She's Baack! Diamond Stylz's YouTube Channel Restored

Hopefully YouTube will reverse this unjust action and reinstate her video blog that she put a decade of work into building.-TransGriot,  July 1, 2018

It took YouTube way too long to reverse the unjust 2018 shutdown of Diamond Stylz's YouTube video blog, but it's back along with all the content that she had been uploading yo her YouTube channel since 2007

Diamond also started the Marsha's Plate podcast with her cohosts Mia Mix and Zahir that has broadcast over 100 episodes (My Marsha's Plate interview is Episode 71 BTW)

She was also recently tapped to become the interim executive director of Black Transwomen. Inc

Just like TransGriot has been vitally important in chronicling Black trans history and the events of the last 14 years, Diamond served the same role in the YouTube video blogging world, and I was highly pissed off when her blog was unjustly taken down with zero warning.

I'm glad it's back up because Diamond is one of the treasures of our Black trans family in terms of her leadership skills, intellect and wit.  You haven't lived until you have been on a four hour car ride with her and Dee Dee Watters to Dallas and back while discussing every topic under the sun.

She is also a trans trailblazer.   She won a 1999 Indiana federal trans discrimination case that set the precedent that allows trans students to wear prom attire matching their true selves, and being the first out trans student at Jackson State University, graduating with a psychology degree in 2004.

And I for one am glad she's living here in Houston.

Will there be new episodes of the YouTube blog?   I sure hope so, because her voice is an important one to hear inside and outside our community.   But until those new episodes do happen, I'm going back and binge watching some of my fave episodes of her You Tube channel in addition to my weekly appointment listening to Marsha's Plate

You may also wish to do the same for Marsha's Plate too and drop some change in appreciation of her work.

Dutch YouTube Makeup Guru Comes Out As Trans

Nikkie de Jager would have rather kept this part of her life her business, and make the announcement she made at a time and place of her choosing.  Unfortunately someone took the ability to do that away from her. 

As NikkieTutorials, the YouTube makeup guru and 11 year video blogger has over 13 million subscribers, and a fiance who loves her named Dylan.

But as I and your trans elders know all too well from our trans history, when you are a non disclosed trans person, trying to keep it that way and living your best life, unscrupulous haters will try to use your desire to keep the knowledge that you're part of Team Trans against you. 

Nikkie revealed in a video blog that she was being hounded by blackmailers who found out about her trans history, and threatened to reveal she was trans feminine to the media.

She decided to make the announcement she was trans in order to regain some of her personal power back.




Welcome to our international trans family Nikkie!  Yes, I wish that she could have done so at a time and place of her choosing, but I;m glad she did.

So will all the trans younglings who just found out they have another trans possibility model to look up to and emulate.

Why Was Diamond Stylz's You Tube Video Blog Deleted?

On the YouTube platform, video bloggers chronicle everything and discuss many subjects.   Some of the folks who do so have become famous for doing so.

Some of the video bloggers handling their business on YouTube have become famous for doing so.

As with written blogs, there are very few Black trans video bloggers discussing subjects from our perspective.  The person who is my counterpart in the video blogging world in terms of longevity, gravitas and reach is Diamond Stylz.

She has been video blogging since 2009, and you have seen over my 12 years of work on TransGriot me put up some of her videos here because what she was thoughtfully talking about at the time was on point and needed to be amplified.

I was dismayed to find out that after nearly a decade in operation, YouTube suddenly deleted all of her videos from their platform.

Her crime?  She posted a video of her hitting her own hand with a whip with no nudity, violence or foul language.  But according to them that was an 'egregious violation of their terms of service'?

Really?   Can you say this is some shady BS?  Thought you could.

This #BlackTransMediaPurge happened despite the fact that Diamond had zero strikes according to their 'three strikes and your video blog is out' policy.

Diamond is also upset and mystified as to why they did it.  "If they had a problem with that hand video, they should have just deleted it, given me my first strike, and moved on," she said. "'But for them to just delete all my videos was wrong and shameful."

I agree, and this YouTube action reeks of the twin evils of racism and transphobia.   Would they have done this to Gigi Gorgeous?  Hell naw. 

Hopefully YouTube will reverse this unjust action and reinstate her video blog that she put a decade of work into building.

We'll see     

Ask A`Trans Attracted Man: Trans Murders Part 2

This is Part 2 of Troy's thoughts about the epidemic of anti-trans murders aimed disproportionately at Black trans women.

If you wish to check out Part 1 of Troy's commentary, you can do so by clicking on the link 

Ask A Trans Attracted Man: Trans Murders

Been a while since I've had a video up from Troy, and in this one he's commenting on the far too frequent murders of Black trans women.

You can check out Troy's other videos on his YouTube channel.

Nicole Ramos-'You'll Always Be A Man"

To give you another taste of the birthday girl's video blog, check out what my Lone Star sis had to say in this January 2015 post about the all purpose insult that our cisgender detractors like to fling at us in the "You'll always be a man" one.

Diamond Stylz-You've Got @ RuPaul She-Mail

Diamond's latest video comments on the RuPaul controversy

Kat Blaque-Are Men That Like Transsexuals Gay?

I've expressed my opinion about that subject (no they aren't), and it's a major reason why I post the 'Ask A Trans Attracted Man' videos of Troy on TransGriot when he talks about the same subject from the trans attracted cis male spectrum.

I like giving my video blogging sisters and brothers the spotlight from time to time to discuss various subjects, and have has the pleasure of posting Kat Blaque's takes on issues from time to time.  

With Valentine's Day rapidly approaching, it was the perfect time to discuss the subject and show the following video in which Kat takes on the long running topic of whether men who like transsexuals are gay.

Diamond Stylz-Let's Talk To My Mommy

Since I'm spending time with my family today, thought you peeps needed to see the video Diamond Stylz posted which was an interview she did with her mother. 

Hope she does get a chance to come down to BTAC in Dallas this April.

Diamond Stylz-I Am Diamond Stylz

You've seen me post many of Diamond's videos on my blog about various subjects because my Houston homegirl has the same gravitas in the video blogging world as I do on the blogging side of things.

Now I get to post this one in which she tells you a little about herself and her video blog.

Diamond Stylz's TDOR 2013 Message

My Houston homegirl Diamond Stylz is my counterpart in the video blogging world, and peeps need to recognize that she's all that and five bags of mesquite barbecue chips if they haven't already.

Here's Diamond's commentary concerning the 2013 edition of the Transgender Day of Remembrance that needs to be seen

Kat Blacque-Why Transgender Women Don't Help Each Other

Latest video from Kat Blacque discussing an issue that I had a problem with in the 80's and 90's.

There are just some of our trans peeps that think it's all about them and forget that we are a community that needs to be turning to and helping each other and not hatin' on each other.

But for those that don't get that message and shadily run down other trans people out of jealousy or straight up meanness, they will suffer the karmic wheel consequences of not having people they can turn to when they need help.


Kat discusses her take on trans women who don't want to help other transwomen or are shady to the ones that extend a hand to those that do help their sisters in need..

Jahaira's Mission-To Thine Own Self Be True

Congratulations Jahaira on three years of video blogging and One Love right back at you sis!  

This one has an interesting message that we need to constantly think about as trans people in terms of being true to our own selves.

Yes, Kevin You Do Need To Know Something About Trans Issues To INTELLIGENTLY Discuss Them

I received an interesting link from Bryanna Aeon Jenkins last night concerning YouTube's The 'Skorpion Show' host Kevin Simmons and his broadcast partner Makael McLendon problematic take on trans issues.

I saw the two videos in which these openly gay men clumsily tried to discuss the Mister Cee controversy and the trans feminine dimension of it.  They said some problematically ignorant things about trans women that video bloggers Kat Blacque and Bryanna Aeon Jenkins tried to correct Kevin on.

First point of this post Kevin, is that if you're going to talk about trans issues on your show, you do need to educate yourself on trans issues if you're going to attempt to talk INTELLIGENTLY about them.  Our trans feminine lives are not a joke or a punchline to boost your hit counts, especially when Black trans women are getting killed for daring to openly live their lives.  .

Google and Bing are your friends.  Utilizing them can help you acquire a Trans 101 level of knowledge that will be sufficient enough for us trans women to not to have to school your ass when you frack up like you did in those two videos in the wake of the Mr. Cee mess.  

Janet Mock and Laverne Cox are just two of the many people in the trans feminine community who have either written about or discussed trans relationships.  Both recently made an appearance on HuffPo lLive.  I've been talking about a wide range of transgender issues on this award winning Afrocentric trans blog and elsewhere since 2006.  Diamond Stylz is another major transfeminine blogger who has commented on the Mr Cee issue.  

And when we trans women, be we from the blogosphere, academia or video blog world inevitably call you on your loud and wrong opinions about our lives, don't get huffy and dismissive like you did with Bryanna when we do.   We have had for far too long cisgender gay and straight people mischaracterizing our lives and we're tired of it.  We cannot and will not let it go when a video blog with a large viewership like The Skorpion Show is putting misinformation out there about us and the creator of the show claims 'he doesn't need to know anything about our lives'.

Yeah, you do need to know something about our lives since we are an intertwined part of the Black TBLG community . When it comes to our lives, we trans women are the experts when it comes to talking about them because we are the ones dealing with the challenges and issues inherent with negotiating life in our trans feminine bodies.

Trans women are not as you erroneously put it, 'just like a gay person.'    Sexual orientation and gender identity are two entirely different discussions.  The only way that trans people and gay people are alike is that the world hates on both groups for violating the gender binary.  

And speaking of sexual orientation, a cis man who sleeps with a trans woman is straight, not gay.   Gay men as you and Makael know are attracted to other gay men.  Trans attracted men are attracted to our femininity first, then we sort out the issues on what particular combination of genitalia and sexual activity a trans attracted man likes in the bedroom who desires a long term relationship with us. 

Video bloggers like Troy have also had much to say about this Mr Cee controversy.  He has done yeoman's work at his YouTube video channel in giving people thought-provoking 411 commentary about trans attracted men as well.

But let's get back to discussing gender identity vs sexual orientation.

Gender identity is who you are, your perception of who you are and how you perform your gender roles to correspond with that perception.  Sexual orientation is who you like to sleep with when your bedroom door is closed.  Trans people can be straight, gay, lesbian, bi, or poly just like the rest of you cisgender people.

Another point you and your broadcast partner need to burn into your brains is that a trans woman is a woman period regardless of what genitalia is between her legs.  You focus on the person she is and projecting to the world in 2013 and beyond, not the body she came into the world with out of her mother's womb on her birthday. 

And if you wish to have that conversation you claim on you want to have with trans women, there are basic rules of respect for us you need to remember.  One is to STFU and listen when we are schooling you about aspects of our trans lives you are ignorant about.   

You do not EVER call us 'trannies'.  That is now considered a slur word by a majority of the American trans feminine community, so expunge it from your vocabulary.  

Disrespecting our femininity by calling us 'men' or using the wrong pronouns when we have spent time, money, psychological-emotional work, hormone therapy and sweat equity into becoming the persons on the outside that we are on the inside is also not acceptable.   

And that's real talk for you.

Diamond Discusses The Mr. Cee Controversy

You just knew my Houston homegirl and pioneering video blogger Diamond Stylz would have something to say about the Mr. Cee controversy.   So much so she has two video blogs about it.


Mr Cee and Outing Fiascos



A Lil' Mad at this Mr. Cee Circus   (NSFW)

Diamond Stylz-Am I A Dick?

I've needed to post another one of Diamond Stylz's videos for you TransGriot readers for a while. 

In this one she talks about gender roles, the importance of the body and the double standards the gender roles create.

Dear T-Girls: Stop Chasing Men Who Don't Want You

Another one of the video bloggers I love is Katherine, who has a video blog entitled Kitty Khaotique with 217 videos and counting.

She has this one with a message that needs to be signal boosted and seen by girls like us who keep insisting on chasing guys that don't want them.  Just stop doing that, love yourself, and focus on finding the guys who do.

Jahaira's Mission Video Blog

I like checking out some of the trans video bloggers and shining the TransGriot spotlight on either their blogs or various video posts that I believe have a message that needs to be signal boosted and shared with my readers.

Introducing Jahaira.  She sent me an e-mail concerning the post I wrote in which I discussed my desire to start forging links with people in the ballroom and pageant community and have consistent, substantive conversations with them.

Jahaira has reached legendary status in the Fem Queen Realness ranks of the ballroom community, and it was a long, interesting and wonderful conversation.

We discussed the intersection of trans issues with the pageant and ballroom communities along with other just shooting the breeze girl talk.  Her Jahaira's Mission video blog has been around since 2010 and has 256 videos and counting. 

Jahaira was recently featured on the WE Happy Trans blog, which has a feature similar to my TransGriot Ten Questions on that asks seven questions of the people they interview.  In order to introduce you to her, here's her video in which she answers the We Happy Trans 7 Questions.

 

Conversations With Tona Brown Video Series

The multi-talented Tona Brown has started posting interviews of various people in the trans community and others that pique her interest on her YouTube channel. 

She calls the segment 'Conversations With Tona Brown' and if you're wondering when your favorite blogger is scheduled to do one, it's going to happen the next time I'm in the Washington DC area.

These are wonderful interview which are not only shedding light on these two longtime Baltimore area activists, they are capturing a historical moment in time for future generations of trans people and frankly deserve a wider audience.    

Here are some of the interviews she's done already with Cydne Kimbrough. and Monica Stevens

Cydne Kimbrough Part 1

 


Cydne Kimbrough Part 2




Monica Stevens Part 1





Monica Stevens Part 2

Diamond Stylz-Surrogacy

As I've pointed out in a few posts I do have trans women friends who are mothers raising children.  Some are their own biological ones they had before transition, while others are in marriages or relationships raising their spouse's or significant other's kids as their own. 

Been a while since I posted one of Diamond's video blogs, and this one deserves a little signal boosting because it talks about her desire to be a mother and raise kids.

And no sis.  I still haven't forgotten I owe you an interview.