Harris County Commissioners Court Issues TDOR Resolution

Blue elections have positive consequences, and one of those happy consequences was after over a decade of GOP control, we finally flipped the Harris County Commissioners Court, our county's governing body to blue with the elections of Lina Hidalgo as our first Latina county judge and Adrian Garcia in the heavily Latinx Precinct 2.

Earlier at today's Commissioners Court meeting, Commissioner Adrian Garcia offered and got passed a resolution noting that this was the 20th anniversary year of the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

It was signed by the Democratic members of Commissioners Court in Commissioners Garcia and Rodney Ellis and County Judge Lina Hidalgo.  As you probably guessed, the signatures that were noticeably absent from the resolution were those of Republican commissioners R. Jack Cagle and Steve Radack. 

Radack is unfortunately my commissioner (for now), and has been on Commissioners Court since 1980.   He is thankfully up for reelection next year.   Cagle barely survived a challenge from Penny Morales Shaw for his seat in 2018.

Looking forward to firing Radack's disco era azz

Thanks to Judge Hidalgo, and Commissioners Garcia and Ellis for recognizing trans Harris County residents and the importance of TDOR to us.

NAACP Passes Pro-Trans Resolution!

You longtime TransGriot readers are quite aware that I have been calling out for years the NAACP's cricket chirping silence when it comes to what is happening to Black transgender people .

They are the oldest civil rights organization in our community, and whether you feel that way or not, the 110 year old  NAACP's voice is still respected in the progressive civil rights community and with elements of our people.

I have urged them to not only say the words 'Black trans lives matter' from their convention stage, but pushed for NAACP state and local chapters to take action to make sure those words, when they are finally spoken publically, are backed up with policy.

Today, I was thrilled to hear that a resolution supporting the trans community was passed yesterday by the delegates of the 110th NAACP convention in Detroit!

The resolution reads:

Be it resolved that the NAACP will work with all of its Units to work to support equal protection for transgender individuals so that all members of our community can live free of violence, shame and discrimination.

This is a huge win for the Black trans community!  One of our legacy civil rights orgs has actually passed a resolution that acknowledges our existence. 

We in Black Trans World want all members of our Black community to be free from violence, shame and discrimination.   It's imperative that we at least get the process and conversation started about how we do so for Black trans individuals in collaboration with the NAACP before we start plunking down our T-bills for memberships.

Hopefully this opens the doors for conversations with the Black trans community as to the best way to accomplish coordinated action that makes a reality the goal set forth in that resolution.

NABJ Passes Resolution Condemning Trump Attacks On Journalists

As someone who writes for a living, I have been appalled at the Trump misadministration repeatedly attacks journalists. He has gone as far to call them 'The Enemy of the People' 

The problem with that dangerous rhetoric is twofold.   A free press is essential to a democracy.

The other problem is that his knuckle dragging lemmings will potentially take that rhetoric to heart and go beyond simply yelling at journalists they don't like and start physically attacking or killing them as was recently done in Maryland at the Capital Gazette.

At their national board meeting in the wake of the just concluded National Association of Black Journalists convention and Career Fair in Detroit, the NABJ Board of Directors unanimously approved the following resolution condemning Trump's attacks on the media 

At the national board meeting following the NABJ Convention & Career Fair in Detroit, the board approved the following resolution:

***

"Whereas President Trump or his aides have excluded a reporter from a White House briefing for asking unwanted questions; 

Whereas President Trump has suggested taking away journalists' press credentials because of perceived negative coverage; 

Whereas President Trump has repeatedly and unjustly labeled much of the news media as "fake news"; 

Whereas President Trump has called the news media "very unpatriotic"; 

Whereas President Trump has described journalists as the "enemy of the people"; 

Whereas supporting and protecting journalists is consistent with the National Association of Black Journalists, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that takes no position on governmental policies and programs; 

Therefore, the National Association of Black Journalists rejects and condemns any statement and action by President Trump and his administration that are detrimental to freedom of the press."

***

The NABJ's 43rd annual convention drew over 3000 journalists, media professionals, students and thought leaders attendees to the Motor City from August 1-5.

I hope I can make it to next year's convention in Miami, and if I can't, I definitely want to be in DC for the joint NABJ-NAHJ one in 2020.   The NABJ Convention is coming to me in Houston in 2021.

Back to the post. 

In addition, the NABJ Board discussed conducting a study on Trump and the media, and reporting the findings by the 2019 NABJ convention in Miami. NABJ is interested in hearing from organizations, educational institutions, individuals and entities that may be interested in partnering with them on this study.

If you are, you can contact: study@nabj.org.



 

Fellowship Of Affirming Ministries Trans Support Resolution

During the Friday City Hall vigil for Shante and Willie, a resolution was read by Pastor Freedom K.D. Gulley of Progressive Open Door Christian Center at the event expressing support for the Houston trans community.

Here is the full text of the April 15 resolution that was signed by Pastor Gulley and Rev Alex D. Byrd, the Southern Regional Bishop for the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries.

***

Resolution of Support and Action
April 15, 2016

Whereas, a double murder occurred on Sunday, April 10, 2016 in the midtown area of the city of Houston involving a young transgender woman, Shante Thompson and a young man Willie Sims.

Whereas, The fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM) has been committed to providing pastoral care to transgender men and women, and protecting their civil rights since its inception in 1999, as evidenced by the TransSaints ministry,

Whereas. the South Region of TFAM includes the city of Houston, Texas and two churches which provides direct pastoral care to transgender men and women in their congregations and within the communities they serve,

Whereas, we are concerned about the negative perceptions, biases and discrimination of the public in regards to transgender men and women and how such attitudes may impact the way these murders will be perceived in the public, governmental and law enforcement arenas,

Whereas, we are compelled by a Christian imperative to speak up for those who are perceived to be the least among us and fight for the causes of justice,

Whereas, we are also compelled by our call to minister to the spiritual needs whom God entrusts in our care, especially those who are respected and marginalized by society,

Be it resolved that the South Region of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries lends our support to the family of Ms. Shante Thompson and Mr. Willie Sims.  We offer our prayers, our actions and our ear to you--- weeping as you weep and fighting as you fight the good fight.  We stand  with our arms open without judgment or shame representing the love of our God which is eternal and without respect of person.

Be it further resolved that we stand in solidarity with those who call for justice to be done in this unjust situation. Regardless of the circumstances that may surround it, Shante Thompson and Willie Sims were murdered.  Such acts deserve an unbiased commitment to justice.

Therefore, we are calling for the Houston Police Department and any other law enforcement agency that shall undertake the investigation of these murders to do so without regard to and prejudice or bias against the transgender experience.  We ask that they would treat this case with the same fervor and dignity as they would any other investigation.

We implore the city, the law enforcement agencies, and the news media to respect the lives of the transgender individuals in this case by calling them by the name and gender by which each of them have been known to self-identify.

We further pray that justice be served against the perpetrators of this crime.  We wholly expect that a fair trial and due process be given to anyone indicted in this matter.

This is our calling and our service to Christ and to the people we serve.  To this call we hereto put our hand and faith.

Done this 15th day of April Two Thousand Sixteen,

Rev. Alex D. Byrd
Regional Bishop for the South

Pastor Freedom K.D. Gulley, D. Min.
Member of the Executive Council for the South Region            .

UN Human Rights Council Passes LGBT Resolution

The good TBLG rights news just keeps on coming internationally

The United Nations Human Rights Council after an hour of debate, has passed by a 25-14 margin with seven abstentions an LGBT human rights resolution that condemns discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation

The resolution was proposed a month ago by Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay.   There were seven amendments proposed by nations opposed to the LGBT resolution designed to strip mentioning gender identity and sexual orientation that were soundly defeated.

The nations voting for passage of the resolution were Argentina, Austria, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Montenegro, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, South Africa, Macedonia, the U.K., the United States, Venezuela and Vietnam.

The nations opposed were Algeria, Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Indonesia, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The nations abstaining were Burkina Faso, China, Congo, India, Kazakhstan, Namibia and Sierra Leone.

The passage of the amendment was applauded by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC).

"The Human Rights Council has taken a fundamental step forward by reaffirming one of the United Nations’ key principles — that everyone is equal in dignity and rights.” said Jessica Stern, the executive director of IGLHRC. “This resolution puts the UN on a trajectory to address the discrimination and violence LGBT persons suffer daily across the world.”

"The council is confirming that LGBT people have universal human rights,” Stern said. “We know, of course, that the struggle is long, and that we will need the Council to focus on the violations we suffer for many years to come. But for now, we celebrate that the majority of States stood with us to declare, unequivocally, that human rights are for everyone, everywhere.”

Trans and LGB rights issues are international human rights issues, and this vote by the UN Human Rights Council is more evidence this is not only a statement of fact, but our opponents are on the wrong side of human rights history once again.

- See more at: http://www.sdgln.com/news/2014/09/26/breaking-un-human-rights-council-votes-support-lgbt-rights#sthash.M2wVjq9n.dp

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UH-Downtown SGA Unanimously Passes Gender Neutral Restrooms Resolution

Had the opportunity today to observe a little piece of history as UH-Downtown because the second school in the state of Texas and the first college in the Houston metro area to provide gender neutral restrooms on its campus.

Their first general assembly meeting of the 2014 spring semester was no ordinary one.  It had local media, news cameras and a certain blogger present as we watched student leaders debate the merits of Senate Resolution SR2014January10.

It was a proposal to convert six restrooms on the 14,400 student campus as family/gender neutral ones out of the 60 scattered throughout the three buildings that make up the UHD campus.    

It was authored by UHD VP Kristopher Sharp and UHD Senator John Locke (who was also a sponsor).   It had the sponsorship of UHD Senators LaTrina Carter, Michellee Gutierrez, Channalis Chea, Mohammed Mohsin, Kumail Mir, Michelle Gutierrez and Carlos Rodriguez.

It had the support of UHD SGA President Isaac Valdez, student body such as LaKeia Spady and Marie Angel Hernandez, faculty, staff, the administration and the community at large.

Many of the student leaders and student body members who approached the podium spoke in favor of the proposal. 

The authoring of Senate Resolution SR2014January10 was driven by an incident in which a trans student was harassed in a restroom.  In the wake of that incident troubling reports began to emerge that other trans and gender variant UHD students were so uncomfortable using on campus gendered bathrooms they either waited to go home to do so, waited until the restroom in question cleared out so they wouldn't be disturbed, used one at a nearby  area restaurant or didn't drink or eat anything while on campus. 

But it was the moving words of trans student Marie Angel Hernandez after she stepped to the podium that brought the room to its feet with a standing ovation for her when she was done.  
 

The resolution to designate two bathrooms (one male, one female) in each of UHD's three buildings as gender neutral restrooms open to anyone passed unanimously on a 7-0 vote. 

“This is an important step in UHD’s mission to include diversity and inclusion at the cornerstone of everything that we do,” said VP Kristopher Sharp. “With a unanimous passage by our Senate, this truly shows how important this issue is to the UHD community.”

The unanimously passed SGA proposal now goes to the UHD administration, which is expected to approve it.

Congratulations to the student leaders on the UHD campus for showing the community how solving problems is done.  Hopefully other Houston area colleges and our esteemed Houston City Council will follow your sterling example.   

Disciples Of Christ Church Officially Welcomes TBLG People To Its Churches

During the time I was a Texan in Exile in Louisville, Edenside Christian Church, the one I attended from 2001-2010 and was a proud member of was part of the Disciples of Christ (Christian) Church denomination.

I was even prouder to 'slliiiiiiide into Edenside' after the congregation voted in 2008 to become an open and affirming church. 

So I was ecstatic to read that at the recent yearly Disciples of Christ meeting that took place July 13-17 in Orlando they passed Resolution GA 1327 that stated:

“The General Assembly calls upon the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to affirm the faith, baptism and spiritual gifts of all Christians regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and that neither is grounds for exclusion from fellowship or service within the church, but we celebrate that all are part of God’s good creation.”

One of the sponsoring churches for this resolution was our larger and down Bardstown Road neighbor in Douglass Ave Christian Church. 

Translation: If you're a trans, bi or same gender loving person, you are welcome to attend, participate in and become a member of a Disciples of Christ congregation.

There was a July 19 letter from Rev Dr Sharon Watkins, the General Minister and President of the Disciples of Christ Church in the United States and Canada clarifying the intent of this resolution. 

*It is not a statement of “unwelcome” for Disciples who did not support the resolution. All who confess faith in Jesus Christ are welcome. All means all

*It is not a policy change. The congregation where you worship and serve will not be requested to establish (or change) a policy on gay or lesbian persons in the life of the Church. The region where your congregation is affiliated is not required to change its policies on ordination. Your pastor is not required to bless same-gender marriages.

*It is not a theological mandate. It does not say that we have the same biblical understanding of sexual orientation or gender identity. Disciples, prayerfully and with biblical study and other research, come to their own understanding on these matters.

Rev. Watkins' letter goes on to say:  It points out that within the broad membership of Disciples, among the many congregations in covenant with each other, there have always been gay and straight, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender persons who participate fully in the life and leadership of the church. It urges us to treat each other with gospel hospitality as we seek to understand each other better.”

And that's a point I think we can all agree on.   But this is also wonderful news to a TBLG community that has seen far too many efforts by religious denominations to exclude, dehumanize and denigrate it instead of opening their church doors wide to embrace them as fellow human beings and brothers and sisters in Christ.

Caribbean Nations Urged To Adopt OAS TBLG Human Rights Resolutions

TransGriot Note: Rainbow community human rights issues in the Caribbean are still a mixed bag and require much work and improvement.  Press release from The Coalition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transvestite, Transsexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTTTI) Latin American and Caribbean organizations concerning a recent TBLG human rights resolution adopted by the OAS   

The Coalition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transvestite, Transsexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTTTI) Latin American and Caribbean organizations (The Coalition) is calling on all Caribbean states to implement the Organization of American States (OAS) Resolutions on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity. 

During the 42nd General Assembly of the OAS which took place in Cochabamba, Bolivia June 3-5, 2012 a fifth resolution “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” was adopted. A result of long term advocacy of the Coalition, the resolution includes all the issues contained in the previous resolutions which call on Member States to introduce measures against discrimination and human rights violations and to implement public policies.

Additionally, the resolution requests that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) “prepare a study on legislation and provisions in force in the OAS Members States restricting the human rights of individuals by reason of their sexual orientation or gender identity and to prepare based on that study, guidelines aimed at promoting the decriminalization of homosexuality.”       

According to the Coalition “indifference, omission and complicity by many states in cases of discrimination and violence against the LGBTTTI community make those more severe and limit the enjoyment of the basic needs of our communities.” The Coalition noted that this situation is even more serious in the case of legislation in 11 Anglophone Caribbean nations.   The Coalition contends that in the Caribbean:

• 11 countries still criminalize consenting adult same-gender intimacy;

• two countries ban entry of gay people,

• one country imposes life sentences for consenting adult same-gender intimacy;

• homophobia contributes to the region having the second highest HIV and AIDS prevalence and incidence rates;

• there are no protections for domestic violence committed against LGBTTTI persons by their intimate partners or their families; and,

• Lesbian and bisexual women and invisible from any government data produced in the Caribbean.

With this in mind the Coalition states that Caribbean countries must adopt the fifth resolution of the 42nd General Assembly of the OAS and condemn all forms of human rights violations against the LGBTTTI community, as well as take immediate steps to end all forms of discrimination against this vulnerable group.

NAACP BOD Resolution Affirming Support For Same Gender Marriage

The NAACP convention will be in my beloved hometown in July.  In advance of that event in which President Obama will speak to the assembled delegates at the George R, Brown Convention Center came this news out of Miami.

The NAACP's Board of Directors are meeting there and a resolution was passed on a 62-2 vote that affirms their support for same gender marriage.

The NAACP Constitution affirmatively states our objective to ensure the “political, educational, social and economic equality” of all people. Therefore, the NAACP has opposed and will continue to oppose any national, state, local policy or legislative initiative that seeks to codify discrimination or hatred into the law or to remove the Constitutional rights of LGBT citizens. We support marriage equality consistent with equal protection under the law provided under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.  Further, we strongly affirm the religious freedoms of all people as protected by the First Amendment.

“The mission of the NAACP has always been to ensure the political, social and economic equality of all people,” said Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NAACP. “We have and will oppose efforts to codify discrimination into law.”

“Civil marriage is a civil right and a matter of civil law. The NAACP’s support for marriage equality is deeply rooted in the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution and equal protection of all people” said Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP.

Pay attention people.  This is one of the African-American community's iconic organizations.

So you know what's going to happen the next time I hear that bull feces laden 'the African-American community is uniquely homophobic' meme come out of someone's vanillacentric privilege laden mouth don't you?  

Alright, NAACP!. 

Trans Left Out Again-This Time By The UN

Damn, can my trans brothers and trans sisters get any love in any organizational body this holiday season?

Despite having transpeople such as Sass Rogando Sasot and Miss Major testify in front of UN commissions about the discrimination and violence we face around the world, when it came time for the UN to stand and deliver on a resolution on unjustified killings, guess who was left in the cold again?

Every two years the UN General Assembly passes resolutions condemning extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions and other killings.   The resolution condemns killings for racial, national, ethnic, religious or linguistic reasons and killings of refugees, indigenous people and other groups.   In 2008 an explicit reference condemning killing based on the victim's sexual orientation was inserted into the resolution. .


Last month there was a resolution sponsored by Muslim, Caribbean and African nations in the UN General Assembly's Human Rights Committee to delete the sexual orientation reference in that extrajudicial killings resolution .    The successful action by the Bloc of Haters to remove it triggered a firestorm of criticism from Western nations, human rights organizations and activists around the world.

It led to a resolution sponsored by the United States to restore the 'sexual orientation' reference that was removed last month with the main opposition coming from the same nations that led the push to remove it.

The resolution to restore the language passed in committee with 93 votes in favor, 55 against and 27 abstentions.  It then went to the 192 nation member UN General Assembly and passed with 122 YES votes, none against and 59 abstentions.

"Today, the United Nations General Assembly has sent a clear and resounding message that justice and human rights apply to all individuals regardless of their sexual orientation," said US Ambassador to the UN Dr. Susan Rice in a statement.

Boris Dittrich of Human Rights Watch echoed Dr. Rice.  "We are relieved by the result of the vote," he said in a statement "Countries that tried to roll back crucial protections for gay and lesbian people have been defeated."

Congratulations* GL community.  While once again you've had your human rights affirmed and this time in an international arena, the human rights of the trans people around the world who are taking the brunt of the hate casualties are left hanging.

It's days like this that make me wonder does anybody give a damn or even care that our humanity as transpeople is under attack?    Did y'all forget this and the fact that transpeople around the world are being brutally murdered in extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions and other killings when the UN General Assembly had this vote?  

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Do justice and human rights apply to trans people as well?   Because the 'all peoples of all nations'  part of the UN Declaration of Human Rights we submit includes trans people as well.

Oh well, maybe in 2012 we transpeople will qualify for inclusion in this UN resolution