Angelica Ross On The Daily Show

Last night my homegirl Angelica Ross was on The Daily Show, and I missed the original telecast because I'm not usually in the habit of watching it and Empire was on.

Here's Angelica's appearance on The Daily Show and her interview with Trevor Noah for those of you who missed it like I did.

WH Petition To Remove Derogatory Anti-Trans Comments From Trans Vets DD-214's

According to a survey from the Williams Institute, trans people are far more likely to serve in the military than our non-trans counterparts, and there are an estimated 15,500 transgender people who have answered that call currently serving in our armed forces..

They are fighting not only to defend our country, but for your specious right to hate them.

There are also up to 134, 300 trans military veterans like Carla, and they are required by many employers and state agencies to submit their DD-214 form. the Certificate of Release From Active Duty, when applying for work or social benefits.  

If you have served honorably, you should have a DD-214 that is free of derogatory statements.   But on Section 28 of Carla's, it contains the statement because she transitioned, "Conditions That Interfere With Military Service - Not Disability -Mental Disorders".

You can probably understand how problematic that kind of derogatory statement can be on your DD-214 if you're applying for a job, or simply being annoyed by it being on a document as important as the DD-214 is in pursuit of a quality post-military life.

So please take a moment to help Carla and other trans veterans in this situation by signing this White House You.gov petition.  I've already done so, and it needs to get to 100,000 signatures by May 3 in order to ensure a White House response to the request of this petition.

It's past time that the Department of Defense stop demonizing trans veterans and end the practice of putting derogatory information on the DD-214 discharge forms of trans military veterans who have honorably served our country.

The link to the petition is here



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Does TSA = Transsexuals Searched Always?

'Neither should I or any trans person face dehumanization or disrespect when we are simply doing what other cis people are doing and are traveling across the country for business or pleasure.'
--TransGriot, October 10, 2016


One of the reasons that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) exists is because of the poor job private security contractors did at the nations airports prior to the 9-11 terror attacks.

Since November 2001 they have been part of the air travel experience for all Americans, and there is a love-hate relationship with the TSA that has even been commented on in movies like Baggage Claim and She's Out Of My League.  

But the interactions with the TSA when we travel are no laughing matter to transgender travelers, and it seems increasingly to trans people that we are being disrespectfully at times targeted even before the Shadi Petosky mess in Orlando.  Those concerns led to 32 Democratic congressmembers sending a letter to TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger expressing their concerns about their transgender search protocols.

Traveling while trans is already stress inducing at times. Getting singled out for scrutiny by the TSA when we know that trans bodies are regarded as 'anomalies' by this organization just adds another level to the anxiety we feel when we are taking to the skies to handle our business or pleasure travel.    

It leads us in the trans community to perceive we're being harassed despite TSA assurances our community concerns are being heard and dealt with inside the organization with trans specific training and policies.

Those assurances ring hollow when I continue to be told disturbing reports from a diverse group of trans people about incidents ranging from snide transphobic comments by TSA agents as people are clearing security to inappropriate questioning about our transitions and genital area searches by TSA personnel who obviously don't have a clear understanding of the protocols supposedly put in place to protect the dignity and human rights of trans travelers.

The TSA needs to redouble their efforts to root out transphobia in its ranks that manifests itself at our nation's security checkpoints into harassment of trans travelers.

Trans Attracted Men Revisited Panel

The trans attracted men panel that was rudely interrupted at Creating Change will be happening today on YouTube at 12 noon Eastern.

So if you wish to see the discussion on trans attracted men, moderated by Tona Brown and Bryanna Jenkins, and featuring Antwan Fields, Troy Kennedy and Jonathan Hayden, you can click on the link to hear that discussion

'Her Story' West Coast Premiere

You know I have mad love for Jen Richards, and can't wait for the web series premiere of Her Story to happen on the website January 19.

Wednesday night it had its West Coast premiere in the West Hollywood City Council chambers to a packed house that included my Houston homegirl Nikki Araguz Loyd, the cast of  Her Story, casting directors, actors, and West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath who presented a proclamation to the cast and crew.

The Advocate's Dawn Ennis was in the house to cover what happened, and here's her take on it.

One of the things that needs to happen in 2016 and beyond is more media productions written, acted, directed and produced by trans people so that we can tell our stories in the way they deserve to be told.

As I and others have pointed out, having Hollywood doing just that is just as important to our trans human rights movement as all the lobbying we do at the local, state and federal levels for human rights laws that protect us.   Positive media coverage, and especially accurate portrayals of us in non-fiction and fictional stories paves the way for that to happen.

It's why I'm rooting for the blockbuster success of Her Story,.and hope it leads to a second season for it and more of our stories being aired on network and cable television.  

Trans Women, Stop Attacking The Men Who Love Us

I've also discussed the fact that girls like us need to do a better job of appreciating the men who do genuinely love us (and not in a fetishistic way).

If we trans women want to have stable, long lasting relationships that will result in them putting a ring on our fingers we've got to do our part to deal with our shame, guilt and fear issues and love ourselves so we can properly love somebody else.
And naw cis men, loving a girl like us doesn't make you gay.
-TransGriot, February 4, 2013 

My San Antonio based video blogging sis  Nicole Ramos told the truth about this issue.  So has my Houston based blogging homegirl Diamond Stylz. and now I want to build on what she said in terms of trans women and our relationships with men, be they cis or trans.

I also wish to build on the comments of Cheryl Courtney-Evans and what she had to say about the subject.

The ultimate goal in the romance game is to find someone who loves you for who you are and who wishes to spend the rest of their life with you.

What has got me thinking about it is not only Nicole's video blog post, but many of the previous videos I've posted on this blog from Troy, who discusses the fact that he unapologetically prefers trans women and some of the issues that crop up along the way on his YouTube Channel ..  

Troy has been the godfather of the movement to get trans attracted men to not only name and claim the fact they love us, but battle the shame and guilt issues in their ranks.

At the same time Troy has sought to point out to the rest of the world that loving a trans woman doesn't automatically devalue their masculinity.

I also need to point out there are trans men who are attracted to trams women, as the upcoming marriage of Precious Davis and Myles Brady this summer emphatically demonstrates.

What is bothering me is that far too often, I've observed that my trans sisters who are chasing pseudo cis privilege diss the cis and trans men who love us.  They fling the term 'chaser' like an epithet at the cis guys who love us and think of us as viable LTR partners.  They also dismiss the trans men who love and see us as people they wish to spend the rest of their lives with by shadily saying they want a 'real man' to woo them.

By doing that, you are devaluing your own femininity, and are saying at the same time you are unworthy of being loved.

Well, in the 2K16 and beyond my sisters, we need to reject that negative and destructive thinking because we trans women are worthy of being loved.

Let me say that again.  Trans women, you are worthy of being loved.  

Note to the cis women out there who like to throw shade at us, we don't have to 'trick' or 'deceive' a man to get his romantic attention.  Most of the time, they are stepping to us because they like what they see and like our personalities even better.

Speaking of stepping to us, just because a cis man loves a trans woman, it does not diminish or devalue his masculinity or make him gay.

Now my sisters. if a guy is only looking at us as his exotic fetishistic fantasy, call his ass out.  Also call out the guys who don't recognize your femininity.  The primary person you have to please in a relationship situation is yourself.  You do not have to accept a substandard relationship, one that disrespects your humanity or your femininity, or one that makes you unhappy because you want to prove to the outside world you are feminine enough to get a man.

Quality is what you need to be looking for, not quantity.  Waiting for the person who is best suited for you and makes you happy may take a while, but is worth it in the end.  

Top 5 Texas Trans Moments of 2015

One of the things that irritates me about Top Five or Top Ten lists for trans issues is that far too often, they ignore stuff that doesn't happen on I-5, I-95 or inside I-495.  FYI to the rest of the country, liberal progressive people do exist here inside the borders of the Lone Star State and some of the 35 million people who live here inside my bigger than France state are trans people.

I need to remind you once again that Texas, and especially Houston based trans activists have helped spur much of the progress of the modern trans rights movement, and far too often we get ignored for doing so.

So in order to address that bi- coastal and inside the beltway imbalance, I'm going to do a 2015 Top 5 trans moments list with a Texas twang to it.

1.  All four anti-trans bathroom bills die in the Texas Legislature.

As part as a major attack on the human rights of Texas TBLG people, the hatemongers in the GOP controlled Texas Legislature rolled out a slate of 20 unjust bills.   Four of those bills (HB 1748, 1749, 2801 and 2802 targeted the Texas trans community.

These bathroom bills sought to not only criminalize being trans for adult trans Texans, but attack our trans kids matriculating in Texas schools.  

HB 1748 and HB 1749 were filed by suburban Houston Republicans Rep. Debbie Riddle of Tomball and would have made it a misdemeanor crime punishable by fines and jail time for Moni and every trans Texan to poop and pee in public restrooms. HB 2080 and 2082, filed by Rep. Gilbert Pena of Pasadena, targeted Texas trans kids.  It incentivized snitching on and bullying trans kids for using the potty for cash.

We were given little to no chance by outside of Texas groups to kill any of that negative legislation, but that's exactly what happened.   Trans Texans in conjunction with our allies got mad, rolled up our sleeves, and showed up in Austin for three lobby days.   We talked to our legislators under the Pink Dome, lobbied and denounced the unjust bills and successfully got them killed.

But you can bet that when the 2017 session starts, we will once again need to be ready to roll to Austin to defend our human rights again.  


2.  HERO Repealed

You've seen a lot of posts on this blog about the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance and the fight in 2014 to pass it.  Passing the law was the easy part.  The hard part as we knew when we started this human rights battle was going to be being able to keep it in the City Code of Ordinances.

Due to a massive disinformation campaign, a devastatingly effective ad, Houston media not doing their job combined with a mistake ridden HERO defense campaign, the Forces of Intolerance led primarily by out of town anti-LGBT activists and the Texas GOP, the Forces of Intolerance won by a 61-39% margin.

And yeah, I had a lot to say about the failure of the Houston Unites campaign to defend the HERO against this debunked trans predator meme and recycled Jim Crow talking points.

3.  Dallas strengthens trans protections

As we were suffering a devastating human rights defeat on our end of I-45 and getting pilloried in the national media for it, on the northern end of it in Dallas they were strengthening their trans protections.

One week after the HERO repeal, the Texas Values haters, fresh off their victory in Houston, tried to replicate what they had done in Dallas.

They failed as the Dallas City Council by a unanimous vote clarified their trans human rights protections that had been on the books since 2002 and the Dallas media tore their spokeshaters to shreds.

This is one time I can't (cough, cough) hate on Dallas.

4. Nikki Araguz Loyd wins her trans marriage case

After a nearly six year battle to do so, Nikki Araguz Loyd finally prevailed in the Delgado v. Araguz  trans marriage legal fight that killed the odious 1999 Littleton v Prange trans marriage case.

It not only reinstated her marriage to the late Capt. Thomas Araguz III and gave her the recognition back as his widow, it set a positive precedent for trans marriage rights in the Lone Star State

And how apropos the final ruling in the case happened on November 20, and the transphobic judge Randy Clapp (R)  that ruled the wrong way back in 2010, was the one that had to sign the order reversing his incorrect one.

5. Texas loses two trans women.

Unfortunately two of the record 20 trans women murdered in 2015 were Lone Star State residents in 24 year old Ty Underwood and 20 year old  Shade Schuler.

24 year old Ty Underwood was killed in Tyler, Texas in January by her boyfriend Carlton Ray Champion, who was convicted of the crime and sentenced to life in prison after bragging he'd be back on the streets on the day he was convicted.

The other trans woman we lost was in Dallas.   The decomposing body of 22 year old Shade Schuler was found on July 29 in a field near the Dallas medical district.

Unfortunately her killer has yet to be found and justice has yet to be served in this case, but it's hopeful that it will happen for her, her family and all who love her in 2016.

A reminder to the rest of the country.  We have some kick butt trans activists here in the Lone Star Sate who despite what y'all think on the coasts, are making stuff happen that benefits trans kind.

Going to be interesting to see what we accomplish in 2016.




   

Jazzmun Speaks About Transphobia

One of the people I finally had the pleasure of meeting in 2015 was Jazzmun.

You have seen this California native on television and the silver screen in numerous roles in movies like The 40 Year Old Virgin and Punks, and the documentary In Full Bloom.  I had a wonderful time getting to know our amazing sister earlier this year in Chicago and I hope 2016 is the year she gets the opportunity to really show Hollywood and the world what she can do as an actor.

This is her speaking on the issue of transphobia, and it's something that we need to leave behind in 2015 as we move to a new year this Friday.

Donahue Show: Trans People and Their Families

Another Donahue trans show, circa 1987 in which he interviews a trans woman and her supportive sister.

Enjoy the video

African Trans* Stories

A conference is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa today for Africa Trans* Visibility Day.

It continues to point out the increasing visibility of trans people on the African continent, and my African trans cousins continuing to come out of the shadows, owning their power, and demanding recognition of their humanity.  

Continental African trans people taking their rightful place in their various nations is a much needed and welcomed sight for those of us in other parts of the African Diaspora who would like to see more continental African trans leaders get the attention in international trans human rights circles they deserve.

Speaking of conferences, back on September 28-30 there was a previous conference organized in Johannesburg that brought together activists from 12 nations put together by Gender DynamiX, Iranti-org and Global Action For Trans* Equality (GATE)

In this video, continental African trans people are telling their stories and giving you a taste of what living their trans lives is like in their various nations

Mount Horeb 'I Am Jazz' Library Reading Draws Overflow Crowd

After a reading of the book I Am Jazz was canceled due to lawsuit threats by the Liberty Counsel hate group, a reading in the Mount Horeb Public Library was scheduled last night that was organized by Amy Lyle to support the trans feminine child and her family.

To the stunned and pleased surprise of the organizers, the book reading drew a crowd of 600 people in this town 25 miles southwest of Madison, WI.

"I knew that our Mount Horeb community was a loving compassionate and caring one for all kids--I knew that in my heart-but you all have just shown that to be overwhelmingly true," said organizer Amy Lyle.

The reading scheduled at Mount Horeb High School that morning drew 200 people at the school's flagpole before classes started.   The reading at the library featured Jessica Herthel, the co-author of I Am Jazz who flew in from California to support the family.

Mount Horeb HS Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) member Claire Jenkins praised the elementary school at the center of the debate and said "This is a day to show a little girl we love her."



You not only overwhelmingly did so Mount Horeb, but you also demonstrated it to the trans community and the world at a time when we trans folks of all ages really needed to hear some good news after a few days of negative events impacting us.

Thank you Mount Horeb for demonstrating what being supportive and caring trans allies looks like in practice and rebuking the transphobic Liberty Counsel hatemongers.

Africa Trans* Visibility Day In South Africa

One of our pioneering trans models in Lauren Foster was born and grew up in South Africa. The Gender DynamiX trans org was founded there in 2005 by Liesl Theron, and you have had groundbreaking trans advocates in other African nations like Audrey Mbugua of Kenya and Victor Mukasa of Uganda.

But it has unfortunately taken time for people there and on the rest of the planet to realize that trans people exist on the African continent along with some amazing trans human rights advocates and give them the attention they deserve.

The Johannesburg based organization Iranti is organizing Africa Trans* Visibility Day, which will  kick off on December 5 in Johannesburg from 10:00 AM-6:00 PM local time at Constitution Hill..  



The Africa Trans* Visibility Day event has attracted attention by activists from Lesotho, Kenya, Uganda, Namibia, Botswana and host nation South Africa to celebrate the upcoming International Human Rights Day on December 10 and discuss trans rights and other social justice work on the African continent.

The Africa Trans* Visibility Day will also serve as a platform and organizing opportunity for African trans people to claim their human rights and push for access to health care, legal recognition, employment and safety and security issues in their various nations.    

And I couldn't be happier as a child of the African Diaspora that this event is taking place.

I hope this serves as the catalyst for other trans events on the African continent that lead to the recognition of the humanity and human rights of trans Africans in their various nations, and I hope the event is successful.  

Mount Horeb, WI Rebukes Transphobes, Schedules Public Readings Of 'I Am Jazz'

After a six year old trans feminine student came out last Monday at Mount Horeb Primary Center, a reading and discussion of Jazz Jennings book I Am Jazz was scheduled as part of her coming out process to help her fellow students understand what was going on.

Unfortunately the Florida based Liberty Counsel, an SPLC certified hate group, stuck their noses in this Wisconsin business  and threatened a lawsuit if the planned reading went forward.

The school canceled the reading, but in response to the right wing bullying, the community of Mount Horeb rebuked the transphobic hatemongers and organized two public readings of I Am Jazz that will take place on Wednesday.

The Mount Horeb High School Straight and Gay Alliance (SAGA) will host one of the public readings at 7:35 AM at the MHHS flagpole.

The SAGA students, according to MHHS teacher Beth Maglio, are staging the reading to "show our support and solidarity with the transgender community, staff and students."

Maglio teaches a high school 'Social Problems' course in which students learn about advocacy and standing up for their beliefs.  When she noticed the SAGA students discussing the cancellation on Facebook, she asked them what they thought they should do about it, and doing a public reading of I Am Jazz was their response.

The second reading was organized by parent Amy Lyle, and it will take place at the Mount Horeb Library from 6:30-8 PM.   Like the reading by the Mount Horeb SAGA group, Lyle organized the library reading as a way to support the trans feminine student an her family.

"We were concerned about how the family would be feeling and we felt  a need to communicate to them that there is support in our community." Lyle said in a Wisconsin State Journal interview. "We want all LGBT youth to feel supported and feel accepted, and to know that Mount Horeb is an accepting place for all."

Thank you Mount Horeb for demonstrating that acceptance and not falling for the anti-trans fear mongering.  hope the trans community in the area will thank these groups by supporting the Wednesday readings.

Just to stick it to the Liberty Counsel, I'd take it a step further and start donating copies of I Am Jazz to local primary school and public libraries around the country.


H/T Lexie Cannes

Trans Bolivians Gain Ability To Change Gender On Identity Documents

South American nations have been international leaders  in passing trans friendly human rights laws, and Bolivia just became the latest South American nation to do so.

While Bolivia's constitution since 2009 has prohibited discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, unfortunately hearts and minds have yet to catch up with the laws.  But TBLGI activists keep fighting for their humanity and respect despite that slow pace of acceptance.

After local trans activist Raysa Torriani proposed a bill three years ago to the national assembly that would allow trans Bolivians to change their name and gender markers on official identity documents, the Ministry of Justice announced an administrative policy change that will allow trans Bolivians to do so.

Justice Minister Virginia Velasco Condori announced at a Wednesday press conference that the Ministry of Justice has issued an administrative order that changes the law and policies relating to civil registration that include the General Service Personal Identification Number and the Civil Registry Service.

Persons wishing to change name and gender markers on identity documents must apply to the Ministry of Justice and undergo a psychiatric examination before the process is approved.

It's not as good as the Argentine Gender Identity Law that is considered the gold standard of international trans identification laws, but it's a start.

Can We Please Stop Hating On Trans Women For The 2015 Holidays?

I know I've asked for this for the last several years, and I think I may have figured our why it hasn't happened and make that correction in this year's post.

I forgot to say 'please'.

The holiday season is in full swing.  Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men and all that jazz as the combat continues in the Middle East and Afghanistan and a terrorist attacks happens in Colorado.  

Something else I'm tired of that is the ongoing hatred aimed at trans women around the world.

What about the TERF's?  Those rhymes with witches are still marinating in their disco era hatred and racist desires to oppress someone and will never change.

But Christmas is a season in which we ask for the impossible to happen and hope it plays out, so I'll ask for these things to happen in the 2015 holiday season.
 
And yeah, I'll say please when I do.

Can y'all cis peeps in the 2015 holiday season please refrain for one month from killing or injuring my trans sisters or at the very least, making disparaging transphobic remarks? 

Can we trans folks please have a 2015 holiday season in which not a single transperson anywhere in the world is killed or injured? 

Can we please have a 2015 holiday season in which I or my trans fam don't have to read or hear hate speech or misgendering comments about us coming from friends, frenemies and foes.

Can we please have in the 2015 holiday season one in which we trans folks don't see anti-trans commentary from Pope Francis, anybody else in the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy or from religious leaders of other denominations? 
  

Can we transpeeps please have in this 2015 holiday season for the next 30 days, not seeing a positive story about us on the Net be polluted by a comment threads with an avalanche of transphobic, hateful and ignorant comments?

And as a final 2015 holiday gift to us, can we trans women around the world please be able to live our daily lives without drama for the next thirty days?

8 Holiday Comebacks For Shady Transphobic Relatives

For those of my trans family members about to travel home for the holidays, while some of you are unconditionally accepted by your family and looking forward to the opportunity to break bread with them, some of you with more complicated relationships with your blood family are dreading the trip home to break bread with them because of transphobic relatives that may drop by.

You may have had at one time or another while happily getting your grub on at the holiday dinner table some transphobic comments get dropped either in ignorance or microaggressively aimed at you by less than accepting relatives.

Thanks to MTV News, Kat Blaque and  Franchesca Ramsey have come up with eight comeback lines for you to fire back at the transphobes related to you if you find yourself during the holidays getting shadily served by your relatives an unwanted side of transphobia with your holiday meal.

As a TransGriot public service, I'm signal boosting the MTV video so you'll have it in a nice convenient spot to quickly view on your phones, laptops or tablets on the way to dinner with your blood family.




Safe travels to and from your holiday destinations, and here's hoping that your holiday meal is free of transphobic drama.

Congressional Violence Against Trans People Forum Today

We owe it to the people we have lost this year to ensure this Congressional Violence Against Trans People Forum is the start of formulating federal government level policy solutions that fix the anti-trans violence problem negatively impacting Trans America.-TransGriot, November 14, 2015 

In an hour a historic forum held by the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus to discuss violence against trans people.  Hopefully the two hour forum will be the catalyst for legislative action that helps fix the problems we face.

Earlier this morning inside I-495 there was a 10:30 AM EST press conference held by the LGBT Equality Caucus to announce the formation of a Transgender Equality Task Force.

The forum will run from 2-4 PM EST, with the first hour of the forum featuring a panel on the causes and impacts of anti-trans violence chaired by Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA).

It will feature testimony from panelists La La Zannell from the Anti Violence Project and DC based advocate and blogger Joanna Cifredo who were both survivors of violence.

The second hour will focus on policy and how to end bias motivated violence against trans people chaired by Rep, Jared Polis (D-CO).  It will feature testimony from Kylar Broadus, the executive director of the Trans Persons of Color Coalition, Sharon Lettman-Hicks of the National Black Justice Coalition and Chad Griffin of HRC  

Hoping that the forum will be livestreamed like the press conference was this morning, and as soon as the video is posted, I'll post it to TransGriot.

TransGriot Update:  The link to the livestream of the forum.


  

Tona's Trans Awareness Month Truth Telling

TransGriot Note:  Guest post by Tona Brown

It's Trans Awareness Month: As each day gets closer to TDOR (November 20th) a time where we recognize the names of all the transgender men and women that have been killed just for living in their truth; I realize that it's time to really let the world know about how poorly we are treated within the ‪#‎LGBT‬ community especially when it comes to funding!

I receive so many emails and notes from people who assume that if you are transgender and successful that life is EASIER for you. It most certainly is not for a transgender woman of color!

I have learned that funds that are specifically raised by #LGBT org's towards the transgender population are not being allocated to those that really need it the most. I have gone behind the scenes to see where are these funds going over the past four years. I have done research on websites like but not limited to LGBTQ funders.org just to see HOW MUCH money is sent to #LGBT organizations in an effort to help our community and the numbers are astounding! Millions of dollars have been sent to Gay and Lesbian organizations that use the "T" to receive said funds. The bigger questions is how much of that money "trickle's down" to TRANSGENDER people?

Wake up call LGB Organizations... You have done our community wrong! You have asked our community support your agendas, you have tokenized so many of my sisters and brothers in believing that you would do better but still HAVE NOT! So let me list the services that are available from my personal research and attending various events.

HIV TESTING!! HIV TESTING AND MORE HIV TESTING! (Because of course every trans person has to be HIV positive right? WRONG!! BUT we know that you get most of YOUR funding from HIV grants)
PLENTY OF CONDOMS AND LUBE EVEN DENTAL DAMS (if there FANCY)
$5-$10 vouchers (FOR YOUR TIME) or bus passes or tokens.

If you're lucky and a trans person has been allowed to help. A support group! TRANS WEDNESDAYS! Woo hoo!

Hormone therapy depending on your state and the program.
Assistance with name changes or birth certificates. (Very rare)
HOUSING.. NEARLY NEVER!

My personal favorite....SHADE!!! The girls are always telling me about a salty gay male who throws them enormous shade at the front desks or in the lobby and or he wants to talk to you about how "fierce" you look and how he would have never known you were trans! UGH

TAKING SURVEYS! (Of course we have to help you meet your quotas and deliverables) And no matter how many we fill out that say the same thing.. YEAR AFTER YEAR. The programs don't change.

Over the years what I have learned the most is that if you are a trans person of color these programs really don't suit your needs AT ALL. It's no wonder that most trans people don't support your events. You do not support us. Every survey conducted since the late 90's and early 2000's has told you what our community needs is EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, FUNDING, and assistance to get NAME CHANGES AND BIRTH CERTIFICATE CHANGES (SO WE CAN GET A JOB).

But year after year these organizations pretend to care are still offering the same BS. The crumbs of their budget. The health department gives org's condoms and lube FOR FREE!! You're paying everyone else to test us. And since that is expensive... How about training more trans women to do it giving them EMPLOYMENT?! Your boards consist primarily of WHITE gay and lesbian people who have NO CLUE what our needs are. We need more transgender people on these boards. And any other place where you can HIRE US.. If you did a survey that says that we are facing employment discrimination but WE CAN NOT go to GAY AND LESBIAN organizations for employment THERE IS A PROBLEM!!

AGAIN!! We need HOUSING, AND EMPLOYMENT opportunities!!! Every survey has shown that transgender people live below the poverty line IN THE U.S. and the entire world. Yet your organizations continue to ask our community for financial support for YOUR agendas. The transgender community as a whole does not have the resources to do so.

The trans community has been left behind by #LGBT organizations that were supposed to be there for us. THIS EXCLUDES organization that are run by a trans person or trans oriented in its ENTIRETY.. However these organizations get very little support especially with FUNDING, fund raising or out right grants! Even their fiscal sponsors usually other Gay and Lesbian org's supply little support and its hard for them to keep their doors open!

The other slap in the face comes when organizations decide to ask OUR community to do a panel discussions, keynote speeches or to talk about issues facing transgender people. 9 times out of 10 the transgender facilitator has do the it FOR FREE. Your organization has a 500k or 1 million dollar budget but you can't pay transgender speakers or artists. But you pay everyone else.

The transgender community started the Stonewall rebellion that helped move the LGBT community forward YET.. the Gay and Lesbian organizations have left us behind. We are the after thought and quite frankly most of these organizations are just as bigoted as mainstream organizations.

Even events that make perfect sense to everyone else to get funding a transgender person of color has to struggle to get the funding for it. My Carnegie Hall debut and every other event I have done for the community does not get support from MAJOR LGBT organizations. There is always an excuse and people assume that I've gotten funding for these events that I self produce. NO!! I HAVE NEVER GOT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM ANY MAJOR LGBT ORGANIZATIONS for ANY program or show I have done! I send HUNDREDS of proposals out to GAY/LESBIAN organizations every YEAR! I have never talked about it until now. Because unlike others I refuse to let these organizations keep me from my destiny. I refuse to go to these huge dinners and take pictures on their step and repeat when you're not even using an 8th of your budget for our community.

These organizations don't even do research on the people you actually give the money to and when things aren't done properly you act surprised?! This happens because those of us with a track record or history of doing this work do not get the funding to do what we set out to do! AND WE WILL NOT DO IT FOR FREE!! So gay and lesbian organizations take risks on "new men and women" and often time in their defense get burned! AGAIN.. Do your homework first!!

To those that take advantage of money given to them and you do not do what you were supposed to do with it; NOTE you are not helping our community but harming our community and should be ashamed of your behavior! You're part of the reason why we can't get help for good programming that will help transgender people!

I will NOT perform for pride organizations that feel that I should perform for FREE but you pay a CISGENDER HETERO NORMATIVE performer (who might have mentioned one line about being gay friendly) 10's of thousands of dollars either in check or a tax write-off to perform. I will not speak at your huge dinners and do a keynote just to get a check from an organization that only does surface campaigns to get deep pocket donors yet will not offer the proper services to transgender people.

And now that we come to better understand how you really feel about us. There is the question of the 21 or 22 transgender and gender non conforming murders in 2015 19 of them being transgender women of color! It's a multi faceted issue further conversation and awareness and financial support is needed to help solve the problem.

I am working on a project with a magnificent team of trans attracted men who will be speaking with me from around the U.S. about what they think is going on. They will talk about their lives and the women they love and how they are demonized by others for being attracted to trans gender women. I would also like to do a video performance dedicated to the lives of these women but we cannot get funding for this from the organizations that claim they have out best interest in mind.

The media has already agreed to show their support but before I do another major event and people assume I'm getting funding and not paying out of pocket for it. I decided to share the TRUTH! To my team of volunteers who made Carnegie Hall and every event I've produced happen. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and to those that support me and my career. It takes men and women like you to make things happen behind the scenes when the money is not there. I hear your frustration when you send things off on my behalf only to be rejected because a black transgender woman is on the face of it. We may not be funded but we make history EVERY time I step on stage! I love you all dearly! Stay encouraged and NEVER GIVE UP! Remember one day‪#‎weshallovercome‬

I will be in NYC briefly performing for another event I believe in. Please get your ticket the performance is Thursday November 12th, 2015! I will be singing for this event and would like to see familiar faces in the audience if at all possible! WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

British Trans Woman May Not Be Getting Locked Up With The Cis Boys

One of the problems we have had when trans women have been incarcerated for law violations is that far too many prisons operate based on the genitalia you possess and not gender presentation

For trans women, that is a problem that leads to them being mistreated by guards and inmates alike and walking targets for sexual assault. Combine that with a documentation issue, and you have a recipe for disaster

26 year old British trans woman Tara Hudson was harshly sentenced by magistrates in Bath to 12 weeks in the all male Bristol prison after admitting to headbutting a bar manager.   Never mind the fact that she has been on hormones, lived as Tara for six years, had reconstructive surgery, and been declared by her medical doctor as a woman.   But because she doesn't have a Gender Recognition Certificate, a document that confers legal recognition of her gender and it time consuming and expensive to get, she is facing having to do time in a prison in which according to an inspection report, levels of violence have risen since the last inspection and not enough was done to protect vulnerable prisoners.

And we can visualize the hell that would ensure for her if she was thrown into that situation.

After 122,000 people around the world signed a Change.org petition asking for Hudson to be moved to a women's prison, that request is not only being considered, but her case is being reviewed.

Her mother is hoping that the sentence will be reduced so that she can spend it at home on an electronic monitoring tag.

But Hudson should have never been put in this dangerous situation in the first place. It's time for Britain to listen to its trans citizens and consider changes in the 2004 Gender Recognition Act hat would allow self declaration of gender identity without the bureaucratic hoops and fiscal burdens that come with the current policy.

TransGriot Update:  Hudson will be transferred to a women's prison to serve her sentence. 

Last Day Of Positively Trans Survey

If you're an HIV + trans or gender variant person and haven't taken this groundbreaking survey yet, better get moving on it.

Today is the last day you can take the survey that it is hoped will provide a clearer picture of the needs of our trans and gender family living with HIV and AIDS and drive policy better calibrated to their needs.

The survey is available in English and Spanish, and once taken, you can also  get yourself entered in a drawing for the eight Visa gift cards that will be given away valued at $250, $100, or $50 dollars.

Without the needed data, you don't exist to government agencies, the government and funders, so if you haven't done so, please take a moment to click on this link and complete the survey.