I Feel Ya, Chaz

“I wasted years worried about what other people would think if I transitioned, and now I wish I had those years back.” Chaz Bono

That was a comment recently posted by Chaz Bono about his transition. It resonates for me and many transpeople who finally get fed up with their situations and pull the trigger on becoming the people we need to be.

I unhappily muddled through most of the 80's feeling the same way because I was worried about what other people would think if I transitioned instead of doing what was best for me, my life and ultimately my happiness.

Do I wish I had those years back? You damned right I do.

But unless somebody invents a time machine capable of transporting me back to the 80's, that ain't happening.

I've had that conversation with various people and on this blog over the years. While I realize that the time I spent muddling around the 80's made me the Moni of the 90's, 2k's and the dawn of the 2k10's, I still wonder what it would have been like and how my life would have turned out if I'd transitioned during my freshman year in college.

But I have to deal with Moni's life here and now, not spend precious energy and brain power musing about what might have been early transition scenarios.

But I feel ya, Chaz

'Reverse Racism' Are White Racist Words

When I used to watch Good Times during the 70's, I used to chuckle when Michael Evans, the 'militant midget' as his father James called him, would utter 'Boy is a white racist word' every time his mother Florida or anyone else inside or outside the Evans family called him 'boy'.

It was a line with historical truth backing it up. Now we have another pair of white racist words for the new millennium: 'Reverse Racism.'

It's a conservative movement created term that never should have gained legitimacy because it is mind numbingly disingenuous, and flies in the face of logic and historical evidence to the contrary.

It is a term and concept coined by the conservafools to spin the fact that whites throughout history have colluded and repeatedly acted in sometimes violent ways to impede the progress of non-white ethnic groups.

Renee over at Womanist Musings has weighed in on this annoying topic along with others on the Net to debunk this conservafool coined term.

Now it's my turn.

First key to understanding where I'm coming from on this subject is a point about racism that peeps should have retained from Sociology 101.

Racism is the systemic denial of rights and benefits by whites against non-whites in all areas of human activity. Those areas of human activity being economics, education, entertainment, law, politics, labor, religion, sex, and war.

In other words, it can be summed up by a simple equation to make it easy for you to remember (or try to ignore) in the future.

racism = prejudice + power

For one group to practice racism against another group they must have MORE POWER than the race targeted with the negative behavior to do so. The only ethnic group that has that kind of power and control are whites.

If they didn't think that was the case, why are they and their GOP cohorts hollering we need to 'take our country back' or describing themselves as 'real Americans'?

The attitudes even extend to white marginalized groups. How many times have we heard from the white dominated GLBT leadership that were 'just like you'?

Feminism is so tied to and synonymous with white women that rhetorical skirmishes have erupted amongst feminists because conservative women such as Sarah Palin are claiming the label for themselves, one that women of color long ago either separated or distanced themselves from, or acted as African descended women did and became womanists.

And you don't need to be a sheet wearing, stiff arm saluting white supremacist to be a racist. As Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. once stated, "I'm more concerned about the racists wearing Brooks Brothers suits and Gucci pumps than the ones wearing white sheets.'

Many whites are not raving supremacists, but are put in the position of being racism enablers because they are silent when it happens or succumb to peer pressure within their ethnic group to support acts they may personally oppose that are inherently racist.

Thanks to unacknowledged white privilege, too many whites either willfully or unwittingly confuse racism with bigotry and prejudice.

Criticism from persons of color calling attention to or talking about the systemic racism they face or the unfairness of the system doesn't add up to 'reverse racism' or the other infuriating conservaterm we hear far too often, 'playing the race card'.

Anyone who believes that fable is wallowing in vanilla flavored privilege or has has been been watching too much Fox News.

If you're wondering why 'the Revs' (Revs. Jesse Jackson, Sr. and Al Sharpton) are hated so much by conservatives, it's because they call this crap out on a regular basis.

It's a fact that every ethnic group has various levels of bigotry and prejudice within them. However, it elevates to racism when you take your prejudices, combine them with power (social, political, economic, military) and use it to oppress or retard the progress of a minority ethnic group or individuals in it.

Minority group members do not exist in a world with a level playing field because this world is dominated by 'whiteness', which disproportionately controls all levels of human activity.

Need some examples of that?

In terms of the beauty standard, what women are held up as the pinnacle of beauty?

If you look at the ethnicity of Fortune 500 company CEO's, how many of them are POC's?

How many presidents of non-HBCU colleges are POC's?

And out of the 118 people who have been chosen to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States, only three* have been POC's.

If you're wondering why I have the asterisk after three SCOTUS POC's, Clarence Thomas is considered an 'honorary white man' by Pat Buchanan and a Oreo-cookie chomping sellout by African-Americans.

Since POC's do not have the collective or systemic power to prevent whites from doing anything that they wish to do in this society due to 'whiteness', or have the recourse to do something about it like whites do, there is no such thing as 'reverse racism'.

We do not live in a society in which white supremacy and whiteness is non-existent, nor are we even light years close to living in a society with an equalized playing field.

So at the moment, only whites have the power to be racist and it's why the claim of 'reverse racism' is bogus in the first place.

And it's also why to many people of color, 'reverse racism' will always be white racist words.

Showdown At Soccer City

The 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted by South Africa comes to a close today with the championship match being played in Johannesburg between The Netherlands and Spain.

Team USA actually won their group and were poised to make a long knockout stage run but unfortunately lost to Ghana to end their South African business trip.

Hey soccer's only our fifth best sport in the States, but it'll be a different story at next month's FIBA World Basketball Championships for Men.

I'm also proud of Team USA and the gritty way they played. A few more breaks and they may have gone a long way in this 2010 World Cup.

But we'll have to wait like everybody else on the planet except for Brazil to qualify for the next FIFA World Cup tournament in 2014.

Back to the World Cup title game. The FIFA world number 4 ranked Netherlands finished atop Group E and knocked off Slovakia 2-1, FIFA Number one world ranked Brazil 2-1 and Uruguay 3-2 to get to the finals.

The FIFA world number 2 ranked Spain got off to a rough start. They were upset 1-0 by Switzerland in their opening Group H match but recovered to win the group.

In the knockout round Spain got into an interesting pattern of being scoreless at halftime, then coming up with a second half goal to send them to the next round.

They beat FIFA world number 3 ranked Portugal, Paraguay and FIFA world number 6 ranked Germany by identical 1-0 scores to reach their first World Cup final.

It will be the first FIFA world championship for whatever team comes out on top. Will it be the Netherlands, who are in their third final but so far haven't gone home with the big prize?

Or will Spain once again keep it scoreless until halftime, then come up with the golden second half goal and make it hold up for their first ever FIFA world title?

I'll be tuned in with the rest of the planet to find out.

Renee-Happy Birthday, Eh!

Y'all know I had to show some love to my favorite Canuck and wish her a happy birthday. She's all that and three large bags of ketchup flavored potato chips.

You also got a year older today.

I'm definitely blessed to have her in my life and I'm looking forward to the day when I can finally knock on her front door, give her a big hug and spend some quality time in beautiful Southern Ontario with her and her family.

As you know she's a wonderful writer and the creative genius behind Womanist Musings.

Many times over the last year and a half we've gotten to become sistahfriends we've had some thought provoking on both sides deeply philosophical conversations that cut across a wide spectrum of issues.

Those conversations at times have had us chattering away deep into the wee hours of the morning.

Here's hoping the unhusband bought you that Coach wallet for the Coach purse you own.

You so richly deserve it for putting up with the ongoing drama of being the only estrogen based lifeform in a house full of testosterone based beings, including the undog.

If he doesn't, let him eat cake. Preferably this one shaped like a Coach purse.

Happy birthday, sis. May it be stress free, filled with abundant blessing for you, and may you have many more.

Taylorsville, Utah To Discuss TBLG Protective Law

Four Utah cities and two Utah counties have passed laws to protect TBLG people from housing and employment discrimination. Taylorsville, Utah maybe on the verge of joining them.

Equality Utah hopes to expand that list of six Utah counties and cities that have anti-discrimination ordinances to 10 by the end of 2010.

The Taylorsville City Council plans to discuss a possible anti-discrimination ordinance next week. Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Park City, Logan, West Valley City and Summit County have passed such measures to protect gay and transgender residents from .

The topic is on Taylorsville's agenda at a City Council work meeting Wednesday at 6 PM MDT at City Hall, 2600 W. Taylorsville Blvd. (5300 South). The informal meeting does not have scheduled time for public comments.

But if you live in the area, you may wish to have a friendly chat with your council rep.

St Louis Adds Gender Protections

St. Louis now joins Kansas City and University City amongst the increasingly long list of cities offering basic protections for trans people in housing, public accommodations and employment.

You'll recall I posted the news about the introduction by Alderman Shane Cohn on May 21 of Board Bill 67, which would insert gender identity into the list of protected categories which already includes sexual orientation.

Board Bill 67 gained many co-sponsors after its May introduction and moved swiftly through committee and passed with unanimous support of the Alderman.

"Extending basic protections has been long overdue," stated Alderman Cohn. "In order to remain competitive in today's marketplace and respect every member of the Saint Louis community, I am proud to have sponsored this bill."

The Bill will go into effect immediately upon signature by Mayor Slay, which is anticipated by early next week. Enforcement will be the requirement of the Civil Rights Enforcement Agency (CREA) who can be reached at (314)622-3301.

PROMO Executive Director A.J. Bockelman adds, "This is a great step forward not just for Saint Louis, but for all of Missouri. As we increase the number of people covered by basic protections, we will reach a tipping point where the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act, extending these same protections to all LGBT Missourians, becomes the natural next step."

Thanks for having our back Alderman Cohn. If you live in the St. Louis area, please take a moment to send a thank you note to cohns@stlouiscity.com

Yes, There's One Memphis Police Officer Who Respects Our Humanity

With all the notoriety that former Memphis Police Dept officer Bridges McRae brought upon the department with his jailhouse beatdown of the late Duanna Johnson, and the lack of progress toward arresting the perpetrators who murdered Ebony Whitaker and Duanna Johnson, it stands to reason that most trans people in and outside the city of Memphis have a negative view about the MPD.

Well, thanks to Bianca Phillips of the Memphis Flyer, I stumbled across this story while doing some web surfing on another topic.

It's refreshing to note that there are MPD officers that do interpret 'to serve and protect the citizens of Memphis' means ALL the residents of the city.

The TLC reality show Police Women of Memphis recently aired an episode called 'Rock Your Fuschia Hair' that showed Officer Joy Johnson exhibiting precisely that attitude.




She came to the aid of two transwomen who were minding their own business sitting on their porch until they were harassed by neighborhood boys. One of the transwomen called the police, and Officer Johnson was the person who responded to the call.

Before arriving on the scene, she tells the cameraperson riding with her, "If you are a good person, you should always be treated with respect."

The segment of the show I'm discussing starts about the 5:30 mark. Enjoy.

Officer Johnson, you are a good person as well. Thank you for not only the job that you do as an MPD officer, but making the point that we transpeople need to be treated with respect as well.

Summon That Same Righteous Anger For Black Transpeople Being Mistreated At Home

“It is often easier to become outraged by injustice half a world away than by oppression and discrimination half a block from home.”

When I read that quote from the distinguished journalist Carl T. Rowan, I thought about the recent situation involving Malawi's Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza.

People in the States and around the world mobilized to protest the outrage of throwing people in jail simply for who they chose to love. President Obama and other people around the world and across the African diaspora commented on it.

Numerous blog posts, news stories and thousands of Facebook messages and Twitter tweets were written about this case.

Some of them were jacked up as well.

But when it comes to the mistreatment of Black transpeople inside the borders of the United States who are being killed, facing discrimination, police brutality and violence, those same people who were vocal about what happened to 'Auntie Tiwo' and Steve are indifferent to, unconcerned about and frankly in some cases don't care to muster the same level of outrage and anger when it comes to us.

I'd like to see the same level of righteous anger mustered on behalf of Black transpeople at home. I'd like to see those same TBLG peeps and inside the Beltway organizations show the same level of compassion toward us.

I'd like to see the Black Church stop doing the dirty work of white fundamentalists and stop parroting their faith based hatred of trans people.

I'd like to see the African-American cis community stop shunning us and embrace their African descended trans brothers and sister.

The point is, we're affected by some of the same issues that ail the larger Black community, and it's past time we joined forces to help come up with ways to solve those problems.

I'd like to see our legendary community civil rights organizations do more to give us a helping hand integrating with the African-American community instead of the back of their hand.

And finally, we need our chocolate SGL counterparts to step up and be drum majors and drum majorettes for justice where it concerns us.

Feeling Cleveland's Sports Pain

The Decision has been made, and once again Cleveland is on the short end of it as another high profile athlete leaves for a bigger market and greener pastures.

This one hurts deeply for Cavaliers fans since LeBron is from Akron, Ohio and was a lottery pick for the team. They'd pinned their civic hopes on him breaking their sports championship title drought that dates back to 1964, when the Cleveland Browns won the 1964 NFL title with Jim Brown in their backfield.

But LeBron is taking his game and talents to Miami.

I definitely feel their sports pain. In fact, Houston has been kindred spirits with the city of Cleveland in terms of professional sports frustrations.

The Oilers were AFL powerhouses who struggled after the AFL-NFL merger. They had seasons in which they were pathetic, and others like in the Luv Ya Blue era where they challenged for NFL supremacy.

And to make it worse, the Cowboy fifth column inside Harris County never failed to remind us long suffering Oilers fans that the NFL team 262 miles up Interstate 45 was winning titles.

It was just Houston's luck they were competing in the same rugged AFC Central Division with the Pittsburgh 'Steel Curtain' squads and the Ohio NFL teams. We had a 1975 NFL season in which we went 10-4 and STILL didn't make the playoffs because the Oilers lost to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati twice.

But we did beat the Browns twice that year along with every other NFL team we played, including the future NFL champion Oakland Raiders.

I angrily watched my Oilers get screwed out of the 1980 AFC title game versus Pittsburgh on a hideous blown call during the Luv Ya Blue era, catastrophically blow playoff games to Denver and Buffalo, then painfully watched Bud Adams move the team in 1997 to Nashville and play in a Super Bowl in 2000.

The Texans, the team that replaced the Tennessee Traitors in 2002, only had their first winning season last year after back to back 8-8 campaigns in 2007-2008.

The Astros have been around since 1962 and have worked our collective sporting nerves as well.

In addition to horrid trades and lousy seasons, the 'Stros have had
their share of frustrating and heartbreaking NLCS losses in 1980, 1981, 1986 and 2004.

They made the playoffs in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001 and lost in the NLDS, with the 1998 season being particularly galling. We won our second of three straight division titles, had Randy Johnson on our pitching staff and won a team record 102 games only to lose in the NLDS to the San Diego Padres.

They finally won their first National League title in 2005, then got swept by the White Sox after interference from commissioner Bud Selig over the Minute Maid Park retractible roof.

My frustrations even extend to the collegiate level. The Cougars lost in the 1967 College World Series to Arizona State. The Cougar B-ballers have made it to five NCAA Final Fours, and played in three straight during the Phi Slama Jama years from 1982-1984.

They played in the 1983 and 1984 title games, and I have to painfully watch the end of the 1983 NCAA one every time March Madness fires up. In addition to that I'm still pissed along with other UH alums about the Cougars being screwed out of Big 12 membership by the Wronghorns and their arrogant burnt orange wearing fans reminding us of our C-USA membership every chance they get.

The Rockets lost in the 1981 and 1986 NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics and have had some frustrating playoff losses as well.

But the difference between me and a Cleveland sports fan is that I have witnessed my hometown teams win championships. The Rockets finally broke our civic title jinx in 1994 and repeated in 1995 with Houston homeboy Clyde Drexler in the lineup.

I got to watch the Comets win the first four WNBA titles from 1997-2000. The Dynamo moved here from San Jose, CA and won back to back MLS ones in 2006 and 2007. Rice University won an NCAA College World Series title in 2003.

So yes Cleveland, definitely feel your pain and frustration on that one.

Y'all haven't felt this backstabbed since Art Modell moved your beloved Browns to Baltimore in 1995 to become the Ravens, then watched them win a Super Bowl in 2001.

I have a pretty good understanding of why you're burning his jerseys and I take it the Cavalier-Heat games next season are going to be very interesting affairs.

When I lived in Da Ville, every time I went to or through Nashville and passed anywhere near the Tennessee Traitors stadium I flipped it the finger.

But take it from the TransGriot. When y'all finally do break through and win that elusive title, it's going to lead to the biggest cathartic release and civic celebration in your town's history.

Just hope you aren't opposing a Houston team when it happens.

2010 Fairness Over Louisville

The second annual 'Fairness Over Louisville' event will be taking place on Saturday, July 24 at the Frazier International History Museum downtown.

Special guest speaker this year will be MSNBC News political analyst Contessa Brewer.

The event is hosted by many of my friends and colleagues in the Louisville and Kentucky progressive community such as Michael Aldridge, Brent Beard & Dr. Steve Lebder, Brian Buford, Scott Burchett & Travis Myles, Khalilah Collins, Julia Crittendon, Rev. Aletha Fields & Rev. Y. Loni Floyd, Greg Fischer, Ernie Flores, Brad Hampton, Chris Hartman, Dennie Humphrey & The Monkey Wrench, Tim King & Kevin Noland, Carol Kraemer, Dr. Travis Lay & Ren Scheuerman, Sam Marcosson, David Mills & Tom Trudgeon, Stuart Perelmuter, Gil Reyes, Attica Scott, Dr. Kaila Story, John Tompkins, Jessica Underwood, Carla Wallace, Nick Wilkerson, Dawn Wilson, and Sherry Yeager.

Miss y'all.

But back to the announcement post.

The Frazier International History Museum is located at 829 W. Main in downtown Louisville.

'Fairness Over Louisville' for you TransGriot readers in the Kentuckiana area will start at 8 PM EDT and run until midnight and this event benefits the Fairness Campaign.

Suggested donation is $20, but I don't think they'll mind if you wish to donate more.

Hope it's off the charts successful.

Shut Up Fool! Awards-Another Renee's Birthday Weekend Edition

My favorite Canadian resident's birthday is Sunday, so I'm going to take this opportunity to get an early birthday shout out in before her birthday post celebrating another anniversary of her 29th birthday pops up.

Go Renee! It's your birthday...Go Renee! It's your birthday...

Ahem..back to our Shut Up Fool! awards. Since it's Renee's birthday weekend, I'm going to flip the script a little and let her decide what north of the 49th parallel fool or fools deserves our coveted award since stupidity and ignorance knows no international boundaries.

As far as the Shut Up Fool USA Division is concerned, we had our usual cast of characters such as Beck, O'Reilly and Hannity. Honorable mention goes to Nevada GOP senate candidate Sharron Angle, for threatening to sue Sen. Harry Reid if he doesn't stop using her batguano right extremist positions posted on her website against her.

Sharron, You can scrub the sites and clean them up all you and your GOP handlers want. Once it's on the Net, it's there forever.

She put her pumps in her mouth again by answering a question about what advice she would give a hypothetical 13-year-old rape-incest victim.

She stated she'd advise that person to steer clear of abortion and make "a lemon situation into lemonade."

Excuse me? Sharron Angle is the gift that keeps on giving for Sen. Harry Reid.

Ever since this conservafool announced she was running for office, more than enough liberal-progressive bloggers have and will continue to pay close attention to and document your extreme teabagging positions.

Now, live from beautiful Niagara Falls, ON- take it away soon to be birthday girl. ;)

***

This isn't a traditional Shut Up Fool! because I am not quoting a person per say, but this is some pure BS anyway.

Clifford Olsen is Canada's most notorious serial killer. It recently became public knowledge that he and a lot of other lifers are getting old age pensions.

The government is trying to introduce a bill to have that pension revoked and Olsen plans on suing. This after the government already paid the man C$100,000 to be led to the bodies of the 11 people he murdered.

Yeah, I think that is a shut up and just die type of situation.

***

Thanks, sis! Clifford Olsen, shut up, eh?

Arrest Made In Ibarra Murder Case

There's good news to report on a trans murder case that transpired in the LA area almost a year ago.

The LAPD announced yesterday they have arrested a suspect in the murder of Paulina Ibarra.

The 27 year old Ibarra was found stabbed to death multiple times on the floor of her east Hollywood apartment around 8 PM PDT back on August 28, 2009.

The case has been investigated as a possible hate crime, and leads from the LA trans community and neighborhood people led to the arrest of 24 year old Jesus Catalan.

LAPD officials say Catalan is responsible for Ibarra's murder. They will have a press conference with further details of the case later this morning.

Now that they have finally captured the waste of DNA who allegedly committed the crime, let's hope and pray for the sake of Paulina's family and friends that justice prevails.

Yo GOP- Ask The Former East Germans How Well Their Fortified Border Worked

The 'Hate on Latinos' GOP have recently begun spouting as part of their extremist 'secure the borders' immigration rhetoric suggestions of putting minefields along the Mexican border.

In a May 18 radio interview with KNMX in Las Vegas, NM, GOP congressional candidate Tom Mullins said the US could mine the border, install barbed wire and post multilingual signs directing would-be border jumpers to legally cross at designated checkpoints.

Mullins won the June 1 New Mexico GOP primary and will carry the party's banner into the 3rd Congressional District race against incumbent Democrat Rep. Ben Lujan.

If you astute TransGriot readers are wondering where the 3rd Congressional District is located, it's is the northern half of New Mexico. It shares borders with the states of Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah and Texas and doesn't include any part of the 180 mile border the state shares with Mexico.

That would be the 1st Congressional District in southern New Mexico.

The suggestions of land mining the border reminded me of a Cold War era enhanced border that briefly used mines as part of its design.

Guess Mullins and other 'mine the borders' zealots weren't paying attention when the DDR was in business.

East Germany spent millions of marks from August 13, 1961 until it dissolved October 3, 1990 to place 50,000 AK-47 armed Grenztruppen with shoot to kill orders, maintain a 1381 kilometer long (858 miles) fortified border between itself and the BRD, a fleet of 30 searchlight equipped fast patrol boats along the maritime border segments and build another 140 kilometer (87 mile) wall surrounding West Berlin.

The DDR did so to keep people in their 'worker's paradise' territory while laughably trying to spin it to the rest of the planet as an 'anti fascist protection barrier'.

Then again, that's probably where the conservafools got the idea from in the first place since they not only have gun fetishes, they love repressive regimes.

It also fits with the conservafool penchant of solving complex problems by throwing overwhelming military force at it.

All that massive ideologically pure DDR border troop presence, military force, engineering expertise, Stasi informants in the border zones, floodlit 'death strips', expense nor harsh prison sentences if caught didn't deter people from trying to cross it to West Berlin or West Germany.

Approximately 1000 people lost their lives trying to cross the inner German border and the Berlin Wall.

While Chris Gueffroy sadly became the last person to be fatally shot by Grenztruppen for attempting to cross the Wall on February 5-6, 1989, far more successfully used any ingenious means necessary to go through, under, around and in some cases over the fortified border to freedom.

Some of the people who escaped or attempted to were the same ideologically pure Grenztruppen who were supposed to be guarding the border.

The Republican ranting over border security belies the fact that the U.S.-Mexico border is more fortified now than it was five years ago under the GW Bush misadministration.

Taxpayers are spending billions for more technology, 'Tortilla Curtain' fences, barriers, and increased numbers of Border Patrol agents to protect and reinforce it. There are Border Patrol checkpoints along I-5, I-8, I-10, I-15, I-19, I-25, I-35 and other major highways in proximity to or leading from the border regions and people still come like they did in the East German case, around, over, under and through it.

Never underestimate the ingenuity and determination of people who want to get somewhere in order to have a better economic life. The people who risk death sailing from Cuba and Haiti to get to Florida are a prime example of that, and it isn't going to stop Mexicans from continuing to try to cross to the US for a better quality of life either.

Never underestimate the creativity and greed of the folks who wish to make money on those people in the process, or businesspeople in the States who want bargain basement labor costs and a subservient labor force to maximize their profits.

Let me ask you predominately white, GOP voting 'secure the border' zealots a question.

Since you claim to be worried about the budget deficit, are you willing to cut programs you like such as the military budget to come up with the $800 million dollars that are estimated to be needed to fund your enhanced border fence?

If your answer is yes, are you going to build that same enhanced fence along the Canadian border as well?

Happy Birthday Pam!

Couldn't let this day go by without giving a shout out to one of my blogging role models, Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend.

She is definitely one of our leading award winning bloggers who isn't afraid to speak truth to power. She held down the number one spot in the Villager's BBR rankings for over a year and has blogged at and about the 2008 DNC convention and other events inside and outside the LGBT community.

The Blend is one of the blogs I read on a regular basis and even comment on at times.

Her influence has grown to the point that a North Carolina Democratic nominee for US Senate credited her support for his recent primary win.

I'm looking forward to one day meeting her and thanking her for the traffic boost she gave TransGriot when it was a fledgling blog in 2006 by linking to it.

Happy Birthday, Pam. May this be a blessed and low stress day for you and may you have many more.