Shelby County Anti-Discrimination Resolution Passes On 9-4 Vote

TransGriot Note: The Shelby County Commissioners met last night in front of a packed house to determine the fate of a non-discrimination ordinance proposed by Commissioner Steve Mulroy.

The opposition, led by Christobigot Archie Bunker, oops Wyatt Bunker successfully got the full ordinance boiled down to a single page resolution that only applies to county employees instead of the original ordinance which would have covered everybody in Shelby County.

I don't see that as a victory since the resolution is weaker than the original ordinance and you can't use it in court, but the local community does.

Here's Alex Donaich's play by play blogging of what transpired last night from the Memphis Commercial Appeal.


A resolution approved by the Shelby County Commission today promotes “non-discrimination” within the ranks of the county’s 6,000 employees.

And though it is in some ways weaker than an original ordinance that would have protected gays, lesbians and transgender people from job discrimination, Commissioner Steve Mulroy, a former Civil Rights attorney and a law professor at the University of Memphis, called the new measure “a defining moment in Shelby County.”

“I’m happy with it,” he said of the compromise measure.

The resolution was approved 9-4 after nearly three hours of passionate debate and speeches from those for and against the ordinance. The proposed law would have explicitly protected gay and transgender employees from discrimination both by county government, its contractors and some businesses in unincorporated Shelby County.

But the ordinance touched a deep nerve among some commissioners, many of whom argued that one's particular lifestyle shouldn’t be supported by law over others.

Commissioner Sidney Chism proposed a substitute resolution as a compromise, establishing non-discrimination for all of the county’s employees. Less than a page in length, the resolution states: “That discrimination against any Shelby County Government employee on the basis of non-merit factors shall be prohibited.”

Even though the vote was seen as a victory for the county’s gay and transgendered community, the new legislation is, in many ways, weaker than the original proposal.

County Attorney Brian Kuhn said the ordinance only applies to employees of county government.

Also, as a resolution, it can’t be enforced in court, but will be used in civil service proceedings that resolve internal employee disputes. It could also be introduced as evidence in a court hearing to appeal a civil service decision.

For example, if an employee is charged or disciplined because of sexual preference, that employee could use the new legislation to prove their rights were violated.

“A resolution you cannot enforce in a court,” Kuhn said. “A resolution is taking a policy and indicates the intent of the county commission’s policy, but you cannot enforce it like a law.”

Kuhn added the resolution has a lot of the same language as county’s existing employee handbook, but goes further to explicitly state the county's policy.

Despite its limitations, the significance of the resolution – adopted after a series of passionate speeches for and against the proposed law – was not lost on Commissioner Wyatt Bunker.

The conservative legislator has been a fierce critic against the county recognizing rights for gay and transgendered people. Bunker called the resolution “the tip of the iceberg of the homosexual agenda,” and said he was just as displeased with the approved law, even though it reflected a “watered-down” version of the original.

“Under the surface, there’s a bigger movement,” he said. “There’s a homosexual agenda and they want more normalcy and they want acceptance in our society and it’s really an attack on the traditional family, as I see it.”

Substitute motion against discrimination passes

The Shelby County Commission approved the substitute motion against discrimination in a 9-4 vote.

The resolution, sponsored by Commissioner Sidney Chism as a substitute to the original ordinance, establishes “non-discrimination” for all employees.

The resolution, which only requires one vote of the Commission as opposed to the three votes required by an ordinance, has fewer teeth than the original ordinance. But it appeared to work as a compromise, winning over a contingent of commissioners who had previously opposed the original.

Voting in support of it were Commissioners Mike Ritz, J.W. Gibson, Henri Brooks, James Harvey, Sidney Chism, Joe Ford, Matt Kuhn, Steve Mulroy and Deidre Malone.

Voting against it were Republican Commissioners Joyce Avery, George Flinn, Mike Carpenter and Wyatt Bunker.

Speakers, differing views continue to be heard

Speakers have been voicing their views for more than hour. They continue to take the lectern:

Kevin Miller said, “This ordinance shouldn’t even be passed. No way shape or form should this be passed.”

And to the former speaker, the U.S. Marine who was discharged because he violated the military’s "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy, Miller said: “He shouldn’t have told the military he was gay!”

Another opponent, Pam Dallas, who said she is a born-again Christian, said God teaches that marriage should be between one woman and one man. She said she decided to speak out today to “honor God’s will,” adding that she doesn’t want the ordinance to “dictate my religion.”

Barbara Williams urged support of the ordinance, saying it’s a great opportunity to display the county’s dedication to equality.

Barbara Butler, who said she also is a born-again Christian, said her brother Michael died of AIDS in 1992. “He was a homosexual and it devastated my family,” she said.

“I loved my brother,” she said. “I loved him very much. He did become a born-again Christian.”

She added: "This lifestyle does lead to death. It leads to AIDS and death. It does kill people."

Butler said if her brother were here today, he would not be in support of this ordinance.

Susan McKenzie, a local attorney, said she frequently receives calls from gays and lesbians, who are fired here for their sexual orientation. And they’re not isolated. They have families, they own homes, and they pay taxes.

“When they’re fired, it affects our entire county,” she said.

She added: “Please support this resolution, although I would prefer it being an ordinance because I’m an attorney.”

Brad Watkins, who is black and an organizing coordinator of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center, said African Americans should always be on the side of those who are oppressed. He said misusing religion, “our faith, or the Civil Rights Movement as a shield to hide bigotry means we have learned nothing, and it would be tragic.”

Parade of speakers now limited to a minute

More than three dozen speakers have taken the lectern so far, mostly for but also against the ordinance. Each speaker is now limited to one minute. The audience, on the whole, is fairly respectful during the mini-speeches:

Darlene Fike, a transgender woman, said being transgendered is a medical condition, not a choice.

Jamie Donelson, a 17-year-old with pink hair, said she came out on camera today, risking her family’s scorn.

“When this country was founded it was understood that church and state would be separated,” she said. “My sexuality shouldn’t control what job I get. I’m 17, it’s already hard enough to get a job.”

Terry Roland, a former political candidate who frequently speaks before the commission on issues, accused Commissioner Steve Mulroy, the ordinance’s sponsor, of using this hot potato to stir up support before the 2010 countywide elections.

Roland said he’s seen politicians do this before: “People will take an issue and tear our community apart,” he said, adding that commissioners should be focusing on important matters such as education.

Activist Jocelyn Wurzburg said being gay isn’t a choice. “This is not a choice, this is who you are. In the United States of America, we don’t discriminate against people for who they are.”

Timothy Smith, who is gay and a former member of the U.S. Marines, said he was discharged because of violating the U.S. military’s controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. He said discriminating against the gay community could mean losing some of the most valued employees.

Richard Breakstone said he didn’t think the country is pulling together when it recognizes a group which "has a lifestyle that is not consistent with what the word of God says.”

The audience booed.

“I hear some people booing,” Breakstone said, before continuing to say that it is “factually incorrect” that God made anything other than male or female.

"Homosexual is a choice, it’s not a person,” he said. “They are a person who makes a choice, just like alcoholics make choices.”

He was met with more boos.

Most speakers so far in favor of ordinance

Support for the ordinance among those choosing to speak is overwhelming. Many of the speakers are members of religious communities who say discrimination is not God-like. In the dozen or so speakers so far, many have chosen to quote Bible passages supporting equality for all.

County resident Lisa Johnson is the first -- and so far only -- audience member to speak against the ordinance, saying there shouldn’t be any policy based on a person’s lifestyle choice.

Her comments were met with loud applause, proving the division in the crowd.

NAACP agrees with ordinance

Johnnie Turner, leader of the NAACP, said the NAACP was founded in 1909 to fight discrimination “in any fashion, in any form.”

“We want the record reflect that the NAACP supports any ordinance, any proposal that will make the life for our fellow citizens equal under the site of God. It doesn’t matter your religious beliefs, your sexual orientation, your agenda. What matters is that each one of us is a child of God and we’re entitled to the same rights and privileges as everyone else.”

Turner was followed by Rabbi Micah Greenstein of Temple Israel, who said everyone, non-gays and gays alike, must take a stand against discrimination and for basic human dignity.

Those for and against the issue are coming up to speak one after the other.

Benefits for partners unclear

County Commissioner Mike Ritz asks the county attorney about the impact of the Chism resolution on county benefits. Would this resolution allow the homosexual partners of county employees to receive health insurance or retirement benefits?

No clear answer comes out of the human resources director.

But it is clear the substitute resolution would not be as strong as the ordinance. The county attorney said a resolution might not hold up in court.

Commission Chairwoman Deidre Malone said she supports the substitute resolution, just as she supported the original ordinance.

The floor has been opened to audience comments and former commissioner Walter Bailey is the first to take the podium and speaks briefly in support of an anti-discrimination policy.

Commissioner Harvey says no issues in Tennessee

Commissioner James Harvey is riling up the crowd with a “study” that provides data on high occurrences of discrimination. California tops the list with the most complaints, he reads.

Harvey points out that Tennessee is nowhere listed.

“We don’t have an issue here,” he said, to a chorus of boos from the crowd.

“We have no data for Shelby County and we have no data for Tennessee that says this is such an alarming problem that we need to institute a certain type of governance,” Harvey said.

Harvey says he supports Commissioner Sidney Chism’s substitute resolution, which would call for an end of discrimination in county government.

Commissioners appear to be in favor of Chism’s substitution, but it's still early.

A substitute resolution

Commissioner Sidney Chism asks for support on a substitute resolution that would put an end to discrimination in county government, “under any circumstance.”

The substitute resolution would replace the ordinance sponsored by Commissioner Steve Mulroy.

“It includes everybody, I don’t want no special ordinance,” Chism said.

Mulroy said he could support it, because in the end it accomplishes the same thing.

The debate begins

Debate on the ordinance is about to start. Commissioners have been given 10 minutes each to speak. Audience members will be given three minutes. Commission chairwoman Deidre Malone has asked the crowd to give a thumbs up to show their approval, in lieu of clapping. Thumbs down will substitute for boos.

Commissioner Sidney Chism has asked to speak first and starts by criticizing The Commercial Appeal’s editorial board.

“They pretty well made my mind up,” Chism said, calling The Commercial Appeal “the most divisive element we’ve got in this town when it comes to politics and race relations. So they pretty well make my mind up when it comes to issues.”

Chism appears to be against the ordinance, saying although he has homosexual family members and that he opposes discrimination, he doesn’t believe a certain class of people should be afforded special privileges.

“I don’t want to impose a rule on a certain segment of our society and not do it for everybody,” he said.

Gender quip ruffles audience

People continue to stream in before commissioners open debate on the discrimination ordinance.

In light of the growing crowd, Commissioner Wyatt Bunker asked whether “those who identify themselves as men would give up their seats for those who identify themselves as women.”

Bunker is one of the ordinance's fiercest critics and the irony of his quip wasn’t missed by those in the audience, many of whom are wearing “fairness” stickers.

Bunker’s remarks were met with boos and hisses.

County commission meeting packed; discrimination ordinance not discussed yet

More than 200 people are packed in the Shelby County Commission chambers this afternoon to rally support for or against a controversial ordinance that would protect gays, lesbians and transgender people from job discrimination.

The ordinance, sponsored by Commissioner Steve Mulroy, has set off a firestorm of opposition in Memphis and touched on deep issues of race, religion and sexuality.

Supporters of the ordinance hope to increase protections and end possible employment discrimination against homosexuals and transgender people. But last week conservative Commissioner Wyatt Bunker and local pastors held a press conference to blast the ordinance, calling it a first step for gays to pursue a broader agenda.

At today’s meeting, commissioners are expected to vote on the proposed law in the first of three readings. Supporters have come out in full force, wearing “I support fairness” stickers handed out before the meeting by the Tennessee Equality Project, a gay rights group. One supporter is waving a “Sunday School Teacher for Equality” banner.

But commissioners have not yet reached the item on the agenda and the crowd is, for now, subdued. Commission chairwoman Deidre Malone kicked off today’s meeting by asking for respect from all sides.

Earlier today, telephones were ringing constantly at the commission offices at the county administration building, as people on both sides of the issue made last-minute lobbying calls. One staffer had taken about 160 phone calls in a three-hour period today, with 80 people speaking in favor of the ordinance and 70 speaking against it.

Staffers said they’d received hundreds of calls and e-mails on the topic in recent days and that the citizen interest is the highest they’ve seen on any topic in recent months.

3rd Annual Transgender Health Fair In NYC

For those of you TransGriot readers in the New York City metro area, the 3rd annual Transgender Health Fair is kicking off tomorrow from 5:30-7:30 PM.

The Transgender Health Fair brings together hundreds of community members who are seeking health care information and connections with providers who are experienced in working with the transgender community.

There will be free health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, mental health and more. Transgender-specific health information will be available, as will information on smoking cessation, nutrition, health insurance and more. We'll also be featuring Medicaid enrollment.

View this year's program (cover, inside) for a list of participants.

Transphobia in healthcare is unhealthy, and the Transgender Health Fair is the place to find the competent, sensitive health care information and services you've been looking for!

The health fair will be taking place at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, 208 West 13th Street, New York City.

Black Music Month 2009

June is designated as Black Music Month in the States, and this year marks the 30th anniversary of the initial event.

Kenny Gamble of the hit making R&B songwriting-production duo of Gamble & Leon Huff encouraged former President Jimmy Carter in 1979 to officially designate June as a time to acknowledge the contributions Blacks musicians have made to the art form.

Ever since then every president has issued a proclamation to commemorate it.

As someone to whom Black music kept a roof over her head, food on the table, put clothes on her back and sent her to college, I have a deep appreciation for my peeps music and the history that is intertwined with it.

My tastes run across the spectrum of R&B from P-funk to jazz, but much of my music collection has a definite 70's-80's-90's slant.

Black music is constantly evolving. It's creative and unafraid to experiment and innovate. We have see it from jazz to gospel to Motown to hip-hop, but at the same time pays tremendous respect to the pioneers on whose giant shoulders it stands.

It is the expressions of a mighty people, and this month we pay homage to it.

Deal With It

It has been a lot of fun for me to read the online EBONY and JET magazines and be pleasantly surprised at just how well gender issues were covered by our iconic magazines back in the day.

While perusing the digital copy of the May 1983 issue of EBONY, I ran across an article written about pioneering African-American sex therapist Dr. June Dobbs Butts.

She had this to say about transgender people:

"It goes against the grain for a lot of Black people to think that there are Black men who want to undergo sex-change surgery. When they think of transsexuals, they usually think in terms of Christine Jorgensen and Renee Richards and other White persons who've been in the news.

"Many people don't know that the first such surgery that was done in the US was done at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and the patient was a Black man (Avon Wilson).

"I've had about 20 transsexuals come to me for counseling and I've had people ask me if I ever try to change their minds. When they come to me, they've already made their decision about that and are seeking help on how to adjust to their new life. They've gone too far to turn back. They've usually taken all the hormones, had the silicone implants, had electrolysis to remove facial and body hair, they've been cross dressing for years, they've been living as women, so there's very little possibility of changing their minds."

Did you check that out right-wing Christohaters, sell out negroes, and scientifically illiterate people? This is from a pioneering African-American sexologist.

It should be glaringly apparent to you by now that transition isn't just a 'white thang'. If you peruse the back issues of JET and EBONY stories about my transbrothers and transsisters and our intertwining interactions with our community are a recurring theme ever since JET began publishing in 1951. Both EBONY and JET routinely covered Chicago's Finnie's drag ball and similar events in New York and even wrote a story about in in the May 1952 Ebony issue.

The point is that transpeople of African descent aren't just a recent phenomenon. The sooner you haters get it through your thick skulls, the better life will be for African descended transpeople so that we can begin to concentrate on using our skills, intelligence and talents to uplift and build our community.

Say it loud, I'm Black, trans and I'm proud.

Deal with it.

Transwomen Who Got Married

June is traditionally the month for weddings, and over the last few years we've had the pleasure of seeing our transsisters around the world get the double blessing of not only transition, but find that special person who loved them enough to marry them.

So let's take a moment to check out these beautiful brides.





Best wishes to all brides getting married this month and the rest of the year, be they cisgender, lesbian or transgender women.

Krispy Kreme

They started in Winston-Salem NC in 1937 with a secret doughnut recipe from a New Orleans based French chef. From those humble beginnings, they expanded to become for many peeps who grew up in the South, THE doughnut.

When the 'Hot Fresh Doughnuts' sign gets lit, the stampede is on.

Everyone has a regional favorite food or guilty pleasure unique to where they grew up. You've heard me wax poetic about Blue Bell ice cream on this blog, but as a Houstonian I didn't get introduced to them until 2000.

They are Krispy Kreme doughnuts, but I call them 'Krispy Krack' because once you eat one, you won't stop until the box is empty.

I grew up on Shipley's, a local Houston chain's doughnuts. I loved them so much that when I drove back home in 2005 for my brother's wedding I hit the drive-thru and bought a dozen to eat on the long drive back to Da Ville.

One of my former flight attendant co-workers Lorna Etheridge, grew up in Charleston, SC. She was positively giddy when she heard another flight attendant mention during a conversation we were having at my gate that Houston was finally getting Krispy Kreme franchises.

One of the initial Houston franchises opened up near my old southwest side apartment on the corner of Westheimer and Dairy-Ashford Road, and I was amazed to see peeps standing in long lines at various times to eagerly devour them. Most of the peeps in line were transplants who missed their favorite doughnuts and were happily getting reacquainted with them.

One day I finally decided to see what the fuss was all about and bought two glazed ones to try, and ended up buying a dozen of them to take home.

I have a Krispy Kreme location not far from where I live here in Da Ville on Bardstown Road near the Watterson Expressway. I prefer to get them there even though they are sold at local convenience stores because they taste better when they're hot. Even if they've been sitting around for a minute, I stick them in the microwave before chowing down on them.

Don't look now, but Krispy Kreme is coming to your hood if it isn't already there. They opened their first international store in Toronto in 2001 and are expanding to other countries as well.

On that note, time for me to roll and get some. Maybe I can get there just as the 'Hot Fresh Doughnuts' light comes on.

Williams Sisters Tackle The 2009 French Open

While Wimbledon has been the personal playground of my favorite tennis playing siblings, the French Open and the clay courts of Stade Roland Garros have been more problematic.

The Williams sisters combined have won the French Open singles title once over their careers, with Serena's 2002 win coming at the expense of Big Sis.

The French Open started on May 24 and Venus' lousy luck at the French Open continued. Her quest for that elusive first French Open singles title is on hold until next year. She was knocked out in the third round after losing in straight sets 0-6, 4-6 at the hands of Hungary's Agnes Szavay.

The Williams sisters are playing doubles in this tournament as well and are attempting to win their first doubles crown here since 1999.

They have captured the 2008 Wimbledon, Olympic, US Open and 2009 Australian Open doubles titles, and are attempting to win all the Grand Slam events in the same year.

Little Sis is still alive in her quest to capture her second French Open title and 11th Grand slam title overall. Serena had a tough first round match with the Czech Republic's Klara Zakopalova that she eventually won 6-3, 6-7, 6-4.

She won her second round match with Spain's Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain 6-2, 6-0 and got through a sloppy third round three set 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. The match was marred by a first set blown call when a ball hit by Serena struck her opponent at a critical point in the game. Little Sis also had 25 unforced errors and four double faults, but moves on to the fourth round.

The French Open is running through June 7, and here's hoping my fave tennis playing sisters finally break through and take home from Paris the singles and doubles championship trophies.

Nigerian Gender Chickens Coming Home To Roost

Here's a classic example of chickens coming home to roost.

Back in November I chronicled the whining and insulting gender based bitching the Nigerian women's national soccer team, AKA the Super Falcons did before, during and after the shocking 1-0 semifinal loss to Equatorial Guinea in the 6th Africa Women's Cup championship tournament.

That tournament was eventually won by the homestanding women of Equatorial Guinea, who beat South Africa 2-1 in the final. It marked the first time that another nation besides African women's soccer powerhouse Nigeria took home the championship since the tournament started in 1998.

The Super Falcons weren't happy campers about their third place finish. Nigeria Football Federation chairman Sani Lulu Abdullahi said afterward, "This is an embarrassment to the nation. It is clear that there must be an overhaul in several aspects of our women's football."

One of them is pull up the big girl panties, learn how to lose gracefully and stop whining. Instead of the five time defending African champion Super Falcons focusing on correcting their lousy play during this tournament, the coaches and players threw 'that's a man' shade at Equatorial Guinea players Binguisa Simpore and Salimata Simpore, and EQ team captain Anonma Genoveva, who scored seven goals and was the MVP of the tournament.

The Nigerians complained so much about it that the CAF, the governing body for soccer on the African continent will begin instituting gender testing before the 2010 tournament. Next year's tournament will be a qualifier for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup tournament being held in Germany.

So now that I've laid out the backstory, here's the interesting part.

There is a promising Nigerian teen player by the name of Bessy Ekaete Boniface. As a 16 year old striker she was invited in 2007 to the Super Falcons training camp.

Translation, Ekaete has game.

While being given her medical exam for the national team they discovered she was intersex. She not only was denied a chance to compete for and win a spot with the Super Falcons, the club team she was playing for, the Delta Queens of Asaba dropped her as well.

Unfortunately Ekaete was the major breadwinner of her nine person family and it had deleterious effects on them. Her Delta Queen teammates raised ₦50,000 ($337.84 USD) for her, but her career is still in limbo right now.

FIFA defines you as female for the purposes of competition if you're menstruating, even if you have ambiguous genitalia. That's still a problematic definition.

Because the Nigerian Football Federation played themselves and raised a loud public stink about the Equatorial Guinea players, they can't put her on the national team without looking like hypocrites.

The doctor's report that was released with her permission stated, "She has gender identification problem. She was examined and found to have the features of female, beginning from her external appearance, voice and reaction to issues.

"In my opinion, she is phenotypically female and should not be discriminated against. However she requires other investigations, surgery and hormone therapy to put her in perfect condition.'

But that still doesn't help Ekaete's current situation. Gbenga Omole, who runs an organization called Goldenwing33 Nigeria Limited that uses sports to keep kids from turning to organized crime, has begun an effort to raise the ₦2 million ($13,514 USD) for the surgery she'll need to play at the pro and international level.

When Omole announced that he'd set up an account at a local Nigerian bank group for Ekaete, he stated, "Please help this great future Falcon that will bring honour to this country, joy to many homes and pride to those who will help her today.

"Can't wait to see her back like Kanu Nwankwo did (Nigerian Super Eagles team captain), stronger and better. We urge Nigerians to come to her assistance and save a fledgling career".

Too bad y'all didn't show the same level of compassion for the women of the African champion Equatorial Guinea national team you slimed, but better late than never.

Why No CBC On US Cable Systems?

On my local cable system I have access to over 900 channels of news, sports, movie channels and entertainment. I have digital and HD channels, I have Telemundo. I even have the BBC.

But what I don't have as part of my cable system is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

You would think that in terms of the Canadians being our next door neighbors, our country's largest trading partner, and the fact that many Canadian systems carry US networks like CNN that our systems would reciprocate and carry the CBC.

Um,no.

While I'm aware that the areas closest to the US-Canadian border do receive over the air CBC broadcasts on their TV sets, I'm not aware if it extends to cable systems that serve those border states as well and doubt they do.

It's interesting to me since much of Canada's population lives within 100 miles of our shared 5,500 mile border, that the average Canadian is better versed in US politics than the average American is.

I'd be willing to bet, as our last president demonstrated, that most Americans couldn't tell you who Canada's prime minister is, much less tell you any general geographic or political facts about our northern neighbor.

FYI, it's Stephen Harper. My Canadian friends not so fondly refer to him as either Harpo or 'The Pit Bull In A Sweater Vest'.

While some people in the States may have no problem remaining blissfully ignorant about what transpires in the Great White North, I'm not one of them. As a transperson borders don't matter as much. What happens in one nation affects me in some way here. As a child of the Diaspora I'm also connected to some of my Canadian cousins as well through our shared African ancestry and common threads in our cross border history.

It's also my desire of wanting to be an informed citizen that fuels my hunger to know more about my northern (and southern) neighbors and be versed in the issues that concern them. It's even more of a concern now that we're about to embark upon in the States what promises to be a messy debate about overhauling our crappy health care system.

You can bet the Rethuglicans will do everything possible to smear the Canadian single payer universal healthcare system like they always do when we crank up these periodic discussions. If we had the CBC on many of our cable systems they wouldn't be able to get away with telling the lies they do about it.

Shut Up Fool! Awards-Take Me Out To The Ballgame Edition

Our Shut Up Fool! Awards mascot made an appearance at Wrigley Field this week. He threw out the first pitch for the Cubs game versus the Pittsburgh Pirates and attempted to sing 'Take Me Out To The Ballgame' during the 7th inning.



Okay, now that you survived viewing this video, let's see what fool we get to pity this week.

As Mr. T would say, so many fools so little time. Once again I had a target rich environment in terms of fools to select this week.

The GOP put on their pointed hoods this week to trash President Obama's historic nominee for the Supreme Court in Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

So out of all the outrageous lies, accusations, obfuscations and distortions of her record, and Mike Huckabee calling her Maria, the most outrageous came from the winner, ol' Turd Blossom himself, Karl Rove.

Bush's Brain had the nerve to part his lips and say, “I’m not really certain how intellectually strong she would be, she has not been very strong on the second circuit.”

Okay, you have a college dropout calling someone who graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton stupid.

She also was a co-recipient of the M. Taylor Pyne Prize, the highest honor Princeton awards to an undergraduate, went on to Yale Law School and served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal and managing editor of the Yale Studies in World Public Order.

Sotomayor brings more in terms of judicial experience and serving on a federal court in 100 years. She has more judicial experience than all the current justices sitting on the Court.

Karl Rove, Shut up RACIST fool!

Playa Playa Archie Picks Veronica

I used to collect and read the Archie comic books back in the day and still occasionally peruse them from time to time.

Thanks to the TG Graphics and Fiction Archive site, I ran across an interesting gender bending Archie one in Issue 516 called 'The Other Side Of The Fence'.

His mother Mary Andrews was frustrated about the trials and tribulations of raising a teenage son and imagined what life would be like if Archie were her daughter instead of her son.

After imagining a grass is greener idyllic scenario, a lunch date with Mrs. Lodge and Mrs. Cooper gives her the 411 about the difficulties of raising teenage daughters.

Both women confide to Mary that they considered her the lucky one and the trio of mothers quickly agree that whether you have sons or daughters, it's still a tough job to raise them.

It then concludes with Mrs. Andrews coming home, hugging her son and realizing she wouldn't change that for the world.

One of the long running stories in the Archie comic book series is the love triangle between Archie Andrews, sophisticated spoiled rich girl Veronica Lodge and the loyal girl next door with the big heart Betty Cooper.

After 68 years Archie and the gang finally grow up starting with Issue 600, which hits the stands in August.

They skip the story ahead five years after their graduation from Riverdale High and as they are just starting their fresh out of college post-graduate lives.

The story is going to play out over the next six issues, but it's already leaked out which one of his high school honeys Archie proposes to.

It's Veronica.

I've always been rooting for Betty as you can tell, and hoped one day Archie would see the light and they'd one day get hitched.

Hey I'm an unabashed romantic, so sue me.

While Betty was doing things for Archie, Veronica always seemed to me to keep Archie at arms length until she sensed that Betty was getting the upper hand. She'd then start paying more romantic attention to Archie until he was focused on her to Veronica's satisfaction, then once Archie's eyes were back on her, the cycle would start all over again.

Well, as you can see on the Issue 600 cover, Archie is proposing to her just as Betty is walking past the jewelry store and witnessed the whole thing.

But knowing how indecisive Archie has been, Betty may still have a fighting chance. Veronica only has the ring. Neither she nor Archie have walked down the aisle and said 'I do' yet.

So stay tuned, this could get interesting.

Category Closed-Goodbye Octavia

TransGriot Note: Still looking for information concerning Octavia's funeral which occurred May 26. The only thing I've been able to find so far on the Web is a comment on the Parlour magazine site from a commenter named J'alla. If I find any video, photos or other commentary elsewhere it will be attached to this post.

In the meantime, here's J'alla's description of the service.


I was able to attend the funeral and I must say, Octavia Saint Laurent’s service was just as heartfelt and larger than life as the diva herself.

From individual roses being given on cue to members of her family upon their mention during the reading of her Eulogy, a video w photos from some of Octavia’s best photo shoots to an exclusive mastered recording of Octavia singing the song “God’s Command,” that she especially made to have played at her funeral, love and fabulocity overcame the room.

Octavia’s mother, brother and sister also shared memories about Octavia and her passion for her activist work in the LGBT which shed an insightful and personal light on the performer and model.

Octavia’s funeral brought family, friends and generations of legendary children from all over the ball scene such as Kevin Aviance and many others together leaving mere standing room only.

Even in transition, Octavia looked beautiful. Dressed in pink and white and with flawless makeup, the service closed with attendees strolling to take their final views of her to the legendary ball track “Love is the Message.”

RIP Octavia Saint Laurent.

TBLG Discrimination Protections Voted Down in Shelby County, TN Commission Committee

TransGriot Note: Memphis has witnessed several transpeople either being beat down, killed or injured last year. In addition to that, GLBT peeps living there experience discrimination like they do everywhere else.

Of course, when someone proposes an ordinance to attack the discrimination issue, out come the Christobigots. It's worse anytime you have a megahate church like Bellevue Baptist in the vicinity.

Pay particular attention to the comments of Shelby County commissioner Archie Bunker, oops Wyatt Bunker. Give you one guess where he attends church.

The good news is that because it was a 5-5 vote, the full commission gets to vote on the ordinance June 1


Discrimination Protections for Gays Voted Down in County Commission Committee
by Bianca Phillips
Memphis Flyer.com
Wednesday May 27, 2009


"There's nothing wrong with discrimination," said Shelby County Commissioner Wyatt Bunker, while addressing the county commission committee charged with a vote on an ordinance that would prevent discrimination toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender workers in Shelby County government.

Though audible gasps from the audience followed Bunker's statement, five other commissioners apparently agreed, as they voted down the ordinance in committee. The ordinance will still go to the full commission for a vote on Monday.

The original ordinance, proposed by commissioner Steve Mulroy, would protect Shelby County employees, workers with county contractors, and employees of large private businesses in unincorporated Shelby County.

Commissioners Deidre Malone and J.W. Gibson proposed an amendment to the ordinance removing protections for all but Shelby County government employees.

"We need to get our own house in order before we can start regulating other people," said Malone.

Gibson also had concerns about the cost of enforcing the ordinance, if passed.

"This will require time and more people," Gibson said.

But Mulroy disagreed, stating that no additional investigators would be needed in the county's human resources office.

"It's not like we're going to have investigators roving the hallways looking for discrimination problems," Mulroy said. "The [Equal Opportunity Employment] Commission investigates based on complaints, just like they already do with other issues of discrimination."

Religious convictions guided the votes of several commissioners, including Mike Carpenter and Bunker. Bunker blamed the ordinance on a "homosexual agenda" and compared protections for gays to "the seven deadly sins."

"Once [homosexuals] get their foot in the door, they push their way through society until [homosexuality] becomes the norm," said Bunker.

Supporters and opposition for the ordinance filled the committee meeting room. Brad Watkins with the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center pleaded with commission members to consider God’s love when using Christian faith to justify their opinion on the ordinance.

"Our faith is one of inclusion and love. We can't say that we love someone and then sit back and discriminate against them," said Watkins.

The Freezer Project

TransGriot Note: Wonderful story from north of the border about a meals project that helps recovering post operative trans peeps

Freezer Project Eases The Transition

By Sarah Fraser
Ottawa
Wednesday May 27, 2009
Xtra.ca.com

Post SRS Trans Folk Get Boost From Program

Now entering its second year, the Freezer Project is an initiative that provides a portable freezer containing 30 homemade frozen meals —and the occasional ice cream bar or eclair — to individuals who have undergone sex reassignment surgery (SRS).

The project, started by trans activist and community agitator Elizabeth Tyler in 2008, is a free service open to both trans men and trans women. It fills a critical gap for people who may not have other options in terms of household support post-surgery.

"The freezers typically go out to folks who are living alone or who are low income."

The project began after Tyler observed an acquaintance recuperating from a bilateral mastectomy. His recovery was a painful and difficult one.

"After the surgery, he couldn't open his pain medication. He couldn't use the can opener to open a can of beans. He even had trouble taking the top off of spaghetti sauce," Tyler says.

"That's how the Freezer Project was born. I thought, 'Hey, someone should do this.' Then I thought, 'I guess that person is me.' It was easy to take action on."

Prior to surgery, Tyler meets with clients to understand their preferences and needs. They discuss whether the individual has any food allergies or restrictions, such as a vegetarian diet, and they work out the month-long menu together.

Tyler drops off the freezer after the client returns from the hospital and then picks it up in 30 days' time. In the meantime, the client simply takes a Tupperware container out of the freezer each night, lets it thaw and the food is ready to be heated and eaten the following day. No additional prep is needed.

When it comes to potential clients, Tyler says that she goes on an honour system and wants to keep it that way.

"If someone wants to be a recipient of [a] freezer and feels that they need it, I do my best to arrange it for them. I would not turn anyone down, and so far, the service has not been abused."

Although Tyler is the one who initiated this project, the wider Ottawa community is now getting involved in the process of cooking and assembling the meals for each freezer.

"The Freezer Project engages the community — it gives folks a chance to help out in a simple and easy way," Tyler says.

How does it work? Tyler typically rounds up seven other volunteer cooks and asks each person to make a large pot of a specific dish, like chili or stew. They each divide their dish into four portions, which equals a month's worth of food. A little bit of effort ends up making a huge difference in someone's recovery.

For the freezer that's about to be assembled, one of Ottawa's roller derby teams has volunteered to cook everything and put it together. Amazingly, the food, the freezer and the Tupperware containers come entirely from donations and the person receiving the freezer does not pay for the service.

Beyond it being free, Tyler believes that the Freezer Project offers benefits that services like Meals on Wheels does not.

"[With] Meals on Wheels...there is not as much choice," Tyler said. "And [they] deliver at lunch time, which is not always the most convenient for people. With the Freezer Project, you create your own menu and have more variety. And we try to keep the contents nutritious."

Given that SRS is now included under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) — a move made by Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in June 2008 — more people will be able to undergo SRS. And the Freezer Project will undoubtedly grow as a result. In fact, in the last year, the project has served five clients in the Ottawa-Carleton region and more are requesting the service. Tyler is working on expanding the Freezer Project beyond Ottawa.

"The hope is to see the project take off in other cities — I'm trying to spread the word far and wide. I think the program could be applied to many different situations: I concentrate specifically on trans men and women because...there is a need for it, and it is close to my heart," said Tyler.

"I'm not aware of any other such projects in the world. It is very simple to run, and it doesn't cost a thing."

So far, the feedback Tyler has received from clients has been tremendously positive. She has received thank you cards in the mail and heartening comments from recipients.

"People appreciate that it is free and think it's a wonderful project."

If you or someone you know is interested in receiving a freezer or volunteering for the project, please contact Elizabeth Tyler at thefreezerproject@ live.com.


©2009 Pink Triangle Press

There They Go Again-RepubliKKKan Racism

It didn't take long for the right wingers to attack President Obama's pick of Judge Sotomayor.

The privileged white males of the GOP and their puppet ruler Michael Steele within hours of the nomination were merrily attacking her education, cherry picking rulings from her long judicial career, called her an 'affirmative action hire' and based on a snippet of a YouTube video were calling her 'racist'.

It takes one to know one.

I found it laughable that two GOP college dropouts in Rush Limbaugh and Karl Rove would have the cojones to call a summa cum laude Princetnn grad and editor of the Yale Law Review 'stupid'.

You boys been chomping on those Hater tots again haven't you?

But these aren't the only white sheet wearing haters that have come out of the GOP woodpile.





Sen. James Imhofe (R-OK) stated, "Of primary concern to me is whether or not Judge Sotomayor follows the proper role of judges and refrains from legislating from the bench. Some of her recent comments on this matter have given me cause for great concern. In the months ahead, it will be important for those of us in the U.S. Senate to weigh her qualifications and character as well as her ability to rule fairly without undue influence from her own personal race, gender, or political preferences.

Oh yeah, and the 110 other people who sat on the Court, especially the 107 past and present white males who occupied those seats all made rulings without their personal biases and upbringing coming into play.

The bottom line is that the GOP is hatin' on the fact that President Obama has once again put them in a political bind. They can't go overboard on attacking this historic choice or else they not only look like the intolerant bigots they are, they risk losing the support of Latinos for decades and cement their status as the 'rich white male party.'

Life Is Hot In Cracktown

I've been talking about this movie for awhile since Kerry Washington is playing a transwoman in it.

This film is based on the 1993 novel by Buddy Giovinazzi and also stars Evan Ross.



Life Is Hot In Cracktown features four stories that present a gripping and realistic view of an inner city neighborhood devastated by the ravages of crack cocaine. Giovinazzo had been trying to adapt his novel into a feature film for years. Thanks to Kerry Washington's interest in the script, he was able to finally shoot the film in 2008.

While I wasn't happy about the 'Black transwoman hooker' stereotype rearing its ugly head again, I'm curious to see how she plays Marybeth. Kerry likes to portray her characters as accurately as possible, and had LA transactivist Valerie Spencer advising her for this film.

The movie opens in a theater near you on June 26