Kylar's 'DC Breakdown' Interview

About time some of our trailblazing Black trans men get their moment in the media spotlight..   

Kylar Broadus, one of my fave transmen, attorney, NBJC board member and a longtime advocate for our community, got a chance to do this interview with host Angela Rae on DC Breakdown to discuss the National Black Justice Coalition,  TBLG workplace discrimination, and his personal story. 

Please check it out  by clicking this link.   

Busy Wednesday For Moi

Will have a busy day in store for me tomorrow.  

Have a radio interview on Portland, ME based WMPG-FM with Dal Maxwell from 1-1:30 PM EDT in which I'm scheduled to talk about the HERO, the recent Philly Trans Health Conference and anything else we can squeeze into a 30 minute segment.

The station streams live,  so if you wish to hear it it, here's the link. 

Then it's off to HCC-Southeast campus at for a panel that starts at 6 PM   I know they were looking for another panelist at the time I confirmed it, but if you want to roll out to the HCC-Southeast College campus tomorrow, it's located at 6815 Rustic St just off the Gulf Freeway (I-45) near Gulfgate Mall and the Woodridge exit.   .    .   

The panel is entitled 'GLBT Pride Though Our Eyes: Black and Latin@s Speak' and will be in the Angela V. Morales Bldg in Room 102.   Hope you can make it.  

Another Can We Talk 4 Real Show Appearance Tonight

I get the opportunity to appear on another episode of the award winning Can We Talk For Real show with Ina, Michelle, and Terry Boi for the first time since I got to see them all at CC14.  

Interestingly enough, I'll be on the CWT4R to talk about another conference, the upcoming Black Trans Advocacy one next week in Dallas ,TX April 29-May 4.

Looking forward to discussing this rapidly growing third annual conference and chatting with the CWT4R team .

To be part of the conversation, you can call 347-215-8985 at 10:30 PM Eastern time, 9:30 PM Central time, 8:30 PM Mountain time and at 7:30 PM Pacific time tonight.

A Mother Of A Trans Child Speaks

As I will continue to point out, and the existence of people like Kenya's Audrey Mbugua drives home, transpeople do exist on the second largest continent on this planet.

The African continent is home to another of the well known international trans organizations in the South African based Gender DynamiX. 

Although this video is several years old, I was happy to see this video featuring Tshepo Kgositau and Diana Motsitsi in which she talked about being a parent of a trans child.  

)

Hey People, LVP's Running, Too

While the state and national attention has been focused on State Sen.Wendy Davis in her run for the Texas governor's chair, I do need to (and will continue to do so until November 4) point out there's a wise Latina running for the more powerful in Texas chair of Lieutenant Governor..

State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte is the Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor, and awaits the winner of what is going to be a bruising Republican primary between current Lt Governor David Dewhurst and State Sen. Dan (I'm not on ESPN) Patrick.

So yeah, it's important that LVP win this race, because the Lt. Governor has major sway over the Texas legislature as President of the Texas Senate.  The Lt. Governor picks the committee chairs, sets the legislative agenda, establishes all special and standing committees, appoints all chairpersons and members, and assigns all Senate legislation to the committee of his or her choice. The Lieutenant Governor as you witnessed during Sen Davis' filibuster, decides all questions of parliamentary procedure in the Senate. He or she also has broad discretion in following Senate procedural rules.


The Lieutenant Governor is an ex officio member of several Texas statutory bodies. These include the Legislative Budget Board, the Legislative Council, the Legislative Audit Committee, the Legislative Board and Legislative Council, which have considerable sway over state programs, the budget and policy.

The Lieutenant Governor is also a member of the Legislative Redistricting Board (together with the Speaker of the House, Attorney General, Comptroller, and Land Commissioner), which is charged with adopting a redistricting plan for the Texas House of Representatives, Texas Senate, or U.S. House of Representatives after the decennial census if the Legislature fails to do so.

So yeah, that office packs a lot of power with it, and it's important that Sen. Van de Putte get elected to it if Sen Davis is going to be able to move her agenda should she become the governor of the Lone Star State. 

LVP was interviewed recently on MSNBC about the upcoming campaign and asked whether this is the year that Texas finally after 20 years of GOP control turns blue.

Trans* H4CK Las Vegas TV News Interview

Kortney is taking Trans* H4CK on the road this year, and has the frequent flier miles to prove it. 

The Las Vegas edition was held last weekend and get ready Chicago, it's coming your way next month, March 28-30 at Dev Bootcamp.

So if you wish to take part in it, now is the time to sign up.

But while Dr KRZ was in Las Vegas, he got the opportunity to talk about Trans* H4CK, its goals, and the mission of using technology to solve real world trans social justice problems and create economic empowerment for the trans community at the same time

Here's the interview Kortney did with the local media covering Trans*H4CK. 

 

Katie Interview With Carmen Carrera

For some strange reason every time I tried to post the Carmen Carrera and Laverne Cox January 6 Katie  interviews in the same post, the code would get overwritten to where it was either showing carmen or Laverne's segments twice.  

So I'm just going to give the Carmen Carrera one this separate post of its own and link it to the original post.  Problem solved.

Here's Carmen's interview with Katie Couric.

TransGriot Ten Question Interview-Kokumo Kinetic

Let's get 2014 started properly with another one of my  TransGriot Ten Questions Interviews.

Many of you have been asking me as I've been out and about in the community or e-mailed me requesting I do more of them.  Consider it a New Year's resolution to you dear readers I'm determined to make happen.

Here's the first one of many in 2014 featuring the beautiful and multitalented KOKUMO, the 'revolutionary artivist', CEO and Founder of KOKUMOMEDIA, Inc.  

She is the founding organizer of the T.G.I.F.(Trans, GNC, Intersex Freedom) Festival, the Midwest's first trans and intersex themed pride event, was one of the people named to the inaugural Trans100 List and part of the Chicago event revealing the initial names.  She's garnering well deserved attention and name recognition inside and outside our community as one of our dynamic young trans personalities. 

It's time for KOKUMO to answer the TransGriot's Ten Questions.

1. You're one of nine Chicagoans that was named to the inaugural 2013 Trans 100 List.  What is it about the Windy City that produces all these great trans activists?

KK- With all due respect, Chicago doesn't have the glamour of L.A., or pretense of New York City. We don't have Hollywood and the MTV Awards. We don't have these ostentatious industries that characterize our city or the Midwest. We just have each other. We just have our collective unmet needs and denied rights. We just have our work. Thus and such, we get busy! P.S. East and West coasters yawl know I fucks wit yawl!


2  You described yourself in one interview as an 'artivist'.  Can you elaborate on that for my readers what an 'artivist' does?

KK-There was a time in my development when I identified as an activist. That time was when I foolishly thought I could destroy the government by using government funds. That time was when I worked in the non-profit industrial complex. And that time has passed. If I have to identify as anything as of now, it will be a revolutionary. In regards to my pedagogy, an activist is concerned about a specific cause, whilst a revolutionary is concerned about all causes. Since I no longer identify as an activist, subsequently I don't identify as an "artivist". However, I do operate as a revolutionary artist. And as a revolutionary artist, my mission is to indict and dismantle racist capitalism via the mediums of music, film, and literature. Ultimately, I plan to leave a template for how to use art and entrepreneurship as tools for revolution for future generations via my production company, KOKUMOMEDIA INC.

3. When did you transition?
KK-At the age of 17 I began my mental transition. While it wasn't until I reached 21 did my physical transition begin.

4.  How did you choose you name and what's the symbolism behind it?

KK-Under the tyranny of racist capitalism, Black trans/cis women are not entitled to happiness. Still to this very day, whenever I am happy I feel an urge to see if someone is maneuvering to steal my joy. So when I finally was to rename myself, I had to give myself a name that didn't describe the person I was, but the person I wanted to become. And I want to become immortal. Not in a vainglorious way, but in a revolutionary way. After my flesh has rotted, I want the truth I believed and lived to be understood by the world. What is that you ask? I believe that as long as racist capitalism exist there will always be oppression. Why do I say that you ask? Because racist capitalism is so omnipotent that it broke the nose off the Sphinx, made Cleopatra white, Columbus a hero, Malcolm X a villain, and made Castro, satan. And racist capitalism even went so far as to make transwomen of color invisible and disposable. KOKUMO is Yoruba for, "This one will not die". I embrace and respect death, but I don't embrace or respect racist capitalism and it's history of erasure. Therefore, I named myself KOKUMO because I am determined to make sure my truth lives beyond the idiocracy that is racist capitalism. Our truths, must live beyond the idiocracies that are all oppressive governments.

5. Who were some of your transfeminine role models growing up and who are some of the people (both transmasculine and transfeminine) you look up to in our community?
KK-Sylvester! I was born the year Sylvester transitioned. I believe the universe sent me to further what Sylvester did, as it sent Sylvester to further the liberation work her fore bearers did, so forth and so on. Therefore, I believe when I transition the universe will send someone to continue the work it sent me to do. Aside from Sylvester, Angelica Ross was the first Black transwoman I saw who was a musician, and she was fly! I found out about her via Transgriot.com and couldn't comprehend her existence. She literally, was everything I was taught couldn't be. She was a transwoman musician, she's an entrepreneur, and she wasn't a show girl. And with the opportunities for transwomen in life being so limited all I had ever known were show girls. I respect and revere show girls but I had never seen an alternative. And I longed for an alternative. Drag is so widespread I thought that that was what I had to become because society wouldn't except a transwoman singing her own songs. White supremacy is interesting like that. I feel that the world will accept Madonna co-opting Black transwoman culture before it accepts an actual Black transwoman. And that's where Sylvester and Angelica Ross came into play for me. Sylvester and Angelica Ross taught me that being mainstream is relative and actually not needed in order to be successful or impactful. As a fat, Black, dark-skinned transwoman, the only way I could ever be palatable to mainstream (White America) would be if I completely nixed my pedagogy and existed for their entertainment and not my liberation. Sylvester and Angelica Ross were my biggest Black/transfeminine influences because they taught me that it's not about being mainstream to White America, but the people who look, live, and are oppressed just like you. But the most important thing that Sylvester taught me was that, "Nobody can conceptualize me, because I am the concept".

6.  As a beautiful and full figured dark skinned woman, do you believe we focus too much on how we look in the African American trans feminine community versus what's between our ears?

KK-Thank you so much. And the feeling is mutual Mama Roberts! In nature, there is duality and equilibrium. In civilization and unfortunately, most movements, there is ultimatum and dichotomy. I posit that racist capitalism has taken enough of Black people's agency as it is. Therefore, Black people don't need any more ultimatums and dichotomies. Black people shoving ultimatums and dichotomies on other Black people can't possibly help revolution, because having said tools of oppression imposed on us is what necessitates revolution in the first place. Furthermore, I rebuke any notion that trivializes or attempts to dictate to femmes/women. Femininity may be an antiquated tradition to some but it's an act of resistance and a form of spirituality for others. And the sanctity of Black/POC customs should be respected. As a proud Black, dark-skindid, fat, femme transwoman I understand the urgency of having to carve out a niche for yourself, to develop traditions and culture for yourself. Especially when your original traditions/cultures were stolen and replaced. I understand the urgency of carving out a niche for your body and your identity in a world that holds your very antithesis as the axum of beauty and subsequent worth. I don't believe the work is for Black trans/cis/POC femmes to stop prioritizing the work of defining, comprehending, and harnessing their beauty. POC femmes reconstructing, and revering our own beauty constructs is an act of revolution. I believe the work is for the government to stop imposing its beauty pathos on the bodies of people of color. I would much rather see Black trans femmes engaging in radical acts of self-love than acquiescing acts of self-abandonment such as facilitating toxic relationships where we are abused due to our sequestered proximity to the beauty construct. I think the government efficiently tricks us into always blaming each other for the reason we're oppressed, when in reality it's the government's fault. I see this argument no different than the whole pull-up-yo-pants-and-racism-will-end disposition. Oppression isn't somewhere smoking a cigarette saying, "Why don't they realize dat I'll leave em alone as soon as they stop getting $200.00 sew-ins"? Black trans femmes/women, don't need to choose between being beautiful or revolutionary. We must realize that being revolutionary is beautiful.

7. What projects are you currently involved in?
KK- As the CEO/Founder of KOKUMOMEDIA INC a Black transwoman run and operated production company. I am overjoyed to announce the projects KOKUMOMEDIA INC. has coming in 2014. We will once again do the TGI State Of The Union Address, T.G.I.F (Trans, GNC, Intersex Freedom) in July. And in 2014 the theme for T.G.I.F. will be, "Unshackling My Body". We want to have a gathering where TGI people of color talk about what our freedom will look like since we already know how oppression does. Also, KOKUMOMEDIA INC. will release my sophomore EP, "After The End". After The Ends explores what would happen if God came back not as a cis white man, but fat, Black trans woman. After The End will be a multimedia project that'll culminate via an album, play, and short film. I'm elated to announce that I'll be doing a North American tour in support of After The End. The film will be released for free via Youtube but the album will be $10.00 via iTunes. The release and tour dates haven't been solidified but if you frequent KOKUMOMEDIA.COM you'll know everything. KOKUMOMEDIA INC will also finally release my 30 minute docuplay/visual memoir, "The Faggot Who Could Fly" exclusively for purchase and screening via KOKUMOMEDIA.COM in 2014. The Faggot Who Could Fly is my story of confronting sexual abuse and racist capitalism in order to actualize my Black transwomahood. And last but certainly not least, Summer 2014 is the launch of KOKUMOMEDIA INC.'s seasonal digital publication KOKUMO. KOKUMO magazine will be dedicated to all things black, trans, and revolutionary. KOKUMO magazine will offer original content from black, trans visionaries such as Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler, Laverne Cox, Louis Mitchell, and Janet Mock just to name a few. We even have gotten confirmation from the revolutionary Monica Roberts. I don't know if you've heard of her or not, but she's kind of a big deal. Stay tuned for updates for all KOKUMOMEDIA INC. is doing via KOKUMOMEDIA.COM. And thank you to everyone who supports what we do now!

8.  Since Chicago is producing all these great trans activists, who are some of the people you believe are up and coming trans activists we should be paying attention to?

KK- There are so many QPTOC doing great work across the country: Sasha Alexander, Sasha Kaye, Kylar Broadus, Laverne Cox, Dr. Kortney Ziegler, Trisha Lee Holloway, Shayden Gonzalez, Janet Mock and that's just to name a few. We are on the precipice of a QTPOC Trans Renaissance! And I'm happy to be alive to witness it!9. Now you get to flip the script on me and ask me a question you been dying to find out the answer to.

KK-What's next for you Goddess?

TransGriot-That's always an interesting question for me.  Besides continuing to expose the world to the news, views and history of the trans community from an Afrocentric perspective via TransGriot, do have Creating Change 2014 coming up and the first of what I hope are many panel discussions and speaking opportunities.  

Janet Mock and a few other t-community people have been gently nudging me to write my own book, and I may explore the possibility of doing that. 

Will probably be involved in helping my hometown finally pass a trans inclusive NDO then fight like hell to keep it on the legal books.  I'm slated to make an appearance at the BTMI conference in Dallas this April, at Houston Splash (our Black Pride event in H-town) have a keynote or two here internationally and make 2014 a better year for me fiscally.   

10  Where do you see the Black trans community 10 years from now? 


KK- In ten years black trans people will become the new Hollywood film stock character. And our lives will become generally interpreted by everybody accept us. The only way we can prevent this artistic genocide is by creating our own work, branding ourselves, launching businesses, and developing industries run, operated, and most importantly regulated by us. We must set the standard for what's acceptable in regards to our media depiction just as much as we are adamant our lot in the government. The mass media industrial complex is nothing more than a by-product of the government so we must understand this approach them in tandem since they work in tandem. We can no longer have everyone profit off of us, except us. Black trans revolutionary entrepreneurship is what I'd love to see.

Happy New Year!  Thank you KOKUMO for your time and answering the TransGriot's Ten Questions!

Fallon's Upcoming GQ Article

For those of you interested in all the latest news concerning our fave WMMA fighter, Fallon Fox will have an article appearing about her in the January 2014 issue of GQ magazine. 

Things have been quiet so far from ever since sore winner Ashlee Evans-Smith flapped her gums and unleashed some transphobic comments that Fox responded to after their featherweight title bout in October.

Hopefully 2014 will be a much better year for our fave girl like us WMMA fighter and people will focus more on her talent than her trans status. .

Looking forward to seeing the article myself when it hits my local newsstand.

TransGriot Update:  It's up at GQ's website:  Here's the link to the article.  

Transitions Radio Interview Tuesday Afternoon

You regular TransGriot readers are probably saying to yourselves "'Didn't you just do a radio interview Saturday?"

Sure did.  But new week, new opportunity to discuss trans and other issues on another show.

This time it's Mark Angelo and Jessica Lynn Cummings extending the invitation to do so on their Transitions Radio show tomorrow on blogtalkradio.

The show will start at 6:30 PM EDT, so if you can listen to it, please do so.  If you're motivated to do so you can also call in at (646) 716-6895.

Should be fun and looking forward to talking to Mark and Jessica about many of the issues that impact our community.

TransGriot Note: Transitions Radio art by Kelley Miller

Another Moni Radio Interview Later Today

Since I used to co-host a radio show on KPFT-FM, our local community radio station in Houston, I love having the opportunity to do radio interviews with folks who work or produce informational talk shows at public radio stations. 

Later this afternoon at 1 PM CDT I'm being interviewed by Sandra Meade of KKFI-FM 90.1 in Kansas City, MO during the first segment of her Trans Talk edition of the Tenth Voice show.

Yeah, I would have to go do an interview on a Kansas City based show days after my fave NFL squad lost at Arrowhead Stadium.  

Anyway focus, Moni. 

The Tenth Voice is a KKFI-FM show created in 1989 by and dedicated to the Greater Kansas City area's LGBTQIA people.  Listeners can tune in each Saturday at 1:00 PM CDT and around the world online.

Each week the Tenth Voice's team of hosts and producers present interviews, information, music, news and features of interest to Lesbians, Gay Men, Bisexuals, Transgender and Allied collective communities.   

Since its 1989 beginnings, The Tenth Voice radio show's mission has been to document history and inform the LGBTQIA Kansas City community.

The name of the show comes from the early Dr. Kinsey sex studies where he determined that 1 in 10 people are homosexual. That number has changed over time but just like the historic Stonewall name, they have kept the show name for the same reasons.

Speaking of shows, Sandra and I will discuss the long history of trans people of color in the LGBT rights movement, erasure and minimization of their contributions to said history, and the disparate challenges faced by trans people of color today.

So for my TransGriot readers in the Kansas City area, tune in to KKFI-FM at 1:00 PM CDT to hear my thoughts about that and all the topics we can cover during my segment of the show.    

As soon as Sandra lets me know the show has been archived, I'll post links to it.

Moni's CC14 Interview

In the runup to our upcoming Creating Change conference in Houston January 29-February 2, in addition to yours truly writing the series of TransGriot diary posts about our Host Committee putting together the CC14 event, we have different members of our Houston Host Committee like myself who have attended past Creating Change conferences being interviewed about our experiences at this major LGBT community event.

The interview that I recently did was posted on the CC14 website today.  Here's a taste of it.

***

Creating Change: What are the 3 biggest learnings/discoveries/takeaways you have gleaned from the Creating Change Conference(s) you’ve attended?

Monica Roberts: The first discovery is that Creating Change is an amazingly diverse event with people there from 18-80.

It is the place to be if you want to meet people in the LGBT movement and acquire the knowledge base and skills necessary to become an effective activist.

The worst time to commit a discriminatory act against a member of the LGBT community is when Creating Change is in town.   The transphobic disrespecting of a transfeminine Creating Change attendee and her friends by the Oakland Police Department  in front of our convention hotel led to a protest march and use of the advocacy tactics we’d been learning in a real world situation.

Creating Change: What motivated you to volunteer to serve on the Creating Change Organizing committee?

Monica Roberts: I’m very proud of my hometown and wanted to be part of the team organizing the first Creating Change to take place in Houston.   I also believed it was important for me to do so as a past attendee and a longtime African-American trans leader from this city.

***

You can read the rest of what I had to say by following this link to the Creating Change 2014 website.

Laverne Cox on FXX's 'Totally Biased'

Y'all know I have much love for Laverne Cox on these TransGriot electronic pages. 

Because it happened while Computer Prime was in the shop, I'm only just getting around because of the other breaking community news to finally posting the video from her September appearance on FXX's Totally Biased show with W. Kamau Bell in which she discussed her breakout role on Orange Is The New Black and other subjects.

Enjoy the video

 

Fallon Fox Interview On 'No Holds Barred' Radio

Our fave WMMA #girllikeus Fallon Fox has her big CFA championship fight coming on Saturday night. 

The unbeaten (3-0) 'Queen of Swords' will be taking on Ashlee Evans-Smth (1-0) at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, FL.  Winner departs the octagon with the CFA featherweight title and a nice $20,000 check for her trouble.  This is an interview Fallon conducted on the No Holds Barred podcast with Eddie Goldman

Fight will also be broadcast live in the US on AXS-TV.   Go 'Queen of Swords'!   Handle your business! 

Strange Fruit-Janet Mock Interview

I've talked about the WFPL-FM radio show that Niece and Nephew (Dr Kaila Story and Jaison Gardner to y'all) do in Louisville entitled Strange Fruit: Musings on Politics, Pop Culture and Black Gay Life that is produced by Laura Ellis and has been on 89.3 FM for a year now.

And yes, I've been on it twice.  By the way, congratulations and Happy 1st Anniversary for the show Niece and Nephew!  

They have had some interesting guests and discussed some thought provoking topics in the year they have graced the radio waves of Da Ville and I expect there will more of the same to come in Year Two of Strange Fruit.

For those of you who don't live in the Louisville metro area, Strange Fruit is also available via podcast. 

Speaking of interesting guests, last Saturday's Strange Fruit broadcast featured Janet Mock, who was on her way to Louisville as a keynote speaker for U of L's annual on campus Pride Festival event.

Janet's keynote speech happened Thursday night, and I heard from my friends in the area she rocked it per usual.  Heard there were some cheers for yours truly who was part of Janet's presentation when I popped up in it.

Aww, miss y'all too Louisville.  If there's video of Janet's keynote floating around I'll put it up in a future post.   

Here's Janet's Strange Fruit interview with Kaila and Jaison. 

.

Laverne's 'Orange Is The New Black' HLN Interview

Laverne Cox is on HLN talking about her role on the Netflix series 'Orange Is The new Black' in which she plays (gasp) a transwoman.

Transpinay Jazz Vocalist

There are many talented people inside our  community who if just given a fair shot to show off their talents will excel when given that opportunity.

This video is a year old interview with jazz vocalist Angel Bonilla. 

TransGriot Ten Questions Interview -Sabrina Samone

Haven't done a TransGriot Ten Questions interview so far this year and it's past time I started doing them again.  

This one features the new girl on the trans blogging block in South Carolina's Sabrina Samone, the creative force behind TransMusePlanet. 

Her blog is fast becoming another place to go for insightful commentary on a wide variety of issues inside and outside the trans community

So it's not only time for you to get to know Sabrina, but have her answer the TransGriot's Ten Questions

1-You're originally from New Orleans.  What's it like growing up trans in a city that has a gender bending undercurrent to it?

SS-Yes, I was in born in New Orleans, but left at such a young age, at five, so I doubt it affected me environmentally but it was obviously in the water, right? LOL. My father’s family can trace their roots there to before the Louisiana Purchase, so that African/Creole blood still runs deep. Whenever I get the chance to go back, it’s the only place that ever truly feels like home to me and it does have an infectious LGBT vibe and you can’t help but be affected by it though. Sadly, like here in Charleston, outside of the area that liberal attitude totally disappears.


2- Did you have any trans role models growing up and if you did, who were they?

SS-Not in the beginning no, I grew up in Hartsville, SC, a small town an hour southeast of Charlotte, NC and I didn’t even know there was a term, Trans, until around until my late teens when I heard of Dana International, before that it was just RuPaul, who was beautiful but I only saw him as a man dressing for entertainment purpose only and really couldn’t relate to that. The movie The Crying Game came to my town and that was an eye opener, then I moved to Atlanta and met an older Trans-woman who became like a mentor to me and kept me out of the trouble that so many young Trans-women of color were finding themselves in. I wasn’t an easy nut to crack either, so she was a saint for sticking by me, LOL.

3- In terms of your own transition, is there any part of aspect of it that with hindsight you wish you could change?

SS-Physically I’m very glad I didn’t follow the crowd and go for the quick, cheap and easy silicone route. No disrespect to anyone who has, but it was very important to me to be as natural as possible and that meant being patient and let the hormones do their job, along with a strict diet of mainly vegetables, fruit and fish, for me.

My greatest disappointment was that I did follow the crowd at the time in where looking “fabulous” or doing the next gender illusion show was the only issue. A better education was never as important, so now I find myself in my thirties playing catch up. Luckily I did have two years of college before transition, so that feeling of finishing has always loomed over my head.

4- You presently live in South Carolina.   What's your assessment of where the local trans population is in terms of building a cohesive community?

SS-For years her in SC, a Trans-girl of color’s options had been limited to being a show girl, sex worker or at best a hairdresser, if you wasn’t planning or could live stealth. As long as those you worked with didn’t know, you were ok pretty much in any profession, especially here in Charleston, which has a large “ex-Yankee” population. It’s a lot easier here than anywhere else in the state and I’ve lived all over it, which is probably why you have a better organization of Trans advocates and supporters here.

The C.A.T.S (Charleston Area Transgender Support), has made great strides here in reaching out to all within in the Trans community, that exclusion of “certain types of trans people”, is really not accepted here and that’s what I appreciate the most about it. Outside of Charleston you can still meet people in SC, who has never even heard the word Transgender and if you mention TS for short, they will assume you’re talking about a tropical storm. Ideal for living stealth, but can be very lonely.

Thankfully things are improving dramatically, there is a growing network of Trans groups throughout the state within the past ten years and a few at the helm of the LGBT state organizations are doing great work lobbying for the Transgender Community and bridging that gap that’s been a part of LGBT culture for too long, so there’s a lot of positive hope for the next generation.


5- Do you think that transpeople who live in blue states far too often have knee-jerk reactions to transpeople who live in red states?
SS-I think so.  There are pockets in every region that have their more conservative and liberal sections. Even states like New York and California have areas that are as against LGBT people as much as some parts of SC and TX. Just like New Orleans seems to be separated from the rest of Louisiana, Charleston is to South Carolina. It really depends in a red state what part you’re in, just as it does in a blue state. Syracuse, NY is not as liberal as NYC either.


6- You are Queen of the Universe with unlimited power to permanently fix whatever ails humanity.  What would be your first act in exercising your newfound powers and why?

SS-Well actually I would pass on that amount of power and let fate work out humanities problems. I think one of the greatest gifts God has given us is the power of free will. If I could just wave a magic wand and make the world join hands and sing together as one, it would be only temporary because I think the nature of man is to seek out his own free will and things may go to being worse than before, but I’d wish for more hope and togetherness for all in mankind, with hope and faith all is possible.


7- What are some of the projects you're currently working on?
SS-Currently I’m waiting to get in the nursing program for my RN after finishing my prerequisites, that’s number one priority and hoping I start in January 2014. There is such a list to get in, if not I may be looking at nursing programs in other areas, so that’s a big question mark these days.

Before the end of this year I hope to have my first novel, “The Premiere” on e-book. A local producer friend and I are still working on scheduling, to start work on a documentary. Unfortunately this summer my mother is going through two knee replacement surgeries, one down and one to go at this point and she is currently in rehab. Most of my summer will be spent between here in Charleston and back at her home in Hartsville to check on her.

8-  What motivated you to start your blog and what are your likes and dislikes about it?

SS-I simply started TMP as a place to practice on improving my writing skills. I had been a fan of your blog and a couple of other trans-women, just to keep up with what was going on in our community. When I decided to do a blog, my first instinct was to show my fictional side, but I was so influenced by what others like Cheryl Courtney-Evans, Janet Mock and you had to say about what was going and on the divide in the community I decided to do the same.

The other trans blogs to me only seemed to focus on “their day to day hormone regime” and “look at my transition progress pictures.” Everywhere I looked it seemed a vast majority of the blogs were only discussing taking a pill and its effects and I was baffled to why they’re not discussing what life is like being Transgender, how we’re treated in society, why is there even a divide within the community. To me, these issues were so obvious and only you and few others were even touching on the subject.

I know those type of blogs about hormones have an important informational role to play, but once one starts HRT there’s a whole life adjustment that’s going to happen ready or not.  I felt there’s too few blogs preparing the vast majority of the younger Transgender Community members for that. and so I decided to be a part of the discussion that questions our community.

If I can sum up what I feel Transmuseplanet is about; is me asking not only myself, but all my fellow Trans sisters and brothers to question things within our community, question the lack of unity, togetherness and understanding. I don’t have to tell anyone life can be difficult as a transgender person, but I will question why any other transperson or LGB person would make life even more difficult for a fellow transperson.

Regardless of race, religion, social economical status, nationality or religion, yes all Trans people differ, but the one thing we have in common is being Transgender. Unity is the only way to earn respect and equality, not only in this country but the world. It troubles me that someone with a masters degree, a home and a nice 401k, that decided to start transition at 30+, after they’ve accomplished all this, disrespects or degrades a young trans-woman of color (or otherwise), that was kicked out of her home at 17, had to drop out of high school to save her life and found herself on Eros.com or in porn, be ostracized from taking part in a community that needs all the numbers it can get to fight for equality.

We don’t have the luxury of the Women’s Liberation movement that condemns such women.  We simply don’t have the numbers to be feminists with our noses stuck in the air. I say on TMP and believe in the unity and duality of being Trans.


9-Let's flip the question script for a moment.   What's the one question you'd like to ask the TransGriot you're dying to get an answer to?

SS-Probably my biggest question to you is; how do you do it, LMAO?   I notice you tackle the very negative issues at the heart of our community and often go head to head with those like the radfem hate group and others with such negative and damaging comments that if only if they took to the time to realize, undermines all of us.

If you’re white and Trans and can’t have support for black Trans people, how the heck do they think mainstream cis-gender society is going to take any of us seriously?  The same goes for Trans-men who can’t do away with any misogynistic attitudes against Trans-women.

I think you handle those issues well and any pointers would help LOL.


10-Where do you see the Black trans community in the next ten years?
 
SS-Well, thankfully with all what is going on with young transgender kids, I’d like to see and hope that young Trans kids can be accepted and supported by the black family. Transition much sooner in life; go to college and instead of living a life as a trans woman to just be a woman. That’s what I hope, but until then we as trans people of color have to put the pressure on our families, and the African-American community to understand and be more accepting of their transgender children, sister, brother, cousin, aunt, uncle, niece and nephew.

I’d also like to see our young Trans black women take better care of their health, protect themselves from HIV and to respect themselves more. It’s not always what you do, but how you do it. There’s a lot that rush to get illegal silicone injections and are consumed with beauty.  I’d also hope we move beyond looks and judging each other on merits of beauty alone, but strive to be more than a pretty face.

 

Audrey's History Making Kenyan Case

I've had the pleasure of conversing with Audrey Mbugua online for several years now and I'm looking forward to the day I finally meet this trailblazing Kenyan trans activist.   .
 
I'm following with keen interest her Kenyan history making legal case in her homeland in which she sued the Kenyan National Examinations Council and the Kenyan Attorney General to change the name on her KNEC certificates and other identity documents including her national identity card and passport to reflect who she is now.

“The process of changing my name and gender in my identity, travel and academic documents was fraught with challenges such as lack of understanding among public officers in charge of these processes,” Audrey says in a recent interview.

The initial court hearing was on May 28 and the counsel representing KNEC and the attorney general asked  High Court Judge Weldon Korir for more time to prepare a response to Mbugua's petition because this case is in their words 'tricky'.   The counsel also indicated that the petition response will require extensive consultations between several Kenyan government departments, including the Registrar of Births and Deaths.

There's nothing 'tricky' about it.  29 year old Audrey lives her life as and presents as female, she has undergone a medical transition except the genital surgery she started in 2001, and her documentation needs to reflect that.

  


Audrey's interview on NTV Kenya



Good luck sis!  Hope common sense prevails on August 6 and your document changes are granted..

Brittney's ESPN Interview

You longtime TransGriot readers know I have much love for Ms. Griner and have since one of my readers sent me the links to the YouTube video of her dunking her way through Texas HS girls competition. 

There are a few posts here defending her against the Femininity Police and I'm even more happy to find out she's a proud part of our Black LGBT family.  I'm looking forward to meeting my Houston homegirl one day and seeing her play for Team USA next year at the FIBA worlds and at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio..  

And yep, it'll be one of the few times I have to look up at another sister even if I have heels on.