What Does 'Winning Our Equality' Mean To You?

There was a Project post thread I commented on in which reader KevinChi asked one person the question, what does 'winning our equality' mean to you?

It was a great question, so I posted a response to it. I took a look at it when I was done and decided it would be a great base for a post on the issue.

So here goes. What does 'winning our equality' mean to me?

To me 'winning our equality' means GLBT rights that are codified into federal law with severe financial penalties or jail time for violations of them.

It means to me full integration of TBLG peeps into society with a constitutional ban on using referendums to take away people's civil rights.

It means to me the senseless murders of trans people being prosecuted to the full extent of the law. If hate crimes statutes are applicable, then prosecutors do so without hesitation.

It means our police departments realize that 'protect and serve the public' includes transpeople as well.

It means GLBT people being able to serve in our nation's military without fear of being discharged because someone discovers they have a same gender lover or they are trans.

It means to me that people are able to marry (or divorce) the person they love without drama or restrictions.

It means me and my transpeeps having a fair shot at getting and keeping good jobs that we are qualified for, and that any employment decisions made are based on performance criteria.

It means that I get non-judgmental medical care with health care personnel living up to the Hippocratic Oath they took.

It means that politicians listen to my concerns as a taxpaying citizen, act upon them, and quit using transpeople as a political football or a bogeyman to scare up campaign contributions for the conservative movement.

It means me having the same opportunity to pursue the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness the Declaration of Independence promised to all American citizens.

And finally it means the fundies keep their false conservareligious doctrine out of my life, national, state and local politics, and the lives of GLBT people.

Such a simple concept, but maddeningly hard to achieve.

Um People, I'm NOT Evangelist Denise K. Matthews

On the occasion of her 50th birthday last year, being a big fan of hers back in the day (and still am), I wrote a post wishing Evangelist Denise K. Matthews a happy birthday and much success in her life. She's overcome a lot of relationship drama, recovered from serious medical issues, drug addiction and along the journey rediscovered her spiritual roots.

She now tours the country in her Fremont. CA based ministry as an evangelist preaching the Word, and I have much love and respect for her doing so.

But ever since I wrote that milestone birthday post for and about her I have had some people for whatever reason think this is Denise's blog and sending yours truly comments meant for Ms. Matthews.

Exhibit A from ineedjesus

HI MS Matthews i read your story it make me want to flow Jesus i wish i can meet you do u have a site i can go to hear he preach the word of God if this is ready you can u reply back

News flash to you peeps...this is TransGriot, not the Evangelist Denise K. Matthews site. I discuss a wide range of things here including religion, but first and foremost it is a blog focused on African descended transgender issues.

I'm mystified as to why people keep sending me comments clearly intended for Ms. Matthews. I have a sympathetic ear, I am a Christian, I look good, but I definitely don't resemble her in any way.

If the medical technology were available for me to look like her, I definitely wouldn't mind, because she is a stunningly beautiful sister both inside and out.

But just an FYI. If you have any questions, comments or concerns that you wish to direct to her, hit Ms. Matthews up on her website to do so.

TransGriot is designed to be a site for peeps who wish to learn more about trans issues from an African flavored perspective.

If you or even Evangelist Matthews wish to stop by for a while, peruse the blog and leave comments, then that's all good as well.

NY LGBT Center Replaces Torched Rainbow Flag

On the morning of April 14, 2010 New York's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center staff arrived to find a torched rainbow flag draped on the front of their building.

They responded to the ignorance by unfurling an even larger rainbow flag during a 5 PM EDT ceremony yesterday.

This is a statement about the incident from their website:

Acts of hate must not be tolerated! Actions like this are menacing to our community and, if not addressed, can lead to an environment that allows more heinous acts, such as verbal attacks, property damage and physical violence. Showing our solidarity now will empower our community and send a message to the public that we will not be intimidated or threatened.

The Center is a beacon of safety and hope for LGBT New Yorkers and our building stands as an emblem of our community's presence in the city. The Center is visited over 300,000 times every year by people in search of support, safety and transformation. More than 1,000 young people come through our doors annually searching for acceptance and a place where they feel comfortable expressing their true selves.

Cowardly acts of hateful speech must be responded to with acts of courage and unity.


This is the desperate, and despicable act of people who know they are on the wrong side of the moral arc of the universe and history. It is beginning to bend toward justice for GLBT people.

It's our job to make sure its momentum doesn't get blunted by the Forces of Intolerance.

IFGE 2010 Capital Conference Starts Today

It's too bad I'm not there, but the 2010 IFGE Capital Conference is kicking off today across the Potomac from our nation's capital in Alexandria, VA. and will run through the 25th.

This year's conference theme is Education For Action, and we in this community can always use that in the fight to have our constitutional rights respected and codified into federal law.

If you're in the Washington DC metro area, you may want to check out the IFGE Capital Conference. It will have some great presenters and our allies are always welcome.

If you're interested in attending some of the seminars or seeing my fave part of it, the Trinity Awards luncheon, it will take place at the Alexandria Hilton at Mark Center in Alexandria, VA.

Hmm, come to think of it, the last IFGE Conference I attended was in 2006. Will have to rectify that next year.

Why I Can't Stand The NRA-Part II

I don't call the National Rifle Association the 'Neocon Racist Assciation' or other less flattering names for nothing. But at the same time, I admire their ability to 'scurr' congresscritters into backing off on or efficiently killing any gun legislation they don't like

While I don't have a problem with people exercising their Second Amendment rights to own guns, I draw the line at assault rifles that only have the purpose of killing mass quantities of human beings in a short amount of time.

I also don't see the harm in requiring background checks and short waiting periods for people that wish to purchase guns o ensure they are mentally stable enough to do so or aren't convicted felons.

But you can count on the NRA gun fetishists to do something extremist and racist in their zeal to pimp for the firearms industry, scare 'real Americans' and put more guns in their hands.

Another exhibit of their racism just happened the other day in relation to the District of Columbia's long time efforts to get a voting representative in Congress.

The District of Columbia has not had representation in Congress since it was established in 1801. At the time of its creation, leaders were concerned that the nation's capital not be located in any one state.

DC residents can vote in presidential elections, serve in the military, and pay taxes but don't get the opportunity to vote for a congressional representative to help determine how those dollars are spent.


In 1978 a constitutional amendment was passed by Congress that would have granted the city a House vote, but it died because was not ratified by a sufficient number of states in the allotted time.

If the District of Columbia were majority white, the Republican Party, the conservative movement and Fox News long ago would have been championing the cause of DC voting rights and screaming bloody murder about the 'unfair and unconstitutional' disenfranchisement of large numbers of 'Real Americans.' But since it's majority African-American, they don't care.

To add insult to injury, the NRA and their GOP acolytes couldn't resist whipping out their white privilege card and using this an an opportunity to jack with DC's strict gun laws.

As a condition for DC getting what it wanted in terms of federal representation, Republican lawmakers attached amendments to Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton's bill designed to weaken those gun laws.

"We just had nine kids shot by an assault rifle in our city," said D.C. councilmember at large Phil Mendelson, speaking about a recent drive-by shooting in Southeast D.C. that left four dead and several wounded. "Under the gun amendment, weapons like the AK-47 would be legal… That's unacceptable."

Several members of the DC City council in addition to Del. Norton were not happy about the games played with the DC Voting rights bill

"We should not trade a piece of democracy for a piece of democracy," said council member Michael A. Brown, who chairs DC's committee on statehood and self-determination. "It was a bad deal for the residents of the District of Columbia," he said of the bill's gun control provisions.

As always, the struggle continues.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) suggested that unrelated issues such as gun rights — are once again holding up an agreement to bring the D.C. voting bill to the floor. Hoyer had originally hoped to bring the bill to the floor this week, but now believes the legislation may be done for the year.

Hoyer said he's "profoundly disappointed" that the legislation will not be brought up, but said the bill should be about voting rights, not local D.C. crime issues or adding a House seat for Utah. Both these issues have held up D.C. voting rights in the past.

Delegate Norton said, "We have begun to develop new strategies to get a voting rights bill through Congress that can pass. "I am full of promising ideas about how to move forward not only on voting rights but on every right D.C. residents are entitled to as American citizens."

This despicable political drama adds another layer to the negativity that many African Americans feel towards the NRA and ossifies the impression in our community that they are a racist organization.

And it's another reason why I can't stand the NRA.

African-American Bi Ballplayers Sue Gay Softball Organization For Discrimination

If the GLBT community wants their rights and humanity respected, protected and codified under the law, it is imperative for them to remember and realize that they must do the same thing for others inside and outside the GLBT community.

Thanks to TransGriot reader Leigh for directing my attention to this developing story of racism and biphobia rearing its pointed head in of all things, a GL run softball tournament.

On Tuesday the National Center for Lesbian Rights in conjunction with the law firm of K&L Gates LLP filed a lawsuit on behalf of players Steven Apilado, LaRon Charles, and Jon Russ in U.S. District Court for the western district of Washington.

The NCLR complaint alleges that the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association (NAGAAA) broke Washington state public accommodations law by enforcing a discriminatory rule that states only two heterosexuals can play on each team.

The story starts at the 2008 Gay World Series softball tournament that was played in Seattle and sanctioned by the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association (NAGAAA).

NAGAAA’s stated mission is promoting “amateur sports competition, particularly softball, for all persons regardless of age, sexual orientation or preference, with special emphasis on the participation of members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.”

A mission they miserably failed to execute on for five members of the San Francisco based D2 softball team.

D2 and its members have played in San Francisco area gay softball leagues for several years. During this GWS tournament they got hot, won games and kicked butt all the way to the GWS championship game of their division.

D2 discovered during the title game that a (probably a losing) team filed a protest claiming they were in violation of the NAGAAA 'two heteros only' rule. In the interim teams kept interrupting the championship game to the point that D2 lost.

When the game was over five D2 players, Apilado, Charles, Russ and two white teammates were immediately summoned to a conference room for a protest hearing,

Each player was forced to answer intrusive questions about his sexual orientation and his private life in front of a room of over 25 people, most of whom the players did not know. The players were forced to answer whether they were “predominantly attracted to men” or “predominantly attracted to women,” without the option of answering that they were attracted to both.

After each player was interrogated, a panel voted on whether he was “gay” or “non-gay.” NAGAAA’s committee refused to entertain the possibility that the players could be bisexual. In response to a player’s statement that he was attracted to both men and women, a NAGAAA member responded, “This is the Gay World Series, not the Bisexual World Series.”

Ultimately, the predominantly-white committee voted that all the men of color, Charles, Russ, and Apilado, were not gay. The committee voted multiple times on at least one player. The committee also declared that the other two players, both white—one of whom had given precisely the same answers as Russ—were gay.

The NAGAAA committee recommended disciplinary measures against Apilado, Charles, and Russ, their team, and the San Francisco Gay Softball League, including retroactively stripping D2 by forfeit of their second-place World Series finish.

The men are seeking $75,000 each for emotional distress. They're also seeking to invalidate the alliance's findings on the men's sexual orientations and to reinstate D2's second-place finish in the 2008 GWS.

“This case shows that bisexual people are an integral part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. The San Francisco team was truly diverse and welcomed bisexual, gay, and straight players, and they saw each other as not just teammates, but family,” said NCLR Sports Project Director Helen Carroll.

“We all deserve to be treated with respect no matter what part of the ‘LGBT’ we are. It damages our community to conduct witch hunts and to exclude people from playing in a sports league for not being ‘gay enough’. We wouldn’t accept this kind of treatment from a non-LGBT sports organization and we shouldn’t do it to ourselves.”

Beth Allen, a Portland, OR based attorney who specializes in LGBT-related legal issues and represents the sports association in the suit, said that NAGAAA “agrees that if they were a public accommodation, they could not limit players on the basis of sexual orientation. But they’re a private organization, seeking to provide a forum for gay and lesbian athletes, or those who would like to become athletes, to play ball together in an environment where they don’t face any type of discrimination. ... It is not an unusual situation to have a softball league that is organized by principle on a protected class.”

Allen was quoted in Advocate.com as saying that she found the suit brought by NCLR to be “very disheartening.”

“Certainly I’ve seen infighting in the community. Anyone who’s worked for our rights has seen infighting, because we’re all human,” Allen said. “But as I’ve told [NCLR executive director] Kate Kendell, it baffles me why they’ve taken on this case. Why is the National Center for Lesbian Rights asserting this claim on behalf of three poor beleaguered straight men? I don’t get it.”

Kendell said the suit “makes very clear that the core issue in the case is that sexual orientation discrimination is harmful, demeaning, and stigmatizing. What these players were subjected to in terms of inquiry about their private sexual lives was a violation, not only of the softball association’s own rules but also Washington state law.”

“[Allen’s] response is what’s baffling,” Kendell added.

NAGAAA, which organizes the Gay Softball World Series, has refused to change the discriminatory rule that excludes players based on sexual orientation, to apologize to Apilado, Charles, and Russ for the traumatic and humiliating public interrogation they endured, or to disavow the practice of interrogating players about their sexual orientations in protest hearings.

NCLR Staff Attorney Melanie Rowen said, “Washington law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations. But conducting an inquisition into someone’s sexual orientation to exclude them from playing sports in their community is not just discriminatory—it is outrageous.”

NAGAAA has not yet responded to the complaint in court, and this has the making of an interesting court case that I would love to see.

But it goes back simply to the Golden Rule- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

As an oppressed minority group, the GLBT community would not only do well to remember that, it's imperative that the GLBT community hold itself to higher ethical and moral standards than our oppressors.

They also need to cognizant of the fact that relations with African-American GLBT people are still testy after the flurry of anti-Black racism that popped up in the GLBT community post Prop 8. That being said, discrimination in the GLBT community should not be condoned or tolerated at any time.

Here's hoping that NCLR is successful in driving that point home to the NAGAAA.

When Is Someone Going To Tell Black Transwomen We're Prettty?

This picture and the caption beneath it triggered the musings of this post.

Black women for centuries have had their beauty, denied, denigrated, and disrespected because the societal beauty standard doesn't compute for us.

If we African descended transwomen thought we were going to escape that negativity directed at African descended womanhood by society, guess again.

One of the things I continue to notice is that when the beauty of transwomen is discussed, the conversation disproportionately involves white transwomen, with a few Asian and Latina transwomen thrown into the mix in order to appear more diverse.

But Black transwomen being considered pretty? Nope. We get the same shade thrown at us as our cis African descended sisters.

Ugly. Masculine-looking. You get the drift...

I chuckled when Kerry Washington talked about how she almost didn't get the role of Marybeth in the movie 'Life is Hot in Cracktown' playing a transwoman because the director initially considered her 'too beautiful' to play a convincing transwoman.

It's interesting that these 'unwoman' beauty myths persist despite the long list of African-American winners in the Miss Continental pageant system and other trans themed pageants and the first open transgender contestant on America's Next Top Model is a proud African-American.

But to ask the question that's in the title of this post: when is someone going to tell Black transwomen we're pretty?

Well, Kerry Washington did.

And the reality is a lot of these girls are gorgeous. That’s just the truth of it. Transwomen are women. There are many of them that you would never know… ever, ever, ever.

If no one else will do so, then we need to do it our damned selves.

My trans sisters, you are pretty, you are intelligent, and you are beautiful inside and out. It's just a matter of time before the rest of the world sees that.

Mistrial Declared In Duanna Johnson Beating Case

After four days of deliberations in which 11 jurors voted to convict and one holdout said no, a mistrial has been declared in the federal trial of former Memphis police officer Bridges McRae.

McRae was indicted in November 2008 and being tried for violating the civil rights of the late Duanna Johnson. He was caught on tape beating her while undergoing processing in the Shelby County Jail.

He was facing up to 10 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 had he been convicted.

Prosecutors are considering retrying the case, but once again it means that justice for Duanna Johnson is delayed and denied on two levels.

One for the jailhouse beatdown, and the other for her unsolved murder.

The Queen's New Flick-Just Wright

I love me some Queen Latifah as much as my Canadian homegirl does.

Naah, scratch that. I think Renee has me beat when it comes to hailing the Queen.

At any rate, the Queen is about to grace us with a new movie coming out around May 14. It's called Just Right and in addition to her, it stars Common, Paula Patton, Phylicia Rashad and Pam Grier.

The trailer looks interesting, and it's directed by Sanaa Hamri, who directed Something New with Sanaa Lathan.

I'll definitely be at the local multiplex for it when it gets released.

Canadian Action Alert-Call Or Write Your MP About Bill C-389

According to my Canadian sis Mercedes Allen of Dented Blue Mercedes, Bill C-389, which would give Canadian transpeople employment/housing non-discrimination and hate crimes inclusion in one bill, is alive, well and about to come up for debate next month.

The bill was authored by Bill Siksay, and since it was a private members bill, did not die when the Sweater Vest prorogued Parliament.

To my Canadian readers, y'all know what to do. Call or write your MP and urge them to pass this bill. If you don't know who that person is, just click on this link to get you started.

Bill C-389 if passed would add gender identity and expression to the Canadian Human Rights Act and the hate crimes provisions of the Criminal Code, alongside prohibited grounds of discrimination such as race, religion, and sexual orientation.

I've written about MP Siksay's two previous attempts to pass this bill, and here's hoping that the third time is the charm as the old saying goes.

Those of us south of the 49th parallel are probably on the sidelines watching and waiting to see how this plays out. I hope the Canadian Parliament will move to grant rights to their fellow trans citizens.

It's ironic that our Canadian trans cousins may get their rights this year while the US Congress dithers on giving transpeople employment protections.

But in the interim, while you're waiting for that historic debate to happen in Ottawa, time for you transpeeps living in the Great White North to help yourselves.

Call, write, and tell your stories to your MP's. Don't assume because they belong to a certain party they won't listen. They need to know you live in their ridings, are taxpaying Canadian citizens and vote.

With any luck you'll be celebrating a success that we can point to to get our congresscritters motivated to do the right thing.

Where's the ENDA Rewrite Language?

One of the major reasons I don't participate in NCTE Lobby Days besides the fact I'm not welcome at them, is because of the HRC presence and the 'minders' that follow you as you go to various offices.

I'd also be asking questions in their lobby trainings based on my past GenderPAC lobby day experiences that would make then very uncomfortable.

The presence of those 'minders' makes it difficult for congressional staffers to tell you what's really taking place on Capitol Hill. That's why I have sources on the Hill that I ain't revealing.

One of the lessons I took away from the GenderPAC lobby days in 1998-99 is that it's not smart politics to lobby for a bill that you DON'T have a clue what the language is or know with 100% certainty that the language doesn't do harm to you.

One of the things that has me and other trans people who want effective, comprehensive legislation passed concerned is exactly why is the trans provision language being rewritten? The 2007 ENDA trans provisions language was fine.

Why is it taking so long? Why the secrecy? It also makes me queasy that a long time 'frenemy', Rep. Barney Frank, who fought our inclusion in ENDA for a decade is writing the language.

If that doesn't bother you, it should.

The congress critters know we'll go ballistic and make that 2007 explosion of trans community anger over Washington shenanigans look like a church picnic if we're either cut from ENDA again, written out of it, or the language of ENDA 2010 is NOT the inclusive language of the 2007 version, but some Frankensteinian bastardization of it.

If it isn't, then why hide that fact?

The fact it's too quiet on the Hill where ENDA is concerned only leads to building anxiety that something really shady is going on inside the Beltway. The last time I had this uncomfortable feeling was in 2007 when we got yanked out of the bill.

The same bill the head of a certain trans lobbying org said that our inclusion in it was a 'slam dunk'.

It was a slam dunk alright. A slam dunk that clanged off the congressional rim and bounced off the civil rights basketball court out of bounds.

You can peruse the blog archives to learn what I thought about it then. Unfortunately it seems like nothing's changed since 2007.

So where's the ENDA rewrite language?

PR Trans Latina Woman Found Stabbed To Death In Home

If you thought I was being over the top about trans Latinas and transsistahs taking the brunt of the anti-transgender violence, here's another person to add to this distressingly lengthening list of trans people we're going to memorialize for the 2010 TDOR.

31 year old hairstylist Ashley Santiago was found stabbed to death 14 times inside her home in Corozal, just 25 miles outside the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan. Her 2009 Toyota Corolla was missing from the driveway.

Authorities have yet to determine whether Santiago’s killer (or killers) murdered her because of her gender identity or expression, but I'd be willing to bet that 14 stab wounds is a major clue that it was.

Puerto Rico has a hate crimes statute on its legal books passed in 2002 that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. However, the statute is rarely used.

Gee, I wonder why? Is it because of the heavy Catholic influence in Puerto Rico?

If her killers are caught and brought to justice, it's about time Puerto Rican prosecutors, that you consider separating your religious prejudices from doing your jobs and using the hate crimes statute if it applies in the Santiago case.

In the meantime, while we're waiting for justice to be done in this case, the Santiago family and the trans community will mourn the loss of another one of our beautiful transsisters.

Dr. Dorothy Height Dies

Another of the sheroes of the 60's civil rights movement has moved on. Dr. Dorothy Height, the Godmother of the women's movement', passed away at Howard University Hospital at 3:41 AM EDT this morning at age 98.

Dr. Height was born in Richmond, VA on March 24, 1912 and grew up in Rankin, Pennsylvania. While in high school because of her oratorical skills she was given a scholarship to Barnard College in New York.

Unfortunately Barnard College had a policy in place at the time in which it admitted only two African-American students a year, and she arrived on campus after two others had been enrolled. She pursued studies at New York University, earning her Master's degree in psychology and her doctoral studies at Columbia.

While she was most noted for her long tenure as chair and president emeritus of the National Council of Negro Women from 1957-1988, and a past chair of the Leadership Conference On Civil Rights, she began her civil rights work in 1933 as a leader in the United Christian Youth Movement of North America.

Some of the issues she fought for at that time were stopping lynchings and desegregating the armed forces.

In addition to being mentored by women such as Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt, she counseled presidents on civil rights and women's issues from FDR to Obama.

She was one of the original 'Big Six' civil rights leaders, and was in attendance at the recent White House meeting President Obama held with African-American leaders on race and the economy.

She has garnered numerous awards and honors including induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993, the NAACP's Spingarn Medal in 1993, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 by President Clinton and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004.

She was also given during Barnard College's 1980 commencement ceremony its highest honor, the Barnard Medal of Distinction.

She had a front row seat to many of the events that shaped our lives and worked alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., future congressman John Lewis, and A. Philip Randolph. She was one of the people sitting behind Dr. King the day he gave his 1963 'I Have A Dream' speech'.

She was president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. from 1946-1957 and remained active in the organization throughout her life.


Former US Secretary of Labor Alexis W. Herman said about her, "She was a dynamic woman with a resilient spirit, who was a role model for women and men of all faiths, races and perspectives. For her, it wasn't about the many years of her life, but what she did with them."

She is one of my leadership role models, and if I ever become one tenth of what she meant to our community, I'd consider it a great achievement.

Rest Dr. Height. You have earned it.

Still Miss You 'Lufer'

Today would have been the 59th birthday of one of my fave singers back in the day, Luther Ronzoni Vandross. He was born on this date in New York City in 1951.

Wow. Has it been five years since he heft us on July 1, 2005? Doesn't seem like it's been that long, but yep, it has.

The man left behind a musical legacy that will be hard to match. There are also probably a lot of people born in the 80's and 90's who probably owe their existence to being conceived while their parents were getting busy while listening to his music.

Anyway, happy birthday 'Lufer'. You are still missed by your fans, and no one as of yet has stepped up to fill your considerable shoes.

15th Anniversary Of Oklahoma City Bombing

At 9:02 AM CDT 15 years ago, 5000 pounds of explosives inside a rented truck were detonated by domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh near the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

The explosion McVeigh set off was heard 30 miles away, but the emotional shock wave covered the entire country.

The terror attack killed 168 people including 19 children, destroyed half of the building and injured another 800 people.

The anti-government hate that fueled it is alive and well. It's only increasing in intensity since an African-American moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with his family.

Domestic terrorists in this country are disproportionately part of one ethnic group, and the terrorism as pointed out in a 2009 Homeland Security report is predominately coming from the right wing.

We need to be cognizant of that fact as we remember what happened 15 years ago today in Oklahoma City.

The anti-government rhetoric is even more polarizing and more racist than it was during the Clinton administration.

We also need to spend as much time and effort cracking down on domestic anti-government terrorists as we do keeping an eye on al-Qaeda and breaking up their terror cells.

Amanda Gonzalez-Andujar Memorial Service and Candlelight Vigil Saturday

Amanda Gonzalez-Andujar is the latest transwoman we have lost to senseless anti-transgender violence. While her alleged killer has been captured, her family, friends and the trans community wait to see if justice will be done.

If you're in or near the New York metro area, on Saturday, April 24 a memorial service and candlelight vigil is being organized in her memory.

For those of you who knew Amanda or would just like to pay your respects, please join her friends, family and community members in this moment to remember her beautiful life.

The memorial service and vigil will take place from 2-5 PM EDT.

The memorial service will take place at the Metropolitan Community Church of New York (MCCNY) starting at 2 PM. The address is 446 W. 36th Street (between 9th & 10th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan).

You'll take the A,C,E trains to 34th St. Penn Station

The candlelight vigil will take place in front of Amanda's Glendale Queens home from 4-5 PM. The address is 69-30 62ND Street between Catalpa Street & Cypress Hills St. in Glendale, NY 11385.

For you peeps in there NY metro area, you'll take the M train to Fresh Pond Rd.

Remember, there but for the grace of God go all of us.

If you're able to do do, please consider attending and showing some love and support for our fallen sister and her friends and family.

'The Boondocks' Was Right! Guess Who Ann Coulter's Dating?

There was a Boondocks episode in which it speculated right wing hater Ann Coulter was going home to a brother.

(BTW..you may want to play this clip at home. language issues.)

So I cracked up when I saw the EURweb story on Jimmie Walker's new girlfriend.

“I have nothing but the highest respect for her, and I’m thoroughly impressed with everything she does – whether she’s writing Sarah Palin stuff or doing whatever,” he continued. “I’m thoroughly impressed with her.”



Talk about the sign of the apocalypse. Guess things are dyn-o-mite between them.

Hmm...will have to start watching 'The Boondocks' again on a regular basis.

Fictional Gender Transformation

A staple of fiction is the theme of gender transformations, body morphing and gender swaps. It crosses all forms of media from books to films to television, and the examples are numerous.

I thought it would be interesting to post them on the blog from time to time so here's the first installment of fictional gender transformations.

A 'Fantasy Island' episode



A 'Gilligan's Island' episode



A 'Death Stalker' episode



An episode of a French TV show



A 'Homeboys From Outer Space' Episode

Caster Semenya's Patience Running Out

19 year old South African runner Caster Semenya has patiently waited seven months for her competition status to be sorted out ever since she won the 800m world championship in Berlin last summer.

But it seems that her patience, and the patience of her attorneys is wearing thin.

"I hereby publicly announce my return to athletics competitions," Semenya said in a statement. "I am an athlete first and foremost, and it is vital for my competitiveness, my well-being and my preparations for events during the European summer that I measure my performance against other athletes."

"These processes have dragged on for far too long with no reasonable certainty as to their end."

She wants to return to international competition at a IAAF sanctioned race being contested in Zaragoza, Spain on June 24, the EAA Classic.

The IAAF medical staff has yet to complete the gender verification tests, and the ASA (Athletics South Africa) is uncomfortably caught in the middle along with Semenya until they do. They assert that until those test are completed, she is i9neligible to run either in South Africa or internationally.

Athletics South Africa acting chief Ray Mali asked "for the patience of Semenya and her advisers in the interest of all parties."

But I ask the question, how patient would you be if you were in Semenya's pumps?

She wants to run and get better with the Olympics only two years away and she's being forced to sit on the sidelines until some Monaco based bureaucrats make a decision?

To add to the drama, how patient would you be if your gender identity were subjected to worldwide speculation, attacks and derision while you're waiting for that sporting bureaucratic decision?

And while you're waiting, you sit with the knowledge that your potential competition you destroyed in Berlin are competing and honing their skills against each other.

"Some of the occurrences leading up to and immediately following the Berlin World Championships have infringed on not only my rights as an athlete," she said, "but also my fundamental and human rights, including my rights to dignity and privacy."

It's time for the IAAF medical team to end this, and get off their behinds and complete the medical verification tests as expeditiously as possible.

And after that happens, I'll be rooting for Semenya to kick some butt in every 800m race she runs from now until the Olympic Games in London and beyond.

Dawn's Headed To Cleveland

Dawn's fencing in a tournament that's taking place in Cleveland, but I won't be making the drive up there with her. The saber part of the competition starts at 1 PM Sunday, and I promised my pastor Rev. Sally McClain I'd be the worship leader for our services this weekend and next.

It's one I'm a little disappointed about because it would have been one of the last times I got to do a long distance drive with my homegirl and watch her fence for a while.

But I gave my word to Rev Sally I'd do it, and that's the end of the discussion. Edenside is where I'll be this Sunday morning and the next one.

Back to the discussion at hand.

In Dawn's last tournament in Dallas she finished in the Top 8. She's looking forward to this NAC event and changing the color of her medals to a gold silver or bronze one.

Best of luck sis, and sorry I'm going to have to miss it.