Happy Birthday To The Best POTUS Ever

Yep, today is President Barack Obama's 54th birthday.   The best US president ever and the best ever on trans human rights issues was born on this date in Honolulu, HI in 1961.

The birthers still dispute that, but frack them, they aren't wrapped too tight anyway.   Just the sight of the Black man in the Oval Office since 2009 has sent them off the deep end into a seething Confederate flag waving rage.   And I love every minute of it.

Oops, I think i just described his Republican Party opposition and not the birthers.  My bad.

This man is the best president ever.  Stopped a second Great Depression from happening.  Got Osama Bin Laden.  Dow is at record highs.  Passed the Affordable Care Act.  Restored respect for our country on the world stage.and is smarter than the average Republican.

And he gets to celebrate one more birthday next year at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Hope he's getting a chance to enjoy it with the FLOTUS and First daughters before he has to handle whatever business is on his schedule for today.  

Happy 63rd Birthday, Mr T!

You longtime TransGriot readers know that my inspiration for my Friday Shut Up Fool Awards is a certain 1980's tough guy, and today is Mr.T's birthday.

But before he was named to the WWE Hall of Fame and had roles on The A-Team and Rocky III, Mr. T was born 63 years ago today in Chicago.

His heyday was the 80's in which he won the World's Toughest Bouncer competition twice in addition to his acting roles and advocacy for kids.

So yep I have much love for him, and hope he continues to celebrate many more birthdays to come.

Happy Birthday To Moni!

Well TransGriot readers, I've made it through another 365 days on this space rock to celebrate another Cuatro De Mayo.

The lead up to today was spent with by BTAC family, and they kept me busy so I didn't go into deep brooding an introspective mode like I had a chance to do on the bus ride back down I-45 south to Houston.

I'm a Kennedy Baby celebrating another birthday, but I couldn't help thing about the trans people who won't reach my age.and it saddened me.

We've made some amazing progress as a community over the last few years, and I want to be around to see what happens 10, 15, 30 and 25 years from now.

And yes, living long and prospering despite everything the conservahaters and TERFs are trying to do is our best revenge.

Thanks to all of you who are or will be sending me birthday greetings, e-cards, cash in my blog tip jar, and everything else y'all are doing to let me know y'all love and care about me.

So as for what the heck I'm going to do for this birthday is an open question, but one thing I'll be damned sure be doing is reveling in the day that I took my first breath inside the borders of this state, and look forward to what happens 366 days from now.

Happy birthday to Moni!   Hope I'm blessed to celebrate many more of them.

Happy Birthday Leiomy!

It's time to give a TransGriot birthday shout out to another fellow Taurus and one who I'm looking forward to meeting one day.

Happy birthday to Leiomy Maldonado, who if you'll turn the clock back to 2009, this #GirlLikeUs was making news back in the day as the leader of the Vogue Evolution team on the MTV show  America's Best Dance Crew.
Leiomy and Vogue Evolution were in the news as they made a five week run to capture the title on that show in its fourth season and the $100,000 prize that went with it.



Unfortunately Leiomy and the Vogue Evolution crew fell short of the final dance, but represented our community and the New York ballroom scene well.

Hope you have an amazing, blessings filled birthday Leiomy, and you get to celebrate many more of them..

Happy Birthday Nicole!

Time for another TransGriot birthday shoutout, and it goes to someone who is an emerging voice in our trans community ranks at just age 23.

Meet San Antonio based video blogger Nicole Ramos.   In addition to her popular YouTube channel, this proud trans Latina has made appearances on various talk shows to intelligently talk about our issues.



Looking forward to the next opportunity I get to spend some time on her end of I-10 and the day I finally get to meet this up and coming young leader to watch. 

Your voice and perspective as a Latina trans woman is also needed as we continue to expand the much needed and ongoing conversation around trans issues.

Happy birthday Nicole!   Thanks for all you do for our community, being an intelligent voice for it, and hope you have a fabulous, fun-filled day.

And to borrow a line from Star Trek, may you live long and prosper on your journey through life.

Happy Birthday Jordana!

Today happens to be the birthday of my musically gifted little sis from another mother and the reason this blog exists in Jordana LeSesne.

And you know she's getting the TransGriot birthday shout out!

I've told the story every TransGriot blogiversary about how she pushed me to set a date to start the blog until I did so on January 1, 2006.    She was also in the room in Philly when I received my IFGE Trinity award a few weeks later..

There have also been some long, thoughtful intergenerational conversations in which I've learned much from her.    She also makes sure when we're debating different subjects that I stay on point  and don't ever slip into 'lazy thought' mode.

That's an invaluable skill to have when you have 3 minutes to talk to a legislator

And best of all, my gorgeous Little Sis isn't afraid to call my azz out when I need it.  

So happy birthday Jordana!   I know my life is much better with you in it, and I hope this year and subsequent ones are filled with abundant blessings for you.

It's Tona's Birthday!

Today is Tona Brown's birthday, and had to give my little sis a TransGriot birthday shoutout after the amazing history making year she had

She made her lifelong dream of performing on the Carnegie Hall stage come to life on June 25 with her well received 'From Stonewall To Carnegie Hall' concert that made her the first out African-American trans woman to perform there.

I've known, talked to and been aware of my classically trained musician sis for years now, and it was one of the highlights of the 2014 LGBT Media Journalists Convening in DC when I finally got to meet her.

As to what Tona has in store for us in 2015?   That's a good question.  But I know I'm looking forward to watching it unfold and happen.

Happy birthday Tona!  May you be blessed with many more.

Happy Birthday Aisha!

Today happens to be the birthday of one of the people I admire and go into fangirl  mode when I'm in her and her lovely spouse's presence.

And yep, she's warrants a TransGriot birthday shoutout.

I'm talking about the fabulous Aisha Moodie-Mills, who you can hear along with Danielle on their Politini show. which broadcasts on Thursday's at 8 PM EST on blis.fm   

You can also see Aisha  and her spouse on various news and cable outlets like the Melissa Harris Perry Show and countless others adding her insightful commentary on various current events and looking stylish while doing so.

And I wanna be just like her when I grow up.

Happy birthday Aisha!   May it be filled with abundant blessings and continued success in the New Year!.

Happy Birthday Dr Z!

Couldn't let today pass without giving one of my fave trans men a TransGriot birthday shoutout!

Today just happens to be the 34th birthday of Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler, the hardest working tech entrepreneur in our community

Had the pleasure of getting to see him again during that recent event in New York, and looking forward to seeing where his wildly successful Trans*H4CK pops up in 2015 after happening in Oakland, Chicago and most recently Boston..

Happy birthday Dr. Z!   May this one be full of blessings for you and may 2015 be an even more dynamic and successful year for you than this one was.

Happy Birthday Geena!

When I picked up the phone back in March and it was her on the other line, little did I know after that two hour phone conversation that day I was not only going to get a ringside seat for a wonderful to watch story, but I would make a friend in the process.

Ever since she exploded onto the scene with that widely acclaimed coming out TED talk, it has been one amazing year for our New York based sis Geena Rocero.

 In addition to our fave trans pinay rocking runways and the glamorous photo shoots of her day job, she founded Gender Proud, an international trans organization with the mission of advocating for the ability of trans, intersex and gender variant people around the world to have legislation in their various nations allowing them to easily change documentation to reflect the persons they are now without surgical intervention.

She has piled up the frequent flyer miles traveling the globe to lend her voice to numerous events from the White House to her native Philippines to advocate for trans rights issues..

And she does so with intelligence, grace, class and one beautiful smile. 

 I couldn't let her birthday pass without giving her a TransGriot shout out on it.

Happy birthday Geena! Thanks for all you do to advance trans human rights around the planet and look fabulous doing it!   Hope you're having a wonderful, blessings filled day!  

I'm proud to call you a friend and sister in the international trans human rights struggle, and I pray you receive the ultimate blessing of  celebrating many more birthdays to come! 

Happy Birthday, Islan

Today would have been the 23rd birthday of my fallen New York transsister Islan Nettles.

But because she ran into some transphobes on a Harlem street corner who thought for whatever jacked up reason they could physically assault her, she is no longer here to celebrate any more birthdays.

The best present we can get for you right now on this day is justice and heightened awareness of your case..  

The wastes of DNA who attacked you need to be sitting in a  jail cell somewhere in New York state.  If the local prosecutors won't put theses idiots away for their deserved jail time, maybe it's time for federal prosecutors to get.involved and start investigating this case.

And those local prosecutors failing to act need to be replace in the next election cycle by people who will seek justice..

It pisses me off every time I see her face and wonder what kind of contributions she would have made to our community and the world. 
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She was just beginning to live her life and these transphobes ended it it because of their person prejudices and transphobia.

Happy birthday, Islan.  You were taken away from us way too soon.   The city of New York, all the people who loved you and the world are poorer for it.

Happy Birthday Dee Dee!

I met her last year at a trans POC meeting, and it has been a blessing to me and the city of Houston.  

Ever since we met, we have been collaboratively working on projects that have benefited our community as our personal friendship has exponentially grown.  One of those projects we were working on was HERO.    

And yeah, I enjoy our traditional Tuesday lunches at Frenchy's, too.

When you love and appreciate someone and admire what they do, best to tell them while they are in this plane of existence to hear it..

So here I go.   I have mad love and respect for my award winning activist trans sister, and since today is Dee Dee Watters birthday, I'll let her reveal which birthday she's celebrating. 

She deserves a TransGriot birthday shout out, and my birthday wish for her is that this busy lady take it easy on her special day.   I hope (and presume) she'll be celebrating it by being surrounded by her family and close friends.  

I also hope and pray she receives the ultimate blessing of being around to celebrate many more of them.

Happy birthday Dee Dee!

Have A Happy Birthday, Isis!

One of the things I have been most happy to see over the last few years is the renewed rise of #girlslikeus walking the fashion runways of the world and in some cases working behind the scenes to make those shows happen..  

One of the peeps I had the pleasure of finally meeting after chatting and talking to her on the phone over the last few years is my talented sis Isis King. 

She's a twentysomething multitalented woman who in addition to her demonstrated runway ripping skills, is also a fashion designer and actress. 

It was the acting part which was the reason why I got to meet her in H-town back in April.

The movie Hello Forever she was starring in premiered at the World Fest film festival here.   I enjoyed getting the opportunity to finally meet and kick it with my beautiful sis and the cast

Well, couldn't let her birthday pass without giving my sis a proper TransGriot birthday shoutout!

Have a wonderful day filled with abundant blessings, love, and smiles, and may you have many more of them.   I also hope I get to spend some quality time with you the next time I'm in New York.

Happy 53rd Birthday President Obama!

Today is the 53rd birthday of President Barack H. Obama.  As usual, his right wing haters gave him hell and are still executing Massive Resistance 2.0, but as the late Maya Angelou would say, and still he rises.

Bottom line haters is he and the First Family will be at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue until January 20, 2017 and not a damned thing y'all can do about it. 

Exceedingly proud of the fact he has justified my confidence and the 2008 and 2012 ballots I cast for him that he's been the best POTUS ever when it comes to trans human rights issues.

Impeachment?  For what?  For doing his job?  

Please go there and piss off the African-American community enough to where we will bumrush the polls on November 4 to vote you Teapublican bums out

Happy birthday President Obama!   May you have many more.  May you also get the late birthday present of a Democratic House and Senate.

Very Happy Birthday Mayor Parker!

Today is Houston Mayor Annise D. Parker's birthday!   She was born on this date in H-town in 1956 and is serving her third and final term as the second female mayor of my beloved hometown.

And the fact she's on Team Taurus is a bonus.

We were hoping we'd get the HERO as her early birthday present, but better late than never.   No matter how much screaming the haters do it's still gonna happen.   Human rights will come to our city.

Thanks for all you do Mayor Parker to make our hometown a better place, and may you have many more blessings filled birthdays in the future.

And may those future birthdays come with a lot less drama than the runup to this one had..

It's Moni's 52nd Birthday Today!

It's my birthday today! 

I find myself in Dallas on the last day of BTAC 2014 hopefully getting some beauty sleep at this moment.   I do tend to do much of my writing and hard sold thinking at night.  I sometimes find myself not going to bed until 3 or 4 AM in the morning. 

One of the things that has to change this year. 

I'm looking forward to what is going to be an interesting and unique experience in terms of getting to celebrate a birthday with my Black trans family.

I have been blessed to make it through another 365 day ride on this space rock to celebrate my special day.  What I do know for certain on this Cuatro De Mayo 2014, I'm a better person than I was at this time last year. 
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But there's always room for improvement.   As for what I will wish for should a birthday cake materialize at some point before I head back down I-45 south, haven't settled on that yet.     

Besides, for that birthday wish to come true, I can't reveal it.

It was an interesting year, and I hope and pray the next 365 days have more blessings, fun, abundant love and wonderful times in store for me as the previous year did. 

Happy Birthday Mr. Brown!

It's TransGriot birthday shoutout time!

Today is the birthday of the founding CEO of Black Transmen, Inc and one of my fellow Lone Star State Trans 100 travelers in Carter Brown.   

I'll let him disclose how old he is, but it's undeniable he has been doing some amazing and groundbreaking work in not only leading BTMI, but shepherding the amazing growth of the upcoming Black Trans Advocacy Conference that will be in Dallas April 29-May 4.

Happy birthday Mister Brown!   Hope it is overflowing with love, smiles as wide as our state, abundant blessings and you continue to be blessed to have many more of them.

Happy Birthday Minister BobbieJean!

Today would have been the birthday of Minister Bobbie Jean Baker if she hadn't been taken away from us far too soon on New Year's Day. 

Yes Minister Bobbie Jean Baker is still missed by all the people who loved and came in contact with her.   Still hard to believe she's with the ancestors now and that memorial service for her happened.   It's taken me time to realize that I won't be getting those phone calls on a regular basis from her letting me know how she's doing and asking me if I'm all right.  

The world is a sadder place without you around to brighten mine and everybody else's day.  

Happy birthday Minister Bobbie Jean!   Continue to rest in power and peace until we meet again.   

It's New York Times Bestselling Author Janet Mock's Birthday!

Time for a TransGriot shoutout to my  little sis in Janet Mock, and as you can tell by the title a lot has changed since I gave my sis her last birthday shoutout

Since then she has released Redefining Realness, she's on a SRO book tour, and has done a lot of media interviews in support of it.   Some have gone well while one didn't.

But through it all Janet still manages to represent herself #Girlslikeus and #TWOC in all our fabulous complexity. 

Happy birthday sis!  May you continue to have much success with this book that is not only timely, but is jump starting family conversations about trans issues. 

May the abundant blessings continue to flow your way.   May you experience on your special day smiles as wide as Texas, lots of love and laughter, and may you have many more birthdays to enjoy and experience.
 

Happy 19th Birthday, Trayvon!

Today would have been the 19th birthday of Trayvon Benjamin Martin if not for a fateful encounter with bigoted neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in Trayvon's father's Sanford, FL. condominium complex.

And sadly, on Trayvon's 19th birthday we have more African-American parents who are awaiting the starts of trials of white males who felt they had the right to 'stand their ground' and kill Black children for the 'crime' of Existing While Black   

A jury is being selected in the case of Michael Dunn, who shot and killed Jordan Davis because he was in a vehicle with two friends at a Jacksonville convenience store, their music was too loud for his tastes and he 'felt threatened'

Theodore Wafer, another white man who 'felt threatened' has been chaged with second degree murder and is awaiting trail for November 2 shooting death of Renisha McBride.   She simply knocked on the door of a Dearborn Heights, MI house to get help after a traffic accident and paid for it with her life. 

The third white male, Randall Kerrick was wearing a CMPD police uniform when he shot and killed in September 2013 an unarmed Jonathan Ferrell ten times.  He has been indicted and charged with involuntary manslaughter.

So yes Trayvon, we have a lot of work to do to kill the ALEC-inspired Stand Your Ground laws that took you and Renisha's lives.  

And we will never forget what happened to you on the night of February 26, 2012 and how whiteness and white supremacy rallied to the defense (and still does) of George Zimmerman. 

We will commemorate the second anniversary of your murder with nationwide events, and we also won't rest until justice is served in not only your case, but Renisha and Jonathan's as well. 

We also won't rest until Kill A Black Child With Impunity Stand Your Ground laws are eviscerated. 

Happy 19th birthday, Trayvon. 
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