All Hail History Making King Niko!

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

Focus, Moni...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Congratulations and all hail King Niko!.

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D-Day At North Dallas High

The eyes of Trans Texas and the TBLG nation will be focused on North Dallas High School today.   We'll be waiting to find out if trans teen Andy Moreno is one of the three finalists for the school's homecoming queen or see if she has been screwed out of an opportunity due to administration intolerance to continue on her quest to become it and Texas' first trans homecoming queen.


One of the things that has been wonderful to find out as this story develops is that Andy not only has the support of her classmates, some faculty and staff in her quest to become North Dallas High's homecoming queen, she has the support and love of her family as well.


Her sister Daisy was the one who contacted the Dallas Voice and got the initial wave of press coverage started, and her mom sister and others have made the signs and Team Andy shirts that have been popping up all over the Uptown Dallas school to the chagrin of principal Dinnah Escanilla and her cadre of transphobes.

Escanilla has reportedly called Andy a 'transvestite'  according to the article published in the Dallas Voice and made some other demeaning comments as well.

But if she wasn't trying to make waves in her first year as principal, she failed miserably in accomplishing that goal.  

The ballots have been or are being counted, and we should hear news soon about whether Andy is a finalist for prom queen or whether this escalates to another level
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The Transteen Who Won't Be Homecoming King

In any election, the guiding principle of it is if you get the most votes, you win. 

That wasn't the case for a trans Mona Shores, MI high school senior.

Oak Reed is an honor student who decided to run for homecoming king and successfully campaigned on Facebook for it.  .

However, school administrators had other ideas

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Citing that Oak was enrolled as a female student, they invalidated all his votes garnered in the homecoming election.    Not only is his mother upset about it, so is the Mona Shores High School student body.

"He was voted for homecoming king and, according to the votes, he should have been homecoming king, and it's just sad, and it just breaks my heart that all these people all voted and it was taken away, it was completely taken away from him," said Oak's mother.in a WOOD-TV story.

Oak's fellow students are also not too happy with the administrative decision as well, and are making their feeling known not only inside the hallowed halls of Mona Shores High, but on a Facebook page entitled 'Oak Is My King'.

Oak is taking it in stride.  "It's the senior class that votes for their representative," Reed said. "What they did was taking away the voice of the senior class."

 Damn skippy..

Hope this situation resolves itself in your favor, and may the rest of your senior year be a great one.

Maine Human Rights Commission Rules In Favor Of Trans Student

I've pointed out that because trans people are transitioning at earlier ages, the trans civil rights fights are playing out now about schools and other presentation issues.

The trans teen student in question that was discriminated against no longer attends that particular school, but struck a blow for her civil rights.

The Maine Human Rights Commission ruled on Monday that Orono Middle School unlawfully discriminated against a transgender student during the 2008-2009 school year by not letting the trans female sixth-grader use the girl's bathroom.

The student's parents had contended that the policy isolated and alienated their child, and created a hostile educational environment, the Bangor Daily News reports.

In its ruling, the panel cited derogatory remarks made by other students, and allegations of stalking and harassment, but agreed with the commission's investigator that there were no grounds to believe that the school had subjected the student to a hostile educational environment.

The school district is battling a civil suit filed by the parents on behalf of their child in Penobscot County Superior Court.

Trans Tween's Father Speaks Out

This is a post I came across while doing research for another post I was working on.

It's from Thrive, the Children's Hospital Boston blog and it's part of a series of posts written by the father of a trans tween. As I've pointed out, trans kids are beginning transition at younger ages. That will bring a new set of issues and challenges for those of us who advocate for trans people's civil rights just as the aging of our first wave of trans pioneers will.

Here's a sample of what the trans tween's father had to say in this interesting post.

My 12 year old transgender daughter is my mentor. It’s tough to put into words what a profound impact this small person has had in changing my core values, but since the young age of five, she has unknowingly encouraged me to open my eyes and heart to new ideas. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve watched her experience severe emotional pain and physical frustration, but thanks to support and guidance, I’ve watched as she’s become a confident, happy and healthy child. And as she changed, I changed too.

You can surf over to it by clicking on this link.

Camp Aranu'tiq-A Summer Camp Of Our Own

Schools are letting kids out for the summer, and many of those kids are either heading to, in or soon will be attending a summer camp. For one to two weeks they get to engage in various activities, meet new friends and spend some time away from home at the same time.

With transpeople now beginning to transition as early as ages five and six, they now face the same 'where do they fit in' issues as we late teen and adult transitioners in addition to having some unique to childhood.

For parents of transkids who would like their children to have that classic summer camp experience, that becomes problematic when trying to find one that will not only accept their transchild, but provide a relatively drama free environment as well.

Introducing Camp Aranu'tiq. It's a weeklong, tuition-free, overnight summer camp for transgender and gender-variant youth ages 8 through 15 located in Southern New England.

For obvious reasons I and the staff will not reveal the actual location so that it stays a safe place from the conservafools and idiots like the Phred Phelpses of the world.

As for how it got its name, Aranu'tiq is a Chugach word for a person who was thought to embody both the male and female spirit. The Chugach are an indigenous people who live in Alaska. Aranu'tiq people were often revered and thought to be very lucky because their existence transcended traditional gender boundaries.

Camp Aranu'tiq has a traditional summer camp program that includes arts and crafts, dance, drama, swimming, music, canoeing, creative writing, and land sports such as basketball, soccer, dodgeball, kickball, and beach volleyball. The week will also include campfires (with s'mores!), a talent show, an all-camp capture the flag game, and other special activities in age appropriate groups.

There are also a few professional therapists at camp for campers who may want to talk about various issues, but the main focus of the week, just like it is for any summer camp is on having fun.

This year's dates for Camp Aranu'tiq calls fir the campers to arrive on Sunday, August 22 and depart Saturday, August 28, 2010.

The camp is full for this inaugural season, but you may want to check with the camp staff and get on the wait list.

You can contact them with this link or contact the camp office.

Camp Aranu'tiq
P.O. Box 620141
Newton Lower Falls, MA 02462

It is a 501c3 organization founded in 2009, and you can give them a tax deductible donation on their website.

According to their website, Camp Aranu'tiq will have kids from all over the United States and Canada, and will provide transportation from the New York and Boston areas to their facility which is a 2 hour drive from those cities.

Have fun kids in the camp's inaugural session, and may Camp Aranu'tiq live long, prosper and serve the trans and gender variant community well.

Transkid Jazz Singing

Remember Jazz, the young transkid from Barbara Walters 20/20 report on transgender children? Well, here's another example of a kid, once their trans issue is dealt with developing to be a happy and well adjusted human being.

Peep this video of Jazz singing.

Transgender Children's Bill Of Human Rights

TransGriot Note: While doing research for another post, I stumbled across a site with this Draft Transgendered Children’s Bill of Human Rights. It was penned by Natacha Kennedy, who got the inspiration for it from an original idea by Trans Youth Family Allies.


Transgendered children have the right;

· to be called by a name they recognise as their own and to have the personal pronoun (he/she) which they prefer used to describe them,


· to be accepted by everyone as the gender they prefer,

· to appear on the outside the way they feel on the inside,

· to live with their parents, not be taken away because of their gender identities and to have their parents informed about gender identity issues

· to know that they are transgendered, even if they decide to conceal their gender identities from adults, and to know that they are not weird, deviant, unacceptable or evil.

· not to be abused, teased or bullied by other children or adults for being transgendered,

· to be supported by all adults working with them in school and other support services,

· to be taught by teachers who understand the nature of gender identity in transgendered children, and to be given the language with which to talk about themselves.

· to be in a school where other pupils have been taught about gender identity and where they can feel safe,

· to wear whatever clothes make them feel comfortable,

· to decide which toilet to use and which clubs or sports teams to join,

· to learn about other people whose gender identities are different from the majority of people,

· to go through puberty in a way which is acceptable to them,

· to be given the same opportunities to succeed in their education as all other children,

· to self-determination, dignity, respect, non-interference, to make informed personal decisions,

· to a voice in any situations where decisions are being made about their future.