Happy 21st Birthday Angie

Today is a day that should have been a happy occasion for a young Latina transwoman who lived in Colorado.

But sadly it isn't thanks to a waste of DNA who is now serving a life sentence in a Colorado prison for his crime.

Today would have been the 21st birthday for Angie Zapata.

I think back to how happy I was when I hit that milestone birthday, and I wonder what Angie would have felt on this day being surrounded by a loving family and friends.

I wonder how she would have celebrated this day, and how far along she would be on her feminine journey now.

I wonder what goals she would have set her sights toward achieving, and what level of youthful optimism and boundless determination she would have exerted to making them become a reality.

I wonder if she would have found someone worthy enough to love her and who was focused on the wonderful person in front of them.

But instead of her family watching her happily blow out 21 candles on her birthday cake and tearing the wrapping paper off numerous birthday gifts, they will be taking a somber trip to the cemetery where Angie has been laid to rest.

It's been two years since she was taken away far too soon, and as the trans community in Colorado and elsewhere strives to never forget what happened to her, we also pray on this day that the pain her family and friends feel over her loss is mitigated as time heals their wounded hearts.

May God bless the Zapata family.

Happy 21st birthday, Angie. Your extended family around the world will never forget you nor allow what happened to you to be forgotten.

Happy 75th Birthday Diahann Carroll!

Had to take a moment to salute the milestone birthday of one of my fave actresses and beauty role models, Diahann Carroll.

Carol Diahann Johnson was born on this day in New York (the Bronx) and as an infant moved to Harlem with her family. One of her high school classmates at the New York Music & Art High School was Billy Dee Williams and has had a long distinguished and trailblazing career in music, film, Broadway, and television.

In 1962 she won the first ever 'Best Actress' Tony Award given to an African American actress for her role in the Broadway musical No Strings. In 1963 she picked up her first Emmy nomination for the police drama Naked City.

In 1975 she picked up an Academy Award Best Actress nomination for the movie Claudine.

But the role just about everyone of my generation remembers her for besides Claudine is her groundbreaking 1968-71 NBC television series Julia.

She played widowed nurse Julia Baker, and picked up a 1968 Golden Globe Award for the role along with her second Emmy Award nomination in 1969. Carroll was the first African American actress to star in a TV show that cast her in a non-stereotypical role.

She joined the cast of Dynasty in 1984 as its first African American cast member and played the glamorous jetsetter Dominique Deveraux, the half sister of Blake Carrington. Dynasty reunited her with her high school classmate, who played her husband Brady Lloyd on the show.

My favorite role of hers besides Julia is A Different World's Marion Gilbert, the glamorous mother of Hillman College diva Whitley Gilbert. The recurring role earned her another Emmy Award nomination in 1989.

She had a recurring role of Aunt Ruthie on the HBO series Soul Food, for which she received two NAACP Image Award nominations

She was recently seen in 2006 on Grey's Anatomy playing Jane Burke, the demanding mother of Dr. Preston Burke.

You can also add author to this multitalented lady's resume thanks to her autobiography entitled 'The Legs Are The Last To Go'.

She's also a breast cancer survivor who has taken a leading role as a spokesperson in the African American community to heighten awareness of the disease.

Happy 75th birthday Diahann Carroll. May you continue to inspire and be a trailblazing role model for our community and age gracefully in the process.

Shut Up Fool! Awards Happy Birthday Speaker Pelosi Edition

Today is Speaker Nancy Pelosi's 70th birthday, and she's had a great week leading up to it. She got a historic health care passed twice through the House and stayed classy through the process as the Republifools showed their asses.

As for that pool table you wanted as a birthday present, Madame Speaker, you earned it.

Now if you'll just show transgender Americans some love and get ENDA passed through the House.

And now, since it's Friday, let's move on to see what fool or fools deserved our illustrious award this week.

It was a tough one, with Ann Coulter tripping over her tongue in Canada, the usual tripe from the triumvirate of Limbaugh, Beck, and Hannity, and the unhinged rantings of Tea Klux Klan members.

But my winner this week is Rep Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) favorite 'Great White Hope', Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA)

Cantor had the nerve to step up to the mike the very day that reports of a white powdery substance was sent to Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) office, Dem legislators being called the n-word, f-word, wet---ks and baby-killer complete with multiplying reports of death threats against them.

And what does he talk about? His debunked claim that his Richmond office was targeted, but won't issue any recordings other than the one GOP legislator Jean Schmidt (R-OH) received from a pissed off brother.

He along the rest of the conservafool movement blamed Democrats for the violence and terrorist acts stoked by a year of racist, inflammatory GOP rhetoric.

Rep. Eric Cantor, shut the HELL up fool!

Happy 70th Birthday Smokey Robinson!

Today is the 70th birthday of legendary singer and Motown executive William 'Smokey' Robinson, Jr. who was born in Detroit on this date in 1940.

He was an original member of Motown Records' first vocal group The Miracles and a solo artist who delivered thirty-seven Top 40 hits for Motown between 1960 and 1987.

He was also the second most influential person involved in the formation of Motown Records behind founder Berry Gordy, and served as the company's vice president from 1961 to 1988.

He is one of iconic singers and a music legend. Happy 70th Birthday, Smokey!

Smokey interview



The Tears Of A Clown



Tracks of My Tears



Ooh Baby Baby

Mahatma Gandhi Birthday

140 years ago today a man who transformed the world, and gained freedom for his country through non-violent means was born on this date in 1869.

Mahatma Gandhi was violently taken from us, but his non violence principles were borrowed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and later used to successfully break the back of Jim Crow segregation.

President Obama noted the occasion as well. "Gandhi's teachings and ideals, shared with Martin Luther King Jr. on his 1959 pilgrimage to India, transformed American society through our civil rights movement.

"The America of today has its roots in the India of Mahatma Gandhi and the nonviolent social action movement for Indian independence which he led.

"We must renew our commitment to live his ideals and to celebrate the dignity of all human beings."

Gandhi's birthday is also celebrated as Tie International Day of Non-Violence

Happy 85th Birthday President Carter!

Today was the 85th birthday of President Jimmy Carter. He spent his milestone birthday reopening his Carter Center after it shut down in April for several months to do a multimillion dollar makeover and upgrade.

The ceremony and ribbon cutting, which drew a standing room-only crowd, were held on the front lawn of the Carter Presidential Museum and included the birthday man, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, former Vice President Walter Mondale, Carter Library and Museum Director Jay Hakes, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, civil rights leader Rev. Joseph Lowery, and other dignitaries.

BTW if you wish to leave some greetings for him, click the link here.

A large section of the new state-of-the-art facility is devoted to the Carter post-presidency. It's the first time any presidential museum has done so.

The centerpiece of the post-presidency section is a large interactive exhibit with multiple touch-screen stations that will take visitors on a virtual trip with the Carters around the world.

They will meet some of the millions of people whose lives have been changed by the Center's peace and health work, learn about their communities, and gain a greater understanding of the challenges faced by people in developing nations.

Visitors also will experience what it is like to be president of the United States in a unique, extensive area called "A Day in the Life of the President," which recreates an actual 24-hour period from President Carter's schedule.

I still wish Carter would have gotten a second term. The United States would have been a much better country if he had.

Happy birthday President Carter!

Happy 75th Birthday Dr. Renee Richards

While watching MSNBC's Countdown Keith Olbermann made me aware of a milestone birthday occurring for a woman that happened to be his ophthalmologist.

Dr. Renee Richards turned 75 today.

This woman happened to be one of the transgender newsmakers during the 70's. She was one of the transpeople I was following news wise nationally, internationally and locally as I struggled to make sense of and deal with my own gender issues.

She fought for her right to play professional tennis when the USTA established a woman-born-woman policy back in the day that the New York Supreme Court overturned.

She ended up ranked as high as number 20 in the world before retiring as a player in 1981, and was Martina Navratilova's coach when Martina was dominating the women's tennis scene during the 80's.

She's still practicing medicine, and she has become less than popular in some transpeople's eyes with her increasingly conservative views and public regrets about transition.

She openly criticized the 2004 IOC decision to allow transpeople to compete in the Olympic games, calling it 'stupid'.

I disagree, but just like I speak my mind and some people don't like what I have to say, I respect her right to articulate her opinions on that subject and many others.

I need to point out to the peeps criticizing her that just as I reflect the attitudes of someone who grew up in the 60's and 70's, she is a product of her generation. She grew up in a time that was far more rigid and repressive about gender and she reflects those attitudes.

Happy birthday Dr. Richards. I hope that your remaining days on the planet are filled with whatever happiness and peace you can find.

Happy Birthday, Phyllis

Y'all know how much mad love I have for Phyllis Hyman.

I fell in love with her ever since I heard 'You Know How To Love Me' play for the first time on KYOK and Majic 102.

This multi-talented lady was a star on Broadway in addition to being a sought after model and consumate singer. She even made a cameo appearance in Spike Lee's School Daze.

Today would have been Phyllis' 50th birthday, and it's sad to think about the fact she's been gone from us for over a decade now.

You are still loved and missed by all who cared about you, including your fans.