Number 12- Rest In Power Dominique Rem'mie Fells

Figures that literally the day after I posted that 2020 trans murders midyear review article, another trans person was killed.

We head to Philadelphia for the latest trans murder in the person of 27 year old Dominique Fells. 

The delay in reporting Fells' death is due in large part to media misgendering of her.  The initial reports on Philadelphia TV station ABC6 and other Philadelphia media outlets misgendered Fells.

It took The Morris Home, a local recovery residence for trans and gender non conforming people recognized her as one of their residents to end the disrespect of being media misgendered.

Her body was found June 9 on the banks of the Schuylkill River in the 3500 block of Schuylkill Avenue near Bartram's Garden.   In addition to having her legs severed in the upper thigh area in a manner that indicates a train may have cut them, she had sustained injuries to her head and face.

Her legs have not been recovered at the scene where her body was recovered or anywhere else in the Philadelphia area so far, and the coroner as I'm writing this hasn't determined the official cause of her death.

It is however being ruled as a homicide

The Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs, which is currently headed by Black trans woman Celena Morrison, released this statement concerning the death of Fells.

 “As thousands take to the streets to proclaim that Black Lives Matter, it is critical we remember that this includes Black trans lives. Dominique Rem’mie Fells’ life mattered. We are reminded with this, and countless other painful losses — especially within our transgender communities — that there is much left to do until we achieve full equality, respect, and support for us all. The murder of transgender people — especially those of color — is truly an epidemic and a crisis that we cannot afford to allow to persist any further. Let us uplift her memory together.”

Fells is now the 12th person we have lost to anti-trans violence in 2020, and the fourth African American trans person this year.     She's also the seventh under age 30 that we have lost in 2020 to anti-trans violence.

Here's also hoping the the perpetrators of this crime are found and swiftly brought to justice. 

US Border Patrol Agent Serial Killer Victims Includes A Latina Trans Woman

You are probably been aware of the story coming out of the Lone Star State over the weekend concerning a Laredo area supervisory Border Patrol agent who is accused of being a serial killer that targeted sex workers.

35 year old Juan David Ortiz, a ten year veteran of the Border Patrol, has been arrested and charged with the first degree murder of four women. Ortiz  has also been charged with unlawful restraint with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Erika Pena according to Webb County DA Isidro R. 'Chilo Alaniz.

Ortiz has also confessed to the murders of the four women , and is in jail on a $2.5 million bond.

Pena was talking to him inside his white four door Dodge truck when the conversation turned to discussing Ramirez, who had disappeared a week earlier and was her friend. 

Ortiz's mood changed, and he subsequently pulled a gun on Pena, pointed it at her and tried to grab her shirt to prevent her escape from the vehicle.  Pena took off her shirt and ran to a nearby gas station where she encountered a DPS state trooper.  Pena gave a detailed description of Ortiz including his tattoos to law enforcement officials, which triggered the manhunt for him that led to his arrest.   

Ortiz was found at another gas station in Laredo, and fled on foot to a nearby Ramada Inn where he was found hiding in the bed of a pickup truck in the parking lot of the motel. 

DA Alaniz has called Ortiz a serial killer.   Webb County officials aren't dismissing the possibility there may be more victims.   Ortiz committed a string of murders of women between September 3 and September 15 of women who were presumed to be sex workers. 

The body of 29 year old Melissa Ramirez was found lying on Jefferies Road near TX state highway 255 with multiple gunshot wounds to the head on September 4 in northwest Webb County. 

She was the first of Ortiz's victims, and he admitted to killing the mother of two on September 3

The second victim, 42 year old Claudine Anne Luera, was found shot multiple times in the head and left mortally wounded along TX state highway 255 two miles from where Ramirez's body was discovered.   She was taken to a local hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.

The last two victims were killed after Pena escaped from Ortiz's truck but before he was finally apprehended bylaw enforcement.   One is a still as yet unidentified Jane Doe whose body was found at the Webb Road underpass of I-35 near mile marker 21.   Her name will be released once next of kin are notified.

The other is 28 year old Nikki Janelle Enriquez.  She is the trans woman who was initially deadnamed and misgendered by law enforcement officials and local media until it was corrected.

She was killed around September 14-15 according to authorities and her body was also found along I-35 at mile marker 15.

Enriquez sadly becomes the 21st trans person to be murdered in the US, the third Latina and the second one in Texas in 2018

Number 20- Rest In Power and Peace Londonn Moore Kinard

While we're still waiting for confirmation on two possible murders in New York, we have a confirmed one in North Port, FL 

20 year old Londonn Moore Kinard was found face down shot to death at the intersection of Sawyer Circle and Red Oak Road at 7:30 AM EDT Saturday.

And as you probably guessed, Londonn was egregiously misgendered in death by reporter Lauren Coffey, who went out of his way to misgender our fallen sister. 

I'll call out this F+ transphobic 'reporting' and this stenographer later.  In the meantime my priority is getting justice for Londonn and all who loved her.

Step aside, sir and watch how we properly cover a trans murder victim.

Back to business.

North Port PD is still investigating this case and are being tight lipped about many of the details in this case.   They are asking if you do have evidence that will lead to the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the killer, you are asked to call Detective Chris Maki at 941-429-7323 

Londonn is now the 20th person we have lost in the US in 2018 to anti trans violence.   She is the 15th African American trans person we have lost this year, and the tenth person under age 30 we have lost.

And we're still trying to confirm if two more found dead last week were homicides.

Yeah, this pattern is getting beyond aggravating.  My young trans siblings die, and get disrespected still further in death. The crap has got to stop.   #StopKillingUs   #BlackTransLivesMatter

Number 18- Rest In Power Vontashia Bell

As I stated when I wrote the post earlier this morning about the murder of one of our trans sisters in Chicago, I was hoping we would get through this month without any trans murders. 

Now I'm saddened to discover that we've had two on the same day this month within hours of each other.

We travel now to Shreveport, LA to discuss our 18th victim of anti-trans violence.

She is 18 year old Vontashia Bell.    Police responding to a shots fired call early Thursday morning found her lying in the street at the corner of Harrison Street and Linwood Avenue in the Cedar Park neighborhood suffering from gunshot wounds to the chest and wrist.

She was rushed to University Health Hospital where she later died from her wounds. 

The reason we're just now finding out about it?   It's because once again, the police and the local Shreveport media didn't value her Black trans life and misgendered the victim   

We in Black Trans World are really getting sick and tired of being sick and tired of our sisters being disrespected in death.   We are tired of being misgendered either by law enforcement or the media, or both entities, and it needs to stop.

There are no suspects at this time, and police are asking anyone with information to contact Shreveport Police Investigators at 318-673-6955. Those wishing to remain anonymous should call 318-673-7373, lockemup.org, or via their app P3Tips. Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000.00 reward for information leading to the arrest of the individual(s) responsible for this crime.

Bell is sadly the youngest person we have lost to anti-trans violence in 2018.  She is the 18th trans person murdered in the United States in 2018, and the 14th African American trans person we have lost to anti-trans violence.   What pisses me off in addition to the media misgendering of her is that she is now the ninth trans person under age 30 we have lost to anti-trans violence 

A statement about the murder was released by Louisiana Trans Advocates.

***

Statement from Louisiana Trans Advocates on the Murder of Vontashia Bell

Shreveport, LA – August 30, 2018 Earlier today in Shreveport, a young transgender woman was murdered. She is sadly not the first transgender woman of color to be killed in Louisiana this year. Violence against trans people, particularly against trans women, is a plague that continues to affect our cities and communities across the state. City and state leadership must work together with the trans community to curb this violence. Vontashia Bell must not die in vain. Her murder is a reminder of the current climate and national discourse on trans issues. Dehumanizing language and actions lower the barriers to this kind of senseless violence. Shreveport and Louisiana leaders must speak out against these killings, against the ongoing, systemic devaluation of trans people that pervades our media and politics, and against the institutional racism that places almost all of this burden on trans women of color. 

Her murder is a reminder of the current climate and national discourse on trans issues. Dehumanizing language and actions lower the barriers to this kind of senseless violence. Shreveport and Louisiana leaders must speak out against these killings, against the ongoing, systemic devaluation of trans people that pervades our media and politics, and against the institutional racism that places almost all of this burden on trans women of color. As we mourn the loss of Vontashia, we must double down our efforts to ensure that all trans people across the state have access to jobs, education, housing, and safe neighborhoods. Rest in power, sister.

***
As of right now, no word about a memorial service or arrangements.

Rest in power and peace, Vontashia.  Your trans family won't rest until the person who took your all too brief life is brought to justice.

   

Cis Woman Misgendered In Detroit Restaurant Suing

It's actually old news, but in light of the injustice that happened here Tuesday, I'm expecting it to happen here soon in the wake of all the lies unleashed by the haters in this HERO campaign.

It points out the absurdity of 'bathroom bills' like the one proposed and that thankfully died in committee in this 2015 Texas legislative session by GOP state reps Debbie Does Discrimination Riddle, and Gilbert 'Don't Want Them Transkids To Pee' Pena.

Lexie Cannes reports about an ugly situation that took place at Detroit's Fishbone's Rhythm Kitchen Cafe in Detroit's Greektown area back in June in which 30 year old Cortney Bogorad was jacked up by a security guard who deputized himself to be a gender policeman, accused her of being a 'boy', and alleges he violently carried her through the restaurant and threw her to the ground outside the restaurant..

On June 23 she and her attorney David Pontes filed a lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court after attempts to mediate this incident were unsuccessful.

"The bottom line is I know my gender better than anyone else and I'm going to walk into the right restroom," said Bogorad. "Even when I was questioned, I tried to provide my ID. It shouldn't have gone any further than that."

Nope it shouldn't have.  But because FOX Noise and the conservafool movement have now decided to demonize the trans community, the unintended consequences of that anti-trans hate will unfortunately fall on women like Bogorad who don't fit society's ideas of what a woman should look like.

Sick Of You Washington Media Peeps Disrespecting My Departed Sister Zella

It's bad enough that we US based trans people have lost 22 trans women to anti-trans violence this year with the latest being Zella Ziona Smith a few days ago

It's even more infuriating when their local media outlets add insult and disrespect to their memories by misgendering them.

And it happens far too often to murdered trans women of color.

Once again for you media peeps who refuse to get the message, since 2001 the AP Stylebook has guidelines has guidelines that tell you how you should cover trans people.

transgender-Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.  If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the individuals live publicly.

Translation: transgender woman = use female pronouns in story. Transgender male = use  male pronouns in story.   We determine that by gender presentation, not genitalia. .
GLAAD has a media guide you can peruse in addition to the NLGJA one.  
Once again, we have a trans sister in Zella Ziona Smith murdered, and the local media get it totally wrong by referring to a trans feminine person  as a 'transgender man'

Yeah FOX5, WTOP, I'm talking about you and your messed up stenography in this case so far.

Now let's try to once again get you media peeps to understand a concept so simple that even the GEICO caveman will get it.   A transgender woman is a woman, a transgender man is a man.

It is also not necessary for a reader to know Zella's dead  name or add to the story the problematic lines 'her legal name is ______' or 'born as'.  You have already let your readers know that Zella is a trans feminine person by stating that fact in the headline or opening paragraph of the story or in your opening commentary

Throwing the old name in the story is disrespectful, unnecessary (and in some cases triggering) to the trans community and the people who knew and loved Zella.

If we mere bloggers easily get this and consistently write stories with this in mind since we sadly have had way too much practice over the last few years doing so, what's your problem Washington media?

It's not like you are not going to have the situation of not compiling a  story about a transperson ever again because we make up 3% of the population in the Washington metro area and elsewhere.

And may I remind you that some of the people you write or broadcast these news stories for are transgender people  depending upon you as the professional journalists to get it right the first time.

 

Misgendering Attacks On A Black Woman's Femininity Aren't Funny

Someone in a spasm of creativity decided to do a parody of the Caitlyn Jenner Vanity Fair cover in which they stuck Wendy Williams on a fictional EBONY magazine cover with the caption 'Call Me Walter'.

While I have major issues with Wendy Williams problematically using transphobia in her rise to shock-jock radio and television fame, insultingly misgendering Viola Davis in 2012 for daring to wear natural hair on the Oscar red carpet, and another incident in which she repeated debunked stereotypes about trans athletes on her talk show,  at the same time I've also had a major problem with people, and especially the Black gossip blogosphere misgendering her.

The reason I have such a problem with it is because of the 'Black Unwoman Meme, the femininity of Black women has been under attack for four centuries by whiteness and white supremacy.   It infuriates me when Black people participate in the demonization of our own women.

Transmisogyny is not just aimed at Black trans women, it is also aimed at any cis Black woman deemed to not measure up to subjective beauty standards not designed with us in mind.

Misgendering is one of the methods that critics have used to attack any Black woman they don't like, with the most recent examples of that type of misgendering being Venus and Serena Williams, Brittney Griner, Fantasia, Ciara and First Lady Michelle Obama.

If you didn't find the attacks on the FLOTUS' femininity by Joan Rivers and right wingers humorous, then for the sake of consistency neither are those attacks warranted or humorous when they are aimed at Wendy Williams or any other Black woman.

Read Your AP Stylebook, Robert Littal

Nothing gets me more pissed off than seeing media stenographers misgender a murdered transwoman

It's even more infuriating when one of my own people does it.

The latest stenographer to try it is Ms. Robert Littal of Black Sports Online.

In this waste of bandwith article discussing the arrest of Underwood's boyfriend Carlton Ray Champion for her murder, Miss Littal misgendered Ty, disrespectfully used the dead name, and referred to our fallen sister as a 'transgendered male'

News flash for you Miss Littal.   Ty Underwood is a transgender female.  If you can't tell the difference then you need to have several seats in a human sexuality class and take copious notes when they cover Transgender 101..

Meanwhile let me hip you to the pertinent section of the AP Stylebook that covers how to report on transgender people since you have demonstrated you don't have a clue about that subject.

Now pay very, very close attention.   These are the AP Stylebook guidelines that have been in place since 2001 for reporting on transgender people. .

transgender-Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.

If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the individuals live publicly.

If I as a mere award winning blogger can easily grasp that concept, surely you as a grad of The Ohio State University can as well.

Robert, a male to female transperson is a transgender woman or a transwoman, NOT a 'transgendered male'.  

You also use FEMININE pronouns when referring to that trans feminine person.

But you would have known that Robert had you referred to the AP Stylebook, The National Gay And Lesbian Journalism Assn (NGLJA) guide or GLAAD's guides

But since you went for the salacious headline and misgendering story, and tried to weakly justify it by claiming you were going to follow the police report, as we say in Texas, that dog won't hunt, and I'm calling your ass out on it.

Far from being an 'unusual story', it's an all too common one when it comes to the murders of African-American trans women and some media person posthumously misgendering or disrespecting them..

I am sick and tired of Black stenographers (you don't deserve the title of journalist or reporter) murdering my fallen sisters in the media by misgendering them because of ignorance or transphobic hatred. 

There's no excuse for it when you have this marvelous invention called Google to help you out if you have questions about how to respectfully cover us.

And by not using the correct pronouns in this story, you are not only disrespecting and dismissing Ty Underwood's FEMININE life, you are feeding the anti-trans animus that has led to what is now 17 trans women that have been killed since June 2014

Reclaiming My Inner Diva Again

Yesterday afternoon I was waiting from my bus downtown to take me back to my new crib in the Heights.   

One of the things I have been battling in addition to my transphobic aunt and uncle is the misgendering I endured while I was there for the last four years. 

It had a much deeper effect on me that I expected    I'd stopped getting my nails done (and some of that was for fiscal reasons) and was having more of those unpretty episodes than I cared to admit.

Lately I wasn't feeling like the fly Black woman of trans experience  I've been evolving into for the last 20 years, and that was bothering me as well.

While I was waiting for the bus, I noted this fly sister with a cinnamon brown skin tone strutting north up Travis St in her nice dress, black patent pumps with bare legs, and perfect makeup and nails.

I'm always on the lookout for sistahs who got it going on in terms of their feminine presentation to see what lessons I can learn and implement in my own routine.  While checking her out noticed that she had the white uneven skin patches around her feet and the back parts of her shapely legs of vitiligo.

She held her head high and kept strutting up that sidewalk as if she was the finest thing walking in Downtown Houston that particular moment, and frankly, girlfriend had curves to go with it. 

She did teach me a lesson that I took home that afternoon   Some of us trans women get so beat down with all the negativity we experience, it sometimes causes us to question our hard won femininity and try to tone it down to please others. 

The only person I have to please is myself.    Now that I'm taking my first steps back to being on my own, I'm going to do a better job of rocking my inner diva.  

Not just for me, but hey, I have competition.   My little sisters ain't playing, they are bringing their A+ beauty games to the transfeminine party, and I have younglings that look up to me as a role model now.

Some of my trans sisters in my age group are no slouches either when it comes to projecting the types of women they want to present to the world either.

So yeah, gotta role model what aging gracefully looks like.    So where's the nearest nail shop to my new place?

Tired Of The Williams Sisters Getting Disrespected

One of the things that will set me off in a hurry is when misgendering is aimed at Black women from the girls in the 'hood to Michelle Obama, the First Lady of the United States

And far too often, some of the peeps gleefully doing so are Black men.

It's part of the four century old attack on Black femininity, and one of the frequent targets of these sexist and racist misgendering attacks are my fave tennis playing siblings, Venus and Serena Williams.

And frankly, I'm beyond sick and tired of it.  

They were thrust into the news when Shamil Tarpischev, the head of the Russian Tennis Federation and one of the Russian reps on the International Olympic Committee, opened his mouth and misgendered Venus and Serena.

Tarpischev made the comments during an appearance on a Russian TV talk show this month alongside former Olympic singles champion Elena Dementieva. When Dementieva was asked what it was like playing against the Williams sisters, Tarpischev interjected and called them the "Williams brothers." He also said that "it's scary when you really look at them."

Tarpischev is probably mad because the Williams sisters routinely beat the Russian women on the WTA tour and elsewhere in the world.   .

Tarpischev tried to claim the usual 'it was a joke' and my 'comments were taken out of context' defenses, but the WTA isn't laughing.   They suspended him for one year,  fined him $25,000, and are seeking to have him removed as the head of the Kremlin Cup tournament, Russia's only WTA event.

 Maria Sharapova also had a problem with Tarpischev's comments. 

"I think they were very disrespectful and uncalled for, and I'm glad that many people have stood up, including the WTA. It was very inappropriate, especially in his position and all the responsibilities that he has not just in sport, but being part of the Olympic committee," Sharapova said.

Serena fired back at a press conference in Singapore, "I think the WTA did a great job of taking (the) initiative and taking immediate action to his comments," Williams said Sunday ahead of her WTA Finals  defense. "I thought they were very insensitive and extremely sexist as well as racist at the same time. I thought they were in a way bullying."

And I'm getting tired of successful Black women getting misgendered.  Good for the WTA in calling this crap out that was aimed at the Williams sisters, and society needs to chill ,too..

Hawaiian Trans Teen Missing

I'll slam the KITV-TV peeps about the misgendering in their report later, but first tings first, lets find the child.  Every second past 48 hours that this child continues to remain missing increases the chances she won't be found.

Christian Kukahiko was last seen at her home November 9 at approximately 3 PM local time at her home in Maunawili.

She is 15 years old, approximately 6 feet tall and 230 pounds,  She has black hair with red highlights and a tattoo on her lower back with her last name "Kukahiko."

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call CrimeStoppers at (808) 955-8300, or *CRIME on your cellular phone. Free cellular calls are provided by AT&T, Nextel Hawaii, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless Hawaii, Mobi PCS, and Hawaiian Telcom. The public may now send anonymous text and web tips. Text "CS808" plus your message to 274637 or CRIMES.

Now a note to KITV-TV and the media.

Per the AP Stylebook:

transgender-Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.
If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the individuals live publicly.

Looks like Chris has acquired the characteristics and outward presentation of a young female, and should be addressed as SHE or with other feminine pronouns.   Granted there may be family members that stubbornly say otherwise, but those of us NOT in Chris' family may only know her by a femme name or feminine pronouns. 

Referring to a person we know in the trans community only by female presentation, name and femme pronouns by a masculine name and the wrong pronouns will draw quizzical looks from us, slow your investigation down, and may separate you from vital information you may need that is available in out trans community to help solve this case.  

So yeah, KITV-TV, get busy changing the pronouns to conform to AP Stylebook guidelines.

According to my friend and Hawaiian resident Laurie Cicotello, there is no new information in this case. 

She also expressed the fear that is shared by many people on and off the islands (myself included) that because of the recent 55 day special session to pass marriage equality that stirred up much anti-TBLG hatred on the island, someone may have seen her and decided to take out their rage and frustration concerning this issue on her.

I hope and pray that's not the case and Chris returns home for Christmas.   But will keep you TransGriot readers posted concerning any developments in this missing trans teen case.   

Tampa Area Media, Read Your AP Stylebook

White I was happy about how the Tavares Spencer trial turned out in terms of being tried as an adult for his hate crime perpetrated upon Ms. McDonald, and convicted of all five charges yesterday in his attempted murder trial, one thing I was NOT happy about was the repeated misgendering in the Tampa media of Coko McDonald

Tampa Bay Times , Bradenton Herald and other area media, Coko McDonald is not a 'transgender man', 'a crossdresser', 'really a man' or a 'man dressed as a woman', she is a transgender woman and as such, feminine pronouns should have been used to describe Ms. McDonald in any story you wrote or broadcast about her.

Several Tampa area television stations weren't much better in reporting this story either and I am more than beyond sick and tired of being sick and tired of African-American trans women being disrespected in the media in life and death.  

Coko was the one who was shot and robbed by Spencer, remember Tampa media?    
 
Sigh.  Let's do this once again and review what the AP Stylebook has said since 2001 about the coverage of transgender people in the media.

transgender-Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.

If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the individuals live publicly.

Translation: transgender woman=use female pronouns in story. Transgender male=use male pronouns in story.   GLAAD has a media guide you can peruse in addition to the NLGJA in case you are confused about something so simple even the GEICO caveman gets it. 

So did WPTV-TV, the NBC affiliate.  They got it.  

So let's see Tampa media if you get it right when i comes time to sentence Tavares Spencer and beyond when it comes to reporting on trans people, because this won't be the first or the last time you'll encounter a transperson as you do your jobs..

I Define Me: A Trans Movement for Awareness And Self-Validation

TransGriot Note: Guest post by Bryanna Aeon Jenkins.

How do I begin? I am a proud black woman of trans experience (24 Years Old) and I am not backing down anymore. Let me start off by saying that I am hurt, tired, and I am definitely ready to make a change. I am so tired of people getting to tell the world who I am, shout it from the mountain tops for everyone to hear and see, while I am told that I should just deal with it because I am deranged and crazy anyway, or the ever famous “that’s my opinion and I’m entitled to it.”

I am tired of people religiously believing the opinions of trans phobic black gay men and black lesbians, while what I say, which is based on factual knowledge, feeling, and personal experience is denied, diminished, and dismissed. I was under the false assumption that when I transitioned in the fall of 2008 I was in a LGBT community that loved me, accepted me, understood me, and would defend me when I didn’t have the strength to do it for myself.

What a foolish and misguided young girl I really was. 

It's is now on this day, Friday September 27, 2013, that I declare LGBT is not a community as we have all be conditioned to think. We have to be very mindful of the words that we use to define and call ourselves because the world will treat us as such, a very good friend had to remind me of that.

Community implies a group of people who are similar and who share common interests and beliefs. On this journey from 2008 to now I have found these things to be untrue of LGBT people, we are not the same nor were we ever meant to be. We are a coalition at best, a group of different factions of people who come together for the purpose of organizing and achieving a common goal, but that is simply where all similarities end.  We as trans people have got to stop hiding in the shadows of gay and lesbian people who are not our community and who do not have our best interests at heart. Only we know what is best for us. This is truly a matter of life and death.

To the transphobic gay and lesbian people who do not understand our struggle, nor want to for that matter because they see us a shame or burden, you do not have the permission to publicly spread untruths, misinformation, and stereotypes for the world to hear about who I am and about what I represent to the world.

I was enraged when I saw a video posting of the popular YouTube show “The Skorpion Show”, that is hosted by Kevin Simmons and Makael McLendon, say on a global platform that Trans-Women are all gay because we are born with penis’, as if they are the authorities on the subject of who we are. Then in a subsequent video they defended their myopic and detrimental views about what we are. The show's creator Kevin Simmons even when on to say that we (trans women) are still gay and are really men, but he will call us women just to respect us. NEWS FLASH: I don’t want your respect if it comes at the price of compromising the essence of what me and my trans brothers and sisters really are, and this goes beyond physically passing in society. When I tried to reach out to the show's creator I was blatantly told that he didn’t want any education on the subject of trans people and I can’t get mad at his opinions.

However let's be really clear.  When you're are at the forefront of a public platform where your viewers are watching your opinions and receiving them as fact then you have a social responsibility to put out accurate and correct information. Also if you have little knowledge about a topic, especially on one that is complex as the transgender spectrum, then it is up to you as the deliverer of this topic to be as educated as you possibly can be.

The fact is that you need a certain level of educational clarity in order to accurately discuss the issue of trans people. Making comments based off of ill formed opinions only works to further perpetuate stereotypes and misperceptions about the trans community. Many of these stereotypes and misperceptions are the basis for hate crimes against trans people, discrimination in the fields of healthcare, legal systems, and the workforce, and the misunderstanding from our familial bases.

I am not mad because of what they said  I have become accustomed to the worst treatment from trans phobic gay and lesbian people. It was the fact that the creator of the show did not want to invest the same time and energy into promoting the correct facts about trans people for the world to hear and receive. The bigger picture is that “The Skorpion Show” is a microcosm of Black gay and lesbian intolerance and Black societal intolerance as a whole when it comes to trans people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me4GA8ytQDg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Apknk5z-IRY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISYPMigh4bw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycJmEexXkdY

I partially have myself to blame for this situation because I should have addressed it when this issue of disrespecting trans women was a common theme throughout their show since 2008, but I foolishly remained passive and thought things would get better on their own because we were all one community.

There goes that damn word again, “COMMUNITY”. 

Like I said I was foolish. I know that there is no such thing as an LGBT community, which is just a term by the hetero-normative community to put us all into one box that was never meant for us to be in initially. However, there is a trans community full of pride, full of dignity, and full of respect. When I publicly disavowed my support for “The Skorpion Show” and its creator Kevin Simmons, because of the show's lack of accurate depictions and discussion of trans people, many girls from my own sisterhood told me that I should let it go and wash my hands of the situation. I get where they come from because sometimes as a trans person you get so tired and weighed down by having to defend your worth to people who refuse to open their minds and ultimately their hearts.

Then I think what if those Black kids at the Woolworth’s lunch counter had simply kept walking past that “WHITES ONLY” counter and said. "Not today" or if those trans people like Miss Major, who was a part of the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion, said "Bitch, Imma just get locked, I don’t feel like fighting today". We young trans women have got to shake the foundation to create changes and put in transphobic people's faces exactly what they don’t want to see…trans people who are grounded, assertive, and comfortable with who they are and what they put out to the world.

Trans people are not a subset of anybody’s group. We are our own legitimate cause and until the day comes where there is no more breath in this body I will continue to fight for what fair and for what is right.

I don’t ever want to see another transphobic gay or lesbian person accept another dollar of government funding, accept LGBT media awards (http://blackweblogawards.com/past-winners/), or indulge in the fruits of the mainstream acceptance of gays and lesbians that was gained on the backs of the suffering and degrading of trans people, certainly those of color.

I do not want to go to another funeral of one my fallen sisters, where not only is she purposefully misgendered by societal media, but she is also misgendered by her family who refuses to accept the reality of her unique position in life and ultimately why she had to leave this earth in an all too common violent way. We are here, We are authentic, We exist, We can speak for ourselves and we will not remain silent anymore!

To the allies who fully understand the conversation, I want you to feel empowered to encourage us trans people to tell our own stories because WE have to be at the forefront of our own movement if things are to ever change

We New Black Transwomen Define Us, Not You

The New Black Transwoman is an outspoken advocate for the dignity of herself and all transwomen, and refuses to submit quietly to anti-trans oppression and injustice.  

She is grounded in her spirituality, constantly evolving on her feminine journey and strives to be a compliment to Black womanhood and not regarded a joke or detriment to it.  

She fearlessly tackles the shame, guilt and fear issues we face and expresses pride in being a Black transwoman.   --TransGriot. Birth of the New Black Transwoman   July 20, 2012

It seems as though some peeps have a problem with New Black Transwomen standing up for ourselves, owning our power and calling out people who disrespect, denigrate and dehumanize us. 

And sadly, some of those people are in our own Black LGB and Black community ranks    

If you fall into that category and have a problem with African descended transwomen standing up for themselves and their humanity (and you know who you are) that's too damned bad. 

We are no longer going to allow disinformation and misgendering of Black transwomen to go unchallenged.by friend, foe or frenemy inside or outside this community.  We are tired of the media misgendering our people in life and death and getting a 'tude when we call them on their bull feces.  We are tired of misguided Black politicians hypocritically voting against human rights laws and ordinances that will go a long way toward helping to solve many of the problems that ail our community because you fail to grasp the concept that Black trans issues are Black community issues.  

We are more than fed up with the misguided gay and straight Black cisgender people who arrogantly assert they know more about our trans lives than we do.  We're sick of their loud and wrong commentary about Black trans women when they have never walked in our pumps and won't STFU and listen when we try to tell them our stories.  

Enough is enough.   If you truly wish to be a standup trans ally to our community and intelligently talk about chococentric trans issues, 'ejumacate' yourself first. 

Google and Bing are your easily accessible tools to help you gain that Trans 101 and beyond knowledge you'll need to facilitate these much needed Black family conversations.  

There's also an increasingly long list of African American trans women of all ages who are eminently qualified and willing to discuss our lives at a Trans 201 and beyond level and the challenging issues we face.

And that's before we even get started talking about the issues that our trans sisters in the rest of the African Diaspora face in the Caribbean, the Americas, and Continental Africa.

We New Black Transwomen define us, not anyone else.   We are the experts at living our trans feminine lives and navigating our 21st century world in them.  If you're spouting falsehoods and lies about our trans feminine community, we have every right to confront and call it out because we are tired of your lies and disinformation getting our trans younglings killed.

The ongoing online and offline internal trans definition conversations are happening in our own ranks as we speak.  They are happening on our Afrocentric print and video blogs, in our online groups, at conferences, at community meetings and amongst each other.  

We New Black Transwomen are part of the diverse mosaic of human life and interwoven in the kente cloth fabric of African-American life.  We desire sisterhood not only with each other but with our Black cisgender sisters. 

We New Black Transwomen simply want to live our lives in peace and relatively drama free tranquility.   We not only want to see our trans younglings get to experience their 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th birthdays, we want to work toward our ultimate goal of being a valued part of the greater society.
 
The sooner you realize that, the sooner we New Black Transwomen can use our talents, education, and skills to benefit not only our own community, but uplift ourselves and our people as well.  

Nefertiti, Read Your AP Stylebook

Nefertiti Jaquez until January 2013 used to be an award winning reporter and part time anchor working for KPRC-TV, our local NBC affiliate here in H-town.

She now works for the NBC affiliate in Philadelphia, and it's why I'm majorly disappointed to hear that in this unfolding case in which Charles Sargent has been arrested for killing and dismembering a girl like us, the story about it misgendered the victim, the 'male prostitute' angle was highlighted, an old arrest record and mugshot was plastered all over it without any attempt at balance in terms of finding anyone in the trans community who knew the victim.

View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

The How Not To Report On Black Transpeople playbook was followed once again to perfection..

But then again Nefertiti, if you'd taken the time to call the William Way Center to balance this story out or use the femme name once you discovered the person was trans, maybe you would have quickly found someone who knows Ms. Williams by her femme name. 

The reason you're getting pushback from trans community people all over the country and GLAAD is that we have this crap happen far too often.  It happens far too frequently with trans victims of color and were beyond sick and tired of being sick and tired of it..

BTW, here's what the AP Stylebook says about reporting on transgender people.

transgender-Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.

If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the individuals live publicly.

Translation.  If the transperson in question has acquired the outward physical appearance of a female regardless of the genitalia configuration between their legs, they are a transgender female and need to be referred to with feminine pronouns and a feminine name.   If the transperson in question has acquired the outward characteristic of a male regardless of the genitalia configuration between their legs, then that person is a transgender male and need to be referred to with masculine pronouns and a masculine name.

One of the reasons we're getting more combative about insisting on respectful media coverage for transpeople is because potential jurors that watch these misgendering and sensationalized reports are being poisoned with this slanted anti-trans coverage that could result in the murder victim at trial not getting justice and the alleged killer going free.

Granted we realize you were possibly on a deadline to get it out, or you possibly received incorrect gender info from the PPD about Ms. Williams, but whoever is doing the fact checking or research needs to be aware of that and ask that question, especially when the killer says he committed the deed because he discovered he 'slept with a man'.

That's a hint and a half that you're dealing with a trans woman, and questions you need to ask to get a story respectful to the victim need to change to fit this situation. 

TransGriot Update:  Been advised by several Philly activists Ms. Williams femme name is Diamond.  As soon as I get or can find femme pictures of her, I'll post them on subsequent posts about this case instead of that jacked up mugshot.

 

WWLT-TV, I Find Your Lack Of AP Stylebook Trans Understanding Disturbing

Why in Hades is it so hard for professional journalists to get this breathtakingly simple concept?

Per the AP Stylebook:

transgender-Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.

If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the individuals live publicly.

Once again (sigh), we have another example of media misgendering of a transperson.

This person is being sought by the New Orleans po-po's as a suspect in a French Quarter robbery.   BTW, if you have info in that regard, call New Orleans Crimestoppers

But back to riffing on the media again.   WWLT-TV's report was in violation of the AP Stylebook guidelines for reporting on trans people.  Since they have shown no aptitude for being able to read the English language version of the AP Stylebook  the TransGriot is going to have to go back to her earlier blog policy of showing them by example how it should have been done.

(Moni cracks knuckles)

NEW ORLEANS - Police are searching for a suspect they describe as a transgender female who they say robbed a man while walking on Bourbon St.

According to police, the robbery happened early Tuesday morning at around 5:25.

According to police spokesman, Frank Robertson, the suspect reportedly approached the victim and tried to start a conversation, then two other suspects appeared, and attacked the man. They then took his wallet and money.

Police say they are searching for a Transgender African American female, 5’07” to 6’00” tall, in her mid-20’s to early 30’s. If you have any information that could help police, call CRIMESTOPPERS at 822-1111.

***

See, now that wasn't so hard was it WWLT-TV?    You might as well start now practicing how to get these descriptions of trans people consistently right since you have a large concentration of my trans peeps in the New Orleans metro area.    It will not be the first or last time you have to accurately report on a trans person in New Orleans, so get used to doing it. . 

And since it's more accurate, it might even lead to the capture of said suspect instead of the confusion you sowed when you wrote the aforementioned piece describing a person with a feminine gender presentation as a man.

Your Point In This Misgendering Kara Article Is?

While perusing the Net for some interesting stories to comment on, I stumbled across this one about Kara Nicole Hays, the 26 year old trans Britney Spears fan who has spent $70,000 in surgeries, hormones, et cetera to look like the pop singer.   

Kara asserts in the NY Daily News article she hasn't had any work on her face because she fortunately resembles Spears.

While I have more productive uses for $70,000 if I were blessed to get that kind of money to stick in my bank account, if it makes her happy to look like Britney, I ain't mad at Kara for living her life to the best of her ability.   But what I didn't appreciate along with the transphobic remarks in the comment sections was the misgendering of  Kara.   

But then again I long ago ceased to expect quality journalism about #girlslikeus in a town with a tabloid in the New York Post that routinely stoops to the ignorant common denominator when it comes to writing about our trans lives.  The paper of record in the NY Times isn't much better lately when it comes to writing about trans people and now here comes the NY Daily News in the misgendering sweepstakes.. 

That doesn't mean I'll give up the fight to have journalists live up to the AP Stylebook standards when it comes to reporting and writing about transpeople and insisting they be followed to the letter

That's a nice segue into me calling out the author of this piece, Lindsay Goldwert.  
.  
Yo Lindsay, a 'transgender man'  is a transman.  Kara is a 'transgender woman' or transwoman.  The title of the article you wrote was also borderline insulting..

It also isn't a new thing for me to see someone go through surgical procedures to look like a celebrity.  In Houston back in the 80's and early 90's we had a female illusionist named Rhonda Blake who loved and resembled Cher, and had surgical enhancements done to perfect her look.  Unfortunately one of the things she had done on her road to to achieving Cher perfection was silicone pumping, and a botched procedure killed her.

But back to the post.
 
I have to ask Lindsay Goldwert what was the point in writing this article?  So Kara is a trans Britney Spears fan who has the genetics, ability, cash flow and desire to look like her idol.  At least she chose a living person to emulate.  

That's more than I can say for 51 year old Sarah Burge of Great Britain, who spent over $500,000 to look like Barbie and her competition in 21 year old Ukranian Valeria Lukyanova   

Burge is now handing surgery vouchers to her now 8 year old daughter and Botox shot to her 15 year old one. 

If by writing the post you were attempting to suggest that having surgical procedures to look like a celebrity is a transgender thang, it isn't.   I've already given you two examples of ciswomen who did so just to emulate a plastic doll and ciswomen also have plastic surgery to look like women they idolize, too.

And let's not forget about all the Michael Jackson impersonators who kept plastic surgeons in business during the 80's and 90's.

Williams Sisters Win, Cue Racist And Transphobic Slurs

Didn't take long for the haters to start posting racist negativity aimed at the Williams sisters as they had a very successful fortnight at 'Williams'-don and captured the Ladies singles and doubles titles.

Loved this post by NewBlackMan (In Exile) Entitled 'Ain't I A Champion?'

If you think I'm kidding about the racist negativity, just peruse some of the comments that were directed at her on Twitter this week.

Today a giant gorilla escaped the zoo and won the womens title at Wimbledon... oh that was Serena Williams? My mistake.

      Serena Williams is a gorilla

     Watching tennis and listening to dad talk about how Serena Williams looks like gorilla from the mist

     I don't see how in the hell men find Serena Williams attractive?! She looks like a male gorilla in a dress, just saying!

   
You might as well just bang a gorilla if you're going to bang Serena Williams

     Earlier this week I said that all female tennis players were good looking. I was clearly mistaken:

The Gorilla aka Serena Williams.

      serena williams looks like a gorilla

      Serena Williams is half man, half gorilla! I'm sure of it.

     Serena Williams look like a man with tits, its only when she wears weave she looks female tbh, what a HENCH BOLD GORILLA!

       
Serena Williams is a gorilla in a skirt playing tennis #Wimbledon

      My god Serena Williams is ugly! She’s built like a silver backed gorilla

      I would hate to come across Serena Williams in a dark alley #nightmare #gorilla #notracist

      Serena williams is one of the ugliest human beings i've ever seen #Gorilla

Note to you scientifically illiterate bigots.   Gorillas also look like this.

I don't hear you comparing those Eastern European tennis playing amazons who lose to the Williams sisters on a regular basis on the world tennis tour to this animal, calling them ugly or men. 

I'm just sayin'. 

But I'm more than a little sick of the Williams sisters getting 'unwoman' shade spat at them by you haters who bitterly resent the fact that international tennis since 1999 has been dominated by two Black women who grew up in Compton.

Serena went through the defending Wimbledon champ in Kvitova, the presumptive world number one and 2012 Australian Open champ in Azarenka and Radwanska to get her fifth Venus (Williams) Rosewater Dish, so yeah she earned it.

You haters want so desperately to write them off, ignore their accomplishments and their status as two of the greatest tennis players in the game, but they continue to win Grand Slams.  You resent the fact the Williams sisters have had injuries, battled illnesses stared death in the face and still come back after an almost two year layoff to spank those behinds on the various world tennis courts. 

By the way, in case you weren't aware of this, the 2012 Olympic tennis tournament will be conducted at the All England Club.  Who are the defending tennis doubles gold medallists?   Serena and Venus.  . 

And still they rise.   They look damned good doing it too.