Miss Major's TGIJP Retirement Party Coming Soon

After her decades of service to our community, the TGI Justice Project announced that Miss Major Griffin-Gracy  would be retiring as executive director of the organization.

On October 25 there will be an epic retirement party in San Francisco for our pioneering trans elder that also doubles as a fundraiser for the organization and Miss Major.

The party will also witness the formal passing of the TGIJP torch to Janetta Johnson, who will take over as executive director of TGI Justice Project.

While Miss Major is stepping down from the ED role at TGI Justice Project, she says she's still going to be speaking out about issues in our community when she feels moved to do so.

“I want to thank you all for working with me and being part of the transitions and changes we’ve  gone through at TGIJP over the years. And I want to assure you that while I’m stepping down as Executive Director, my mouth is not stepping down and I will continue to bitch and let people know what my community is going through. It's difficult living in our truth, but what better way to survive? It's important that we survive; we've got to come out on top. Please continue to support and back up Janetta for taking on the responsibility of taking TGIJP into the next phase. Wish her well and help her prosper. Be safe and stay strong."

The retirement party is slated to start at 4:00 PM PDT and run until 8 PM at the Bently Reserve Banking Hall in San Francisco, located at 301 Battery Street in San Francisco, CA.

You can purchase your tickets at this link.. There is also a Gofundme that has been set up for Miss Major to help her with her retirement expenses at https://www.gofundme.com/MsMajorRetirement 

Thanks for all you have done for us Miss Major, being still f*****g here to tell your story, passing down our history to me and others in our community, and representing for girls like us.

Upcoming FTM Fitness World Conference

My trans brothers have been asking me why I haven't been covering the news from their half of the community lately, and they have a point.  I do need to do a better job of it since I have the only continuous publishing blog dealing with trans issues from an African-American trans perspective.

And covering trans issues from an African-American perspective means I not only need to cover the stuff that happens on the trans feminine end, it also means I need to cover the issues and developments on the trans masculine end, too.

But you trans brothers also need to step up and let Moni know what's happening, and what you think I need to be talking about that you think needs to be brought to our attention for a wider discussion across Trans World.

Commentary over, now let's segue to what this post is about.

This weekend in the ATL the FTM Fitness World Conference will be taking place October 1-3 at the Ramada Plaza -Downtown Atlanta  (Capitol Park) with the 2015 theme of The Warrior Within You.



The event was founded by Neo Sandja with the goal of bringing the trans community and trans masculine men together who want more out of life through workshops, activities, exhibits, partnerships, networking and entertainment.

It also made a little history in the process.   In 2014 The FTM Fitness Conference hosted the first ever bodybuilding competition for men of trans experience.

The FTM Fitness World Conference has two goals,  The first one is to embrace diversity by focusing on what unites us instead of what separates us and bridging the gap between us based on age, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, religious affiliation and more.  

The second one is to empower our community.  It seeks to do so by inspiring attendees to push for excellence while rejecting mediocrity.  It wishes to inspire attendees to be the change they wish to see in their local communities and realize they possess the tools to succeed in every area of their lives  while focusing on what united the trans community.

The emcee of this year's event will be my lovely Houston homegirl Diamond Stylz, and keynote speakers will not only include FTM Fitness World Con founder Neo Sandja, but also Dr. Kortney Ziegler, Ryan Salinas, Tracee McDaniel, and Buck Angel,

And yes, the 2nd annual FTM Fitness World Bodybuilding Competition will be a part of this year's event.

If you wish to learn more about #FTMFitCon15 you can go to ftmfitnessconference.com for further information.        

2015 Houston Transgender Unity Banquet

While I was in our nation's capital handling some OUT on the Hill conference business, the sold out 23rd annual Houston Transgender Unity Banquet was transpiring at the Sheraton Brookhollow with this year's keynote speaker being Kate Bornstein

And yeah, was nice to hear I was missed.

The Unity Banquet supports not only the Transgender Foundation of America (TFA), but the Peggy Rudd Scholarship, and trans activities during Houston Pride.

The Houston Trans Community Awards are also given out in various categories, and in case you're curious, while I was nominated for the Dee McKellar in 2001, I have yet to win any award at this event.  .  

The Houston Unity Banquet started out as a way for the then four trans groups in town representing different parts of the trans umbrella to work on a collaborative project that would ensure communication, cohesiveness between the groups, and continues to serve that important role over two decades later.

It's also an opportunity to produce a fun, trans oriented Houston event besides TDOR that our allies can enthusiastically support.

I was happy to find out that Josephine Tittsworth, who I've known for over a decade, was honored with a lifetime achievement award.   There was also a little Houston trans history made when my roomie Dee Dee Watters was honored with the Dee McKellar Award,

I'll have to confirm it, but by winning the Dee McKellar, Dee Dee became the first local African-American trans person to win an award at this event, and have a feeling she won't be the last.

I was also happy to discover that Fran Watson, one of our community's staunch allies, also received the Champion Award at this year's Unity Banquet as well.

Glad to hear that this edition of the Houston Transgender Unity Banquet was a success, and hope that next year's event is even bigger and better.

Houston Trans Vigil

Was honored to participate in a vigil at Hermann Park honoring the lives of the 17 trans women we have lost in 2015.   The vigil was organized by Ashton Woods and in addition to myself being one of the speakers, Dee Dee Watters and Brenda Langer also said a few words along with Woods to close out the event that started at 6 PM and was covered by one local news station.

You can't spell #BlackLivesMatter without the 'T", and my short speech was geared toward  reminding people about that simple fact.   I also reminded people that those who wish to deny our human rights, like our HERO hatin' opponents, are denying our very humanity.

I also called out the Houston media for lying about transpeople and peddling that debunked bathroom lie and expressed my fears  that the anti-trans negativity being sowed by the faith based oppressors may manifest itself into anti-trans violence aimed at Houston trans people

I also reminded people that we are still trying to get a WH petition calling for a federal investigation of the anti-trans violence leading to our murders to the 100K mark.  It is as of this writing well short of the 100K signatures it needs by September 9, and this is a short term way to show support for the trans communities of color..

We closed it out by saying the names of the 17 trans women murdered before going back to our lives and hoping that our allies in attendance do their part to help squash anti-trans rhetoric and disinformation in their influence circles. .

Registration Now Open For BTAC 2016!

Dee Dee Watters and I zooming past our old hotel on the DART  light rail (and I'm not kidding about the zooming part) on our way to and from Richardson and the just concluded TTNS reminded me that the clock is ticking toward the next time the BTAC family gathers in the Dallas Ft.Worth area for the 2016 Black Trans Advocacy Conference.

The theme for 2016 is 'Thinking and Speaking A Better World' and the dates are April 25-May 1 for this fifth annual edition of it.   The BTAC will have a new hotel hosting it.the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria.   Personally I'm gonna miss the Doubletree Campbell Center, especially since it was on the DART Red and Orange light rail lines, had great views of the downtown Dallas skyline and was an easy trip from the downtown Dallas Megabus dropoff point for me, but sometimes change is necessary for your event to evolve and be positioned for greater success and growth.

Wow, it has been five years for this growing event in which I have been a part of since 2013 when I was asked to be a keynote speaker that year. 

Since it happens so close to Cuatro De Mayo (my birthday) and it's just a four hour drive or Megabus ride up I-45 from me, it has quickly become one of my fave conferences. 

It's also one of the few national conferences in which you get to meet many of our Black trans masculine and trans feminine leaders.  We were also honored to have some trans folks from Brazil, Panama and other places in the African diaspora in the house in 2015, and hope that trend line continues.

And trans women, did I mention all the handsome trans men that will be in the house?  Okay, just wanted to make sure I pointed that out.

I'm not only planning on being there but hopefully taking a more active role in BTAC 2016.  I plan on doing two seminars in 2016 and looking forward to administering more dominoes beatdowns at Family Fun Day  

You have been warned. 

And yes, it goes without saying that cis and trans community allies are also enthusiastically welcomed to attend BTAC 2016.  If you wish to have further information about BTAC 2016, you can click on the following link to do so.

Hope i do see y'all in the BTAC 2016 house.

See y'all in Dallas in a few months for BTAC 2016.  Looking forward to checking out the new hotel, seeing my.BTAC family and meeting more allies during that extended birthday celebration weekend for me.

TTNS 2015 Rapidly Approaching

The Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit is rapidly approaching, and this year will  be coming to the Dallas-Fort Worth area for the first time.

The 7th annual edition of this event will take place July 31-August 1 on the UT-Dallas campus in Richardson, TX .

Ever since the first event happened on the University of Houston campus back in 2009, the TTNS has been pushing for trans inclusive policies in Texas school districts, colleges and universities. 

It's no accident that ever since the first TTNS event was conducted,  the number of school districts and Texas based colleges and universities with those policies in place has steadily increased, and the training being done at the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit has played a role in it.

And ever since I moved back home in May 2010, I haven't missed one.

In addition to the seminar blocks, this year's keynote speakers will be Dr. Stephen Sutton, Ph.D., Assistant Vice Chancellor University of California at Berkley and Heather Snow, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at The University of Texas at Arlington.

If you're in the Dallas-Ft Worth area, in easy flying or driving distance or just wish to attend the event, the TTNS staff, volunteers and their UT-Dallas hosts would love to have you there.   You can register for the event by clicking on this link

See y'all on the UT Dallas campus in a few weeks

Upcoming UT-Austin Lavender Graduation May 20

After doing some local events, the BTAC conference and resting from that hectic March travel schedule that saw me flying over 8000 miles that month, it's time for me to hit the road again for my first keynote speech in a while.

I'll be heading back to Austin, but not to lobby.   On this trip to the ATX I'll be spending time on the University of Texas- Austin campus delivering a speech for their 8th annual Lavender Graduation.

So what's Lavender Graduation you ask?  Lavender Graduation is a special graduation ceremony that honors the achievements of graduating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and ally students on the UT-Austin campus.

Lavender Graduation is co-hosted by the Gender and Sexuality Center and the UT Queer Students Alliance (QSA). Our goal is to provide a venue to demonstrate the success of our community members in a personal, entertaining and celebratory way.

The Lavender Graduation Ceremony will feature not only my keynote speech, but inspiring speeches from UT-Austin faculty, administrators, students, and alumni; the chance to cross the lavender stage to celebrate your success and to receive a Lavender Graduation certificate as well as a rainbow tassel; and music, cake and food to share with friends, family and well-wishers!
Would you like to show your support for the event even though you are not graduating?   You can RSVP for the event at this link.   You can attend the event, and bring your friends and community allies!

Sign up on the GSC listserv to get updates and reminders closer to the event – sign up by sending an email to the GSC.   If you need further information about it you can contact the Gender and Sexuality Center at gsc@austin.utexas.edu or 512-232-1831.

The Lavender Graduation will take place at the Student Activity Center starting at 4 PM CDT on the UT-Austin campus at Speedway and 21st Streets.   Hope to see you there!.

Geena's Upcoming GenderProud Philippines Tour

Ever since model Geena Rocero came out as a trans woman during a favorably received March 31`TED talk last year, she has been on a mission to fight for trans human rights around the world.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Geena, talking to her regularly about that mission and spending quality time with her at last year's Philadelphia Trans Health Conference and a White House event last July.

After a May 11 visit to the UC-Santa Barbara campus for an event there, she's once again leaving on a jet plane headed back home to the Philippines.

Rocero will be there for a three week GenderProud tour in conjunction with local Philippine trans organizations from May 16-June 1 to talk with the Philippine transgender community.

"There's nothing more beautiful than being your full authentic self and saying it publicly, being in the public eye," said Rocero in an interview.



"I hope the trans community could feel that their stories matter, they need to be heard, and you're enough. You're a beautiful person by pursuing your truth, you are courageous, you should know that," she said.

While she has been part of the heightened visibility the trans community has seen in the past year that exploded after her coming out TED talk, she is quite aware of the fact that visibility can only go so far.and doesn't necessarily mean equality.

It's why she's in the Philippines for the next three weeks doing a series of events, and why she says she will continue to tell her story until she no longer has to.

Capt. Thomas Araguz III Being Recognized At LGBT Fallen Heroes Ceremony Tomorrow

Tomorrow afternoon there will be a LGBT Fallen Heroes Memorial Service ceremony at the Women In Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery.

The first LGBT Fallen Heroes Memorial Service was held in DC's Dupont Circle on May 13, 2012 during National Police Week. What began as a memorial service to honor LGBT law enforcement officers has grown to encompass all uniformed public servants, EMT's and military personnel. It also inspired the subsequent creation of the LGBT Fallen Heroes Fund.

During the memorial service, the stories of our fallen heroes are read aloud by volunteers and then flags that have been flown over the Capitol building in their honor are presented to the significant other of the fallen hero.  The significant other is also presented with a commemorative portrait that serves as a reminder of their loved one’s faithful service.

Sometimes this LGBT Fallen Heroes memorial service serves as the first time those significant others are recognized for the supportive role they played in their departed loved one’s service to their communities.

Because of our country's problematic at times interpretation of marriage laws as they apply to TBLG people, at times the significant others of these fallen heroes are not given the support and respect they deserve. 

The memorial service is a way for the BTLG community and its allies to be there for the surviving significant others during their time of grieving, thank them for their loved one's service, and remind them they are not alone.

One of the people being recognized this year is Capt. Thomas Araguz III, who was killed during an egg farm fire on July 4, 2010 in Wharton, TX.   

Capt. Araguz was married to Nikki Araguz Loyd at the time, and his untimely death resulted in a now five year trans marriage legal fight percolating at the Texas Supreme Court level. 

Judge Randy Clapp (R) voided her marriage after it came to light she was a transgender female, and she has been battling to have her rights reinstated as a widow and to recognize the marriage.

This memorial service is significant for her is because she is being publicly recognized as Capt. Araguz's widow at a memorial event for the first time.

“I am honored to finally begin to be recognized as the widow of my firefighter, however, the event is bittersweet," says Araguz Loyd. 

"Not only do I remember the day he died like it was yesterday, but also the pain of being treated so horribly in those following weeks and to still have to fight for the same rights every widow of a hero deserves.   I wasn’t able to choose his headstone and I am still arguing in courts to reinstate our marriage. We loved each other and I supported him through schooling to make his dreams come true. We were husband and wife; we even met and married in the church that would later ask me to not return. We as trans people have come a long way in regards to receiving acknowledgment of our existence, however we are still lacking the basic protections and rights every person deserves.”

For those of you in the Washington DC metro area who wish to attend, the service will start at 2 PM EDT at the Women In Military Service for America Memorial.   The memorial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.

NOLA Trans March Later Today

Was advised by Milan Nicole Sherry that later today in New Orleans a trans themed march and community gathering will take place starting at 3:30 PM CDT.

It is being organized by BreakOUT, a local organization that seeks to end the criminalization of LGBTQI youth in the city in order to build a safer and more just New Orleans.

The NOLA Trans March will start and end at the corner of Ursulines and N. Claiborne Ave, and once it is completed will be followed by a press conference.

The march is open to all, and if you wish to take part in it, you are asked to show up at 3:15 PM.

Best of luck and hope it is a megasuccessful event.

Sis To Cis Washington DC Conversation Tomorrow

One of the things that has needed to happen for a long time is for trans women and cis women to have conversations in which we talk about our respective issues, share stories, and facilitate the building of sisterhood and working partnerships with each other.  

We've had one of those cis and trans women conversations I've outlined in Houston, and are planning more of them.

Tomorrow night in Washington DC, one of those conversations will take place at Busboys & Poets organized and hosted by Joanna Cifredo.

The FireBreathingTGirl.com presents SIS to CIS: Modern Day Women Deconstructing the Ideals of Womanhood is the first in a series of planned conversations between trans women and cis women of color to discuss womanhood, feminism, relationships, representation, the body, intersectionality and what it means to be a woman at the margins of today's society.  

Cifredo is the founder of the FireBreathingTGirl blog, will co host along with Tyisha Jones, and is the first of the Sis to Cis conversations which have the goal of modeling a dialogue about the acceptance and inclusion of transgender women of color into spaces and conversation traditionally reserved for cisgender women; by creating a common understanding about the shared experiences around our lives as marginalized women with a history of resilience.

The panelists for this inaugural DC dialogue are Dr. Juliana Martinez, Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, Alexa Elizabeth Maclovia Rodriguez, and June Crenshaw.

If you're interested in attending, the address for the Busboys & Poets location hosting this conversation open to all  is 1025 5th St NW, and it will start at 6 PM EDT.

2015 Pride Houston Kickoff Event Tonight

Had to put them on blast a few times for other issues, but like everyone else in TBLG Houston I want to know the answer to one question:

Who will be the Pride Houston parade grand marshals for 2015?  

We'll find out the answer to that question later tonight at a Pride Houston kickoff event at Audi Central Houston.   The Grand Marshals will be announced at this FREE event that will start at 7:30 PM.  

Everyone's welcomed, but you have to be 21+ to consume adult beverages and need to show your photo ID.   Those who attend will also find out the schedule for all the 2015 Pride Houston events leading up to its first ever downtown parade on June 27.

Some of those Houston Pride Week® events that will be announced like Pride Superstar®, Dine with Pride, Rock the Runway, Salvation Pool Party, Wonderland Houston®, the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration® and more.

The Grand Marshals races this year had so many worthy candidates who all deserve to win and ride in the historic first parade.,

But unfortunately we'll only have one in each category voted on by those of us residing in the Houston area.

Audi Central Houston is located at 2120 Southwest Freeway inside the Loop at S. Shepherd, and tickets aren't needed for this first event of the upcoming pride season.

Moni's Going To The 2015 Houston HRC Gala

Check the date, this is NOT an April Fool's joke like this post was.

I have a long documented history as one of HRC's fiercest critics going back to 1998, but in a few hours I'll actually be going the 18th annual Houston HRC Gala.

The last time I actually was in the vicinity of an HRC Gala, I was in Washington DC outside the Walter Williams Convention Center protesting their national dinner in response to trans people getting cut out of  ENDA in 2007

This time I won't be there to protest, but observe the proceedings at the Westin Galleria ballroom.  Thanks to Bryant and Ian Barrett for the invitation to sit at their tables.   

As for who will be at the Houston HRC Gala,  HRC president Chad Griffin is supposed to be here for the proceedings as one of the special guests that start at 5:00 PM  along with my Houston homegirl Brittney Griner. 

They say they have changed, we'll see.   And getting a chance to meet my Houston homegirl Brittney Griner and hang out for a few hours with some friends in the community may make it worthwhile.

I'll at least get a post out of it.

#LGBTMedia15-Moni's View Of A Conference

For the third consecutive year I was blessed to get an invitation to attend the 6th annual LGBT Media Journalists Convening along with LGBTQ journalists from 22 states and the District of Columbia.

Before I even left for Philly, I had four activism events in two days in Houston, and got back home from the Misfits panel at almost midnight.  

Since I had to allow for METRO bus travel time, I had to get up at 4 AM to get to the airport early enough to check my bag and clear TSA security before my flight.  That meant I was getting barely three hours of sleep before I bounced to Hobby to start my trek via Chicago to Philadelphia.

My lack of sleep started messing with me early when I got off my initial bus block one stop too soon to connect with the 50 Harrisburg that would take me to Hobby.  After realizing my error, I had to quickly walk with my roller bags from Washington Ave two blocks over to the stop on Memorial Drive in the shadow of the municipal courthouse..

I made it to the stop in time because my 50 Harrisburg bus was a few minutes late, and made it to Hobby Airport without further incident.  I checked one bag, cleared TSA security and headed to Gate 51 to wait to board my 8 AM CDT departure to Philadelphia via Chicago-Midway.

I was surprised to see Cristan Williams pop up in the Gate 51 lobby area a few moments later and we ended up traveling to Philly together. 

After arriving in a cloudy and cool Philly and getting to the Radisson Blu Warwick Hotel a little after 4 PM  EDT, we settled into our rooms in preparation for the reception that would happen at Comcast Center several blocks up the street at 7 PM. 

I called Mom to let her know I'd safely made it, then fired up my trusty laptop to take advantage of the comp WiFi and check my e-mail.

I was hungry, and noted a small diner called Little Pete's that was just across 17th Street from our hotel.  I ambled down from my 10th floor room, wandered in and ordered some mild buffalo wings to go. While I was waiting for those wings, I had this strange deja vu feeling about this place, and I would find out later at the reception why.

The four events in two days along with the flights, the food and my quiet room sent me to dreamland, and I woke up at 7:15 PM.   After quickly getting dressed, I made it up those six blocks as fast as I could for what was left of the #LGBTMedia15 kickoff reception in the spacious lobby of the building.

I made it, and even managed to get one glass of wine in along with greetings and hugs from several peeps and my friends in the LGBT writing world.  One of them was a local Philly attendee who not only thanked me for my TransGriot posts about the 1965 Dewey's Lunch Counter Sit In, let me know I was staying right across the street from it.

It floored me to know that I'd just bought wings from the place that 50 years ago next month was the site of some trans history before I sat down and waited for the keynote speech from the Rev Dr William Barber.

Soon to be birthday girl Faith Cheltenham joined me, and we were inspired along with everyone else by the dynamic keynote speech that Dr Barber gave us that urged us to not only reclaim the moral high ground in our movement that we have mistakenly ceded to our opponents, but build an intersectional movement at the same time that will fight just as hard for voting rights, a woman's right to choose and a livable wage as we do for marriage.

And I got to ask a question of Dr Barber, who remembered that we'd met in Louisville back in 2005 at the Unity Banquet there, what was the NAACP's stance about the legislation popping up in Florida, Texas and the now dead one in Kentucky seeking to criminalize being transgender?

Answer.  NAACP is opposed to it.   So trans community and allies, get your state and local chapters busy calling the wingers out about those unjust laws

The next day began with breakfast at 7 AM and then heading to the hotel's Grand Ballroom at 9 AM to get our learn on. After the welcome from Bil Browning and singing Happy Birthday to Faith, we got down to the business of getting our learn on in the panels discussions.

The initial panel of the day was entitled The Latest Rightwing Attack: The Danger Of 'Religious Liberty' Laws.   It featured Katherine Grainger breaking down the spate of "Religious Liberty" laws designed to gut the human rights progress we've made over the last 50 years with Matt Foreman asking the questions..

At 9:45 AM the Erin Rook moderated panel entitled What Happens When The Dog Catches The Car with panelists Tiq Milan, Spectra Asala and Urvashi Vaid discussing what's next after marriage equality is achieved.

That gave way after a spirited discussion to a 11:30 AM Brynn Tannehill moderated panel after our 15 minute break entitled Naming and the LGBTQ Community. 

Panelists Diane Anderson-Minshall, Dr Scout and Eliel Cruz had a  wide ranging, fast paced discussion that took us into lunch.

During that lunch, the new Philadelphia LGBT Liaison Nellie Fitzpatrick not only gave us a rousing speech entitled Fighting For Equality From Within: How Government Officials Are Advancing LGBT Rights,  but read a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Nutter declaring Saturday as 'LGBT Media Journalism Day' .

After lunch, we LGBT Media attendees had a choice between two break out sessions. Bijacked: Bisexuals Strike Back Against Inaccurate Reporting or Allies in Race and Gender.

Once those were done, me and my trans cohorts took our break  opportunity to head across the street from our hotel and take group photos in front of the former Dewey's.   Hope there will be a 50th anniversary commemoration of that transcentric historical event next month.

We returned for the final session of the day entitled Three Great HIV Story Ideas You Could Write Tomorrow in which the panelists led my moderator Mark King went through some suggestion of HIV centric stories that we could immediately compose..  We were also given an HIV Style guide to take home with us.

After the feedback session, the #LGBTMedia15 panels were over.   But we still had a visit coming to the John C Anderson Apartments later that evening for a wine and cheese reception there..   It's a LGBT -centric senior apartment building that had just broken ground for construction when the LGBT Media Journalists Convening was last in town   Now it was finished, and the Philly LGBT community was eager to show it off.  

In addition to proudly noting that it had a 150 name waiting list to get into the building, I was also pleased to get my tour of it conducted by a trans elder.

We also spent some time while we were there in a LGBT Women in Media discussion in which a intergenerational group discussed some of the issues affecting the community from our perspectives.

While some of our crew headed to the 11 PM public event at Tavern on Camac, the four vents in two day before I left Houston was finally catching up with me, so I decided to get y cheesesteak ata a place i spotted on the walk from the hotel to the Anderson Apartments and call it a night.

I was obviously still tired because I slept through my alarm and the start of the Sunday closing brunch.

And just like that, my #LGBTMedia15 weekend in Philly was over and I was boarding a shuttle to take me to the airport and my semi-boring life in Texas.

We'll see if I get the invite to participate in #LGBTMedia16 in Baltimore.   If I get to do so, definitely looking to destroy some crab cakes.

Another Day, Two More H-town Events

If you're noticing that I have been quite busy and visible inside and outside my beloved hometown lately in terms of my attendance an participation at various events, you would be correct in that assumption.

I had two panels last night, flew to Washington DC last Thursday to participate in a TPOCC board meeting, and now your favorite Texas Trans Angelic Troublemaker has two more events on her busy schedule before she flies off to Philly for the 2015 edition of the  LGBT Media Journalists Convening.

Last night it was a discrimination panel discussion on which I didn't get a chance to talk about the issues affecting the trans population before the floor was yielded to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

But it bees that way sometimes.  While I was happy to see my congressmember Rep Jackson-Lee,  I still got the short end of the panel discussion time and wasn't happy about the lost opportunity to talk about trans issues, especially with a CBC congress member in attendance.

But was a little happier at the TSU Misfits event that started less than an hour later in the Tiger Room of the Sterling Student Life Center on the TSU campus.   Always good to see NBJC Executive Director/ CEO Sharon Lettman-Hicks and meet more people in academia and in the African-American cisgender ranks supportive of our SGL, trans and bi community.

On today's agenda in my semi-boring life was my attendance at the Harris County Democratic Party's brown bag Lunch series of discussions in which Houston mayoral candidate Ben Hall was speaking.

And yeah, as you probably guessed, he got grilled by me and a few other peeps in the room for his non support of HERO as currently constituted.

Just a reminder Mr. Hall, wanting to be mayor of all of Houston includes me and other trans residents of it, and not supporting a HERO with gender ID protections is a non-starter.

The other event I have starts at 7 PM CDT and is sponsored by the Houston Black Nonbelievers.  It is a panel I'm on in which the topic we'll discuss is Homophobia In The Black Community: Real or Myth?

That fascinating discussion will take place at the Montrose Center, and you know I'll have my say on the topic du jour.

9th Annual TRANSforming Gender Conference This Weekend

I had the honor and pleasure of being a keynote speaker for the 2008 edition of this event, and this weekend will mark the 9th annual edition of the TRANSforming Gender Conference March 13-14 sponsored by the University of Colorado's LGBTQ Resource Center,

The keynote speakers this year will be TPOCC board member Mattee Jim and Amos Mac.

If you're in the Boulder area, you may wish to check the TRANSforming Gender Conference out on the picturesque CU campus that's FREE and open to the public, and hear these two dynamic speakers in addition to checking out the workshops and seminars.

International Women's Day Includes Trans Women, Too!

Today is International Women's Day, which is celebrated every March 8.

The UN sponsored iteration of the day dates back to 1977, but the day's history goes back to 1909.

This year's theme is 'Equality For Women Is Progress For All', and equality and progress for women includes trans women in that mix as well.

Anti-trans feminine discrimination and violence basically has its roots in the same systemic anti-woman attitudes and anti-women violence that has historically plagued women on our planet.

And we trans women aren't immune to that.   Ours just comes with a heaping helping of transphobia on top of it along with the refusal to realize what we and medical science already knows in terms of  that trans women are women.

Medical science is increasingly making that point for us along with shifting cultural attitudes and the realization that the trans rights movement is an international human rights one..

But as we celebrate this 2015 edition of International Women's Day in Trans World, while we celebrate the fact that we have trans women running for political office in Britain, have trans parliamentarians in Belgium and Poland, trans feminine models rocking runways from New York to Milan, one who performed on the hallowed stage of Carnegie Hall, another who scored a groundbreaking legal win in Kenya., others who will grace movie and our television screens commenting on various issues inside and outside the trans community, we have trans women around the world who are not experiencing that same level of progress.

In many parts of the world, trans human rights progress is occurring at a glacial pace, if at all.

We still have far too many around the world that experience crushing discrimination that leads them to engage in survival sex work to pay the bills.  

And far too many of our sisters are being killed for simply trying to live their trans feminine lives in the United States, Latin and Central America, Brazil and Turkey.

And those are the trans murders we are aware of.

We have the Canadian Conservative led government that since 2013 has been stalling passage of C-279, the Trans Rights Bill as various Republican state led jurisdictions are trying to pass laws that dehumanize trans people and allow discrimination against them for their own selfish political gain.

And now that the US right wing is losing on the gay marriage issue, they now are starting to attack the humanity of trans people as their ticket to political power, fame and fortune and legitimacy in conservative political circles.

I wrote this last paragraph in a post penned for the 2012 edition of International Women's Day, and it still applies two years later as to where trans women fit into this day..

While we are fighting to overcome the transphobic hatred and disinformation aimed at us, we also seek to continue discussions with our cis sisters as to where trans women fit in the grand scheme of womanhood.  We're more than willing to do our part to help uplift all women cis and trans around the globe if we're respectfully given an opportunity to do so. 

And we're ready to handle our feminine human rights business if that respectful invitation comes.
 
International Women's Day also includes the issues that impact and ail trans feminine women across Planet Earth . Don't let anyone tell you it doesn't.

Countdown To The 2015 LGBT Media Journalists Convening

March is going to be chock full of events for me, and one of my favorites I'm looking forward to attending is the upcoming 6th annual edition of the LGBT Media Journalists Convening.

It's sponsored by the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr, Fund and hosted by the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association,

We're headed back to Philadelphia for this one that will take place March 13-15.

What happens during the convening is that me and all my fellow LGBT media peeps, bloggers and journalists come together to get a deeper understanding of and more effectively communicate critical issues facing the LGBT community.    The event also has the goal of assisting and increasing the presence and diversity of LGBT bloggers in the national blogging community.

We'll also be building our journalism skills as we report, blog, tweet and livestream the panels and the happenings at this year's event.  You can also follow what's going on via the #LGBTMedia15 hashtag.

So definitely looking forward to returning to Philly for this year's convening and seeing everyone that will attend this year.

Dallas TransVisible Screening Today

If you 're looking for something to do in Dallas later today, you may wish to head to the Texas Theater and check out the documentary TransVisible.

It depicts the life and advocacy story of Los Angeles based Latina trans activist Bamby Salcedo, and the movie was produced by Dante Alencastre.   

The free event is starting at 4:00 PM and the featured guests at this screening of it are Bamby and Dante.  There will be a question and answer segment once the movie concludes and a reception with light snacks.

You will have to have a ticket to pick up food from our vendor, but TICKETS ARE FREE. Be sure to order yours online today! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/transvisible-bamby-salcedos-story-with-guests-bamby-salcedo-and-dante-alencastre-tickets-13915384289
You can also congratulate Bamby (along with Janet Mock) for being named by Colorlines Magazine as one of the 14 Women of Color Who Rocked 2014.

The Texas Theater is located at 231 W. Jefferson St. in south Dallas, and hope y'all give Bamby and Dante a nice Texas welcome and large crowd for it.

World AIDS Day 2014 Houston Memorial

I got a chance to spend some quality time with the Gallery Girls, AKA Nikki Araguz Loyd and Meagan Gillett on Monday afternoon and evening.

One of the things that we did besides having a girls afternoon out was also take time to head to Legacy for their World AIDS Day Observance that started at 5 PM.

I was there not only to commemorate the day, but remembers my friends and family members that we have lost since 1981 to AIDS
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It was hosted by former KHOU-TV anchor Lisa Foronda at Legacy's California St. clinic. Since the weather was a little chilly for H-town, the ceremony was moved to the facility's garage.

State Rep and Houston mayoral candidate Sylvester Turner was in attendance along with Houston city councilmembers Ed Gonzales and Ellen Cohen and representatives from Rep Sheila Jackson Lee's and State senator Rodney Ellis' office.

Proclamations were read commemorating the day read from our city council, state and federal legislators along with the names of many of the people we have lost. 

There were also people from the medical community discussing the progress that we have made toward getting to the goal of zero new HIV/AIDS infections and urging people to get tested.

After a song from Pride Superstar Daniel Rosales, a community candlelight walk commenced to circle the Montrose block the Legacy Clinic occupies before it concluded.