This Is H.O.W Life Made Better: Our Own Place Campaign

TransGriot Note: Y'all know I have much love and respect for Antonia D'orsay, the ED of This Is H.O.W.    The organization has been affected in an unexpected way by the housing crisis.

Can y'all help some sisters out?

A local charity, This is HOW, has launched a new project “Life Made Better – Our Own Place” to raise $20,000. Their current property, which was leased, recently received a notice of foreclosure. This property is home to 8 residents who are members of the most underserved population in the Phoenix metro area.

Life Made Better: Our Own Place: The organization must raise a minimum of 20K to ensure their current level of service to the community. Through their housing, education and empowerment programs they have helped over 500 individuals since their launch 6 years ago, including the current Executive Director, Antonia D’orsay, who was rescued from homelessness and given a chance during a deep crisis period in her life. She has also served as the House Manager, and the Chair of the Board before stepping into her current position a year ago. Her ambitious efforts have resulted in the creation of model programs that are highly sought after by social service agencies. She and all of the staff at TIH are volunteers.

The organization’s goal is to ensure that the needs of their constituency are served in the most efficient, cohesive and cost effective manner. The current foreclosure on the leased property has highlighted the need for the organization to own their facility thus ensuring their future ability to be of service to the entire community.

Board member at large, Kim Pearson said, “This project is very important to the community. It helps folks who are homeless by providing a safe haven while they heal from their life crises. We provide opportunities for them to learn the skills they need to move out into the larger community in a healthy and empowered way. This is HOW provides a hand up, rather than a hand out!”

Executive Director Antonia D’orsay said “’Life Made Better’ is our motto, and I live by it. This place saved my life, gave me purpose and direction when I had lost all confidence in myself, and made possible changes in my life that could never have happened without it. The thought of our current residents not having those same life saving opportunities terrifies me. We can’t do it alone, though.”

This Is H.O.W. (TIH) is a six year old 501(c)3 organization that works to reduce homelessness, aid victims of domestic violence, teaches skills to help lift people out of poverty, teaches general life skills, performs advocacy, and handles crisis moments for a segment of the population that is usually ignored, looked down on, or outright denied services by other organizations. Led by Executive Director Antonia D’orsay, it began an extensive expansion of services and dramatically improved its ability to provide services to the men and women it assists while establishing itself as the local expert in their field.

Congrats Kim Coco and Kathy!

The 2011 class of David Bohnett Gay & Lesbian Leadership Fellows were recently announced by the David Bohnett Foundation and the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute.

The GLLI and the Bohnett Foundation get together to send openly TBLG people who are accomplished, mid-career professionals who are leaders in government and non-profit organizations to Harvard’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.  

The program is renowned for its hands-on learning experience designed to help seasoned public officials meet the changing needs of their constituents and communities.

There were 14 people selected to receive scholarships to participate in this elite professional development program at the Harvard Kennedy School this June and July and two people on the list were trans.

Kim Coco Iwamoto and Kathy Padilla are among the 14 Bohnett Fellows who will receive scholarships for the program that counts among its graduates Houston mayor Annise Parker, Campbell, CA Councilman Evan Low and Arizona State Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.

The 2011 Bohnett Leadership Fellows in addition to Kim and Kathy are:

Rep. Nickie J. Antonio – Lakewood, Ohio (Ohio State Representative, District 13)
A. J. Bockelman – St. Louis, Mo. (Executive Director, PROMO)
Kim Coco Iwamoto – Oahu, Hawaii (Civil Rights Attorney, former member of the Hawaii State Board of Education)
Cindy Dick – Tallahassee, Fla. (Tallahassee Fire Department Chief)
Rep. Karla Drenner – Avondale Estates, Ga. (Georgia House of Representatives, District 86)
Sen. Jolie Justus – Kansas City, Mo. (Missouri State Senate, District 10)
Leslie Katz – San Francisco, Calif.  (San Francisco Port Authority, former Supervisor)
Rev. Cynthia “Cindi” Love – Abilene, Texas  (Executive Director of Soulforce)
Councilwoman Rosie Mendez – New York, N.Y. (New York City Council , District 2)
Rep. Blake Oshiro – Honolulu, Hawaii  (Hawaii House of Representatives Majority Leader, District 33)
Kathy Padilla – Philadelphia, Pa.  (Philadelphia International Airport)
Councilman Amaad Rivera – Springfield, Mass. (Springfield City Council)
Brian Sheehan – Dublin, Ireland (Gay & Lesbian Equality Network Managing Director)
Councilman Alex Wan – Atlanta, Ga. (Atlanta City Council)

 Congratulation ladies, and I know you will represent our community well..

If You White Trans People Were Being Dissed, Would You Be Happy About It?

The Handle Our Chocolate Trans Business post I wrote is blowing up in the comment section on my FB page    The 'united we stand, divided we fall' line and the 'we're a small powerless community' talking points have predictably been deployed in this conversation.

But if that were the case, that trans unity sure isn't a concern when the invites to TBLG White House receptions and Christmas parties get dished out, transpeople are needed to testify at Congressional hearings, lead lobbying organizations,  lecture at colleges or gender conferences, talk to the media or be keynote speakers at trans themed conventions or events.

I don't hear that 'were a small, powerless community' rhetoric when it comes to policy formation and implementation and when it's time for people to get paid for advocacy on our community's issues.   


The issues of African American transpeople also aren't a concern to elements of the white trans community such as the WWBT's when they are desperately trying to reclaim the white privilege and status they lament losing. 

I and other trans people have talked about the erasure at various times since 1998.  This isn't a new issue.  Race matters in this community and as much as people cut their eyes at me for pointing it out, it does.   It damned sure does for the non-white transpeople being erased from the ongoing trans conversation. 

And don't think it's just Moni or other African American transpeople that have noticed it.   Our African American cis allies have expressed their concerns to me about it.  African-American parents of trans kids have noticed it.   Our legislators at all levels of government have noted the lack of melanin in the groups of people who come to lobby in Washington D.C. and our various state capitols.

Our chocolate GLB allies have noted it as well.   They deal with similar erasure from the white GLB community and know the frustrations we deal with firsthand.

So I ask you white trans community?    If the pumps were on the other foot and it was you who were being dismissed, disrespected, erased and ignored by a community you were supposed to be a part of, would you be happy about it?  

Hell naw you wouldn't be.   So why would you expect us to just meekly submit to treatment that you yourselves would and have found intolerable when aimed at you by Gay, Inc.?

I've said this before and will say it again.  If we assert that the trans community is a diverse bunch of people,  a diverse trans community is our best weapon and our strength against our misguided opponents inside and outside the TBLG community, then why hasn't more been done to ensure our community reflects that rainbow of diversity at all levels of it?

And no it can't be just African American transpeople meeting you halfway.   We've been there, done that and are still trying to do so.   We've repeatedly pointed out the problems in this community and told you what needs to be done to solve it.  You're the ones in the positions of power and influence to get the party started toward implementing the solution to this POC erasure issue, so the onus is on you to do something about it.