Happy Birthday, Roberta Angela Dee

Today would have been the 62nd birthday of trans writer and the person whose pumps I walk in Roberta Angela Dee.  (October 31, 1950-March 13, 2003)

She was born in Brooklyn NY in 1950, lived in Augusta, GA and wrote about gender issues for 30 years.  In addition to being a published author her writings were also widely available on the Net at websites like TGGuide.com that hosted her Roberta Angela Dee's Haven 

She's the person who I picked up the trans writer's torch from in terms of being an advocate for our rights and telling our stories through the power of the written word.

She was also a no BS, cut to the chase type person who spoke her mind about many issues she was passionate about, and I loved that about her.

While we had more than a few chat conversations, sadly I never got to meet her in person before she passed away.  But there is no doubt that I'm not only following in Roberta Angela Dee's footsteps, I'm done my part to expand what she started doing to a wider audience inside and outside the trans community with my own emphasis on unearthing those nuggets of Black trans history and discussing them here or at a conference or college campus near you. 

I'm doing my part to live up to and exceed the legacy she left behind with her untimely 2003 death. I hope that as I run with the torch she handed off to me, I continue to make my community proud and keep exceeding the lofty standards I expect from myself and the community expects of me until the day comes that I have to pass that torch to my successor. 

And I think about that every March 13. 

Happy birthday Roberta.   Miss you.

Roberta Angela Dee

Another installment in my ongoing series of articles on transgender and non-trans women who have qualities that I admire

Roberta Angela Dee was an early voice of the African-American transcommunity for several decades. She challenged the medical community through her intelligent articles on psychology and gender and thoughtful online writings.

Roberta was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1950 and grew up on Long Island. She graduated with a degree in journalism and at age 25 began living as a woman.

Although much of her writing was on medical issues, she was an accomplished fiction writer who wrote several novellas on trans issues. She also wrote columns for Jo Ann Roberts' TG Forum website in addition to founding the Women on the Net (WON) website -- an early transgender resource for women of color. She also ran a Yahoo discussion group called TG Woman until her death in 2003.

I was a member of TG Woman from its inception. Roberta created a place that was different from the average transgender group. There wasn't the whiny, 'woe-is-me' tone that tends to permeate some transgender groups. We talked about issues beyond just transgender ones and it had over 2000 members at one point. When I started Transsistahs-Transbrothas on New Year's Day 2004 I patterned my group on that TS Woman model.

Roberta was a no-nonsense reality based kind of girl that never shied away from expressing her strong opinions about many subjects. I loved that about her.

She's also an inspiration to me as a writer as I endeavor to polish my skills and take them to the next level.

She transistioned but opted not to have SRS. As she once said, "I'm a woman in mind, heart and spirit. That's all that matters. They can cut things off, paste things on, or reconfigure my body parts. If you're a woman, you're a woman. Period"

You're so right about that Big Sis. You are definitely missed.

Why Black Transgender Role Models Are Important

Wyatt T. Walker wrote in a December 1967 Negro Digest article, "Rob a people of their sense of history and you take away hope."

So when I stated that I wish I'd had pioneering transgender role models to look up to of African descent growing up like white transwomen have with Christine Jorgensen, April Ashley, and Phyllis Frye, I was speaking not only from a personal frame of reference, but from a historical one as well.

Yes, those people and many others have wonderful qualities that anyone can admire and emulate. But they also have in common the fact they are white.

That hasn't changed even though there are three African-American transgender people who have Trinity Awards on their mantels. That hasn't changed even though there are countless examples of transgender people of color stepping up, being intimately involved in shaping the history of this community and blazing trails such as the Alexander John Goodrums and Roberta Angela Dees of the world.

I'm lamenting the history that either hasn't or is just beginning to be told.

The point is that a young Euro-American transkid always has people representing them that affirm, reflect and share their cultural heritage. They log into computers for information on transgender issues, and the websites and the history they tell about the community disproportionately reflects them.

Go to the library or search for books on transgender issues, and there's a plethora of books, be they fiction or non-fiction, written from their point of view. They even see themselves reflected in the few movies and TV shows that have been done with transgender characters in them.

Now if you're a person of color, it's a different world.

Black transwomen have been whitewashed out of the transgender community narrative despite playing major roles in crafting it. We're rarely interviewed by the MSM, have books written by us, about us, or for us, asked to speak at colleges on transgender issues, or reflected in the predominately white middle-upper middle class leadership ranks of the community.

Don't even get me started talking about the images of African descended transwomen.

So when people consider me a role model or tell me they're honored to talk to me, I realize the seriousness of it. It's something I wish I'd had growing up, and it's the same lament shared by current day transwomen now in their twenties and thirties.

It's important in any marginalized community, especially as a transperson of color to have role models that share your ethnic heritage. They give you a concrete example of the fact that you aren't alone for starters. Their existence lets you know they are proud to be who they are, a roadmap to living your own proud life and the strength to persevere against adversity.

It also lets you know that you have a valued history that we have an obligation to defend and build up to greater heights. It also gives you the sense that you are another runner in the relay race of life and it's your turn to pick up the baton and carry it forward.

That has what's been denied us through intentional and unintentional whitewashing of transgender history, our community being disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and taking the brunt of the hate violence directed at transgender people.

It has also served as Wyatt Walker's quote states, taken away our hope.

It's a negative pattern that needs to be reversed, and it starts with us. We have to claim and fiercely defend our history, trumpet our accomplishments, and document what's happening for current and future generations to read as well.

I want future generations of cisgender people inside and outside my African descended community to know not only what Alexander John Goodrum, Roberta Angela Dee, Dionne Stallworth, Kylar Broadus, Dawn Wilson, Dr. Marisa Richmond, Lorrainne Sade Baskerville, some transgender blogger who's the 2006 IFGE Trinity Award winner and many others accomplished in their time here on Earth to build this community, it's important for future generations of transkids to know this as well.

4th Annual TransGriot Black Trans History Quiz-The Answers

Did y'all have fun getting your learn on and actually trying to work on the 4th Annual TransGriot Black Trans History Quiz?  Or did you just decide to wait until I posted the answers? 

If you did, shame on you.   It was an open Internet test.

So let's get to the answers for this year's edition of the Black Trans History Quiz.

And pay attention, because you will get another one during Black History Month next year.

***

1. True or False   When last year's Trans 100 List was unveiled, there were 11 African American trans women and four African American trans men honored on it.   
TRUE

2.  Which one of these is NOT a BTAC Conference award? 

A. Monica Roberts Advocacy Award
B  Kortney Ryan Ziegler Awareness Award
C  Carter Brown Transman Of The Year 
D  Kylar Broadus Equality Award  
E.  Louis Mitchell Empowerment Award 

C.  The Carter Brown Transman of the Year Award is not a BTAC Conference award (yet)

3.  What Black transman and Black transwoman were named to the Out 100 List for 2013?
Kylar Broadus and Laverne Cox

4   This transwoman from Toledo became the first ever trans athlete in her sport.  Who is she and name the sport.  
Fallon Fox     Women's MMA

5  Blake Brockington became the first ever Black trans masculine to accomplish this feat.   What was his history making accomplishment?
Became the first Black transmasculine homecoming king in the US and the first ever in North Carolina

6. This transman born in Houston was a popular gospel singer from the 40s-70's.  What was his name? 
Wilmer 'Little Axe' Broadnax

7. Laverne Cox says she prefers to think of herself as this term.  What is it? 
A possibility model

8. True or False  Dee Dee Chamblee was named a Champion of Change in 2011 by President Obama.
TRUE

9   Name the transperson who was the first ever to receive a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Blog.
Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler in 2012 for blac(k)ademic
 
10   True or False.  Video blogger Diamond Stylz was the plaintiff in a court case to allow her to wear her dress to her high school's prom.
TRUE   Diamond sued her Indianapolis HS for the right to do so

11. Who said this quote? "More than I’m a trans man, I’m a Black man. Many of the things that I see in the world and many of the things that I respond to in the world have more to do with how I am treated as a Black man rather than how I am treated as a trans man."
Louis Mitchell

12   Audrey Mbugua filed a lawsuit to get the National Examinations Council in this nation to change the records to reflect who she is now.   What is that nation?
Kenya

13.  Who said this quote?  “Our lives, the path we feel we have to take is a challenge. We are voluntarily accepting the role of Public Enemy No. 1: The black man is the most feared man in America."
Carter Brown

14.  Houston's Dee Dee Watters last year became the first trans person ever to organize an African American themed version of this trans community event.  What was it? 

A.  A trans feminine summit
B.  A TDOR memorial
C.  A statewide trans conference
D.  A Transgender Day of Visibility
B.  A TDOR memorial

15.  The inaugural Trans* H4CK organized by Dr. Kortney R. Ziegler took place in this city.

A  San Francisco
B  San Jose
C  Berkeley
D. Oakland
D. Oakland
 
16  Angolan musical star Titica was named a Goodwill Ambassador by this agency last year.  Name the agency.
UNAIDS
 
17  Who said this quote?  "I'm a woman in mind, heart and spirit. That's all that matters. They can cut things off, paste things on, or reconfigure my body parts. If you're a woman, you're a woman. Period"
Trans author Roberta Angela Dee

18. True or False.  A Black trans feminine student has never been named as her schools homecoming or prom queen.
TRUE.  Trans Latinas and trans white women have but as of yet no trans feminine African American. 

19   How many ESSENCE magazine covers did trans model Tracy Africa Norman shoot? 
Five ESSENCE covers...Sixth was ruined when she was outed.

20.  Jordana LeSesne, Honey Dijon Redmond and Zoe Renee Lapin all have this in common.  What is that common denominator? 
They are currently or have DJed.

21   Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P Johnson co-founded this organization in 1970.  Name it.
S.T.A.R. Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries

22.  This trans musician played tours with Whitney Houston, the Isley Brothers and several other major artists.  Name her.
Koko Jones 

23   Who said this quote? "“They wanted to force me to be someone that I wasn’t. They wanted me to delegitimize myself as a trans woman — and I was not taking that. As a trans woman — as a proud black trans woman — I was not going to allow the system to delegitimize and hyper-sexualize and take my identity away from me.”
CeCe McDonald 
 
24.  The murder of this Boston area African-American transwoman in 1998 was the impetus to start the Transgender Day of Remembrance that occurs every November 20.  Name the transwoman.
Rita Hester

25.  Trans pioneer Gloria Allen in 2012 was teaching charm school classes for trans youth at the Center on Halsted in what city?
Chicago
 

African Descended Trans Heroes and Sheroes

October is TBLG History month, and I decided to to make sure that the 'T' end of the GLBT community was capitalized and not ignored.   One of the other things the TransGriot can promise will happen is that the contributions of trans people of color aren't erased from this TBLG history month observance.

This blog will be highlighting our trans history, and just to get this chocolate history party started I'm going to take you back to 2007.

A discussion got started on the TGV Advocacy Yahoo Trans discussion list about trans community heroes and sheroes.  A list was compiled of of those trans heroes and sheroes that I pointed out was rather thin on transpeople of color.  

Of course you know my motto when it comes to this community: If you want something done right and don't want to see POC's getting erased, better do the damned thing yourself. 

So what I did at the time was got to my  Transsistahs-Transbrothas List which was comprised of African descended people from around the country  and had them help me put together an initial list of our trans African descended heroes and sheroes who are living and deceased.

I've added to it since 2007 as I've become aware of people and the work they've done, and this is a work in progress.  And yes, added myself to it at the bottom of the list.

If there are people that you think need to be added to this list, let me know in the comments section..

The African Descended Trans Heroes and Sheroes List:

Justina Williams
Dawn Wilson
Tyra Hunter
Dr. Marisa Richmond
Alexander John Goodrum
Roberta Angela Dee
Miss Major
Sharon Davis
Tracy Jada O'Brien
Earline Budd

Jordana LeSesne
Valerie Spencer
Avon Wilson
Kylar Broadus
Rev. Joshua Holiday
DJ Miss Honey Dijon
James 'Sweet Evening Breeze' Herndon
Zion Johnson
The Lady Chablis
Tommie Ross

Sharyn Grayson
Stasha Sanchez
Cookie LaCook

Octavia St. Laurent
Marcelle Cook-Daniels
Kiana Moore

Sandy Rawls

Dee Dee Chamblee
Tracee McDaniel

Danielle King

Cheryl Courtney-Evans
Isis King
Laverne Cox
Lady Java
Lucy Hicks Anderson
A Dionne Stallworth
Helena Bushong
Lorrainne Sade Baskerville

Sharon Franklin Brown

Cydne Kimbrough

Katey Red
Jaila Simms
Foxxjazzell
Alyras De Cygne
Kye Allums
Gloria Allen
Rev. Louis Mitchell 
Domanique Shappelle
Tracy Bumphus

Imani Henry

Dana DeAnda Turner
Janet Mock
Monica Roberts