Mom Gives Moving Speech About Her Trans Child

As I've pointed out more than a few times, trans children not only exist, but for those who are fortunate enough to be in the homes of loving and astute parents, are coming out at earlier ages. 

Here's video of Debi Jackson in a moving speech she gave earlier this year at Unity Temple on the Plaza in Kansas City talking about her trans feminine daughter AJ.

And for good measure, Jackson blows up some anti-trans myths while she's at it in this six minute speech. 

CBS Stories Of Transgender Children

This is the CBS News story on trans kids that was broadcast this morning.

ConGRADulations Trans Class of 2014

You may even make a little history in the process since as of yet we have never had to my knowledge an out transperson become a homecoming queen, prom king or high school class president.
-TransGriot, June 8, 2013, 'Trans Class Of 2014, Start Planning Now To Beat Your Trans Oppressors'


Has it been almost a year since I wrote that post?.   Obviously it has since I have another birthday coming in three days.  

Congratulations Trans Class of 2014, you did make some trans history in this 2013-14 school year.   Cassidy Lynn Campbell wasn't a member of this class, but became the first ever out trans feminine homecoming queen when she was elected by the Marina HS student body back in September.  

Meanwhile the first out trans homecoming king in New Hampshire also happened this year with the landslide election of  Ray Ramsey at Concord HS.
 

We also had the first ever out African-American trans masculine homecoming king happen just in time for Black History Month when Blake Brockington accomplished that feat at East Mecklenburg High School 

However, we did have some situations in which the haters came out to play.    Cassidy's haters and cyberbullies included right wing talk radio hosts like Bryan Fischer.  Kasey Carron didn't even get the opportunity to run for homecoming king because his Johnston, PA school district refused to let him do so.   Hopefully they will at least let him walk in the male cap and gown. 

Down in the Rio Grande Valley Jeydon Loredo had to fight the transphobic LaFeria ISD with the legal help of the Southern Poverty Law Center just to get his male senior picture added to the yearbook.

And as usual, just in time for prom season we had the situation crop up of potentially problematic prom rules in the DeSoto ISD.   In the New York City borough of Queens, senior Anais Celini is not being allowed by her private high school to take her trans boyfriend to her May 22 prom.

And how many trans students in the Class of 2014 will have to fight just to wear the cap and gown that properly reflects their gender identity and expression?

Trans Class of 2015, just as I advised this year's seniors to start preparing now to come up with their game plans to beat your trans oppressors, you have a few months to do the same.    And there is still trans hsitory yet to be made on many of your campuses.   I'd love to see the first Black transfeminine homecoming and prom queens happen.   Trans student body presidents.  Trans valedictorians.   

But conGRADulations Trans Class of 2014.   Much love to you for accomplishing this major life goal and may you have continued success as you continue to climb the educational ladder or take those first daunting steps toward taking the world beyond your college campuses.

Tracey Fighting To Be Herself

Where are the trans teen kids who share my ethnic background?  It's a question I've been asking and frankly so have my readers for a while.

One of my readers recently sent me a story about 10 year old Tracey Wilson, who lives in British Columbia with her parents.

While I was happy to read about her transition and her loving parents supporting it, the part of the story I'm not happy about is that the seeds of the transphobia that Dr. Paul McHugh sowed in the Vatican back in 2003 continue to bear poisonous transphobic fruit at the flock level. 

Tracey is now living as a girl full time.  When she wanted to do so at her semi-private Catholic school as well and her parents Michelle and Garfield informed Sacred  Heart of Tracey's wish, the school said no.   They offered to let her use the disabled bathroom, but not the girl's one and refused to authorize a name change or allow Tracey to wear the girls school uniform claiming they didn't have a policy for it.

The great thing about living in Canada besides universal health care and Timmy's is that they have strong human rights protection enshrined in their Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  Tracey's parents have filed a human rights complaint with the BC Human Rights Tribunal against the Independent Catholic Schools of Vancouver.

And yes BC, it's past time for you to join the other four provinces and the Northwest Territories in your home and native land that protect the human rights of trans citizens of your province.

Tracey's human rights complaint will be heard in the spring, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it along with everyone else in Trans World and the African Diaspora

Thinking About Ali

Ran across an interesting video about a transteen named Ali, who graduated from Stuttgart High School in Arkansas last year and is college bound with dreams of becoming a psychologist so she can give back and help other people in the trans community.

“I don’t understand why they feel the need to make someone’s life a living hell just when they don’t like it, why they feel the need to get involved in everyone’s business when it doesn’t pertain to them. I’m just another person in school,” said Ali in the video



She credits Ellen Degeneres as a role model helping her to become the strong woman and girl like us she is.

I hope she's doing well in college and is making that dream of becoming a psychologist and helping the trans community come true.  We can always use more people who intimately know our issues in the medical and clinical psychology ranks.  

Best of luck Ali.

Colorado Civil Rights Division Lets Coy Pee In Peace

The Colorado Civil Rights Division has ruled in favor of 6 year old trans kid Coy Mathis, who was barred from using the girls' restroom at her elementary school despite a statewide law banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity in public accommodations.


The Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 told Coy's parents in December that the first grader would not be able to continue to use the girls' restroom after the holiday break
.
The family then filed a civil rights complaint in February.   The Civil Rights Division eventually ruled that the district's solution of letting Mathis use staff bathrooms was a violation of the young girl’s rights and was similar to discriminatory “separate but equal” laws.

"Schools should not discriminate against their students, and we are thrilled that Coy can return to school and put this behind her," Kathryn Mathis, Coy's mother, said in a statement published in the Denver Post. "All we ever wanted was for Coy's school to treat her the same as other little girls. We are extremely happy that she now will be treated equally.

And all any transperson wants, no matter what their age is to be treated as a first class citizen and be able to pee in peace.

Hello 2013 Camp Aranu'tiq West Campers!

Today is the first day of the opening session of Camp Aranu'tiq West in its double secret California location.that runs until July 6

So what's Camp Aranu'tiq?  It's a summer camp for trans and gender variant kids ages 8-15 that has double secret locations to keep away the haters in California and New England.

They are probably too busy having fun and meeting each other to be concerned about what this trans elder blogger has to say but just in case they are reading this blog, here goes.

***

Hope you're having a wonderful time at camp.   It's something many of your trans elders wish we could have taken part in and reminds us that while there have been some remarkable trans friendly changes in the world since we embarked on our transitions, we still have much work to do and much more to accomplish toward the goal of making this a world safe for you to accomplish whatever big dreams you come up with.

What I said in last year's post applies in this one because it hasn't changed one millimeter, Camp Aranu'tiq campers.  Know that your trans elders and our allies love you.  We are doing everything we can to fight for a world in which you have an easier time navigating it.  Have fun while you're there at camp and be proud of the men and women of trans experience you are growing into.

WWYD-Transteen Confronted By Father Over Prom Dress Shopping

Shopping for prom dresses is a multimillion dollar business, and as Toni Zamazul and other transteens the last few years continue to point out, trans feminine teens are increasingly a part of that market.

ABC What Would You Do show recently took their hidden cameras to a New jersey dress shop to set up a situation in which a newly out transteen was shopping for a prom dress with her supportive mother only to be confronted by her disapproving father.

Take notes John Aravosis and Dan Savage as to the ethnic background of one of the shoopers who lent the transteen support in this situation.

Trans Class Of 2014, Start Planning Now To Beat Your Trans Oppressors

I get approximately 4000 hits per day on this blog, and I don't doubt that some of my traffic is probably coming from people who are under the legal drinking age.

Now that Damian, Isaak, Toni, Chris, Seth, Leah, Cody, Calliope and other trans teens in the Class of 2013 that didn't make the news are headed to their post high school lives, time for me to aim a post at the trans members of the class of 2014.

Congratulations in advance Class of 2014!    When school starts this fall you will be at the top of the high school societal food chain.  I know you've been impatiently waiting for the last two or three years to say the words 'I'm a senior" and couldn't wait for the Class of 2013 to leave so y'all can begin your long awaited time of running thangs in your various high schools and look down your noses at the incoming freshmen and sophomores.   

The start of the fall semester of your senior year is what you, your parents, grandparents and other extended family members have waited for since that first day they tearfully dropped you off for your first day in kindergarten.    

You high school juniors (and high school freshmen and sophomores) probably noted as much as your trans elders did some of the drama the persons I mentioned went through to be their authentic selves on one of the signature days of your young lives.

What this post is ultimately getting at is the TransGriot and your trans elders want you to not only savor every delicious moment of your final year of high school in 2013-14, but being you as you do get that education and prepare for the next phase of your lives.

Seeing that makes us realize that all the struggles we undergo to ensure that the laws and policies are in place for you to thrive wasn't in vain and you're benefiting from it.   

Some of you transteens are increasingly getting to attend school in districts that have adopted anti-discrimination policies that cover trans kids, while other districts aren't thinking about it.  

But don't let it stop you trans teens if you're thinking about running for homecoming king or queen, prom king or queen, class president, or play your favorite sport.  There are federal laws and positive court cases already on the books that allow you to live your trans lives no matter what part of the country you live in.    

There will be those haters uncomfortable in their own skin or with their gender identity who will oppose you.   Some of them will be your fellow students, some will be their parents, and some will be people in the school  administration.  

But go for it!   Be you.  Live your trans lives.  Some of you are fortunate enough to live in states where trans human rights are covered.  Even if you aren't in one of those 16 states (and hopefully 17 if Delaware joins the trans human rights party) the federal law is on your side.       

So is an entire trans community in your various states and in some cases around the world ready and willing to help you and get the word out even in deepest darkest red state America.   You may even make a little history in the process since as of yet we have never had to my knowledge an out transperson become a homecoming queen, prom king or high school class president.
 
I have no doubts that it will happen in my lifetime because of the transkids and transteens now winding their way through their school years at the elementary and middle school level or who are increasingly transitioning in high school.

Your trans elders are fighting to help make this a better world for you when you leave high school so that all you have to do is dream those big dreams and go out and fight to achieve them.

Trans Class of 2014, I hope and pray you have a wonderful and less drama filled senior year than the Trans Class of 2013 just had. 
.  
So word to the wise trans younglings, get your game plan together now so you have a relatively stress free senior year. GLSEN, the ACLU, PFLAG and your local TBLG orgs can play major roles in helping ensure that happens if you run into any transphobic resistance.

But based on what happened in 2013 and previous school years over the life of this blog, I'm betting I'll be writing a few posts during the 2013-14 school year chronicling your attempts to fight the power, express your trans selves and live your lives. 

I hope and pray that some of those posts I get to write will also be ones in which you make trans history and I'm chronicling you doing things that your trans elders only wished we'd had the opportunity to do during our high school days.

Isaak Still Standing, Still Getting Dissed On His Way To Graduation Day

Needed to give you TransGriot readers an update as to how transman Isaak Wolfe is faring in his senior year Pennsylvania battle against transphobia with the Red Lion Area School District.

Isaak's graduation ceremony from Red Lion HS was today, and as you know his story hit the news back in April when he wasn't allowed to run for prom king  

Without his knowledge he was entered into the candidates for prom queen under his old name because his transphobic principal was 'uncomfortable' with the idea of him running for prom king.   When his girlfriend Taylor Thomas expressed her displeasure with the transphobic shade that Red Lion HS was aiming at Isaak she was barred from attending the prom with him.

That's when the ACLU legal guns got involved.   The prom situation got resolved, Taylor was allowed to attend with him, but his chance to run for prom king was thwarted (which was probably the intent in the first place).   

Then it was the issue of Red Lion High having separate cap and gown colors for male and females students. Frankly, I don't understand the reasoning for it because at my high school and many in this area male and female students wear the same cap and gown in the school colors.

Isaak of course like Damian Garcia in Albuquerque wanted to wear the gender appropriate black gown other male students at the school wore, but the administration was demanding he wear the female one which was gold.

That issue got resolved as well, but one that didn't was having his male name read as he graduated with the other 380 members of his class.  He wouldn't be able at this time to have it placed on his diploma, but had asked to be announced as he crossed the stage as Isaak.   It's a reasonable request and something that could easily be done. 

Of course, the transphobic Red Lion HS administration took the shady road, refused to do so and spitefully read his old name.

Despite that, on his graduation day Isaak received flowers and a binder from the Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition.containing the news stories about his trans human rights fight and a graduation card signed by over 1,300 people

He was also upbeat and optimistic about his special day despite the trying last few weeks.
 
Wolfe said in an interview it would have been "fantastic" to have his preferred name read at graduation, but "they're going to go down in history as doing the wrong thing, and I think that hits them harder than they even know."

"I think we're going to go on to have bright and amazing futures that no one could ever imagine for us," he said.

And that's the one thing your trans family wants for you and all our graduates the most.  Have the type of future that even we can't see right now because we're busy fighting the haters and planting trans human rights trees for you and the next generation of trans kids. 

Congratulations and best of luck in your future endeavors, Isaak!

Damian's Graduation Ceremony At UNM

Despite the efforts of thousands of people around the world who attempted to get transphobic Archbishop Michael Sheehan to defer to common sense and allow Damian Garcia to walk with his Albuquerque St Pius X HS classmates in a black gown, it unfortunately didn't happen and Damian skipped the ceremony.

On May 30 the University of New Mexico welcomed their newest Lobo to the fold by hosting a special graduation event for him at the UNM LGBT Resource Center attended by several dozen people in which Damian was the keynote speaker and got to wear his black graduation robe.

One of the people in attendance was Hawaii Human Rights Commissioner and recent Harvey Milk Champion of Change honoree Kim Coco Iwamoto, who received her law degree from the University of New Mexico's law school

“For me it’s amazing for young people like Damien take a stand for him being his authentic self,” she said.

Damien was emotional as he spoke about seeing a community come together on his behalf. "“I’ve seen a community, the LGBT community come to the rescue, so to speak, of a fellow member,” Garcia said. “Because of this and all the support, I’ve grown as a person as well as the community growing as a whole.”

He starts school at UNM in the fall and plans to become an attorney.

Ohio High School Lets Trans Latina Student Graduate Wearing Correct Gown

This was the way Damian Garcia and Isaak Wolfe's cases should have gone.down and it's nice to see common sense prevail.

In a scenario that has become far too familiar in this 2013 graduation season,  17 year old Fostoria, OH high school senior Chris Calderon-Perez has been transitioning for the last two years, but was initially told by principal Tom Grine she would have to dress as a male and wear the black male graduation gown instead of the red female one that matches her current gender presentation.  

However, the dress code policy that Grine was trying to enforce runs counter to the Fostoria school board non-discrimination policy that had just been updated in March to include gay and transgender students as protected classes.   Forcing Calderon-Perez to dress as male for her graduation would have been in violation of that newly minted non-discrimination policy.

"All I want to see is my mom proud of me, to see me walking — because I deserve it," Calderon-Perez said. "My academic achievement has nothing to do with my appearance."

Exactly.  So when Calderon-Perez's graduation happened yesterday, she was wearing the red female gown and following the female dress code.

No fuss, no muss, everybody's happy and you peeps in Fostoria avoided the transphobe instigated drama that happened in Pennsylvania and New Mexico.

Congratulations Chris, and may you have much sucecess in your future endeavors.

Damian Skips His HS Graduation

In case you're wondering how the situation with Albuquerque transteen Damian Garcia played out, when the ceremony kicked off at 10 AM MDT yesterday the Class of 2013 of St Pius X HS was one member short.  

While his classmates left a seat open for him in protest,  Damian decided to skip his graduation after the archdiocese of Santa Fe and the school refused to budge on letting him wear a black gown to the ceremony.

“I’m fully respecting this and myself by not walking and/or attending the ceremony at all,” he said on his Facebook page.

Meanwhile at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, NM where the ceremony was held, Michael J. Sheehan, the archbishop of Santa Fe, tried to make it sound like he was being persecuted as the Roman Catholic Church tends to do when they get caught in their public displays of transphobia. 

In his address to the nearly 200 graduates Sheehan talked about discrimination and standing up for what’s right, warning students that sometimes in life they will be persecuted for standing up for their Christian values.

Archbishop Sheehan, discrimination against and persecuting trans people is not a Christian value.  You know you were wrong on the issue, especially when you wouldn't show your cowardly face to the local media to defend your bigotry.   

Damian probably won't be the last trans student to go through St Pius X High, so you may as well get ready to have this conversation again.

Damian has been accepted to the University of New Mexico, and they along with the University of New Mexico's LGBT Resource Center will welcome their newest Lobo to the fold by holding a graduation ceremony for him on May 30 from 5 to 7 PM MDT  in a courtyard next to Scholes Hall on their main campus.

Jazz At The GLAAD Media Awards

Shoot, Jazz is piling up more frequent flyer miles than I am so far this year.   If I can get to Philly from here for the upcoming Philadelphia Trans Health Conference I'll finally get an opportunity to meet her and her mom sionce they are scheduled to do a panel discussion there and I'm penciled in for one on Saturday.

Jazz's latest trip was to Los Angeles for the GLAAD Media Awards.   While she was on stage she made the call for Hollywood to do a better job of trans representation on the large and small screens.

She also had this MTV interview about her recent experience.

But back to riffing on the lack of trans visibility on the big and small screens.   Lord knows I've talked about that subject on the blog a few times and especially lack of realistic trans POC characters. 

There's also the irritating tendency of Hollywood producers to cast cis women or gay men to play trans women when there are trans women of all ethnic backgrounds and age ranges working in Hollywood and eager to play some realistic trans roles.

If y'all can't come up with them, e-mail me and I'll come up with some ideas for you to build realistic trans characters for a 10% cut of the profits for starters.   And with the reality that transkids are transitioning as early as 5 and 6 or in their early teen years, that adds more chances to tell trans stories. 

Jazz's mom Jeannette recently sent me a tweet congratulating me for being named to the inaugural Trans100 list and being an inspiration to many people.  I thanked her and noted that Jazz is one my inspirations and thanked her and jazz for being role models for trans teens and transkids that don't have a voice yet.  

The transkids and transteens are one of the reasons I continue to fight for trans human rights coverage here and around the world. 

It's really about the kids like Jazz.  We trans adults and our allies not only need to be good role models for our trans younglings, we need to be fighting tooth and nail with every fiber of our beings to do what we can to leave a better world for them. 

Moni's stepping off her electronic soapbox now.   Enjoy the video

Toni Gets To Wear Her Prom Dress

As if there was going to be any doubt this was not going to happen, especially in light of the fact this same issue cropped up in the Waller ISD last year    

It seems like every year since I started TransGriot in 2006 this issue has cropped up over the last two decades.  Even if the students lose a round with school administrators, the court system (when it goes that far) usually rules in favor of the trans student.

When I stopped in last night to visit my homegirl Vanity (who owns a transformation studio inside the Loop) and attend her weekly Wednesday meet up I hadn't been to in a while, I walked in on Toni Zamazal and her family selecting her dress for the event and getting a makeover for the upcoming May 11 prom.

If you haven't heard, Toni is the trans student whose request to wear a dress at her Spring High School prom was initially rebuffed by an assistant principal and was told she must wear a tuxedo.   That was until the ACLU, her family and the angelic troublemakers in the Houston area trans community got involved. 


Spring High principal Donna Ullrich stated in a Houston Chronicle interview that she did not object to the request, but she needed to ask the school board because it was a "community decision."

After the ACLU sent a letter explaining the assistant principal's decision was unconstitutional, the Spring ISD attorney hammered out a deal with the ACLU and sent a March 26 letter to Zamazal stating she must meet the standards of the prom dress code for females, including dresses that reach at least mid-thigh and neatly kept hair.

I don't think that will be a problem.   Zamazal said in a statement she wanted to wear a dress to prom "because I wouldn't have felt comfortable at all showing up in a tux. I'm so grateful that my school has agreed to let me be myself on such an important night."

So are we Toni.. I noticed how happy you were last night as Vanity was applying and finally finished your makeup. You looked beautiful when she was done and I hope you have a fun and memorable prom night.

I know you will because you'll get to be yourself on May 11.  As for what color her dress is?  All I'm going to say is that Toni has narrowed it down to two tasteful selections that I'm going to keep a secret until she unveils them for you on prom night. 

But Toni will look gorgeous in either one of the tasteful dresses she selected.

Camp Aranu'tiq 2013 Season

With the end of the 2012-13 school year coming in about seven weeks, the thoughts of many kids turn to summer activities and fun.  Summer camps spring up in some locales around the nation to provide those structured activities for a few weeks. .

But if you're a trans kid wanting that summer camp experience, it can be tough to find one that is culturally competent or inclusive enough to deal with your unique issues.

Enter Camp Aranu'tiq, the summer camp for trans and gender variant kids founded in 2010 by Trans 100 honoree Nick Teich that provides that classic summer camp experience at their undisclosed California and New England locations. 

The Camp Aranu'tiq tuition fees are $550 and they offer financial assistance to those who qualify. Travel is provided free-of-cost from the nearest airports to their California and New England camps.

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




As for the dates, the California location enrollment is full for 2013, but they have begun a waitlist for the  Sunday, June 30 - Saturday, July 6, 2013 session.  The New England location (August dates) is full for 2013, and unfortunately the waitlist for it has been closed. 

So that means if you're a trans parent and think your child would benefit from the Aranu'tiq experience in 2014, you may wish to contact them and get a headstart on securing your spot in the California or New England locations with dates to be determined.

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

Have a ginormously successful 2013 camping season and hope it gets even bigger and better next year!
 

Jazz Huff Post Live Interview

It's one of my fave award winning trans teens in the community again doing what she does best, telling her story and being positive about it.    Here's Jazz's latest interview on Huff Post Live with Alicia Menendez

Tracey, A Young Transkid With A Wonderful Family

I'm happy and have been for years to see young trans kids like Kim Petras (who is now a stunning twentysomething young woman) Jazz and Sadie (who are transteens headed in that direction), Nicole, Bobbi, Coy, and others we may not be aware of yet as a community being able to transition before puberty sets in.

One of the things that made me go hmm is why we haven't seen as yet a young African-descended trans kid or trans teen.  I thought that was odd considering one of the things I know about trans persons of color is that we tend to transition at earlier ages with Janet Mock being a prime example of that.

Well peeps, meet Tracy and her parents Garfield and Michelle.   Thanks to one of my long time readers Dominique Storni she sent me this link to an AM/BC interview with this amazing trans teen and her parents.

Tracy and other kids like her in the Great White North is why activists up there are fighting so hard to get the federal Trans Rights Bill passed and do the same in their various provinces. 

Listening To Jazz

The video of the ABC 20/20 appearance with Jazz and her family finally got posted, so I get the opportunity to share it with you TransGriot readers.

Here's the update to the story of one amazing girl like us and advocate for transgender kids..

Jazz Accepts Trevor Foundation Colin Higgins Youth Courage Award

As Scripture says, and a little child shall lead them.  

Y'all know how much I love Jazz.  Even though this happened back on June 25, 2012, wanted to post something about her becoming the youngest person at age 11 to receive the Trevor Foundation's Colin Higgins Youth Courage Award.

Jazz has been an activist and voice for for trans kids since she was six.  In the wake of being denied the opportunity to play in her local soccer youth league because of transphobia, she spent two years getting the US Soccer Federation to craft policies that will allow transkids to play the beautiful game.

Well done and can't think of a better person for the Trevor Foundation to honor with this award. 

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