BTWI Board Welcome For BTAC 2019

The BTAC conference welcome from the BTWI board....




See y'all tomorrow.

Getting On The Bus Early To BTAC 2019

Been waiting for this day ever since I sadly said goodbye to my BTAC family at the closing brunch last year and headed to the DART Downtown Transit Center to return home to Houston. 

This time I get to go much earlier than I usually do.   

It's time for me to be with my BTAC family again.  It's time for the eighth annual Black Trans Advocacy Conference that starts April 23 and runs until April 28.  It also serves as the kickoff to my extended birthday week celebration.   BTAC 2019 is already according to Espy Brown poised to smash last year's attendance record.

It's still not too late for y'all who are thinking about coming to join us at the Wyndham Dallas Suites-Park Central host hotel for what promises to be an empowering and life changing event..

And yeah, some of y'all need to be very afraid when Family Fun Day comes, because the BTAC Bonemaster is coming to take her dominoes title back from Kayla Gore.

But before we get to me administering domino beatdowns next Saturday and throughout BTAC week, I have a 4 hour bus trip ahead of me up I-45.   I also have the week of sessions, Trans Manifest Live, the keynote luncheon and the  Awards Gala to get through before we get to Family Fun Day. 

The reason I'm leaving today and not on the Monday before like I normally do is because my presence was requested for a Muhlaysia Booker rally happening later today.   I didn't see the logic in rolling up to Dallas, attending a rally doing th 4 hour trip back home and then repeating it 24 hours later when i could just simply stay in Big D a few extra days. 

Sure will be glad when Texas Central Railways FINALLY starts construction on the Houston-Dallas bullet train and that four hour nonstop bus trip turns into a 90 minute Shinkansen train ride.

But that 90 minute bullet train trip is in the near future.  Right now I have to make sure my statuesque behind gets to the downtown Houston MegaBus station in time for my departure to North Texas, especially after the late night I had with my OLTT fam.
 

One Week To BTAC 2019

It's T-7 days and counting until the 8th annual Black Trans Advocacy Conference takes place in Dallas April 23-28, and I can't wait.   It is shaping up to be our biggest and best ever, with the Friday awards gala already being sold out.

The best part of BTAC for me in addition to the fact that this conference centers Black trans and GNC people,  is that y'all get to come to my Texas turf and hang out for a week. 

Level UP-Elevate The Revolution is the theme for this years conference, and it will be an empowering and interesting week in Dallas for everyone in attendance.

And yes, I get to see you peeps from around the country.   I also get the pleasure of administering dominoes beatdowns at the  Family Fun Day on Saturday.and during the week in the hospitality suite. at the host hotel.

You have been warned.

But on a serious note, we are gathering in Dallas literally days after the horrific hate attack on our sibling Muhlaysia Booker, and there will be some discussion about that at our community summit along with other topics.

I am so ready for this week to be over with so I can witness what's happening at this 8th annual edition of the Black Trans Advocacy Conference..

BTAC Forever!

I'm now back on my end of I-45 after spending the past empowering week in Dallas at the 7th annual National Black Trans Advocacy Conference.

And it seems like the fact of BTAC's unapologetically Black trans self existing bothers some of you  white trans peeps.  Too bad. 

BTAC is a FUBU production in which everyone is welcome to attend, but you must bear in mind if you aren't Black, when you step into our trans Wakanda it is one of the few conferences in Trans and GNC World that is grounded in unapologetic Blackness. 

I'm hearing some bull feces laden chatter from assorted bitter white trans peeps that BTAC is 'racist'.

Um no boo boo kitty, let Moni school you are something.  Racism equals bigotry and prejudice plus systemic power and majority population numbers used by a majority group to retard, roll back or eviscerate the human rights progress of a minority group.

And don't even step to me with that weak azz Webster's Dictionary definition of racism or you will get your wig snacthed.

Back to talking about BTAC. 

Black trans and GNC peeps being at a conference in they meet others like them and unapologetically celebrates our heritage them isn't 'racist'.   You need to stop sniffing that vanillacentric privilege and talking out the side of your neck about an event you probably haven't been to.

And for those of you who doubt what I'm saying, you can come see for yourself when we gather in Dallas again April 22-28 for BTAC 2019. 

BTAC wouldn't have been a needed and necessary response to the ongoing marginalization of Black trans and gender non conforming people inside and outside the TBLGQ world if a long list of white led trans and SGL 'equality' organizations like GenderPac, NCTE, HRC, TENT, and Equality Texas had been doing their job of properly advocating for Black trans people.

More importantly, when they advocate for Black trans people, they hire us to do the advocacy work for and in our community  Since you equality orgs are belatedly coming to the realization that Black trans people exist and aren't going away, BTAC will.

This BTAC event was founded and built by Black trans men, who get even less credit for the yeoman's work they have done to build our trans movement, and that crap needs to stop

For seven years BTAC has handled its business and been a healing place for the Black trans and GNC community. It also been a place where we network, learn and do so in an unapologetic Afrocentric environment that welcomes all who wish to come.

It is needed, life saving and necessary in a world hostile to Black trans and GNC bodies.  Even more galling to us, that anti-Black trans hostility also comes from white trans peeps as well

BTAC is also a place where we can meet others who look like us, their supportive spouses and accomplices who unequivocally support Black trans people in Texas and beyond

It is also a place when we can sit down, interact with and listen to the wisdom of our trans elders. 

For a week we get to live in a Black Trans Wakanda in which we talk about community issues and come up with solutions to those problems.  It is a place where we get to build friendships, are affirmed, loved on and in many cases get to heal from the micro and microaggressive crap that is hurled at us the rest of the year by an increasingly hostile to trans folks outside world until it is time for us to head to our various locales to live our lives.

This year BTAC 2018 had three seminar tracks for trans women, trans men and our anchors, AKA the spouses and allies.   We're planning to add tracks for gender non conforming peeps since we had some show up this year in numbers and they expressed their desire for that t happen. 

We're  planning to have tracks for our trans and GNC elders above age 55 that we call the Golden Flames because we value their wisdom, respect and love them, and realize they have much to teach us in terms of their lived experiences and our history.

We hope that one day as this BTAC conference continues to grow we will have enough parents of Black trans kids and Black trans kids in attendance so that we can programming for them as well   . 
 

At BTAC we get to hear our names called for awards named for distinguished leaders in our community and celebrated at a Friday gala, not a TDOR that was hosted by Dezjorn Gauthier and Jessica Zyrie . 

We show off our talents at Trans Manifest Live early in the conference week.   Our pageant peeps get to compete for the Mr. and MIss Black Trans International titles in which they know before even stepping on that stage that when they win that title, they will expected to be advocates during their reign for our community

And we cap it all off with the Family Day, Black Diamond Ball, and the closing interfaith ceremony led by our elders on Sunday.

BTAC is needed and necessary, and it needs to be supported.   It would be nice if we got to see our Black legacy civil rights orgs like the NAACP step up as sponsors for our conference or the gala. 

It would be wonderful for our BTAC attendees to see our Black trans superstars in the house someday.

But until then, this Dallas, Texas based conference will continue to chug along and serve our community.   If you wanna hate on that, that's on you.

I and the rest of my BTAC fam here and increasingly around the world will smile, mark off our calendars to the last full week of April and return here to Black Trans Wakanda. 

BTAC Forever! 

Photo credits: Rebecca Jackson 

BTAC 2018- Day 6

This day arrived way too soon and it always carries for me a mix of sadness and disappointment.

Sadness and disappointment that comes with the realization that BTAC 2018 is over and we all have to go our separate ways.   Some of us had to leave and board at the crack of dawn flights back home before the closing ceremony starts.

I've got a four hour Megabus ride back to Houston with Dee Dee Watters. 

But it is also a day in which we revel in the new friends we've made, gotten to hug and hold tight old ones, and look forward to the future recharged and energized to take on the world. 

Already know the dates.   It'll be April 22-28 once again in Dallas, and we'll announce the hotel and reservation details once the staff recovers from putting this year's event on.

At 11 PM the closing interfaith service led by when we now call our Golden Flames, our elders from age 55 and up will be conducted.  Once it's over, the countdown starts for BTAC 2019.

And I can hardly wait fir it to get here.

BTAC 2018- Day 4

The new BTIPS king and queen have been crowned in Malaysia Black as our 2018 queen and Sybastian Smith as our 2018 king as another spectacular pageant hosted by Taliyah Cassadine took place.

Major props to 2017 BTIPS king and queen Trenton Johnson and Tiffany Starr who raised the BTIPS advocacy bar once again during their reign as BTIPS royalty.

Earlier in the day we heard inspiring keynote speeches from Diamond Stylz and Jonathan Thunderword at our 2018 keynote luncheon

We awaken in a few hours at out Wyndham Dallas Suites  host hotel to handle our last day of seminars, part three of our Black Trans Summit conversation, and conclude this day with our awards gala hosted by Dezjorn Gauthier and Jessica Zyrie.

Tonight I get to find out who won the BTAC Monica Roberts Advocacy Award

Still not too late for you to join us for BTAC 2018 and meet your trans and Gender non conforming fam from around the nation.

BTAC 2018-Day 2

The first full day of seminars is on tap for BTAC 2018 starting at 10 AM.  Registration for the Mr. and Miss Black Trans International pageant is also happening today as well.

The seminars this year are organized into three tracks.   One track for trans masculine attendees, the second for trans feminine attendees, and one for significant others and spouses of trans people.

Each will have their own dedicated meeting room and breakout group.   The Akanni for the trans men, the Ayombi for the trans women, and the Anchors group for spouses and significant others.

From 2-4 PM the first of the Black Trans Community Summit conversations will happen in which we discuss the data and results from the 2015 US Trans Survey that Black Trans Advocacy was in partnership with NBJC and NCTE to conduct 

The data for Black trans people has now been released, and  there were also enough participants to break down the US Trans Survey date by state, with Texas being one of those states.

The conversation will focus on the national data, and talk about employment, housing and healthcare.

The big event to close out Wednesday is the always popular Trans Manifest Live hosted this year by the reigning BTIPS king and queen Trenton Johnson and Tiffany Starr that starts at 8 PM.   

Getting On The Bus- To Dallas

It's that time again, and I'm getting on the Megabus once again for the second time this year to do an instate trip. 

This time I'm headed up I-45 to hang out with my transpeeps for the 7th annual edition of the Black Trans Advocacy Conference 




Much of the reason I enjoy it is not only because I get to hang out with my Black trans family from here and around the world, it also acts as a kickoff to my Cuatro De Mayo birthday celebration.

So ready to see everyone, the new hotel, and my DFW peeps.

Time to settle into my seat and roll over for some sleep, and I'll catch up with you peeps in a few hours.

TTNS 2016 Starts Today At Texas A&M Central Texas

The 8th annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit kicks off today, and this is the seventh (and seventh consecutive one) I have attended.  

Ever since I attended my first TTNS held on the Rice University campus mere weeks after I returned home from Louisville, I have had the pleasure of watching this event grow.  I've not only taught seminars at it, this year I was asked to be one of the two keynote speakers for 2016.

My activist mentor Judge Phyllis Frye will be the other TTNS 2016 keynoter.

The summit has grown so much that this year's TTNS event will break the record set last year at UT-Dallas.  For those of you in the Centex area, you have time to roll up or down I-35 and join us on the Texas A&m Central Texas campus in Killeen

It's a testament to the vision of its founding executive director Josephine Tittsworth that it has grown from a Houston centric event to one that for the last several years is eagerly courted by colleges and universities across the Lone Star State.and has been held in San Marcos, Dallas, Killeen this year and next year on the Stephen F. Austin University campus in Nacogdoches.

The TTNS has had a major impact on education in Texas.   We have gone from three colleges and universities that have trans friendly nondiscrimination policies to over 30.

Several Texas school districts also have trans friendly policies as a result of Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit's attendees taking the lessons they learned here and making those changes happen in the own parts of the Lone Star State.

And it's also interesting to note that it is happening at a time when the Obama Administration has emphatically stated that we have the human rights back of transgender people and issued a DOE/DOJ Dear Colleague Letter that dovetails nicely into the work TTNS has been doing since 2009.

And TTNS is proud to play its part in doing so.in the Lone Star State.

I'm also looking forward to doing my part to help that education process along, starting today.

2017 BTAC Conference Dates Announced

You have read my posts about the Black Trans Advocacy Conference and talk about all the amazing things that happen while we're there at this rapidly growing event.   And I'm not bragging about it simply because it happens in my home state.  

It's more like a family reunion than a conference, and it doesn't hurt for me that it happens close to my birthday.

The dates for the 2017 BTAC have been announced, and the sixth annual edition of it will be held from April 24-30, 2017 at the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria 14901 Dallas Parkway   The Dallas Galleria is in easy shuttle range along with a plethora of various dining options in the area

Loved the host hotel, its friendly staff, and its amenities.  

And that's before we even start talking about the BTAC conference itself with its keynotes, community summit, seminars, the Mr and Ms Black Trans Pageant, Trans manifest, the awards gala, the Black Diamond Ball and the Family Fun Day attended by your trans siblings from

Whether you stay for the entire empowering week or just do a few days of it, BTAC is waiting to welcome you with open arms for a unique Afrocentric conference experience open to all..

If you need more info about it, dial 855-255-8636 for more information.  Watch these TransGriot electronic pages for more info about registration and programming as that 2016 date gets closer  

Countdown To 2016 TTNS in Killeen, TX

We are now a month away from the eighth annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, and this year the TTNS will be held on the Texas A&M-Central Texas campus in Killeen, TX.

The TTNS was started by its founding chair Josephine Tittsworth in 2009 with the mission of doing education geared toward initiating policy changes for transgender students, faculty and staff at Texas colleges and universities.

“The purpose of our organization is to not only educate people, but also to provide support and resources to people on school campuses all over Texas so they can engage professionally and respectfully with administration to get policies changed to be inclusive to transgender faculty, staff and students.”  Tittsworth said in an interview with the Killeen Daily News.

The initial TTNS was held on the University of Houston campus in 2009 and drew 25 attendees, and has been the only one I've missed because I was living in Louisville at the time.   The first one I attended was the second TTNS hosted by Rice University in 2010 mere weeks after I moved back home in May, followed by the 2011 TTNS at the University of Houston, the 2012 TTNS at the University of Houston-Clear Lake and UH again in 2013.

Texas State University in San Marcos was the first campus outside the Houston metro area to host the TTNS in 2014, followed by last year's TTNS on the UT Dallas campus in Richardson, TX.




The 2015 TTNS at UT Dallas holds the attendance record so far with 75 attendees, and they are anticipating breaking that record at Texas A&M-CT with 100 attendees.  

Some award winning blogger y'all know will not only be teaching a seminar during this year's event, but I get the honor of being one of the 2016 TTNS keynote speakers along with the legendary godmother of the trans rights movement in Judge Phyllis Frye.  We'll also have another outstanding lineup of presenters at this year's TTNS on the Texas A&M Central Texas campus.

As a result of the TTNS, the number of Texas colleges and universities with trans inclusive policies for students, faculty and staff has grown from just three to currently 38.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in the Killeen area in a few weeks on the Texas A&M- Central Texas, and hope the TTNS exceeds the expected attendance this year..      

5th Annual BTAC Conference Call For Workshop Proposals

The 5th annual Black Trans Advocacy Conference will be happening in Dallas April 25-May 1, and the call for workshop proposals is now open.

The BTAC organizers are looking for proposals in the areas of HIV/AIDS, business development, career services, financial literacy, spirituality and healing, SOFFA's, health, arts and media, and social justice.

This 5th anniversary edition of BTAC is moving to a new hotel, the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum By The Galleria, and those rooms are going fast.   If you're interested in attending this fast growing conference, better get busy booking your rooms.

You also need to get those workshop proposals in ASAP too.

BTAC 2015-Day 2

Still in Dallas at the Doubletree Campbell Center for the Black Trans Advocacy Conference for my second full day here.



The highlights today will be the keynote speeches by Tiq Milan and Miss major Griffin Gracy.
|The Black Trans Interrnational Pageants will happen later tonight, and many of the seminaras have a health and wellness theme such as Healthcare Hallelujah Trans* Health And The Affordable Care Act  to 'Exploring HIV Health Risks Among Transmen'


I'm also having a blast getting to spend quality time with the trans brothers and the trans sisters I know and geeting acquainted with the trans brothers and trans sisters I'm just meeting for the first time


And love seeing my Dallas fam in Rafael McDonnell and Nell Gaither.
  

I still find it ironic that Diamond Stylz and I live less than 5 miles from each other in Houston, buit i have to bring my butt to BTAC or some other conference to spend quality time with her.


But she knows I love her to death.   And if you feeling down, you won't be after getting hugged by our BTAC First Lady Espy Brown.


There were some amazing conversations taking place here yesterday in our seminars, at dinner and in the hotel lobby.  


And definitely need to step away from the front desk and those sinfully delicious cookies.

BTAC 2015 DART Mass Transit Options

The excitement is building for me as the April 27-May 3 dates for the 4th annual National Black Trans Advocacy Conference & Awards Gala in Dallas, TX approach and instead of me flying around to country to see y'all, you transpeeps and allies get to come to my home state for a few days.

And yes, I also love this conference because it falls close to my birthday, and it feels like an extended birthday party around my extended trans family for me.  In addition to the great seminars and the Black Trans Advocacy Awards Gala, it also includes the Black Trans International Pageants, the Black Diamond Ball and the Family Fun Day at Austin Ranch.

Will be interesting to see who will win the Monica Roberts Advocacy Award this year   Was pleased to hand it to Tiq Milan in 2014.   Who will I hand it off to on May 1?

This year BTAC attendees who are flying into Dallas will have the option of using their expansive light rail system to get to the conference hotel.

Back in August 2014 the DART Rail Orange Line was finally completed to DFW and the DFW Airport Station was opened for service.   So until 11:35 PM during the weekday you'll be able to ride the Orange Line in the Parker Road direction through downtown Dallas to the Lovers Lane Station, the one closest to the Doubletree Campbell Center.   Trains are scheduled to run from the DFW Station until 1:38 AM, but they end in downtown Dallas.

Once you arrive at the Lovers Lane Station, you will call the front desk and they will send the hotel shuttle bus to pick you up. 

If you're flying into Love Field, you can catch DART to and from the hotel as well.  You'll find your way to the DART Love Field terminal bus stop, then board the DART Love Link 524 bus to the Inwood Rd/Love Field Station at street level.  From there you will catch an Orange Line train in the Parker Rd. direction from the elevated platform to the Lovers Lane Station.

For you Megabus riders into Dallas, you can also access the DART Orange Line to the BTAC conference hotel. The Megabus drops off at the Downtown Dallas Transit Center on East Olive St, and you are only a short two block walk from the transit center to the Orange Line's Pearl/Arts District Station.    Catch the next train in the Parker Rd direction to the Lovers Lane Station.

If you take Greyhound into Dallas, the Greyhound terminal is three blocks south of the DART West End Station where you will catch the DART Rail Orange Line to the Lovers Lane Station.

So what's the DART fare?   It's $2.50 for a two hour ticket or $5 for an all day pass that lasts until 3:00 AM the next day on all transportation modes.

Hope this pointing out the DART travel options to the BTAC conference hotel helps solidify your decision to attend this amazing conference.   Hope to see you peeps there.

TTNS Heads To The DFW Area!

The Texas Transgender Non Discrimination Summit is now seven years old, but until last year's event at Texas State in San Marcos, had never been held outside of the Houston area where it was born.

I'm happy to announce on these electronic pages that the TTNS board has selected the dates and the site for the 2015 edition of the event.

The dates ate July 31-August 1, and it will be held on the campus of the University of Texas at Dallas.

This is another history making edition of the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, as it will be the first time the TTNS will be held in the DFW metro area and the second consecutive year it has ventured from its Houston area turf.

I'm really looking forward to another TTNS related road trip as this time those of us coming from Houston will be rolling up 1-45.   Hopefully I'll get to see many of my Dallas-Ft Worth area friends and North Texas and East Texas peeps who wish to attend this two day conference that seeks to look at strategic grass roots centered approaches to the issues of social justice and policy implementation as it pertains to the issues of gender identity and gender expression in higher education.

It is one of my favorite in-state activism events, and I haven't missed one since I returned home in 2010.  Since it focuses on opening doors for trans people in higher education, it is a cause and conference that has the enthusiastic TransGriot seal of approval and support.

And the cool part about it is that you''ll have academics, policy experts, students, activists and allies who want Texas public schools and higher education to be accessible to gender variant people in one spot for that fascinating TTNS weekend.
Since the start of the TTNS, the number of Texas school districts, colleges and universities with non discrimination statements and trans friendly policies on their campuses has exponentially increased across the Lone Star State thanks in large part to the strategies, tactics and information shared at previous TTNS events. 

So yes, I have much love for TTNS founder Josephine Tittsworth and the board, and the July 31-August 1 date is already blocked on my event calendar. 

Hope you will join me and other higher education minded Texans in attendance on the UT-Dallas campus for the seventh annual edition of the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit.