Houston Trans Woman Attacked, And I'm Pissed About It

Because of the anti-trans hate speech coming from the kneegrow hate ministers of the Baptist Minsters Association of Houston and Vicinity in relation to the HERO passage battle, and it being greeted with silence from other local Black ministers and Black media outlets not called TransGriot, I was beginning to wonder when it would result in Houston area transpeople being attacked or God forbid, killed because of it.

Unfortunately, I got my answer Thursday.

According to an About magazine article, a  gang of seven people attacked Thailand Warr, who is also known as the popular Houston based female illusionist DeyJzah Opulent Mirage,  in the lobby of her Southwest Houston high-rise condo complex as she was preparing to get into a waiting cab for a performance at the Houston Improv.

She was confronted by a group of five Black men and two Black women, all in their late teens to early twenties, who she said smelled of marijuana.   She sustained injuries to her head, upper body and breasts, along with scratches across her chest when they tried to expose her breasts.

I'm attempting to get in contact with Ms. Warr and find out how she's doing along with the rest of the Houston area TBLG community.  If there are any efforts organized that need some additional love from y'all locally and nationall, I'll let you know ASAP.

But right now I'm going to focus the rest of this post on the kneegrow ministers that have been priming the pump for anti-trans violence to erupt with their hate speech as many Houston Black church leaders, our leading organizations like the local NAACP and Urban League, and media outlets like KCOH-AM and KMJQ-FM among others say nothing to condemn the sellout pastors..

Well, if y''all won't say anything, Moni will.

I and the Houston Black transgender community, in a year in which we lost 11 trans people of color in the USA, and with ten of them being African-American, are beyond sick and tired of the cricket chirping silence coming from the Houston Black church about these murders and assaults on trans people when y'all always have a fracking opinion about other crap as demonstrated in the HERO battle you know nothing about

And the fact this attack happened to Ms Warr on November 20, the day we memorialize our lost sisters, wasn't lost on me or anyone else in the trans community and our allies.

What angers me still further is because of your hatred, (yes, hatred) of transgender, gay and lesbian individuals, you real life Uncle Ruckuses have entered into an unholy alliance with Dave Welch and his conservative Republican friends to attempt to kill a much needed human rights ordinance we have NEVER had for our city. 

The attack on Ms Warr is a prime example of exactly why we need the HERO to be implemented without further delay.

And I have nothing but contempt for you for doing so and allowing yourselves to be the useful fools fronting this effort to kill HERO.

Thailand Warr is one of the few anti-trans assaults we are aware of.   How many more have transpired since you started your rhetorical attack on the Houston trans community that we are not privy to and the victims have declined to report them?

Yes, I'm grateful that Ms Warr survived the attack and I pray for her speedy recovery.  I hope the ignorant wastes of DNA who did this face justice.  But I blame the Baptist Ministers Assn. of Houston and Vicinity for sowing the anti-trans seeds at the behest of their massas in the white conservative led Pastor's Council that have now borne poisonous fruit in Ms Warr's life.

The next trans person that gets attacked by a gang of people inside Beltway 8 may not be so fortunate.

Where you at Houston Black church?    Where are your voices of condemnation for this attack Houston NAACP and Houston Urban League for starters?   Where are you Houston Black Area Democrats?  

And where are you Majic 102 and KCOH-AM?   Both of your stations can provide platforms for the sellout ministers and HERO opponents to speak and demonize the Houston African-American trans community, but you can't (or won't) provide a platform for us to rebut the scurrilous and demonstrably false charges aimed at us?

I' eagerly await the answers to those questions along with our allies

Black America, Stop Hatin' On Black Transwomen

I've been discussing this subject in various posts ever since TransGriot first started in 2006.  Sadly I'm still talking about it eight years later and in last month's column at Black Girl Dangerous.   

Once again, I'm compelled to discuss Black America's culpability in the anti-trans hatred aimed at Black transwomen.  

One of the things I and the Black trans feminine  community are sick of is the rampant ignorance and transphobia in elements of the African-American community.   Far too often the people who have been dissing, oppressing or killing us have been other African-Americans.    

The security guard that jumped off the disrespect of Andraya Williams on the Central Piedmont Community College campus in Charlotte back in March was survey says, an African American cis woman.   The 12 murders of African American transpeople (Evon Young was a trans man) that occurred in 2013 were all perpetrated on us by other African-Americans.  Much of the anti-trans hatred and violence Black trans women have to deal with as demonstrated in this recent case in the ATL comes from our own people.

And yeah, need to point out some of that anti-trans oppression has been coming from elements of the Black SGL community.   Y'all seriously need to chill out with that crap. 

Note to you chocolate faith-based trans haters:  Your religious beliefs do not justify willful faith-based hatred and ignorance of the reality that Black trans people exist and have for decades.  

Black cis women, a special message for you.  

If you're jealously mad because some random transwoman is performing femininity better than you are, pulling more 'menz' at the club or in the hood, I suggest you step up your own femme presentation game and stop shadily setting up the transwoman in question for harassment or anti-trans violence.  

We transwomen are simply trying to live our lives to the best of our ability.  We have to deal with the same challenges you do in navigating a planet hostile to Blackness in a Black feminine body.  We have an additional challenge of navigating society and this planet as trans women of African heritage.  

We don't want drama with you, cis Black women.  We want to live our lives united in sisterhood as the Black women we've always wanted and are proud to be.  Instead of succumbing to the people trying to drive wedges between us to make us adversarial opponents, we would rather be fighting the common systemic problems that ail all Black women. 

If you cis sisters take the time and make the effort to get to know us trans women, you'll discover you'll be rewarded with a solid friendship in the process.  You'll also discover some of the issues we deal with are remarkably similar.   We may not have been born with female bodies at birth like you were, but we did have our versions of girlhood and tried to become the Phenomenal Black Transwomen we are as fast as we could.

Whatever issues you cispeeps have going on in your life doesn't justify you taking them out on Black transwomen with your tongues, fists or weapons.  We in Chocolate Trans World have enough drama to deal with just for being our trans selves, plus the onerous application of racist oppression we all get. We don't need an additional helping of hostility, disrespect and dehumanization from the people we share bloodlines, African heritage and history with.    

Bottom line is we realize that many of you aren't cognizant of the fact you know a transperson or have one in your family.  But the odds are you have bumped into one of us somewhere during your daily routine.  You have pooped or pissed next to one of us in a public bathroom.  You have passed us at the mall makeup counter. You've checked us out in the club. You have walked past us as we are busy studying in the library for our midterms.

As for those of us who are publicly out, we range from models to New York Times bestselling authors, MMA fighters, a GLAAD media award nominated blogger, academics, and an actress on a historic cover of TIME magazine.     

At least 1-3% of the African-American population is transgender.  We've been part of this community for over a century and aren't going away any time soon.  Human rights for transpeople are also international human rights issues that benefit the ongoing human rights struggle of the African-American community we interact and intersect with. 

Neither are we transpeeps going back in the closet so you can avoid talking about us or our issues.   

And what are our issues?   In addition to the ones unique to our community, they are same ones the Black community deals with.   Crushing unemployment or underemployment.  Voter suppression.  Unacceptable levels of violence being aimed at us.  Stop and frisk police harassment.  Being targets for anti-female violence and sexual assault.  Body image issues.

Black trans issues are Black community issues.   It's past time Black politicians, our legacy organizations such as the NAACP, the Urban League and our clergy recognize that.   It's also past time for cis African-Americans to realize we trans peeps have much to contribute in order to make Black America, our country and the world better.  

We chocolate transpeeps realize that Trans 101 education needs to be done in our communities and at our HBCU's.  But that's not an excuse for you to not do any 'ejumacation' on your own.  There's this wonderful technological invention called Google  easily available on your computers that you can use to get better informed about our trans lives.
 
It's past time, Black America, that you started loving me and my transsisters instead of knee-jerk hating us.

Perps Busted In ATL MARTA Trans Hate Attack

The two wastes of DNA who were caught on video attacking two African-American trans women on a MARTA train in Atlanta as people cheered and did nothing to halt it have been arrested.

34 year old Luther L. Thomas and 35 year old Frederick L. Missick have been arrested by MARTA police, charged with disorderly conduct (you're kidding, right?) and are chilling in the Fulton County Jail on $2,500 bonds apiece for attacking Janell Crosby and Tyra Woods.   

Both perps were Atlanta residents.  Thomas was arrested on Thursday while Missick was picked up by MARTA police yesterday.

The May 20 incident started when Crosby and Woods were walking to the Five Points MARTA station in downtown Atlanta to catch a southbound train to Oakland City Station.  They were confronted by a group of men, harassed, and had photos taken of them while enduring homophobic and transphobic slurs..   

Thomas and Missick persisted in continuing the abuse during the train ride as Crosby repeatedly told them to stop.   Thomas then physically attacked Crosby as Missick attacked Woods, who was trying to help her friend and stripped her of her clothing.

Thomas and Missick have also been suspended from riding MARTA.   

The ugly incident has incensed the ATL trans community and our local allies, and Mayor Kasim Reed through spokesperson Melissa Mullinax had this to say about it on Thursday.

"The mayor condemns hate crimes of any kind and is committed to the equal rights and equal treatment of Atlanta’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents, workers and visitors. The City’s non-discrimination laws were recently amended with the Mayor’s full support to include gender identity as a protected class," said Mullinax.

"The incident on the MARTA train is disturbing. We understand that MARTA is conducting a thorough investigation and we look forward to the authorities bringing those accountable to justice," she adds.

Two town halls are planned in the Atlanta area to discuss the incident.  One town hall is being facilitated by the group Solutions Not Punishment Coalition on June 3 at the Phillip Rush Center that will start at 5:30 PM EDT.   The second will be facilitated by Restoration Inclusive Ministries at its Decatur, GA church on June 4 and start at 7:30 PM

In the meantime, as justice is being sought in this case, Crosby decided to move back to New York as a result of this incident and Woods is staying with relatives in Cleveland, OH.

As to what outcome Crosby wants to see from this case, she replied, “I really want an apology from them and I really want the law put on them.”      

And your transsisters around the ATL, the nation and the world want the same just outcome.

Instigator Of CeCe McDonald Case Sentenced

'Flaherty deserves jail time and a fine for causing bodily injury to CeCe, and the trans community should not rest or let this crap slide until CeCe gets some justice out of this fracked up situation, too instead of the heaping helpings of injustice she's had to deal with.'   TransGriot  December 10, 2012 

This is the closing paragraph of the December 2012 post I wrote concerning CeCe McDonald's attacker Molly Shannon Flaherty in which I asked why were the authorities dragging their feet on the case and why was CeCe the only person doing serious jail time for standing her ground against a racist and transphobic attack aimed at her and her friend and involved a known white supremacist?.

Katrina Rose in her ENBAblog 2.0 post she wrote on December 10, 2012 as well gave us her theory into why the wheels of justice were possibly grinding so slowly in this Land of 10,000 Lakes case.

Anyone interested in wagering any money that the fine upstanding white, non-trans Molly McTransphobe (McRadphlegm, too?) Flaherty is probably a full-time lowlife who has some sort of informant/immunity deal with one or more prosecutorial authorities in the area?  Anyone interested in wagering any money on the possibility of it involving heavy-duty shit of great social and political import (read: victimless crime – probably taking notes on who sells a joint to whom in bars where people like the fine upstanding white, non-trans Molly McTransphobe (McRadphlegm, too?) Flaherty hang out?

Flaherty already had a criminal history and charges pending  from a previous March 2011 arrest before that fateful June 5, 2011 night at the Schooner Tavern.  She and her buddies decided to put the Black gay and transpeople in their place and it resulted in white supremacist Dean Schmitz's death.

The 41 year old Flaherty wasn't even arrested and charged until May 11 of last year, right about the time that loud cries were coming from around the country about the glaring fact the Black trans woman was the only one being charged and railroaded into jail for this incident.   

Flaherty pleaded guilty on January 24 to third-degree assault in Washington County Court and was sentenced Thursday.  That's a felony that carries a maximum five year prison sentence. 

Care to guess how much time she got for assaulting CeCe McDonald?    180 days in jail.  (Damn Kat, you called it.) 

Nope, that's not a typo. The justice Just-us system at work again.  Flaherty got 180 days in jail for a third degree assault she instigated and for smashing a glass in CeCe face that created a cut taking 11 stitches to close  while CeCe is spending 41 months in jail for being BTWW (Black Trans While Walking) and having the audacity to stand her ground and defend herself.

 

Death Threat Aimed At Casa Ruby

I had the pleasure of meeting longtime Washington DC trans activist Ruby Corado last year while I was up there for Out On The Hill and was thrilled to hear about the recent opening of Casa Ruby  in Northwest DC

Its mission is to serve as a safe haven for the local Washington transgender community from violence and serve the Latino community. 

But I was not happy to hear that Casa Ruby  recently received a death threat that is being investigated by the DC Metro Police.

Corado explained in a WAMU-FM radio interview why she doesn't take these threats lightly:

" I have been to dozens of funerals throughout this city and I have also been hundreds of times to the hospitals to aid people who have been victims of a violent crime or death for being who they are."

Casa Ruby has continued to serve as a safe haven for the Washington DC transgender community despite the threat. It is playing host to Latino delegations attending the 2012 International AIDS Conference that started on July 22 and ends today

It is my hope that the waste of transphobic DNA who called that threat in to Casa Ruby is expeditiously caught by MPD and swiftly brought to justice.  I'm also looking forward to visiting Casa Ruby the next time I'n in the Washington DC metro area.

Now If Julie Only Called Out Their Racism, Too

Julie Bindel isn't exactly one of my fave people since she is part of the trans oppressor clan, but had to chuckle when even the Radfem Hub KKKrowd was too much for her.

Seems like some drama has built up between her and the Whyte Radfem Womyn Gone Wild

Break out the popcorn.

Transphobic RadFem 2012 Hatemongers Booted From London's Conway Hall

The transphobic RadFem 2012 hatefest may take place in another double secret location (or on The Land in Hart, MI) but it ain't happening at London's Conway Hall

In consultation with the organisers of RadFem 2012 and our legal advisors, Conway Hall has decided not to allow the booking in July 2012 to proceed. This is because it does not conform to our Terms and Conditions for hiring rooms at Conway Hall. In addition, we are not satisfied it conforms with the Equality Act (2010), or reflects our ethos regarding issues of discrimination.


We had sought assurances that the organisers would allow access to all, in order to enable the event to proceed at the venue. We also expressed concern that particular speakers would need to be made aware that whilst welcoming progressive thinking and debate, Conway Hall seeks to uphold inclusivity in respect of both legal obligations and as a principle.

In the absence of the assurances we sought, the event in its proposed form could not proceed at Conway Hall.

The July 2012 conference ran into trouble because it specifically sought to exclude transwomen from the venue in violation of Britain's Equality Act and is featuring longtime transphobic hatemonger Sheila Jeffreys as a keynote speaker. 

RadFem2012 has stirred up not only trans people, womanists, cis allies and trans feminists in opposition to it, but cis feminists tired of the over four decades of rampant transphobia pimped by the radfems are finally calling them out about it and pushing back against the madness. 

So naw, don't blame 'the trans conspiracy' for y'all losing your venue, your out of control transphobia did.

If you're looking for someone to blame, take a long look in the fracking mirror.  

Alrashim Chambers Trial-Foster Testifies

The murder trial of Alrashim Chambers, the accused killer of Victoria Carmen White continued in dramatic fashion on Thursday in the Essex County courthouse in Newark, NJ.

The prosecution brought their star witness to the stand in Marquise Foster, who testified in graphic detail that after both had sexual encounters with Carmen White, Chambers came to believe she was trans, pulled out a pearl handled gun and pointed it at White as she raised her hands and backed away.

Foster's testimony came a day after Carmen's cousin Sharon White and Natasha Wray gave their testimony about the events that unfolded on that fateful September 2010 night.

After Chambers asked 'You a dude?' according to Foster, Chambers fired three shots at Ms. White who was later pronounced dead at the scene.     


“He said he couldn’t live with nobody saying he slept with a man,” Foster told Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Eileen O’Connor on direct examination.  

As the two men drove off after the shooting, Foster recalled, Chambers kept saying, “ ‘My bad.’ … He was apologetic.”

'My bad' doesn't bring Victoria Carmen White back, you pathetic waste of DNA.  All you and Foster had to do was get the hell up and leave the apartment.  If you'd done so your transphobic azz wouldn't be facing life in prison now where you'll be sleeping with hardcore dudes for real if you're convicted. 

Neither will they be saying please and thank you when they toss your salad.
  
Ahem, back to the post. 

Foster's testimony was given in front of a large Essex County courtroom crowd comprised of family members and supporters from both sides of the case and fortified by beefed up security.

Defense attorney Bukie Adetula is trying to paint Foster as the shooter and for some reason was fixated on the amorous events of the evening. 

Under cross examination Foster admitted he had a sexual encounter that evening with Carmen White in the living room moments after Chambers did despite White initially rebuffing his advances.  "I thought the person was attractive. I thought she was nice-looking,” Foster said of White, adding he never questioned whether she was a woman like Chambers did.

Is Adetula trying to lay the groundwork for a 'trans panic' defense?  


The trial resumes tomorrow with the defense presenting their case after police investigators and forensics experts take the witness stand.

Will keep you posted. 

Transwoman Brandy Martell Killed In Oakland

Another day, another Black transwoman killed somewhere. and as a Daily Kos post noted, nobody gave a damn.   Correction, nobady gave a damn except her friends, family and other Black transwomen and our allies around the country who are saying to themselves there but for the grace of God go I.

Hell, Paige Clay still hasn't been buried yet in Chicago, and we're talking about the murder of yet another one of our African descended transsisters.    We now have to add 37 year old Brandy Martell's name to the depressingly lengthening list of people whose names we'll be lighting candles for and reading at the 2012 TDOR.
















Martell according to a news report was shot to death April 29 in downtown Oakland at Franklin and 13th Street just a block from city hall while sitting behind the steering wheel of her car.   

According to what a witness told Laura Anthony of ABC7, Martell was sitting behind the wheel of her car around 5:15 AM PDT  Sunday when one or two men walked up and began a conversation that appeared cordial on the surface but a few moments later one of the men became angry and fired into the car at Martell.

Until late last year, Martell worked as an outreach worker at the Tri-City Health Center in Fremont, CA  which serves the local trans community.

According to a note posted on my FB page courtesy of Tanajsha Thomas the homegoing service will take place on Wednesday May 9 at 11 AM PDT at C.P. Bannon Mortuary .  Address for those of you in the Bay Area wishing to attend is 6800 International Blvd,. Oakland, CA. 94621.

"When you don't provide a space in society for people who you think are the other or different, especially transgender women, especially transgender women of color, when you don't provide spaces for them to be in a safe environment or a safe space, whether it's socializing or services, this is what happens," said Martell's friend Tiffany Woods to ABC7.

Martell's friends also suspect like we all do this murder is an anti-trans hate crime.   But until the wastes of DNA who killed her are apprehended and brought to justice, all we have is suspicion, another famiily having to make burial arrangements for a loved one, and her friends and colleagues mourning the passing of someone who died way too fracking soon.

Transphobic Girl Scout Calls For Boycott Of Girl Scout Cookie Sale

The Girl Scouts will be celebrating their 100th anniversary of their founding in Savannah, GA by Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low this year.

But it's shaping up to be a tumultuous and drama filled centennial year because of the renewed conservafool attacks on the organization.

Some of the conservafools have a problem with transchild Bobbi Montoya being admitted into a Colorado Girl Scout troop. 

A transphobic troop leader in Covington, LA resigned from the organization and dissolved her troops she was leading. 

Now we have more conservahatred and transphobia being pimped by an alleged Girl Scout named Taylor from Ventura County, California.   She's seeking to start a boycott of the cookie sale that pulls in $750 million annually because she has a problem with transgirls being admitted into the organization.      



The right wingers ever since they failed to take over the Girl Scouts like they successfully did with the Boy Scouts have been hating on this organization for years.  We liberal-progressive peeps and the rainbow community need to be supporting with our dollars an organization that has been under assault by the vast Right Wing Conspiracy, has had our backs and stood tall for us.  

It's time for us to stand tall for them and spend some money on cookies this year when the 2012 Girl Scout Cookie drive starts. 

As for Little Miss Transphobe Taylor, you not only desperately need some science based information on trans people to get over your obvious transphobia, you need to review the Girl Scout Promise and The Girl Scout Law.  

The Girl Scout Promise

On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

The Girl Scout Law

I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.

Taylor, pay particularly close attention to the last line of it in which it says you will be a sister to every Girl Scout.  

Some of your Girl Scout sisters are trans and deserve the same dignity and respect for their humanity as you would demand for yourself. 

Can't think of a better way to spend $4 than to purchase some delicious cookies, help the Girl Scouts and piss off the conservative movement at the same time.

Hmm, may have to try the Savannah Smiles cookies this year in addition to tripling my usual order on my favorite Thin Mints and shortbread cookies.

Can Y'all Stop Hatin' On Transwomen During This 2011 Holiday Season?

I wrote a November 27, 2009 post at the beginning of the Christmas season in which I asked if a transperson could get some love during the holiday season?   

As you probably suspected, that didn't happen in 2009, and I didn't even get a chance to write a 2010 post asking the question before the holidays started because the radfems were already off the chain along with the fools at Bossip and other Black gossip blogs.

Now that the 2011 holiday season is about to crank up, the Hallmark Channel is already running Christmas specials and Christmas commercials have been running for two weeks now, I and the worldwide transgender community have a simple request to make that's aimed at all our detractors inside and outside the rainbow community.

Can y'all stop hatin' on transwomen this holiday season?

I suspect we won't get any more love this holiday season as we have in the last several, but it was worth a shot.