Told Y'all Conservafools Don't Care About Non-White Americans

Every time I start riffing on this blog about the many ways that conservatism only benefits wealthy white people and I call it and the Republican Party the political arm of white supremacy, I get pushback from self described liberal and moderate conservatives who try to claim that the Republican Party isn't as bad as I point out in my blog posts. 

Hey, I've been diplomatic in my blog posts.  Your party is actually far worse.  

Ever since the announcement in the wake of the ballyhooed post-mortem after the 2012 election that the GOP and conservative movement was going to do serious outreach to non-white communities, I've been skeptical about how successful this round of it was going to be given that I've been hearing this line from them since the 80's..   And so far, this latest  round of outreach has been the laughing my butt off disaster I expected it to be.

They have two impossible and diametrically opposed tasks they are trying to accomplish .  How are you going to persuade non-whites to join their party without saying something homophobic, sexist and racist coming out of their mouths?  

More importantly, how are you going to convince non-white people to join your party while simultaneously refusing to modify or change your policy stances that are offensive to non-whites like your voter suppression efforts, your attacks on the poor and attacks on women? 

And frankly, your policy stances not only suck, but don't help anyone except rich white men.   Don't even get me started about the person you have delivering the message in Sen. Rand Paul.   It is those policy stances coming from overwhelmingly white spokespeople that turn off people of color, combined with the insensitive and racist rhetoric you use to sell those policies.

It also doesn't help your cause that the non-white members of the movement and your party that you hold up as leaders like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas, Sen Tim Scott (R-SC), Allen West, and Mia Love are deeply unpopular and considered sellouts in our ranks.  

Meanwhile the folks you should be putting out there to represent you like Colin Powell and Erika Harold you disrespect as RINO's or worse. 

The empty CPAC room for the Thursday minority outreach panel shows just how much a priority it is for the conservative movement to address that problem or how much credence conservative activists put toward solving tit. 

But the United States is a country that is growing more ethnically diverse by the day. and you can no longer get 75% of the white vote and win national elections.  The voter suppression  tactics aren't going to work forever because demographics and time are not on your side and they piss the people victimized by them off.  


If you are serious about attracting people of color to your party, you have two choices.  You're going to have to come up with more moderate policy stances that will alienate your anti-government, anti-tax, anti-human rights, anti-education base or you can continue on your present path and continue to draw miniscule numbers of non-white people to your events and cede their votes to the Democrats.    

Looks like you're choosing Option B, which is fine with me as a Democrat.   You've made it quite clear since the 60's you don't care about me and the feeling's mutual.   Because of your lack of political vision, and refusal to politically evolve, you will continue to see the White House and eventually the nation turn blue, and send you back to the political wilderness that you so richly deserve.
 

Go The F#&K And Vote!

It's primary election day in the Lone Star State and I'm channeling Samuel L. Jackson this morning to urge you to get your behinds up in a few hours and go vote.

"But it's a primary election." I hear you saying.  Yes, it is.  But it's important because it determines the candidates who you will be voting for on November 4. 

And one I damned sure don't want to see on my ballot in November is that LaRouchite President Obama hatin' electoral troll Kesha Rogers. 

If you're tired of GOP bull feces and want to fire everything with an (R) behind their names, the first steps to doing that is ensuring there are qualified candidates on the ballot to replace the Teapublicans with. 

The first steps to a Blue Texas and ending the unjust Texas GOP dictatorship start today, so get up, go the f#&K and vote.  Handle your electoral business before 7 PM.   For those of you who took advantage of early voting, I thank you for doing so. 

For those of you who waited until today for whatever reason, make sure you do so.  The TransGriot, the community, the state, and the nation thank you for caring enough about your community, your county and our great state of Texas and its future to do your civic duty. 

Final Day To Early Vote In 2014 Texas Primary Elections

The first steps toward turning Texas blue start in the primary elections. 

Now that I finally have the Texas ID issues sorted out, I've made up for being suppressed out of the mayoral elections by handling my primary electoral business on Tuesday and have November 4 circled on my calendar in blue Sharpie pen ink.  ..

Today is the last day you can early vote in the party primary elections.   It's a long ballot, but not a lot of contested races on the Democratic side.

But one of those contested races is the US Senate Democratic one that has Lyndon LaRouche troll Kesha Rogers in it.  Please do your part to make sure she doesn't get int the runoff or heaven forbid, win.   We need a real Democrat facing off against John Cornyn.

If you don't do it today, you'll have to wait until March 4 to handle your electoral business, and you will have to go to your regular polling location to do so. 

And if you want to make sure we don't have anti-human rights legislation coming out of the Lege next January, or we have judges who will fairly rule on our cases, this is where it starts.

All elections matter.   

Bottom line is that you need to handle your electoral business Texas, and then prepare to do so again this November 4.

Texas Dems: Don't Vote For This Woman

Normally if I have a chance to vote for a qualified African American candidate for public office with the bonus of them  being from my hometown, I'm jumping at the opportunity to do so. 

But this woman is not even close to what I would call being one of those qualified candidates.

Meet 37 year old Kesha Rogers. 

She's a PK and 2001 Texas State University grad with a degree in political science and speech communications.  She unsuccessfully ran for the chairmanship of the Texas Democratic Party in 2006. 

And she's a follower of Lyndon LaRouche.  She has called for the impeachment and execution of President Obama and has been photographed holding a poster of him with the Hitler mustache drawn in.   She has criticized the Affordable Care Act, calling it 'fascist' and baselessly claiming it will kill Americans'.  She rejects global warming, and argues that London based banking interest are trying to ruin America's economy.

Typical LaRoucheite stuff.   

She unexpectedly won in the 2010 cycle a Democratic primary in the 22nd Congressional District race against Doug Blatt and Freddy John Wieder, Jr,  who combined garnered 6814 votes out of the 14,281 cast in that primary election.

Since Texas has open primaries, I suspect Rogers' win was largely aided by Teapublicans crossing over to frack with our primary so freshman Republican incumbent Rep. Pete Olson could retain the seat.  He did by soundly beating her in the general election. 

Rogers again filed to run in the 2012 election cycle in the Democratic primary for that US House seat and once again faced Doug Blatt and newcomer KP George.  

Despite opposition from TX-22 Democratic leaders, she prevailed in the primary once again by 103 votes.   The Democratic state and local party apparatus refused to support her, and Rep. Pete Olson once again got a free ride to reelection. 

Now Kesha Rogers is aiming higher after her two primary wins and has filed to run in the US Senate race.  There are four unknown candidates in the Democratic Senate primary besides her in David Alameel, who is backed by Wendy Davis, Maxey Scherr, Harry Kim and Michael Fjetland.

And scarily enough, in a recent UT/Texas Tribune poll Rogers leads the best financed candidate in Alameel 35%-27%.  Scherr has 15%, Kim 14% and Fjetland has 9%.   Rogers has raised $26,000 for hers.

David Alameel, if you have some commercial time bought and ads in the can, now would be the time to run them. 

In a election cycle which shows promise of being the best one in over 20 years for the Texas Democratic Party, the last thing we need is an Alvin Green scenario here or even worse, the nightmare scenario that Rogers survives the primary and a potential runoff to become the Democratic Party nominee against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R).

I damned sure don't want that happening, and neither does the Texas Democratic Party.    

They have gotten busy getting the word out that Rogers is NOT a Democrat, but a LaRouche Trojan Horse running in our primary.  These are the Democratic candidates supported by the TDP and note that Kesha Rogers name is not on this official TDP website. 

Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa is making it quite clear that she is not a Democrat.

“The Texas Democratic Party does not support the candidacy of Kesha Rogers or anyone that aligns themselves with the LaRouche Movement. Our State Democratic Executive Committee even issued a resolution against her campaign. Do not vote for Kesha Rogers in the primary.

“Rogers’ candidacy is an insult to our Party, our President, our state, our Democratic values, and to all the work you are doing to move our state forward.”

So Texas Democrats, you have a few days to run, not walk to your local early voting polling place and ensure this doesn't happen.   If you can't make it before early voting closes on Friday evening, then make damned sure you're voting on Tuesday, March 4 in the primary election on that date

Because I can guarantee there are Teapublican activists and pranksters who will cross over to vote in the Democratic Party primary just to make sure this nightmare scenario does occur.  

I would love to see an African-American woman run for and one day become the first African-American US Senator from my home state.  

Kesha Rogers ain't the person I want to see making that history, much less making history by getting the Democratic nomination for that US Senate seat.

I Want Nice Things For Texas

I got a chance this afternoon to walk a few blocks up the street to my early voting center and cast my vote in the Democratic primary.  

Y'all know that after the eight month stress-inducing drama I went through before finally getting my Texas drivers license January 9, it was a triumph for me when I showed my TDL and the now orange Texas voter registration card at the check in desk. 

I was handed the slip with the access code from the smiling female poll worker on the other side of the table, headed to the proper bank of eSlate machines, input the four digit code and began voting in my first Lone Star election since the 2012 presidential one. 

And yeah Texas Republican Party, I'm still highly pissed off about being suppressed out of the recent Houston mayoral one, and will be gleefully participating in the general on November 4.

I have an orange 2014-15 Texas voter registration card that I ironically received the same day I passed the driving test (with a 94 score thank you very much) and a TDL.  I'm currently working on getting my US passport since it is the other document you can use as ID to vote.  

And yeah, I'm highly motivated for the next two years and beyond to use both of them and be standing at the polling centers ready to throw the Lone Star GOP bums out. 

After what happened to me in 2013, I'm even more motivated than ever to turn Texas blue so my little niece Kacielyn and big niece Chantoya spend their teen and adult years in a Blue Texas like I, their father and mother grew up in. 

And I want nice things for Texas, too.   Nice things like a Texas government that works to solve problems for its citizens lives, not create them.  A government that answers to the citizens and voters of the Lone Star State, not the 1% 'bidness' interests or conservative white people.    

I want nice things for Texas like for the first time in 20 years, a resident of the Governor's Mansion in Austin we can be proud of, not ashamed of.    I want nice things for Texas like a wise Latina state senator as our lieutenant governor who will not ignore other female senators when they raise their hand and their voice to be recognized in that body to speak. 

I want Texas to have nice things like a budget surplus, a booming economy that works for all of us, high speed intercity rail, a top notch highway system and infrastructure and a world class education system with great public schools that teach facts based science, not Flintstones science. 

I want nice things like world class universities with reasonable tuition.  I want nice things like a Texas which encourages people to vote in each and every election and makes it easier to do so, not erect barriers to discourage people from exercising that right. 

I want nice things like a Texas with fair and sensible workplace safety regulations that are enforced.  I want nice things like a Texas with clean water to drink and less pollution in the Lone Star skies so we can see how bright the stars really are at night. 

I want nice things like a Texas that values all its citizens, not disrespects them for political gain, demonizes urban, TBLG, women, immigrant and non-white Texans or has leaders that ignorantly calls certain areas of the state during their election campaign 'third world countries'. 

I want nice things like a Texas that doesn't declare war on love.  I want nice things like a Texas that repeals the amendment desecrating its constitution banning same-sex marriage that fuels as Rep Senfronia Thompson said in 2005 when it was unfortunately passed by the GOP majority, the hellfire flames of bigotry    I want nice things like a Texas that allows all of its citizens to get married to the person they love, not erect barriers keeping it from happening inside our state. 

And finally I want nice things like a Texas that recognizes we trans Texans exist, want to do mundane things like work, play, get married and not have our human rights messed with. 

I want nice things for Texas like human rights laws that cover me and the SGL community so that we can be part of the greater Lone Star society we are building..  I want nice things for Texas like trans Texans being able to change their documentation without being hassled or requiring expensive surgeries before you do so.   

I want those nice things for Texas because I was born here in its largest city, and I love the 268,581 square miles of Planet Earth inside our borders and everything else about my home state that makes it a special place to live.   

It's past time we started electing leaders that want nice things for Texas as well, and work diligently to make them happen. 

Texas Is Not Just For Conservative White People

They'll say that little old Leticia Rosa San Miguel Van de Putte from the barrio will never become Lieutenant Governor. And they'll say that even though they're going after the Hispanic vote. Well, take my word for it, since I'm an actual Hispanic: you can't successfully fight for the Hispanic vote unless you're willing to fight for Hispanic families.
--Sen. Leticia Van de Putte 

Well, it's official.  After that Saturday announcement speech in San Antonio which Sen. Leticia Van de Putte blistered the Republicans who have had a stranglehold on this state's politics for 20 years too long, she traveled up I-35 to Austin yesterday to file the paperwork to officially run for lieutenant governor of Texas!

For the first time in my birth state in a long time, we have some terrific candidates with name recognition at the top of the Democratic ticket that literally scare the crap out of Texas Teapublicans.  Sen Wendy Davis and Sen. Leticia Van de Putte are a glaring contrast to the same old same old failed GOP white male neo-fascist leadership.    In the GOP primaries for governor and lieutenant governor there are multiple candidates jockeying to see who can do the best job of pandering to the most extreme elements of their GOP base while ignoring the fact that Texas is not of, by and for conservative White people. 

There's 26.1 million people in the Lone Star State, and those of us on the liberal-progressive side also love the 268,581 sq. miles of territory and the diverse cities we call home.  Some of those 26.1 million Texans happen to be trans, bi, lesbian and gay and love this state as much as you cisgender straight people do. 

Contrary to the charge du jour being flung around in Texas conservafool circles that we liberal-progressive Texans want this state to be California, that is categorically false.   

We want Texas to be BETTER than California.  

We like to brag that our state is the biggest and best at everything we do, but with you Republicans running it into the ground for the last 20 years we definitely can't make that claim anymore.

We're tired of seeing our roads and infrastructure crumbling, the billions being taken out of public schools, the GOP Culture Wars on women, the poor, the middle class, non-white Texans, immigrants and the TBLG community. We're tired of seeing the 'bidness' friendly policies and pay-to-play politics that lead to lax regulation, workers dying in plant explosions and our air getting more polluted by the day in GOP Texas.

We BTLG Texans are also tired of being your Teapublican political punching bags so you can keep your grip on power.  We're punching back 

You're fearful of the bitter political backlash your conservafool policies that attack anyone that is non-white or not a rich white male in this state have engendered amongst all liberal-progressive Texans.  You GOP peeps know your failed conservative policies aren't working and no amount of FOX Noise and conservative talk radio chatter or spin can cover that up.

While you Republican pols make it harder for non-white people and perceived liberal voters to cast ballots to kick you out of office, all you do is piss us off and make us more determined to do so.

LVP was right in her speech.  This is about what type of Texas we are going to leave to our kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews.  And I'm all about at this point making sure that my nieces and nephews have a progressive Texas to grow up, live and work in like I did until 1994..

And yeah, you conservafools need to be scared because I'm not happy either with how things have transpired in my home state since that date. 

I'm also one of the African-American Texans you Republicans pissed off because of that voter suppression law.  I'm pissed because it not only has taken me over 5 months to get my TDL, because of that bull feces I missed the 2013 mayoral election in my hometown. 

That's okay, my political revenge will be served up at the voting booth next November.  I also know time and demographics are on my side. It's past time for Texas to go back to its progressive political roots and I'm looking forward to being part of the voting coalition that will make that a reality.  

Texas has been a majority-minority population state since 2009, and despite your political machinations, corporate money, gerrymandering and obfuscations, Texas will eventually turn purple and back to blue.

And as people wake up to the reality that 'proven conservative leadership' is code for 'let's screw stuff up and blame it on the Democrats', and those scare tactics don't work on anybody but your bamboozled sheeple, reality based Texans who want our government to solve problems and efficiently run the Lone Star State will put people in charge of our state government who don't hate government like you Teapublicans do.  

It's past time the Lone Star State's politics and governmental policy priorities reflected that.

Texas is not just of, by and for conservative White people.  But you'll find that out soon enough. 

Houston LGBT Hater Dave Wilson Masquerades As Black Person To Get Elected

I know the Republicans are shady enough to pull some crap like this because back in the 80's here in Texas and elsewhere in the South they used to run in Democratic primaries and if they survived them, wait until they got elected in the general election, then switch parties. 

But they may have hit a new low in this recent election cycle. 

With the opportunity they were presented by the Texas Voter ID Voter Suppression law, they went after 24 year Houston Community College board member Bruce Austin.

Dave Wilson is a longtime Republican, Tea Klux Klan member who ran in the 2011 mayor's an an anti-gay platform.   He knew he had no shot in Hades of getting elected in a predominately African-American district with that record if he showed his face.  But because Houston civic elections are non-partisan and party labels aren't placed on the ballot behind the person's name, that aided and abetted this chicanery of misrepresenting himself as a Black person.  

Wilson's flier he passed out in the community were decorated with photographs of smiling African-American faces -- which he readily admits he just lifted off websites -- and captioned with the words "Please vote for our friend and neighbor Dave Wilson."

The fliers also implied he had support from longtime Democratic State Rep Ron Wilson, who long ago lost credibility in the African-American community and his seat in 2004 to current state Rep Alma Allen for being too cozy with GOP legislators and supporting the 2003 Delaymandering.

And Wilson's reprehensible strategy allowed him to win a six year term on the HCC board by only 26 votes

The HCC board has come under justified and intense criticism for some questionable insider business deals and spending choices.  They are legitimate questions to ask and run on during a campaign.
  

But if you're pissed off about what's been happening on the HCC board and want to run to get on that body to change it, don't deceive people.

The fact that Dave Wilson cynically did so is not something to be cheered, it's something that goes against the very spirit of democracy that Republicans and Tea Klux Klan types claim they love so much.   It also speaks volumes about Wilson's own lack of character and how confident he is that his conservative political philosophies can win in the marketplace of ideas with my people.  

And it gives African-American voters in my hometown, my home state and beyond its borders another reason to despise Republicans and conservatism.

It's Election Day 2013-Handle Your Electoral Business

It's Election Day in many parts of the country including the Houston area.

Unfortunately I won't be able to participate in today's Houston's city election due to unforeseen complications in getting my TDL combined with the Texas Voter ID Suppression law, but for those of you in the community who can, I urge you to do so. 

And yeah, I'm not only highly pissed off about that revolting development, Republican Party, that pissivity about my electoral voice being silenced for this election cycle guarantees I will be a living embodiment of my personal motto next November.  

What is that personal motto you ask?   Don't get mad at GOP led oppression, do something about it.  

You can bet I'll be the first person in line October 2014 when early voting starts for the midterms next year.  I will be doing my part to turn this state, the governor's mansion, the Texas legislature and the US House blue and keep it that way. 

But back to focusing on Election Day 2013.   

In addition to the Houston mayoral  race in which Annise Parker will be attempting to be reelected to her third and final term as our city's mayor, we have city council elections on the ballot and bond issues on the ballot including whether to spend the money to refurbish and repurpose the nearly half century old Astrodome.

We also have Jenifer Rene Pool attempting to make Houston, Texas and national history by making her second attempt to become the first out transperson elected to public office here in the Houston City Council at Large Position 3 city council race.     

The polls are open, so handle your electoral business if you have the ability to do so.  Because I can tell you from painful personal experience that nothing is more frustrating than wanting to exercise your constitutional right to vote and you can't because of a bull feces laden and racist conservalaw.

Wendy's Running!

Earlier this afternoon Texas Sen.Wendy Davis finally said the words that we long suffering Texas Democrats (and the nation) have been waiting to hear.

"I have decided to run for governor of the great state of Texas.
As Texans, we believe that with hard work, determination, and a little old-fashioned common sense, we can build a better future for ourselves and our families.
We can make our communities safer, create jobs, and get Texas moving in the right direction.
I realize that we have a challenging road ahead. But after talking with my family, my friends, and my closest supporters -- I am convinced this is the right decision."

So are we and everyone who is on board with #TeamWendy.  I've already made a donation to her campaign because I'm that convinced she is the right person to lead our state. 

I remember the last time we had a female Democratic governor lead our state.  It's also the last time Texas had a budget surplus ($2.5 billion) a diverse leadership team and a governor who was admired and not laughed at.

I got the feeling that Ann Richards, Barbara Jordan and Molly Ivins were looking down from their heavenly perch and smiling a bit today.  

I want to be doing the same along with other liberal-progressive Texans tired of the GOP corporate dictatorship on November 4, 2014.

Wendy's running!  Now it's time to get busy and help her win.

Darn, Still No South American Trans National Legislators Yet

While South American nations have made outstanding progress on trans issues over the last few years and leaders are emerging like Venezuela's Tamara Adrian who are garnering international recognition, looks like the international trans community will have to wait a little longer before we see a trans legislator elected on the South American continent.

Colombia's Shelcy Sanchez attempted to make that giant electoral leap for transkind back in 2010 when she became the first open transperson on the South American continent and first in her nation to run for a seat in their national legislature but was unsuccessful in her Colombian House of Representatives race. 


Back in February 30 year old Diane Rodriguez became the first out transperson in Ecuador to run for a seat in her nation's national legislature.  

The election was held on February 17 and unfortunately the psychology student came up short in her history making run as a member of the leftist Ruptura 25 party for a seat in Ecuador's National Assembly.

The eyes of the international trans community turned to Chile's Valentina Verbal as she picked up the baton in the attempt to make international trans history as the South American continent's first trans national legislator 

Verbal was also making history as the first open trans candidate in Chile.  She was running for the seat in Chile's national legislature representing northern Santiago’s Recoleta-Independencia district as a member of a center-right political party with a campaign message focused on achieving equality rather than her district’s specific needs.

Chile's parliamentary election isn't until November, but unfortunately Verbal announced she is dropping out as a candidate for a reason that is painfully familiar to trans people world wide:  documentation issues. 

Verbal ran for office having applied for a legal name change that isn't official yet.   She is a well known activist in the country and active in her party but was told by Chilean election officials she either had to run for her seat with her old male name on the ballot or pull out of the race.  


“I thought, perhaps naively, that given the vacuum of electoral laws, and filling in that space with the anti-discrimination law, there wouldn’t be trouble getting what I asked,” Verbal said.

The reason Verbal pulled out is she felt that having been in Chilean politics for  several years and risen to prominence as Valentina Verbal, voters wouldn’t recognize her old male birth name on the ballot and connect it with the person she is now and the campaign would be a wash.

While she may have been sidelined for this election cycle by the name change issue, Verbal said, "I’m sure of one thing: I will continue in politics.”

Verbal also said something that I and a lot of folks have made the case for here in the States and on this blog in terms of having more trans people get involved in electoral politics and running for office at all governmental levels. 

“In order to get strong social changes, it’s necessary to make them from a position of power, in particular from Parliament. Because Chile is a very legalistic country, it’s important to have laws to provoke these changes.”

While the first South American, first in the Western Hemisphere and fourth trans person worldwide elected to their national legislature won't happen in this election cycle unless there's somebody running I'm not aware of yet,  it's only a matter of time before it does.   

Jenifer's Running Again!

I am happy to hear that my H-town homegirl Jenifer Rene Pool is going to make another run at Houston history in this election cycle and attempt to become the first transperson elected to public office here.

I chronicled Jenifer's run for an at large council seat in the 2011 election cycle, and she kicked off her campaign on Valentine's Day for the City Council at large Position 3 seat.  

Jenifer had a crowded ten candidate field to navigate in her 2011 city wide race but garnered 7,104 votes to finish seventh.

It's two years later and she is gearing up to chase history once again.   For those of you in the Houston city limits and you want things to get better for trans peeps here, this is a way to help make that happen. 

You have more than enough time before November 5 to get busy getting registered to vote if you aren't already or double checking your registrations in advance of that election. 

Jenifer is also going to need your time, sweat equity, some cash out of your wallets and purses, your votes and basically you to do whatever you can to help get out the vote and help get one of our own trans peeps elected to the Houston City Council

Here's hoping that Election Night 2013 has a much better result and we are watching her make a historic victory speech.  

Stacie Laughton Resigns From NH Legislature Seat

Was happy to hear the news that transwoman Stacie Laughton had won a seat in the New Hampshire legislature during the just concluded 2012 election.

But unfortunately the news of Laughton's history making achievement went south as word leaked out about her pre-transition criminal record that included a felony conviction and serving 4.5 months for credit card fraud in 2008.

She's had a clean record since moving to Nashua and New Hampshire law allows convicted felons to vote and run for office after the final discharge of their sentence, which includes probation, imprisonment and parole.  Laughton's case included complications such as a suspended sentence and unpaid restitution, so there was a question about whether she could legally serve in the legislature.. 

With the Democrats just returning to the majority in the New Hampshire House, there was also pressure building on Laughton to resolve this controversy as quickly as possible.

On November 28 Representative-elect Laughton decided to submit her letter of resignation to the New Hampshire Secretary of State's Office. 

"I regret to inform you that I am unable to fill the State Representative seat for Hillsborough County District 31 to which I was recently elected."

The New Hampshire trans community and your brothers and sisters across the country regret that as well, especially since the state of New Hampshire doesn't have legislation covering the human rights of transpeople .  
It would have been nice to have one of our own #girlslikeus helping to make that happen..   

The sad conclusion of the Laughton case also reemphasizes something that is vitally important as we continue to make our trans human rights push, strive to break barriers, and have more transpeople run for and hopefully win public office. 

If you're going to run for public office as a transperson, make certain you don't have any skeletons that will pop out during the campaign or take the time to divulge them yourself.  If you don't, our opponents and haters will definitely be looking for them and if they find them, the haters will not hesitate to use them to not only keep us from winning the office, but attempt to disqualify us or cripple our effectiveness in that office if we win. 
.

It Doesn't Pay At The Ballot Box To Be A Misogynst

Guest post by Renee of Womanist Musings, who is all that and four bags of ketchup flavored potato chips.

One of the reasons that the GOP believed that Barack Obama was elected four years ago, is that they weren’t conservative enough.  This election cycle, several GOP candidates increased their misogynist rhetoric and engaged in what can only be described as a war against women.  Considering that women make up fifty percent of the electorate, this was hardly a smart decision, as the election results proved last night. 

Todd Akin who referred to doctors who provide abortions (which by the way is a perfectly legal medical procedure), as “terrorists,” didn’t fare well last night.  Apparently these doctors who have undergone years of medical training perform abortions on women who aren’t actually pregnant and scare women into making the decision to abort.  By his reasoning, women aren’t capable of making up their own minds about what to do with their bodies.  Todd Akin also at some point must have failed basic biology because he also believes that women cannot get pregnant from rape. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down, Akin said.”  Don’t feel sorry for Akin because he lost the election last night to the incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill because he now has time to go back to school and actually learn some basic biology.  Education should after all be a lifelong effort.

Tom Smith who tried to create distance between himself and Todd Akin compared pregnancy conceived through rape to being a single mother.  Someone should have advised him that you cannot run away from misogyny while sticking your foot in your mouth.  Tom Smith lost his election bid to democrat Bob Casey.  

Richard Mourdock  came under fire for saying, "I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God and I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen."  I suppose this is a polite way of saying that when life gives lemons, make lemonade.  Well, Mourodock better get his lemonade stand ready because he lost his election bid to Democrat  Joe Donnelly in Indiana. 

Joe Walsh wanted the world to know that he is pro birth no matter what the situation is. Apparently, modern medicine means that the life of the mother is never at risk.  He stated, “There is no such exception as life of the mother, and as far as health of the mother, same thing.” I wonder if he believes all of the science aired on Star Trek as well? Joe Walsh lost his re-election bid last night to Democratic challenger Tammy Duckworth in Illinois' 8th congressional district.

Last night’s election results was more than a win for President Barack Obama, it was a win for women; it was a win for reproductive freedom.  All of these straight cisgender white men will never be in a position to have to choose between carrying a pregnancy to term and having an abortion, yet for some reason, they believe that they have the right to legislate our wombs. There can be no other word to describe this than misogyny.   

Uniformly, they based their convictions on religious beliefs and by so doing, have forgotten that the U.S. has a separation between church and state for a reason. Christianity is far from the only religion in America and its place is most certainly not in government. Measures like sex education, access to free or low cost birth control, as well as lessening the income gap between men and women would go a long way to reducing the number of abortions but that is not something any of these men advocated for.  Instead their agenda was to control women and sympathise with rapists.  

As a woman, these decisions buoy my belief in the system.  Due to free speech laws, these men certainly had the right to say what they did but that does not mean that they should be free of consequences.  The people have spoken and advocating for a lessening of reproductive freedom is not a something the country is interested in.  Hopefully this will be a lesson to legislators that a woman’s womb belongs only to her and should not be subject to government intervention.  

Though the U.S. is still clearly very much a sexist society because women have yet to reach parity with men and this is especially true when it comes to marginalized women, these election results prove that we are willing to use the power we do have to our benefit.  Hopefully, it will serve to remind young women that the rights which our foremothers fought so valiantly for will always be under threat until we achieve true equality in all spheres of life with men. This is why there will never be an election that we can afford to sit home and pretend that what happens does not affect our lives.  Even if you personally believe that abortion is not something you would choose, women should have the right to decide individually.  Every vote matters when it comes to ensuring that women retain our right to choose.  

Why Is A So Called GLBT Election Exit Poll Excluding The 'T'?

Since the 1990's a consortium of five networks NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and Fox along with the Associated Press have contracted with the New Jersey based Edison Research polling firm to conduct a national exit poll not only during the congressional midterms, but also during presidential elections.

In the 2000, 2004 and 2008 presidential elections 4% of the respondents that took part in election exit polling have responded YES to the question, “Are you gay, lesbian, or bisexual?”

Notice who isn't included in this question despite the fact that some of my transbrothers and transsisters identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual.

Joe Lenski, the executive vice president of Edison Research, told the Washington Blade that the exit poll for the 2012 presidential election won’t seek to identify transgender voters through a lengthy questionnaire given to voters as they leave polling places across the country.

“We’ve tried to keep that wording as consistent as possible across elections and that’s the way it’s been asked in the last decade at least,” he said.

Umm Joe, the weak azz 'that's the way it's been done before' excuse doesn't compute with me, who has voted in every presidential and congressional midterm election since 1980 and other trans voters around the country.  It's also frankly insulting to us as well. 

Some of those people you ask those questions as they leave polling places happen to be trans people who are also part of the rainbow community. 

It's important that we transfolks be counted in your polling data in light of the fact we are not only American citizens exercising our civic duty, but we're working to get trans human rights laws passed all over this country.   We need to have that data handy to get reluctant legislators hipped to the fact they have trans constituents in their districts.

Political Football 2012

Washington Redskins football is always a popular ticket inside I-495 and the Washington DC area, but every four years the last Redskins home game before the election takes on a heightened significance with the inside the Beltway political pundit class because of the Redskins Game Election Predictor.

So what's the story behind the Redskins Game Election Predictor?

Since 1940, the Redskins last home game before a presidential election has presaged the eventual winner in 17 out of 18 elections. If the Redskins win that game, the incumbent party goes on to win that election. If the Redskins lose, the party out of power wins the election.

The only time the Redskins Game Election Predictor has been inaccurate was in 2004. The Green Bay Packers marched into FedEx Field on Halloween night and beat the Redskins 28-14 but GW Bush stole the election won anyway

The incumbent party in the White House this time is the Democrats and the Redskins will be playing the Carolina Panthers at FedEx Field on Sunday.   You can bet there will be some extra loud cheering for RG3 and company coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Obama campaign headquarters in Chicago and from every Obama supporter in the country for a Redskins victory.

Time for me to learn the Redskins fight song, too

The POTUS Ain't Kidding- He's Got This

As we get closer to November 6 and this contentious 2012 presidential election season mercifully draws to a close, the high stakes of this election can stress political junkies and people who pay attention to politics like I do out at times.    The media wanting a horse race contest, being African-American and knowing that the Republicans do give a rat's anus about my people only adds to that anxiety

So to deal with that election induced anxiety I head over to sites like 270towin.com and play with the maps there.   FYI TransGriot readers, here's the way I think it will play out on November 6.  

When this election started President Obama's solidly in his corner states totaled to 201 electoral votes with Romney having a base electoral vote total of 191.  Eleven states, NV, CO, IA,WI, MI, OH, PA, NH, VA, NC and FL totaling 176 electoral votes were considered battleground states at the beginning of this process.

Five of those 11 states, Nevada (6 EVs), WI (10 EV's), MI (16 EV's), PA (20 EV's) and NH (4 EV's) are now leaning toward Obama or considered in the POTUS column bringing him up to 263 electoral votes, just seven shy of the magic 270 mark and victory.  NC (15 EV's) is considered leaning to Romney, brining his total up to 206.  

Of the four remaining toss-up states, CO (9 EV's), VA (13 EV's), OH (18 EVs) and FL (29 EV's),  Ohio is the critical one for Romney as it is for any Republican candidate.    If President Obama holds OH, he can start writing his second inaugural speech because that gives him 281 electoral votes and four more years as POTUS 44 because there is no way Mittens can catch him even if Romney won VA, CO or FL.  

But Ohio is the critical one, which is why you'll see both tickets heading to Ohio and millions spent on commercials and GOP voter suppression tricks on an almost daily basis along with the other four states with North Carolina thrown in.   If the POTUS lost Ohio, all he has to do is win just one of those three remaining states in VA, CO, FL or any combination to get his second term. 

Romney must win all three states plus OH to become (yecch) the 45th president of the United States, and he's got problems in all four of them.  Ohio, Virginia and Colorado are leaning President Obama's way and it's a dead heat in Florida.

So nope, the POTUS wasn't being overconfident when he stated on the Tom Joyner Morning Show and 60 Minutes that he's going to win this election.    It's looking more likely that going to happen, but we still have a lot of work to do to ensure it does.
  

 

Voting While Trans

One of the highlights of the 2000 presidential election cycle for me despite the jacked up way it turned out was it was the first time I got to cast a ballot in any election cycle as Moni.

I transitioned in 1994 but it took me a few years to get the name changed on much of my paper trail    I was so proud and pleased to show my voter registration card to the poll worker and cast my early ballot in that Gore-GW Bush presidential race.after standing in line for over an hour at the Bayland Park early voting site on that clear October fall afternoon

It was to me another evolutionary leap toward becoming the Phenomenal Transwoman I am today.

It's now 12 years later and we are facing another critical presidential election about to take place in less than 36 days.  But the Republican sponsored voter suppression laws designed to reduced the numbers of non white Americans, seniors and students voting in this cycle also may affect up to 25,000 transpeople as well


   
Daniel Williams of Equality Texas has advised me that reports are coming in to him from some Texas trans residents with trans histories of them receiving voter registration cards with their old names or not reflecting the persons they are now.

In case you're wondering, yes our Texas Secretary of State is a Republican named Hope Andrade

If your voter registration card is incorrect, you may wish to let Daniel and Equality Texas know about that situation while we have time to correct it. 

The reprehensible True The Vote suppression org is headquartered here and I'm prepared to not give those Tea Klux Klan members a warm welcome to my neighborhood if they dare show up at my early voting polling place trying to keep me from exercising my constitutional right to vote.   I have less than pleasant memories of what happened the last time white GOP poll watchers showed up at a precinct where I was voting in 1984 and tried to keep me from doing so.

But back to voting while trans.  Transpeople, I hope you'll be running to the polls to have the back of a president who has definitely had ours during his administration.

But please make sure you not only vote on November 6 or whenever early voting starts in your locale, but you have done everything possible to ensure you can cast your ballot without drama.

TransGriot Update:  You can get in contact with Daniel Williams via his Equality Texas e-mail address danielwilliams@equalitytexas.org  to report those Texas voter ID card issues.

Time Running Out To Register For 2012 Election

If you're not registered to vote in this upcoming critical national election, better get busy because the deadlines to do so in many areas happen this week.   For my Texas TransGriot readers you have until October 9 to do so.   You can also bumrush the polls starting October 22 in Texas secure in the knowledge that all you'll need to present at the polls to do so is your yellow Texas voter registration card.

The Texas Voter ID suppression law has been spiked thanks to federal judges and Section V of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.  

And naw Texas (and national) Rethuglican party, haven't forgotten which party stood up to defend my right to vote and which one is hellbent on keep me from doing so and will be voting accordingly..

Political revenge is best served up in the ballot box on Election Day.


I'll even make it easy for you by just clicking on this link that will take you to the NAACP's This Is My Vote website or you can call 1-866-MyVote1  

You can also call that number to report any voter suppression shenanigans of the predominately white True The Vote 'poll watching' thugs behaving badly in our non white precincts. 

So get busy and get registered.  October 22 will be here before you know it (or whenever early voting starts in your locale) so you can handle your civic business and choose your leaders for the next two to four years at all levels of government and have you say on some important ballot questions, bond issues and constitutional amendments

When The Election's In Doubt, GOP Goes Racist

When the GOP starts losing in an election cycle, it's a given that since the only demographic they lead in any election cycle is white men, they will use tactics that attempt to stir up white male resentment and racism.

Hey, they've been falling for it over 150 years, and refined it with the Southern Strategy, so it works.

In the latest example of GOP racism for fun and electoral profit, we head to Massachusetts, where Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) is now trailing in his race with Elizabeth Warren despite the massive cash being pumped into his coffers in this overwhelmingly blue state.

So what does he do to overcome that deficit?   Can you say race bait?    Thought you could.

    

But this is why Scott Brown and the people who back him are 'scurred' of her.



I find it arrogant, amazing (but not surprising) that almighty whitey Scott Brown seems to think that he can determine based on her appearance alone that Elizabeth Warren isn't Native American.

But that's par for the racist political course for GOP candidates.   When they're losing, they go negatively racist.to attempt to carry the electoral day.   Massachusetts voters, I hope you'll punish him for it.

Texas Unjust Voter Suppression Law Unanimously Rejected

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) was handed another loss in court today for the second time this week.

First the redistricting plan unanimously went down in flames, and today a federal three judge panel unanimously rejected the Texas Photo Voter ID voter suppression law passed by our Republifool controlled state legislature in 2011. 

"Uncontested record evidence conclusively shows that the implicit costs of obtaining SB 14-qualifying ID will fall most heavily on the poor and that a disproportionately high percentage of African Americans and Hispanics in Texas live in poverty,” according to the ruling written by U.S. Circuit Judge David Tatel and joined by U.S. District Judges Rosemary Collyer and Robert Wilkins. .

Tafel was appointed to the bench by President Bill Clinton, Collyer by President George W. Bush and Wilkins was appointed by President Barack Obama. 

Collyer was also part of the three judge panel that threw out the jacked up Republican concocted discriminatory redistricting plan earlier this week.  

Elections matter people.   The POTUS picks your federal judges, so it ain't as the GOP is lying to you just about the economy.  It's about the federal judiciary, the Supreme Court and who controls both for the next three decades or more.

But back to the wonderful news about this federal court ruling legally pimp slapping this photo voter ID voter suppression law.  

Abbott is probably going to waste more Texas taxpayer money appealing it to the Supreme Court, but the upshot of this ruling is that all we Texans will need to cast ballots on November 6 in the Lone Star State or during the early voting period is our yellow voter registration cards.  

Thank you Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and Attorney General Eric Holder. 

I'll be celebrating this win by as soon as early voting starts in October by heading to the nearest early voting center and casting another proud ballot for President Obama and every Democratic candidate I see on it..

You racist Teapublican conservafools have pissed me off that much.