Let's Talk About Trans Faith

One of the things I still chuckle about from time to time is the November 2007 JCPS school board hearing.

We were fighting to get the board to adopt an employment policy that protects GLBT people in JCPS employment (unfortunately trans people were cut out of it.) I still spoke in favor of it despite my pissivity over trans people getting cut out of the proposed policy.

Marti Abernathy sent me a link a month later to a YouTube video of my JCPS school board speech. When it got to the part of my three minute speech that noted that I was a proud African American and Christian, I heard somebody loudly shout in the video, "No way!'

Yes, way.

I was baptized in my home church in H-town on August 2, 1972. My faith has gotten me through some tough times in life and my own transition.

One of the things that I'm concerned about now we've got the undivided attention of the Forces of Faith-Based Intolerance, is their repeated attempts to twist scripture into a baton for beating up on trans people.

And these scriptures from Deuteronomy (where else) are the weapons of choice:

Deuteronomy 22:5 A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 23.1 No one whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off shall be admitted to the assembly of the Lord.

So I guess y'all won't be letting Lance Armstrong or anyone else whose has testicles removed because of cancer or other reasons in your hate churches any time soon, much less any women wearing pants or pantsuits?

Oh by the way, right wing Christohaters, the words 'love the sinner but hate the sin' you peddle as your justification for your homophobia/transphobia do not appear together in a scripture anywhere in the Bible.

Thanks for playing, Catholic Church and fundies, but we have lovely parting gifts for you.

You've got two major problems in trying to run this 'use the Bible to beat up on transpeople' game.

The first order of business is that you have to make a case that transsexuality is wrong.

If you claim that I am a divinely inspired and divinely created being, how can me or any transperson simply living our lives be wrong, especially when the medical evidence is swiftly mounting that transpeople are part of the diverse mosaic of life?

The second part of that does not compute conservalogic is as a friend better versed in theological issues pointed out in this Rain and Clouds blog post, you have to show that being trans makes it impossible to have a relationship with God.

Wonder if that's why you fundies are desperately trying to rewrite the Bible and make it more conservative? Only proves to me the moral bankruptcy of the conservative movement because truth, as you are acknowledging by this attempt to rewrite scripture, has a liberal bias.

But since you fundamentalist peeps believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, that cuts both ways.

First up for the scriptural evidence leaning my way, Psalm 139;1, 13-16

Psalm 139:1, 13-16

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

Okay, now we'll move on to the scriptures that talk about the Biblical day equivalents of transpeople, the eunuchs..

Isaiah 56:4-5

4For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, 5I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.

Then there's the story in Acts of Philip interpreting the Isaiah prophecy about Jesus to a eunuch on the road to Jerusalem from Gaza, and subsequently baptizing that eunuch.

Acts 8:26-39

26Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) 27So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” 30So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 33In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” 38He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

And if you're wondering what Jesus had to say about the issue, peep Matthew 19:12

For there are some eunuchs, who were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, who were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

Since we know there are many places in the Bible in which scriptures contradict and cancel each other out, here's the antidote for whenever a Reicher throws Deuteronomy 23:1 at you.

Mark 9:43-47

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.

But if you're a real Christian, these two scriptures are the ones that matter.

Galatians 3:28

There is neither Greek nor Jew...there is neither male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Christian does not mean 'white'-wing, fundamentalist, intolerant, gun-fetishist, Republican-voting, homeschooled, ignorant Know-Nothing. But that's what your crap over the last 40 years brings to most people's mind whenever the word is mentioned.

As a Christian trans person, I'm tired of my faith being used as a weapon to beat me and other people down with, a shield for ignorance and intolerance, and a vehicle for sowing division and discord.

Fortunately there are other Christians across many denominations who are just as tired of the crap as well and are seeking to include us and understand our issues instead of exclude and reject us.

It would surprise you to know I'm not alone in being a trans Christian. If you walked into our major trans conventions most of the people in attendance will not only repeat the same things I'm articulating in this post, but can also tell you what the Transgender Child's Prayer is:

Lord, please let me wake up and be a girl(boy) forever.

My faith has only become stronger as I've transitioned, become more confident in who I am and more spiritually attuned to the person I was born to be.

I am a Christian in the tradition of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who combined his unshakeable faith with superior intellect and a curious mind.

I am a Christian who believes that we should do more to include trans people and not exclude them.

I am a Christian who despises 'prosperity gospel' and thinks it has sidetracked the Black Church from its historic message of speaking truth to power.

So I'm naming and proclaiming this day that I am a Christian who happens to be a proud African descended transperson as well, and I'm not waiting for your right wing flavored dogma to catch up with reality.

MTV True Life-I'm Changing My Sex

Got a chance last night to check out the latest episode in the MTV True Life series that focuses on trans people. I didn't like the title, but I forgave them after I watched the show and noted how respectfully done the documentary was.

The show focuses on the lives of transwoman Elle and transman Ted, who are both well into their transitions and on track for their respective surgeries.

Elle's transition is moving forward towards SRS with help of a supportive family. As you watch it, she has an unexpected and tragic loss on the road to Trinidad, CO and her surgery date with Dr. Marci Bowers.

You also get to see a snippet of Elle's breast augmentation surgery as well as her visit with Dr. Bowers.

One of the cool things about this trans documentary is that it features Ted, an African descended transman. It's not often I get to see my transbrothas featured in these various documentaries, and it was a refreshing change of pace.

You get to see Ted as he juggles school, saving for his chest surgery and marriage enroute to his date with the surgeon.

There's also a section in which they show a little of their post recovery surgery issues.

If you missed it last night, there's a repeat showing of it at 2 AM EDT before they eventually put it on the True Life section of the MTV website for you to watch.

My GLBT Brothers And Sisters Are My Family

TransGriot Note: A guest post by my Canadian sister Renee, the editor and scribe in chief at Womanist Musings.

First, it must be stated that the sexuality of POC has been used against us as a weapon. Black women have been understood to be hypersexual Jezebels, constantly in search of the next available penis. Black men have either been understood as thug rapists, or as highly effeminate. In each instance this has been to promote White supremacy. POC are not allowed to experience their sexuality as naturally occurring, rather it exists simply to satisfy the needs of others or to promote our bodies as a continual threat to Whiteness.

Due to the White leadership of the mainstream GLBT community, many have refused to accept and or embrace our same gender loving members. Homosexuality is not a White thing; it is not a perversion of bodies of color. Many believe that by rejecting homosexuality that they are rejecting Whiteness, when indeed what they are truly rejecting is our OWN PEOPLE.

The marriage of Michael and Jamil set off quite the firestorm in the Black community. A Morehouse College administrative assistant Sandra Bradley sent the following e-mail.

"I can't believe this wedding. It's 2 men. They don't smile in a lot of pictures and they look like a few brothers I've seen in the streets looking STRAIGHT. Black women can't get a break, either our men want another man, a white woman (or other nationality that's light with straight hair), they are locked up in jail or have a "use to be" fatal disease. I'm beginning to believe Eve was a black woman and we Black women are paying for all the world's sins through her actions (eating the apple)."

Some may view this e-mail as simply a commentary regarding the difficulty of young professional Black women to find a successful Black mate and others see homophobia. It certainly cannot be denied that Black women are likely to remain unmarried or will partner below their class level. This has to do with the ways in which Black femininity has universally been devalued.

The sexuality of Michael and Jamil has nothing to do with the supposed drought of eligible men. It would seem to me to be a very basic fact – Gay men are not attracted to women and any coupling with them would be unsuccessful based on this one simple truth. To belittle them, or question their masculinity is to misplace anger.

When AIDS first became a serious threat many in the Black community, so many refused to speak out and claimed it was the price for engaging in “lifestyles” that were either patterned on White behaviour, or displeasing to God. The very same people who express rage at the genocide that occurred during the middle passage, easily ignored the deaths of thousands. These people had much to contribute to our community and now their voices have been silenced forever, without even a murmur of regret.

Whether someone is same gender loving or trans they are still Black. Their color did not disappear because they chose to live their lives not hiding who they are. We speak about the Black community but what community exists when we deny the happiness and well being of our members? Same gender loving people marched alongside Dr.King for our rights. Same gender loving people are subjected to racism and hatred just as any other person of color. They did not give up their race because they decided to be true to who they are.

When I read commentary like the above I wonder who they think wins when we decide that the same gender loving people in our community do not deserve to be embraced. In fighting and divisiveness serves Whiteness. We must speak with a unified voice to demand equality and by choosing to silence those in our community that make us uncomfortable due to undeserved privilege, we are supporting the very same system that keeps us all understood as secondary citizens. You cannot claim to love Blackness or Black people, if you do not love openly all of its manifestations.

UMass Amherst Student Facing 30 Years For Defending Himself Against Hate Attack

Nope, that post headline is not a typo. University of Massachusetts Amherst student Jason Vassell is facing 30 years in jail for defending himself against two white men who attacked him on campus.

In the early morning hours of February 3, 2008 Jason was in his first floor dormitory room at Mackimmie Hall when he discovered two inebriated white males, Jonathan Bowes and Jonathan Bosse peering into it.

They weren't UMass students He told the two men to leave, and after declining their vitriolic invitation to fight, broke his dorm room window while repeatedly uttering 'nigger' and other racial slurs at him.

After calling an on-campus friend for help while the RA's called the UMass police, Bowers and Bosse bumrushed their way into the dormitory lobby and assaulted Vassell, breaking his nose in the process.

After warning his assailants, Vassell took out a pocketknife and defended himself from the unprovoked assault against the two assailants.

So, in light of the fact you have two inebriated white males with a history of racial attacks and associations with white supremacist groups who jumped this off against a person with no criminal record and an exemplary academic and personal reputation, several witness in the Mackimmie dormitory who corroborated Vassell's story, videotaped evidence blowing Mack truck sized holes in the stories Bowers and Bosse told the UMass po-po's that Vassell 'viciously attacked' them, and medical evidence of Vasser's injuries, who did Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel choose to press charges upon in this case?

Jason Vassell.

Thanks to ingrained racism in the UMass PD, whose officers on the scene repeatedly stated that Vassell was a 'drug dealer' and the prosecutors office, the decision on who to prosecute were made based on the race of the persons involved, not the evidence.

Incredibly, Vassell was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is facing thirty years in jail for defending himself against these racist thugs who sent him to the hospital with a broken nose and a concussion.

Meanwhile, the legal system turned a blind eye to the thugs in question and the serious felonies they committed, including the potential hate crime violations.

Bowes only received misdemeanor charges carrying a maximum sentence of 18 months in jail. On March 13, 2009 a jury acquitted John Bowes of a misdemeanor civil rights violation and found him guilty of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

His punishment? A year of probation. John Bosse was never charged.

In the meantime, the court case against Vassell grinds on.

Sounds like the ugly echoes of the Jena 6 and the Jersey 4 cases.

White peeps start crap, then Black peeps get legal hammer thrown at them by white dominated justice system for daring to defend themselves against the white peeps who started the mess in the first place.

On December 31, 2008, Jason’s defense submitted a Motion to Dismiss his charges on the grounds of selective prosecution.

This 52-page document lays out in greater detail the events of that evening. It adds radio transcripts of the UMass Police responding to the incident, taped interviews between police investigators and Bowes and Bosse, eyewitness statements, the criminal histories of Bowes and Bosse, as well as the charges that could have been brought against Bowes and Bosse.

This document has demonstrated that both Bowes and Bosse have histories of violent racially motivated assaults; that the UMass Police Department’s investigation was racially biased by immediately assuming Jason’s guilt while treating Bowes and Bosse with care and respect; and that the prosecution has continued this bias through their selective prosecution of Jason Vassell.

There is racist and clueless BS being spouted by some commenters on the various Massachusetts area media sites covering this case. In addition to dissing Justice For Jason, they are futilely trying to rationalize the attack by Bosse and Bowes upon Vassell with specious logic.

It's time to wake up and smell the injustice and get a sobering dose of reality.

Whites have had a consistent centuries long history of initiating and visiting racist violence upon people of color, not the other way around.

We know the justice system is stacked in your favor, so POC aren't going to just start any crap unless we are provoked, attacked, or in fear of or defending our lives. But if we're put in that no win situation, we will end it.

So don't start none, won't be none.

Speaking of the Justice For Jason group, they are keeping track of the ongoing legal fight to get the charges dismissed and clear his name.

It would be a travesty of justice to have Jason Vassell's life ruined and society lose his potentially valuable contributions to it because he defended himself in an unprovoked attack perpetrated by drunken, racist thugs.

Chicago’s Olympic Disappointment

My latest piece for Global Comment

As a sports fan, I absolutely love watching the Olympic Games and have done so since the Grenoble Winter and Mexico City Summer Games. I love the fact that when the Games are happening, we are reminded that, despite competing on national teams for the ultimate prize of an Olympic gold medal, we are one species and one planet.

To me, the Olympics are an enjoyable, drama-packed microcosm of life in many ways. You can train for years to be an elite athlete in your sport, but your best may not be good enough to win an Olympic medal on that particular day. You can be sailing along and headed to ultimate victory, but a small mistake, badly timed injury or failure to execute at a critical juncture ends up costing you a spot in the medal round.

On the other hand, there are athletes who show up completely unheralded, but step up their athletic performances to defeat the odds and become Olympic champions. And, unfortunately, there are also those will stoop to cheating and other underhanded measures to win at all costs.

It was announced that Rio de Janeiro will be the host city for the 2016 Olympics, and I have to say that it is disappointing that Chicago didn’t get it.

The pre-meeting buzz was that the intense competition for the 2016 Games was between Chicago and Rio. Then, we were eliminated in the first round.

I think Chicago had an uphill battle for several reasons. There’s still some anti-American sentiment on the planet, even though President Obama in his ten months in office has done much to rehabilitate our tattered image. The result makes it clear that the eight years of animosity the Bush administration’s ‘screw the world’ foreign policy stirred up hasn’t subsided yet. I suspect some IOC members saw a golden opportunity to stick it to the United States in a painfully public way.

American right-wingers playing politics with the bid in order to “embarrass President Obama” and score political points with their base didn’t help either. I was particularly incensed about the open gloating from Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and other conservative propagandists cheering the loss as a “defeat for Obama.”

These are the same conservatives that “love” America? Yeah, right.

I must point out that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had an extremely persuasive argument. He stated that it was unfair for North American, European and Asian cities to have repeatedly hosted the games while African and South American ones haven’t.

“It is a time to address this imbalance,” he said to the IOC delegates. “It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country.” This argument surely resonated with people, combined with bloc voting.

Madrid, thanks to former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch’s impassioned speech, actually led the first round of voting with 28 votes compared to 26 for Rio and 22 for Tokyo. Chicago garnered just 18 votes. In the second round, Rio surged ahead with 46 votes to Madrid’s 29. Tokyo exited with 22. Rio secured the games in the third round voting with 66 votes while Madrid garnered 32.
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“We have sent out a message that we want to go global,” said IOC member Gerhard Heiberg of Norway.

Heiberg and other IOC members did say they were chagrined about the painfully public diss that was inflicted on Chicago. “I am very sad; I am very sorry. This should not have happened. This was, I can’t say a wrong decision, but it was not a right decision.”

IOC member Kevan Gosper of Australia stated, “The whole thing doesn’t make sense, other than there has been a stupid bloc vote.” Also factoring into this was feuding between the USOC and the International Olympic committee over the splits of lucrative Olympic television revenue from US TV networks, and, as Gosper mentioned, strategic bloc voting that sought to eliminate Chicago as a potential threat to Rio.

IOC President Jacques Rogge stated in a press conference that Chicago would have been a better financial choice for the Olympic Games in 2016, if the IOC were inclined to follow the money.

"It is clear that the IOC in its choice has not chosen, as it has been criticized many times, for the big money. Had we had big money as a consideration then we would have gone with Chicago. That’s what it shows. That proves that money is not the driving force in the choice of an Olympic city.”

I feel Chicago’s pain, especially in light of the fact that Rio’s bid had been consistently criticized by the IOC’s own evaluation commission. On paper, many of its elements would probably rank it weakest of the four shortlisted cities.

My hometown of Houston has been trying to land the Olympic Games since 1996. Despite being told by USOC officials that we’ve had superior bid plans, noting the enthusiastic political backing from citizens and city, county and state officials, we lost out in the final rounds to become the USOC bid city for the 2012 and 2016 games to New York and Chicago respectively, because of their perceived “better” international cachet.

Read the rest at Global Comment

Woody's To Face Boycott

One month after Woody's owner David Scott apologized for racist and sexist remarks hurled at U of L professor Dr. Kaila Story and a group of GLBT students at his bar, he once again hurled racist statements at a different group of bar patrons.



This time, the Fairness Campaign, our local GLBT organization will be calling for a boycott at 4 PM Tuesday. It will also be discussed at the Dismantling Racism forum to be held at the Fairness Campaign office at 6 PM Wednesday.

Here's the press release from the Fairness Campaign.

***

On the night of Monday, September 21, just one month after Woody’s Tavern owner David Norton’s public apology for racist and sexist remarks made one year earlier, Mr. Norton launched another tirade of prejudice and hate against customers in his bar. According to witnesses, a bar patron lifted the corner of a pool table to dislodge balls stuck inside, which prompted a yelling spree from Mr. Norton, who ultimately chased every patron out of his establishment. As he ejected them, he yelled after patrons, calling them “trashy faggots,” and then, referring to a group of African American patrons, stated, “Look at their skin color. You know what’s on the tip of my tongue.” Following these incidents, the Fairness Campaign Coordinating Committee has approved a public boycott of Woody’s Bar and Tavern, supported by the organizations listed below.

blkout
commonGround
Fairness Campaign
Jobs With Justice
Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
University of Louisville Office of LGBT Services, Brian Buford, Director
W.E.N.C.H.
WIT (Women In Transition)

“Mr. Norton has now proven that not only was his public apology of a month ago empty, but that he refuses to change,” shared Fairness Campaign Director Chris Hartman. “We, at the Fairness Campaign, believe a stand must be made against this series of injustices, which will undoubtedly persist if Mr. Norton continues to operate his business. We demand Mr. Norton cease ownership and operation of Woody’s Tavern, or, if he will not, that its doors close.”

The Fairness Campaign and its supporters will regularly flyer potential bar patrons and the surrounding community to educate them about the boycott and encourage their participation. A public forum discussing these incidents and the public boycott is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28 at the University of Louisville. The boycott will also be discussed at the Fairness Campaign's monthly "Dismantling Racism" dialogue, Wednesday, October 7, 6PM at the Fairness office.

The Magnolia Bar and Grille, currently owned by Mr. Norton, will not be included in the boycott, as Fairness leaders have received report of its ownership changing this month. If, by the end of October, the Magnolia Bar and Grille ownership has not changed, it will be included in the boycott effort.

Equal Opportunity For Trans Athletes Meeting

On October 25-26 there will be a groundbreaking think tank taking place in Indianapolis, IN that will be co-sponsored by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Women’s Sports Foundation Initiative.

The think tank is entitled: It Takes a Team! Education Campaign for LGBT Issues in
Sport will gather to address equal opportunity for transgender student-athletes.

Participants will include top sports leaders from across the country, athletic directors, researchers, medical and legal experts on transgender issues, student-athletes and NCAA officials.

With increasing numbers of young people identifying as transgender in high school and college, sponsors said the event will provide an opportunity to discuss best practices and develop model policies for high school and collegiate athletic leaders to ensure the full inclusion of transgender student-athletes.

And it's about time they did so.

Hmm, that's right up I-65 from me. I may have to drive up for that one.

NBJC Names Sharon J. Lettman As New Executive Director

TransGriot Note: The National Black Justice Coalition has selected their new executive director.

So what's the National Black Justice Coalition? It's the Washington DC based GLBT oriented civil rights organization that represents the African descended GLBT community dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and ending racism and homophobia.

Here's the press release they issued this morning announcing the hiring of their new ED.

***

The National Black Justice Coalition Board of Directors announced today they have chosen Sharon J. Lettman as the organization's new Executive Director.

"We must bring our families together," Lettman said. "Gay and transgender people are our children, our brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, parents, co-workers and friends. They are a vital part of the black community, and it is time for everyone to recognize the real issues we all face when our brothers and sisters are denied full participation in the life of our community.

"What has always drawn me to this work, and to the people I've been proud to stand alongside, is the knowledge that we must work together to create the better future we seek," Lettman continued. "In my new role at NBJC, that means lifting the voices of our community, building bridges so that all who experience discrimination can understand the common ground we share, and walking across those bridges together in greater and greater numbers toward equal rights for all."

Lettman’s efforts to advance the conversation of race, religion, and sexual orientation have shown remarkable progress through the African American Religious Affairs Program she led at People For the American Way Foundation that addressed Homophobia in the Black Church. In addition, The Gill Foundation highlighted Lettman in its 2008 annual report as a “key ally” for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) equality movement. She is also on the board of directors for National Stonewall Democrats.

Throughout her career Lettman has been selflessly committed to a vast array of causes to bring about social change. She comes to NBJC after eight years at People For the American Way (PFAW) and People For the American Way Foundation (PFAWF). Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President for Leadership Programs and External Affairs at PFAW and PFAWF. Lettman oversaw the organizations’ dynamic leadership programs, including Young People For, Young Elected Officials Network, and African American Religious Affairs, in addition to the organizations’ engagement with supporters and investors, key constituency groups and coalition allies. Lettman’s belief in religious freedom and the separation of church and state gave her the insight to expand the agenda of the African American Religious Affairs programs which countered right wing efforts in African American communities, especially around LGBT equality.

As a longtime Floridian, Lettman began her impressive career as the Executive Director of the Florida Student Association (FSA) and then served as the Director of Communications for the Florida Association of Counties (FAC). Subsequently, she built a successful public affairs firm, P&P Communications. Her clients have included the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the National Education Association (NEA), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and The Schott Foundation for Public Education, among others.

Along with advising others on media and public relations strategies, Lettman is also a dynamic spokesperson and has appeared on and in a wide range of media outlets including CNN, NPR, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Miami Herald.

Lettman succeeds Alexander Robinson who led NBJC for five years. Dr. Sylvia Rhue has been serving as the Interim Executive Director since Robinson's departure in June 2009. NBJC's Board of Directors appointed Lettman after conducting a thorough national search. Board Chair Kylar Broadus welcomed Lettman to her new role:

"Sharon Lettman has a stellar track record in social justice and knows how to unite diverse interests to benefit the greater good," Broadus said. "Throughout her life Sharon has stood with and for those who are oppressed, and this appointment continues that tradition of advocacy. I am confident that her vision and leadership will ensure NBJC is equipped to handle the unique challenges of today's social climate, and move us towards our ultimate goal of full equality. Sharon has the background, the drive and the experience to lead NBJC into the next decade.”

Founding NBJC board member and Associate Director of Diversity for the Human Rights Campaign Donna Payne said, “Lettman is exactly the right person to articulate our needs and understand our connectedness to our families.”

A wide variety of social justice and civil rights leaders also weighed in on Lettman’s appointment to NBJC:

Prominent Civil Rights activist and former chairwoman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights Mary Frances Berry said, "Having witnessed Lettman’s leadership firsthand while she led key initiatives at PFAW, I am certain she has the ability to unify families and our community and succeed in her goal to establish a common ground around black LGBT issues. Her unwavering commitment to social justice will break barriers at the intersection of race, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity.”

President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Wade Henderson said, “With Sharon J. Lettman at the helm, NBJC will build bridges to a future of expanded equal rights for Black gay and transgender people. Her unparalleled ability to bring people together guarantees a future with far less homophobia.”

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said, “I am thrilled to welcome Sharon as the new Executive Director of the NBJC. Sharon's long history working to build bridges between a diverse group of communities will be a skill set that will make our movement stronger. Far too often racism still exists in our society, including in the LGBT community, and if we are going to achieve the equality we strive for- it will be once we all realize that we are brothers and sisters in this struggle. Sharon Lettman is the right person to help all of us realize that we are stronger together than we are divided."

People For the American Way President Michael B. Keegan said, “At People For the American Way, Sharon brought the African American Affairs programs into a unique position of national leadership at the intersection of race, religion, and politics, and distinguished herself as a crucial ally in the struggle for LGBT equality. I know that Sharon will be a powerful, passionate leader for NBJC, and I very much look forward to working with her in her new role.”

View her full professional biography here.

Founded in 2003, NBJC is America's only nationwide Black gay civil rights organization and the authoritative source on LGBT issues as they affect Black communities. Lettman resides in the Washington, DC area and recently married a Master Sergeant of the United States Air Force, who returned this past July from a tour of duty in Balad, Iraq.

For more information, go to: www.NBJC.org.

Feeling A Little Blue Today

TransGriot readers,
Taking a break today. Been feeling down about some things going on in my personal life that I need to do some hard, solid thinking about.

It isn't helping that my hormone script ran out as well. ;(

Some of it is just part of being Moni the activist and educator on trans issues. I'm human and need to recharge the batteries every now and then, even if my haters don't think so.

Part of it is the fact I haven't been back to Houston since the summer of 2005 or inside Texas borders since November 2006. Recent opportunities to return to the home state that I was looking forward to such as the family reunion have fallen through.

At any rate, gonna turn off the cable news for a little while, chat with some of my cis and trans girlfriends, talk to my family, watch some movies from my expansive DVD collection, do some fiction writing and pull out the PlayStation 2 and just chill out for a few hours.

After sacking some virtual college quarterbacks I'll figure out a few interesting topics to write about.

Enjoy your day.

2009 NE Trans Pride March And Rally Today

I was one of the speakers at the inaugural event last year Northampton, MA and had a blast.

I got to enjoy the New England hospitality of some old friends, make some new ones, give a speech in front of 1000 people and squeeze in a side trip to the Basketball Hall Of Fame.

The flight home did get a little scary, though.

I was happy to hear that the second annual version of the NE Pride March and Rally will be taking place once again in Northampton as I write this.

It starts with an 11 AM march and ends with a rally that will conclude at 5 PM EDT

Two of the speakers on the program are my old friends Louis Mitchell and Ethan St. Pierre.

Hope y'all have some great (and cooler) weather for it, an even larger crowd and another successful event. Sorry I couldn't be there, but hope I am blessed to make it back in your neck of the woods next year.

Mahatma Gandhi Birthday

140 years ago today a man who transformed the world, and gained freedom for his country through non-violent means was born on this date in 1869.

Mahatma Gandhi was violently taken from us, but his non violence principles were borrowed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and later used to successfully break the back of Jim Crow segregation.

President Obama noted the occasion as well. "Gandhi's teachings and ideals, shared with Martin Luther King Jr. on his 1959 pilgrimage to India, transformed American society through our civil rights movement.

"The America of today has its roots in the India of Mahatma Gandhi and the nonviolent social action movement for Indian independence which he led.

"We must renew our commitment to live his ideals and to celebrate the dignity of all human beings."

Gandhi's birthday is also celebrated as Tie International Day of Non-Violence

Model Diandra Forrest Helps Raise Awareness About Albinism

The hottest model on the international catwalks these days is 19 year old New York native Diandra Forrest.

She's a 5'11" tall, African American with blonde hair, high cheekbones, hazel eyes and full lips.

Diandra is also an African American with albinism. It's a hereditary condition that occurs in one of of every 17,000 births in which the skin, hair and eyes produce little or no melanin, resulting in a lack of pigmentation.

ABC's 20/20 is doing a story later tonight at 10 PM EDT on people that have this condition. In Tanzania people with albinism are being attacked, killed or mutilated by witch doctors who believe that their organs or potions made from them can bring luck or cure disease.

In Zimbabwe people with albinism are reportedly being raped by those who believe that sexual intercourse with them can cure HIV/AIDS.

Those atrocities and the persistent discrimination have galvanized people around the world with albinism to organize and become more active and vocal in combating the discrimination and negative stereotyping they face.

Diandra Forrest knows all too well about that. She was teased, taunted and had her ethnic background questioned while growing up in the Bronx.

Thanks to Melissa Reed, her sixth-grade teacher who was also an African-American with albinism, the future model began to undergo a transformation from a shy, quiet child too afraid to speak up to an outgoing young woman unafraid to speak her mind and pursue her dreams.

Diandra's career is starting to take off. She's signed with the prestigious Ford Models in Paris after initially starting her career with Elite.

She just took her first trip outside the United States to France in order to walk the runways during Paris fashion week and fulfill a lifetime dream.

"I'm a model, but I'm not a model just because I'm albino," she said. "I have the look, the body and it's just something that I've strived for, that I've always wanted to do."

She's also expanding our definition of beauty at the same time as well.

The Host City For The 2016 Olympic Games Is...

Rio de Janeiro!

They're probably still depressed in Daley Plaza, Rush Street, Grant Park, the Navy Pier and elsewhere in Chicagoland after today's IOC meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark awarded the Games of the XXXI Olympiad to Rio de Janiero.

Chicago shockingly was knocked out in the first round of voting despite the best efforts of the FLOTUS, POTUS and Oprah along with many other peeps in the US delegation.

Some Chicagoans have compared the feeling to their emotions after the Cubs were knocked out of the NLCS by the Florida Marlins a few years ago.

Gee thanks Republican party, Fox News and all the Olympic haters. Your mismanagement of this country for the last eight years and stirring up anti-American sentiment, your over the top racist hatred of President Obama and sniping may have possibly cost Chicago and this country the Games.

Hope you're happy.

But one of the things Jacques Rogge stated when he became IOC president in 2001 is that he wanted to have an Olympic Games on the South American and African continents before his term ended.

While I'm disappointed the Olympics won't be returning to the United States and staged in Chicago, the silver lining is that an Olympics will be held on the South American continent for the first time.

The dates for the Rio Games will be August 5-August 21, with the Paralympic Games taking place September 7-September 18.

When the London Games have their closing ceremony, it will be the mayor of Rio accepting the Olympic flag from his London counterpart in 2012.

I feel the pain of Chicago and all the hard work of an army of dedicated people who put their hearts and souls into landing the Games for this city and our country.

So when the final leg of the Olympic torch relay happens, it will be traveling through the streets of Rio in 2016. Wonder who will be the person lighting the cauldron in Rio's Olympic Stadium?

But it does open the door for Houston to try again to land the Olympics in 2020.

And there's one serious party going on right now in Rio de Janeiro.

Miss Continental 2010 Is....

The Miss Continental Pageant is held every Labor Day weekend in Chicago and is one of the premier transgender pageants in the United States.

Y'all know I love watching pageants, but with all the stuff going on in my own life and breaking news last month I just realized I didn't do my annual post to tell you loyal TransGriot readers who won.

Well, 33 contestants hit the stage at the Park West Theater for the 30th annual edition of the Miss Continental pageant wondering if 2008-2009 queen Tulsi would be crowning them as her successor.

It's serious business, peeps. This pageant is not only the most coveted title in the trans pageant world, it comes with a $7,000 cash prize and 35 guaranteed performance bookings.

As usual, it was a hard fought couple of nights and the judges, which included my Houston homegirl and 1999 Miss Continental queen Tommie Ross had a tough task in selecting this year's winner.

But after the talent, evening gown and Q and A was done and the judges scores were tabulated, we finally arrived at the moment the Miss Continental Pageant world, all the peeps who participate in the pageant world and interested parties were waiting for--who would be the new Miss Continental queen for 2009-2010?

The envelope please.

The winner is...Armani Stevens!



The Florida based Armani has been trying for a decade to win this coveted crown. Armani was fourth runner up in 1998 and was an agonizingly close second runner up in 2002.



She finally got it with a talent number echoing the late Michael Jackson.




Her win is a testament to having the determination and persistence to achieve a goal.

I've been observing the pageant since the late 90's, and I can only imagine how frustrating at times it's been for her.

I'm happy that she's finally achieved that personal Holy Grail and is now Miss Continental 2009-2010.

Congratulations Armani. It's been a long time coming, and may your reign be a personally satisfying and successful one as well.

Shut Up Fool! Awards-IOC Meeting Edition

We'll know in a few hours if the 2016 Games will be held in Chicago.

Chicago will be first up at 8:50 AM Copenhagen time in making its final 45 minute presentation to the IOC, followed by 15 minutes of questions and answer.

It will then be followed by Tokyo at 10:30 AM, then Rio at 12:10 PM and Madrid at 2:50 PM

The 106 IOC members will start voting by secret ballot at 5:10 PM. All IOC members with a candidate city in the running won't be allowed to vote until their city is eliminated. That's means the eight members from the US, Brazil, Japan and Spain won't vote in the first round. That means there will be 98 members voting in the first round.

First one to get 55 votes wins the bid. Voting should be completed by 5:40 PM with the live televised announcement ceremony scheduled from 6:30 to 7 PM

But while we wait for the vote and the final decision, let see what fool won the gold medal for stupidity.

As usual, there were many worthy candidates for our Shut Up Fool award. The perennial suspects in Limbaugh, Beck, O'Reilly and Hannity. Michelle Malkin was considered, along with Michael Steele and Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ)

But the runaway winner this week was Rep. Michele Bachmann. (R-MN)

In the latest attempt to kill health care reform, she took it to another ridiculous extreme by claiming the school based health clinics would begin offering abortions.



FYI, here's what Section 2511 of the health care bill referred to by Rep. Bachmann actually states.

(i) "SBHC services will be provides in accordance with Federal, State, and local laws governing-- (I) obtaining parental or guardian consent; and (II) patient privacy and student records, including section 264 of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and section 444 of the General Education Provision Act;

Stop the conservalies. This bill doesn't mention abortion, and she knows it.

Is it November 2010 yet?

All together gang, Rep. Michele Bachmann, shut up fool!