Transpinays Are Doing It For Themselves

Every now and then you'll see my busy sis PinayTG post something in my comment section from time to time. I have a link to her wonderful blog as well.

But as I continue to point out, transgender peeps are everywhere and we face on varying levels from country to country and continent to continent a struggle to see our human rights respected, codified into law and protected.

So what's a transpinay? A transpinay is a transwoman of Filipina heritage. It's a term the community created to more accurately describe themselves and separate themselves from the more negative local terms that are considered insulting by our sisters there. I enthusiastically embrace and use transpinay here out of respect, solidarity and love for my sisters.

Transpinays are becoming more active and vocal about educating their nation about transgender issues and improving the lives of their sisters through STRAP, the Manila based Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines.

STRAP was founded in 2002 and its multifaceted mission not only focuses on fighting for the rights of transpinays, they are a support group, do educational advocacy on transgender issues, build pride in being a transpinay and confront negative images about transwomen as well.

Like us on this side of the Pacific, they face the same non-matching identity paperwork issues, discrimination, and unemployment/underemployment problems as well. But with each passing day they are becoming a more cohesive community, and it's only a matter of time before transpinays take their rightful place in Philippine society.

Miss Brazil Transsex Pageant 2008

The Thais proudly state that they have the most beautiful transwomen in the world, and have frequent pageants in the 'Land of Smiles' to prove it. But the Brazilians would vehemently argue that point.

Here are some photos from the 2008 Miss Brazil Transsex Pageant held a few months ago. The winner, Fernanda Lima was supposed to go on to compete as Brazil's representative in the Miss International Queen Pageant held in Pattaya at Tiffany's Cabaret, but that pageant eventually got postponed due to the political crisis that was raging in Thailand at the time.

So we'll have to wait a few months to see the 2009 version of the Miss International Queen Pageant to get the resolution to the question of who has the world's most beautiful transwomen.

1000 Wins!

I'm a huge basketball fan and I absolutely love women's college and pro basketball. If there's a women's game on the tube, whether it's the NCAA college ranks, the WNBA, the Olympics or FIBA worlds, I'm watching it.

I was pleased to hear that legendary University of Tennessee women's head coach Pat Summitt accomplished a coaching milestone that even a male head basketball coach has yet to reach.

On February 5 she became the first NCAA Division I coach to record 1000 wins when her freshman laden Lady Volunteer team defeated Georgia 73-47.

The now 56 year old Pat Summitt has been the Lady Vols coach since 1974. She was hired at age 22 as the head coach after being named as a graduate assistant while working on her masters in physical education.

She won a silver medal with the USA women's team at the Montreal Games in 1976 and eight years later coached Team USA to a gold medal at the LA Games. She was part of the inaugural class of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 and in 2000 was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as well.

She has also inspired 45 of her own players to become coaches in their own right.

Summitt has been busy rewriting the NCAA record books as well. In addition to owning the record for most NCAA wins, she led the Lady Vols to their eighth national championship and 18th Final Four last year, both NCAA records. She's only two titles shy of tying legendary UCLA men's coach John Wooden for the most NCAA titles with 10. She has the most NCAA tournament victories with 104 in 123 games played, and has coached 18 seasons in which her team won more than 30 games, including a perfect 39-0 championship season in 1997-98.

Congratulations Coach Summitt for winning her 1000th game and for all she's done to elevate women's basketball to the respect level it deserves.

'Spotlight' On Angelica Ross

It's been a while since I talked about Angelica Ross and what she's been up to. I recently received an e-mail from her stating that she was about to begin pursue a dream of a music career.

She has produced an album that will be dropping this spring on her indie Know Better Records label called 'When Two Worlds Collide' and has released the first single for it called 'Spotlight'

You can check out the song and the video for it on her website and also download it at the usual music spots of iTunes, Napster and Amazon.com.

Let's do our part to help support a sistah and get her career jump started. You never know, if it does well enough she may end up with a major label recording deal like Kim Petras did, and to be honest, I'd like to see her succeed.

NBJC and GLAAD Will Host Forum At Upcoming NAACP Image Awards

On the eve of the 40th Annual NAACP Image Awards which will be hosted by Oscar winning actor Halle Berry and screenwriter-actor Tyler Perry, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) will jointly host a forum February 11 on the infrequent intersection of African American and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) images in media, and the importance of these stories being told, particularly in the wake of California's Proposition 8.

The panel will explore the historical under-representation of these images, the ongoing advocacy efforts to promote the telling of these stories and the professional issues and challenges facing openly gay African American artists.

The planned two hour forum will also be co-sponsored by The Screen Actors Guild LGBT Actors Committee and the Beverly Hills-Hollywood Branch of the NAACP starting at 7 PM PST in the Screen Actors Guild James Cagney Board Room.

The panelists confirmed for the event include Willis Edwards, Member, National Board of Directors, NAACP; Vice Chair of the NAACP Image Awards, Deondray Gossett, Writer/Producer/Director, "The DL Chronicles", Maurice Jamal, Writer/Producer/Director, "Dirty Laundry," "The Ski Trip", Sonja Sohn, Actor, "The Wire" and J. Karen Thomas, Actor; Founding Member SAG LGBT Actors Committee

The panel will be moderated by GLAAD Senior Director of Media Programs Rashad Robinson.

"For the first time we have five openly gay individuals and multiple gay-themed projects nominated at the NAACP Image Awards," said Jasper Hendricks, NBJC Director of Field Operations. "We are hopeful this historic achievement will begin to break down barriers to openly LGBT arts and entertainment professionals in getting roles and jobs in the industry. We need to continue to highlight our successes and this forum will be a part of educating the media and the industry as to the issues LGBT people face."

"This year's nominees for the NAACP Image Awards demonstrate significant progress at a time when LGBT African Americans continue to be underrepresented in the media and those representations are often based on stereotypes," said GLAAD Senior Director of Media Programs Rashad Robinson. "We hope that through open dialogue with industry leaders at forums like this, we can continue to open doors for stories and images of our lives and our communities. These stories – when told in a fair, accurate and inclusive way – have the power to change hearts and minds."

The "Knocking Down the Door: Black LGBT Images in Media" will be held on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 from 7-9 PM PST at the Screen Actors Guild, James Cagney Board Room, First Floor.

For any further information contact: Damon Romine, GLAAD, (323) 634-2012

Online Discourse Frustrations

One of the things that I've found is irritating about substantive online discourse in the blogosphere and beyond is how race and white privilege rears its ugly head in the middle of it at inopportune times.

If a Black person (or any POC) on a mixed race blog states an opinion that doesn't neatly line up with white groupthink on an issue, they are immediately challenged to prove it, provide links to it, loudly denounced as being 'racist' or the person is viciously personally attacked in order to divert attention from the original subject matter being discussed.

The same hue and cry for accuracy doesn't exist when a white person states their opinion on an issue. It's just taken as a given that it's correct, it's grounded in logic and reason and 'errbody's' supposed to accept with without debate even if it resembles barnyard feces.

The problem is that Whites and Blacks live in vastly different worlds. Black people grow up in a world in which we constantly confront racism and its deleterious effects on our lives. Whites grow up in one in which they live enveloped in that white privilege cocoon. Even if a white person transitions or is GLBT, they still carry with them white privilege as they are discriminated against and reviled by their fellow whites.

Therefore, it's illogical for example, a white feminist to say that you know what it's like to be a black woman' because you're not even though there are some things about womanhood that cross cultural and ethnic lines. But even I'm cautious about saying that line even though I've been transitioned for over a decade and probably have more credibility if I said it than you ever will.

We aren't even close to being a 'post-racial' society either. The election of President Obama and 40 years of post civil rights legislation did not magically erase the 400 plus years of racist attitudes that buttressed slavery and we never addressed post emancipation.

Those attitudes are so insidious that even if you think that you're not being offensive, there are times that the racism oozes into your statement and you're not aware of it until a POC calls you on it.

And don't even get me started on that BS race card meme or the your civil rights struggle is 'just like ours' because it isn't.

Just because POC's are bluntly expressing an opinion that happens to be diametrically opposed to yours, it doesn't make us 'angry'. If we're pissed, there will be no doubt about that because we'll definitely let you know when we are.

Too many times when POC bloggers write about various issues, some peeps get defensive about it. As one of my fave bloggers Renee says, 'If it ain't about you, don't make it about you.' If you don't exhibit the behaviors we're complaining about, then don't take it personally.

Even though online discourse can be maddeningly frustrating at times, they are also sorely needed conversations to help foster understanding as to just how deeply entrenched and pervasive these racist attitudes are in our society.

But if both sides approach them in a spirit of Kingian love, an open mind an a willingness to listen to thoughts and opinions which may uncomfortably challenge some core assumptions you've held about some issues, we'll all be better for the experiences.

Kim Petras Video

Congrats to German transteen Kim Petras, who recently had her SRS and is happily embarking on her new life. She has a blog called Kimperium (written in German and English) and a recording contract. Girlfriend's future is so bright she needs shades to walk down the street.

Here's the latest entry from her YouTube video blog.




And a September 21, 2008 entry

Bulent Ersoy Acquitted

I mentioned that beloved transwoman singer Bulent Ersoy was on trial for remarks she made on a TV program critical of the Turkish military.

In Turkey, military service is obligatory for men over the age of 20, and it is a crime to speak against it.

She stated on that fateful February 24 TV broadcast that if she had a son, she would not let him fight in other people’s wars, referring to the increasing number of soldiers killed fighting outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists.

Thanks to her lawyer, Muhittin Yüzüak, she was acquitted on December 18.

The court ruled that Ersoy be acquitted of charges of trying to turn the public against obligatory military service. The court pointed to freedom of speech as the rationale for the ruling and Presiding Judge Ülker Kirazcı ruled that Ersoy’s remarks were personal thoughts she'd expressed in line with her right to freedom of speech and thought.

She was facing a jail term ranging from nine months to nearly three years had she been convicted of the charges.

A Transsistah's Secret- Shoe Sizes

Being the shoe fanatic I am, one of the first things I wanted know was what was my feminine shoe size. The basic rule of thumb in the US and Canadian markets is that you add two to your old male shoe size to get the equivalent femme shoe size.

Therefore, if you wore a size 8 in a men's shoe, your equivalent women's shoe size is a 10.

However, while most people have consistent sizes across types of shoes, sometimes depending on the style of shoe and where it's manufactured, you may have to get one that's larger. I noted that I had to go a size larger for shoes made in Brazil, for example, while others were fairly true to my actual shoe size.

So word to the wise is try them on first before you buy them to make sure they're comfortable and they fit.

Shut Up Fool! Awards-Frosted Flakes Edition

As you know Louisville and the rest of the state was dealing with a major ice storm and snow that took out power lines. This time the TransGriot didn't lose power, but feels the pain of the peeps who did. So for those of you just getting back online, here's the idiocy you missed

Anyhoo, let's see who won this week's Shut Up Fool! Award.

There was no contest this week. I'm not even bothering to find any other ridiculous statements this week because our winner basically locked it down and blew away any potential competition.

This week's winner is another Faux News sellout negro, Jesse Lee Peterson. On this recent Hannity show he stated "I think we all agree that Barack Obama was elected by mostly racist Blacks and White guilty people." It was so over the top even the 'Little Ball of Hate' had to call him on it.



Jesse Peterson, shut up fool!

National Go Red Day

If you can't figure out what to wear to work today or while you're out and about doing errands, may I suggest something red?

Today is National Go Red Day. I'm joining millions of women, companies, organizations and cities across the country in raising awareness about women and heart disease.

According to Tiffany Travis, communications director for the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women ages 25 and older.

African American women are 35% more likely than non-Hispanic white women to die from heart disease. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, and smoking all put women at risk for heart disease. Studies have shown that African Americans don't get the same care for heart disease as whites because they don't get the same tests and treatments.

“We want women to talk about prevention and living heart-healthy lives,” she said. “There are factors you can control like diet and exercise, but getting an annual heart checkup, not just a well-woman exam, is vital.”

A heart checkup includes checking cholesterol and blood pressure levels, as well as blood sugar tests.

So pull that red outfit out of the closet and wear it in honor of Go Red Day.

What Happened To Black Media Coverage Of The AA GLBT Community?

African American Transgender History-50's Style was recently linked to by Womanist Musings (thanks, Renee) and posted to Racialicious. (thanks, Latoya)

An interesting discussion developed in the comment thread on that blog centered for the most part on why the African-American media shifted from inclusive coverage in flagship magazines like EBONY, JET and HUE and Black newspapers with a national audience such as the Pittsburgh Courier to an almost total blackout on issues of African descended GLBT people.

Moni's going to share with you her thoughts on why it happened.

You'll notice that most of this coverage happened prior to December 1, 1955.

What's the significance of that date? It's the day Rosa Parks was arrested and the subsequent start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott that kicked off the African-American civil rights movement.

The messaging of that movement sought to deny segregationists any chance to use negative stereotypes of the African-American community to impede the progress or momentum toward freedom and equality. In the zeal to show that we're Americans 'just like you', the frank discussions and coverage of GLBT issues in Black owned media and newspapers that were taking place in the early 50's disappeared because of a reluctance to air the community's 'dirty laundry'.

I think you can guess what issues became considered the community's 'dirty laundry' as the Civil Rights Movement gathered steam during an era of McCarthyism and increased calls for Black gay peeps like Bayard Rustin to lower their profiles in a movement they helped organize, create strategies and provide funding for.

At the same time this debate was raging, the African American media shifted focus to covering the various civil rights campaigns, the tumultuous events of the 50's and 60's and documenting the 'First Black' historical breakthroughs of the 70's, 80's and 90's in various fields. I have no quarrel with that because if Black media hadn't done it, no one else would have.

At the same time, they were losing their most talented journalists who had intimate knowledge of the Black community due to integration opening up better paying opportunities formerly closed to them.

The consequences of that shift are the glaring examples of the 1965 Dewey's protest in Philadelphia wasn't covered by our media (or as of yet, haven't stumbled across a JET or EBONY that covered the event) and transsistah Avon Wilson being revealed in October 1966 as the first client of the John's Hopkins Gender Clinic being done by a New York Daily News gossip columnist.

The first article I spotted in an African-American publication on transgender issues was a 1979 JET story on Justina Williams, complete with correct pronouns 20 plus years before the AP Stylebook rules for covering transgender people came out. ESSENCE magazine, which focuses on African American women, published the only article I can recall on a transperson in 2006, and the magazine has been in publication since the 1970's.

The one thing that continues to irritate me is the complete blackout of news on African-American GLBT people in Black owned media publications. It's even more galling when you see these stories like the late Duanna Johnson's beating at the hands of Memphis cops or Isis King not getting the coverage they deserve in OUR media and it needs to change.

Since we can't seem to get a respectfully fair shake in mainstream media publications, it's past time that our stories be told in our media outlets that we African descended GLBT people support with our dollars. African descended GLBT people aren't going away and it's time our peeps knew more about us than the myths, lies and outright falsehoods being told about us for specious reasons.

Turkish Transsexuals Take To The Stage To Defend Their Rights

TransGrior Note: I'll say it again, transgender peeps fighting for their rights, dignity and respect is a worldwide struggle.

Turkey: transsexuals take to the stage to defend their rights

From Agency France Presse
Jan 20, 2008

ANKARA (AFP) — A unique play in an Ankara theatre ended with a standing ovation this week as the little-known actors -- transsexuals and gays raising their voice against discrimination -- fought back their tears on stage.

Their play, "Pink And Grey," put the spotlight on the plight of transsexuals in mainly Muslim Turkey, in the latest initiative of a fledgling but increasingly vocal movement for rights by a community long ostracized and often harassed.

Beaming with pride and excitement, the amateur stars, male-to-female transsexuals Derya Tunc and Sera Can, received congratulations in the boisterous backstage, taking a welcome respite from their actual jobs as sex workers.

"Despite all the discrimination we face, I have no regrets for what I am," Can cheerfully told AFP. "My only regret is having ended up in the prostitution sector."

Almost all transsexuals and transvestites in Turkey make their living as prostitutes. They say they have no other option in a society where homophobia is strong and often accompanied by violence.

Three quarters of Turks say they are "disturbed" by homosexuals, a recent opinion survey showed, although many gays today are recognized as being among the country's most prominent singers and fashion designers.

Notoriously harsh against transsexual prostitutes, police have been accused of arbitrary round-ups, mistreatment, torture and rough "clean-up" operations in several Istanbul neighbourhoods popular with transsexuals.

Activists say police abuse declined in recent years as the homosexual and transgender movement became organised and Turkey's bid to join the European Union made human rights a priority issue.

"Before, the police used violence -- now they only fine us," said Buse Kilickaya, the head of Pembe Hayat, or Pink Life, a newly-founded association that advocates transgender rights and sponsored "Pink and Grey."

She pointed to the ongoing trial of four people over an assault on transvestite and transsexual prostitutes in Ankara's Eryaman suburb in 2006, which left several seriously injured.

The victims were attacked by young men wielding sticks and knives who were allegedly encouraged by local authorities and property developers; their flats were ransacked and they were eventually forced to flee the neighbourhood.

Attorney Senem Doganoglu, a supporter of Pink Life, said transvestites and transsexuals continue to be arbitrarily detained and could end up in a police station simply for showing up in the street.

"I had a case in which one was detained when she went out in the evening to buy bread," Doganoglu said.

Prostitution is not a crime in Turkey, so the police use a law that provides for fines for disturbing public order to pursue transsexual sex workers, she explained.

That the advocacy of conservative values by the governing Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) "is fostering the existing climate of intolerance," she said.

Islam's impact on sexual freedoms, however, has proven to be a tricky issue in secular Turkey, where same-sex relationships and sex change operations are allowed, unlike in many other Muslim countries, and homosexual traditions can be traced back to the palaces of Ottoman sultans.

One of Turkey's best-known gays, prominent fashion designer Cemil Ipekci, made the headlines this month as he praised the AKP, described himself as a "conservative homosexual" and said he would have worn the Islamic headscarf had he been a woman.

And a transgender association in Ankara has called for a special mosque where its members can pray without disturbing the conventional Muslim flock.

"They cannot deny us the right to pray for salvation, can they?" asked group leader Oksan Oztok.

Activists hope discrimination will decrease as they become better organised and more vocal.

"We know things cannot change overnight. But there is progress already and we will continue to fight," Kilickaya said as she and her fellows excitedly discussed the date of the next "Pink and Grey" performance.

Hello World! Thanks For Stopping By!

I recently put a traffic feed widget on TransGriot because I was curious to see where my readers were coming from.

Before I put it on the blog, I knew I had people that popped in from Great Britain, the Philippines, Australia, various parts of Canada, Portugal and various parts of the US who comment on a regular basis.

But after I finally put it on, I was amazed to see that I get hits from the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Sweden, France, Switzerland, South Africa, Nigeria, Japan, Thailand, Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia and Mexico.

It obviously varies based on the time I look at it, but I'm proud to have a wider international following than I initially presumed.

So thank you world for stopping by, spending your valuable browsing time here, and perusing through the over 1300 posts that interest you.

I promise I'll do my utmost to keep it interesting so you continue to come back and feel moved from time to time leave a comment from time to time.

2009 IFGE Conference

It's a little earlier than the early April date it normally happens, but the 23rd edition of the IFGE Conference is kicking off today through February 8 at the Hilton Alexandria at Mark Center in Alexandria, VA.

This year's location I have fond memories of because I attended the last IFGE Conference that was held in the Washington DC area back in 2000. I not only got the opportunity to lobby some congressmembers, but watch as Dawn made history by becoming the first African-American transperson to win the IFGE Trinity Award.

Speaking of history, IFGE Executive Director Denise Leclair noted the historic timing of this year's event as well. "We are very excited to be staging this year's conference right next door to our nation's capital at such a pivotal time in our country's history. We believe it is very significant that the transgender community will be gathering in the Washington, D.C. area just two weeks after the presidential inauguration.

2009 is a critical year for our community in terms of securing the same employment rights and protections enjoyed by the rest of society, and we firmly believe that this conference will create momentum for change that will carry through the rest of the year."

That change she articulated is the expected introduction of a transgender inclusive ENDA and Hate Crimes bill that the community has high hopes will pass with expanded progressive majorities in the House and Senate and a president in the White House who will sign it.

As with any IFGE Conference, in addition to the informative seminars, the highlight is the presentation of the IFGE Trinity Awards. While there won't be any additions to the exclusive club of African-American Trinity winners (2000 Dawn Wilson, 2002 Dr. Marisa Richmond, 2006 moi), the Trinity Class of 2009 will consist of Lisa Mottet, Gunnar Scott and Spencer Bergstedt.

The IFGE Conference's target audience is anyone and everyone who is part of, allied with, or of service to the Transgender Community. So if you're in the Washington DC metro area, you may want to check out IFGE 2009.

Zero To Femininty In One Year

There's one issue we transwomen must come to grips with just before we begin our transitions.

We have to realize that we must go from whatever rudimentary knowledge of femininity we still have that wasn't suppressed out of us by our attempted masculine upbringings to an almost encyclopedic age appropriate knowledge of everything we should know as women.

Oh yeah, unlike our biosisters, we don't have the luxury of time to get to learn it, we have to do it in a year. While we're doing that, we're being reviled by almost everyone around us in society from disapproving family members to fundamentalist religion adherents and people who hate us enough to violently erase us from this plane of existence.

Being transgender is serious business and even if I'd had the opportunity to look into my future and see how my life was going to turn out, the only regret I have about it is that I didn't do it sooner.

Yeah, sometimes it's aggravating as hell. I get my feelings hurt from time to time. Every time I run into a narrow minded jerk or a person wallowing in unenlightened ignorance, I have to remind myself of the blessings that I have of having family and friends who love me and value the fact I'm in their lives.

So how do you go from zero to femininity? Practice, practice, practice and lots of learning and observation. Getting in touch with your spiritual and emotional side. Having biowomen school you on some of the points and lessons they learned growing up. Figuring out what type of woman you want to project to the world and working endlessly to become that finer specimen of womanhood.

And also realizing that society sees you differently. You are considered a target if you are attractive. If you're African American, even if you are beautiful, you're considered 'ugly' and 'unpretty'. You are considered less intelligent.

You also have a heightened risk not only to have potentially fatal physical violence and sexual assault visited upon you, you also have a heightened risk for breast cancer thrown into the mix as well.

But despite all that, the feeling of peace that I have every day I wake up because I did transition is one money can't buy. I know that despite the title of this post, femininity is a lifelong learning process that I enjoy learning something new about every day.

I absolutely revel in being me and living on this side of the gender fence, even if the first year of it can be chaotic.

Walking In Pumps Videos

This post is dedicated to Crys. You asked for in my previous post on the subject video of peeps walking in heels. Since you're one of my loyal readers, I went hunting for it on YouTube.

While there were some that fit the bill, some of it drifted into fetish territory. These three I found were instructional ones that I could put on the site that 'errbody' could view while at work.

Enjoy.


This ones from the LEGWORK video series, which is an exercise program that claims will not only improve the shape and tone of your legs, but will strengthen the inner core and help you walk sexy in heels.

Canadian Government Minister's Black History Month Message

TransGriot Note: I mentioned that Black History Month is now celebrated in Canada as well. Here's a message from Jason Kenney, the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.

“February—Black History Month—gives us an annual opportunity to remember and appreciate the struggle and the achievements of the black Canadian community in Canada’s history.

“The 2009 theme, Building Canadian Identity, focuses on three elements: the contribution of the No. 2 Construction Battalion of Pictou, Nova Scotia, during the First World War; the recognition of black Canadian Olympians a year before the winter games in Vancouver; and the preservation of the historical contributions of black Canadians to the building of Canada.

“The desire and determination of a group of black Canadian men to serve their country during the First World War led the government of Canada to create the No. 2 Construction Battalion in 1916. While based in Nova Scotia, the members of this battalion, more than 600 at its peak, came from across Canada. The Battalion spent the war building roads, railways, bridges and defences, sometimes on terrain with unexploded ordnance or in areas close to the front line. Many were injured and some lost their lives doing this necessary work. In a short time, they distinguished themselves and were recommended for transfer to the Western Front.

“In many sports at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and in other major international competitions, black Canadian men and women have inspired and excited us with their athletic performances, and have represented Canada honourably on the world sporting stage.

“These are part of Canadian history, the record and memory of which must be preserved. There are many museums across Canada that celebrate and preserve black history, but we must ensure that younger Canadians continue the work of these institutions. As part of 2009 Black History Month, the government is undertaking a succession planning day in Ottawa for Canadian museums of black history, to promote an intergenerational community of practice for the preservation of the important contributions of black Canadians to Canadian identity.

“As Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, I encourage all Canadians to participate in events and celebrations of this part of our history all across Canada during Black History Month.”

The Honourable Jason Kenney, PC, MP

A Transsistah's Secret-Walking In Pumps

I've mentioned how much I love shoes, especially if they are heels up to 3 inches.

I've been told I do such a good job at it I have had biowomen at various times pull me aside and privately ask me how long I've been doing it and how I learned to walk and stand comfortably in them.

First order of business is to make sure they are comfortable. I don't care if they are cute, the exact color I need for an outfit or on sale, I never buy shoes that are too small or too tight in the toe box for my feet.

Comfort is the name of the game, especially if they are shoes I'm going to be spending extended periods of time wearing, walking or standing in. I'm not shy about getting them a half size to a size larger in search of comfort.

Unfortunately, once you start approaching a size 9 and up there aren't in many women's shoe collections half sizes, so you have to go up to the next shoe size. You also want to start with a lower heel height and work your way up

As for what worked for me, before I even started walking in them I would get used to sitting and standing in them for extended periods of time. I'd get either an old pair of knee highs or hose and simply put them on. You especially need to do this with shoes that you've just purchased so they can mold to your foot.

Most of the time I'd simply just put them on and practice walking and standing in various heel heights. I had stairs in my old apartment and practiced slowly walking up and down them since one of my fave clubs back home had a stairwell I had to negotiate. You also want to practice once you get the hang of walking in a straight line in them on carpeted and non carpeted floors, stopping quickly and turning in them as well.

And yes, I even practiced dancing in them, too.

You want to make sure you're standing as tall and straight as possible. Since I have long legs, I naturally have a longer stride, but ideally you want to take short steps and land on heel first, then ball of foot while trying to relax your legs as much as possible to avoid getting cramps.

While there won't be any great high heel races in my future, over time I've gotten to the point where I can confidently and gracefully walk in them without a problem.

Peruvian Neighborhood Watch Attacks Transwoman

Well, it didn't take long for Papa Nazi's Yuletide hate speech against transsexuals to filter down to the flock. Peep what happens to this transgender sex worker when she has the misfortune of being caught by the local neighborhood watch.