The Willie Houston Story

One of the things I need to point out is how pervasive gender and gender role stereotyping is prevalent in our culture. The rigid gender binary has such a powerful connotation that transgressing it as you see played out in transgender people's lives leads to harsh treatment, ostracizing and even death in some cases.

Sometimes even for people who aren't transgender.

On the Remembering our Dead lists are the names Pfc. Barry Winchell and Willie Houston. Neither of these men are GLBT, but died at the hands of others because of the PERCEPTION that they were.

Barry Winchell's story is familiar to anyone who saw the movie Soldier's Girl or who has heard Calpernia Addams speak about it from time to time.

But Willie Houston's story won't been told in a movie, and it's past time that it be heard again. People need to remember the insane reason why we memorialize him on this list. It's an example of the ignorance that some of my people show on gender issues, and unfortunately, that ignorance in this case caused an unnecessary death.

On July 28, 2001, 38 year old Willie Houston, his fiance Nedra Jones, and their friends Valerie and Melvin Holt celebrated their engagement by taking a midnight dinner cruise on the General Jackson Showboat in Nashville, TN.

When the boat docked at 2;45 AM EDT, out of concern for Mr. Holt they decided to wait until most of the passengers had disembarked from the boat before doing so themselves. Ms. Jones had to use the dockside restroom, so she asked her fiance to hold her purse. While Ms. Jones was doing so, Mr. Holt had to also use the restroom so Willie escorted his blind friend to the men's room still in possession of his fiance's purse. Ms. Jones was told by Valerie Holt what was happening when she returned.

A few moments later Houston and Melvin Holt returned from their trip to the men's room. He was still carrying his fiance's purse slung over his shoulder and he and Melvin Holt were laughing about and recounting the homophobic remarks directed at Houston in the men's room.

A few moments later a man later identified as then 25-year-old Lewis Maynard Davidson III and another man started cursing at Houston. When Ms. Jones told Davidson that he didn't have to talk to Houston like that, Davidson responded,"F--k you, fat b---h." Ms. Jones then read Davidson like a cheap novel while Houston warned the man not to disrespect his lady.

As the Holts, Houston and Jones exited the General Jackson, Davidson and his friend continued to spew abusive language and threats at them. Houston finally told Ms. Jones to stop and let Davidson and his companion pass and as he did said, "I'll f--k y'all up-you and your friends."

As they continued walking with the Holts to the parking lot, Davidson shouted insults at them again before heading off to his car. As Houston was unlocking his Davidson approached him again brandishing a gun.

As Jones shouted for security guards, Houston tried to reason with Davidson by saying, "Man, there ain't no need in acting like this. We just came on the boat to have a good time,...and we are just ready to go home."

To drive home the point that he wasn't looking for trouble, Houston pushed the gun in a downward direction, stepped away from Davidson with hands up and open palms faced outward. Davidson still shot, hit Houston in the chest and jumped into a waiting car that rapidly left the scene. Houston unfortunately died a few hours later

Davidson was caught in Ohio two months later and extradited back to Tennessee. He was tried, convicted of first degree premeditated murder and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Willie Houston.

While Lewis M. Davidson III is rotting in jail, it still doesn't erase the pain for Ms. Jones and everyone who knew Willie Houston. It's also mind boggling to think that this tragic series of events started because the shooter was tripping about someone carrying his girlfriend's purse and ignorantly assumed they were gay.

HERO Updates, Notes and News- November 3

Well, the big hate rally at Riggleworld is over. and it was wonderful to see the Houston LGBT community meet those multiple violations of the Ten Commandments by Riggle and his friends with an outpouring of action.  

While his conservasheeple were buying t-shirts proclaiming they had the right to discriminate against gay peeps (and naw, you don't), we were busy collecting winter clothing and supplies for homeless LGBT youth and role modeling what real Christianity looks like.

Just to remind you peeps around the country.   Steve Riggle and his not so righteous flock don't represent the majority of Houstonians.   An overwhelming 75% of us favored passage of HERO and outnumbered the bussed in suburban haters when we testified in favor of it.  Neither do they represent the Houston clergy who testified in favor of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance by a 2-1 margin over the hatemongering preachers.

The citizens of Houston, especially those of us who face discrimination every day, wanted this ordinance implemented back when it passed on May 28.  Unfortunately that's being prevented by a gaggle of loud and wrong ministers who want to impose their hatred on the rest of our city.

Speaking of loud and wrong preachers,  the kneegrow sellout ones of the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston and Vicinity trotted out another one to test another talking point lie.

Pastor Willie Davis laughingly tried to claim that 'HERO takes away the rights of heteros'.

Seriously?   Once again, because it seems like you missed it while kissing Dave Welch's  rump,   HERO protects all Houstonians from discrimination based on sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, RELIGION, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, and pregnancy.

So where exactly Rev Davis, does it 'take away the rights of heteros'?    If you weren't so hellbent on selling out and cooning it up for the Harris County GOP,  you'd see that the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance EXPANDS the rights of heterosexuals like Judge Alexandra Smooths-Hogan, whose discrimination case was the catalyst for passing this much needed Houston human rights advancement.

And Rev Davis, since you went there, contrary to what your misguided ally Becky Riggle said, you so called Christians don't have a right to discriminate against LGBT people either based on your misguided interpretation of scripture.

And I still have to ask the question, what are the members of the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston And Vicinity getting from the conservative movement in exchange for being the sellout melanin laden faces of this HERO repeal effort so it has the appearance of looking less overwhelmingly white and Republican that even Stevie Wonder can see it already is? 

And why are you doing the conservative movement and FOX Noise's dirty work for them?

The  other question I have to ask is this.   When will members of the local African-American media start asking the hard questions of the opponents I just asked?   When will they start calling these ministers out about opposing a long needed Houston human rights ordinance that benefits the ENTIRE African-American community?

And yeah, a message for my H-town peeps.   If you want human rights laws in Houston and in Texas, this is another TransGriot reminder to take your souls to the polls tomorrow if you haven't done so already.   Don't stop with Wendy and Leticia, hit those judicial races, too.   We need more fair minded judges on our Harris County benches instead of ideologically driven ones.

The fight to keep the HERO continues.



 

Houston City Hall Vigil For Shante & Willie

As many of you TransGriot readers are aware of, a certain blogger y'all know along with many of my Houston area trans family, allies, and supporters gathered at the steps of City Hall to remember the people we just lost Sunday night in Shante Thompson and Willie Sims.

The vigil in addition to honoring Shante and Willie, also honored the Texas trans people we have lost in 2016.  It also called attention to the jacked up transphobic media coverage of the Thompson-Sims murders by ABC 13 and KPRC 2 in addition to issuing a call for Houston media to do better when it comes to respectfully covering trans issues.

Let me emphasize respectfully, since it seems that respect for trans Houstonians has been sorely  lacking in our local media ranks since HERO was first proposed back in April 2014.

And it's too bad my comments about the piss poor coverage got cut and didn't make the 10 PM news,  But hope those stations got the message I was happy to deliver that the Houston trans community is tired of their failure to adhere to the 2001 AP Stylebook guidelines for covering trans people.

We're also beyond sick and tired of trans Houstonians getting demonized by Houston media without a chance to properly respond to their problematic coverage.

That also extends to the men like Willie Sims who love us.  It's past time that the men who openly love us and don't give a rat's anus what you think are recognized inside and outside the trans community for having the courage to live in that truth.    We also need the men and women who love trans people to also be unapologetic in expressing their love and support of their trans partners, and with our human rights under attack, we need that to happen ASAP...

We were also pleased and proud to have Mayor Sylvester Turner say a few words before the vigil started to drive home the point that the lives of all Houstonians matter in the H-town he wishes to lead.

It was also nice to have members of Shante's family, HPD's assistant chief, Pastor Freedom Gulley, Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen, Harris County DA candidate Kim Ogg (D), Caucus president Fran Watson and other clergy and organizations there.      

The ceremony lasted just under an hour, and in addition to short speeches by Reagan White, myself and a family friend of Shante's, Pastor Gulley read a resolution on behalf of the TransSaints ministry calling for love and acceptance of trans people, along with a spoken.word dramatic performance by Dee Dee Watters, and a lantern release by Nikki Araguz Loyd and William Loyd to close out the vigil.  

Thanks not only to the organizers of this vigil, but I thank you for the opportunity to be a part of another opportunity to spend some quality time with my Houston trans family and the allies who love and support us.

I just wish it had happened under different circumstances.

Rest in power and peace Shante and Willie.  We will not rest until the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to justice.