Broadly Launches Gender Spectrum Image Collection

When I started TransGriot back in 2006, one of the problems I had was trying to find photos to illustrate the trans-specific  concepts I wanted to talk about or even photos of our trans events.

As the years went by, that got better in terms of the trans event coverage, but there are still times when editors mistakenly use the rainbow flag instead of the trans pride flag to illustrate a specifically trans themed article, or they resort to the insulting right wing practice of using unflattering drag queen photos to do so.

Because there has been an increase at stock photo sites of inquiries for transgender themed photos, was happy to discover that Broadly has launched the Gender Spectrum Collection.

It is a photo library of over 180 images taken by Zackary Drucker of trans and non binary models that we can use to better illustrate our written work.

This started because of an issue that cropped up in an article that Diana Tourjee wrote in August 2015 for Broadly a few months before she later joined them as a writer concerning tucking.   Because there was a still surprising dearth of stock trans themed photos at the time,  the editors went with a bottom shot of a man.

That's a problem as a trans feminine writer,  When Tourjee later joined the staff she asked them to change the photo on that article.When I had that dilemma with TransGriot articles, I would use cis feminine photos to illustrate those concepts, and cis masculine ones for trans masculine discussions

The Gender Spectrum Collection is a much needed and necessary step forward toward more inclusive media coverage of trans and gender non binary people.  It is also a blessing that some of the photos are of trans masculine people because far too often they are erased from the stories and narratives talked about in our community.

 I was also happy to note as I perused the collection that there are images of trans and non binary people of color as part of it

The Gender Spectrum Collection is also important because representation matters.  We also have to consider that when I or any person writes an article about a trans person, it may be the first time the individual reading the article sees a trans or gender non binary person.

That's why the images used to illustrate those articles are just as important as the words written by the writer to convey those concepts talked about in the article.

First impressions matter, especially when we are now in a time in which evilgelicals, the TERF's, the Republican Party and conservative media are openly colluding to sow  as much disinformation and lies about transgender people as they can get away with.

I hope this image library continues to grow, and I know I will be using the photos that are applicable to this and any future TransGriot posts.

Shane's Lack Of Trans Men Of Color Representation Video

Last week I challenged Houston area trans men to step up their leadership game and do their part to help 'ejumacate' our people on trams issues.   As I said in that post, "The education of our people about trans issues can't solely be a trans feminine responsibility."

The best people poised to do the educating about trans masculinity are trans men themselves, and that can't be done with y'all either being ignored by the media or trans men sitting on the sidelines refusing to get involved while simultaneously complaining about the lack of coverage on their issues.

Closed mouths of marginalized people that don't speak their minds don't get fed, and also don't get the media attention they deserve.

One of my goals in this TransGriot 10th anniversary year is to also feature the voices of other trans women of color and my trans brothers.

Love this video from Shane Ortega discussing the marginalization and of marginalization of trans men of color..

2012 OUT on the Hill-Day 1 Recap

Hey TransGriot readers, I've moved from my double secret location in NE DC at Jeri's house to the host hotel for tonight's, Friday's and Saturday's Out on the Hill 2012 activities, but needed to write up while it's still fresh on my mind what transpired during Day 1.   

As i write this there is a lobbying event going on along with the unveiling of the NBJC booth in the vendor area at the CBCF-ALC, but I needed to give y'all the 411 on what happened during Day One of OUT On The Hill

After getting my beauty sleep at Jeri's and getting my diva look on, I headed to the Georgia Ave-Petworth station, jumped on the METRO train and headed over to HUD headquarters to start my OUT on the Hill 2012 experience.   I was more than eager to get registered.for the informative action packed day that was going to unfold and feeling like a kid attending their first day of school.

I was more than ready to see everyone after my interesting travel day up there.

After I cleared security (this is Washington DC people)  I picked up my packet to the warm greetings and hugs from two of the volunteers who remembered me from last year's event.

While in the lobby area outside the Auditorium waiting for the OUT on ther Hill Opening General Session to start introduced myself to some of the first timers attending the conference.  As I talked to them, I was spotted by some of the vets, NBJC staff and other friends in the Black SGL and trans community

The General Session started with remarks from our OUT on the Hill national chair LZ Granderson, NBJC Founder Donna Payne, Darlene Nipper and eventually NBJC ED/CEO Sharom-Lettman Hicks after some thought provoking words about why OUT on the Hill was so important to this community via LZ and Donna.

After Sharon's welcoming speech and reminder to all of us we were here to Own Our Power, after some housekeeping anoouncements it was time for our first session.

It was the Legislative Issues briefing moderated by Aisha Moodie-Mills.    It had in addition to her moderating it my GLAAD media training classmate Maya Rupert, and Michael Brewer from NBJC.  There were points made about pending legislation such as the Student Non Discrimination Act, DOMA repeal,  ENDA, discussion about voter suppression and other issues pertinent to our chocolate LGBT community.

That panel ended, and we picked up our box lunches and prepared to head over on the METRO once again to the White House for our 1:00 PM briefing.    I chuckled when on my way into the White House I ran into someone I'd met during Netroots Nation who had just left as I discovred after I cleared security that had attended an LGBT Policy Roundtable that started at 9:30 AM.

I was also pleasantly pleased and surprised to discover that the White House intern who was working our event was part of our trans family. 

As we settled in to receive policy briefings from Obama administration officials and ask questions about it if we had time, my attention got diverted for a few moments from the speaker on the stage to a very familiar person walking into the briefing room carrying her purse and her travel bags  .

It was Janet Mock.   She'd told me she was coming to DC while I was in New York for the GLAAD media training, but I'd forgotten she had an invite to attend an event at Vice President Joe Biden's house that was scheduled for yesterday. 

She was attending it with Sharon Lettman-Hicks and Kimberley McLeod, so she killed some time with us until it was time for her to head over there.

After Senior Presidential Advisor Valerie Jarrett's remarks at 5:00 PM closed the event came the interesting part of the day for me.  

 There was a Networking reception starting at 6:00 PM.  No problem.  Y'all know I love hanging with my Black LGBT peeps and interacting with them during this event.  

The interesting part was the location for it, the headquarters of a certain Equal Sign organizations on Rhode Island Avenue.

As y'all know from reading this blog, as a long time activist I started during at time in the late 90's when there was a no love lost Cold War type hostility between the trans community and HRC, and the 2007 ENDA shenanigans didn't help that. 

I still have a verify then trust attitude toward HRC as a result of that formative activist drama, but as I entered the HQ after walking over there from the White House with my trans and SGL family I decided to focus on the fact I was there on NBJC business and on the activism announcement I was going to make a little later.

Got to meet more people, see more old friends, more of my TransGriot readers, and have some interesting and substantive conversations.  Finally got to see Kylar, Charles Pugh, Jeffrey Richardson from the DC city government and renew acquaintances with Shannon Minter.  I also didn't realize until after I left for the evening that I'd been sitting less than 50 feet from Kye Allums, who I have been eager to meet. 

I also had a serious conversation with members of a student group from Florida A&M.  I told them a little bit about some of the stuff I was exposed to in terms of passing sexual orientation and gender identity languge in collegiate noddisrimination policies idoing with the Texas Transgender Nnondiscrimimation Summit.  It's a battle they are currently engaged in at FAMU.

We had a moment during the reception in which we were invited to tell the gathered people in the room why OUT on the Hill was important to us, and yes I was the first up to the mic to say so. 

I also took that opportunity to announce that I was joining the Trans Person Of Color Coalition team effective immediately.

Not long after that Janet, Sharon, and Kimberley arrived from VP Biden's house and Janet took a moment along with Sharon to address the crowd.

9 PM came far too soon and Kimberley and I discovered that I was staying less than three blocks from her place, so I joined her and  Janet for a drink and converation at Chez Billy's.

After almost two hours, it was time for all of us to crash for the night since Kimberley's day started way earlier than mine and I safely made my way back to Jeri's house to prepeare for Day 2 of OUT on the Hill
 

Trans And Deployed-Keith's Story

While LGB people will be celebrating the first anniversary of the end of DADT, we trans people are not only barred from enlisting in our military, those of us who are currently enlisted have to hide who they are.

To give you folks an idea what that is like, OutServe will be publishing a column from Keith Thompson, a transman who is currently deployed in Afghanistan.  

The command climate in my unit during pre-deployment was harsh for me. The Soldiers in my unit think that I am a lesbian, serving openly and proudly. They do not know I am trans. I have never had an issue with any of my immediate colleagues about my sexual orientation. Just before we deployed, however, we received a new “butter bar” in our ranks. I started to feel that I was treated differently from the rest of the crew, chosen for the jobs nobody really wanted. Most of all, I could tell that this officer had a huge issue with me. Whenever I attempted conversation with her, she would ignore me.

Here's the rest of Keith's column.

 

It's Caroline's Birthday!

The Caroline I'm speaking of who is having a birthday today is British born trans woman Caroline Cossey. 

She broke ground as a fashion model, author, Bond Girl and Playboy magazine centerfold    She also fought for trans marriage rights in her native country winning in 1989 and losing on British government appeal in September 1990 her case in the European Court of Human Rights..

She was also one of the people who turned the light bulb on for me in the 70's.  Seeing her story in the news helped me begin to define and realize I was trans and it was possible to make something happen to rectify the situation.   

She's happily married these days and living on our side of The Pond and hope she has a blessed low stress birthday.

Yo Don, We Need To Talk- Again

I was parked in front of the TV like most of trans America watching Don Lemon's interview on The Joy Behar Show, and I spent most of it like Janet Mock and probably countless other people around the country mumbling WTF under my breath  

Here you had a panel that includes Harmony Santana, Isis King, Laverne Cox and Chaz Bono.  All are groundbreaking people with interesting storylines, and the best you can do in that air time is conduct a piss poor trans 101 level discussion?

Don, you were already on shaky ground with the trans community after that NAACP trans free panel discussion.  Now you've flubbed your second chance to change the impression that people have of you in the trans community that you're just like the other gay peeps who don't have (or don't want to have) a clue about trans people 



And the fact that you're one of the few high profile out African American gay males makes this slowly ossifying impression one that concerns me as a fellow African American.

You may think America is at a Trans 101 level of discussion but I submit we're actually at Trans 201 or 202 level.  Elements of the African American community are playing catch up to get to that 201 level.

I and other transpeople of all ethnicities believe it's past time for Americans to get past their fixation on our genitalia, skip the trans makeup and trans shaving photo ops and get busy discussing our lives and how the anti-trans attitudes, transphobia, and people actively working to oppress us negatively impact them.  

As your journalistic colleague Janet Mock eloquently stated,

We can’t continue having the same conversations about trans people with a revolving door of new trans figures. We are not entertainment and our stories aren’t just for mere consumption. We must ask the hard questions beyond surgery and facial hair and ask how are they really doing now that they are in the bodies of their destinies? How are they navigating in the world?

And what will you do to help facilitate those conversations?