Houston Puts In Bid For 2020 DNC Convention

Houston City Council voted 15-1 to formally put in a bid to land the 2020 Democratic National Convention after being asked to do so by the Democratic Party.

The last time we hosted a DNC was 1928.  That led to the construction of the Sam Houston Coliseum, which was eventually demolished to make room for the Hobby Center.

Houston was also host city for the 1992 Republican Convention at the Astrodome in which Pat Buchanan made his infamous 'culture war' speech.

Houston joins seven other cities, Atlanta, Birmingham, Denver, Miami Beach, Milwaukee, New York and San Francisco in competing for the coveted convention.

The DNC had previously sent out letters to a longer list of cities to gauge their interest in hosting the event.  Birmingham and New York were considered as host cities in 2016, but were passed over for the eventual winner Charlotte.

The winning city will be announced in January 2019

Moni's Going To Comic-Con International 2017!

I was just talking to Cecilia Chung last week about how I haven't gotten the opportunity to do events on the West Coast as much as I do the East Coast, in Washington DC and the Midwest.

Every now and then I get those phone calls that brings unexpected blessings and opportunities in my life and I received one of those yesterday.

Comic-Con has been one of those bucket list things that I've wanted to someday do, but didn't expect to happen for awhile.   That changed at approximately 3 PM yesterday .

I've been asked to participate on a panel discussion that is happening during the event, and as we get closer to Comic-Con's dates and the details get hashed out, I'll  be able to talk more about the panel and what its about.

This qualifies a s BFD.   Comic-Con is not only the oldest continuously run comics and popular arts show in the US, it draws over 130,000 attendees to a sold out San Diego Convention Center along with Hollywood celebrities, movie and television directors and writers.

The best part about this upcoming trip to San Diego is that it is not only the first time I get a chance to explore the city (was in the San Diego airport for two hours a few months ago enroute to Tucson), I get to see Comic-Con in all its glory.  

I'm also hopeful I'll get to spend some quality time with one of my trans elders in Tracie Jada O'Brien while I'm in her southern Cali neck of the woods.

The July 20-23 dates of this event also gives me a mental health break before I have to deal with the Texas GOP conservafools and their Special Oppression Session in Austin

I'll find out when the panel happens when they post the full schedule of events , and I'll let you TransGriot readers who are attending the evnt know where to find me.

2016 DNC LGBT Caucus Meeting

Yesterday in downtown Philadelphia the 2016 DNC LGBT Caucus meeting took place in a packed room at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

11.5% of the delegates here for the #DNCinPhilly are members of the LGBT community, which is an increase over the 7.5% of the delegates our community made up at the 2012 DNC in Charlotte.

While we're repping different letters of the alphabet and in some cases multiple intersectional identities, we are united in LGBT World in ensuring that Donald Trump goes down to crushing defeat on November 8 and ensuring our civil rights are protected.

During the LGBT Caucus event, that started at noon EDT, in addition to discussions about the Equality Act, HB2 and other issues of importance to the community, some of the 28 trans delegates in attendance at this event were introduced to the LGBT caucus crowd.

Barbra Casbar Siperstein, who is on the DNC Executive Committee and one of the two trans superdelegates, was also on hand to give out the Jane Fee Award, which is quadrennially given at the DNC convention and named for the Minnesotan who in 2000 became the first out trans delegate to attend a DNC convention..

It;s given to the trans ally within the Democratic Party who has stood up for and is supportive of trans rights issues within the party.

The Jane Fee Award was given to Rep. Mike Honda, (D-CA) who has been openly supportive of his transgender grandchild and has been not only on an evolutionary journey to understand the terminology of our community, but has stepped up to become a trans supportive legislative champion..

Moni's Heading To The NABJ Convention!

This time next week I'll be headed to Boston for the 39th annual edition of the National Assn of Black Journalists Convention that is being held at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center. 

I'll be there to take part in a GLAAD organized panel discussion that has me in some pretty distinguished company in Kenyon Farrow and  Kellee Terrell. Tiq Milan will be moderating it.

The panel will be a timely one in terms of discussing violence against Black trans women and the media responses to it.

Sometimes the reporters I've had to call out on these TransGriot electronic pages concerning the most egregious examples of disrespectful reporting of our fallen transsisters have been my own people.

But I'm so looking forward to this panel and being in the NABJ convention house.  I've always wanted to attend this conference and the stars and my schedule finally aligned so I would have the opportunity to do so.

I've been to Western Mass twice as you longtime readers are aware of and was 90 miles away from it in Providence in 2012 for that historic Netroots Nation panel.   This will be my first time ever in Boston, and I'm excited about it.

And this time it didn't take me four years to return to Massachusetts.. 

I'm also excited that after more than a few years of being acquainted with her via Facebook, I'll finally get to meet Kellee Terrell and see Kenyon Farrow again.   Hopefully I'll also get to see L'lerret on her home turf.

And if I have time, as a history buff who loves visiting presidential libraries, would sure love to go to the JFK Presidential Library there.

And oh yeah, hashtag for the conference for those of you wishing to follow along on Twitter on the July 31 date of our panel is #NABJ14

See y'all next week, Beantown

If It Barks Like A GOP Racist And Growls Like A GOP Racist, It IS A GOP Racist

I get e-mails and comments on my Facebook page every time I call the Republican party out on their racism by sarcastically spelling the party name with three K's (RepubliKKKan) or calling the Teapublicans the Tea Klux Klan.   They try to pimp that false equivalency meme and claim that the Democrats engage in it, too.

Umm, no they aren't.   And don't even try to come at me with that elephant feces.  

If your presidential campaign is predicated on not talking about the merits of your candidate, but blowing racist dog whistle comments to stir up the bigot base of your party because you refuse to compete for the votes of non-white American citizens, you actively work to suppress their votes,  and you have openly disrespected the first African-American president since he took the oath of office in 2009, don't be surprised when your fellow Republicans and the people your campaign tactics validate and appeal to feel empowered to unleash their inner Klansman and their bigotry at inopportune moments.

David Shuster tweeted about an incident that occurred at the Republican convention Klan meeting now taking place in Tampa in which an African-American CNN camerawoman had peanuts thrown at her yesterday by a GOP convention attendee followed by the comment "this is how we feed animals'.

CNN posted a written statement saying, “CNN can confirm there was an incident directed at an employee inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum earlier this afternoon. CNN worked with convention officials to address this matter and will have no further comment.”

No further comment?  You're joking, right?   That's why I switched to watching MSNBC because CNN in my opinion has been far too busy trying to coddle the Republicans instead of calling them out on their fascist and racist bull feces.  

So what did the convention officials do to the GOP attendee who committed this microaggressive racist act?   Did they throw them out for the rest of the convention or just for a day with a wink and nod to the reprehensible behavior?   Did the knee-grow conservafools placate the bigoted attendee by saying the CNN camerawoman 'provoked' it?   Is the unnamed so far GOP attendee a credentialed delegate?   An alternate?   What state are they from?  Are they a proud member of the Tea Klux Klan or the Paulistas?

These are the questions that need to be answered instead of swept under the rug and trying to deny the incident happened.  The one thing it confirms once again for African-Americans is that the Republican Party is racist from the top of its presidential ticket to its grassroots.

You white peeps who vote Republican can swim in vanillacentric privileged denial all you want, but if it barks like a GOP racist and growls like a GOP racist,  it IS a GOP racist and your votes and donations to the party enable that racist behavior. 

It also ensures non-white Americans will continue voting for Democrats.

TransGriot Update: Turns out it was TWO GOP convention attendees, not just one.  It's still reprehensible behavior no matter how many peeps participated in it.

TPOCC Chair On 2012 Dem Party Platform Committee

The 2012 Democratic Party Convention will be happening in Charlotte, NC this September, and in advance of it the Democratic National Committee and Obama for America announced how the 2012 Platform process would be conducted. 

The July 20th deadline has already passed to send written testimony in, but Democrats from around the country will continue to come together and draft a Platform that outlines Democratic priorities and highlights the President's vision for the middle class and his efforts to create an economy that's built to last.

I can say with complete confidence that there's not a chance in Hades that the Democratic Platform will resemble the putrid 2012 Texas GOP one that seeks to repeal the 1965 Voting Rights Act and oppose critical thinking skills being taught in public schools among other jaw dropping planks. 

Back to the post.   One of the Platform Committee members who will have input on that Democratic platform is none other than trans advocate, NBJC Board Member and Trans People of Color Coalition (TPOCC) founder Kylar Broadus.

If you want to know why I stay a Democrat, the inclusion of trans voices in my party's policy discussion is a major reason why. 

Congrats again Kylar for making history again on behalf of our community, representing us at that particular policy making decision table and ensuring that our voices as trans Democrats are heard and reflected in this year's platform..

Mitt Gets Booed At NAACP Convention

I'm the TransGriot and I approve of the NAACP booing his Gordon Gekko wannabe behind for that jacked up disrespectful speech..




Reactions from the people Mitt didn't convince.




From what I gathered talking to people during the LGBT reception who saw the speech, they were just as offended as I was that Romney came to Houston and our NAACP house not to respectfully talk to us but condescendingly AT us.





Yeah Willard, it's on.

Attorney General Holder's NAACP Speech

US Attorney General Eric Holder came to Houston to speak at the 103rd NAACP convention and had a message for the conservafools trying desperately to suppress the vote in advance of the 2012 presidential election.

He isn't backing off from trying to repeal  your Voter ID suppression laws.    He contends (and I concur with his assessment) that they are poll taxes specifically banned under the 24th Amendment. .

For you conservailliterate sheeple, here's the text of the 24th Amendment since y'all only read the 2nd and 10th and ignore the 25 other amendments that make up our Constitution. .

Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax. Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

NAACP LGBT Forum-Yep It's Happening

Remember when I was wondering aloud on the TransGriot pages if the LGBT forum was happening at the NAACP convention that just started in Houston?  

I ran into someone during Netroots Nation 2012 from the Washington NAACP that told me it was being organized, but now I can confirm it is happening.

And yes, there will be a transperson on that panel.

The forum will take place at the George R. Brown Convention center on Wednesday afternoon and be moderated by LGBT task force chairs Alice Huffman and  Julian Bond .

It is entitled 'Civil Rights and Marriage Equality: What's The 411?'  on Wednesday July 11, 2012  from 2:30-4:30 PM CDT.  

The panelists for the forum will be NAACP North Carolina President Rev. William Barber,  NAACP San Francisco President Rev. Amos Brown, NBJC Executive Director Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks,  TPOCC Executive Director Kylar Broadus, licensed therapist Dr. Douglas Butler PhD, and Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith and other distinguished guests.

Should be an interesting two hours.   So will the reception from 5-7 PM CDT at the Hilton Americas Skyline Room after the panel discussion

2012 Texas DNC Delegation Will Have Record TBLG Contingent

When the Democratic National Convention kicks off later this summer, the Texas delegation to it will have a record number of rainbow community folks in the convention hall from September 3-6.

There will be 32 TBLG people representing Lone Star State Democrats either as delegates or serving on committees in Charlotte, which is an all time record.  

In addition for the third straight DNC event a transperson will be part of the Texas delegation. In 2004 and 2008 it was Vanessa Edwards Foster from Houston, and in 2012 it will be Meghan Stabler, who will be representing Senate District 5.  It's a large state senate district that covers Brazos, Burleson, Freestone, Grimes, Houston, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Robertson, Trinity, Walker and Williamson Counties..

And yeah, trigger alert because the TransGriot is about to engage in some Lone Star bragging.. 

During the just concluded Democratic Party state convention in Houston, my home state of Texas became the twentieth state to add a marriage equality plank to their state Democratic Party platform.  

They also voted affirmatively to add "gender identity" to the statement of principles of the Texas Democratic Rules and on platform resolutions that recognizes and allows birth certificate amendment for children of same-sex parents and the adoption of children by parents without regard to he parents gender identity or sexual orientation.

What was that I-5, I-495 and I-95 peeps about we need to 'just leave' our red states? 

Damn, y'all make me proud to be a Texas Democrat.  Now if we could just start channeling the late Barbara Jordan, the late Billie Carr and (sniff sniff) the late Governor Ann Richards and start taking our state back from those blasted Republicans and bring it back to its liberal progressive roots, things would be a lot better for everybody in the Lone Star State..

Hopefully we started that process in Houston.   Congratulations to all the Texas rainbow community folks who will be representing our beloved state at the DNC convention this summer.

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Guess Where The 2012 NAACP Convention Is Being Held?

In July 2012 the NAACP will hold  its 103rd annual convention with an estimated 10,000 delegates converging on that host city.

Since 2012 will be an election year, instead of President Obama doing a videotaped message to the convention delegates, the POTUS will probably be in the house to speak to the assembled NAACP members from all over the country.

And care to guess what city is hosting the 2012 NAACP convention?   

Houston. 

Yep, the NAACP will be headed back to the George R. Brown Convention Center in the TransGriot's hometown and home state for the first time since we hosted the 1991 and 2002 events.

Hmm, wonder if they're going to have an LGBT Town Hall at this convention and keep their promise of adding a trans panelist?   Yep, we're still pissed about being snubbed.

If they do, it better not be a trans-free one once again because this time it'll be a short drive downtown to make my feelings known to the NAACP how much I'm displeased with that revolting development.   

NAACP Calls Out The Tea Klux Klan

The NAACP's 101st annual convention is taking place in Kansas City this week through Friday, and today's news from it made major headlines.

The NAACP is calling out the Tea Klux Klan.

The 2000 NAACP convention delegates passed a resolution yesterday to condemn extremist elements within the Tea Party, calling on Tea Party leaders to repudiate those in their ranks who use racist language in their signs and speeches.

Judging by the 'circle the burning cross' response from the conservafool movement, that has as much chance of happening as the LA Clippers threepeating.

And predictably, the hate is flowing from them as well.

The resolution will not become official NAACP policy until approved by the National Board of Directors in October.

"We felt the time had come to stand up and say, 'It's time for the tea party to be responsible members of this democracy and make sure they don't tolerate bigots or bigotry among their members,'" NAACP President Ben Jealous said ahead of the debate.

"We don't have a problem with the tea party's existence. We have an issue with their acceptance and welcoming of white supremacists into their organizations," he said.

Deal with it Tea Klux Klan. No thinking person is fooled by your 'we're not racist' spin.

Not even the oldest civil rights organization in America, who knows a group of racists when they see their pointed white sheets showing.

The FLOTUS ' 2010 NAACP Convention Keynote Speech.

First Lady Michelle Obama arrived in Kansas City on Monday to deliver the keynote address for the 101st annual NAACP convention. Here's the video of her keynote address.

NAACP Centennial Convention

The NAACP is celebrating its centennial year and in honor of that, they returned to New York, the city where the organization was founded in 1909.

The Centennial NAACP convention started July 11 and is running through July 16.

President Obama spoke to last year's convention in Cincinnati and will address this year's gathering on July 16. Given the history that he is making every day, that should be an interesting speech and I'm looking forward to hearing what he has to say.

It's interesting that as the NAACP is gathered in its birthplace for their centennial convention and eagerly anticipate the first African-American president's speech to it, we got not so friendly reminders that we still have much work to do.

With the president's own daughter being verbally attacked by people on the Free Republic website and a group of African-American kids being denied access to a suburban Philadelphia swimming pool, seems like we're still in the prehistoric racial and not the post-racial world.

Contrary to the people that complain and state that the NAACP isn't relevant anymore, these incidents point to the fact the NAACP is very much needed in the 21st Century.

Yeah, I'd like to see them take a more vocal stance against the violence directed at Black transpeople, among other issues I have with it. Like any organization, it's only as good as its members, the senior leadership and the board that runs it.

It's not perfect by any means, but neither am I willing to say they aren't 'relevant' as some of its critics do. I like what I see in NAACP president Benjamin Todd Jealous and I'm willing to give him time to show what he can do.

The Congressional Civil Rights Report Cards they do, along with the work of their their legal arm, the ACT-SO and other youth programs along with being forceful advocates for our people makes them very relevant.

My challenge to you peeps who don't think so is to join your local branches and do what you feel is necessary to make them 'relevant' in your eyes.

Congratulations to the NAACP in its centennial year. Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do for our people in this century.