The Fight To Keep HERO-August 31

Labor Day is the traditional start for Houston civic campaigns, but this 2015 election cycle is not any normal electoral cycle.  The politics have been as hot as the August weather, and it revolves around the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.   

Since I`m getting e-mails and phone calls from around the country and my friends around the world concerning whats happening in our Houston human rights fight to keep the HERO, it`s time to start doing regular update posts from now until November 3.

We H-town trans peeps and our allies can breathe one sigh of relief in that Dave Wilson`s odious attempts to enshrine anti-trans bigotry into the Houston City Charter has failed.and will not be on the ballot.

Hallelujah!

However, no thanks to partisan Texas (Republican), Supreme Court rulings, the HERO is on the ballot as Proposition 1, and the final ballot language now sets it up as a simple YES or NO vote.

The ballot language for Proposition 1 was approved by Council last week, and it reads as follows:

"Are you in favor of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, Ord. No. 2014-530, which prohibits discrimination in city employment and city services, city contracts, public accommodations, private employment, and housing based on an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or pregnancy?

For those of you in the Houston city limits,  voting YES on Proposition 1 keeps the HERO in effect, voting NO kills it and as the head of the Houston Sports Authority warned, potentially puts next year's Final Four, the 2017 Super Bowl and hosting future sports events, corporate relocations and convention business in jeopardy.

Question for you folks irrationally opposing the HERO because of two of the 15 categories it protects.  Is your hatred of LGBT Houstonians so strong you'd risk our city's economic future?

The Houston Unites coalition to keep the ordinance has already been busy along with HOUEquality and other groups with volunteer trainings, phone banks,  and canvassing over the last two weekends to get the truth out about the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance protecting ALL Houstonians

And right on cue, the anti- HERO haters started running ads bringing up the discredited bathroom scaremongering on several radio stations including the conservative leaning talker.

Houston unites responded quickly with their own radio ad to counter the disinformation.

Speaking of radio, on Majic102.1  yesterday, HERO supporter Fran Watson jousted with HERO Ron Jackson and shut down the one trick pony lies on Sunday Morning Live.   Majic102.1 is one of the most listened to radio stations in the Houston African-American community, and this conversation is significant because during the fight to pass HERO last year, Majic102.1 was guilty of anti-HERO fearmongering..

On August 20 HERO supporter Ashton Woods went on FOX26's The Isiah Factor to confront anti-HERO Councilman Michael Kubosh, who declared last year at a Steve Riggle hate rally that 'God put me on City Council to oppose the HERO'

Here's the clip of that debate here.

But yet CM Kubosh laughingly tries to claim he's isn't in favor of discrimination.   Your multiple anti-HERO votes say otherwise.

The Houston Chronicle finally published a better late than never article that took on the bathroom predator meme.   They have also been guilty along with FOX26 of lazy, one sided transphobic reporting and it's about time they got the facts out there.

It's going to be a long contentious few weeks until November 3..  But it's a human rights fights we Houstonians who love our diverse city and value human rights for everyone must win.

Moni's In The Middle Of The 2015 Houston GLBT Caucus Endorsement Meeting

I  have attended a few Houston GLBT Political Caucus meetings before and after my Texan in Exile days in Da Ville, but this one was going to be special.    It was going to be my first one ever as a paid member of the Caucus, and it also happened to be the 2015 Caucus Endorsement Meeting. 

Founded in 1975, the Houston GLBT Political Caucus is not only one of the oldest organizations of its kind in the southern US dedicated solely to the advancement of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans equality, it is also the largest political organization in Houston and Harris County. 

A Houston GLBT Caucus endorsement, while it is a nonpartisan org that gives the endorsement based on your support of LGBT rights, has basically become over time one of the most sought after and critical ones if you are a liberal-progressive leaning candidate running for office in the Houston area. 

Getting that endorsement helps your campaign tremendously if you get it, because their endorsement cards are used by Houston LGBT voters and our allies to ensure they are voting for liberal-progressive leaning candidates that have our community's trans..bi and SGL human rights interests at heart and will do a great job in the office they were endorsed by the Caucus for.. 

So while I have experienced being a participant in the political candidate endorsing process when I lived in Louisville and was a member of the Fairness Campaign board, I was still excited about today's events.

I didn't get there until 12:55 PM because I overslept, but once I arrived at the meeting venue I could feel the excitement in the air as I walked into the IBEW Union Hall where they had to move this endorsement meeting from the Montrose Center.  I later discovered that this was possibly the largest endorsement meeting ever attendance wise in caucus history.

Interest was huge because we in H-town are selecting a new mayor to replace outgoing Mayor Annise Parker and in the wake of recent political events surrounding HERO..  It was definitely on my mind and the minds of the folks in that packed and overly warm house.   The air conditioning in the building was having problems and improvised fans were having to be used by the meeting attendees until the AC issue got sorted out.. 

Five seconds after I walked into the room I ran into HISD school board trustee Juliet Stipeche who was seeking the Caucus endorsement in her race.   It also didn't take me long to start running into old friends like Ray Hill, Brandon Mack, Ashton Woods, Fran & Kim Watson, Dalton DeHart, Melissa Vivanco, Lou Weaver,, Brenda Langer, Michael Webb, Antonio Maldonado, Maverick Welsh, Nikki Araguz Loyd and Will Loyd/   It was also an opportunity yo meet new ones like Sharon Fuller.

I also started running into friends running for office like Jenifer Pool, Jolanda Jones and Lane Lewis and candidates seeking Caucus support that I'd met at various events over the last few months like Phillipe Nassif, Amanda Edwards and Laurie Robinson, along with my first 

Not long after I arrived at 12:55 PM because I overslept, the meeting started.  After voting to by acclimation give all the candidates in non-contested races except one the Caucus endorsements they sought,  and that all candidates endorsed by the Houston GLBT Political Caucus must publicly support ‪HERO‬ on some campaign materials, the meeting moved on to the business of dealing with the contested races, starting with the mayor's race.

It  took six hours of sometimes contentious debate and arguments that at times got heated, but in the end no chairs were thrown and no fights broke out.   The Caucus endorsement business was handled masterfully by Maria Gonzalez who kept the meeting civil and Daniel Williams who served as the parliamentarian ensuring Robert's Rules of Order were correctly and fairly applied.

Here are the candidates who earned Houston GLBT Caucus endorsements:.

Mayor 
Sylvester Turner

City Council
District B - Jerry Davis; District C - Ellen Cohen; District F - Richard A. Nguyen;
District H - Roland Chavez; District I - Robert Gallegos; District J-Mike Laster; District K-Larry Green

City Council At Large
Position 1 - Lane Lewis; Position 2 - David Robinson; Position 3 - Doug Peterson; Position 4 - Amanda K. Edwards,  Position 5 - Phillipe Nassif

Controller
Chris Brown

HISD School Board Trustee
District 2 - Rhonda Skillern Jones; Position 3 - Ramiro Fonseca; Position 4 - Jolanda Jones; Position 8 Juliet Katherine Stipeche

HCCS Board
District 3 - Adriana Tamez; Position 8 - Eva Loredo.

Congratulations to all the candidates who did get the Caucus endorsement, and to those who didn't, sorry it didn't happen for you this cycle.  

Now let's focus on the next step of getting them in office this November.

If You Want HERO, Vote NO

Well, the opening shots in the battle to keep the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance on Houston's law books have been fired .

On Wednesday Houston City Council voted 12-5 to affirm HERO, and then put it on the November ballot to the voters.

Council members Jerry Davis, Ellen Cohen, Dwight Boykins (who voted against HERO last year), Richard Nguyen, Ed Gonzalez, Robert Gallegos, Mike Laster, Larry Green, Stephen Costello, David Robinson, C.O. “Brad” Bradford and Jack Christie, voted in favor of reinstating HERO

The usual conservative haters of Council members Dave Martin, Oliver Pennington, Michael Kubosh, Jack Christie and Brenda Stardig voted to repeal it.

Houston City Council then voted 13-4 to approve the city attorney's straightforward language to place on the November ballot   Councilmember Bradford proposed offering different language, but that motion was defeated 12-5.

The language that City Attorney Donna Edmondson came up with that will appear on the ballot is the following:

Shall the City of Houston repeal the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, Ord. No. 2014-530, which prohibits discrimination in city employment and city services, city contracts, public accommodations, private employment, and housing based on an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or pregnancy?"

Translation.  what that means Houstonians, is that if you support HERO and wish to keep it, you vote NO on Election Day or during the early voting phase.

“Today what happened is that council members reaffirmed the original Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, and we put it to the voters in the clearest, most straightforward language we could, based on the fact that there was a petition, and that is, ‘Do you want to repeal the ordinance or not?'” Mayor Annise Parker said during a press conference following Wednesday’s meeting. “I and many others will go out and advocate to not repeal the ordinance.”

It's on like Donkey Kong now.  To help you peeps remember how to vote on HERO in November, just say or sing this little human rights protecting tune to yourself.   If you want HERO, Vote NO!"
TransGriot Update: And once again, the HERO haters went crying back to the GOP Texas Supreme Court mad because they hate the straightforward no BS ballot language the city came up with.

Will keep y'all posted about how this turns out.

TX Supreme Court Halts HERO, And I'm Pissed About It

No thanks to the Texas Supreme Court, I and 2.3 million Houstonians (for now) no longer have local human rights coverage in my hometown.

Despite evidence of massive fraud by the HERO opposition and clear failures of the opponents to follow the Houston City Charter rules for ballot initiatives and collect enough signatures to place it on the ballot, the GOP dominated Texas Supreme Court once again landed on the side of injustice and gave the oppressors what they wanted.

Per their unjust ruling, the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance that was passed last May is not only suspended, the Texas Supreme Court ordered that it either be repealed in 30 days (August 24) or placed on the November 2015 ballot.

In a statement, Mayor Annise Parker expressed her disappointment in the TX Supremes jacked up ruling.

"Obviously, I am disappointed and believe the court is in error with this eleventh hour ruling in a case that had already been decided by a judge and jury of citizens.  Nonetheless, we will proceed with the steps necessary for City Council to consider the issue.  At the same time, we are consulting with our outside counsel on any possible available legal actions. "
"Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance is similar to measures passed by every other major city in the country and by most local corporations.  No matter the color of your skin, your age, gender, physical limitations, or sexual orientation, every Houstonian deserves the right to be treated equally. To do otherwise, hurts Houston’s well-known image as a city that is tolerant, accepting, inclusive and embracing of its diversity.  Our citizens fully support and understand this and I have never been afraid to take it to the voters.  We will win!"

Needless to say I am pissed off about this unjust ruling.  People's human rights should NEVER be put to a vote, and if you think they should be, you're sadly mistaken.

The HERO isn't going to be repealed by council.   But what this ruling just did was ensure that the 2015 Houston mayoral election will be the most hyperpartisan and contentious one in Houston history if the federal court appeal goes the same way..  The money will be flowing to ensure that the conservafools can protect their vanillacentric privileged right to discriminate against anyone they don't like.

And since the faux faith based haters lost big on marriage, nothing would please them more than to get a huge high-profile win in the fourth largest city in the country and the largest in Texas by rolling back a human rights law that also includes BTLG protections in a city run by a lesbian mayor..

Shyt just got real Houston LGBT community.  If you were planning on sitting on your azzes in this election cycle and not voting, you may wish to rethink that plan because the Texas Supreme Court just made it possible for the tyranny of the majority to vote on your human rights.   They also potentially set off what promises to be a nasty and divisive high stakes fight that will put the economic future of Houston at risk if the federal appeal reversing the unjust Texas Supreme Court ruling fails.

What are the stakes you ask?  In addition to the future of the HERO, don't forget that we have at least $10 billion dollars of economic impact on the line with the 2016 NCAA Men's Final Four and the 2017 Super Bowl scheduled to be played here at NRG Stadium.  

If we lose this fight, we will probably lose both of those signature events, future corporate relocations and future convention business as well as our local remedy for fighting discrimination since the GOP dominated Texas legislature is in no hurry to pass a statewide human rights law.

If you believe that HERO being on the November ballot is unfair, then you take out your frustrations on the six Houston City councilmembers who voted against the HERO last year.  You also take your righteous anger out on any mayoral candidate like Ben Hall who supports its repeal and enacting a new one without human rights protections for TBLG Houstonians.   You also vote for the people who support you.

And since the Texas Supreme Court justices are elected, you take out your frustrations on them at the ballot box  too

If you can do so, please take a moment out of your schedule over the next four months leading up to November 3 to volunteer to defend HERO.  If you can make a contribution to defend HERO in a possible referendum battle, please do so once the links are set up.  

And most importantly, talk to your friends, neighbors and people in your influence circles about HERO now.  Debunk the lies the opponents are about to tell and point out it covers 15 categories including pregnancy, veterans status, sex and national origin just to name a few in addition to gender identity and sexual orientation.
 

ANY candidate seeking my vote for any office in this 2015 cycle who doesn't support the current inclusive HERO will NOT get my vote in 2015 or future election cycles.  I'm already planning to be at my fave early voting site on the first day we are able to early vote in this election.

I also expect my Democratic candidates and my federal, state and local officials to unequivocally state where they stand on HERO..  

Houston NAACP and Houston Urban League, I expect you to also side with the human rights of all Houstonians instead of a bunch of sellout preachers cooning it up for longtime professional gaybaiters like Dave Welch and Dave Wilson.

I already know where much of the Texas GOP is on HERO, and it ain't for human rights as Gov Abbott just demonstrated.  If you're a Republican who believes in human rights, surprise me.

And finally Houston SGL, trans and bi Houstonians, this is a call to action.  If you value your human rights, I suggest you get off your derrieres and join me in once again sending the message that it's obvious the Harris County and Texas Republicans parties, The Baptist ministers Assn. of Houston and Vicinity and the Houston Area pastoral Council didn't get on May 28, 2014.

Discrimination's time in my hometown has expired.

Ben Hall Still Hatin' On Trans Houstonians Y'all

"..It was unacceptable for transgendered people who are “anatomically another gender” to be treated as anything but the anatomical gender.
--Ben hall, KUHF-FM  Houston Matters interview, October 28, 2013

With our mayoral election just a mere four months away, the campaign to replace our term limited mayor Annise Parker will be heating up soon as we get inexorably closer to the traditional Labor Day start for Houston civic election campaigns.

Out of all the candidates running for mayor in 2015, the one I have the most disdain for is Benjamin Lewis Hall, our former city attorney who spent $3 million dollars of his own money getting thumped by Mayor Parker by double digits in the 2013 mayoral race.

Hey, as I've said before, I don't have to like or respect people who are trying to oppress me..

He not only said to my face in an October 2013 mayoral town hall that he wasn't in favor of HERO, but if he had been elected, would have repealed the executive orders of Mayors Brown and Parker that protected Houston LGBT people in city employment.  He also doubled down on the BTLG hate in the last two weeks of that 2013 campaign.

As to whether he has changed his mind on HERO or the human rights of trans Houstonians,, the answer to that question is an emphatic NO.   He made it clear at a recent Harris County Democratic Party Brown Bag luncheon I attended that he hasn't evolved on either of those issues

A recent check of the signatures of Dave Wilson's second failed effort to enshrine anti-trans bigotry in the Houston City Charter by a team of Houston GLBT citizens and allies revealed an interesting name that popped up:   Ben Hall.

So Houston trans peeps and allies, if you were thinking about voting for this man as our next mayor, don't.

Find someone else to cast your precious vote for on November 3, because it is quite clear Hall is a trans oppressor who will if elected, throw my hard won human rights as a trans Houstonian away to curry favor with faux faith based bigots like the Baptist Ministers Assn of Houston and Vicinity and professional gaybaiters like Steve Hotze who don't even live in this city.

There is also little doubt by his signature on that transphobic petition and behavior pattern dating back to 2013 that Ben Hall's vision of this city doesn't include transgender Houstonians like me.

Focus On November 2015, Not November 2016!

We have a high stakes presidential election coming up, and political junkies and people who pay attention to the issues are aware that will be a critical one for the direction of our country since President Obama will leave office on January 20, 2017.

There is also the possibility that President Obama could be succeeded by our first ever female presidents, or one of the sixteen members (and counting) GOP clown bus of a nomination process.

But as much as the media and others in our community want to look ahead, dream about whether Hillary Clinton will get the Democratic nomination, subsequently win that election and be inaugurated as our first female president, we pray that Donald Chump Trump remains the Republican front runner into the New Year or ponder the various scenarios that may or may not happen in that 2016 presidential contest, it's time for a dose of  reality.

While I'm also cognizant of the big picture elements surrounding the 2016 election cycle, the Iowa caucuses don't happen until February 1.   There still hasn't been a single vote cast in a 2016 presidential primary election contest in either party yet, and voters won't get a chance to do that until February 9 in New Hampshire.  

We are still in the summer of 2015 and have a more important election date looming that requires our undivided attention now.   That date is November 3, 2015.  

What's that date you ask?   That's the date the Houston city elections will take place, and if you are a TBLGQ denizen of H-town or a liberal progressive ally, we need to be laser beam focused on handing our looming electoral business. 

We will (sniff sniff) have to choose Mayor Annise Parker's successor because she's term limited.    We have several councilmembers in the same situation, and it'll be up to us to determine who the best candidates are to sit in those nice leather chairs.  

While HERO is being implemented, it's still being fought in the courts and the next mayor will determine how vigorously to defend it. You can bet HERO haters like Steven Hotze, the Baptist Ministers Assn. of Houston and Vicinity and others will be writing checks big and small to candidates they will hold to a pledge of gutting our civic human rights ordinance as a condition for their fiscal support.

And besides HERO, there are other civic issues we need to be thinking about.  Transit is one for example.  What do we need to do to keep traffic moving?  Will we continue to invest in rail and expand it to the airports?  Will we finally get some commuter rail lines built?  

You do know the mayor selects five members of the METRO transit authority board that will make those decisions.   

What's the optimum funding level for the Houston police and fire departments?  What will we do to promoting our city as a wonderful diverse place to live, work and play.while ensuring all Houstonians benefit from a booming economy?   Will we step up our efforts to get high profile sports events here and try to bid for an Olympic Games? What can we do to promote the building of affordable housing inside and outside Loop 610?

All these issues are bi, trans and SGL issues since we live in H-town, too.

So forget about November 8, 2016.  We have an upcoming election that matters in just four months

While this post is Houston specific, I would bet there are other locales around the country that have elections scheduled on that date as well.   We need to be focused on getting people to show up and show out on November 3, because our opponents will definitely be busy getting their base out.

Focus people on November 2015, and forget November 2016 for the next four months.

Eureka Springs Votes To Keep Trans Inclusive Non Discrimination Ordinance

Last night was election night in Eureka Springs, AR  and it resulted in another loss for the Forces of Intolerance.

The Eureka Springs City Council unanimously and quickly passed Ordinance 2223 on February 9,  a non-discrimination ordinance that covers gender identity and sexual orientation in advance of the GOP controlled Arkansas Legislature passing the unjust Act 137 law that bans local jurisdictions from doing so that takes effect July 20..

Ordinance 2223 prohibits discrimination against anyone in Eureka Springs based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and provides anti-discrimination protection in employment, housing and public accommodations.

Eureka Springs wanted that ordinance in effect so they would have standing in a court challenge to Act 137.   However the local haters, including former Chamber of Commerce President Mike Bishop some clergy and AR State Rep. Bob Ballinger (R) who filed Act 137 in response to  Ordinance 2223, wanted it to die. 

So they dusted off the Conservative Noise Machine, their debunked trans predator lies and set out to repeat in Eureka Springs what they had done in Fayetteville and overturn a passed non-discrimination ordinance.   However, the fear and smear campaign in Eureka Springs ran into a huge PR problem when Rev. Acra Lee Turner,  the kneegrow spokesellout they were using to bear false witness for the repeal effort was revealed to have been convicted of sexual assault in Oklahoma.

The karmic wheel also turned on Mike Bishop, who was fired from the presidency of the local chamber of commerce for getting politically involved in encouraging the repeal of Ordinance 2223 without board approval

Yesterday the repeal referendum election happened, and by a nearly 3-1 margin, the people of Eureka Springs voted to keep their ordinance 579-231.

“This is historic, this is so exciting, historic not just for Eureka Springs but for all of Arkansas,” Mayor Butch Berry said to the Eureka Springs Independent  on receiving the tally. “We’re part of this! The feelings of joy here at campaign headquarters are contagious. It reminds me of when Bill Clinton was elected the first time.”

Lamont Richie-Roberson, the Carroll County JP who crafted the ordinance, was also happy about the positive outcome.

“We won! I’m blown away by the margin. It’s almost three-to-one.” Richie-Roberson said he thought the reason the margin was so significant was because the For 2223 camp ran a positive campaign and got people to the polls. “This validates the Eureka Springs welcome sign,” he said.

It also sends the message around the world that Eureka Springs doesn't discriminate.

What I'm Looking For In A Houston Mayoral Candidate

The wonderful thing for me about living in my hometown is that ever since I moved back home in May 2010, Annise Parker has been my mayor.    If it weren't for term limits, I'd bet you my last dollar she would easily win reelection to the mayor's chair for a fourth term if she could run again.

And this is why I hate term limits people, but that's a discussion for another day.

Since she is term limited, that has set off a mufti-candidate scramble for her soon to be vacated seat.  The declared candidates include the man Annise beat in 2013 in Ben Hall, TX State Rep. Sylvester Turner, former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia, Councilman Stephen Costello, Bill King, the former mayor of Kemah, TX and retired United Airlines executive Joe Ferreira.

There are others considering it, but the clock is ticking toward the date they can officially file in August for the seat and fundraise for what is sure to be an interesting campaign when it kicks off around the tradition start for Houston civic elections around Labor Day

And this is your not so gentle reminder to get registered to vote if you aren't already so that you can take part in the November 3 election.

The largest city in Texas since 1930 is continuing to grow, and will pass Chicago probably before the end of this decade to become the third largest in the United States. But with that growth comes other issues that I am concerned about as a unapologetic African-American trans Houstonian

One is affordable housing.   There are a lot of units being built with more high rises dotting our skyline.   Many of those new units are being built alongside the METRORail light rail line of which two more will be opening for revenue service on May 23.   But those units being built are unaffordable to many people in this city.   

That needs to change to where we have provisions for mixed income housing and possibly incentives for building housing for low income people.  Not all area of Houston have shared in its prosperity, so we need to come up with ways so that prosperity and development positively impact neighborhoods like South Park and 5th Ward and eliminate food deserts.

Speaking of light rail, it not only needs to be expanded and extended to Hobby and IAH, we need to add commuter rail to the mix.   We can no longer build freeways to deal with the increasing traffic loads in the Houston metro area.  

The light rail needs the east west Blue line built toward the Galleria and the Gold Line through the Galleria area is currently being done as a BRT (bus rapid transit) that can be converted to light rail when needed.

Transportation and infrastructure is also an issue in a city that covers 599.6 square miles and three counties, and I'm interested to hear what the candidates have to say about it, especially in a regional context.

And yes, HERO not only needs to continue to be implemented, I would add a category to it in terms of formerly incarcerated folks who have done their time and are trying to restart their lives.

One thing that will be a deal breaker for any Houston mayoral candidate (Ben Hall) seeking my vote is non-support of the current HERO or pledging to kill it.  TBLG Houstonians are part of this community's over 2.2 million people, and we aren't going away.  

You must respect and protect our human rights and any candidate that wants to demonize me to curry favor with the Baptist Ministers Assn of Houston and Vicinity, Ed Young, Dave Wilson or suburban haters like Steve Riggle and Dave Welch will not get my vote.

I have a few months to decide before I hit the polling place which  person deserves my vote as my hometown's  next mayor, but you can bet as the mayor's race intensifies, the commercials start appearing on TV and radio, I'll have a lot to say about it on these electronic pages.

Not A Good Night For Trans Candidates Either

It's raining here in Houston, and it's matching my mood as I type this post sorting through the news coming from a forgettable political night.

While it's no secret the Democrats had a lousy Election Night 2014, it wasn't much better for trans political candidates either.  

We'd already witnessed Paula Sophia miss in an August runoff taking an open Democratic leaning Oklahoma state legislative seat back in August by an agonizing 23 votes.

There were two other trans candidates in this election cycle trying to make history, with Lauren Scott attempting to claim the historical footnote for the GOP and get elected in the state of Nevada as an out transgender legislator.

While it was a great night for her party, which erased a 27-15 Democratic advantage in the Nevada State Assembly to take control of the Nevada House, unfortunately for Scott she wasn't one of the GOP success stories.

She fell to AD 30 incumbent Assemblyman Michael Sprinkle (D) by a 54%-46% margin.  While that was impressive along with the 5,293 votes she got, wasn't enough to overcome the 6,187 votes that Sprinkle received for the win.

In Wyoming, Democrat Larissa Sneider lost her bid for a House seat against a popular GOP incumbent Garry Piiparinen in Wyoming's 49th District.

Sneider was unopposed in the Wyoming Democratic primary, but in the general election had to deal with a three way race that included Independent Clarence Vranish.

Vranish finished second in the balloting and garnered 724 votes to winner Piiparinen's 1,333.    Sneider picked up 417 votes in her unsuccessful effort to make trans legislative history.

So we are still waiting for an out trans candidate to be elected to a state legislature in the US.  It's going to happen, and it's a matter of if and not when that trans political history is made.

It's just last night wasn't the night for it and 2014 wasn't the year that trans history came to fruition


 

We Must Vote

Hey, whatever it takes to get you peeps to the polls tomorrow.

Here's civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), who took a beatdown at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL during Bloody Sunday so you can walk your behinds a few blocks to your local polling place to vote.

Today Is The Texas Registration Deadline To Vote In The 2014 Election

If you are planning to vote in this year's critical election starting on October 20, you need to be registered by today

October 6 is the deadline to be registered, and if you are planning to mail your registration in, it must be postmarked before midnight.

If you aren't liking the direction the GOP is taking this state, your only remedy for changing that is taking your soul to the election polls.

And make it a party by taking a few friends with you.

Election Day is November 4, and early voting starts on October 20.  So handle your electoral business if you haven't done so already

Will Oklahoma Electoral History Be Made Today?

In a few hours when the polls open in Oklahoma, Paula Sophia gets an opportunity to make some modern transgender history.

She is in a runoff for the Oklahoma House District 88 seat in central Oklahoma City that as an OKC police officer the Desert Storm vet used to patrol until she retired earlier this year to run for office.

It was a crowded field in this race to replace openly lesbian state Rep Kay Floyd (D-Oklahoma City), who formerly held the seat to run for the state Senate.   The state senate 46 seat she ran for and won the Democratic primary for on June 24 was the one formerly held by openly gay state Sen. Al McAffrey  (D-Oklahoma City)

That senate seat opened up for Floyd when McAffrey announced his intention to run for the open Oklahoma 5th Congressional District seat of Rep. James Lankford (R).    Lankford decided to move up the political food chain and run for the US Senate seat of the retiring Sen Tom Coburn (R-OK) .   Lankford successfully won the Republican US senate nomination for Coburn's seat.

Now that we've sorted through the fascinating Oklahoma political musical chairs that set up this opportunity, back to the post. 


Sophia polled enough votes in that crowded June 24 primary field to end up in a runoff against Democratic front runner Jason Dunnington. 



With no Republican filed to run in that race in November, winner of the runoff election today becomes the new representative for Oklahoma House District 88. 

If it is Sophia, she becomes the first open transgender candidate elected to the Oklahoma legislature, and the first transperson elected to a state legislative office since Althea Garrison did so in Massachusetts in 1992. 

Best of luck Paula, and hope it's a wonderful night for you when the polls close later today.   If you live in OKC or the state of Oklahoma, hope you're considering handling your electoral business and participating in your runoff election.   

Bye, Stacey!

I've said the most dangerous bigot is one that has the power to write legislation, and Tennessee Teapublican state senator Stacey Campfield has been Exhibit A of that.

Ever since he was elected to the Tennessee legislature in 2010, he has not only proposed unjust legislation like the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, in 2013, he put forward a widely criticized bill that would have reduced welfare assistance for families if their children did not do well in school.   Campfield also is behind a new Tennessee law requiring the state to drug-test applicants for public benefits.

In addition to Sen.Campfield's attempts to push unjust legislation, he has also flapped his gums and made cringe inducing remarks that even his own party has backpedaled from.

Back in May Campfield invoked Godwin's Law and parted his lips to say that the Obama administration touting how many people signing up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act was like the Nazis bragging how many Jews they sent to the concentration camps.

"Democrats bragging about the number of mandatory sign-ups for Obamacare is like Germans bragging about the number of mandatory sign-ups for 'train rides' for Jews in the 40s," Campfield wrote at the time. The misspelling of "mandatory" appeared in the original text.

Campfield has compared homosexuality to bestiality, made a tasteless joke about the Boston Marathon bombing, and in 2012 made wildly inaccurate claims about the origin of AIDS during a Sirius XM OutQ interview with Michelangelo Signorile.

He became well known in Tennessee LGBT community circles as being hostile to TBLG constituents that came to visit him in Nashville, which is probably a factor in why he lost his re-election bid.   

"Campfield was actually WORSE than his reputation. He regularly berated and attempted to humiliate LGB and especially T constituents who went to meet with him," said Brenda Lunger.." I had to help console a young gender nonconforming person and their partner once after they had a meeting with Stacey. I just hope his replacement is human. Campfield isn't."

Last Tuesday was the Tennessee primary elections, and Campfield went down in flames in his state senate District 7 race.  He was crushed by Knoxville cardiac surgeon Richard Briggs.  

With all precincts reporting, Briggs had 13,977 votes, or 66 percent, compared with Campfield's 5,824 votes, or 28 percent.

Buh Bye Stacey.   Don't think they are going to miss you in Nashville.   And good riddance.  

Leticia Van de Putte Convention Videos

As I keep pointing out, Wendy Davis isn't the only woman running at the top of the Texas Democratic party ticket this fall.   Longtime state senator Leticia San Miguel Van De Putte from the San Antonio area is running for lieutenant governor.

And yeah, she can also use some fundraising love, too

In Texas, the lieutenant governor's chair is a far more powerful one that controls the Senate's agenda, its committee structure, its rules, as well as playing a major role in crafting the state budget.

The Texas senate has historically been an institution where compromise and consensus are the norm and legislation is often passed by a center-right Democratic-Republican alliance.

That governing consensus is in danger if the hyperpartisan teabagger Dan Patrick gets the lieutenant governor's chair.   You know the Texas Repugs as exhibited by the junior senator from Alberta and their jacked up party platforms need to have a Jerrydome level of seats, and that off the charts Texas right wing lunacy is starting to go national.  

Patrick also made some racist, anti-Latino comments in his GOP lieutenant governor primary that will probably cost him in November.   With the opportunity to elect this wise Latina and longtime senator to become the state's lieutenant governor., the state's Latin@ is excited and motivated to make it happen.  

Senator Van de Putte has not only outraised Teapublican nominee Dan Patrick, she has the quiet support of many moderate Republicans (yeah, they still exist) who can't stand Patrick.  

Here's a double dip of LVP video.   First one is the humorous one of her intro to the recent Texas Democratic party convention in Dallas, and the next one is the speech she gave to the TDP convention.




The TDP Convention speech

Not Supporting Lauren Scott Or ANY Trans Republican

In the wake of me writing about Paula Sophia being poised to make trans history and possibly get elected to the Oklahoma Legislature on August 26 if she prevails in her runoff election, I had a Republican leaning trans person contact me and ask why I hadn't written a similar post about Lauren Scott's candidacy in Nevada. 

As I wrote in this 2010 post, and will expand on it as we head to the 2014 midterms, the right trans candidate for public office at any level of government is NOT a right-wing one. 

As far as I and other non-white voters are concerned, the Republican Party is nothing more than the political arm of white supremacy, and they gleefully make that clear to us every day. 

If you're a libertarian, we non-white peeps don't have much love for you either because all we see you as is the flip side to the same white supremacist political coin.

It's also laughable to me when we have daily examples of Republican politicians at ALL levels of government being bigoted, racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic, (fill in the blank) that ANY politically savvy and thoughtful trans person would want to join, much less be a member of a party that oppresses them and their trans brothers and sisters.

At first glance Ms. Scott's record is one that would make you gravitate toward supporting her legislative candidacy.  She's an Air Force Desert Storm vet, small business owner, has participated in an NCTE sponsored lobby day in 2007, is the founding Executive Director of Equality Nevada since 2009, was appointed by Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) to sit on the Nevada Equal Rights Commission until her term expires October 31 and unsuccessfully ran for an open Nevada Assembly seat in 2012.

While I commend Ms Scott for stepping up to run for office, it's the choice of party affiliation that is raising red flags with me and other big picture thinking trans people.  When the Nevada Assembly currently has a 26-15 Democratic majority and the Nevada Senate a precarious 11-10 Democratic majority, why in Hades would you run for office in that party? 

Granted, you are running for the Nevada Assembly seat in District 30 currently occupied by incumbent Assemblyman Michael Sprinkle (D) that you didn't make it out of the primary fr in 2012.  

But should you make history and win that race, it puts the Republicans one seat closer to gaining control of the Nevada Assembly and possibly unleashing the flood of batturd crazy racist legislation that is the sadly all too common result of GOP control of a state legislature.

That hasn't happened in Nevada only because of Democratic control of both legislative chambers. 

Yes, I have repeatedly said that the next level of our trans human rights struggle is to actually get our people elected to public office.  And yes, it is important to have our folks involved in both political parties.

But let's be real about the fact that in this 2014 cycle, in many parts of the country the Republicans are nothing more than neo-Confederate anti-government trans oppressors, and any trans person in those GOP ranks is wasting their time. 

Nevada's GOP might be different, but after seeing Sharron Angle's 2010 US Senate campaign, Cliven Bundy tripping, and the damage that conservatism does when they get control of a state (or national) legislature, I would hate for Nevada voters to find out the hard way their Republicans are just as off the chain as the Arizona and Texas GOP.     

So no, I'm not voting for or supporting ANY transperson who is a member of the Republican Party, because as a trans person of color, neither I or my people can afford to have that trans GOP legislator, no matter how moderate they may seem at first glance, be the one vote that gets the Republican Party closer to or actually tips the balance of legislative control of a House or Senate chamber.

Better Worry About The 2014 Midterm Elections First

One of the things that is irritating me in liberal-progressive world is people who are obsessing about the 2016 presidential elections and whether Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic Party nominee for POTUS. 

Frak the 2016 election right now.   Better focus on the 2014 congressional MIDTERM election first and treat them as if your life depended on them because they do.

What happens in 2014 will play a major role in setting up how the political landscape sets up for 2016.   And word to the wise, remember in 2006 there were people saying that Hillary was cruising to the nomination in 2008.  Gee, wasn't it some skinny guy with a funny name who ended up with the nomination and as POTUS a few months later?  

Frankly, I don't care about Hillary, November 8, 2016 or presidential politics right now.  That's two years into the future.  We have far more important electoral 'bidness' coming up on November 4.     

As a Texan, I'm more concerned about getting Wendy Davis in our governor's mansion, Leticia Van de Putte in the vitally important Lt. Governor's chair and getting my home state out of the clutches of the Tea Klux Klan.

I'm more concerned about electing Democrats to every office we can up and down the ballot in the Lone Star State, in Harris County and the other 253 counties in this state.    

I'm more concerned about defending our Democratic Senate majority and taking the House back from the Republicans.  All we need is a gain of 18 seats and John Boehner and the Teapublicans will really have something to cry about in January 2015. 

In the US senate, Alison Lundergan Grimes has an excellent chance to knock off Mitch McConnell in  Kentucky.  We have a chance to pick up senate seats in Mississippi and Georgia. We have Democratic senators in tough races like Mary Landrieu in Louisiana and Kay Hagan in North Carolina that will need help and votes to hold those seats since the GOP needs to flip only six seats to take control of the Senate.

And if the Republicans gain control of the Senate while maintaining control of the House, you can bet 2015 will be spent wasting time on bogus impeachment proceedings of President Obama instead of passing needed legislation.  
 

We have a chance to add good Democratic governors and kick bad ones out in Florida, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin

So I don't want to hear another syllable uttered about Hillary until November 5, especially since she hasn't even officially declared she's a candidate for the presidency.

First things first.   We have five months left, and we need to be getting people registered to vote so we can bumrush the polls this fall.  We need to be burying the conservalies under an avalanche of facts.  GOTV efforts need to be planned.  We need to be telling anyone who will listen they need to be participating in this critical election and why.   We need the same level of 2012 turnout or better to win, so let's get busy making that a reality. 

First things first.   Focus on the 2014 midterms, then when that is over we turn our attention to 2016 and holding the White House.

Why The GOP Is 'Scurred' Of Losing Texas

One  thing I actually agree with Dan Patrick on.

And it's why the Teapublicans have been doing so much shady, illegal and unconstitutional stuff since 2000 to desperately try to keep this majority-minority population state in their red clutches. 

And it's why the DNC needs to be pumping more money into Texas to turn it blue or at least purple before 2020.

So think about that on your way to the polls for the runoff election here in the Lone Star State if you didn't do so during the early voting phase, and make sure you are ready to go in the general election on November 4.

Don't Vote For Kesha Rogers In This Runoff Election Either

Early voting started yesterday for the primary runoff elections in Texas yesterday.   While most of the media will be focused on GOP side and the nasty battles between Lt Governor David Dewhurst and Sen. Dan Patrick and the Paxton-Branch race for the Republican Attorney General nomination, we Dems also have an important choice to make.

And it's a no-brainer.

David Alameel is in the runoff for the Democratic nomination for US Senate to square off against Sen John Cornyn.  Unfortunately, so is LaRouchite Kesha Rogers.   Once again Texas Democrats, in that US Senate race, DON'T vote for Kesha Rogers. 

You have until Friday from 7 AM-7 PM to vote in the early voting phase.   If you voted in the March primary, you will not be able to crossover vote.  If you didn't, then you will be able to choose which party's runoff election you will participate in.

So handle you electoral business during the early voting phase while you have multiple locations to choose from.  On May 27 you will be restricted to the location designated for your precinct.

And yeah, the odious Texas voter suppression law will be in effect.

But go handle your electoral business.  It's the first step in having a Texas with nice things in it.

Retired OKC Trans Cop Running For OK State Legislative Seat

Back in the 2010 election cycle, the world's eyes were focused on Oklahoma as Brittany Novotny unsuccessfully tried to unseat homobigoted state Rep. Sally Kern (R). 

Now another Oklahoma transwoman is attempting to become the first transperson elected to its state legislature and the first elected nationally since Althea Garrison was elected to the Massachusetts legislature in 1992.

Paula Sophia, a Desert Storm veteran and 22 year veteran of the Oklahoma City Police Department announced she would run in House District 88, the same one she patrolled as an OKC police officer until she retired on April 7. 

“I was a community oriented police officer, now I’m going to be a community oriented legislator,” says Sophia in a KFOR-TV interview.  

Sophia was the first transgender officer in Oklahoma City PD history and won numerous awards during her career including the OKC Exchange Club's Police Officer of the Year award and an FBI Community Leadership Award.

The District 88 seat was held by state Rep. Kay Floyd (D), the first openly lesbian representative in Oklahoma history who was elected in 2012.   Floyd announced in February her intention to run for the Oklahoma Senate District 46 seat being vacated by openly gay state Sen. Al McAffrey, who was the first ever LGBT member of the Oklahoma legislature and is running for Congress in this cycle for the 5th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep James Lankford (R). 

Sophia says she wants to focus on a number of issues should she be successful in winning that historic seat in Oklahoma's legislature.. “I have a deep concern about peace and justice, about respecting the dignity of every human being and I still deeply believe in those issues.”

She first has to get out of the June 24 Oklahoma Democratic primary election.  If she does become the second transperson since Amanda Simpson accomplished the political feat in Arizona in 2004 to win a primary, she'd move on to the November general election.   

Best of luck, Paula and hope you make some more Oklahoma and transgender history in the process..

Erika Harold Loses Illinois GOP Congressional Primary Bid

A few months ago I wrote about on these electronic pages former 2003 Miss America Erika Harold running for Congress in the Illinois Republican primary against current 13th District US Rep. Rodney Davis and getting racistly dissed for her trouble. 

In addition to that racist email from a GOP county chairman calling Harold “a streetwalker.” that led to his resignation, Harold according to Politico endured a bizarre snub at the Illinois state fair, flat out rejection when she asked the Illinois Republican Party to use GOP voter data and was denied, and constantly heard the frequent suggestion she would be better off running for some other office besides a Congressional seat.

You let bizarro world conservafools like Suzanne Atanus run for Congress, and she's your nominee against Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D).   So why do you Republicans have a problem with a 33 year old Illinois born mixed race former Miss America who spoke at your 2004 convention, at CPAC, got the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune and is a Harvard Law graduate? 

Oops, never mind.  I withdraw the question. 

She's an American citizen who can run for any office she wishes.  While I don't care for her conservative political stances, the only thing we see eye to eye on is that she's anti-death penalty.   But those conservative stances still didn't help her in this race. 

The Illinois primary election was held on Tuesday night and her challenge to Rep Rodney Davis fell short.   She did however serve notice that she has a bright political future in Illinois by garnering an impressive 41.2% of the votes (20,921)  in this primary to the incumbent Davis' 54.6% (27,773).

This race is a real world example of why Republicans don't have a snowball's chance in Hades of making themselves attractive to African-Americans. 

While I'm no fan of her politics because I'm aligned politically with 90% of the rest of the African-American community, I still didn't appreciate along with many left of center Black peeps seeing the sistah get dissed like she did in the GOP ranks.  

And if she's not "Republican enough' for you, who is?   You continue to reinforce what I have unflinchingly said about the GOP when I call it the political arm of white supremacy.  You have also reinforced by your treatment of her the well deserved reputation that you don't like women, and especially women of color.

She's also managed to do what all your cookie chomping kneegrow sellouts haven't been able to do in the history of the blog--get me to write a post about a Republican in which I'm not slamming them from the first syllable of it..   

This latest GOP rebranding effort will fail just like the previous ones when you continue to diss thoughtful people like Harold.  It's people like her you should be running to embrace and putting out there as your standard bearers, not batturd wing sellouts like Mia Love, Sen. Tim Scott and Allen West who have zero chance of getting our votes or our community's respect..   

But as a Democrat I thank you for continuing to be the stupid party.