of that child's gender identity.

We want to thank everyone who supported our family during this difficult process and helped us to share Teish’s story. No legal proceeding can provide full closure for us. But we know that closure will come into our hearts as we continue to share this story with the world. We can only hope that more conversations about Teish and her life will prevent another bullet from taking another life. Though Teish left us 9 months ago, she has given us all the possibility to work towards a better tomorrow.

Thank you.

Busy Drama Filled Weekend (And Week)

You probably noticed loyal TransGriot readers that I didn't post as much as I normally do this week or last weekend.

It's not that I didn't have anything to talk about or that I was in need of a writing break. I was more than a little irritated that I was on the cybersidelines with all of the breaking news and other assorted madness percolating on the net and elsewhere. The problem was the borrowed laptop computer I was working with went down.

Unfortunately I was working on a post last Friday at the exact moment Blogger was getting cyberattacked. A major file was corrupted that knocked me offline for a few days. To complicate matters my job called asking if I could cover an open shift and I ended up squeezing 36 hours in over a three day period.

However, during my work and at home downtime I did get the opportunity to jot my thoughts down on a notepad. Over the next few days, weeks and months you'll get to see what I came up with in this space.

Since the laptop was being worked on, couldn't take it with me to compile those thoughts that came to mind while I was at work. In addition, thanks to the recent flood we had here in Da Ville, the public library computers aren't an option for the next several weeks because the system servers were housed in the basement of the main library building downtown that flooded.

My computer guru Polar excels at and earns his living cleaning up electronic messes, so I had to patiently wait until he got some time in his busy life to deal with it.

I just received Computer Prime today. The replacement motherboard didn't work, so it had to be sent back to the manufacturer. Polar received the new new motherboard, and thanks to his hard work Computer Prime is ready and better than ever.

I have a much larger hard drive, new power supply, new DVD/RW drive and memory to spare to make Computer Prime run faster.

As always, thank you and know that I deeply appreciate you loyal readers for spending your valuable web surfing time here at TransGriot. Thanks to those of you who are moved enough by my writing to comment on the various posts as well.

Big thank you to Polar for everything you've done to get Computer Prime literally back up to speed. Know that I deeply appreciate it.

Speaking of back up to speed, the break is over, and it's past time for me to get back in the blogging game

Computer Down

Hey peeps.
Will be offline for a few days. Motherboard died on my computer yesterday and it will be at least a week before I can get back up on The Net.

I do have some posts on automatic that will come up during my anticipated downtime.

I have to order some parts for it, and that's a pain since I love writing something on an everyday basis.

So as soon as I get my computer technical difficulties settled you'll see me back on my regular posting schedule.

Justice For Teish Update III

For those of you in the Syracuse area, on Saturday July 11 there will be a LGBT Community memorial service for LaTeisha Green from 12 Noon-4 PM EDT.

It's being coordinated by P.E.A.C.E., the Rainbow Alliance of Central New York, and the family of LaTeisha Green

It will be held at the First English Lutheran Church at 501 James St. in Syracuse, NY

The program for the memorial service will be emceed by Akosua and include La Joven Guardia del Teatro y La danza Latina, the Syracuse Gay and Lesbian Chorus, Rev. Sharon Perry and remarks from the family.

There will also be a dinner following the program and a dance with DJ Flagg behind the turntables. If you need further info you may call 315-478-1923

The Facebook group set up by Gina Morvay as of this writing stood at 4,158 members. To join, you can go to www.facebook.com and search 'Justice For Teish Green or simply click on this link.

If you're in the Syracuse area, the trial once again will be starting on Monday July 13. The Judge will be the Hon. William D. Walsh and the venue will be the Onondaga County Court.

Last month Judge Walsh made several rulings during a preliminary hearing in the case which included denying Dwight DeLee's constitutional challenge to the application of the hate crimes statute in this case, allowing the hate crime charges to proceed.

The address of the Onondaga County/City of Syracuse Criminal Courthouse is 505 South State St. Syracuse, N.Y. 13202-2104

The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund in addition to working closely with the Green family, the Rainbow Alliance of Central New York and GLAAD, has put together on its website a resource kit.

They plan to do frequent Twitter updates during the trial, so if you wish to access those tweets you can sign up to follow TLDEF.

Also have to respectfully ask this question. Did anyone consider doing a posthumous name change for Teish? I ask because that what Gwen Araujo's mother did in the aftermath of her murder when she got tired of the media disrespectfully using her old name.

I'm also hearing there are people trying to get TruTV to cover this trial, which they should.

It's not only a groundbreaking trial for New York State, it would highlight the fact that many of the African-American transpeople being murdered are by other African-Americans.

It also hammers home the point that 70% of the Remembering our Dead list is made up of Latina or African-American transpeople.

Guest Blogging At Feministe!

I received another surprise when I recently checked my e-mail and discovered one from Jill of Feministe.

It was an invitation for the TransGriot to do a two week guest blogging stint there. I accepted it and you'll see my guest posts appearing there starting on August 31.

It's an honor as a transwoman of African descent to be extended an invitation to guest blog there. You know I'll be 'representin' and telling it like it T-I-S is a I always strive to do here at TransGriot.

Renee of Womanist Musings will be guest bogging over there as well starting August 17 along with one of my regular readers Bint Alshamsa of My Private Casbah (July 13). Frau Sally Benz from Jump Off The Bridge guest blogging stint starts August 3, and Queen Emily from Questioning Transphobia started guest blogging over there June 29.

So check out Feministe and some of the great commentary that I'm sure we'll all be producing just as we do on our own blogs.

Justice For Teish Update

We are counting down to the July 13 start date for the trial of Dwight DeLee, the alleged killer of Lateisha Green.

Since the media ain't doing it, with the help of my trans brothers and trans sisters, allies, and fellow bloggers, I'll do my best on TransGriot to try to keep you informed and updated about the developments in the upcoming DeLee trial.

I had this post last month jump starting it, but my game plan is to do more frequent updates from now until the end of the trial.

Bear in mind that I'm a long way from Syracuse, NY, so if you live in the area, help a sistah out. Help us shine a glaring spotlight on the case and generate buzz so it gets covered properly. Shoot me an e-mail reporting what's going on from time to time. You might catch something I miss, especially since you live in the area.

July 2 News

Got an e-mail from Gina stating that the Justice For Teish site on Facebook has now garnered 1,000 members. However, the site for Angie had 5,000 members at the same time period, and there's been a huge disparity in the media coverage vis-a-vis the two trials.

I'm having conversations with peeps at GLAAD and will be attempting to get in contact with people at TruTv to get them to cover his trial.

Far too many of the victims of anti-trans violence happen to share my ethnic background and far too often their killers are other African-Americans who either get away with it or get a legal slap on the wrist.

Blogtalk Radio Show-Remembering Michael Jackson

We're doing a special Womanist Musings show tonight at 9 PM EDT in honor of the legendary Michael Jackson.

You can check out our show page at Blogtalkradio, or if you miss it, check out and download the podcast once it uploads. If you wish to join in the live conversation, the call in number is (347) 326-9452

We'll be back with another show next week on July 4. Since we'll be celebrating Canada Day on Renee's side of the border (July 1) and Independence day on mine, our topic we'll be discussing is why are people of color in Canada and the United States considered less patriotic than white citizens of both countries.

It should be a fascinating conversation.

A&PI Wellness Center Co-Hosts Dance For SF Pride Celebration

TransGriot Note: For those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area looking for something to do for Pride June 27-28, you may wish to check out this event. For further info about it you can contact Stephanie Goss at 415-292-3420 ext. 330 or David Stupplebeen at 415-292-3420 ext. 361

ASIAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER WELLNESS CENTER CO-HOSTS A&PI DANCE ARENA AT SAN FRANCISCO'S 39TH LGBT PRIDE

Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center will host the Asian & Pacific Islander (A&PI) Contingent, Pavilion and Dance Arena at the 39th San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Parade and Celebration on Sunday June 28, 2009, featuring Grand Marshals Lieutenant Dan Choi and Helen Zia and special guest ONGINA.

In collaboration with Club Dragon and SHANGRI-LA, A&PI Wellness Center will present the very first A&PI Dance Arena from 12:00 - 6:30 pm PDT, featuring guest DJs and dance groups such as Downe FX and Twisted Illusion, hosted by an array of spectacular personalities led by community icon, Tita Aida.

A&PI Wellness Center will also offer free, confidential, and anonymous rapid oral HIV testing and Hep B screening for at-risk A&PIs from 10 am to 5 pm PDT at A&PI Wellness Center's booth in the A&PI Pavilion on Polk Street and Golden Gate Avenue. Including HIV prevention education in the Pride celebration is more important now, than ever, particularly in the face of the drastic California state budget cuts proposed by Governor Schwarzenegger (which includes a reduction of $80.1 million from HIV funding alone).

The threat of HIV/AIDS continues to grow in the U.S., particularly in communities of color who collectively represent 70% of the national epidemic. The impact of the disease among A&PIs is alarming, though less-publicized than that of Blacks and Latinos.

In A&PI communities, the HIV/AIDS rate rose 34% from 1999 to 2003 and another 10% since then. Moreover, the number of HIV diagnoses among young A&PI gay men more than doubled between 2001 and 2006. Despite this, over two thirds of the A&PI community has never been tested for HIV. Coinfection with HIV and HBV is common, with about 70-90% of HIV-infected individuals having evidence of past or active infection with HBV. Approximately half of persons with chronic hepatitis B are Asian Americans.

Join A&PI Wellness Center in celebrating A&PI LGBT Pride! The official A&PI Pride Kick-Off Party will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2009 from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm at A&PI Wellness Center, located at 730 Polk Street, Fourth Floor. Light refreshments, hors d'oeuvres, and entertainment will be provided. For more information, please contact alex@apiwellness.org.

About Lieutenant Dan Choi
Lieutenant Dan Choi graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 2003 and served as an infantry officer in an extended combat tour in Iraq (2006-7).

As a founder of "Knights Out," the West Point LGBT Alumni, he fights for the repeal of the discriminatory "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy and reminds all soldiers that they are not alone and should never be ashamed of being honest with themselves and others. He declared his sexual orientation publicly on national television, resulting in his recent notification of discharge despite his desire to continue serving.

About Helen Zia
Helen Zia is an award-winning journalist and scholar who has covered Asian American communities and social and political movements for decades. She is the author of Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People, a finalist for the prestigious Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize.

Zia is also the former executive editor of Ms. Magazine and her articles, essays and reviews have appeared in numerous publications, books, and anthologies. She was named one of the most influential Asian Americans of the decade by A. Magazine. A second-generation Chinese American, Zia has been outspoken on issues ranging from civil rights and peace, to women's rights and countering hate violence and homophobia.

About ONGINA
ONGINA is most recognized for her recent appearance on LOGO's reality show "RuPaul's DRAG RACE." She delighted audiences across United States, bringing a strong, bold, beautiful and entertaining character that honors and respects the artistry of drag-wig or no wig!

ONGINA didn't finish as the final winner of the show, but she finished first in our hearts for her courage in revealing that she is HIV positive. ONGINA is now recognized as a poster girl for many A&PI LGBTs who are living with HIV or AIDS, and will be making an appearance at the festival parade.

***

About Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center
A&PI Wellness Center's mission is to educate, support, empower and advocate for Asian & Pacific Islander communities, particularly A&PIs living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS.

With three sites in the San Francisco Bay Area and a staff fluent in 20 languages, A&PI Wellness Center delivers programs regionally, statewide, and nationally, and collaborates with community-based organizations throughout the Asia Pacific Region. For press materials or more information please visit www.apiwellness.org.

Our postal address is
730 Polk St. 4th floor
San Francisco, California 94109
United States

Homo Harlem Film Retrospective

TransGriot Note: Received this interesting e-mail from the Maysles Institute in NYC about a TBLG film retrospective slated to kick off on Juneteenth (June 19) at the Maysles Cinema.

With arguments often eerily reminiscent of old rationales for black oppression, gays and lesbians remain openly, legally and even, 'righteously', discriminated against.

For LGBT people of all races, knowing ourselves, making our extraordinary history known to others, much as with blacks, becomes a key component to liberation. If LGBT heritage remains often obscured and belittled, achievements of African American lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people, are less well known still.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, the film festival, Homo-Harlem: A Film Retrospective, Friday, June 19th-Saturday, June 27th, cosponsored by the Maysles Cinema at 343 Malcolm X Boulevard with Men of All Colors Together, seeks to help to remedy this lack of recognition.

Through a series of coordinated screenings, critical discussions and walking tours, Homo-Harlem for the first time officially brings Stonewall observations uptown to focus on and honor, figures as diverse as poets Audre Lorde and Langston Hughes, social justice activist Bayard Rustin, composer Billy Strayhorn, photographer Marvin Smith and living legend Storme DeLarverie, whose courageous stand at the Stonewall Bar, 40 years ago, literally helped set in motion the entire Gay Pride Movement.

We LGBT people have always been busy making Harlem better, as one resident reported in 1928, "Never no wells of loneliness in Harlem..." Space is limited for this exhilarating experience, so be sure to make a reservation in advance and get ready to be enlightened, to be amazed and to party hard!

Homo-Harlem Curator and Author Michael Henry Adams

Please direct all press and requests for reservations to cinema@mayslesinstitute.org
Homo Harlem: A Film Retrospective

$10 Suggested Donation For All Screenings

Friday, June 19th
Opening Night at the Museum of the City of New York
(1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd St, Enter at 104th St)

6:00pm Cocktail Reception

7:00pm Discussion: Kirk Shannon-Butts, Michael Henry Adams

7:30pm Screening
Blueprint (Short Preview)
Kirk Shannon-Butts, 2008
Harlem shot and set, Blueprint is the story of Keith and Nathan - two New York City college freshmen trying to make a connection.

Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life
Robert Levi,1999, 83 min.
Today, historians and scholars agree that Billy Strayhorn remains one of the most under-recognized American composers in history. Born in 1915, Strayhorn chose to live openly as a gay black man. It was perhaps this decision-and his lifelong devotion to Duke Ellington-which contributed to his near anonymity as a major American composer. While Ellington is arguably the most influential and celebrated jazz composer of the 20th century, Strayhorn is unrecognized. Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life poses answers to the question of who was Billy Strayhorn, and why is he still relatively unknown?

(Maysles Cinema, 343 Lenox Ave. between 127th & 128th Street, June 20th-27th)

Saturday, June 20th
2:00pm
The Edge of Each Other's Battles: The Vision of Audre Lorde
Jennifer Abod, 2002, 59 min.
This powerful documentary is a moving tribute to legendary black lesbian feminist poet Audre Lorde (1934-1992). One of the most celebrated icons of feminism's second wave, Lorde inspired several generations of activists with her riveting poetry, serving as a catalyst for change and uniting the communities of which she was a part: black arts and black liberation, women's liberation and lesbian and gay liberation.

Litany For Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde
Ada Griffin and Michelle Parkerson, 1995, 60 min.
From Lorde's childhood roots in Harlem to her battle with breast cancer, this moving film explores a life and a body of work and makes connections between the civil rights movement, the women's movement and the struggle for lesbian and gay rights.

Greetings from Africa
Cheryl Dunye, 1994, 8 min.
In this highly entertaining short, Cheryl Dunye uses her dry wit to ruminate on lesbian dating '90s style. Cheryl (playing herself) is searching for someone to date. Unfortunately, most of her friends are still stuck in those long-term "relationships from the '80s". Just when she thinks all is lost, she meets L, a beautiful, mysterious and captivating woman. Cheryl gets caught up in the chase and L leads her in and out of hot water.

Sunday, June 21
2:00pm
Prepare for Saints: The Making of a Modern Opera
Steven Watson, 1999, 27 mins
A chronicle of the making of the Modernist 1934 Virgil Thomson/Gertrude Stein opera, Four Saints in Three Acts, (which included an all-black cast from Harlem church choirs and nightclubs.)
Q&A with Director Steve Watson

Portrait of Jason
Shirley Clarke, 1967, 105 min.
Interview with Jason Holliday aka Aaron Payne, house boy, would be cabaret performer, and self proclaimed hustler giving one man's gin-soaked pill-popped, view of what it was like to be black and gay in 1960's America.

Monday, June 22
7:00pm
Storme: Lady of the Jewel Box
Dir. Michelle Parkerson, 1987. 21 min.
"It ain't easy...being green" is the favorite expression of Storme DeLarverie, a woman whose life flouted prescriptions of gender and race. During the 1950's and 60's she toured the black theatre circuit as a mistress of ceremonies and the sole male impersonator of the legendary Jewel Box Revue, America's first integrated female impersonation show and forerunner of La Cage aux Folles. Storme herself emerges as a remarkable woman, who came up during hard times but always "kept a touch of class." Storme was also a witness to the Stonewall Rebellion 40 years ago and is a founding member of the Stonewall Veterans Association.

How Do I Look
Wolfgang Busch, 2007, 48 min.
How Do I Look captures the Harlem "Ball" traditions that originated in the 70s, which was historically an off shot from the Harlem "Drag" Balls from the 20s. Because of the loss of hundreds of members and leaders of the "Ball" community due to the HIV epidemic, this film recorded an important aspect of history while it was still available.

Panel TBA

Tuesday, June 23
7:00pm
Brother to Brother
Rodney Evans, 2004, 87 min.
Winner of numerous awards including the 2004 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize and the Gordon Parks Screenwriting Award, Brother to Brother follows the emotional and psychological journey of a young black gay artist as he discovers the hidden legacies of the gay and lesbian subcultures within the Harlem Renaissance.
(with a short clip of an interview with Bruce Nugent on Gay life in the 20s.)

Q&A with Tom Wirth, Literary Executor for Bruce Nugent

Wednesday, June 24
7:00pm
Brother Outsider, The Life of Bayard Rustin
Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer, 2002, 83 min.
This meditation on the parallels between racism and homophobia illuminates the life and work of Bayard Rustin, a visionary activist and strategist who has been called the "unknown hero" of the civil rights movement. Daring to live as an openly gay man during the fiercely homophobic 1940s, 50s and 60s, Brother Outsider reveals the price that Rustin paid for his openness, chronicling both the triumphs and setback of his remarkable 60-year career.

Panel:
Dir. Bennett Singer
Walter Naegle, Rustin's partner until his passing in 1987 at 75
Ernest Green, The Little Rock Nine
Adam Green, Historian, Author of "Selling the Race: Culture, Community, and Black Chicago, 1940-1955"
Moderator: Michael Henry Adams

Thursday, June 25
5:30pm
Walking Tour*

7:30pm
Paris is Burning
Jennie Livingston, 1990, 78 min.
Many consider Paris Is Burning to be an invaluable document of the end of the "Golden Age" of New York City drag balls, as well as a thoughtful exploration of race, class, and gender in America.

9:30pm
Dinner & Afterparty at Billie's Black*

*Complete package (walking tour, screening and after party) cost is $50.00
Contact- homoharlemtour@aol.com
60 person limit on tickets so get them while you can!
Tickets for the screening only can be purchased at the Maysles Cinema the night of.

Friday, June 26
5:30pm
Walking Tour*

7:30pm
Looking for Langston
Isaac Julien, 1988, 45 min.
A black and white, fantasy-like recreation of high-society gay men during the Harlem Renaissance, with archival footage and photographs intercut with a story. The text is rarely explicit, but the freedom of gay Black men in the 1920s in Harlem is suggested and celebrated visually.

James Baldwin: Witness
Angie Corcetti, 2003, 60 min.
A minister's son from Harlem, James Baldwin moved to Greenwich Village and began writing essays for left-wing journals. With the success of his first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, and dozens of non-fiction works, Baldwin became an international voice on American Black life in the 1950s and 60s. A look at this Black American Gay icon's life.

9:30pm
Dinner at Miss Maude's Spoonbread Too*

*Complete package (walking tour, screening and dinner) cost is $50.00
Contact- homoharlemtour@aol.com

Saturday, June 27
11:30am Brunch at Chez Lucien*

1:00pm
Walking Tour*

3:00pm
M&M SMITH: For Posterity's Sake
Heather Lyons, 1996, 57 min
Morgan and Marvin Smith, twin brothers and prolific African American artists, boldly moved from Kentucky to New York in 1933 to pursue artistic careers. By 1937 they had opened a photo studio next door to Harlem's renowned Apollo Theatre. Thus began 50-year-long careers as still and motion picture photographers, painters and sound recordists. This story is richly visualized through the Smiths' photos, films and paintings and poignantly told by Morgan and Marvin Smith and friends such as Eartha Kitt.

Clip of Short Conversation with Marvin Smith
40 min.

*Complete package (walking tour, screening and brunch) cost is $45.00
Contact- homoharlemtour@aol.com

3rd Annual Transgender Health Fair In NYC Today

Reminding you TransGriot readers in the New York City metro area that the 3rd annual Transgender Health Fair is kicking off today at 5:30 PM.

The Transgender Health Fair brings together hundreds of community members who are seeking health care information and connections with providers who are experienced in working with the transgender community.

There will be free health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, mental health and more. Transgender-specific health information will be available, as will information on smoking cessation, nutrition, health insurance and more. We'll also be featuring Medicaid enrollment.

Transphobia in healthcare is unhealthy, and the Transgender Health Fair is the place to find the competent, sensitive health care information and services you've been looking for!

The health fair will be taking place at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, 208 West 13th Street, New York City and will run until 7:30 PM.

Another Transgender Shooting In Memphis

TransGriot Note: This news is courtesy of the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition, and it's less than 24 hours after several Shelby County Commissioners loudly said there was no need for an anti-discrimination ordinance in Memphis.



We were contacted by a reporter with Channel 3 (WREG-TV) who provided a copy of an affidavit of a shooting that occurred in South Memphis on Wednesday, May 27. The man arrested for the shooting, Terron Taylor, told police that he did it because the victim “misrepresented his gender.”

The victim, identified as Kelvin Denton, is in critical condition after being shot in the nose and throat.

At this point, we do not know any details about Denton’s life, but regardless, we abhor this sort of violence for any reason. Our thoughts and prayers of everyone in the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition go out to Kelvin, family and friends, for a speedy recovery.

We urge Shelby County authorities to prosecute Taylor aggressively and not permit the use of the trans-panic defense.

We also urge members of the Tennessee General Assembly to pass HB0335 by Rep. Jeanne Richardson (D-Memphis) and 21 others, and SB0253 by Sens. Beverly Marrero (D-Memphis) and Ophelia Ford (D-Memphis), as soon as they return in January. This bill would add “gender identity or expression” as a hate crimes sentencing enhancement factor to Tennessee Code Annotated 40-35-114. Passage of this bill will make it easier for state and local authorities to track and prosecute hate crimes against all LGBT Tennesseans.

If you do not know the names of your state legislators, go to http://www.capitol.tn.gov.

Federal Legislation:

In addition, we urge swift passage in the United States Senate of S.909, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The House of Representatives has already passed this legislation, which is supported by President Obama, by a vote of 249 to 175.

Please contact both of Tennessee’s Senators, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker and tell them you want to them to support S.909.

We also ask everyone to continue talking to both Representatives and Senators about the importance of the fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act. We anticipate that ENDA will be introduced in the coming weeks. It is time to end job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. If LGBT people can find, and hold, decent paying jobs, then we are less likely to end up on the streets where we become vulnerable to hate crimes.

3rd Annual Transgender Health Fair In NYC

For those of you TransGriot readers in the New York City metro area, the 3rd annual Transgender Health Fair is kicking off tomorrow from 5:30-7:30 PM.

The Transgender Health Fair brings together hundreds of community members who are seeking health care information and connections with providers who are experienced in working with the transgender community.

There will be free health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, mental health and more. Transgender-specific health information will be available, as will information on smoking cessation, nutrition, health insurance and more. We'll also be featuring Medicaid enrollment.

View this year's program (cover, inside) for a list of participants.

Transphobia in healthcare is unhealthy, and the Transgender Health Fair is the place to find the competent, sensitive health care information and services you've been looking for!

The health fair will be taking place at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, 208 West 13th Street, New York City.

Thanks 'Errbody'!

Thank you to Renee and 'errbody' across the blogosphere and the Net who sent e-mailed birthday wishes, hit my Facebook account, mailed birthday cards, called or left messages on the birthday post I put up. It was deeply appreciated and made a somewhat blah day a little better.

It sucked to have to spend 'my' day at work, but I won't be complaining when I get the check next week.

Neither am I complaining about the love you showered down on me or the fact that I was blessed to make another year.

I also received my birthday present from the Houston Rockets. Read it and weep LA Faker fans. Houston 100-LA 92

Podcast Show With Jessica Valenti Postponed

Renee and I were set to do a special edition of our Womanist Musings podcast radio show tonight at 8 PM EDT with Feministing.com Executive Editor and author Jessica Valenti, but Jessica advised us on Friday she was going to have to reschedule the interview due to illness.

We know many of you were anxious to hear our discussion about her book The Purity Myth and are just as disappointed as we were to hear that news.

She has offered to reschedule it, and when we confirm the new podcast show date with her, we'll pass that info along to you.

In the meantime, if you absolutely, positively wanted to hear me and Renee's meodious voices on your computer speakers or through your iPod's, you can head over to the show website at BlogTalkRadio and download our archived ones.

Our regularly scheduled shows happen every two weeks on Saturdays from 8-9 PM EDT, and the next scheduled show is on May 9

Shut Up Fool! Awards-NFL Draft Edition

The 2009 NFL Draft is tomorrow, and we'll finally find out who not only becomes the Number One overall pick, but where the rest of the college football studs will (or won't) end up.

Just a heads up, Renee and I have another edition of our blogtalkradio show coming up tomorrow with Crystal Ann Gray and Ethan St. Pierre. We'll be talking about the just concluded Andrade trial. So please join us at 8 PM EDT for what should be an interesting show.

We'll also be making an announcement about two exciting upcoming guests for our radio podcast.

Now, let's find out who earned our Number One pick as the fool of the week.


This week's fool is Perez Hilton. Perez bit off more than he could chew during this year's Miss USA pageant when he asks Miss California Carrie Prejean a question on same-gender marriage and got the smackdown by her on national TV.

Hello, she's from San Diego. A CONSERVATIVE part of Ca-lee-forn-ia.

So what does he do? Insults her, then arrogantly asserts that he's Perez Hilton, he's not a rep of the gay or Latino communities and speaks for himself, and he can be offensive.

Yeah right, you are still gay and Latino, race still matters in America and you insulting a white female is not going to be tolerated. I already had major problems with him for his ad nauseum penchant for insulting cisgender women with the 'trannies' or 'drag queen' epithet.

Hell, I'm surprised that hasn't come out of his mouth to diss Carrie Prejean with.

But what he has done is made her a right wing star and created another PR disaster for the GL community.

Perez Hilton, shut up fool!

Radio Podcast This Weekend

This weekend's latest episode of the Womanist Musings show will feature Crystal Ann Gray and Ethan St. Pierre. We'll be talking about the just concluded Andrade trial.

So tune in live at 8 PM EDT to have me and Renee 'tell you something good' and infotain you at the same time.

As always with our blogtalkradio podcast, if you can't listen live, you can always listen later at your leisure.

For those of you who can listen live, you can join in the conversation at (347)326-9452 or join our chat room. From time to time we will ask our guests a question that comes straight from you peeps in the chat room.

So join us this Saturday April 25, from 8-9 PM EDT.

Vote For Renee!

The voting for the Canadian F-Blogs Awards has started and my broadcast partner Renee's Womanist Musings blog has received six nominations for one of the awards.

She's in the running for the Best Canadian Feminist Blog Category, and the first elimination round started today and will run through the 14th. I'll make it easy on you and provide the link to the ballot.

I think it's great that she's finally beginning to get some recognition for the quality, tell it like it T-I-S is writing she puts together at Womanist Musings.

We bloggers have many reasons for starting our blogs, and we don't consciously start them seeking to grab up every award in sight. But when you're nominated for them because you do the hard work, and the peeps that create these awards and your readers like what you do enough to nominate you for them, it's nice to get the affirmation.

So show her some love and give her a little support.

Installing IntenseDebate

Because of the negativity that has recently intruded my cyberhome, I decided to go ahead and install the IntenseDebate commenting system in order to better manage the comments.

I thank my regular commenting family for coming in for the last several years and creating some stimulating debate on the various topics I post here. But there are fools who basically want to turn discussions into WWE wrestling matches, especially since I tackle topics that don't neatly fit with their worldview, and I'm tired of it.

My increasing profile and attention across the Net will only ensure that those troll infestations will increase, not decrease, so I've taken this step to ensure this blog remains a space in which intelligent discourse will continue to reign.

To comment on TransGriot from this point, you'll either have to use your OpenID or register with IntenseDebate before it allows you to post a comment. It also has some cool features as well as the ability to rate a commenter.

I've had the chance to observe it on other blogs I regularly comment on and I think you'll enjoy the enhanced experience as well. I also apologize for any inconvenience the switch may cause in order for us to continue to have substantive conversations here.

Shut Up Fool! Awards-Good Friday Edition

Today is Good Friday, so like all Christians I'm taking a moment to pause during this Holy Week and enter prayerful contemplation about the events leading up to Easter Sunday.

Renee and I have another edition of our Blogtalkradio show coming at you tomorrow at a new time, 8 PM EDT. It'll feature the women of Thistle Farms.

Speaking of prayerful contemplation, it's time to pray for and pity the fools that were nominated for this week's Shut Up Fool! Award.

While there were once again a plethora of candidates such as Rush Limbaugh, the WWBT's Joke Jennifer and Liz, Faux News as a group nomination along with the GOP, the winner just outdid them all.

Glenn Beck gets it this week. I never liked him, even before his failed stint on CNN, and why the hell did they even hire him in the first place?

I also never liked his behind for calling Hurricane Katrina survivors in New Orleans "scumbags". Since he moved to Faux News, he like all conservatives since January 20, 2009 have just gone off the deep end.



Beck: "I was wrong. Our government is not marching down the road towards communism or socialism... they're marching us to a brand of non-violent fascism... towards 1984."

Glenn, your comrades in the Republican Party over the last eight years had us so uncomfortably in bed with fascism the United States under Dummya met all 14 characteristics of a fascist state.

1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism. (CHECK)
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights. (CHECK)
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause. (CHECK)
4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism. (CHECK)
5. Rampant sexism. (CHECK)
6. A controlled mass media. (CHECK)
7. Obsession with national security. (CHECK)
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together. (CHECK)
9. Power of corporations protected. (CHECK)
10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated. (CHECK)
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts. (CHECK)
12. Obsession with crime and punishment. (CHECK)
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption. (CHECK)
14. Fraudulent elections. (CHECK)

Glenn Beck, shut up fool!