MAJOR! Screening and Panel Discussion November 20

I had the pleasure of meeting the legendary Miss Major Griffin-Gracy back in 2012 when I was the keynote speaker for the TransSaints conference in Charlotte

In addition to getting to know our trans elder and hear her tell me her stories about being a trans human rights warrior in a much more regressive time period, I've had the pleasure of seeing her at other events over the last few years including BTAC.

And I get the pleasure of having her call to check in on me from time to time as a bonus.   Even better, she's not too far away in the Little Rock, AR area..

While I've seen the film, I'm still pleased and proud to be in the house for the Houston premiere of MAJOR! at the University of Houston. from 6-9 PM CST.

The screening is sponsored by Transform Houston, and will take place in the Agnes Arnold Auditorium 2.   It will be followed by a panel discussion that includes Jessica Zyrie, Fran Watson and some blogger y'all know. 

Address is 3553 Cullen Blvd and hope to see y'all in the house for the film and the discussion afterward.

TransMilitary Project Documentary Kickstarter Campaign

As many of you TransGriot readers are aware of, I am a big supporter of open trans military service for many reasons.   It not only needs to happen for the over 15,000 trans people already serving in the US armed forces, but it honors those trans vets who have served our country.   It also will allow our trans kids growing up who wish to do so an option to serve as themselves.

The TransMilitary Project is a documentary film directed by Gabe Silverman and produced by Fiona Dawson  and Jamie Coughlin that seeks to tell the stories of the courageous trans folks in the US Armed Forces that have risked their military careers to push for open trans military service.

They are seeking to raise $89,500 to produce this documentary in this Kickstarter campaign that has 24 days to go.

The documentary will highlight what it means to be trans in our military and illuminate the discrimination they face in their military and civilian lives.

While the ban on transgender military service was supposed to end this month, it is getting transphobic resistance inside the military despite the fact that 18 nations and many of our NATO allies allow their transgender citizens to serve in their military.

So if you can contribute to making this documentary happen, please do.

MAJOR! Premiere This Friday

This Friday will be an event I hope I get the chance to attend in the premiere of  the highly anticipated movie MAJOR! at the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival.

The film festival runs from September 12-15 at the Roxie Theater, but the MAJOR! premiere will happen at the Castro Theater.

MAJOR! is the documentary directed by Annalise Ophelian about Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, who is a Stonewall vet and Bay Area resident who has fought for trans human rights for trans women of color for over 40 years.

The 75 years young Miss Major recently retired as the executive director of the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project, better known as TGI Justice, and is a beloved and much respected figure for many of us in the community.   I've also had the pleasure of spending quality time with her at various conferences around the country over the last few years.

While I've had the pleasure of seeing a rough cut of the movie, would love to see the final finished documentary and Miss Major at the same time.

TransGriot Update:  Tried, just couldn't make it happen.  Will just have to see it when it hits my neck of the woods.  

'Her Story' Premieres At New York LGBT Film Festival

Was happy to hear about the premiere of Her Story, which features two people I have mad love for in Jen Richards and Angelica Ross.   It is a web series that features not only trans people in front of the camera playing nuanced trans characters, but a trans person directing it in Sydney Freeland

Gee, trans actors playing trans people.   What a refreshing concept.   And something Hollywood has needed to do for a long time.

Her Story debuted to a packed house at New York's LGBT Film Festival Monday night, and the NewFest crowd was treated to a post screening panel with Angelica, Jen and Laura Zak moderated by Laverne Cox.



If you haven't seen the trailer for Her Story, here it is.



So looking forward to seeing it when it is released to the rest of the world.