Happy 25th Anniversary To The Obamas!

Today is the day back in 1993 that the skinny kid from Hawaii with the funny name got married to a brilliant statuesque sister from the South Side of Chicago.

25 years ago on October 3, 1992 Barack Obama and Michelle LaVaughn Robinson got married at Trinity Church of Christ in front of 200 guests.   They had two lovely and amazing daughters in now 19 year old Malia and 16 year old Sasha, and as y'all know, in 2008 he became the 44th president of the United States and she became our first African American First Lady.

I wish they were STILL living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. but that's a ranting post for another day.

Happy 25th Anniversary Mr. President and Madame First Lady! 

Over the eight years you were living in that nice house in Washington DC our ancestors built with their unpaid labor, you became the shining examples of enduring Black love and our relationship role models.

And damn, y'all still look good together.

50th Anniversary of Loving v. Virginia SCOTUS Case

Today is the 50th anniversary of the US Supreme Court dropping the landmark Loving v Virginia case decision which killed the laws prohibiting interracial marriage in this county.

The case was brought by an interracial couple, Mildred and Richard Loving, who had gotten married in Washington DC in 1958 and returned to Virginia to live.   They were arrested, tried and convicted in the town of Bowling Green, VA for violating the white supremacist 1924 Racial Integrity Act.

They were sentenced to a year in jail, but the sentence was suspended under the condition that the Lovings leave Virginia and not return for 30 years not even to visit family.  

The Lovings moved to Washington DC, and Mildred Loving wrote a letter to then Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy appealing for help in their case.

That letter was forwarded to the ACLU,  whose lawyers subsequently filed the legal case that went to the Supreme Court.   On June 12, 1967 the SCOTUS unanimously ruled that Virginia's laws against interracial marriage violated the 14th Amendment and were unconstitutional.  

That ruling overturned similar laws still on the books in 16 states, and led to a surge of interracial marriages.  In addition, the precedent set in the Loving v Virginia case was cited in several cases holding that restrictions on same sex marriage in the United States was unconstitutional, including the 2015 Obergefell v Hodges SCOTUS decision.

In fact, Mildred Loving on the 40th anniversary of the case commented about the then same sex marriage battle that was raging and winding its way through the courts.

"I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights."

Richard Loving died in 1975 and Mildred Loving died in 2008, so they didn't get to see that legal precedent they set by standing up against injustice being used to strike down injustice against another group of marginalized Americans.

And in the United States today, one in every six married couples is an interracial one and I know more than a few of those couples in my own life.

So while this case wasn't exclusively about love conquering all as the movie Loving would have you believe, this case at its core was about striking down white supremacist oppression and an unjust law.

At the same time, to borrow a line from Battlestar Galactica, you cannot declare war on love.

Happy 41st Wedding Anniversary Mr.President and Madame Secretary!

October 11 also happens to be the 41st wedding anniversary of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

And hopefully soon to be the next president of the United States

They were married on this date in their Fayetteville, AR home in 1974, and unlike Donald Trump, Newt Gingrich and Rudy Giuliani who have nine wives total but are hypocritically all up in the Clinton's martial business, are still together.

This is the message he sent out on his Twitter feed to mark their 41st anniversary.

41 years ago I married my best friend and the finest changemaker I’ve ever known. And yes, I’m still in awe of her!

— Bill Clinton (@billclinton) October 11, 2016

She hasn't responded with her own Twitter message yet, because she is a little busy at the moment running to become our next POTUS, but will be fun to she what she posts in response to Bill's message.

Happy 41st anniversary Mr. President and Madame Secretary!  May you celebrate your 42nd, 43rd, 44th and 45th wedding anniversaries at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave like you did your 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and 25th anniversaries.

Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Brady!

Have to give a TransGriot shout out to one of my fave couples in Myles Brady and Precious Davis, who finally jumped the broom into the land of matrimony in front of their family and friends at the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel on the University of Chicago campus yesterday..

The Trans Obamas as we jokingly call them in the community were featured on the 2016 Windy City Times Wedding Guide in another indication of just how much attention their wedding got.

I last saw them both during #CC16, and have much love and admiration for both of them. Black love, and especially Black trans love is a beautiful and revolutionary thing to witness, and wish I could have been in Chicago for the wedding.

We also finally got to see what wedding dress Precious chose on that episode of Say Yes To The Dress she appeared in that was aired back in January.

Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Brady!   Glad your special day went as perfectly as you wished it to happen.  May you two have a long, healthy and happy marriage!

Ir's Laila and Logan's Wedding Day!

The Trans Obamas, AKA Precious Davis and Myles Brady aren't the only trans couple getting married this year that I have mad love and admiration for.

Had the opportunity to get connected with online with both Laila Villanueva and Logan Ireland, who are two of the over 15,500 estimated trans people serving in the US Armed Forces.

Well, found out that Laila and Logan are getting married in Hawaii today, and how apropos it's happening on IDAHOT Day!  Logan and Laila have been two of the emerging leaders and faces in the drive for open trans military service, and just last week Laila was honored with the AMPA Military Spouses Leadership Award.

They both received the honor of meeting the Commander-in-Chief during the White House LGBT Pride Reception last year.

Today is another huge step in their lives as they pledge their love for each other in front of God, their families and friends in Hawaii.

Congratulations to both of you!.  May your wedding day be filled with abundant blessings, and your marriage be a long one filled with a lifetime of love, friendship, adventure and happiness

Congrats Laila and Logan!  So looking forward to meeting both of you amazing people

Congratulations Johanna And Dustin!

Congrats to one of my sisters Johanna Saavedra, who got married to Dustin Wallace in LA back on January 29.

So happy for Johanna finding the love of her life and hope that she and Dustin have a long, healthy and happy married life together.

You also give those girls like us hope that one day we'll get to follow in your wedding footsteps and find someone who loves us enough that they will want to put a ring on our fingers and marry us too.

Carmen And Adrian Get Married!

The VH-1 series Couples Therapy has featured Carmen Carrera and her longtime fiance Adrian Torres working out their relationship issues on this season of the show as she drops some knowledge on trans issues at the same time with the other peeps participating in this year's edition of it.

In a year in which we have seen a fictional trans person in Maya Avant get married to the love of her life on the CBS soap The Bold and the Beautiful,  watched Nikki Araguz Loyd win her protracted multiyearTexas legal battle to validate her marriage and take down the odious Littleton v Prange case at the same time, see Janet Mock marry her fiance Aaron Treadwell in her home state, and follow Precious Davis and Myles Brady as they prepare for their own wedding next year, it was nice to see this happen for Carmen and Adrian







Congrats Carmen and Adrian!   may you ave a long healthy and happy marriage.

Nikki's Marriage Case End Game Today

Ever since the Texas Supreme Court denied Heather Delgado's appeal back in September, Nikki Araguz Loyd has been on after six years of fighting this soon to be successful war to recognize her humanity and her marriage to Thomas Araguz III a slow glide path to victory.

The case has been sent back down to the Wharton, TX courtroom of GOP judge Randy Clapp, who has been ordered to reverse his original loud, wrong and partisan order by the TX appeals court.

Later today, Araguz Loyd will be arriving at the Wharton County courthouse 90 miles southwest of Houston at 1:30 PM CST for what she hopes will be a routine receipt of a signed order ending the longstanding landmark trans marriage battle.

And while she is happy that this legal war to recognize her marriage to Capt. Araguz has had a successful conclusion, she is still wary. 

She says “I am elated this is going to be the end, I am only hoping that it will be easy, smooth and uneventful. However, my case is all about irony and I never count my chickens before they hatch. I only hope, this is the end, and I can ride off into the sunset with my Prince Charming.”

She and husband William Loyd will cap off what we hope will be a triumphant day for her by honoring and celebrating at the Transgender March Of Resilience, which will be begin at 6 PM CST at the Houston Zoo entrance.

Congratulations Nikki!  Thanks for fighting to not only have your marriage and humanity recognized, but by extension, the humanity and ability to love and marry our desired partners for all trans people in Texas.

Alysia Yeoh Gets Married!

Many of you comic book fans are aware that the rebooted DC Comics Batgirl series has a reality based trans character in the person of Alysia Yeoh, the bi community activist and onetime roommate of Barbara Gordon.  

She revealed to Barbara in issue #19 she was a girl like us at the same moment Barbara told her much of her personal background including the fact she was Batgirl to her roommate from Singapore.

She has been a recurring character since then

The marriage story arc for Alysia started with issue #42 in the rebooted series in which she announced to Barbara that she was engaged to Jo, who she started dating last year and Barbara would be her maid of honor.

We're now up to issue #45 in this story arc which is available at your fave comic book retailer, and another milestone as Alysia finally walks down the aisle with Jo as Barbara efficiently executes her duties as maid of honor.

This is just another example of our media being ahead of and driving the social acceptance curve.  It's also important because popular culture can drive acceptance of marginalized groups.

It will be interesting to see what happens going forward not only for the happy couple, but for their maid of honor Barbara Gordon, AKA Batgirl,

.

Congrats Aaron and Janet!

You know I have much love for Janet Mock, and have been ride or die for her ever since she came out as a girl like us. and I had the pleasure of meeting her in August 2012 and calling her a friend..  

I have yet to meet Aaron but hopeful that will happen soon.

I was happy to hear that Janet and Aaron finally jumped the broom into the land of matrimony in her birth state of Hawaii on November 5 and talked about her big day in this Brides.com essay.

While yours truly can do many things well, being in a committed relationship has been the one thing that has eluded me, and I am happy for those of you that has happened for.

Congrats Aaron and Janet on your big day, and may you have a long, happy and healthy marriage.

Nikki Araguz Loyd Gets Another Legal Win At SCOTX!

It's another great day for Nikki Araguz Loyd in a Texas courtroom as the Texas Supreme Court in Austin ruled in her favor in her ongoing case to reinstate her marriage to her late husband Thomas Araguz III.

In the last update, she had a big win at the Texas 13th Appeal Court level in Corpus Christi that not only reversed Judge Randy Clapp's (R) unjust order that invalidated her marriage, but struck a what may be fatal blow to the Littleton v Prange case.

It also sent the case back to Judge Clapp's court where we hope the arc of the moral and legal universe will continue bending toward justice for her and the Texas trans community.

The case was appealed to the all GOP dominated Texas Supreme Court by the Delgado legal team, and in a ruling that came back today that was a wonderful surprise for her and the Texas trans community , the SCOTX without comment denied hearing their petition.

Translation, the ruling of the Texas 13th Court of Appeals stands.

Of course, when I talked to an obviously happy Nikki Araguz Loyd about her latest legal win, she said, "I'm elated that the Texas Supreme Court saw fit to do the right thing in my case.   It gets us past another major  hurdle and one step closer to the Lone Star State recognizing the transitioned gender identity of trans people."

I hope and pray that is the case as well.

Let's Blow Up Some Conservafool Marriage Talking Points

As y'all have been observing, the conservafools are in full freak out mode now that marriage equality is the law of the land after the recent affirmative 5-4 SCOTUS ruling. 

But since when did the faux faith based haters let facts and history get in the way of a good lie?

The bottom line is that marriage is basically a legal contract between two parties, not a religious sacrament, hence the need to get a marriage license from the government before you do so.

As a TransGriot public service, here's a masterful takedown of all the right wing arguments about 'traditional marriage'  by Matt Baume that you can use on your right wing relatives, the ignorati as you surf the Net or the peeps reciting FOX Noise talking points.

Enjoy.

Countdown To A SCOTUS Ruling

The clock is ticking toward the end of this latest 2014-2015 term of the Supreme Court session, with the country anxiously awaiting a ruling that could open the door to marriage equality becoming the law of the land.

If that ruling does come down eithe today, Friday or on Monday, looks like the GOP establishment in Texas is prepared to go the Massive Resistance 3,0 route that Alabama has tried to keep its LGBT citizens from exercising that right to marry,

Looks like the GOP county clerks in Texas are already prepping to not be ready to issue marraige licenses to the couples who wish to have them and that list includes Stan Stanart of Harris County.

Elections matter people, so take out your frustrations about Stanart and his partisan actions along with all the other GOP oppressors at the ballot box next year.

As for which way I think it will go, I believe in this hyperpartisan SCOTUS, it will probably be a 5-4 decision.

We will also be wondering in Trans World what effect this ruling will have on our ability to get married since it was negatively affected by the push that started in 2003 for same gender marriage.

But in the interim, all eyes in LGBT America will be turned toward Washington DC.. tuned to news stations and reading their fave blogs to find out what happens when that long awaited SCOTUS opinion is released.

Happy Anniversary Tiq and Kim!

You know I had to give a TransGriot shoutout to one of my fave bi-national couples on their first wedding anniversary.   Besides, it's easy for me to remember the day they got married because it's the day after my birthday.

One year ago today Tiq and Kim Katrin Milan got married in New York.   I have much love for both of them because they are and continue to be amazing advocates for the issues they are passionate about.  

Thank both of you for doing what you do individually and collectively to make our planet better, spread knowledge and role model what Black love looks like in action.

And yeah they make one cute couple.

Happy anniversary Kim and Tiq!   May you have many more, and looking forward to the next time or event we get to spend some quality time together.

Congrats Myles and Precious On Your Engagement!

With all the negative news that January brought to our community, so happy to report some good news with Valentine's Day rapidly approaching.

I'm pleased to let  y'all know that one of my fave community couples in Precious Davis and Myles Brady are getting married!

Precious dropped the news on her FB page that Myles put a ring on it and she was happily engaged.

And yeah, you know she had a pic of the ring to show everyone.

Hey I ain't mad at her.   If I'd been proposed to by the handsome Mr. Brady I'd be shouting that news to the world after I said yes.

And Myles was wise enough to recognize that women like Ms. Davis don't grow on trees, either.

As of yet, no date has been announced for the upcoming nuptials.  You know I'm looking forward to seeing those wedding photos when it finally does happen.

Megacongrats to the happy couple!

Janet's Engaged!

In more dispatches from the trans community good news department, was pleased and megaexcited to hear that Janet Mock is now engaged!

Yep, damn skippy I'm giving the happy couple a TransGriot shout out for this one.

Her longtime beau Aaron Tredwell proposed to her on December 20, and you know our homegirl happily accepted that proposal.

According to Janet's FB page, she's been doing the happy dance for the last several days, and the well wishes and congratulations from all you peeps who love them are continuing to pour in.

Definitely adding mine as well.

Wedding date has yet to be set, but I'm sure the happy couple will let us know when that event is going to happen.

Congratulations to Aaron and Janet!   Can't think of a better time to have that positive event happen, and may you both continue to have a very happy life together.

Sarah McBride Becomes A Bride

You long time TransGriot readers know I have much love for Sarah McBride, the Delaware girl like us who I met during the National Black Justice Coalition's 2012 OUT on the Hill event when she was a White House intern and I was there for the NBJC sponsored policy briefing. 

Sarah has gone on to do some wonderful things since I met her in that Eisenhower Executive Office building auditorium nearly two years ago.   She graduated from college and was part of the team that got a statewide transgender non-discrimination law passed in her home state.  She has at times lent her beautiful face and voice to eloquently talk about our issues in various venues.  

And she's made a few high profile friends along the way like President Obama, Vice President Biden and Delaware governor Jack Markell just to name a few of them.

In addition to being one of our outstanding trans human rights advocates, this busy lady has also been in a relationship with a wonderful guy that has blossomed into a marriage.

Yesterday in Washington DC Sarah got married to her boyfriend Andrew in a ceremony attended by many of her friends and family.

What was even cooler about it was that it was officiated by none other than Bishop Gene Robinson.

Y'all thought I was selling y'all woof tickets on the high profile friends. Um, no, Sarah really does have it going on like that..

Back to the post.

Congratulations to Sarah and Andrew! 

May you both have the long, healthy and happy life together you so richly deserve.

Where's The Black Trans Man-Black Trans Woman Romantic Love?

June is the traditional start for the wedding season and just like 'errbody' else, trans masculine and trans feminine people are searching for that special someone to spend the rest of their lives with.

In my case that's been a so far futile search, but as a hopeless romantic I remain somewhat optimistic it may happen for me someday since I see it happening for so many of my trans sisters .

What drove me to write this post is something that was mentioned in the PTHC workshop I facilitated on Friday but we ran out of time to properly explore it. 

One person asked the question during the discussion that was centering on the unity theme at that moment why Black transwomen and Black transmen haven't been hooking up in relationships with each other. 

It was a valid question, seeing that I know of Black trans women hooked up with long-term relationships with cis men and Black trans men doing the reverse with cis women.

Why haven't we seen more often the no-brainer situation of transmasculine and transfeminine people not only hooking up in long term relationships, but marrying each other?   What is preventing us from doing that? 

I say it's a no-brainer situation because it eliminates one of the impediments in a trans-cis relationship in terms of the ''When does the transperson disclose that history?' scenario.

I have no problem with trans people marrying the people they love be they cis or trans.   But what I would like to see is more instances of hetero oriented Black transmen and Black transwomen getting into healthy relationships with each other that lead to long-term relationships and possibly marriage. 

We briefly touched on it before time ran out, but the initial short answer is steeped in the gender binary and internalized transphobia we navigate in the community.   In order to be seen as a 'real man', a transman must date and eventually if they're fortunate enough to have found the right person, marry a cis woman.    Their emerging masculinity will be called into question if they are seen dating transwomen.   

The reverse dynamic is also somewhat true with trans women hooked up with trans attracted men who revere them.  

Some trans feminine women see it as a test of our budding femininity to see if we are attractive enough to get and keep a cis man.   It's even more of a feather in their cap if they are 'woman enough' to get him to stay in their lives even if we reveal our trans feminine status.

But frankly, just as some transmen need to stop believing the negativity and real woman' shade about transwomen, we transwomen also need to stop focusing on a transman's genitalia and recognize the content of his character just as we insist people do with us.

As Precious Davis said in a comment on her Facebook page that accompanied the initial photo, 'Black trans men and Black trans women loving each other is revolutionary'.

It damned sure is.   And we need to do a better job of role modeling the mutual respect and friendships which will allow that love to blossom and grow.  

Congrats Tiq and Kim!

Had to give a TransGriot shoutout to my brother Tiq Milan and his lady Kim Katrin Crosby who are getting married today in New York.

At least it'll be easy for me to remember their May 5 wedding day.

I had the pleasure of meeting Kim during my just completed BTAC weekend in Dallas, and I wish the happy couple a long, happy and healthy marriage.

Also looking forward to the next time I see you two as husband and wife. 

Texas Gay Marriage Ban Struck Down

This is a day I thought I wouldn't see in my lifetime when the Republican majority passed that unjust Todd Staples' penned constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage in 2005.   

While that travesty was going on, it was being denounced by Rep. Senfronia Thomson (D-Houston) in a thunderous floor speech in which she called out the haters and told it like it T-I-S is.  

But there is joy in the Lone Star state about Judge Garcia's ruling as the GOP oppressors are doing their usual grumbling, oblivious to the fact they are on the wrong side of history and the US Constitution.

I awoke to the news that federal Judge Orlando Garcia (Clinton appointee) has declared the gay marriage ban unconstitutional.   

Judge Garcia wrote in his opinion striking down the unjust law: "Without a rational relation to a legitimate governmental purpose, state-imposed inequality can find no refuge in our United States Constitution," Garcia wrote. "These Texas laws deny plaintiffs access to the institution of marriage and its numerous rights, privileges, and responsibilities for the sole reason that Plaintiffs wish to be married to a person of the same sex."

It is still being enforced pending an appeal that Attorney General and Texas GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott is swiftly filing. 

Judge Garcia said that the couples who filed this suit are likely to win their case and the Texas ban should be lifted, but he would not enforce his ruling until ruling are rendered on two other cases pending before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals,   

Mark Phariss and Victor Holmes filed their federal civil rights lawsuit saying Texas’ ban unconstitutionally denied them the fundamental right to marry because of their sexual orientation. Cleopatra De Leon and Nicole Dimetman filed a lawsuit saying Texas officials were violating their rights by not recognizing their marriage conducted in a state where gay marriage is legal.

Attorneys for the state tried to argue Texas voters had imposed the ban through a referendum and that Texas officials were within their rights to defend marriage traditions.   

Bigotry and discrimination is not 'marriage traditions', and bigotry and hatred are not values.  

Another Texas gay couple has filed a separate lawsuit in federal court in Austin in which they are arguing that the Texas same gender marriage ban is unconstitutional because it discriminates against them based on their gender.  That case is scheduled for a hearing later this year.

Texas is in the conservative leaning and New Orleans based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Judge Garcia will give the state time to file their appeal and be on the wrong side of history and human rights again .

The cool thing people, is we have a chance to punish both Abbott and Staples at the polls.  Staples, the author of it, is a candidate for the GOP nomination for Lt. Governor and predictably blasted the decision as 'judicial activism'.   Abbott tried to steer a down the middle path in his comments. 

"This is an issue on which there are good, well-meaning people on both sides," Abbott said in a statement. "The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled over and over again that States have the authority to define and regulate marriage.".

Well, is it possible that we will actually see same sex couples getting married in the Lone Star State? I sure hope so.  But we still have a long way to go and more legal wrangling to come before same sex couples can say I do in Texas.

It's past time that happened and so happy for my Texas SGL peeps concerning this positive news.