Trans Model Connie Fleming Strikes A FLOTUS Pose

The fledgling trans style magazine Candy is only four issues old, but publisher Luis Venegas looked to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for inspiration for the Winter 2012 cover.

It features trans model Connie Fleming styled and made up to resemble First Lady Michelle Obama.

The split front cover shows New York based model Fleming, who worked for fashion designer and Ugly Betty stylist Patrica Field, being sworn into office and waving an American flag accompanied by the headline 'The Candydate'.

Venegas explained the rationale behind this Candy cover in a Dazed Digital magazine interview..

“I remember back in early 2007 when the Democratic Party’s nominees were narrowed down between two ‘controversial’ stereotypes never before seen for presidency: a black man, Barack Obama; and a woman, Hillary Rodham Clinton. At that time, I thought, ‘when will the time come when these archaic walls break down and the White House will be occupied by, for example, a black, transsexual woman?’”

The cover has definitely been generating some buzz and conversation on the Net and has its fans and its detractors.  I fall somewhere in the middle on this. 

I'm just happy they didn't decide to do some full of fail 'edgy' cover and put a white transwoman in blackface on it.

Well Duh, GLAAD Review Finds Decade Of Trans Media Images Are Negative

I've been complaining on these electronic pages for years about the lack of positive media images when it comes to transpeople.  If you break it down still further and add race to it, those positive media images become even harder to find.

GLAAD recently conducted a review of the 102 episodes of trans inclusive non recurring characters in non scripted television show aired since 2002.

Not surprisingly to me GLAAD found that 54% of those shows were categorized as containing negative representations at the time of their airing. An additional 35% were categorized at ranging from "problematic" to "good," while only 12% were considered groundbreaking, fair and accurate enough to earn a GLAAD Media Award nomination.

GLAAD additionally discovered in their review:

• Transgender characters were cast in a "victim" role at least 40% of the time.
• Transgender characters were cast as killers or villains in at least 21% of the catalogued episodes and storylines.
• The most common profession transgender characters were depicted as having was that of sex workers, which a fifth of all characters were depicted as (20%).
• Anti-transgender slurs, language and dialogue was present in at least 61% of the catalogued episodes and storylines.

I'd be willing to bet if you broke the GLAAD decade long trans character show review down by race those numbers would be worse.

So what can we do to improve those numbers?   First order of business would be to make writers and producers of those shows aware of what they are putting out there that we believe is deleterious to our community.   

As we did as a community and with the help of allies when the dearly departed Work It desecrated the airwaves for its thankfully short run, we put pressure on the networks to get rid of the shows that don't meet that standard and make them aware of the ones that positively reflect on our community by supporting them.   

The ultimate solution would be to actually have trans people of all ethnicities writing said characters on those shows, trans actors to play those characters, and trans people producing and directing them.

It's November Sweeps Month-Here Comes The Trans Themed Programming

The Nielsen Company conducts the national samples that determine the fate of television and cable programs, who gets the advertising dollars, and the jobs of television executives and the actors and producers of that programming through their Nielsen Ratings that are composed of a cross-section of representative homes in the top 56 TV markets throughout the United States.

Nielsen uses two types of meters to capture how TV is used: set meters capture set-tuning only and report what channel is being tuned, while People Meters go a step further and gather information about who is watching in addition to what channel is being tuned.

Paper diaries are used in the remaining television markets to collect viewing information from Nielsen’s sample homes during what are called 'sweeps' rating periods.   Every year Nielsen processes approximately 2 million paper diaries from households across the country for the months of November, February, May and July.  During those sweeps periods seven-day diaries (or eight-day diaries in homes with DVRs) are mailed to homes to keep a tally of what is watched on each television set and by whom.

Over the course of a sweeps period, diaries are mailed to a new panel of homes each week and at the end of the month, all of the viewing data from the individual weeks is aggregated as the television and cable execs, actors, writers and producers of those shows nervously await the results.

If you've noticed, during sweeps month the networks and cable provides also roll out programming designed to get as many viewers tuning into their programming as possible.  
That means the most provocative and drama filled episodes of scripted shows get rolled out and documentary news shows like ABC's 20/20 or What Would You Do try to tackle controversial or other topics designed to get maximum viewereship and attention during that sweeps period.

Over the last few years, that means trans themed programming and with the November sweeps period getting started October 25 and running through November 21, we're about to see another mixed bag of good, bad and ugly trans related programming all in the name of boosting those TV and cable rating at our community's expense.

Whether it's tonight's ABC 20/20 special with Barbara Walters in which she revisits the trans kids she interviewed a few years ago in the 'My Secret Self' show to Iyanla Vanzandt's Fix My Life show on OWN that was aired October 27 involving a young trans man and his minister father who is resisting the transition, the undeniable fact is that people are fascinated by and hungry for information about trans people.


 

Unfortunately it's also a lesson the talk shows learned back in the late 80's -90's.  I have video scattered throughout my TransGriot archives of various talk shows from the late 80's to early 90's that respectfully discussed the topic of transsexuality.   Believe it or not even Jerry Springer did so until he decided to go tabloid in 1994 and ride outrageousness to ratings success.  



Maury Povich then joined in with his 'Man or Woman' shows that conveniently were broadcast during sweeps month to compete with the 'trans gone wild' stuff that Jerry was putting out there to the world.


Far too often the transpeople featured in the Springer and Povich transploitation shows were predominately transwomen and transmen of color who got a free trip to New York or Chicago and $500 to get their faces on national TV. 

However, they didn't consider as one of my homegirls unfortunately found out to her horror that it might have deleterious effects on their lives long after the camera stopped rolling and they spent that $500 check they received.

They also didn't consider that in their youthful rush to get their 15 minutes of fame, they made themselves and the whole trans community look stereotypically bad on national television.

So word to my trans younglings, especially trans younglings of color.  Just say no to transploitation.

But the messages I'm most desirous to get out there is that we transpeople are part of the diverse mosaic of human life, we deserve human rights coverage, to love and be loved for ourselves and the opportunity to live our lives to the best of our abilities.

Now that another sweeps period is upon us, let's hope that the messages from the shows that feature our images are the ones we want to send out to the world and are positive ones.


 

More Journalism Breaking Out At CNN?

One of the things that has pissed me off about the 'mainsteam media' (CBS, ABC, NBC, and CNN) over the last decade is they routinely invite these right wing hatemongers on their networks for interviews, let them Etch-a-Sketch themselves as 'moderates' and never call them on the hateful crap they always say when they are in conservaworld.

CNN's Carol Costello had one of those moments of journalism when she simply read some of AFA hatemonger Bryan Fischer's words back to him and eventually cut off the interview when Fischer started going into incoherent rant mode. 



And he's gone batturd crazy because she did.  Fischer called her a 'member of the Gay Gestapo' simply for doing her job.  

Soledad O'Brien has been calling out the liars and conservaignorance lately and I guess the rest of her CNN colleagues are starting to follow suit.

About damned time.

GOP Voter Suppression Billboards Up In Ohio and Wisconsin

You just knew the Teapublicans in their racist desperation to defeat President Obama wouldn't put all their political eggs in the passing of voter ID suppression laws basket knowing there was a possibility they would get struck down in the courts. 

They had Plans B,.C and D as well in the works to accomplish their goal of making President Obama a one-term POTUS by jacking with the coalition of senior, students, non-whites and white liberal progressive voters that swept him into office in 2008.

The GOP cranked up their voter suppression machinery and prepared for the November 6 election by training and planning the deployment of partisan poll watchers looking for voter 'iiregularities'.  Their True the Vote vigilantes were filing lawsuits and browbeating election boards trying to challenge registrations.   In addition to training their True the Vote vigilantes to harass people in Black and Latino precincts, in other GOP controlled states such as Florida the were attempting to pass voter ID voter suppression laws and illegally trying to purge people from the voting rolls less than 60 days before this critical election.

Why?  In order to shave off enough votes to swing states to the Romney-Ryan ticket.

It fits with the Republican motto: If you can't beat 'em, cheat 'em.

The latest reprehensible Suppress the Vote activity is these billboards paid for by a shadowy foundation that are popping up in African-American and Latino neighborhoods in Ohio and Wisconsin.  They are designed to 'scurr' people into not casting ballots in this critical presidential election.



The billboards in question are owned by Clear Channel, a conservative leaning media corporation that has been owned by Bain Capital since 2008.  Clear Channel's radio stations right wing talkers Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and others..

It also shouldn't surprise you that fourteen directors of Clear Channel since 1994 have donated over $700,000 to Romney campaigns since 1994, with much of the money being donated in this current presidential election cycle..

ColorofChange has a petition up demanding the billboards be taken down, which they are refusing to do..

Stay tuned to see what happens with those billboards.  Speaking of those billboards, don't let them dissuade you or anyone else you know in your 'hood who is eligible in this election to bumrush the polls and cast your ballots to fire the Republicans who arrogantly tried to suppress your precious right to vote. 

Like Rev. Al said in his MSNBC commercials promoting his show, I stopped being scared of the boogeyman before I exited elementary school and I'm damned sure not 'scurred' of Republican True the Vote bullies trying to suppress my vote.   And may I remind you misguided conservapeople that harassment of voters is a punishable felony offense.

In fact the more you Tea Klux Klanners engage in this anti-American behavior the more you're pissing me off and ensuring I'm showing up to cast that ballot.  Take your soul to the polls and a few friends with you. 

But it's just another concrete example of why African-Americans and increasingly Latin@s have no love for the GOP.. 

Soledad Strikes Again!

Sooner or later, the conservafools are going to get the message that CNN's Soledad O'Brien isn't some stenographer to power like the Fox Noise fembots are. 

The person who definitely should have know better was Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT).  She handed him his azz back in August.

Chaffetz, who is (big surprise) shilling for Romney and on Darrell Issa's (R-CA) committee trying to politicize this attack, was trying to pimp the faux outrage over the September 11 Benghazi, Libya consulate attack.

O'Brien confronted him with the inconvenient fact he voted along with his Republican buddies to cut $300 million out of the State Department's budget that pays for consulate and embassy security.

So long story short, the blood of the Ambassador and the other two Americans unfortunately killed during that attack are on Chaffetz and his party's hands.

So enjoy this beautiful footage of another conservafool being caught by a journalist doing their job. .

Anchor Delivers A Verbal Smackdown To A Bully

Note to bullies. Never mess with someone who has a bigger media platform than you do and is willing to use it.  You will get your feelings hurt. 

WKBT-TV anchor Jennifer Livingston of La Crosse, WI lays the verbal smackdown to Kenneth W. Krause, who e-mailed her a hurtful fat shaming commentary concerning her weight she felt was a low blow.

  Watch More News Videos at ABC
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She also noted during her on-air rebuttal that October is Anti-Bullying Awareness Month. 

Ehipassiko-Because You're Stupid

Another one of Cristan Williams' posts from her Ehipassiko blog that needs to be signal boosted whacking all those conservasheeple who only get their news from Fox Noise and AM Talk radio.

Here's a taste of it:.

Yup. That’s right. You were duped. You were lied to. There is no quote wherein Obama talks about population wealth distribution. They edited the above speech and lied about what he was talking about… and you believed it. He’s clearly talking about moving resources from ineffective government agencies and redistributing those resources to agencies with “innovative in thinking, what are the delivery systems that are actually effective.”

Yep, if you watch FOX Noise or AM talk radio and believe everything you hear is the gospel truth without engaging those critical thinking skills, that's a problem because FOX noise.is nothing but a 24 hour purveyor of right wing propaganda. 

but here's the link to the rest of Cristan's post at Ehipassiko.

2012 GLAAD National POC Media Institute Goes West

As you TransGriot readers know I recently took part in the East Coast version of it and discovered while I was in the Big Apple I'd traveled the farthest distance to attend the New York gathering of the GLAAD National People Of Color Institute

I had a wonderful time, learned a lot, and y'all were right, I don't look at television interviews, much less televised speeches the same way since I returned home. 

Now it's time for the participants in the West Coast version to undergo the same training we did

The Los Angeles version of the GLAAD National People of Color Institute started yesterday and runs through this weekend and I salute everyone who was selected for the 2012 LA edition of it.   It's going to be a wonderful experience for you.

For those of y'all who are interested, when they open up the application process for the 2013 edition in New York and LA, I'd suggest you jump on the opportunity.   GLAAD will let me know when that happens and I'll pass that info on to you readers who are interested.
      

Just wanted to take a moment to give a TransGriot shout out to Brian, Daryl, Monica, Marcus and super intern Jeff of GLAAD along with our trainer Joel Silberman.  

I was thinking about y'all this weekend and hope the LA group gets into the media realness lessons y'all will pass on before this memorable weekend is concluded..  .  

   

DNC 2012-Trans DNC Delegates Getting International Attention

The 13 trans delegates (and hearing rumors they have discovered a 14th delegate) are deservedly getting a lot of positive attention and positive press coverage for our community

There's a story about them on AFP (Agencie France Presse)  and is a concrete example of the well deserved media attention for this distinguished group of DNC trans delegates that is going international. 


Thanks to y'all for representing our community with class and dignity during DNC 2012

• Super Delegate: Barbra Casbar Siperstein
• Dana Beyer, M.D.
• Kylar William Broadus
• Janice Covington
• Chris Land
• Daria Lynn Lohman
• Lesley Rebecca Phillips
• Marisa J. Richmond, Ph.D.
• Diego Miguel Sanchez
• Jamie Dianne Shiner
• Melissa Sklarz
• Meghan Stabler

Why Conservafools Hate Media That Asks Questions

Because they falter when their tried and true talking points get refuted and they can't answer questions from journalists that won't spoon feed them questions like they get in the conservamedia or Fox Noise.

Watch the Tea Klux Klan's Amy Kremer go down in flames (snicker snicker) while trying and failing to spin on CNN

Liberal* Media, This How You Shut Down A Lying Conservafool 2

Pay attention liberal* media.  CNN's Soledad O'Brien did a masterful job in shutting down a lying conservafool a few short weeks ago.   If they try to disrespect you on your own show when you expose the fact they are lying, handle it like Tamron Hall did and call their asses out. 

For our next example of liberal leaning media pundits not allowing facts challenged lying GOP surrogates to spin unchallenged, here is MSNBC's Chris Matthews calling out RNC chair Reince Priebus on his party's race-baiting.

GLAAD National POC Media Institute Compilation Post

I got back into Hobby around 7:30 PM CDT last night after my weekend business trip in New York and thought I should for the benefit of you TransGriot readers stick the links to the posts I wrote about the GLAAD POC Media Institute in one convenient post for you to peruse.

And yeah, the TransGriot needed to do her job of chronicling this event for future generations. 

So let's get into the POC Media Institute realness.    Click on the various links to my posts discussing what transpired during the New York edition of the 2012 edition of the GLAAD National POC Media Institute.

Looking forward to hearing from you LA bound GLAAD National POC Media Institute participants what went on during your upcoming sessions on September 7-9


Moni's Going To The 2012 GLAAD POC Media Institute

Eagerly Awaiting The GLAAD National POC Media Institute

I'm In NY (Finally)

GLAAD National POC Media Institute-Day 1

GLAAD National POC Media Institute-Day 2

Leaving New York   

NABJ Comments On The Lack Of Debate Moderator Diversity

I had my say about the problematic lack of diversity when the presidential and vice presidential debate moderator selections were announced.  So did the NAACP and Univision's president on behalf of the Latino/a community. 

It was appalling that in an election year which will feature the most diverse electorate ever in American history and has an African-American president running for re-election, those October debates with have no African-American, Latino/a or Asian journalists posting questions to the 2012 presidential and vice presidential candidates. . 

In case you're wondering, the last African-American male journalist to serve as a presidential debate moderator was CNN's Bernard Shaw in 1988.

Former ABC News anchor Carole Simpson was the last African-American female to moderate a presidential debate, doing so in 1992. 

Gwen Ifill of PBS has moderated two vice presidential debates in 2004 and 2008.  

The National Association of Black Journalists are definitely not happy about the vanillacentric debate moderator selections whitewashed by the Commission on Presidential debates either, and here's what they had to say about it on August 17:

NABJ is disappointed that the journalists chosen to participate in the presidential debates don't reflect what has become the most diverse electorate in U.S. history. 

While we commend the selection of the first woman moderator in 20 years, we find it unacceptable that no journalists of color will be involved. The Commission on Presidential Debates, which announced the selections this week, blamed the omission on "debate arithmetic." Frankly, the math doesn't add up.

There is no absence of qualified journalists of color, or those with experience as debate moderators, such as NABJ Hall of Fame member Gwen Ifill, of PBS.

By excluding journalists of color, the commission failed to satisfy an important public interest given that racial and ethnic minorities will contribute roughly one quarter of the votes cast on Election Day. Any credible analysis has shown that their turnout, or lack thereof, will be a decisive factor in the presidential contest. This year, both presidential campaigns and their parties are devoting more resources than ever to reaching non-white voters.

Yet the commission has minimized the significance of our nation's changing identity, as well as the role of minority journalists in informing an increasingly diverse public. We believe the commission wasted an opportunity to use its unique platform in a manner that encourages more citizens to participate in the democratic process.

"The commission had a chance to embrace the racial kaleidoscope that the American electorate is fast becoming, and chose instead to remain blind to it," Sonya Ross, chair of NABJ’s Political Journalism Task Force, said. "It is time to end this cyclical charade of treating equally deserving, equally capable journalists of color as if they are invisible, unqualified, or both. I would like to invite the commission, along with leading entities in political media, to join the task force in making a concerted effort to ensure a truly diverse set of presidential debate moderators for 2016."

So why is this lack of debate moderator diversity a big fracking deal to POC's?   In addition to the fact there has never been an Asian or Latino presidential debate moderator of either gender, non-white voters will be the decisive voting blocs in several swing states.

We need to hear the presidential and vice presidential candidates answer debate questions that are geared toward our policy concerns and issues as people of color. 

As NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous stated, “The lack of diversity among this year’s debate moderators is representative of the overall lack of diversity in news media. Whether it’s as primetime news anchors, debate moderators, or commentators on the influential Sunday morning political talk shows, people of color — and African Americans specifically — are strikingly underrepresented.”

That is what we POC Americas are complaining about, the lack of representation.

A debate setting is one of those times Republican candidates, who avoid non-white media outlets on a routine basis because they don't want to answer those tough questions from POC journalists, have to do precisely that, especially if the moderator is a person of color. 

Some of those issues and policy concerns (let's be real here) white journalists aren't culturally fluent in or it wouldn't immediately occur to them to ask those types of questions from our non-white points of view because we do live in two vastly different American realities.      

If you are going to run for president of the United States, then you have to be president for ALL Americans, not just a vanillacentric 63% slice of th population.   If you are setting up debates to ask the people running for the highest political offices in the land questions, the journalists asking those questions also need to reflect the diversity of our nation.

 

Rush Blames POTUS For Hurricane Isaac

You can't make this stuff up with the Republifools, and the King of Fools has opened his big mouth and unleashed the OxyContin fueled ignorance on this one.

Hurricane Isaac is bearing down on Tampa and the Florida Gulf Coast just in time for the GOP convention set to start on August 27.  And who gets the blame for the decision to put a major political convention in Florida during hurricane season?    

President Obama.   

Really?   The presidential brother got that kind of juice, huh?  If that were the case you fools wouldn't have a majority in the House, the POTUS' legislative agenda would be sailing through Congress and the 2010 midterm elections would have gone far better for Democrats than they actually have in reality. .



If Rush weren't a Shut Up Fool Lifetime Achievement Award winner, I'd give him this week's Shut Up Fool award for that comment alone, but there are others far more deserving of ridicule and contempt in the GOP tomorrow.

But just for old times sake, hit it Mr. T.

Eagerly Awaiting The GLAAD National POC Media Institute

In a little over 48 hours I'll be in the Big Apple eagerly awaiting the first session of the 2012 Edition of the GLAAD National POC Media Institute.   The LA edition of it will occur September 7-9..

You TransGriot readers are probably wondering with my demonstrated writing, radio interview and speaking skills why I would be taking part in this event. 

One of the reasons is that we need more trans POC spokespeople with media training speaking about the issues that impact our community for starters.  

It's something I've complained about for years and by attending this institute, to paraphrase the words of my shero the late Barbara Jordan, who was an award winning debater and speaker herself, I'm doing more than just talk about it.  I want to be in a better position to act as a spokesperson for the trans community.

They also cover television interviews as well.  I haven't done as many of those as I have the radio and print variety and definitely could use the practice.  If I make mistakes in a TV interview I'd rather do so in a learning environment rather than in a moment critical to our community's media advocacy strategy

And frankly, I'm attending the GLAAD National POC Media Institute because I want to get better at what I do media communications wise and this is a wonderful opportunity I've been blessed with.

See y'all this weekend.

Univision President Decries Lack Of Debate Moderator Diversity

Looks like I wasn't the only person along with the National Association of Black Journalists that noticed the lack of debate moderator diversity in the upcoming October presidential and vice presidential debates.

Univision President Randy Falco wrote a letter that put the Commission on Presidential Debates on blast for their vanillacentric and major network centric selections of debate moderators.

"This November more than 20 million Hispanics could play a critical role in electing the new President of the United States and it is important that they make an informed decision," Falco wrote. "The debates announced yesterday presented an ideal opportunity to tap one of the two best journalists in the business who have a broad understanding of the domestic and international issues facing this country, understand the Hispanic community better than anyone else and are fully bilingual: Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas."

The other Latino journalists whose names were rumored to have been considered for moderator slots were CNN's Soledad O'Brien and Telemundo's Jose Diaz-Balart.  

As the fastest growing minority group that will make up by 2050 a third of the population of the United States, the 2012 presidential candidates should have to answer questions posed by Latino journalists in a debate setting just as they needed to answer questions from African-American journalists.

The importance of having POC journalists is magnified when one of the presidential candidates has been routinely ducking non-white journalists on a regular basis.

Falco also offered in his letter to the Commission to create a Latino forum for both presidential candidates to participate in.

"Since you have already made your decision on moderators for the debates and have neglected to have someone speak credibly to the concerns of Hispanics in America, Univision would be willing to create a forum for the presidential candidates to address this sector of our society."

Janet Brown, the Debate Commission's executive director tried to deflect the justified criticism coming their way about the glaring omission of journalists of color.   In addition to stating the Commission was not creating the requested forum,  she wrote this in response to Falco.

"We recognize that there are many organizations and individuals who wish they had been included in our moderator selection. Debate arithmetic means that it is impossible to accommodate all of them. However, we strongly believe that the four journalists we have named see their assignment as representing all Americans in their choice of topics and questions. The general election debates have always focused on issues of national interest that affect all citizens, including Univision’s audience.  We have met with Univision about joint efforts to get the largest number of people possible engaged in discussing and learning from the debates, and remain interested in working with you toward that goal."

Yeah, right.  This is a cop-out statement and a recognition the Commission fracked up by not adding journalists of color for these debates.  It also doesn't address the valid point that Falco made that the four journalists chosen as moderators don't have experience or cultural fluency with the issues the Latino community faces. 

It's also arrogant and insulting of Ms. Brown or the commission to presume that non-white journalists aren't capable of asking debate questions that would appeal to all American citizens, since it has been effortlessly done by Carole Simpson in the 1992 presidential debate and Gwen Ifill most recently in the 2004 and 2008 vice presidential ones. .

Debate Commission leadership, it's past time for you to recognize the reality that the 'all citizens' part of that statement Ms. Brown crafted also includes non-white Americans.    
 .

Liberal* Media, This Is How You Shut Down A Lying Conservafool

Take notes ABC, CBS, NBC, and other CNN hosts.   MSNBC already does so with regularity which is why the conserafools are 'scurred' to show up on many MSNBC shows.  

Over the next 82 days the consevafools are going to lie,.lie, lie and it is your job to call their azzes out on it and stand your ground as Soledad O'Brien masterfully does to John Sununu here.

Where's The Diversity In The Presidential Debate Moderator Lineup?

The presidential debates between President Obama and Mitt Romney and the vice presidential debates between Vice President Biden and Paul Ryan will occur in October.  

The schedule and debate subjects have already been determined along with the locations for the four scheduled debates, but the moderators were just announced yesterday..

First Presidential Debate

October 3, University of Denver, Denver, CO

Moderator: Jim Lehrer, PBS

Vice Presidential Debate

October 11, Centre College, Danville, KY

Moderator: Martha Raddatz, ABC

Second Presidential Debate (town hall -meeting format)

October 16, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Moderator: Candy Crowley, CNN

Third Presidential Debate

October 22, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL
Moderator: Bob Schieffer, CBS

The first presidential debate will focus on domestic policy and be divided into six time segments of approximately 15 minutes each on topics to be selected by the moderator and announced several weeks before the debate. The moderator will open each segment with a question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond.  The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the topic.

The vice presidential debate will cover both foreign and domestic topics and be divided into nine time segments of approximately 10 minutes each. The moderator will ask an opening question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the question.

The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which citizens will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and domestic issues. Candidates each will have two minutes to respond, and an additional minute for the moderator to facilitate a discussion. The town meeting participants will be undecided voters selected by the Gallup Organization.

The format for the third presidential debate will be identical to the first presidential debate and will focus on foreign policy.

The question I and every non-white American is asking ourselves right now is where's the diversity in the moderator lineup?

Granted, CNN's Candy Crowley will be the first woman in over 20 years to moderate a presidential debate.  But you couldn't ask Gwen Ifill, who has moderated the 2004 and 2008 vice presidential debates to do so?   You mean to tell me Presidential Debate Commission you couldn't find a single non-white journalist to moderate at least one of these debates?

Here's the short list of people of color journalists I came up with in addition to Gwen Ifill that could easily moderate these debates: Martin Bashir, Tamron Hall, Roland Martin, Alina Cho, Suzanne Malveaux, TJ Holmes, Ed Gordon, Soledad O'Brien.....  

Or is it you didn't look hard enough?

Say Hello To Lana

An ongoing story I've been tracking in these electronic pages is the rumored metamorphosis of The Matrix trilogy director Lana Wachowski.   

Since 2003 there have been 'did she or did she not transition' rumors flying from the Left Coast that were exacerbated by the 2010 Rolling Stone article about her that was printed without comment from the Wachowski siblings.

You would see the occasional sightings of Lana at various Hollywood events and LAX posted online or in various gossip blogs, but cricket chirping silence from either of the Wachowski siblings confirming or denying them.  Even the folks that were cast in their movies such as The Matrix trilogy, Speed Racer or worked with them on projects such as V For Vendetta in which they were writing credited as The Wachowski's were tight lipped about it.  

Despite the increasing anecdotal and photographic evidence that said transition had already occurred, my personal thoughts on that is until a person acknowledges they are trans via press conference or interview, I consider them as a cis person until told otherwise..

The Wachowski siblings are set to premiere October 26 a new movie called Cloud Atlas that stars Halle Berry and Tom Hanks and have just released a trailer for it.  But what has gotten peoples attention is this will be the first movie that you will see Lana Wachowski's name in the movie credits instead of the old one.



Yep people, here's the strongest evidence yet short of a press conference (which I wish she'd do) that Lana Wachowski is a #GirlLikeUs.  As to whether she'll do a coming out interview about it, that remains to be seen.  

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