Houston To Hold Three TDOR 2019 Events Tomorrow

The 20th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance is being observed tomorrow on November 20 with events around the world. 

Here in Houston, we have three events scheduled on that day, and it's also particularly a sad occasion because four of the names on the 2019 list of US names we will read are Texans, and two will be Houstonians.

The three Houston TDOR events tomorrow are:

TransGiving hosted by Organizacion Latina de Trans en Texas (OLTT) and Ana Andrea Molina

"Remembering our sisters who were ahead of us this year and raising the voices of those who continue to resist".

It also serves as the annual Thanksgiving dinner hosted by OLTT, and will take place this year at  Bering Memorial UMC.   The address is 1427 Hawthorne St, and will commence at 6:30 PM.  Parking for this event will be in the rear of the church.  

A Transgender Day of Remembrance event hosted by Dee Dee Watters is also taking place on this date at St. Luke the Evangelist Episcopal Church.   It's the event I have been invited to participate in.

The church is on the southeastern edge of the Texas Southern University campus, and its address is 3530 Wheeler Ave.   The event starts at 7:00 PM

"We will #SayTheirNames we will remember them all while acknowledging ourselves (those of the trans lived experience)"

The third event is the Transgender Day of Remembrance one hosted by the Houston Transgender Unity Committee (HTUC).

"...offering a safe and affirming environment to share stories and talk about those we have lost"

The venue for this event will be Brasil Houston, located at 2604 Dunlavy St in the Montrose area that will also start at 7:00 PM. 

Hopefully you folks in H-town can make it to one of the three events of your choosing to honor the people we have lost to anti-trans violence here and around the world in 2019. 

One Month To BTAC 2019

One month from now, me and a few hundred friends and BTAC family members will gather in Dallas, TX once again for the 8th annual Black Trans Advocacy Conference and Awards Gala.

The theme this year is Level Up! Elevate The Revolution

BTAC 2019 will be taking place once again at the Wyndham Dallas Suites Park Hotel in North Dallas, and I'm looking forward to spending a week there to recharge, reconnect with my BTAC family, bask in the wisdom of my trans elders, get my learn on, and dish out some well deserved domino butt kickings.

I'm also looking forward to the other events that are part of a BTAC conference in the Trans Manifest Live, the Mr, Ms and for the first time Mx Black Trans International Pageant, the Awards Gala, our Family Day and the Black Diamond Ball..

And oh yeah, it's the kickoff to my birthday celebration week.

I also want to challenge my Houston area Black trans siblings to show up in numbers to meet your Black trans siblings from around the country and the world.

Still not too late for you to join us in Dallas for this conference, and if you need information as to how you can join us or be a sponsor of the event, check out btac.blacktrans.org for further info.

Hope to see y'all there in four weeks.

Upcoming LGB and What About The T? Panel At 14 Pews

There's an interesting panel discussion that will be taking place at 14 Pews on April 19 focused on the trans community

It's entitled LGB and What About The T?   It is a panel discussion with the goal of talking about the erasure of trans people of color, and how we can create a world in which trans folks can exist freely and without drama.

It's a timely discussion at a time in which the Republican majority in the Texas Legislature is trying to unjustly legislate oppression against the Texas trans community,

Kaleb Elijah is one of the panelists, and nope I get to be a spectator on this one.  Food will also be served from 6-7 PM with the panel starting immediately after the food is served.

Kaleb is also challenging his trans brothers to show up for this event.

"I am asking Houston trans men of color to join me as I guest speak on this panel. The organizer told me today that besides me and one other he has not met any transmen of color, that is alarming." he wrote in a comment on his FB page.  .

"Instead of complaining that you are not heard or understood or your needs are never tended to in the community, show up in the spaces that are inclusive and have been created for your voice to be heard. The torch has been lit,  Please don't let those who are in leadership carry the load by themselves. Just like you needed someone, someone needs you."

He's right trans men of color,  I've said the same thing about you needing to show up for events and claim leadership roles in our community.  Can't be just trans women of color consistently carrying the community leadership torch.

14 Pews is located at 800 Aurora street in The Heights, and hope to see you trans men of color in the house on that date.

Transgender Awareness Week 2016

Today is the start of Transgender Awareness Week, which is a series of events being held in various locales in the runup to the Transgender Day of remembrance on November 20.

This one is coming at a best of times worst of times moment for the transgender community in the United States.   While we just celebrated the first Veterans Day in which our trans service members can openly serve our country.  It was preceded by a contention election in which Donald Trump won in a shocking upset and the human rights progress we made under President Obama is now threatened..

In a few weeks we will have a Black trans woman in Laverne Cox playing a trans character on a scripted legal drama, but before that happens we will on November 20 read the names of 23 trans lives who are no longer here, with many of those trans people we lost being under 40 and African-American.

As the late trans leader Alexander John Goodrum said in 2000, “When transgendered people are denied rights, it's often the because of the perception that they're homosexual. With gay people, it's often as not because they're perceived to be violating gender norms. It's the same fight against the same enemies. GLBT people have to realize that in order to move ahead.”

Our allies need to recognize that point as well.   It's why Transgender Awareness Week and the educational efforts happening during it are not only needed, but necessary.

The Transgender National Alliance Gala-Petite Is A Success

The first ever Transgender National Alliance Gala-Petite on Friday night was an amazing sold out event at Blue By Massa's downtown in which the Houston trans community and our allies got glammed up to raise money for TNA and have a wonderful time.  

And yeah, a certain blogger y'all know was in the house as well.

The theme for this inaugural TNA Gala was Metro Glam, and folks in attendance were dressed in the style of rock meets Grammy purple carpet in this case.  We also sat down to a delicious meal as Vancie Vega handled her business and did an amazing job as our Mistress of Ceremonies.

We were also blessed to have at this initial TNA gala the lovely Durga McBroom serenading us with her lovely and powerful voice.

In addition, the inaugural TNA Be Amazing Award was given to TransTech founding CEO Angelica Ross, who has had a wonderful 2015 with her upcoming star turn in the web series Her Story and hope 2016 is even more exciting for her.

In addition, there was a silent auction and door prizes to raise money for TNA's work as a nonpartisan non-profit organization that seeks to recognize, celebrate and employ the diversity of the transgender community while providing funding, outreach education and support for the issues affecting our community and our allies.

Was nice seeing everyone there including our friend Lauryn Farris from San Antonio and her daughter Izzy.   Looking forward to seeing what transpires for this wildly successful TNA event and what they will pull off in 2016.

TTNS 2015 Accepting Workshop Proposals

Another one of my fave instate events will be happening soon and for the second straight year will be on the road with Jenifer Rene Pool serving as the Mistress of Ceremonies .

The 7th Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit will take place July 31 to August 1, 2015 at the University of Texas at Dallas with the keynote speakers being Dr. Stephen Sutton, Ph.D., Assistant Vice Chancellor University of California at Berkley and Heather Snow, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at The University of Texas at Arlington.

The Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit is currently accepting workshop proposals and poster session proposals. Our website is www.txtns.org    It's also a 501(c)3 organization, so if you feel inclined to donate to TTNS, your donation is tax deductible.

So what's the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit?  It's an event in which over its two days we are gathered onsite, the TTNS teaches and provide resources to people on how to effectively engage administrations on Texas colleges, universities, and public schools campuses to advocate for inclusive policies for transgender faculty, staff, and students.

And it's coming to the DFW area for the first time.  Hope you will join us at UT-Dallas for this event  this summer, and if you need further information about the TTNS you can also reach them at info@txtns.org ,on Facebook and Twitter.. 

Happy International Transgender Day Of Visibility 2014!

For most of you on the eastern side of the International Date Line, it's Monday, March 31.   But today is also the International Transgender Day of Visibility.

Transgender Michigan Executive Director Rachel Crandall founded it on March 31, 2010 because she wanted to have a transgender community event that was the flipside of the TDOR memorials every November.   Rachel's vision for the Trans Day of Visibility when she founded it four years ago was to focus on all the good things in the trans community, instead of just remembering those who were lost.

It also gives our trans community allies another day and event in which they can show and express their support for our community.


"The day of remembrance is exactly what it is. It remembers people who died," Crandall said. "This focuses on the living.   

Since it's all about positive visibility of trans people, the TDOV is gaining traction in the trans community with a major assist from the Trans 100, which releases its list every March 31.

Happy International Transgender Day Of Visibility to you!