Honduran Trans Woman Running For Seat In Honduran Congress

Trans women all over the world are stepping up to run for office in their various nations in large part because we recognize that we must be at the table helping to write the laws that govern us.

Running for office is happening even in nations with a history of being violently hostile to our existence.   Rihanna Ferrera is the latest trans Honduran to attempt to get elected to her nation's national legislative body in their upcoming November 26 elections.

Ferrera is running to represent the department of Francisco Morazan which contains the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa as a candidate for the center-left United Social democratic and Innovation (PINU) Party.  Honduran trans women have made two previous attempts in 2012 to get elected to the Honduran Congress.

Ferrera is also the co-founder of the Asociacion Cozumel Trans, a trans advocacy organization based in Tegucigalpa

Claudia Spellman and Victoria Gomez both attempted to do so that year as LIBRE Party candidates, but subsequently had to seek asylum in the US and Spain after receiving death threats. 

28 year old Kendra Stefany Jordany recently became in March the first trans Honduran to win a party primary in the nation, and is trying to get elected as a representative to the Central American Parliament  which is based in Guatemala City, Guatemala

Ferrera, should she be successful, would become not only the first trans Honduran elected to the national congress, she would also become the first trans person in North America. the seventh in the world and only the third in the Western Hemisphere to be elected to her national legislature

Texas Trans History- The Texas 'T' Party

In the wake of the recent death of Linda Phillips, one of the co-organizers of this event along with her wife Cynthia, been needing to talk about this event that grew to become one of the largest trans themed conferences events in the nation.

And even better, it was based here in Texas.

Back the late 80's, the trans community was tentatively beginning to come out of isolation and forming local transgender support groups that allowed crossdressers and trans people to meet each other, form friendships and go on public local outings as a group in addition to being informed about the latest developments in pre-Internet Trans World.

One of those support groups that sprang up was the San Antonio area based Boulton and Park Society that formed in 1986.

Linda and Cynthia Phillips joined it not long after its formation, and the couple soon ascended to leadership roles in the organization.  Linda became the secretary and treasurer of the Boulton and Park society, while her wife Cynthia became the Executive Director  

Linda and Cynthia also became board members of IFGE, the International Foundation For Gender Education in the 1990's along with doing the talk show circuit to talk about their marriage in which one partner is transgender and the other cisgender.

The Texas 'T' Party started in 1988 as a way for Boulton and Park Society members and other Central Texas area crossdressers to have an event that allowed them to be en femme for an entire weekend at a local San Antonio hotel.  They were only expecting 20-40 people to show up, but to their surprise the word got out and 128 people attended that inaugural event.

The second Texas 'T' Party in February 1989 had 75 people journeying to San Antonio a full day before the conference officially started on Friday, so programming was extended by a day to have events on Thursday starting in 1990.

The 'T' Party grew to include vendors, beauticians, manicurists, makeup artists, photographers, panel discussions, a talent show, programming for the spouses and a keynote speaker.  It also quickly assembled a large mailing list of attendees from across the nation and several countries.

The 'T' Party growth was so explosive that by the third annual one in February 1990 it was not only drawing over 300 regular participants, it had forged a deal with American Airlines to become their official air carrier.  As part of that relationship with American Airlines, a coupon discounting air travel to San Antonio for the event was included in the T Party event confirmation packet.

The Texas 'T' Party growing in a short time to major trans convention status was critical to the startup and success of another Texas based event that was the genesis of the political organizing and messaging of the modern trans rights movement in the International Conference of Transgender Law and Employment Policy.  (ICTLEP).

Phyllis Frye attended the 1992 'T' Party in order to help promote the inaugural August 26-30, 1992 one of what turned out to be six ICTLEP conferences in Houston with the blessing of the Phillipses, who became major supporters of the ICTLEP conference.

The explosive growth of the Texas 'T' Party led to it not only becoming a weeklong event, but outgrowing its original hotel to become arguably the largest trans themed convention in the United States.

After hosting the 1995 'T' Party at a new San Antonio hotel, it surprisingly moved up I-35 to Dallas for two years in 1996 and 1997 for its eighth and ninth annual editions before returning the T' Party back home to San Antonio for its 10th anniversary edition in 1998

But the 1990's also saw the growth of other trans themed conferences like the Southern California based California Dreaming, Fantasia Fair in Provincetown, MA and an Atlanta based one called Southern Comfort which was also rapidly growing in popularity in Trans World.

The Phillipses also being busy during the decade with television appearances, collegiate panel discussions, sitting on boards in addition to holding leadership roles within the Boulton and Park Society and being the principal organizers of the T Party led to the decision to end it with one final Texas T Party in 1999.

For eleven years the Texas 'T' Party was the destination convention for many crossdressers, trans people and their spouses who took advantage of the mild Texas winter-early spring weather to be themselves if only for a week in the Lone Star State before it ended.

Thanks to the Phillipses and the team that worked to put on the Texas 'T' Party for over a decade, it was more than just a weeklong party.  It was also an event that educated and informed our community, helped many find lifelong friends, helped many people come to the epiphany that they were definitely trans, and was a critical early informational building block in the modern trans rights movement.

And it did so with a Texas twang and that legendary Texas hospitality..
 

Black Trans History- Jackie Shane

'I never realized that I'd mean something to people all these years later'
-Jackie Shane  

I've talked about in these TransGriot electronic pages about trans masculine gospel singer Wilmer Broadnax, who was a major star from the 40's to the 70's.

Now it turns out that we are now getting another piece of our Black trans history revealed in the person of R&B singer Jackie Shane.

She was born in Nashville on May 15, 1940.  While Nashville is world renowned for its country music scene, it also had a thriving blues and R&B music scene centered on the clubs on Jefferson St.

Shane was surrounded by music from an early age, and according to the 2010 CBC Elaine Banks  radio documentary I Got Mine; The Story Of Jackie Shane, as a teen she stayed with Marion James, Nashville's legendary Queen of the Blues.

She moved to Montreal in 1960, and a chance 1962 encounter with the Washington DC based band Frank Motley and the Motley Crew, known as Frank Motley and the Hitchhikers north of the border led to her becoming the lead singer for the group, relocating to Toronto with them in 1961 and as their lead singer subsequently taking Toronto's music scene by storm.  

Shane and the band would occasionally head south for US gigs in Boston, Nashville and Los Angeles, but it was Toronto where they were making their money.  Toronto's music scene was centered on Yonge Street, and they were tapping into the hunger Canadian audiences had for R&B and soul music.

Shane's first single was a cover of the Frank Barrett Motown classic song Money, but it was the song she released later in 1962 entitled Any Other Way, that hit number two on the then influential CHUM radio music chart that led to her taking the Toronto based music scene by storm .

In addition to performing at Toronto's Sapphire Club , there was this 1965 performance on Nashville's WLAC-TV's Night Train show



As the 60's inexorably moved into the 70's the bookings dried up and Shane left Toronto in 1971 returned to the States and lost touch with her bandmates.   She turned down an offer from George Clinton to become part of Funkadelic and began caring for an aunt in Los Angeles.   She returned to Nashville around 1996 after the death of her mother as people wondered what happened to her.  

Rumors abounded that she had been violently murdered in LA or committed suicide until she was found by saxophonist Steve Kennedy living in Nashville in 2005.

Thanks to that 2010 CBC radio documentary, there has been renewed interest in Jackie Shane's career and life, and she's still alive and kicking in Nashville at age 77.

And yes, Jackie, your life means plenty to all of us trans peeps all these years later as a Black trans woman living her life. doing what she loved and being unapologetic about it.      

It also means that another piece of our Black trans history has been uncovered for us to enjoy and appreciate.

Say Hello To Texas' First Transgender Mayor

In order to move trans acceptance in red states, we have to have people who actually live in and love them as much as the right wing haters fighting them tooth and nail to do so.

It's also even more important that trans people get involved in politics so that we are helping to shape the laws that govern us, not be on the political menu.

While Texas gay and lesbian folks have been getting elected to political positions for decades from judge to the state legislature to even mayor of Houston,  it has been a steeper climb for Texas trans people to make those same political advances

Phyllis Frye after being appointed by Mayor Annise Parker in 2010 became the first transgender judge in the nation and the Lone Star State.   But we are still trying to get a trans person elected to public office in our state.

Was happy to hear that we had some unexpected Texas political history recently made.   You have seen me chronicle on these electronic pages Jenifer Rene Pool's efforts to get elected to the Houston City Council and in the last cycle in 2016 Harris Country Commissioner.   She made Texas political history along the way last spring by becoming the first out Texas trans person to win a political party primary election.

New Hope, Texas is a town of 670 residents 40 miles northeast of Dallas in the conservative bastion of Collin County,   58 year old Jess Herbst has lived in the town with her wife and two daughters since 1999 and in 2003, Herbst was elected as an alderman to the Town Council.

Herbst rose to become its road commissioner and mayor pro tem.   When New Hope Mayor Johnny Hamm passed away in May while seeking reelection for another two year term, it was too late to remove him from the ballot.   Hamm posthumously won reelection to the mayor's chair and Herbst, already serving as the mayor pro tem, was selected to fill his two year term.

Herbst subsequently came out in a letter to the residents of New Hope.  

Herbst has also been chronicling her trans journey and her life at her blog.

Congrats Mayor Herbst, Hope you can stay in that office, get elected for your own term and continue working for the people of New Hope to the best of your ability.

The 2017 Trans 100 List Goes International!

Well international trans folks, you are finally getting what you have asking for ever since the Trans 100 List founded by Antonia D'orsay cranked up here in the US several years ago.

The Trans 100 List is going international.

The 2017 Trans 100 International List will honor those trans people who are NOT in North America (North America for the purposes of this award is Canada, Mexico and the United States)
North America will have its own 2017 Trans 100 nomination list that you can nominate people for via the link provided.

Here are the guidelines for the 2017 Trans 100 Nominations

– Nominees must have been living and working to improve the lives of trans people for at least six months of the prior year. (International will be 2015 and 2016)
– Nominees can be working at any scale, locally, regionally, or nationally.
– We would like to see all parts of the country represented.
– We particularly encourage the addition of the otherwise unsung or only locally known workers.
– We particularly encourage the addition of persons of color.
– Nominees must identify as trans.
– Nominations must include a means of contacting them.
– Organizations are eligible, provided the organization is entirely run by trans persons.

This is not an award. The goal is to recognize outstanding members for the Work itself, and it is the work they do that is considered before anything else.

Nominations will close on March 1, 2017, at midnight MST.

Notes:

– Voting is anonymous.
– The list will not be ranked, and the tally will not be publicized.
– Nominees will be contacted by the Trans 100 Team for permission before the list is published

Here's the link for the 2017 Trans 100 International Nominations

So yes, I'm excited to see what trans folks in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Australia, Europe and the Middle East will be nominated and eventually make the final cut for doing the work of standing up for transkind in 2015 and 2016.

January 2017 National Geographic Cover Makes Trans History

One of the cool things about being trans is that we can and are making history at times.

This latest bit of trans history involves the iconic international magazine National Geographic.

When the January 2017 issue of National Geographic comes out, it will have an article in it entitled 'The Gender Revolution' that has a picture of trans teen Trinity Neal in it.  

National Geographic is also airing a documentary on February 6 entitled 'Gender Revolution, A Journey With Katie Couric.'

Couric will in the documentary be interviewing parents of trans kids, people undergoing gender confirmation surgery and intersex individuals.

"It's hard to avoid hearing about some aspect of gender these days. Every time you check your phone, turn on the TV or scan Twitter, there's another story that's challenging our preconceived notions of what gender is, how it's determined and the impact these new definitions are having on society," Couric said in a statement. "I set out on a journey to try to educate myself about a topic that young people are living with so effortlessly—and get to know the real people behind the headlines. Because the first step to inclusiveness and tolerance is understanding."

One of the covers for this National Geographic gender issue will be 7 year old Avery Jackson, who will become the first out trans person in the nearly 130 year history of the magazine to grace its cover.

 “National Geographic is almost 130 years old, and we have been covering cultures, societies and social issues for all of those years. It struck us, listening to the national conversation, that gender was at the center of so many of these issues in the news,” Susan Goldberg, editorial director of National Geographic Partners and editor-in-chief of National Geographic magazine, told NBC Out.

Goldberg emphasises that while throughout the year there was a lot of emphasis on celebrities, she wanted this issue to focus on the lives of the common man.
Goldberg emphasises that while throughout the year there was a lot of emphasis on celebrities, she wanted this issue to focus on the lives of the common man.

There is an alternate cover with a group of seven people on it

Congrats to Avery for making that amazing history and proving once again that trans people are part of the diverse mosaic of human life, and everyone who was interviewed either for the magazine article or the documentary.

Welcome To The International Trans Fam, Gauri!

"I want to tell the world it's not always easy to be who you are, but you must stay true to yourself'
-Gauri Arora

As I like to continue to remind you TransGriot readers, trans people are part of the diverse mosaic of human life and we inhabit every continent on this planet except Antarctica.

And wouldn't be surprised if one day, we hear about a trans scientist doing some research at the bottom of the world.

During a web surfing session to find some interesting things to talk about, discovered the chatter coming from India about our trans sister Gauri Arora that started back in late September .  

Before her transition, the 24 year old had come out as bisexual on Indian national television, was a six foot tall model with a Men's Health magazine cover shoot to her credit with 8 pack abs, and had appeared on Season 8 of the reality television show MTV Splitsvilla. 

Now the chatter in India is about Arora's metamorphosis to the person she knew she always was and how she is adapting to her new life.

She talked about her transition in this October interview with the Hindustan Times.

 “I have the guts to come out while many don’t. I know that fame and money, I can make anytime as I’m ambitious and capable. This is me, this is my journey and my journey is all about Gauri Arora, who is moving from being the cover model of Men’s Health with eight-pack abs to the new me. Now I want to be on the cover of a women’s magazine. I have gym mates like Jacqueline Fernandes and Sonam Kapoor and they appreciate me like anything. I have a lot of fans and everywhere I go people come up and talk to me. But no one does anything to directly help. I feel there are many people with me but no one with me really. I can’t tell people please accept me, please love me. They take me as a glam thing. But deep down, I’m a girl, and I want a man in my life. And when I’m a woman, I want to adopt a girl child.”

We feel you, Gauri.   many of us have been there with the family rejection.  They may or may not come around, but you are not alone. You are part of an international family now, and we welcome you with open arms to it.

Pink Crayons

This is an amazing spoken word poem courtesy of the Asia Project.

The poet is talking about his transgender sister living her truth in a world that wants to deny she exists and hate on her for doing so.

Enjoy

Eden Lane, Marlo Bernier and Bianca Leigh To Appear In ART at Harvard Play 'Trans Scripts, Part 1'

The momentum that trans people have been building in the arts and entertainment world is still moving forward despite the disgusting election results.

I was pleased to hear that my homegirl Eden Lane will be for a change on the theater stage instead of her award winning self reporting on the news coming from the theater world as she has done for nearly a decade with her Colorado Public Television based show InFocus With Eden Lane.

The play that Eden will be participating in is being produced by the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University under the leadership of Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Executive Director Diane Quinn  The play is entitled Trans Scripts, Part I:  The Women, and is written by Paul Lucas and directed by Jo Bonney.

TransScripts, Part 1: The Women is an original play crafted by Lucas from from interviews with 75 diverse people from six continents around the world who identify as trans.   Those 75 trans people varied in age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, educational level  and age at transition.

The play is told through the voices of six trans women.

In addition to Eden, the play also stars two other people I'm familiar with in Marlo Bernier and Bianca Leigh.

Matthew Hancock, MJ Rodriguez, Rebecca Root and Jack Wetherall round out the cast for TransScripts that will start rehearsals in New York City after Christmas,

Performances are scheduled to begin on January 19 at the Loeb Drama Center, located at 64 Brattle St. in Cambridge, MA, and will run through February 5

Break a leg Eden and all your TransScripts castmates.   Hope y'all sell the theater out,  and may this play be a megasuccessful blockbuster one with rave reviews!

Last White House Transgender Community Event Today

The last transgender themed White House event for a while will take place in a few hours

The White House Transgender Community Briefing is sponsored by the White House Office of Public Engagement, and will bring together transgender leaders and community members in an event that not only is a celebration of our cultural accomplishments, but also discuss policy issues.

Will I be there?  Wasn't invited to this one, but am glad that Nikki Araguz Loyd will be repping the Lone Star state and the Houston area since she did get an invite.  

I'm saying it's the last one because I don't see a Trump White House chock full of anti-TBLGQ professional haters having an Office of Public Engagement this accepting and respectful of our community.

The White House Transgender Community Briefing will take place from 4-7 PM EST, and you may be able to watch it via streaming video on the whitehouse.gov website.

HRC #ThisIsTransgender Video

Our right wing oppressors, oops opponents continue their efforts to be on the wrong side of human rights history.  But as they continue to try to justify discriminating against and dehumanizing transgender people for their own nefarious political gain, we continue to fight them tooth and nail.  

Yesterday the Human Rights Campaign released this video that has a few peeps in it I know in their #ThisIsTransgender campaign along with my reprehensible Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick and the hopefully soon to be one term governor of North Carolina Pat McCrory.

Enjoy.

Positive Bud Light Transgender Ad

While checking out Rio Olympic coverage two nights ago, was surprised and pleased to see this ad as part of the 'Bud Light Party' ad campaign featuring Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer.

Normally I'm tuning out the ads, but when it mentioned the words 'gender identity' my ears perked up to see where they were going with this.  

I liked the ad, and I'm posting the video of it on these TransGriot pages for you readers to peruse and judge for yourselves if this is a positive ad or not.

Absolut Vodka #AbsolutNights 'Darla' Trans Themed Commercial

As our visibility and acceptance increases, popular culture and media will positively reflect that.paradigm shift.  And it stands to reason that advertisers will take notice of that pro-trans cultural shift.

Trans people in advertising around the world isn't a new phenomenon, but it has been all over the map.  Some attempts at trans themed advertising have been positive, while others have been massive fails that I've had to call out more than a few times on these electronic pages.

One of the latest attempts by advertisers and companies to go with a trans themed ad is Absolut Vodka, which has always had a pro-LGBT reputation.  With the increase in trans acceptance in various parts of the world and trans rights being increasingly recognized as a human rights issue, has now created an ad featuring a trans storyline.

Here's their 'Darla' #ABSOLUTNIGHTS ad, presented to you TransGriot readers without editorial comment.



 

The 'Obamacare Kid' Is Now Part Of Our Trans Family

Remember when President Obama signed the landmark Affordable Care Act into law on March 23, 2010 and there was an adorable 11 year old African-American child standing there to witness the signing of this new law?

Marcelas Owens' mother died in 2007 as a result of losing her job and subsequently her health insurance, and the then pint sized advocate told that story as part of the contentious push to pass the ACA.

It's now six years later, and Marcelas Owens is now a 17 year old trans teen living in Seattle who recently celebrated a birthday on March 10 and transitioned at age 16 with the love and acceptance of her grandmother Gina Owens.

It's bitterly ironic now that while the Affordable Care Act she championed does prohibit discrimination against trans people, unfortunately there are loopholes in the ACA that result in providers not being required to provide the transition related health care that she is now considering.

She is now beginning her evolutionary trans feminine journey while wondering if people will still love her.

While Rush Limbaugh, the right wing, transphobic fundies and the ignorati may hate on you, know that I, your trans elders and your trans family in Seattle, here in the US and around the world welcome you with open arms to our family.

You are now part of a community that stretches across the world.  If we are blessed to meet each other, I'll be more than happy to give you a hug and whatever advice you wish about becoming the fierce Black trans woman that you have the potential to be.  .

Welcome to the trans family, Marcelas.

LA Mayor Garcetti Announces Transgender Advisory Council Formation

More trans progress from the Left Coast.

Was excited to hear that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced this morning the formation of a Transgender Advisory Council in the City of Angels.  It is the largest city in the US to do so and only the second nationally  to create one after LA metro area neighbor West Hollywood, CA

"Today, the City of Los Angeles sends a clear message to transgender Angelenos:  your voices matter and your experiences count," said Mayor Garcetti. "The nine members of our Transgender Advisory Council will bring a new and important perspective to City Hall that will help empower trans Angelenos to lead stigma-free, productive and meaningful lives"

The stated purpose of the TAC once it finishes setting up it basic formation, is to advise the city on how best to serve trans Angelenos and it work under the auspices of the Human Relations Commission to do precisely that.   Advisory Council member Karina Samala stated at the press conference that the TAC would focus on city hiring policies and anti-trans hate crimes.

The LA Transgender Advisory Council will advise the Office of the Mayor, the LA City Council, city departments and various elected officials on projects and policies that affect the Los Angeles trans community like economic development, public safety, accessibility, and public awareness of LA's transgender citizens.

Congrats to Jazzmun Crayton, who was selected for the TAC from a blind application process based on criteria set by the Human Relations Commission and is one of the people I've had the pleasure of meeting at other national events.

Congrats also to other inaugural members of LA's Transgender Advisory Committee: Karina Samala, Diana Feliz Oliva,  Jaden Fields, James Wen, Justine Gonzalez, Talia Bettcher, Terri Jay and Zoey Luna

Yo, H-town, can we form something similar to the TAC here?

Say Hello To Lillly

We are aware that director Lana Wachowski came out as trans in 2012, but it was a mild shocker to hear that her younger sibling  and the other half of the prolific directing duo is also coming out.

Lilly Wachowski came out in a statement published in the Windy City Times that was done so she could control the narrative she wanted to tell as opposed to the media outlets threatening to run the story.

"Being transgender is not easy," Wachowski wrote. "We live in a majority-enforced gender binary world. This means when you're transgender you have to face the hard reality of living the rest of your life in a world that is openly hostile to you."

"So yeah, I'm transgender."

"And yes, I've transitioned"

GLAAD commented in the wake his her statement,."GLAAD is thrilled that Lilly Wachowski is able to be her true and authentic self today, however, she should not have been forced to disclose her transgender identity before she was ready to do so. Journalists must learn that it is unacceptable to out a transgender person, in the same way it is unacceptable to out a person who is gay, lesbian, or bisexual," said Nick Adams, GLAAD's Director of Programs for Transgender Media.

Hello Lilly!   Welcome to the trans family...

Canada's First Trans Judge Sworn In

Kael McKenzie made Canadian history yesterday when he was sworn in as the country's first transgender judge after being appointed to that position by a independent judicial nominating committee in December.

The 44 year old McKenzie is not only the first ever trans judge in Canada and the province of Manitoba but is possibly the first out trans masculine judge on the planet.

He is also of First Nations descent.

"I'm just one example of many of my colleagues and people who are attaining certain levels of notoriety that can show people we are just people." McKenzie said in a December interview. "We are just doing what everyone else does and we can achieve whatever we want with hard work and dedication."

After serving in the Canadian Armed Forces and graduating with his law degree from the University of Manitoba in 2006, he transitioned in 2011, served as a prosecuting Crown attorney for five years and in private practice before getting his history making appointment to the Manitoba provincial court bench on December 17.

McKenzie has also been active in the TBLGQ and legal communities as a member of the Canadian Bar Association  and the news about his appointment has been overwhelmingly positive.

"This is something to be celebrated," said Ken Champagne, the Manitoba Provincial Court's Chief Justice.

Yes it is.   Congratulations to Judge McKenzie, and I hope to see many more Canadian trans folks making history

Unjust Virginia Anti-Trans Bill Dies

Good news to report out of Virginia concerning another Republican sponsored anti-trans bill.

HB 781, the bill filed by Del. Mark Cole (R-Spotsylvania) that would force trans students to use locker room and bathrooms based on genitalia and possibly force school officials to engage in genital checks has died in the House of Delegates yesterday on a 13-8 bipartisan vote.

Had HB 781 become law, which was unlikely considering Terry McAuliffe (D) was standing by with his veto pen, it would have compelled school districts across the state to formulate policies that required locker rooms and bathrooms to be designated for and used by students based on genitalia.

Violations would have carried a $50 civil penalty, and Del. Cole repeated the conservafool  lie talking point that the bill wasn't discriminatory, 'but was about privacy'.

Yeah, right. It's all about discrimination for you GOP types. You aren't happy unless you're oppressing somebody, and the trans community is now the community du jour you wish to oppress.  

The bill has also been filed at a time when Virginia trans student Gavin Grimm's anti-trans discrimination lawsuit against the Gloucester County School District is now being litigated in the US 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.  

Claire Guthrie Gastañaga, the executive director of the ACLU of Virginia urged the committee to hold off on this bill until the US circuit court has had the opportunity to rule on the pending federal lawsuit.

We'll see what happens in the G.G. vs Gloucester County School Board case later, but for now the unjust anti-trans bill is dead in Virginia.

Say Hello To UK Judge Dr. Victoria McCloud

We have two trans judges here in the United States in Victoria Kolakowski of California and Houston's own Phyllis Frye, and Canada's first one in Kael McKenzie in Manitoba.

Was pleased to discover that across The Pond in the UK, we now have a trans judge sitting on the bench there in Dr. Victoria McCloud.

She has declined to speak publicly about her history making status, but she is at age 46 the youngest person to ever become a High Court Master judge and has presided over some high profile cases since her appointment in 2010.. .

While she may be reluctant to talk about it, a British judiciary spokesperson told the Daily Mail that 'British courts have an increasingly diverse workforce, and now judges come from all walks of life reflecting society in general.'

The British courts finally reflect one segment of British society in the transgender community, and by doing so, may be inspiring the next generation of British trans kids to dream big and follow those dream..

Precious 'Says Yes To The Dress' Tomorrow

The clock is ticking toward the wedding of Precious Davis and Myles Brady this summer at the Rockefeller Chapel on the University of Chicago campus.   The couple has been engaged since last February and their much anticipated wedding has a intimate guest list of 200 people.

She'll be selecting her wedding dress in front of millions of television viewers.

The clock is also ticking toward the historic broadcast of  Say Yes To The Dress: Atlanta,  Precious will become the first trans bride ever featured on the show, and has an unlimited budget to select a wedding dress for her and Myles' upcoming wedding.

I'm anxious to see it along with everyone else in Trans World since we haven't had many opportunities for Black trans people to get positive media coverage like this, and reality TV shows have been hit or miss when they cover our lives and issues.

If you wish to watch or DVR this episode of Say Yes To The Dress: Atlanta featuring the #TransObamas, it will be broadcast on TLC at 8 PM CST Friday.