Performance Of 'The Faggot Who Could Fly' Play Thursday

For you folks in the Chicago area, if you are looking for something cultural to do with your day, you may want to head over to the Chicago State University campus on April 7 to check out a play called 'The Faggot Who Could Fly' 

It's a one act one women play written by and performed by a transwoman of color that talks about her experiences from growing up as an abused child to a resilient woman

It's sponsored by the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Culture on the CSU campus and is scheduled to run from 12:30-2:00 PM CDT. 

If you're seeking further information about this event, you can call the Gwendolyn Brooks Center at 773-995-4440 or hit up their e-mail at gbrookscenter@gmail.com 

Pam's Ponderings-The Grocery Store Shelves Were Bare

TransGriot Note: Author Pamela Hayes' takes on life while trans.    In this one she talks about the Super Bowl, movies and the state of what passes for cartoons.

I went to the supermarket to pick up some things for spaghetti and meatballs. I love making my meatballs with meatloaf mixture--a combination of beef, pork and veal.

While there, I decided to pick up some super bowl munchies. Two family members will be glued to the TV watching the Super Bowl, but I am not interested. Ugh!

But they requested some food items for the event. There wasn't a chip, Cheetos, Fritos, Doritos, pretzels in the damn store.

No Cokes, Pepsi, Sierra Mist, ginger ale. Well, some folks are having Super Bowl shindigs tomorrow, so I guess they cleaned the store out in preparation of that.

They had emptied the candy aisle. What do they think this is, Trick or Treat, I thought, frowning up a storm, when I didn't see a Nestle Crunch in the house.

I went to another store and found my soft drinks and chips. I also bought some stuff to make them a deli tray, which will consist of turkey, ham, roast beef, cheeses, gherkins, olives, artichoke hearts. I'm going to put out chips and dips and make some wings with barbecue and sweet and sour sauces.

While that pigskin lunacy is underway, a family member and I are going out to dinner and afterwards, we're going to watch Cinderella--that version with Stuart Damon and Lesley Ann Warren. I love it.

Also, there is a marvelous version with Julie Andrews. Also, Alice Ghostley who played the bumbling Esmeralda on Bewitched played one of the mean-spirited step sisters in that version.

I'm also going to check out Annie, the Kathy Bates/Audra McDonald vehicle. I love the music and Audra McDonald is a sublime singer. That woman's voice is positively majestic. I have a few CD's by her. She is superb. God gave her quite a gift with that voice.

And finally, I'll make myself sit through The Princess And The Frog. I'm not that wild about animated movies, though I love the old Flintstones series. I love Fred, Wilma, Barney and Betty, Bam Bam and Pebbles.

I have watched Family Guy. I find it disgusting.

Stewie is a horrible little creature who has fantasies about committing matricide. Meg, most definitely is not daddy's little girl. Peter has broke wind in her face. Sent her into dangerous situations. Calls her ugly.
What a charmer. The show can be profane and irreverent without having a man psychologically abuse his daughter. Though it's been said another man sired Meg.

That show has dealt with subjects like bestiality. Lois' father impregnated his pet dog. How repugnant!

Characters have been seen vomiting. Who wants to see that? Yes, I've watched it in HORROR to be cognizant of what's going on in popular culture and sometimes, I've turned it off in revulsion.

My books contain graphic sex scenes , but I don't care for pornographic movies or pictures. Call it an idiosyncrasy.

Don't Mess With Texas Campaign Turns 25

In 1986 TexDOT launched an anti litter campaign designed to appeal to the pride that Texans have for our state and reduce the litter accumulating on Texas roads.  

It had the catchy, tough talking tagline of 'Don't Mess With Texas' and had commercials with Texas musicians, sports heroes, and actors.   In a few short years it not only remarkably worked to reduce the amount of litter on Texas roadsides,  the campaign was expanded to include Texas beaches.

The Don't Mess With Texas slogan became a cultural icon as well.

The anti-litter program now turns 25, and to mark its 25th anniversary they are having a contest to pick the best commercial at this website..

Here are some of my favorite ones.

The Houston Oilers one featuring Warren Moon and Ernest Givins

.

Rev George Foreman



Johnny Dee and the Rocket 88's


Houston Astro pitcher Mike Scott



The Monster



The Texas Confederate Air Force


Traffic Stop


I Wouldn't Do It

What's Between A Transwoman's Ears Is More Important Than What's Between Her Legs

One of the things that upsets me at times is that society and transpeople sometimes place far too much importance and attention on what genitalia is between our legs when the focus should be what's between our ears.

In this second decade of the 21st century we have more transwomen who have come out earlier in their lives than ever before and they are stunningly beautiful.  

But some of my sisters are more concerned with using their looks to get men and party and are not focusing on the inevitable day and the reality that the Coke bottle shape will eventually go away and your beauty fades.

That's why what is between your ears is far more important than what is between your legs.    Developing your mind should have just as much primacy for a Phenomenal Transwoman as being the life of the party.  

I've noted that quality in many of the cis and trans women I've chosen to pattern myself after and that lead successful lives.   I also find that the transwomen I get along with best have strong characters and are beautiful inside and out because they have taken the time and effort to borrow writer Sharon Davis' words, become finer specimens of womanhood.

While everyone's trans feminine journeys are primarily individual ones impacted by a multitude of factors including class, the decade we transition in, race, and where we live on the planet, at the same time we transwomen of color have the additional burden of representing our ethnic groups.

We don't have visible representations beyond the stereotypes attributed to transwomen of African, Latina, native American and Asian descent and we must be mindful of that.  It's why I have high expectations for myself and I am constantly aware of the fact I represent my African American trans community as a role model.   I'm proud that I have the reputation of being an intellectual and don't shy away from it.

When I have the honor and privilege of mentoring young transwomen of color I push them to be the best they can be and exceed the low expectations society has for us.    I want them to enjoy their youth, date and have fun, but at the same time I want them thinking about how they are not just in it for themselves, they represent an entire marginalized community to a trans hostile world.. 
 
The only way we are going to get society to stop focusing on the authenticity of our womanhood and what genitalia we have concealed in our panties is get them to focus on the content of our character and what is between our ears.

Once we are successful in doing that, we will begin to see real progress towards transpeople not only having civil rights coverage, but becoming integral parts and valued citizens of the various nations that we live in.

What Do You Mean I'm Not A Taurus?

When you ask people what's their sign, it's a nice icebreaker and conversation starter that can lead to friendships, relationships and sometimes marriage in some cases.

But in the wake of a recent Minneapolis Star-Ledger article that claimed that many of our signs had changed because of the wobble of the Earth's axis over two millennia, there were other conversations started this week based on the assertion that the 2000 year old zodiac was not only off by a month, but now included a 13th sign.

I say this as a proud Taurus, bull feces!

The current 12 sign zodiac that Western astrology is based on hasn't changed.   It's based on the seasonal equinoxes and wasn't oriented to the constellations.  

That's good to know because I know deep down I fit every characteristic assigned to Taurean personalities and I just didn't see Aries in my future.

No offense to those of you who are proud Aries and have Ram jewelry, t-shirts and tattoos to prove it, but I am a Bull and proud of it.   One of the reasons I like Battlestar Galactica and Caprica so much is that my peeps from the BSG home planet of Tauron and their culture got featured on the show.

Admiral Helena Cain was from the home planet and as we have discovered thanks to the Caprica prequel, Admiral William 'Bill' Adama's family was from Tauron as well.

So whatever your sign was before that article popped up, you are still that sign today.

And that's no bull

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