Showing posts with label trans history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trans history. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Phyllis Frye Makes History Again

California isn't the only place in the United States that has a trans judge.

This morning longtime activist and attorney Phyllis R. Frye (and the TransGriot's activist mentor) was sworn in as Houston and the Lone Star State's first trans judge.   She was appointed by Mayor Annise Parker as an Associate Municipal Judge with the appointment being unanimously confirmed by City Council.  

It was a historic and emotional moment not lost on Mayor Parker and Councilmember Sue Lovell, with whom Frye has fought many battle with on behalf of TBLG Houstonians.    It was only 30 years ago Phyllis risked arrest every time she stepped into city hall to fight the crossdressing ban that was repealed in 1980.

Today she walked in to get sworn in as an Associate Municipal Judge after a unanimous council vote.

Congratulations Judge Frye!  

It's Official-Congrats Judge Vicky!

Can I call it or what?   I was ahead of the curve on November 3, but after counting all the provisional and absentee ballots in her tightly contested Alameda County Superior Court judicial race, it's now official.

Say hello to Superior Court judge-elect Victoria Kolakowski!

The results will be certified in a few days, but Kolakowski defeated John Creighton by almost 10,000 votes,  according to the Alameda County registrar of voters. She received 162,082 votes to 152,546 for Creighton.
She had been leading since election night, but the counting of outstanding absentee and provisional ballots made the race too close to call until Monday.

She becomes with her historic victory the first elected openly trans trial judge in the United States. 


Tuesday, November 16, 2010

All Hail History Making King Niko!

See, Dinnah Escanilla.  If you had let Andy Moreno run you wouldn't have had all that unnecessary drama at North Dallas HS and your name wouldn't be carved in transphobic infamy as the moral equivalent of George Wallace.

Focus, Moni...

Here's a story  about a transperson running for homecoming king (or queen) that unlike Oak's and Andy's  school administration resisted runs to become homecoming royalty had a more positive ending.

Niko Walker just began his transition as he started his senior year at Culver City High.   When friends suggested the vice president of the school's Gender-Sexuality Alliance run for the homecoming court, he scoffed at the idea.  But they eventually talked him into running by pointing out it would be helpful and inspirational to others in the community.

“If I ran and I won, it would be a big thing,” he said.  “For someone who is struggling with their identity, if they can see a transgender win homecoming, they would be more comfortable with themselves.”

And on November 6 he was crowned homecoming king at Culver City High School.

Walker’s win makes him the first-ever transmale student in the United States to be elected homecoming king at his school and keep the title.  Oakleigh Reed of Muskegon, MI. won at his school, but was denied the crown by school officials.   .

“At first I was like: ‘Did they just say my name? I was so confused!” he said moments after the win. "After it set in, I felt really accomplished,” he said.  “I set out to prove a point and I proved it.”

Yep Niko, you proved that if we're allowed to do something, transpeople can usually accomplish anything we set our minds to do.  

Congratulations and all hail King Niko!.

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