Thursday, February 11, 2010

Shipley's Donuts

I've discussed my love of iconic Houston centric foods on TransGriot. One of them I got reacquainted with when I went back home for the Christmas holidays was Shipley's Donuts.

Before Krispy Kreme even opened their first store in the Houston area, for 73 years Shipley's has been synonymous with donuts in H-town. They have expanded their reach beyond Houston and have 220 locations in Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

Some of the Shipley's locations have drive through windows in addition to being open 24 hours for all us night owls who wanted something to eat after leaving the club, on the way home from a late night at work.

So if I was fiending for a ham and cheese or sausage and cheese kolache at 3 AM or wanted a half dozen glazed donuts to eat when the mood struck me with my hot chocolate, no problem.

One of the Shipley's locations is just four blocks down the street from my grandmother's house on MLK Blvd near Loop 610. I needed some exercise and fresh air, so I decided to bounce from my grandmother's place for a few minutes and take a little stroll to grab a half dozen since I hadn't eaten them since 2000.

Yep, they were still as delicious as I remembered them,

I went back the day I was going to leave Houston to take some with me to eat on the bus ride back to Da Ville, but the moment I picked to purchase them they were out of glazed donuts. I was a little disappointed and didn't consider grabbing a few kolaches instead because I had my heart set on the donuts.

Oh well, they'll be waiting for me on my next visit home.

Louisville's 'LGBT Community In The 1980s' Forum To Be Held February 16

Louisville, 1981. The Humana Building was yet to be built. There was no Kentucky Center for the Arts. The Watterson Expressway was still a four-lane nightmare. The airport was an antiquated remnant of the 1950s called Standiford Field.

Old Louisville was still struggling to spiff itself up. Cardinal Boulevard was called Avery Street, and it was only two lanes. The tall apartment building across from the Confederate Monument was called Confederate Towers. Its address was on Confederate Place.

Belknap Campus was half the size it is today. There was no student center. Ekstrom Library was brand new. Where the athletic fields sit today, several low-lying warehouses and factories stood.

In that same year, what was Louisville’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community doing?

Metropolitan Community Church was nearing its 8th anniversary, and there were two small social and support groups. The city had two major gay bars: the Downtowner and the Badlands Territory (to be renamed the Discovery that year). And that’s it. No political groups, no health organizations, no other social or support groups, not even student groups: nothing.

Fast forward to the end of the decade.

In 1989, the LGBT community convinced the old Louisville Board of Aldermen to pass an ordinance banning discrimination against people with AIDS. In 1990, that same community convinced the Board of Aldermen to pass a hate crimes ordinance that included the category of sexual orientation (though not gender identity). In 1991, the Fairness Campaign was launched, initiating eight years of efforts before a local LGBT civil rights ordinance was finally passed.

What happened in Louisville’s LGBT community in the 80s that enabled such a decade of growth and progress in the 90s and beyond? Why the 80s, and not the 70s or the 90s? What lessons did the community learn in the 80s, what challenges? What victories did it have, and what defeats? In short, why was the community so sedate in 1981 and so noisy ten years later?

“Busting Out: Louisville ’s LGBT Community in the 1980s” hopes to answer those and other questions. Seven leaders from that era will participate in a forum to be held at Strickler Hall, Room 102, on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 from 7-9 PM . The public is invited to attend and ask questions.

For more information, contact Brian Buford at the University of Louisville’s Office for LGBT Services (brian.buford@louisville.edu) or David Williams, founder of the Williams-Nichols Archive and Library for LGBT Studies at the University of Louisville, at KyArchives@aol.com.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Olympic Heartbreak For Philip Boit

Three time Olympian Philip Boit had hoped to close out his Olympic cross country skiing career in Vancouver. Unfortunately he fell a heartbreaking two points shy of making it happen.

Philip Boit is the first Kenyan to compete in the winter Olympics and is the 38 year old nephew of Kenyan running legend and Olympian Mike Boit. Mike Boit was the 800m bronze medalist at the 1972 Munich Games.

Boit like his uncle was a middle distance runner but switched to cross country skiing and began training in Finland. In 1996 Nike began sponsoring him and he qualified for the lone 1998 Nagano Olympic spot available to Kenya for the 10k classic field.

He garnered international attention as the first Kenyan winter games athlete but finished 92nd and last in the 10K classic.

Gold medalist Bjorn Daehlie of Norway delayed his medal ceremony in order to greet Boit at the finish line with a hug. Boit was so moved by the gesture he named one of his sons Daehlie after him.

Nike dropped their sponsorship after the 1999 Nordic World Championships, but Boit continued to compete. He did dry training for two years in Kenya and qualified for the 2002 Salt Lake Games. His results were better in these games, finishing 64th in the sprint race in front of three other competitors and retired when the Games concluded.

The retirement was short lived and once again Boit put on his cross country skis to compete in the 2006 Torino Games. He once again finished 92nd in the 15k class race, but ahead of five other competitors.

He stated during a 2006 interview that Vancouver would be his last Olympics. But in the run up to Vancouver the International Ski Federation or FIS decided to tighten the qualifying standard from 500 points for the 15k sprint race to 300.

Boit did his best to make the new FIS standard. He had to battle visa restrictions, long expensive travel from his Finnish training area back home to Kenya, broken poles, drastic acclimatization, and illness but still managed to bring his FIS point rating down from 526 to just two points shy of the new standard.

But it wasn't good enough.

The Kenyan National Olympic Committee filed an appeal on his behalf with the FIS and the International Olympic Committee. FIS rules allow them to potentially draw athletes who have fallen outside of the qualifying standard when the quota of 310 athletes has not been met, but it was denied.

Boit will consider closing out his cross country skiing at the Nordic world championship, but it's a heartbreaking end to the Olympic career of a pioneering athlete.

Ghana's Snow Leopard Hopes To Take A Bite Out of The Olympic Competition

I am a big fan of the Olympic games, be it winter or summer variety.

One of the things about the nature of the winter Olympics is that you don't see many athletes of African descent competing in them very often.

In Calgary there were the Jamaican bobsledders in 1988 who were immortalized in the movie Cool Runnings and competed at Albertville in 1992. There was Kenyan cross country skier and three time Olympian Philip Boit competing in the 10K event at Nagano in 1998, in Salt Lake in 2002 and in Turin in 2006. Boit fell just two points short of the ISF qualifying standard of 300 points in order to compete in his fourth winter games.

In Vancouver, say hello to the Snow Leopard, aka Kwame Nkrumah Acheampong of Ghana.

He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but as a baby moved with his parents to his homeland. He returned to the UK in 2000 to attend college and while working at Milton Keynes he took a run down a 170 meter indoor ski slope that changed his life and got him hooked on the sport.

Since then Aceampong has made the remarkable self-financed leap from that indoor run to the World Cup ski circuit. He's been the only continental African on the World Cup tour since 2005 and barely missed qualifying for the 2006 Turin Games downhill race.

By March 2009 he'd reached his goal of qualifying for the Vancouver Games by getting his International Ski Federation rating down from over 1000 to the ISF qualifying standard of less than 140.

Qualifying was only the beginning. In addition to sticking to his training regimen, he had to do all the paperwork required to be recognized and registered by the Ghana Olympic Committee.

It wasn't easy for the Snow Leopard and there were some trying times along the way. Being self financed on the World Cup circuit meant there were many competitions in which he slept in his freezing cold van overnight.

When the men's giant slalom competition gets underway at Whistler on February 21, he will become the first person ever from Ghana to compete in the Winter Games. It's an even more remarkable feat considering the 34 year old has only been skiing for six years.

Aceampong is not only chasing Olympic gold in the giant slalom and slalom, he has another dream he's working hard to fulfill.

"As well as doing my best at the Olympics, I want to make an impact that leaves a legacy for future generations that will one day see the Ghana ski team as a serious competitor on the international stage."

You Don't Have The Right To Deny Me My Rights

No man has a natural right to commit aggression on the equal rights of another, and this is all from which the laws ought to restrain him.

Even though Thomas Jefferson didn't practice what he preached in his own life as a slaveholder, he was right on target as usual concerning this subject.

The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution contains many basic human rights we hold dear as American citizens. But nowhere in it does it say or even imply that the majority has the right to take away the civil rights of a minority group it despises.

But then again most of the peeps with that attitude never read the Constitution.

I fail to understand why some people arrogantly think that they should have a say in who does or doesn't get civil rights coverage, much less think they should vote on it.

Methinks they would have a very different opinion about the subject if it were their civil rights on the electoral chopping block.

One of the things I am really sick of is the use of referenda by conservatives to take away the civil rights of people they hate on. It's also more odious when they do so to drive their turnout to the polls in national election cycles.

This practice causes resentments to build up in the minority group targeted by that nefarious action, is counterproductive to building a unified and strong nation and should be banned.

No, you don't have the right to deny me my rights. Mine nor anyone's civil rights should be decided by the tyranny of the majority.

Miss Me Yet? Hell Naw!

This billboard is greeting passengers traveling along Interstate 35 near Wyoming, MN.

The people who paid for it are wishing to remain anonymous, but I have an answer to the question posed on the billboard.

Hell naw I don't miss Bush.

I'm proud to say I never fell for the 'compassionate conservatism' okey doke. I never voted for him as Texas governor nor for the presidency.

His disastrous stints as Texas governor and president proved many times over the wisdom of me voting for his opponents, and I'm glad the worst president ever is back in suburban Dallas.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Alexandra Billings Documentary

Alexandra Billings is another one of our iconic transwomen I'm looking forward to meeting one day. I'm looking forward to seeing her in 'Stealth' when it finally hits a multiplex near you.

While searching for trans themed videos I ran this documentary about her life entitled Schoolboy to Showgirl:PThe Alexandra Billings Story posted to YouTube.

Enjoy



Part 2



Part 3


Part 4

Shani's Drive For Five Is Down To Four

Was disappointed to learn that Shani Davis is not going to attempt to match Eric Heiden's feat of winning five Olympic gold medals in speedskating in a single Olympic games.

Davis decided to drop out of the 10,000 meters before the January 17 deadline to submit final entries to the International Skating Federation. His 10,000m slot will be filled by Jonathan Kuck.

Guy Thibault, the high-performance director at U.S. Speedskating stated "I'm sure Shani knew already that doing all five was a big thing. That was a big task to do,'' "He didn't want to close any doors, so he could see how things were going in training, before he decided he needs to cut one.

"I want Shani to be the best at what he does,'' Thibault said. "I would rather him focus on the distances he can do something in, instead of getting silver and skating everything.

Even though he's no longer competing in the 10,000m, he's still going to be a busy man in Vancouver. As the reining world champion in the 1000 and 1500 meters he's a favorite to win gold in the 1000 and 1500 and is considered an outside medal contender in the 500 and 5000.

And Shani's busy week in Vancouver starts Saturday with the 5000m.

Monday, February 08, 2010

Teabaggers, You Owe Great Britain A Lot Of Money!

TransGriot Note: I have no love for the racist white wing Teabagger movement. Saw this interesting post from Maura Hennessey which points out that if the Teabaggers continue to claim they are the heirs of the peeps who conducted the original 1774 Tea Party in Boston, there may be potential legal and fiscal consequences.

Teabaggers, you owe Her Majesty's Government a lot of money

Dear Teabaggers,
As a former counsel attached to the Chancellor's office, and having once represented the parent company of Messers Davison, Newman and Company, Ltd, I feel that it is my duty to my clients to bring to your attention the following facts:

You claim to be the legal heirs, as well as the moral heirs, to a group of gentlemen who illegally trespassed upon the merchant ship Fortune, a brigantine then commanded by Benjamin Gorsham, Master and carrying a mixed cargo, including Twenty Eight Teak Chests containing Tea, the lot consigned to Mr Henry Lloyd of Boston Massachusetts, a merchant.

These gentlemen committed the following illegal act on the Seventh of March, the 1774th year of the Common Era and the Thirteenth Year of the Reign of HRM King George III of happy memory, to wit: They did trespass upon Fortune, breaking into the hold, and brought the tea onto the decks where they broke the chests and spilled them into the Charles River.

Of this shipment, Sixteen Chests were the property of Davison, Newman & Co, Tea Merchants and Importers, London. Said Sixteen Chests and their Contents were insured by Messers Peregrine Cust, James Bradley, Charles Harris, Robert Thornton and William Greenwood who wrote a policy with themselves holding the Risk at Lloyds signed and effective upon the Twenty Third of December in the year 1773.

Messers Cust, Bradeley paid to the policy holders Messers Davison, Newman & Co the sum of Four Hundred Eighty Pounds Sterling, the agreed and insured value of the Sixteen Teak Chests and their Contents.

Messers Cust, Bradley et al did therefore petition His Royal Majesty for relief, successfully, with His Majesty's Government covering the expenses and levying a tax to recover said expenditures upon the responsible individuals.

Owing to the subsequent unpleasantness in the Americas between 1775 and 1783, this amount was not reimbursed in spite of it being legally levied in response of the willful destruction of private property.

Therefore, the responsibility for the payment of said amount devolves upon the legal heirs and assigns of said perpetrators, which you freely claim to be.

Said legal heirs currently include Ms Sarah Palin, Mr Glenn Beck and the membership of an Organisation known as "Tea Party Patriots"

On behalf of the Government of Her Royal Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, etc, the successor to the Government of His Late Royal Majesty George the Third, I petition and demand that the owed sum of Four Hundred Eighty Pounds Sterling, legally levied in the Year 1774 be paid with suitable interest, said sum in current monetary value now being the equivalent of $8,924,601,649.92 reckoned at six percent per annum.

I remain your Obedient Servant,
Maureen Eileen Hennessey, Q.C.
On behalf of Her Majesty's Government

Transsister Slams Trans Community Bigotry Aimed At Black Transwomen

I've talked about and written commentaries slamming the 'Black Transwomen Are Ugly' meme that keeps popping up like kudzu in the blogosphere and beyond.

While searching through YouTube this weekend for fresh trans related video, I stumbled across this video from a transsister who was letting somebody have it about a 'Top 100 Ugly Black Transsexuals' video posted on YouTube (that I haven't found yet).

You know if I do, somebody's getting called out. But while I'm searching for that video bigotry aimed at Black transwomen, enjoy this YouTube takedown of it by a biracial transwoman about it.

Sunday, February 07, 2010

When Will African American Trans People Be Able To Tell Our Stories On HBCU Campuses?

One of the things I and other transsisters enjoy doing is telling the story of African descended trans people to college students around the nation.

Since only one side of the story has been told for the last 50 plus years, it is a joy to pass along our knowledge to students, administrators, and instructors eager to learn more about transgender issues from our unique chocolate flavored vantage point.

But while we African descended trans people deeply appreciate the opportunities that we get to do so, one thing that bothers us is the fact that we are primarily holding these discussions at predominately white institutions.

I've been doing these trans oriented panel discussions for collegiate groups for more than a decade, and I have yet to do one on a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) campus.

The histories of HBCU institutions are deeply linked with the history of our people. Some of our best and brightest minds and historical figures have graduated from HBCU campuses. Ground breaking research benefiting all Americans has happened on campuses such as Tuskegee University.

But one area HBCU's are sorely lacking in is understanding what's up with African descended GLBT people. The transphobic and homophobic incidents that have occurred on various HBCU campuses in the last two decades point out the pressing need to dispel some misconceptions about who and what we are. Some of my African descended peeps could definitely use the face time with transpeople to dispel the faith based lies they're being fed about us as well.

Not being able to or being extended the invitation to do trans presentations on HBCU campuses is wounding on another level as well. We have seen our white brothers and sisters get routinely invited in the same time period to do these collegiate discussions, and it hurts when we see there aren't similar efforts taking place at HBCU's.

That bothers me and other proud African descended trans people. We get the perception that we are being unfairly rejected by our people. But we know having the gender issues dialogue is too important to let slide and we aren't giving up.

HBCU's are currently educating our next generation of business leaders, doctors, lawyers, teachers, social workers and yes, politicians. Students at HBCU's need to be exposed to our lives as well, especially in light of the fact that many of my people are willfully ignorant about trans issues.

But the point we will continue to make is that we did not give up our Black Like Me cards when we transitioned. Some of us graduated from HBCU campuses and we have much to offer the African descended community in terms of our talents and expertise. If HBCU's such as Howard can bring people such as Black conservative and RNC chair Michael Steele to their campuses to speak, what's stopping them from doing the same with African descended transpeople?

For us to have forward momentum as African descended trans people, we must begin breaking down that wall of ignorance in our community. HBCU's will play a key role in making that happen. African descended trans people are more than willing to do our part by candidly speaking about our lives.

But you have to meet us halfway so we can start that dialogue.

Who Dat Gonna Be NFL Champs!

The New Orleans Saints were founded in 1967 and have endured 43 seasons of good, bad and ugly football. After Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005 and wrecked the Superdome, it wasn't even certain that the Saints would even be playing their future NFL games in New Orleans.

Today you can call them NFL champions after playing and winning in their first Super Bowl appearance.

They ain't the Aints no more.

In a Super Bowl for the ages the Saints turned a 10-6 halftime deficit, gutsy play calling and stout defense into a memorable 31-17 win and a well deserved championship for the long suffering Saints fans.

Mardi Gras has already started, but this party will probably be going on until tomorrow morning and maybe into next week.

Congratulations Saints. Way to geaux!

Black Transwoman Telling Her Story On GSU Campus

Interesting video of a panel discussion at Georgia State University and a transsistah telling her story.

Super Bowl XLIV


Will Who Dat win? Or will another Vince Lombardi Trophy be heading back to Indiana?

Starting at 6:25 PM EST America and a large television viewing audience will know the answer to that question as Super Bowl XLIV kicks off.

The NFC Champion New Orleans Saints will tackle the AFC Champion Indianapolis Colts in Miami with an NFL title on the line.

I'm hoping for a good game that will be fun to watch.

As for what team I'm rooting for? I lived in New Orleans for two years.

Geaux Saints!

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Houston's Transgender Center

This is old KTRK-TV news video about the transgender center back home, but still worth a look.

And yes, in this case I know one of the peeps profiled in the story.

Friday, February 05, 2010

Shut Up Fool! Awards- Super Bowl Weekend Edition

Super Bowl XLIV will be kicking off in Miami this weekend between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, an I'll be parked in front of the TV watching it along with a few friends.

I'm torn on two levels for this game as to which team I'd like to see win it. Indy has a brother coach in Jim Caldwell, and although I can't stand them since they are in the same division with my beloved Texans, I'd like to see Jim make history.

Then there's the Saints, my other fave NFL team. It's not only their first Super Bowl after 43 years of football frustration, they are playing for a city that is still trying to recover from the devastation Katrina wrought in 2005. If there's ever been a city that deserves a NFL champion, its New Orleans.

We'll see on Sunday who wants it more.

And now it's time to see what fool, fools or group of fools exhibited championship level stupidity this week.

As always, there were many worthy contenders this week, and some I can count on with nauseating regularity to do so.

This week's Shut Up Fool Award Winners are Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin.

After Palin goes on a politically motivated rant demanding that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel be fired for the use of the word 'retard' back in August, and exploiting her disabled child once again, Rush turns around and not less than 24 hours later uses it multiple times in commentary on his radio show.

It is pointed out by Keith Olbermann on 'Countdown' that Texas Governor Rick Perry's campaign manager Dave Carney also has used it along with Glenn Beck.



Did Sarah call for her fellow Republicans to be fired from their various positions?

Is Sarah Palin still the governor of Alaska?

Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin, shut up Fools!

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Urban Dictionary Definition of Monica

Monica

A name derived from the Latin language meaning "A wise councilor." A Catholic Saint.

The sexiest woman on the planet. Never see her without peeing your pants. Can't help but pop one when you look at her. Always laughing and has a smile that makes you poop your pants, but you gotta love her.


Okay...

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=monica

Up, Up You Mighty African Descended Transpeople!

I love talking to younger transpeople when I have the time to do so. One of those opportunities came yesterday when I received a call from my friend Tona.

After catching up on what had been transpiring in our lives since the last time we talked, our conversation over the next two hours focused on various issues affecting the African descended trans community.

One of the issues we discussed was networking. We both lamented the fact that white transpeople do a far better job of networking (at least from where we sit) and pulling each other up than we do in the African descended trans community.

We are in the second month of a new decade, and if we are going to exit the end of the 2K10s in better shape as a community than we entered it, some fundamental things about the way we do business in the African-American trans community must immediately change.

One of them is the networking issue that Tona bought up. We have a tradition in the African descended community we need to go back to of 'each one, reach one, teach one.' That needs to happen ASAP.

Trans elders like myself need to pair up with younger transpeople in the African American trans community and make it a point to pass down our history and accumulated knowledge to people who are serious about uplifting the community and helping it move forward. I and others also need to do a better job talking to our trans elders about the history they have experienced as well so that we can pass that down to the younglings.

We also need to forcefully call out the shady African descended trans people, sellouts, scam artists and borderline criminal elements in our community that do shady crap.

We are already laboring under an image handicap, and some of the things the shady people do are counterproductive to us building a positive image as African descended trans people, establishing trust-based working relationships with each other and our cis allies. The calling out process also extends to cis people who mischaracterize our lives inside and outside the African American community.

We must begin doing our own political lobbying for our community and our issues. It's painfully obvious we can't leave that to others as we have done over the last 15 years.

While some of the white-run trans organizations may try, they don't have knowledge of the unique issues inherent with being an African descended transperson, nor are they rushing to be fierce advocates for them as evidenced by the lack of diversity in their organizational structures.

When it comes to fighting for respect and fairness in our African-American family, that job is our and ours alone to do along with our cis allies.

And finally, those of us African descended transpeople who are serious about doing this work and uplifting our community need to just ignore the naysayers and get busy doing what we need to do to make this a better world for all of us.

It's Triple V for victory time. It's time we fought for our human rights within our own African descended family, within the overall trans community and our country.

We come from people who have made a way out of no way, and it's time we emulate our forefathers and foremothers in standing up for our human rights and building a community we can be proud of.

It is past time for the sleeping giant to awaken. Up, up you mighty African descended transpeople.

Trans Woman Wins IRS Suit To Deduct Surgery Costs

A 57 year old trans woman battling the IRS over a tax deduction for the costs of her sex realignment surgery says she feels like she won a victory for all transgender people.

Rhiannon O'Donnabhain (oh-DON'-oh-vin) with the help of GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders) sued the Internal Revenue Service in 2007 after the agency rejected a $5,000 deduction for about $25,000 in medical expenses associated with her surgery, asserting it was a cosmetic procedure and not medically necessary.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Tax Court ruled that O'Donnabhain should be allowed to deduct the costs of her treatment for gender-identity disorder, including sex-reassignment surgery and hormone replacement therapy on an 11-5 vote.

"The tax court has spoken for my community and has supported my community by saying that this is a proper medical deduction, much the same as an appendectomy or open heart surgery," O'Donnabhain said in an interview Wednesday.

In a dissenting opinion, Judge David Gustafson said he believes sex reassignment surgery falls within the "cosmetic surgery" category of the tax code and the expense is therefore not deductible.

Even if such surgery "is medically indicated ... it is an otherwise cosmetic procedure that does not 'treat' the mental disease," Gustafson wrote.

GLAD said the decision could potentially affect thousands of people a year in the United States who undergo similar operations.

"It was a proper medical deduction, and it certainly is not cosmetic surgery as the IRS contended," she said.

IRS spokeswoman Michelle Eldridge declined to comment on the ruling.

Lambda Legal called the ruling "a case of the federal government catching up with medical standards."

"I think it's an important decision that could help educate and bring along transgender rights in other areas because it ratifies what the medical community has said clearly for years, which is for people with gender identity disorder, this type of surgery is frequently a medical necessity for their lives and for their health and for their well-being," said Hayley Gorenberg, deputy legal director at Lambda Legal.

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Julie Bindel-Mary Daly For The New Millennium

Mary Daly is no longer walking this planet, but fear not, her transphobic radical feminist replacement is on the case.

Julie Bindel is spreading lies and disinformation about trans peeps and sitting in vanilla flavored privileged judgment of our lives.

Like Janice Raymond, she gleefully wallows in transphobia and advocates that biology is not destiny unless you are trans.

Real nice words coming from a lesbian. The oppressed now becomes the oppressor.

Bindel has the nerve to whine that trans people are stifling her free speech. Yeah right. Free speech has consequences, Mary Daly for the New Millennium.

Did you actually think transpeople were just going to sit in a corner and sulk while you spewed forth transphobic rants and insults with impunity?

Um no Miss Deluded Thang, unlike the Disco Era where our voices were drowned out by the trans hatred chorus of Daly, Greer and Raymond, new decade, new rules.

We can and will hit back just as hard.

Besides, as a minority, I know all too well that hate speech such as Bindel's must be called out as early and forcefully as possible, not greeted with silence.

Too often over recorded human history hate speech becomes hate violence which leads to genocide.

And it's past time that Julie Bindel be called out for her transphobia, not excused for it.