Headed To Austin Again!

Well, for once I'm doing an ATX trip that doesn't involve me spending most of my day at the Pink Dome.   But it's a little unique in how I'm getting there.

For the first time in 20 years, back in my Air Marshal days, I'm flying to Austin for an event.   It's also the first time I will fly into Austin Bergstrom Airport, which opened back in May 1999 and has been expanded since then to house 34 gates. 

It used to be Bergstrom Air Force Base until it closed in 1993.  Austin's tiny local airport on the north side of town was generating increasing citizen noise complaints, and the city asked to Air Force to consider making Bergstrom a joint civilian-military field.  Those requests were rejected until the base closed. 

Bergstrom was also where Air Force One repeatedly flew into from Washington DC when Lyndon B. Johnson was president and enjoying time on his nearby LBJ Ranch in Johnson City, TX.

The city of Austin eventually acquired it, demolished all the old base structures except the runway and the circular 12th Air Force HQ building that got converted into a hotel. 

The main terminal at the ABIA airport is named after trailblazing Texas legislator Barbara Jordan, and there's a statue of her in it. 

Most of the time when I go to Austin from Houston I'm rolling past the airport on TX 71 either as a bus or car passenger.   But since I was in a United hub city in San Francisco and I needed to be in the ATX, decided to save myself a trip and just fly nonstop to Austin instead of flying back home to IAH,  heading to downtown Houston, then taking a nearly 2 hour bus ride back to the ATX.

It was going to be a 'Bougie bus', AKA a Vonlane, but still, why do that to myself?

I will be taking the bus back home to Houston when I'm done up here

What is that business?   I'm here for the 30th anniversary gala for Equality Texas that's happening on Saturday night, and they're giving me an award.

And yes, I will have room on my trophy shelf for it.

That 30th anniversary gala will happen at the AT&T Conference Center in downtown Austin on Saturday night, and looking forward to seeing and spending some time with my ATX family 

Equality Texas 30th Anniversary Celebration On November 16

Equality Texas was founded 30 years ago in 1989 as a statewide advocacy group for TBLGQ Texans.
And like HRC, I was one of its harshest critics, especially after the 1999 and 2001 Texas legislative sessions when trans folks were cut out of the James Byrd Hate Crimes Act.

While it has had a problematic history incorporating the trans community in that mission during its first decade of operation, the organization has evolved to become one of the Texas trans community's staunchest allies in the fight against the TBLGQ oppression  that the TXGOP tries on a regular basis to impose on us.

Equality Texas is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and in another of of those interesting full circle moments that life and two decades of advocacy can bring you, I'm going to be honored by an org i once criticized.

On November 16 I get to make another trip to Austin, but this one doesn't involve me going to the Pink Dome to visit with state legislators.  The next scheduled Texas legislative session doesn't happen until January 2021 unless Gov Abbott calls a special session between now and then

This eight trip to the ATX this year will this time be for me to attend the EQTX anniversary event.

While there I'll receive from them a Transgender Activist Award for the work I've done at the state level.  The event will be held at the AT&T Conference Center's Zlotnik Family Ballroom, and starts at 6 PM CST.   

And looks like I'll need to write another speech.   

Looking forward to seeing my ATX fam at that event and hopefully spend some quality time with other peeps I know there before I have to head back to Houston.

Laila Ireland's 2017 GLAAD Gals SF Speech

"It is my hope that our military leaders will quickly acknowledge that transgender troops should get the same freedoms and integrity we so courageously protect," --Laila Ireland

Last year at this time I was in San Francisco to accept an award during the 2016 GLAAD Gala San Francisco.  

This year it was my sis Laila Ireland onstage being honored with an award during the 2017 edition of this event and getting to make a powerful speech on behalf of trans military people like herself and her amazing husband.

Here's the video of that speech

 

My HRC Houston Gala John Walzel Equality Award Acceptance Speech

TransGriot Note: The text of the HRC Gala John Walzel Award acceptance speech I'm delivering at the Marriott Marquis for the 20th Annual Houston HRC Gala

To the HRC Houston Gala Tri Chairs, HRC Houston, Chad Griffin, Ian Barrett, our local, state and national political leaders, distinguished gala attendees, fellow award recipients, gala volunteers and my TBLGQ family in the house. 

Tonight, I stand at this podium to announce that I humbly accept the John Walzel Equality Award.

In three days I’ll celebrate the 24^th anniversary of the April 4, 1994 day I nervously walked into Houston Intercontinental Airport’s Terminal C to clock in for my first shift as the person you see standing before you.   As those who know me are already aware of, I’m not only proud of being unapologetically Black and trans, I have no problem speaking truth to power and calling crap out.

Next year will mark 20 years of activism for me.   I’m also part of a tradition of Houston trans women who have since 1972 in the late Toni Mayes, Phyllis Frye, Sarah DePalma, Nikki Araguz Loyd and Dee Dee Watters just to name a few, have fought tenaciously for our humanity and human rights as trans people and the human rights of others.

I started getting involved in trans human rights efforts in 1998 because I didn’t see people who looked like me in the leadership ranks of this community.  Black trans people exist, we are more than just ‘tragic transsexuals’ and we are definitely capable of leading in this ongoing human rights fight. 

Black trans people must be at the advocacy and policy tables because frankly, some of the legislators voting on our issues share my ethnic background.

Human rights are not a zero sum game.  I practice what I preach on TransGriot about coordinated intersectional actions and being there for other communities in their human rights struggles.  I believe that when you criticize someone or an organization for screwing up, you must praise them when they are doing things right.  I must admit that since the 2007 ENDA debacle, HRC as an organization is on a positive trend line.  

Can it be better?  Yes, and it’s going to have to be if HRC is ever going to win the trust of transgender community folks.  It is your deeds as an organization at the local, state and national levels those skeptics will be watching, and you have little room for error.

I saw local HRC members like Melissa Vivanco and Lou Weaver in the trenches when we passed HERO in May 2014 and while defending the ordinance.  I saw Ian, Lou, Melissa, Meghan Stabler, Marty Rouse and other folks from HRC at multiple lobby days in Austin last month in partnership with other organizations walking the halls of our state capitol.

I see the HRC sponsorships to trans conventions like the Black Trans Advocacy one in Dallas and the new HRC Houston office.

The progressive community needs HRC to be on its A+ human rights game because of a hostile to LGBTQ human rights Trump administration.   Texas has a regressive GOP legislature trying to pass unjust laws like the Texas Transgender Oppression Act (SB 6) while fueling the hellfire flames of anti-trans hatred and attacking trans kids to do so.   That hostile rhetoric is killing my Black trans sisters.

We have work to do to ensure there is no slippage or repeal of TBLGIQ positive human rights laws, court cases, programs and polices people and our allies have worked tirelessly for decades to achieve. 

We have the moral high ground in this fight, not our loud and wrong pseudo-faith based opposition.   And when we work together as a team, we can accomplish anything.

Getting Another Award This Weekend

Well, this latest award for my nearly 20 years of trans advocacy work is coming from an unexpected direction and organization in the Human Rights Campaign.

Yep, HRC.  And yeah, many of the folks in HRC Houston know that along with my longtime readers at times I have been one of the organization's harshest critics.

I'm getting the John Walzel Equality Award at the upcoming Houston gala on Saturday April 1, and nope, this isn't a TransGriot April Fool's Day prank.

Who was John Walzel?   He was a native Houstonian, Bellaire HS grad and the owner of Walzel's Houston's oldest fine jewelry store that was founded by his father in 1944.

Walzel was also active in social justice and LGBTQ rights issues in Houston.   He was not only an active member of HRC and sat on its Board of Governors, but supported other causes like the AIDS Foundation Houston, the Center For AIDS, DIFFA, and the Houston Black Tie Dinner.

He was also politically active.  He supported Chris Bell in his unsuccessful bid to become Houston's mayor, Annise Parker when she successfully ran for city council, former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore.

Walzel died at age 50 while on vacation in New York in June 2002.  

 It's really happening, and HRC Houston was serious about wanting to honor the work I've done and will continue to do on behalf of the TBLGQ community.

This year's gala is happening at the new Marriott Marquis hotel on the other side of Discovery Green in downtown Houston, and looking forward to seeing a few people this Saturday..

The GLAAD Gala San Francisco Speech

Angelica Ross recorded much of the speech, but here's the video of my complete GLAAD Gala SF speech I delivered on September 8, 2016.

On this night I accepted a Special Recognition Award from GLAAD for the decade of service to the community as TransGriot's founding editor and my nearly two decades of activism on behalf of our community.

Moni's 2016 GLAAD Gala SF Remarks

TransGriot Notes: These are the remarks I prepared for delivery as I accept this Special Recognition award at tonight's GLAAD Gala San Francisco.

You can check out the @GLAAD Twitter feed and the hashtag #glaadgala for it.

***

2016 GLAAD Gala SF Remarks

Thank you Angelica for that wonderful introduction.  and thank you GLAAD for this unexpected but deeply appreciated honor.  On behalf of the community and myself, I humbly accept this award. 

When blogging began to go mainstream in 2004, I was writing a column for a local monthly LGBTQ paper in Louisville.   Trans oriented blogs addressing the issues germane to the trans community existed, but the common thread was that none of those early trans blogs were discussing issues important to trans people of color.  Neither were they discussing trans issues and the news of the day from our perspective.   

After prodding by my friends in Louisville and around the country, predominately led by Jordana LeSesne and my own observations that a POC oriented blog was necessary for the growth and maturation of our Black trans community ranks, at midnight EST on January 1, 2006, the first post went up at TransGriot. 

It’s now been a decade, 6.4 million viewers and nearly 10,000 posts later, and TransGriot is still telling it like it T-I-S is on behalf of my community from an unapologetically Black perspective and documenting its history.  It is probably the oldest continuously published blog founded and run by an African-American trans person and I’m exceedingly proud of that fact.

And thanks to the Trans National Alliance, Trans United Fund and assorted individuals who have contributed money and technology to help me keep TransGriot alive and operating for the last decade   

While what I write at TransGriot is focused on and for Black trans people, over time those posts have also touched people around the world.  TransGriot is also unique in the fact it is written by a person who has been a trans human rights advocate for 18 years and counting, and has had a ringside seat to much of the LGBTQ community’s history since 1994.

It has also grown beyond its original mission to talk about the issues that affect all LGBTQ people. 

The power of a blog to shape events is mighty.  It’s even more potent when walk the walk and back up your words with deeds.  I get up from behind my keyboard and lobby legislators, educating people at panel discussions and community forums, and engage in public speaking in order to make that positive change I advocate for via my writing happen. 

And thank you GLAAD for standing up for our human rights and pushing for accurate portrayals of my trans siblings across the media spectrum.   Accuracy in media stories about trans people matters.

TransGriot has shed light and spoken truth to power on the issues that impact trans people of color such as anti-trans violence, HIV-AIDS and anti-trans bigotry inside and outside the LGBTQ community.  Posts I wrote helped push for passage of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance in May 2014, and sounded the alarm when the defense campaign for it was going off the rails.  I have urged LGBTQ people to vote and called out disrespectful reporting on trans people of color.    

And sadly, over the last decade I’ve had to document far too many murders of trans women of color.

Some of my TransGriot writing is designed to build community and pride in being an unapologetically Black trans person.   I wrote an open letter post last month that inspired a young Black trans feminine kid to see that she too can be a leader in our community and that she has a proud legacy and history of Black trans leaders to emulate. As her mother told me in an e-mail two days ago, Trini told her, “Ms. Monica showed me my history.  Now I’m gonna make my own.” 

And I will be pleased and proud to watch you make that history Trini on our behalf.  

I’m proud that TransGriot in its ten years of existence has led the way in sending the messages that LGBTQ rights are international human rights, we trans people exist  we are part of the diverse mosaic of human life, and we will not be dehumanized or disrespected by friend, foe or frenemy.

Once again. I thank you for this award, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next decade holds in store for TransGriot and the TBLGQ community I serve.  

<

Countdown To GLAAD Gala SF 2016

I've gone through my noon PDT rehearsal for my GLAAD Gala speech tonight., know where I'm sitting (will be close to the stage of course) figuring out what I want to wear tonight, and I'm ready as I'll ever be for this event that is starting at 5:30 PM PDT..

And I've even gotten a free Slurpee, so today is definitely a good day despite not being able to find the BART pass I just picked up at the airport yesterday..

The Gala at the Metreon is sold out, and thanks to everyone in the community who continue to honor me with your well wishes.for receiving this award.  

Means a lot to me.

If you want to follow the action, check out GLAAD's Twitter page at @GLAAD and the hashtag #glaadgala

I'll also post the text of the speech in  a few hours.

GLAAD To Honor Moi At The Gala San Francisco

The reason why I'm hopping a flight to San Francisco on Wednesday has finally been announced, so I can now talk about it.

On Thursday during the GLAAD Gala San Francisco I am going to be honored for the ten years I've been speaking truth to power courtesy of my TransGriot blog I founded on January 1, 2006.  

The Special Recognition Award will be presented by Angelica Ross, and so looking forward to seeing her again.

"Monica Roberts has used her blog to become a powerful voice for trans women of color and all trans people for the past 10 years," said Nick Adams, GLAAD's Director of Transgender Media. "Monica has consistently spoken out about the discrimination and violence faced by our community, and she's shined a light on trans people, especially people of color, when other blogs and media outlets would not. We are thrilled to honor Monica for her work and for her contributions toward accelerating acceptance for all trans people."

Thank you GLAAD for the award and thank you everyone for the continued expressions of congratulations and well wishes for this award.  I've been especially touched by the ones that have come from my former CAL co workers, who have told me every time I encounter them either while transiting IAH, on a United flight or just while out and about in Houston how proud they are of me along with everyone else in the community.   That's also true of my local LGBTQ community, the one I was part of in Louisville and nationally.

Thank you everyone.  It means a lot that y'all think so highly of me, and you see me as a worthy possibility model, friend and mentor.

It's been ten years, nearly 10,000 posts and 6.4 million visitors later and I'm still posting and telling it like it T-I-S is about the issues that impact my community.

If you can attend, here's the info for the gala.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at City View at Metreon on Thursday night, and as many peeps in the Bay Area trans community as I can while I'm there.starting Wednesday afternoon.

TransGriot Update:  Now hearing that the GLAAD Gala San Francisco is sold out.

Another Busy H-town Saturday

This Saturday was a busy one, but in a good way for me.

I was invited to take part in a panel discussion for the New Leaders Council with Lura Groen and Judge Steven Kirkland about being a progressive leader in diverse communities on the fourth floor of the Legacy Health Services building in Montrose. .

The panel started a little after 11 PM, and it was a lively two way one and a half hour conversation that I hope the NLC fellows not only enjoyed but gleaned some lessons out of it.

I then went home and attempted to rest for a few hours, then get freshened up and dressed for the 19th annual Houston HRC Gala at the Hilton Americas Hotel in the downtown Convention Center District at the invitation of Lou Weaver.  .

Dee Dee was headed to Spring High School to support their GSA for an on campus event they were having that started at 7 PM, so the game plan was to bounce out of the crib at 6 PM, she drop me off, and she would continue to Spring High on the far north side.

But we ran into bumper to bumper traffic on I-45 that started past Loop 610 and was creeping along a such a snails pace that we eventually jumped ff I-45 and took side streets to the Hilton Americas.  the end result was I didn't get to the hotel until 6:50 PM, and got to the second floor ballroom moments later

Despite me not getting enough time to my liking to say hello to everyone there for what we call locally 'Houston Gay Prom', I did get to sit at Lou's table with my activist mentor Judge Phyllis Frye and her lovely wife Trish, and Mike Webb, who moderated the NLC panel I'd done that morning

The Houston human rights warriors were in the house in full effect   Got to see Januari Leo for the first time in months, Melissa Vivanco was looking fab along with Fran and Kim Watson, Crystal Solares, Jeffry Faircloth and a long list of people I managed to get conversations in with along with getting a chance to eat before i had to leave.  .  

I also got to see in the two and a half hours I was there everyone from City Councilmember Robert Gallegos to Rep Sheila Jackson-Lee to our former mayor Annise Parker.   I missed the speech that Houston homegirl Loretta Devine gave, but I was in the room for HRC president Chad Griffin's speech where i once again got an unexpected shout out along with Dee Dee Watters and Judge Frye.  

It was a busy H-town Saturday for me, but enjoyable.

Inaugural TNA Gala-Petite Tonight

The Houston based Transgender National Alliance is in two hours kicking off its inaugural Gala-Petite at Blue By Massa's.  And yeah, you know I'll be in the house to check it out.

Suggested attire is rock and roll meets high fashion, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out.
It has the Metro Glam theme, and the inaugural TNA fundraising event is honoring TransTech founder and star of the web series Her Story Angelica Ross with their initial #BeAmazing Award.

This gala also includes a night of red carpet fun, champagne, gourmet buffet, a swag bag along with a raffle ticket for amazing prize,s a performance by Durga McBroom Hudson from Pink Floyd, door prizes and since it's the holiday season, an appearance by Bad Santa..  

Tickets are $25, so if you have some spare change burning a hole in your pockets, may wish to swing by 1160 Smith Street and check out this first ever event.

TNA Metro Glam Gala This Friday

The Houston based Transgender National Alliance is hosting its first ever Metro Glam Gala-Petite this Friday at Blue By Massa's starting at 8 PM.

It will honor TransTech founding CEO and star of the webseries Her Story Angelica Ross and is a fundraising event for TNA.  Tickets are available for $25 and enjoy a gourmet meal, entertainment, and walk the purple carpet in your metro glam attire and get your photo taken.

Blue By Massa's is located at 1160 Smith St. in downtown Houston.

You may even see the TransGriot hanging out for a few hours at this event.