Top 5 Texas Trans Moments of 2015

One of the things that irritates me about Top Five or Top Ten lists for trans issues is that far too often, they ignore stuff that doesn't happen on I-5, I-95 or inside I-495.  FYI to the rest of the country, liberal progressive people do exist here inside the borders of the Lone Star State and some of the 35 million people who live here inside my bigger than France state are trans people.

I need to remind you once again that Texas, and especially Houston based trans activists have helped spur much of the progress of the modern trans rights movement, and far too often we get ignored for doing so.

So in order to address that bi- coastal and inside the beltway imbalance, I'm going to do a 2015 Top 5 trans moments list with a Texas twang to it.

1.  All four anti-trans bathroom bills die in the Texas Legislature.

As part as a major attack on the human rights of Texas TBLG people, the hatemongers in the GOP controlled Texas Legislature rolled out a slate of 20 unjust bills.   Four of those bills (HB 1748, 1749, 2801 and 2802 targeted the Texas trans community.

These bathroom bills sought to not only criminalize being trans for adult trans Texans, but attack our trans kids matriculating in Texas schools.  

HB 1748 and HB 1749 were filed by suburban Houston Republicans Rep. Debbie Riddle of Tomball and would have made it a misdemeanor crime punishable by fines and jail time for Moni and every trans Texan to poop and pee in public restrooms. HB 2080 and 2082, filed by Rep. Gilbert Pena of Pasadena, targeted Texas trans kids.  It incentivized snitching on and bullying trans kids for using the potty for cash.

We were given little to no chance by outside of Texas groups to kill any of that negative legislation, but that's exactly what happened.   Trans Texans in conjunction with our allies got mad, rolled up our sleeves, and showed up in Austin for three lobby days.   We talked to our legislators under the Pink Dome, lobbied and denounced the unjust bills and successfully got them killed.

But you can bet that when the 2017 session starts, we will once again need to be ready to roll to Austin to defend our human rights again.  


2.  HERO Repealed

You've seen a lot of posts on this blog about the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance and the fight in 2014 to pass it.  Passing the law was the easy part.  The hard part as we knew when we started this human rights battle was going to be being able to keep it in the City Code of Ordinances.

Due to a massive disinformation campaign, a devastatingly effective ad, Houston media not doing their job combined with a mistake ridden HERO defense campaign, the Forces of Intolerance led primarily by out of town anti-LGBT activists and the Texas GOP, the Forces of Intolerance won by a 61-39% margin.

And yeah, I had a lot to say about the failure of the Houston Unites campaign to defend the HERO against this debunked trans predator meme and recycled Jim Crow talking points.

3.  Dallas strengthens trans protections

As we were suffering a devastating human rights defeat on our end of I-45 and getting pilloried in the national media for it, on the northern end of it in Dallas they were strengthening their trans protections.

One week after the HERO repeal, the Texas Values haters, fresh off their victory in Houston, tried to replicate what they had done in Dallas.

They failed as the Dallas City Council by a unanimous vote clarified their trans human rights protections that had been on the books since 2002 and the Dallas media tore their spokeshaters to shreds.

This is one time I can't (cough, cough) hate on Dallas.

4. Nikki Araguz Loyd wins her trans marriage case

After a nearly six year battle to do so, Nikki Araguz Loyd finally prevailed in the Delgado v. Araguz  trans marriage legal fight that killed the odious 1999 Littleton v Prange trans marriage case.

It not only reinstated her marriage to the late Capt. Thomas Araguz III and gave her the recognition back as his widow, it set a positive precedent for trans marriage rights in the Lone Star State

And how apropos the final ruling in the case happened on November 20, and the transphobic judge Randy Clapp (R)  that ruled the wrong way back in 2010, was the one that had to sign the order reversing his incorrect one.

5. Texas loses two trans women.

Unfortunately two of the record 20 trans women murdered in 2015 were Lone Star State residents in 24 year old Ty Underwood and 20 year old  Shade Schuler.

24 year old Ty Underwood was killed in Tyler, Texas in January by her boyfriend Carlton Ray Champion, who was convicted of the crime and sentenced to life in prison after bragging he'd be back on the streets on the day he was convicted.

The other trans woman we lost was in Dallas.   The decomposing body of 22 year old Shade Schuler was found on July 29 in a field near the Dallas medical district.

Unfortunately her killer has yet to be found and justice has yet to be served in this case, but it's hopeful that it will happen for her, her family and all who love her in 2016.

A reminder to the rest of the country.  We have some kick butt trans activists here in the Lone Star Sate who despite what y'all think on the coasts, are making stuff happen that benefits trans kind.

Going to be interesting to see what we accomplish in 2016.




   

Shut Up Fool Awards- Moni's Moving Edition

After a drama filled run to get to this point,  I finally moved out of the place I've called home for the last six months yesterday.

I'm still trying to find a new landing spot, and after moving my belongings to a storage facility, I'm spending the next few days at a friend's house destressing from the events of the last month while working on trying to find a new place without that time pressure bearing down upon me.

Thanks to Dee Dee Watters and Nikki Araguz Loyd for their help on Wednesday and Thursday getting the process started.  I also thank all of you who have contributed to my moving fund which is just $300 short of the target and those of you who have offered multiple places to choose from to stay while I find a solution to my housing situation.

Still time to donate and I thank you for doing so.  On the let side of the blog is a tip jar button that goes to my PayPal.

Dee Dee and I have some leads on a new place to call our own, and hopefully they will pan out in an expeditious manner.

Now, enough jibber-jabber about me, I know what y'all surfed over here for.   It's Friday, and while I was contemplating where I wanted to live, I also was contemplating what fool, fools or group of fools would be getting called out in this week's edition of the TransGriot Shut Up Fool Awards.

So let's get right to it shall we?

Honorable mention number one goes to every kneegrow who tried to defend Rachel Dolezal's fake Black feminine alleged bisexual behind.

Her 15 minutes of fame have long since expired.  Time for you to have several seats and a nice steaming cup of shut the hell up.

Honorable mention number two is a group award for everybody in Conservaworld tapdancing around another domestic terrorist attack and hate crime committed by a Real American like them, avoiding any mention of the systemic racism and anti-Black rhetoric they inflame conservasheeple like Roof with, trying to blame the victims and spin it as an 'attack on Christianity'/

Oh yeah, it most certainly is.  Another example of the centuries old historic pattern of white supremacists attacking Black churches and the people who attend them.

Honorable mention number three is LMPD Sgt Dave Mulchler, the president of the local FOP branch in Louisville who stupidly sent out an open letter threatening retaliation against any citizen who questions police actions in the wake of a fatal police shooting that has inflamed local tensions

He was rebuked by Mayor Greg Fischer (D) hours after releasing it.

“I appreciate that emotions are high after the tragic event of last week,” he said. “This letter does not reflect the sentiments of me or the vast majority of Louisville’s citizens, who know that we are all on the same page, working to build safe and strong communities for all of our families. We are in this together — police who put their lives on the line to keep us safe while building strong relationships of trust, and community members, who must be engaged citizens involved in our efforts to create a compassionate, thriving Louisville. Rather than incite anger and distrust between the police and the community, my administration will continue to work to build those critical relationships and the trust they create.”

Of course, Mulchler is now zipping his lips and not saying jack to the media after opening mouth and inserting badge in it.

Honorable mention number four is another group award for the nine GOP Kansas legislators who filed a complaint against Valdenia Winn (D-Kansas City) an African-American legislator who called them out on their racist anti-immigrant legislation.

A special Uncle Ruckus Award goes to the two kneegrow Republicans who allowed themselves to be used as sellout human shields so the white Republicans would appear less racist for what they are trying to pull

Honorable mention number five is FOX Noise' Erick Erickson, who blamed the Wednesday terror attack at Emanuel AME Church on transgender people.

Honorable mention number six is Alveda King.  She was cooning it up on FOX Noise trying the blame the Charleston terror attack on legalized abortion.

Damn, isn't your 15 minutes up yet?

This week's winner is Pope Francis, who every time he takes one positive step forward, takes another two backwards by saying something jacked up

Once again the toxic anti-trans hatred Paul McHugh injected into the Vatican ranks reared its ugly head yesterday when he wrote as part of a 184 page encyclical that "transpeople should accept their God given bodies  and not seek to manipulate them."

Hey Your Transphobiness, don't know what McHugh has been telling you, but transsexuality is not a sin.  

That's also why medical professionals have called for society to stop attacking transpeople and embrace them as the church you head should be leading the way in doing, but tragically fail at.

And I accept my beautiful trans body that was created by God along with the millions of other transpeople on the planet who are sick and tired of your attacks on our humanity.

Since you are a man of science, why don't you consult with experts in the field of transsexuality instead of a discredited quack?   And yes, I'll remind you that trans people are part of the diverse mosaic of human life

Have several seats in St Paul's Cathedral and shut up fool

Moni's 2015 NCAA Men's B-Ball Prediction

I absolutely love March Madness except when they show video of a certain 1983 NCAA title game,. 

Since 2007 I have posted my NCAA men's brackets for the whole world to see.

Because my schedule has been so packed full of events combined with breaking news that had a must write about priority, just wasn't able to sit down long enough to put together my 2015 NCAA bracket post before the First Four games started on Tuesday.

Oh well, with all the upsets yesterday my 2015 bracket would have been trashed anyway.  And darn it, I'll be out of town when the South Regional Final happens at NRG Stadium March 29

And assuming our stupid azz GOP controlled state legislature doesn't pass any hate legislation, the NCAA Men's Final Four is scheduled to return to NRG Stadium in 2016.

Just in case you're curious, here's the brackets for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014

All I have time to do unfortunately is predict who will win the men's NCAA title this year when they cut down the nets in Indianapolis on April 6

That team will be undefeated Kentucky

Yep, I'm predicting that they will run the table, get those six tourney wins they need  and finish as the first undefeated.team since Indiana did so back in 1976.   Ironically this year's title game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Will the Cats do it?   We'll see as the 2015 edition of the NCAA tourney unfolds.

You Don't Like The Effects WWBT's, Don't Produce The Cause

One of the reasons I love Parliament-Funkadelic's music so much is because there was a lot of truth in many of the songs they wrote and produced back during the 70's and 80's that touched on social issues. 

One of those truths was echoed in a Funkadelic song entitled 'If You Don't Like The Effects, Don't Produce The Cause'

Lately the WWBT's have been crying white women's tears all over the Net because their 'widdle' pearl clutching feelings have been hurt because I and others have been relentless in not only exposing their racist and exclusionary agenda, making fun of them, and at times pimp slapping them back with the same ferocity of rhetoric they have hurled at others.

They have had their Two Minute Hate on for me and those people who confront them ever since.

Doubleplusgood then.

If y'all don't like the effects of being called the Transsexual Taliban, Transsexual Borg, WWBT's, the Tea Trans Klan and my personal favorite ubermenschen, then you and your transsexual separatists need to stop producing the cause.   I and the rest of the community aren't calling y'all out and whacking y'all with these sobriquets for nothing as much as y'all would like to pimp that lie.  We are reacting to your continued nekulturny actions and jacked up sellout behavior.

You are the ones that for years have using radical feminist language against other transpeople, advocating they get cut out of civil rights coverage, demonizing your opponents, trying to redefine the transsexual definition so it benefits you only and now you're crying white women's tears because you can't take what you've been dishing out for years?

What, you girls were that hooked on your whiteness and white privilege to believe that you could and would be able to continue doing that indefinitely without getting the inevitable pushback from the people you aim your crap at and who are beyond sick and tired of it?

I don't think so.  Moni don't play that, and neither do the folks you've been aiming your lies and your electronic brownshirt tactics at.   Buy a vowel, get a clue, and stop hatin'

And I repeat.  If you don't like the effects WWBT's, don't produce the cause.

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TransGriot Nuke A Troll 12-Misplaced Vanilla Flavored Outrage

The USS Monica wasn't in port long enough to give its crew liberty call before I had to take to the cyberseas again to whack somebody else who had a problem with a post

This time it was Vanessa, who had a profound lack of reading comprehension on my The Bathroom Predators Are Cis People post..

WTF does "white wing" have to do with it. It was black girls that did the beating. What a racist thing to say. OBVIOUSLY it isn't just "white wing" opponents. I am sure there are some black, upper level folk out there with the same views and as this video shows there are black people in the general public who feel the same way. The more I read your blog the more I think that you are a racist. This attack has nothing to do with white, black, or whatever. It has to do with humanity.

5...4..3...2...1  launch

Veronica, Veronica, Veronica.     Why are you getting your panties in a bunch over the fact Moni told it like it T-I-S is about the bathroom predator meme coming from white wing conservatives? 

It did, so deal with it..  If you aren't a 'white' wing conservative, why should that statement bother you unless you are one? 

Me and other Black bloggers never made it a secret that we have our right wing idiots, and transphobic haters. If you had bothered to look in this blog instead of engaging in conclusion jumping based on a failed vanilla scented premise over the opening sentence of my piece, you would have discovered like my long time readers I'm even harder on my own people about transphobic BS than y'all think I am about y'all

But at least we're honest about our phobes and call them out.   That's more than I can say for fauxgressive whites like you.

And Veronica my dear, time for a review of Sociology 101.   Racism does not equal to Black person calling out white 'peepul' on their BS as they tell y''all on Faux News, racism equals prejudice plus systemic power..

If I had a dollar (or somebody donated a dollar in my TransGriot tip jar) for every time trolls like you called me a 'racist' because I'm not 'scurred' to call out your vanilla scented bigotry and cluelessness in this blog on a regular basis, I'd be a millionaire.

If the attack had nothing to do with race, then why have we had an avalanche of racist comments aimed at the perpetrators of the crime from cis, trans and gay white people across the blogosphere referring to Teonna Brown in simian terms, denigrating African Americans in general, the city of Baltimore, et cetera?  

Umm hmm...that's what I thought.

About the only part of your comment I agree with is it's about humanity.   Damned skippy it us.   But the white part of humanity has unearned privilege and a consistent pattern that they want to forget of erasing, denigrating and disrespecting the non-white part of it.   The white part of humanity also has a consistent pattern of getting their noses out joint when non-whites call them on their jacked up behavior.

They also have a consistent pattern of oppressing people or groups they don't like for various reasons.

We non-white transfolks already see the difference in your reactions when it comes to a white victim of a trans hate attack versus a non-white one.    Chrissy shares your ethnic heritage, so it stands to reason the reaction would be more gut level intense than had it been the usual pattern of a Black or Latina transwoman being attacked.  

But Vanessa, reading is fundamental.   That first post wasn't even talking about race, it was talking about the bathroom predator meme and was aimed at pointing out the fact cis people commit these crimes.   But in your vanilla privileged mind, because you saw the words 'white wing conservative', you and your critics ASSumed that because this is an Afrocentric blog, it was 'attacking white peepul', and that a balanced piece couldn't come from an award winning proud African American trans writer on this issue.

So what does that say about you? 


Duck and cover, and don't look at the flash when the troll nuke explodes..