Sen Harris Iowa Dem Liberty and Justice Event Speech

“To win, we are going to need a nominee on that stage, with Donald Trump, who has the ability to go toe to toe with Donald Trump –and Iowa, you are looking at her,” she said. “I have spent my career as a prosecutor. I’ve only had one client in my entire life, and that has been the people. Unlike other people, unlike others, I have never represented a corporation. I have never represented a special interest.”-Sen Kamala Harris 

Since it's now glaringly obvious the media won't cover Sen. Kamala Harris' campaign and are doing everything possible to erase, demonize and marginalize her so other mediocre white males can win the Democratic nomination, ,I'm going to do my part between now and the start of the primaries to post news about the Harris campaign because I'm tired of the BS.

Sen. Harris has redeployed campaign resources from New Hampshire and is going all in for the Iowa  Democratic Party caucuses that happen in 90 days on February 3.

While the media was trying to pump up Pete Buttigieg and a post heart attack dropping like a rock Bernie Sanders,  Sen Harris was making a rousing speech at the Iowa Democratic Party's Liberty and Justice Event on Friday night in Des Moines. 

Didn't hear about it?   Well, here's the speech. 

 

More Pearland Political Shenanigans

Looks like the peeps who want the bigoted status quo to stay intact in Pearland are having a hard time dealing with the reality that their once sleepy little suburban town is a multicultural city of over 130,000 people. 

With the city evolving to become a diverse metropolis, the political leadership of it at city hall and the school board need to reflect that reality.

Daniel Abdullah Hernandez is running for the Pearland ISD school board's Position 4 against incumbent Sean Murphy.  That board is close to flipping to liberal-progressive control if the conservative faction controlling it now lose one or two more seats. 

If that happens, PISD's homophobic and transphobic superintendent Dr. John Kelly is probably going to be one of the casualties since he is a polarizing figure there. 

Hernandez has not only been critical of Pearland ISD's treatment of trans kid Kai Shappley, he has also been critical about the district's racial and fiscal problems. 

Hernandez would also be the first Latinx person amd Muslim elected to the PISD board should he be successful in winning his race on May 5.  Hernandez is also the imam at the Pearland Islamic Center.

Dalia Kasseb, who ran for the Pearland City Council last year, is making another run at a Pearland City Council seat.    You'll remember that anti-Muslim rhetoric was deployed in her race last year in which she led all candidates in her race by getting 41% of the ballots cast. 

Unfortunately that wasn't enough for her to win the seat outright on Election Day.  Kasseb was forced into a runoff for that Position 7 seat that she unfortunately lost.

She does have two other challengers for the Position 4 seat in Sonny Atkins and Adrian Hernandez, and was endorsed by the Texas Democratic Party.   Here's hoping that Kasseb is successful this time in making history, capturing the seat on the Pearland City Council that eluded her last year and does so in 2018 without a runoff. 

If she does accomplish that feat, she would become the first Muslim to win a political race in Brazoria County in addition to becoming the first to win a Pearland city council seat.

But there are some peeps in Pearland who aren't liking the fact that since 2000, the town has grown more diverse.  It is now 47% Anglo, 25% Latinx, 17% African American and 9% Asian.

While it's denied by city leaders, there is an increasing divide between the longtime conservative leaning residents and the more liberal progressive ones in the newer, more ethnically diverse suburbs west of FM 518.  It's starting to play out in the city's politics.    

A hidden camera recently caught an elderly white woman tearing down a Daniel Hernandez campaign sign.  There was YouTube video of it happening, but of course it has been taken down in an attempt to protect the guilty party who didn't know she was on camera when she performed her nefarious deed.

Stealing, defacing, mutilating or willfully destroying a political yard sign on private property is a misdemeanor crime in Texas punishable by a $2500 fine, a year in jail or both.

The same thing is reportedly happening to Kasseb's yard signs according to one of my Pearland TransGriot readers.

 


Good luck to both Daniel Hernandez and Dalia Kasseb as they both seek to make electoral history in Pearland.  Shame on the folks who are engaging in thuggish political behavior.

Early voting starts on April 23, so Pearland peeps, make your voices heard and beat back the election bigotry that is occuring once again in this city.

The bottom line is that Pearland is getting diverse, and the people who are seeing public office there will only continue to be more representative of the entire community, not less so

Texas Orgs Launch 'I Pee With LGBT' Campaign

The pressure is mounting as an increasingly broad coalition of Texans are gearing up to stop the Texas Transgender Oppression Bill, AKA SB 6.   Lt. Governor Dan Patrick's office has received over 10,000 calls against it as opposed to just 200 in favor of the unjust bill (keep 'em coming).

Texas businesses, the NBA, NCAA and NFL and organizations have warned their events will not be coming to Texas if they pass it.

Send some of those calls against SB 6 Sen. Lois Kolkhorst's (R-Brenham) way too.   The bill was filed back in January, but as of yet there hasn't been a hearing date set for this unjust and unnecessary bill.

It is already illegal under Texas law to harm or harass someone in a Texas bathroom.  What the right wingers also won't tell you is there has been no increase in public safety incidents in Texas cities that currently allow people to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify.

Passing the unjust bill would harm Texas business and our state's economy to the tune of billions of dollars. Just ask North Carolina.

A bathroom is not where women and children are at risk. Where our public bathrooms are concerned, it is transgender people who are the real targets:

70% of transgender men and women report having been verbally or physically attacked while using a restroom.

As part of the ongoing campaign to flush SB 6, the Texas ACLU in conjunction with Legacy Community Health Care have joined forces to launch this 60 second video highlighting the discriminatory nature of SB 6 entitled 'Taking A Seat, Making A Stand'  as part of their 'I Pee With LGBT' Campaign.

 

There's also an I Pee With LGBT website that is part of this campaign, and I hope it along with efforts of thousands of Texans combine to finally flush discrimination aimed at the trans community from the state of Texas.

TransGriot Update:  Discovered the intersting factoid after I posted this that there are two trans people in this commercial.   Can you spot those trans folks?  
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'Stacey's Not A Girl' Indiegogo Campaign Has Four Days Left

I've talked about the book Stacey's Not A Girl and the Indiegogo campaign to raise $9,000 to get the book published.

Thanks to all of you who shared my post, the link to Colt's site, the link to the book's Facebook page , who preordered it, or just for supporting this effort to bring this book to life, I'm happy to report that with four days left the Indiegogo campaign has hit and exceeded its target.

Thanks to all of you who contributed toward making that happen, and if you still wish to chip in something toward the publishing costs or order the book, please do so.    

Hillary Clinton Calls Out Trump In San Diego Speech

"He's not just unprepared-- he's temperamentally unfit to hold an office that requires knowledge, stability and immense responsibility."
--Sec. Hillary Clinton 

For those of you who wondered why I endorsed Hillary Clinton back in February and said she was the best qualified person for the job of replacing President Obama, yesterday in calling Donald Chump Trump out  in a San Diego campaign speech unqualified for the job on national TV, she justified my confidence in her to be the next POTUS.

But hey TransGriot readers, see it for yourself if you missed it.

Danni Askini Suspends Washington State Legislative Campaign

I've been happy to hear about trans people stepping up to run for state legislative offices in this 2016 election cycle.  I consider trans people being in our state legislatures and eventually the US Congress to be the next vital step to pushing our civil rights movement to the next level.

I recently heard some disappointing news recently out of Washington state. Danni Askini is dropping out of the race for an open legislative seat in Washington's 43rd District to focus on her executive director duties at the Gender Justice League.

"I have been overwhelmed by the support our campaign has received since I filed in March," said Askini in a press statement. "This decision has weighed heavily on me, but I have come to the conclusion that I cannot run the campaign for State Representative this district and my community deserve while also fighting attacks both nationally and across our state on transgender rights."

The local attack on trans rights she's talking about is I-1515, an attempt by the haters to roll back the Washington's trans human rights protections that have been in effect for a decade and must be stopped.

The Washington Won't Discriminate coalition has been established to fight the unjust initiative and keep it off the November ballot   A decline to sign campaign is underway, and it will be determined in July if I-1515 has enough signatures to qualify.

"I think people understand that this is a unique challenge," Askini said about I-1515.  "It's new territory for the community and it is unfortunately an all hands on deck issue."

While I and her supporters understand why she's dropping out of the race, it's still disappointing news.

The $33,000 in surplus funds raised for Askini's run for office will be distributed to several organizations that include the Pride Foundation, Legal Voice and the Transgender Law Center.

Askini's withdrawal from the race she announced for back in March is additionally disappointing because she was considered the front runner in this crowded race.  Had she been successful in capturing the 43rd District seat, she would have become the first out trans person elected to the Washington State Legislature.  

It still leaves six people in a crowded field to fill the seat that opened up after state rep Brady Walkinshaw resigned to run for the 7th Congressional District being vacated by retiring Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)

Save The Sexual Minorities Archives House

As you long time readers of TransGriot are aware of, one of the missions of this blog is to talk about our history as transpeople.

One of the people I met back in 2008 when I spoke at a trans rally in Northampton, MA was transman Bet Power, who is the curator of the Sexual Minorities Archives in that city. 

The Sexual Minorities Archives was founded in 1974 with the name New Alexandria Library for Lesbian Women and houses one of the oldest and largest collections of LGBTQI literature, history, and art in the United States.  

When Bet Power inherited the archive in 1992, he expanded its scope to LGBTQI, and changed the name.

Since then Bet as the curator for the SMA has been adding to the collection.  He is now working to add the Leslie Feinberg Library to it.   The Leslie Feinberg Library contains 1000 books, photos, and a transcript of interview with Sylvia Rivera, the mother of the trans rights movement

The Archives House is home to nearly 10,000 books, over 900 periodicals sets, comprehensive subject file materials on LGBTQ life, multimedia, art works, and rare LGBTQ historic materials. Each year, 300 to 500 people visit the SMA to browse, conduct research, volunteer their time, work as student interns, or attend support group meetings.    The SMA received a grant from UMass this summer to digitize the collection..

It also serves as Bet's home, and Bet was recently informed that the landlord wants to sell it.   The landlord did give Bet the first option to buy it, but because he has a rare medical condition, he is on SSDI and can't afford to purchase the house on his own despite qualifying for a NACA mortgage.

Unless he can raise the $20,000 needed by November 15, the home will be sold to another buyer and the SMA (and Bet) will be forced to move.

Bet has raised $12,384 so far, but still needs your help to reach the goal.  So if you can, please help toward saving the SMA archive and our LGBT history.  Only $7,616 is needed to hit the target, and any amount you can give is deeply appreciated and will get Bet closer to being able to purchase the home to house the archives there.

If you need further information:

July 31 interview on New England Public Radio.

Sexual Minorities Archives
Sexual Minorities Educational Foundation, Inc. 
Northampton, MA 


Sexual Minorities Educational Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 1023
Northampton, MA 01061-1023
Phone: 413-584-7616

The Sexual Minorities Education Foundation, Inc as August 11, 2014 has received its 501c3 non-profit status from the IRS, so that means any donations to SMEF are tax deductible.

NBJC Emancipation Campaign

You know that I have been down with the mission of the National Black Justice Coalition throughout the life of this blog and have much love for the organization.. 

I have met and talked with Executive Director Sharon Lettman-Hicks on different occasions, met with many of the NBJC board members past and present, had the pleasure of attending, chronicling   and taking part in the 2011 and 2012 OUT on the Hill events and was honored to be a participant in their all day NBJC Black Institute at this year's Creating Change Conference in my hometown. 

And I'm hoping I can make it back to DC for this year's 5th annual edition of OUT on the Hill September 24-27

Now that NBJC is moving into its second decade of service to our community since its 2003 founding, it is seeking to become more self sufficient and rely more on the people they serve to fund it instead of foundations.

The NBJC Emancipation Campaign is seeking to raise $500,000 in order to do precisely that.

While they will continue to seek out grants, NBJC believes that in order to truly own our power and emancipate ourselves, the organization needs to be funded predominately by the African-American LGBT people and allies it serves, with the grants acting as supplements to the money they raise from the community and supporters.. 

NBJC in the last ten plus years has been on Capitol Hill and in movement leadership circles serving our Black LGBTQ/SGL community. 

They are unapologetically pointing out because of the way the forces of bias based on race, sexual orientation, and gender identity intersect in our community, it makes Black LGBTQ/SGL people and their families one of the most marginalized groups in America.

NBJC has been grooming our emerging LGBT leaders, pushing economic empowerment issues and laser focused on issues from our perspective such as HIV/AIDS, employment non-discrimination, safe and inclusive schools, transgender equality, Don't Ask Don't Tell, HBCU's and marriage equality

And NBJC has not hesitated to call out injustice aimed at our Black TBLGQ/SGL community

As far as the transgender equality portion of their mission goes, NBJC has been one of the few inside the beltway organizations to capitalize the 'T and seek our input on the issues and problems that plague our community.

The NBJC is worth the investment, and I hope you believe in their work as much as I do to invest in it as I will happily do once again because I want and would like for this Emancipation Campaign to be successful. 

2013 Houston Mayoral Debate-What I Learned From Watching It

Tuesday night the one and only televised mayoral debate between all the candidates was on KUHT-TV, our local PBS station and hosted by our local chapter of the League of Women Voters..

Over the two hours of this forum style debate moderated by Linda Lorelle (which sadly is the only one for this campaign) I heard Mayor Annise Parker, who is vying for her third and final term, her top challenger in former city attorney Ben Hall, and four other candidates, Keryl Burgess Douglass, Eric Dick, Don Cook and Michael Fitzsimmons attack either Mayor Parker, Ben Hall or each other.  

I was looking to hear their views over the issues that I and many Houstonians deem important so I and my fellow Houstonians can have more information to cast our votes when we go to the polls starting October 21 for the early voting period that ends November 1 and Election Day itself on November 5..

Everything from crime to METRO was discussed in that two hour event, and I was looking at it from the prospect of which one of the people on that stage would be the best person to lead my hometown over the next two years.   

Mayor Parker also walked into the KUHT-TV studios with a sizable 34.1%-13.1% lead over Ben Hal in a poll conducted last month with Eric Dick getting 2%.  

But the poll also showed that as of the time they conducted it 48% of Houstonians haven't made up their mind as to which candidate they would support when the polls open.

If you wanted to put money on this race, odds are that Mayor Parker will be handling her electoral business and be taking the oath of office at the Wortham Theater come January.     


One thing that is perfectly clear to me after watching that debate is that my early anxiety about Ben Hall is being justified.  And no, it isn't the fact I have been an unabashed supporter of Mayor Parker at times on this blog either that has led me to this conclusion.  

I'm bothered by the fact that up until the day Ben Hall filed to run for mayor, he lived in the wealthy west side enclave of Piney Point Village. 

I'm not hatin' on the fact Hall has a compelling rags to riches story or earned that big house out there, but to me a major prerequisite that all potential mayors of Houston must meet is they actually live in my hometown's city limits, be it inside or outside Loop 610.

And by live inside the city limits, I don't mean rent an apartment or buy a house inside the city limits just before you choose to run for mayor and start writing checks for your self funded campaign after you've spent over a decade living outside and not paying property taxes in my hometown.   And no Hall supporters, having your law office inside the city doesn't count.
  
Hall's claim to support public education while not paying the school district taxes he owed to the Spring Branch ISD until pressed on the issue by the local media is a hypocritical red flag.  When you're self funding your campaign but refuse to release your tax returns, what's up with that?  

I'm interested in hearing Hall's views on the expansion of METRORail to the airports, building the needed east-west University Line before 2025 and adding a commuter rail component to it when he's not busy running attack ads or sliming Mayor Parker. 

The final straw issue for me was Hall dancing around the subject of whether he supports adding gender identity and sexual orientation language in the city of Houston's non discrimination ordinance, which is a tipping point issue for me. 

Mayor Parker supports that issue.

As for Keryl Douglas, she previously ran for Harris County Democratic Party chair and may have potential.   As for the rest of the minor candidates.  Don Hall?  WTF were you smoking?   Eric Dick?   Not ready for political prime time. Michael Fitzsimmons?  Making public transportation free?   METRO already has the lowest base fare of any major city at $1.25.   

So what did I learn from watching the 2013 Houston Mayoral Debate?  That we already have the best person for the job and representing my hometown to the world in our current mayor Annise D. Parker 

MAJOR! Documentary Kickstarter Campaign

Two of the many people I met during last weekend's Trans*H4CK were longtime TransGriot reader StormMiguel Florez and Annalise Ophelian.

In addition to the long, thoughtful conversations I had with both of them Friday night we talked about the documentary project they are filming and raising funds in a Kickstarter Campaign in order to complete it.

The documentary they are filming is called MAJOR!  It's about one of our trans icons in Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, who is an internationally recognized human rights activist who transitioned back in the 50's, the Executive Director of the Oakland based Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP) and a Stonewall veteran.

At age 70, she's still traveling the nation and the world lecturing, speaking and fighting for the human rights of the trans community. 

Miss Major testified at the United Nations about the abuses that trans women of color are dealing with and is a beloved elder stateswoman in the community. 

I met Miss Major when I was invited to speak at the TransPride March and Rally in 2008 and she was the Grand Marshal for the event.  Every now and then we end up in the same space like we were last year at the TransFaith In Color conference in Charlotte and when that happens, I don't hesitate in stopping what I'm doing and taking a few moments to bask in her wisdom and knowledge,

She'll also call and check in on me to see what's happening in my world in addition to her being one of the people I talk to when I want to know something about the back in the day history of the trans community.



This is a documentary film that needs to be completed because Miss Major's story is one that needs to be told and preserved for the benefit of ourselves and future generations. It would be nice if MAJOR! can be finished and shown in theaters while she's still here with us in this plane of existence to enjoy it. 

If Annalise's name sounds familiar, it's because of the last award winning documentary she directed and produced entitled Diagnosing Difference, which looks at how medicalizing certain gender identities as "disorders" affects trans people.  StormMiguel in addition to being a media worked at TGIJP for five years with her.  

They have raised $11,611 toward their goal of $25,000 by the 9 PM EDT October 8 deadline as of this writing, so if you can contribute a little something to help StormMiguel and Annalise reach their fundraising goal, please do so. You can also check out the Major! Facebook page for up to date information about it.

Even $1, $5, $10, $20 or whatever amount you can afford will get them that much closer to making this film a reality.  

VP Biden: Transgender Rights Are The Civil Rights Issue Of Our Times

I've always liked Vice President Joe Biden for a number of reasons, but I have even more reason to love him according to a HuffPo report.

He was visiting an Obama for America field office in Sarasota, FL yesterday when he struck up a conversation with a woman who was there at the office that according to the pool report has 'beautiful eyes'.

Their conversation was inaudible to the pool reporters, but Biden is reported to have said it 'is the civil rights issue of our times'.  The woman in question was identified Sarasota resident Linda Carragher Bourne. 

She said her daughter was Miss Trans New England and that she had asked Biden if he would help them.

"A lot of my friends are being killed, and they don't have the civil rights yet. These guys are gonna make it happen," Bourne told the reporter.

The commentary underscores the fact that when it comes to trans issues, the Obama Administration has been the best ever when it comes to trans human rights issues.  It's why many trans people supported him in 2008, and I'm proud as a trans African-American to see that a president who shares my ethnic background has been an ally to our community.

And as human rights warrior Julian Bond once said,  “The humanity of all Americans is diminished when any group is denied rights granted to others.”

Trans rights are a human rights issue, and anyone who thinks that we shouldn't have the same rights they do is making their own human rights less secure.

 

Second 2012 Presidential Debate Wrap Up

When the high stakes second presidential debate started at Hofstra University Multiple Choice Moderate Mitt Romney was there. 

The problem for Mitt Romney was that 2007-2008 Obama was in the room and proceeded to spank that azz.

It was a town hall style format in which the questions came from the audience, and this time President Obama challenged Mitt Romney from the outset.   Romney also tried to run over moderator Candy Crowley like he did with Jim Lehrer two weeks ago in Denver and she wasn't having it. 

Neither was President Obama, who called Romney's butt out every chance he got and mentioned the issues he left on the table in Denver to the frustration of his base.  

The POTUS was on his debating A game last night while a flummoxed Mitt Romney made some unforced errors.   The critical one came when Mittens thought he had the POTUS cornered on a question pertaining to the Benghazi, Libya consulate attack and he was embarrassingly corrected not only by President Obama, but called on his lie that the president never called the Benghazi attack a terror one by moderator Candy Crowley.   President Obama also called Mittens butt out for playing politics with the issue as well and called it offensive his insinuation that the POTUS or any member of his administration would play politics with a situation in which 4 diplomats died.  




Mittens also got called on his immigration policies when the POTUS pointed out his campaign adviser was Kris Kobach, the author of the Arizona SB 1070 law Romney called 'a model for the nation'.

In the final question of the night Romney opened the door for the president to use the 47% comment against him and the POTUS whacked Romney with it in his closing statement as the debate ended..




President Obama was on a mission last night and he accomplished it.  He confronted Romney on his lies, vigorously defended his administration and his policies, fired up the base, and convincingly won this second debate.  Now we'll see not only how the conservafools spin this debate, but which way the polls go in reaction to this Obama win.   

They're already attacking Candy Crowley, so that means they think Mittens lost.

The October 22 debate in Boca Raton, FL with its focus on foreign policy will definitely be a fun and critical one.  Whether it determines the outcome of the election remains to be seen.  

Texas GOP, It's Payback Time In One Month

While I'm beginning another day of Owning My Power during this thrid edition of OUT on the Hill, my mind still is thinking about events back home and the significance of what happens thirty days from today's date.

What's happening in thirty days?   Glad you asked inquisitive TransGriot reader.

October 22 is the first day we Texans get to cast early voting ballots in this 2012 presidential election cycle and for you peeps who wish to join me, here's the info to get the election party started. . 

The Texas Republican Party not only worked hard to suppress mine and the votes of millions of non-white Texans, seniors, and Texas college students, they also pushed a 2012 party platform that has amongst its odious planks a call for the repeal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. 


I know which party values my vote and stood up for my constitutional right to cast it and which one did everything possible (and is still actively working) to suppress it, and I'll be voting accordingly on that date.

Thanks to the efforts of US Attorney General Eric Holder, a long list of allies and Section V of the 1965 Voting Rights Act law you conservafools claim is no longer necessary (yeah, right) all I'll need when I show up to vote on October 22 at one of those Harris County early voting polling centers is my yellow Texas voter registration card.

So yes, I already know what is on my agenda on that date, and it ain't voting for Mitt Romney or anyone with an 'R' behind their name.

Ads In DC Trans Respect Campaign Launched

I talked about it last month when the Washington DC Office of Human Rights decided in reaction to the string of ugly anti-trans incidents and murders in the District to launch a first of a kind anti-trans discrimination campaign.

This first of several posters of DC trans and gender variant people who are spokespeople for this campaign were released.  The one featuring DC transwoman Kisha quotes her saying, "I love wandering through Smithsonian museums, eating on H Street with friends, and going to shows at Howard Theatre."

It mentions the tagline for the campaign: "I’m a transgender woman and I’m part of DC. Please treat me the way any woman would want to be treated: with courtesy and respect."

The poster then points out discrimination based on gender identity and expression is illegal in the District of Columbia under its Human Rights Law and provides a website and phone number (202) 727-4559 to get more information.or report anti-trans discrimination

The formal launch for the campaign happened last night with an event attended by DC Mayor Vincent Gray.

“This District is committed to ensuring that all people are protected from discrimination, and that includes discrimination against the transgender and gender-non-conforming communities,” said Mayor Gray. “This landmark campaign from the Office of Human Rights is an important piece of a larger effort by my administration to ensure all residents have equal access to employment, housing and public services and accommodations regardless of gender identity or expression.”

As for the spokesmodel's thoughts on the campaign, Kisha approves of the message and thinks it will have a positive effect on the city..

"I think it’s going to have a great impact," she said. "The fact that it is going to be right there in your face. People will see transgender people. They’re going through everyday life, everyday struggles — the same as straight people, rich people, everyone. Getting the message out there … is going to be great."

The rest of your transpeeps around the country think it's great, too.   Major props to the DC Office of Human Rights and DC Mayor Vincent Gray for making it happen.

Univision President Decries Lack Of Debate Moderator Diversity

Looks like I wasn't the only person along with the National Association of Black Journalists that noticed the lack of debate moderator diversity in the upcoming October presidential and vice presidential debates.

Univision President Randy Falco wrote a letter that put the Commission on Presidential Debates on blast for their vanillacentric and major network centric selections of debate moderators.

"This November more than 20 million Hispanics could play a critical role in electing the new President of the United States and it is important that they make an informed decision," Falco wrote. "The debates announced yesterday presented an ideal opportunity to tap one of the two best journalists in the business who have a broad understanding of the domestic and international issues facing this country, understand the Hispanic community better than anyone else and are fully bilingual: Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas."

The other Latino journalists whose names were rumored to have been considered for moderator slots were CNN's Soledad O'Brien and Telemundo's Jose Diaz-Balart.  

As the fastest growing minority group that will make up by 2050 a third of the population of the United States, the 2012 presidential candidates should have to answer questions posed by Latino journalists in a debate setting just as they needed to answer questions from African-American journalists.

The importance of having POC journalists is magnified when one of the presidential candidates has been routinely ducking non-white journalists on a regular basis.

Falco also offered in his letter to the Commission to create a Latino forum for both presidential candidates to participate in.

"Since you have already made your decision on moderators for the debates and have neglected to have someone speak credibly to the concerns of Hispanics in America, Univision would be willing to create a forum for the presidential candidates to address this sector of our society."

Janet Brown, the Debate Commission's executive director tried to deflect the justified criticism coming their way about the glaring omission of journalists of color.   In addition to stating the Commission was not creating the requested forum,  she wrote this in response to Falco.

"We recognize that there are many organizations and individuals who wish they had been included in our moderator selection. Debate arithmetic means that it is impossible to accommodate all of them. However, we strongly believe that the four journalists we have named see their assignment as representing all Americans in their choice of topics and questions. The general election debates have always focused on issues of national interest that affect all citizens, including Univision’s audience.  We have met with Univision about joint efforts to get the largest number of people possible engaged in discussing and learning from the debates, and remain interested in working with you toward that goal."

Yeah, right.  This is a cop-out statement and a recognition the Commission fracked up by not adding journalists of color for these debates.  It also doesn't address the valid point that Falco made that the four journalists chosen as moderators don't have experience or cultural fluency with the issues the Latino community faces. 

It's also arrogant and insulting of Ms. Brown or the commission to presume that non-white journalists aren't capable of asking debate questions that would appeal to all American citizens, since it has been effortlessly done by Carole Simpson in the 1992 presidential debate and Gwen Ifill most recently in the 2004 and 2008 vice presidential ones. .

Debate Commission leadership, it's past time for you to recognize the reality that the 'all citizens' part of that statement Ms. Brown crafted also includes non-white Americans.    
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Where's The Diversity In The Presidential Debate Moderator Lineup?

The presidential debates between President Obama and Mitt Romney and the vice presidential debates between Vice President Biden and Paul Ryan will occur in October.  

The schedule and debate subjects have already been determined along with the locations for the four scheduled debates, but the moderators were just announced yesterday..

First Presidential Debate

October 3, University of Denver, Denver, CO

Moderator: Jim Lehrer, PBS

Vice Presidential Debate

October 11, Centre College, Danville, KY

Moderator: Martha Raddatz, ABC

Second Presidential Debate (town hall -meeting format)

October 16, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Moderator: Candy Crowley, CNN

Third Presidential Debate

October 22, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL
Moderator: Bob Schieffer, CBS

The first presidential debate will focus on domestic policy and be divided into six time segments of approximately 15 minutes each on topics to be selected by the moderator and announced several weeks before the debate. The moderator will open each segment with a question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond.  The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the topic.

The vice presidential debate will cover both foreign and domestic topics and be divided into nine time segments of approximately 10 minutes each. The moderator will ask an opening question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the question.

The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which citizens will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and domestic issues. Candidates each will have two minutes to respond, and an additional minute for the moderator to facilitate a discussion. The town meeting participants will be undecided voters selected by the Gallup Organization.

The format for the third presidential debate will be identical to the first presidential debate and will focus on foreign policy.

The question I and every non-white American is asking ourselves right now is where's the diversity in the moderator lineup?

Granted, CNN's Candy Crowley will be the first woman in over 20 years to moderate a presidential debate.  But you couldn't ask Gwen Ifill, who has moderated the 2004 and 2008 vice presidential debates to do so?   You mean to tell me Presidential Debate Commission you couldn't find a single non-white journalist to moderate at least one of these debates?

Here's the short list of people of color journalists I came up with in addition to Gwen Ifill that could easily moderate these debates: Martin Bashir, Tamron Hall, Roland Martin, Alina Cho, Suzanne Malveaux, TJ Holmes, Ed Gordon, Soledad O'Brien.....  

Or is it you didn't look hard enough?

Romney Hood (Snicker, Snicker)

A taste of President Obama's recent speech in which he critiqued the Mitbot's tax plan and coined a new phrase for the presumptive GOP nominee and what his tax plan would do to the middle class. 

Romney Hood.   Rob from the poor and middle class in order to give tax cuts to the Rafalca set.

Devastating Obama Campaign Ad Whacks Mitt v 2012

When I finally got around to catching up on what I missed while traveling back to Houston after my double secret weekend in Washington DC, noted the inside I-495 Sunday talk show chatter over this devastating Obama campaign attack ad.   

It  pimp slaps Mitt v. 2012 over his propensity of being Bain Capital's Outsourcer In Chief and making mad loot for it that Romney shelters in offshore bank accounts in exotic island locales.

The most delicious part of the ad is it uses Romney's dreadful January off key singing of 'America the Beautiful' while doing so.




The Romney campaign tried to respond with their own ad attacking the POTUS with the backdrop of the POTUS singing Al Green's 'Lets Stay Together', but had to yank it after a copyright infringement claim was filed.  

(snicker snicker) That's what y'all Republicans get for hatin' on the liberal progressive peeps in the music industry.

And to apologize to you TransGriot readers for assaulting your ears with such horrid singing, let hme post so video that shows you how it should properly be done.

The 2012 Presidential Debate Schedule

While we're still waiting for the Republifools to sort out who their presidential nominee will be in their knockdown dragged our primary fight, thanks to the  Commission on Presidential Debates we already know the dates of the 2012 Presidential and Vice Presidential debates and where they will take place.
 
The first will happen on October 3 in Denver, CO. President Obama will take on the GOP presidential nominee on the University of Denver campus.

On October 11 in Danville, KY Vice President Joe Biden will take on the GOP vice presidental nominee in the only vice presidential debate on the beautiful campus of Centre College.

October 16 will see the second presidential debate happen on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY between the POTUS and his GOP opponent.

The final presidential debate will occur on October 22 between President Obama and his Republican opponent on the campus of Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL.

The formats, moderators and times are still to be determined. 

Cain Shuts Down His Campaign

I'm still bummed about the UH loss, but the one thing that is making me happy is that Herman Cain won't be cooning it up on the GOP debate stages any more.   They can go back to looking for their 'Great White GOP Hope' to run against the POTUS in 2012.

Uncle Ruckus Herman Cain suspended his cratering campaign for president earlier today.

“As of today, with a lot of prayer and soul searching, I am suspending my presidential campaign,” Mr. Cain said at a rally in the ATL surrounded by supporters chanting his name. “Because of the continued distractions, the continued hurt caused on me and my family, not because we are not fighters. Not because I’m not a fighter.” 

Naw Herman, don't blame the 'distractions', blame yourself.   

Couldn't happen to a nicer nominee for the 2011 Shut Up Fool of the Year Award..