New Inclusive Rules For HISD Schools

The 2011-2012 school year starts for HISD students today.  For the first time students in the largest school district in Texas and seventh largest in the nation will do so with a Student Code of Conduct policy that includes anti bullying provisions with gender identity and expression language

The gender identity and expression language is also included in the anti discrimination portions of HISD's employment policy as well. 

It passed on a unanimous 8-0 vote and we do need to take a moment to thank all the HISD Board of trustee members who voted for the policies. 

The members who are up for reelection, HISD  board president Paula Harris (District IV), Carol Mims Galloway (District II), Manuel Rodriguez (District III), and Juliet Stipeche (District VIII) we can thank not only with e-mails, but with our ballots November 8.

My rep Paula Harris has drawn an opponent while the other three members whose terms are up in this cycle haven't as of yet.   The  deadline to file challenges against them is September 7.      


We also need to take a moment to thank Chris Busby and Jenifer Rene Pool whose multiyear work and patient engagement with the Board of Trustees made it happen.  

To our TBLG kids matriculating in HISD we have this to say to you.  We love y'all, study hard, have a wonderful school year, know we have your backs if something needs addressing, and we hope and pray the new policies that are in place make a huge difference in making your school year much better than it was previously.

We hope the same applies to TBLG people who work for the district as well.

Texas School Boards Doing TBLG Civil Rights Two Step

We're going to have an interesting TBLG civil rights positive two step taking place in Houston and Dallas on the eve of the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit. 

What the TTNS deals with is education policy as it applies to trans people.  It's wonderful that we have two school board meetings taking up TBLG education specific issues transpiring in the Lone Star State on the same night.

It's also cool to me that it's happening the night before the TTNS.. 

The Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees will be conducting the second reading and final vote for the inclusion of gender identity and sexual orientation in the district's employment policy.   The trustees of the state's largest school district voted 7-0 during a June 23 school board meeting to approve the proposed policy during the first reading phase and hope I'm able to watch history being made at the Hattie Mae White Building. 

Meanwhile 262 miles up I-45 north is the second largest school district in Texas and the twelfth largest in the United States, the Dallas Independent School District.   

According to Rafael McDonnell of Resource Center Dallas, the DISD Board of Trustees will be meeting to consider adding the same sexual orientation and gender identity language to its own district employment policies.

Thursday night's meeting is the first phase discussion and vote, with the final vote on the proposed policy scheduled for August 25.

Here's hoping that both the HISD and DISD efforts in this Texas TBLG civil rights two step are successful and we have some exciting news to talk about during the TTNS.

3rd Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit Begins Friday

Can't believe it's been almost a year since the last one.   The time is rapidly approaching for the start of the 3rd Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit

The TTNS is being held on the University of Houston campus August 12-13 and is presented by the hardworking folks of The Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit team, the Houston GLBT Community Center, and the Hollyfield Foundation.  

All of this year's seminar action will be centered in Room 104 of the Roy G. Cullen Building at UH courtesy of our gracious hosts in the University of Houston's Department of  English.

We have people coming from across the Lone Star State to participate, and our keynote speakers this year will be Dr. Paige Schilt on Friday and Meghan Stabler on Saturday.

The TransGriot will be there and it's still not too late to register for those of you who would like to attend.  I'm planning on chronicling and doing posts on the TTNS happenings like I did last year.

I hope to see representatives from our local HBCU's Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M Universities in attendance as well since hello, there are transpeople of African descent who are either walking your campuses, potential students who would like to be doing so or are alums of your institutions whether you are aware of that or not.

To register by mail, send your check made payable to the Houston GLBT Community Center to: 
Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, P. O. Box 1095, Baytown, Texas 77522 or just have it ready to hand them at the registration desk on Friday morning when you show up for the day's events. 

Regular Registration fee: $20
Student Registration fee: $10     

As I mentioned in a previous paragraph, people will be coming from across the state to participate in this TTNS event.  In addition to the dynamic keynote speakers, there will be seminars, workshops, and the opportunity to meet and greet other activists and people across the Lone Star State interested in advancing civil rights inside and outside the education realm for transgender Texans

And oh yeah, did I mention the chocolate break?

See y'all on Friday and Saturday.