2012 Women's Media Center Social Media Award Voting Commences

As part of this year's Women's Media Awards, the Women's Media Center is opening the voting of its Social Media Award to the public.  

I wasn't nominated for this one (this time) but I do want to get the word out about this and get you to cast your votes before the October 29 closing date for one of the nineteen incredible bloggers, social media gurus, activists, and new media makers for gender justice.

The winner will be honored at the Women's Media Awards on November 13, 2012 in New York City.

I do have a tough choice to make before the voting closes .  I personally know four of the nineteen outstanding nominees for the Social Media Award. .

Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend,  Tamara Winfrey Harris of What Tami Said , Janet Mock of JanetMock.com and Kimberley McLeod of ELIXHER.com are all deservedly nominated in what is a high quality competition chock full of deserving winners..

You can cast your votes here and you can only do it one time     

Womanist Musings-An All White Emmys

If you wonder why Latino and African-Americans have their own awards shows to honor their people, it's because far too often the big awards shows become boringly drawn out celebrations of whiteness.

Renee of Womanist Musings touched upon that in her critique of Sunday's Emmy Awards in which once again, POC's were nominated (and very few of them) but went home empty handed.

Okay, now it's time for me to give you a taste of what she had to say about the just concluded Emmy's

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It would have been bad enough if the erasure of actors of colour were simply this year's Emmys, but the truth of the matter is that these award shows have a long history of this exclusionary behaviour. There are still categories which no Black actor has ever won (this in supposedly post racial America).

If Esposito had won Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for "Breaking Bad," or if Rudolph had won the Comedy Guest Actress Award for "Saturday Night Live," they would have become the first black performers to win in their respective categories ever. Cheadle would have become only the second African-American in history to win Best Lead Actor in a Comedy for "House of Lies." Elba was nominated for Lead Actor in a Movie/Mini for "Luther" and Devine for Guest Actress in a Drama for "Grey's Anatomy." The news isn't as shocking considering only 5 percent of black actors have won awards in the 63 years of the Emmys. [source]

When this sort of issue is brought up, it is often suggested that we focus on our own awards, but this is not a solution.  Award shows like the Emmys and the Oscars portend to represent the entire industry but that is certainly not what they are doing.  What we need to advance is mainstream inclusion, not special side projects; separate is not equal, as we have seen over the decades. Year after year, what is presented as inclusion, is nothing more than yet another extravagant display of White hegemony.What we have been offered are crumbs from the masters table and this will never be acceptable.  Even with the population demographics shifting, Whiteness still refuses to loosen its hold on power. If they are not going to award the work of actors of colour, they might as well rename the show to the White Emmy awards because the exclusion is obvious to anyone watching.

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You can read the rest of Renee's article by clicking on the link.

Thank You For The 2012 NYC Black Pride Heritage Award

TransGriot Note: I'll be in New York next week for GLAAD's POC Media Institute, but not in time for tonight's awards event that is taking place at the Schomburg Center For Research In Black Culture and is a kickoff event for NYC Black Pride.  

In case you missed the earlier post I wrote about it, I'm getting a NYC Black Pride Heritage Award from Gay Men of African Descent in their Literary Excellence Category.   I also wanted to congratulate my homegirl Tona Brown who is getting the Marsha P. Johnson Award as well. 

So here's my acceptance letter and thank you GMAD for the honor.

It is indeed an honor an a privilege to be receiving this unexpected award for Literary Excellence from GMAD.   Ever since I stated TransGriot in 2006, I have strived  to live up to the mission statement and the name of this blog, to be a 21st century griot for our community.

I wish I could be there in person at the Schomburg Center to pick up that award for a variety of reasons.  I would have loved to have sat in the same place where my late historian godmother spent many hours during her time as an NYU student.   It would have been mice to meet many of you in the New York area who have let me know throughout the time I'm been publishing the blog how much you love and appreciate it and my tell it like it T-I-S is Afrocentric flavored commentary on unfolding events in the world around us. 

And finally, it's a chance to go to New York!   

I'm honored and touched that GMAD thinks so highly of my work chronicling the history of the African descended trans community here and across the Diaspora.  I believe it is vitally important now just as it was on January 1, 2006 when I founded the blog that we African-American transpeople had a FUBU space of our own on the Net that unapologetically refleced our culture, our heritage, and began to fight back aginst the ignorance and lies propagated aout us inside and outside the rainbow community.

It was also critically important for our young trans people to know they have a proud history, and heroes and sheroes to look up to.  It was important as well for African-American cisgender people to know that transsexuality isn't a 21st century phenomenon.

So to GMAD, thank you once again for bestowing this 2012 NYC Black Pride Heritage Award on me for Literary Excellence.   

Another Unexpected Honor

There are days that happen in which you receive a blessing that you have absolutely no clue is coming your way.

I was just alerted moments ago that I have received a 2012 G.M.A.D. Black Pride Heritage Award in the Literary Excellence category.   The awards will be given out in a ceremony that will take place August 15 at the Schomburg Center for Research In Black Culture in New York

I also note that Tona Brown was given the 2012 Marsha P. Johnson Award by G.M.A.D. as well.   Congratulations sis!

Wow.   I'm honored that this has happened.for me.   All I wanted to do when I started TransGriot six years ago was ensure that the voices of African-American transpeople were not only represented in the blogosphere, point out we Black transpeople are part of the kente cloth fabric of our community, transpeople exist across the African Diaspora and on the second largest continent on the planet . 

I also sought to obliterate the negative perceptions and ignorance that were being put out there about us and tell it like it T-I-S is about the issues that affected African-American transpeople and other trans people of color.

I also wanted to write a quality blog, document our history and talk about many of the issues inside and outside our community as I saw them.   Six years and almost 4 million hits later this blog has grown to be an internationally read one and I'm regarded as one of the national leaders in this community.

So thank you G.M.A.D. for the Literary Excellence Award. 

April Ashley, MBE!

April Ashley was one of the first people in Great Britain to have SRS in 1960 when she did so with Dr Georges Bourou  in Casablanca, Morocco.  She led an exciting life as a Vogue fashion model, worked at the famed LeCarrousel trans club in Paris in which she rubbed elbows with Ernest Hemingway, Jean Paul Sartre and Bob Hope, was an actress, a lover to actors Omar Sharif and Peter O’Toole and attracted the romantic attentions of painters Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.

She was outed when her so called 'friend' sold her story to the British tabloids, but it didn't stop her from marrying aristocrat Arthur Corbett and setting up another interesting chapter in her life when he filed for divorce in 1969.  .

She was the defendant in the 1970 Corbett v Corbett marriage case that had negative consequences for the identities of British transpeople until the passage of the 2004 Gender Recognition Act Act.   That case has been deleteriously used on our side of The Pond against Christie Lee Littleton, J'Noel Gardiner, and most recently Nikki Araguz and Ms W in Hong Kong as a weapon against trans marriages.

She has worked tirelessly to advance the human rights of transpeople in Britain as is noted as well for her charity work. 

When the Queen's Birthday Honours List was announced yesterday, April Ashley received an MBE for her trans human rights advocacy.

Congratulations to one of our pioneering iconic transpeople    Getting an MBE is a huge honor in Britain and Ms Ashley deserves it.

2012 Esteem Awards Winners And Finalists

I was surprised and pleased to find out last year I was one of the 2011 winners for the Chicago-based Esteem Awards.   While I was unable to accept it in person, I did send my acceptance speech for it.

Yesterday the 2012 Esteem Awards winners were announced.by PrideIndex.com.

  “PrideIndex.com is pleased to announce Towleroad.com, writers Stanley Bennett Clay and Kimberley McLeod, Bella English of The Boston Globe, and Cathy J. Cohen has been named to receive this year’s Esteem Award, said Philip Esteem of PrideIndex.com. “These organizations and individuals serve as fine role models for the entire community,” he continued.

The Esteem Awards honors local and national organizations and individuals for their continued efforts in supporting the African-American and LGBT community in the areas of entertainment, media, civil rights, business and art.

The 2012 Esteem Award honorees will be recognized at a special cocktail reception on Saturday, June 30, at Sidetrack, 3349 North Halsted, from 2:00PM – 4:00PM in Chicago. The event is free.

Following is a list of the Esteem Awards finalists:

Chicago

Outstanding Service, Male: Charles Nelson, MSM Project Director, South Side Help Center

Outstanding Service, Female: Cathy J. Cohen

Outstanding Service, Transgender: June LaTrobe, Trans* Community Liaison, Center on Halsted and Vice Chair & Public Policy Director, Illinois Gender Advocates

Outstanding Service, Youth: KOKUMO KINETIC, CEO/Founder KOKUMOMEDIA

Outstanding Social Services/CBO: Affinity Community Services

Outstanding Newspaper Reporter/Columnist or Feature Article: “Queer Bronzeville: African American LGBT’s on Chicago’s South Side, 1900-1985” Windy City Times by Tristan Cabello

Outstanding Magazine Reporter/Columnist or Feature Article: “The Day Cole & Parker Came Into Our Lives,”Grab Magazine by Erik Sosa-Kibby

Institutional Award: The Transformative Justice Law Project

Artistic Expression: Black Ensemble Theater for Black Playwright’s Initiative (BPI)

Special Recognition Award: Bill Greaves, long time advocate for Chicago's LGBT community

National

Outstanding Service, Male: Patrick Kelly, Activist & Clinical Research Interviewer, Emory Hope Clinic Vaccine Center (Atlanta)

Outstanding Service, Female: Michelle E. Brown, longtime Civil & LGBT Rights Advocate (Detroit)

Outstanding Service, Transgender: Janet Mock, Writer & Trans Advocate

Outstanding Service, Youth: Amir Dixon, Board Member, Hispanic Black Gay Coalition & Co-Host BrotherHood TV (Boston)

Outstanding Social Services/CBO: The Ruth Ellis Center for LGBT Runaways (Detroit)

Outstanding Newspaper Reporter/Columnist or Feature Article: "Led By The Child Who Simply Knew," By Bella English, The Boston Globe, Dec 11, 2011

Outstanding Magazine Reporter/Columnist or Feature Article: "Taking A Lead On Faith: Four Black Pastors At The Forefront of LGBT Equality," Ebony.com By Kimberley McLeod

Institutional Award: Southern Poverty Law Center (Montgomery, AL)

Outstanding Website: theGrio.com

Outstanding Blog: Towleroad.com

Outstanding Podcaster or Web series: Clay Cane Live WWRL 1600 AM Equality Pride Radio

Artistic Expression: Stanley Bennett Clay, Actor, Author and Playwright

Special Recognition: The State Of Black Gay America (SBGA) Summit (Atlanta)

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Since 2007 PrideIndex.com Esteem Awards has honored local and national organizations and individuals for their continued efforts in supporting the African-American and LGBT communities in the areas of entertainment, media, civil rights, business and art.

More information about the Esteem Awards can be found at www.TheEsteemawards.com. PrideIndex.com is an online entertainment guide to events, bars and parties for the African-American and LGBT communities. It features profiles of activist, authors, club promoters, filmmakers, performance artist, conferences, support groups, and health & wellness resources.

Congratulations Kellee!

The 23rd annual GLAAD Media Award nominations are out and while I didn't get one for Outstanding Blog, I played a small part in one of the nominees getting hers

Kellee Terrell interviewed me and Kylar Broadus for her article that appeared in TheRoot.com entitled Black and Transgender: A Double Burden

That article was nominated in the Outstanding Digital Journalism Category 

So congrats Kellee and good luck!   You know who I'll be rooting for in that category

Finally Received My Esteem Award!

Had a nice surprise that greeted me as I checked the mail earlier this afternoon.  When I opened the mailbox there was a package addressed to me.  

Nope, it wasn't ticking.        

The package was from Philip Esteem Fleming, the creative force behind the Esteem Awards and contained not only the beautiful frosted glass award with my name on it, but a program from the event as well.    

Like I said in my acceptance speech, I sincerely wish I could have been in Chicago to accept it in person and I'm deeply appreciative of the fact I was honored with it for the work I do on behalf of this community..  

Thank you once again for honoring me with this beautiful award and looking forward to seeing who will be honored with Esteem Awards in the 2012 cycle.

Naah, Didn't Win A BWA This Year

In case you're wondering what happened concerning my 2011 Black Weblog Awards nomination in the Best LGBT Blog category, the live awards ceremony happened Saturday night during the just concluded Blogging While Brown convention in Los Angeles 

The winner in the Best LGBT Blog category was The Skorpion Show.

Hey, they got more votes than I did.  That's life.  I got nominated for the second straight year, I have a quality blog of my own and it was an honor just to have that happen for the second straight year.   

I thank all you peeps that nominated me for the 2011 award and voted for me as well.  It's deeply appreciated. 

But there's always next year.  

Monica's 2011 Esteem Awards Acceptance Speech.

This is the speech I wrote for the 2011 Esteem Award that I'll be getting on July 3.   Thought I'd share it with you TransGriot readers and everyone who couldn't be in Chicago for the awards ceremony.

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Giving honor to God, the Esteem Awards distinguished founder, judges, attendees of the awards ceremony, friends and allies

I am pleased, excited and thankful that I am being honored with a 2011 Esteem Award in the Outstanding Service, Transgender - Nationals category and humbly accept it.  I just wish I could be in Chicago during this festive Black Pride weekend in person to do so.

When I started my transition in 1994 and the activism part of it with my first Capitol Hill lobbying trip four years later, little did I know or expect that I was beginning a journey that was more than just simply wanting to do something to fight for my human rights as a trans person of African descent and be a role model to others like me. 

Along the way I’ve learned a lot of things about myself, met people around the country and the world that I’m blessed to call my friends who share a common vision of a world in which transpeople have the same codified human rights as everyone else.  I’ve become an iconic figure in the trans community, made some history, and edit a blog that has registered over 2.5 million hits since I started it on New Year’s Day 2006.

And because I tell it like it T-I-S is on TransGriot about a lot of subjects, pissed a few people off, too. 

Dr. Cornel West has a quote about leadership that I tweaked to better reflect the African descended trans constituency I serve:

'You can’t lead trans people if you don’t love trans people. You can’t save trans people if you don’t serve trans people.'

I love my people and have been leading and serving them in various capacities for over 15 years   But the journey to save them is far from over.  I won’t rest until my African descended trans brothers and sisters become and feel comfortable enough to believe they are full fledged participants at the African American family table inside and outside our rainbow community.

It’s nice any time you receive an award that recognizes you for the work you do on behalf of others.  It’s even more meaningful when that award comes from your own people 

Thank you for honoring me with this 2011 Esteem Award.