Trans People Are Part Of The Diverse Mosaic Of Life 7

Repeat after me: Trans people are part of the diverse mosaic of life, and we are beautiful.

Transpeople are part of the diverse mosaic of life and we are beautiful.



Diana Taylor at an ACLU-NJ press conference



Fredrikka Maxwell in her Sunday diva mode



Brittany Novotny on the campaign trail




New Orleans bounce rappers Katey Red with Big Freedia




Andreas Krieger with his competition medals



Romy Haag at a Berlin event

Still Working On My 'A' Game

No matter how good they say you are, always keep working on your game.

That's a quote from Michael Jordan's 1999 NAACP Image Award acceptance speech, and it segues nicely into the topic of this post.

I have people in the community who think I'm all that and three bags of chips. Some consider me as one of the better activists on the national scene. Some international trans activists I admire have shocked me by saying to me that I'm their role model.

I have people who believe TransGriot is worthy of being considered an 'A' list blog, tell me I'm an excellent writer and a role model to many people inside and outside the TBLG community.

When I hear all those accolades, it would be easy for me to get 'big head syndrome' and start believing the hype.

Fortunately I have a saber wielding friend along with Ursa Maritimus Louisvillius and a host of other people in my friendship and sistahfriend circles who ensure I don't.

I also keep Michael Jordan's quote in mind to keep working on my 'A' game.

I am and continue to work towards being the best sister I can be. I'm constantly assessing my femme presentation, know what works for me hair, clothing, makeup and color wise and what doesn't. I'm looking for clothes and shoes that stylishly fit the image I wish to project to the world. I observe, watch and emulate the positive women I admire and take note of how they interact with the world around them.

Besides, the Phenomenal Transwoman ain't coming out of the house looking tore up from the floor up.

I'm constantly working on perfecting my writing skills. While I've become known for my non-fiction writing, I'm not too bad at fiction writing either. My dream is to publish one of my novel manuscripts one day.

As educator Marva Collins once stated, 'Readers are leaders'. So I do spend time on and off line reading as much current events material I can get my hands on, and perusing stuff that piques my intellectual curiosity.

I am a Trinity Award winner. That is the second highest honor that the United States trans community gives to a member of it or an ally. I see it as meaning that I have to step it up another level since I received that award for things I'd done prior to 2006.

I not only expect a higher standard of excellence for myself, I carry the perception sometimes that people expect greater things from me than the average trans activist starting out.

But I welcome that challenge.

If I say or commit to doing something, it's done. I'm doing a speech, it's going to be on point, well written and fitting to the occasion. When I do a presentation, I come armed with the most up to date information on the topic I can find prior to my on campus arrival and my PowerPoint presentations are regularly updated.

I am going to be in professional diva mode when I get there because I may be the lone African-American in the room or the first professional African descended trans person that particular individual, the group or the organization I'm speaking in front of has encountered.

Because the numbers of out African American trans activists are few in number, we have the additional considerations of having to represent our people and conduct ourselves in a morally upright and highly ethical manner.

Translation: I have to represent. Those may be 'old school' values to some people, but it's the way I strive to conduct my life.

So yes, in order to continue evolving into the finer specimen of womanhood that trans author Sharon Davis talked about, I definitely have to keep working on my 'A' game.

And by continuing to do so, in the long run it makes me a better person as well.

Moni's Headed Back To New England

Been sitting on this news for a little while.

Since it has been posted to the NETU Pride March website and we're a few weeks away from the event happening, I think it's time to share the news with my loyal TransGriot readers. I'm pleased to announce that Moni's headed back to New England for the 2010 New England Trans United Pride march and rally.

I was just one of the speakers at the inaugural event in 2008 in which Miss Major was the Grand Marshal.

This time I'm honored to be following in Miss Major's footsteps as the 2010 parade's Grand Marshal.

Last year's march in Northampton drew over 600 participants and the organizers hope to exceed that total this year.

The goal of the march and rally is to raise awareness of the discrimination faced by the trans community in order to build support in the Massachusetts legislature for pending trans civil rights legislation.

One bill on the local community's radar is Massachusetts bill H1728/S1687, “An act Relative To Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes,”.

Thanks New England Trans United for the honor and looking forward to seeing you peeps in Northampton, MA and the surrounding area on Saturday, September 11.

Will be a blast to see and hang out with old friends, meet some new ones and say howdy to all my TransGriot readers in the area.

And please tell me y'all snagged the RV y'all had for the 2008 event.

Brittany For HD 84 Update

The Oklahoma primary election is on Tuesday, but the good news is that she doesn't have a primary opponent.

She is the Democratic nominee for HD 84 and can focus all her energy on block walking, meeting the voters, discussing her vision for HD 84 and saving whatever cash she raises on the fall campaign.

Nice segue into what I'm going to point out next. If you want good trans candidates in your state houses and eventually Congress, that takes money. She actually has a great shot at winning this race against Sally Kern, so send Brittany whatever cash you can spare. Here's the link.

Here's the link to Brittany's FB page. It'll help you folk who don't live in the OKC area keep up with all the developments in her campaign.

Run Brittany Run! Win Brittany Win!

Trans Marriages Have Always Been Legal

I have much love and respect for my fellow Texan Kat Rose. She has off the charts intellect and we have a lot of similar interests that have made us good friends over the years. She's a historian, legal scholar, and one fantastic writer.

And has a wicked sense of humor.

One of the things that our opponents want to obfuscate is that transpeople have always been able to get married. That was the case in the early 60's when Jacqueline-Charlotte Dufresnoy booked Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral to marry her first husband, when transpeople in the US did so for decades such as Avon Wilson without drama until the passage of DOMA, Mexican transpeeps Diana Guerrero and Mario del Socorro did in 2008 and South Korean trans model Harisu doing so with her husband Micky Jung.

Check out this 2004 cited Deakin Law Review piece Kat authored on trans marriages entitled '"The Proof is in the History: The Louisiana Constitution Recognises Transsexual Marriages and Louisiana Sex Discrimination Law Covers Transsexuals- So Why Isn't Everyone Celebrating?"

In light of the ongoing Araguz case, it has heightened importance for us.

Bad Medicine

One of the things that continues to be an issue in the trans community is the negative treatment that trans people receive at the hands of people in the medical establishment.

While some doctors, nurses, EMT's and other medical personnel are caring, compassionate and professional, we have some nekulturny fools in the bunch as well.

We have doctors who fail to live up to the Hippocratic Oath and nurses, EMT's and other medical personnel who are more concerned with maintaining their faith based bigotry of trans people than providing the quality medical care their trans patients need and deserve.

Even at the expense of that trans person's life.

The nightmare scenario for many transpeople took place almost 15 years ago on August 7, 1995.

Tyra Hunter was on her way to work in Washington DC when the car she was riding in was involved in an accident. She was refused timely treatment by DC Fire Department EMT Adrian Williams and later at DC General Hospital that would have saved her life.

Worse, while Williams was NOT treating Tyra, he took the time to disrespectfully mock her. And what was his punishment? A promotion by the DCFD.

Sadly, the less than stellar treatment trans people receive in medical facilities still happens. Had a transwoman recently e-mail me about her needing to call in her congressmember to get her Medicaid application approved she filed in April 2007.

They glacially dragged their feet on a process that normally takes only 90 days for kidney patients. She heard nothing about her status until July 2008. Once the congressmember's staff started making phone calls on her behalf it was approved two weeks later.

To add insult to her injury, she endured a jacked up transphobic medical experience while getting needed kidney dialysis treatment.

Less than 24 hours after reading her e-mail, I heard the story about a transwoman getting disrespectfully treated July 18 at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, IN.

Her life partner took her there because she was coughing up a large volume of blood.

The patient showed emergency room intake staff her Indiana state ID which had her FEMALE name and FEMALE gender marker in clear print on it.

So what did the Ball Memorial ER staff do? Logged her into their system as a MALE.

The fun and games continue. They proceeded to ridicule the patient and loudly refer to her as "it" while the patient's partner was disrespectfully asked by these infantile health care "professionals" if she was a 'he/she'. To add even more insult to injury, the patient was quizzed about her length of time as a 'transvestite'.

That incident was so jacked up a protest is going to take place there on August 17, and a petition is already circulating on the Net condemning it.

Medical disrespect and poor service happens to our transbrothers as well. Just as Tyra Hunter is our nightmare scenario, Robert Eads has the same significance to many transmen.

They will sadly recall how he was refused medical treatment by two dozen doctors for the cancer that took his life in 1999. His story is detailed in the 2001 documentary 'Southern Comfort'.

And that's before we even get started with pharmacists who refuse to fill hormone prescriptions on specious faith based grounds or if they grudgingly have to do so, disrespect the trans person availing themselves of their services.

So yes, there's a lot of work we must do to ensure that no transperson is denied care or mistreated while receiving it.

But at the same time the medical profession needs to look inward, do the right thing and come down on those people in its ranks who presume their religious beliefs and transphobic attitudes outweigh their solemn oaths to do no harm and take care of all patients who seek their services.

And the point also needs to be driven home to the medical profession that 'all patients' includes trans people as well.

You Want Trans POC Peeps Speaking At Your Events, Simply Ask Us

Was perusing some pictures on Trystan Dean's FB page taken at the TransForm New Hampshire Conference that concludes today when I noted a comment Trystan made concerning a point made in Allyson Robinson's keynote conference address that resonated with me.

'There wasn't a single person of color there. Every one of us looked/passed as white. It was rather heartbreaking. Allyson Robinson noted the absence of people of color in her keynote speech. It takes more than an announcement to build bridges between the diverse elements of our Trans community. It takes going the extra mile to bring everyone to the table. Like Allyson said, we have to be willing to give away our privilege.'

True enough. It's not like we don't have transpeople of color who are capable of giving inspiring keynote speeches at trans conferences and other events.

I've been blessed to have been asked and able to give speeches at several TDOR events in Louisville and Long Island, the inaugural NE Trans Pride march, a keynote for a gender conference on the University of Colorado campus, a speech at Bryn Mawr College and of course, my 2006 IFGE Trinity Award acceptance speech.

I have had a note on the right side TransGriot sidebar for almost two years stating that I'm available and willing to speak, and I'm personally aware of other trans POC's like myself in various sections of the country who not only have the talent and eloquence to do so, would love to have the opportunity as well.

We just aren't asked.

Would I love to be a keynote speaker at a Southern Comfort Conference? A Colorado Gold Rush? A Creating Change? The Unity Banquet in my hometown? An IFGE Convention? Various events taking place on college campuses? Cis community civil rights events such as ACLU, NAACP and Urban League dinners, et cetera?

You damned skippy I would.

And I'd be looking fly while doing so.

But for that to happen, you have to ask me and my fellow transpeeps at the outset of your planning for the event, not treat us as an afterthought once it's over.

Because if we aren't part of the event, it sends the unspoken message that we aren't wanted and need not show up.

That may not be the intended one you as organizers of an event wished to send to the general public and our community, but when POC transpeople see pictures of a nearly monoethnic event, and see a list of guest speakers that reflect only one ethnic group, that's unfortunately the message that gets received.

The trans community has to be BETTER than our oppressors.

Granted, there were mitigating factors at this event because of the fact it was held in New Hampshire. Demographically, according to the 2000 US census New Hampshire is 97% White. But there are also transpeople of color in the surrounding New England area states in easy driving or flying distance of Concord, NH.

If asked, they probably would have been thrilled to have the opportunity to do so.

If we assert that the trans community is a diverse bunch and that diversity is our best weapon and our strength against our misguided opponents, then we have to do more to ensure our events reflect that diversity.

Just because the rest of the world doesn't is no excuse for us to fall into that same old same old pattern, especially as a marginalized group fighting our own pitched civil rights battle with the Forces of Intolerance.

But it will take going the extra mile to make that happen.

Nikki Araguz Update 5 -Sounds Like Somebody's Bitter

'TransGriot peeps, thought I'd post one of the comments I received a few days ago that got caught in my spam filter. This one is courtesy of someone calling herself 'Cowgirl'.

***

well, I am sure Nikki knew the laws in TX when she took her marriage vows. So, she should not be surprised and heartbroken now. If, in fact, her "husband" knew she was transseuxal and he knew the law then he could have drawn up a will that would leave a specific amount to "Nikki".

My ex husband left me and the kids to be a "woman" financially devistating his family. The real victims are the children and mislead spouses. It's funny, among the trans-community there is not one soul that thinks perhaps the ex wife needs that money to care for those children and to pay for college for them. It's only $500K. I know exactly how fast my ex would blow through that money...He'd have a wild time at Victoria's Secret to say the least.

***

"Cowgirl", your transphobic slip is showing.

Judging by your commentary, you're not only bitter, I doubt that you know the Texas laws covering marriage. If you're talking about that odious marriage amendment that was hastily cobbled together by GOP legislative haters, there a question about whether ANYBODY in Texas is legally able to get married since the 2005 passage of the 'hate on same gender couples amendment' to the Texas Constitution.

Funny, I love it when you right wing people are quick to use children as your human shields to be as nasty, judgmental and hateful to people you don't like, including your exes.

'Cowgirl', what happened between you and your ex is just that. Drama that happened between you and your ex. It doesn't apply to all people who find themselves married to a transitioning trans partner with kids.

Unless you have ESP, you have no idea what Nikki knew about Texas marriage laws or what Thomas Araguz III knew (or didn't know) about the configuration of the genitalia between Nikki's legs.

The one thing we can definitely say is that Thomas Araguz III loved her enough to marry her in 2008.

You never know what people like to do or what turns them on sexually once that bedroom door is closed. Nor is it yours, mine or anybody else's business in Wharton, the state of Texas, the United States or this planet to know.

When you ASSUME...you make an ASS out of...Well, you get the point.

I'd also like to point out that one of the last things any relatively healthy twenty, thirty or forty something person is thinking about is drawing up a will.

Just ask Anna Nicole Smith's family.

But people, this is a small sample of the transhate and ignorance that this case has and sadly will continue to draw. Unfortunately it's only going to get worse before we see the light at the end of the tunnel for it.

Nikki does have a Facebook page, so send her some love and let her know her trans brothers and sisters and supportive cis allies around the world are lifting her up in love, prayer and support.

The Transgender Foundation of America is collecting funds to help Nikki and support the case. If y'all can spare a dollar, $5, $10, $20 or whatever to help support the case, that's all good as well.

Speaking of prayer, let's just hope and pray the Araguz care is the nail in the coffin for Littleton and it isn't another 18-wheel adverse legal ruling truck barreling down on us.

2010 Canadian Weblog Awards

This is one I'm not eligible for since I'm on the south side of the 49th parallel, but a certain Canadian homegirl of mine and a few other Canadian blogging pals are.

But the best part about it is that you don't have to be a Canadian citizen to nominate good Canuck blogs you read or stumble across that are the bomb.

They even have a category for expat Canadians as well.

It's the 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards, and the nomination period started on January 1 and runs until October 31.

Why so long a nomination period? Well, the goal of the Regina, Saskatchewan based CWA's is to promote the Canadian blogosphere and Canadian bloggers.

It's also a juried competition rather than one based on popular vote like many of our blog awards are in the States.

After whittling down all the nominees, the Top Ten finalists will be announced in December 1, with the three winners in each category being announced on January 1, 2011.

Once again, you'll have until October 31 to nominate your favorite Canadian bloggers like I'm already busy doing.

Good luck, eh!

Nikki Araguz Update 4-First Phyllabuster

TransGriot Note: From the Phyllabuster mail list-first one since the trial started.


Phyllabuster: Judge bars firefighter's widow from benefits

Friends of Phyllis Frye, the Phyllabuster,

This is from yesterday's Houston Chronicle. For video and other go to www.chron.com.

As you know, my law firm is defending the widow, Mrs. Araguz. We are at www.liberatinglaw.com. Quoted below is Darrell Steidley, who is running the civil litigation portion of this struggle and who is one of the partners in my firm. We are very fortunate to have him in this mix. Actually, when you go to our firm website, I will state now that we are lucky to Salvador, Angela, Natacha and Jeremy also as they are each playing an integral part in this struggle for justice. And if you call our office at 713-227-1717, you will talk to Jeffrey (voicemail #6) who does his best to keep things moving smoothly. PLEASE, if you call for me and you get the machine, always punch #6 and leave the message for Jeffrey. (More often, your message will get to me faster if you leave the message at voicemail #6 for Jeffrey.)

As most of you know and as the papers and the legal plea papers of the in-law's side indicate, this appears to be a full and complete replay of the Littleton case (which you can read at www.tglegal.com). As I am quoted below, "If the legal chips go where I hope they go, I hope that we can get Littleton overturned or rendered toothless." What I also said was that too many people have been ruined by the Littleton case.

Finally, send comments about the article to the reporter.

Resting today (Saturday) but back into the office tomorrow,

Phyllis

#####


Transgender Foundation of America
604 Pacific
Houston, TX 77006

Make checks payable to Transgender Foundation of America. Please make sure to note that the donation is for the TG Center Nikki Araguz Fund.

Nikki’s FaceBook: www.tiny.cc/fb4nikki

Nikki’s Email: Nikki.Araguz@ tgctr.org

The Transgender Foundation of America is a 501c3 nonprofit that runs the Houston Transgender Center, Archive and Library. In addition to social services, the Transgender Center offers an array of support group meetings, lectures and events designed to improve the quality of life for transgender people.


CONTACT

Lou Weaver
713-520-8586
lou@tgctr.org
Transgender Center
604 Pacific
Houston, Texas 77006

###


Transgender Foundation of America:

Helpline: 713-520-8586
Fax: 713-583-5400

TFA seeks to improve the quality of life for transgender people. TFA is a 501[c]3 nonprofit.

TFA TG Center: http://tgctr.org
TFA Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54582959028&ref=search#!/group.php?gid=54582959028
TFA Twitter: http://twitter. com/tgcenter
TFA Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/transgender-center-houston

-----
TransHouston.com is the Houston Area TG Community online.

2010 Black Weblog Awards Nomination Deadline Is Tomorrow

The 2010 Black Weblog Awards nomination period closes tomorrow July 25, so there's still time to nominate TransGriot for Best LGBT Blog (hint, hint)

You can also show our Canadian homegirl Renee of Womanist Musings some love for the Best International Blog category along with other Blackosphere bloggers who do a wonderful job tellin' it like it T-I-S is.

Yeah, I'm proud of the fact I was the first trans blogger period to become a finalist in the Best LGBT category of the Weblog Awards. But bloggers of color rarely get nominated, much less win these overall blog awards, which was why it was a big fracking deal when I got nominated in 2008.

But for the most part, if we want to show some love and recognition to our best bloggers, we have to do it our damned selves because sadly, nobody else will.



I didn't start TransGriot with the idea of garnering piles of awards. I did so because I was tired of the accomplishments and the voices of African descended transpeople being ignored and whitewashed out of trans and GLBT history.

TransGriot exists because I have a lot to say about many issues besides just trans ones, and I have a voice that needs to be heard.

So if you haven't done so already, surf on over the the 2010 Black Weblog Awards website and take a moment to nominate your favorite chocolate flavored bloggers in the categories you think they deserve to win.

The finalists will be announced on August 1, so once you nominate them, come back to the site and vote for the blogs you nominated as well.

Nikki Araguz Update-Friday Court Report From Cristan

The Houston TG Center's Cristan Williams spent the day observing and tweeting the proceedings in the Wharton County Courthouse, and explains what transpired in this YouTube video.



A Fox 26 legal analyst claims that the Texas Supreme Court ruled on the Littleton case.

That's a lie. The all GOP dominated Texas Supreme Court (with future US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales sitting on it at the time) refused to even hear the case in order to protect Junior's 2000 presidential run.

So no, this issue has NOT been settled in Texas law.

Nikki Araguz Update 2

A FB page has been set up to support Nikki Araguz.

And she's going to need it. Peep this entry from today:

'When we broke for lunch at the court house, we went across the street to eat. People shouted a number of slurs at Nikki and transgender people and Nikki broke down. Mark with Resurrection MCC Houston led everyone in a prayer for strength. By the time Nikki was feeling better, it was time to walk back to the court house and do it all again.'



Hate to hear that.

As you probably guessed, this case is all over the Houston news and was one of the lead stories for the 6 PM newscast on KTRK-TV 13. Haven't checked the other news station sites in town such as KHOU-TV 11, KIAH-TV 39, KPRC-TV 2 or KRIV Fox 26 in order to monitor their coverage for any odious whiffs of transphobia.



Thomas Araguz III grew up in Wharton, TX which is 55 miles southwest of Houston.

One of the things his sister said that we can all agree on is that she would rather her brother be remembered for being a great father, a dedicated fire fighter, and family man other than this developing media circus.

Unfortunately, his heroic death is being turned into a tawdry money grabbing media circus and a case that could have a major lasting impact on our ability to get married.

Nikki Araguz Update 1

As many of you are aware of the initial arguments in Nikki Araguz's case were made down in Wharton today.

As soon as I hear anything or see any developments pop up in this case, I'll post it to the blog. In the meantime, Fox 26 obtained this video shot by a student for a film 15 years ago that was never aired.

Until KRIV-TV obtained the rights to them.





From Thursday's Press Conference



Stay tuned...this is probably going to get ugly before it's resolved

Shut Up Fool! Awards- Is It Football Season Yet? Edition

One of the surest signs that fall is approaching in the Lone Star State is the appearance of Dave Campbell's Texas Football on magazine racks everywhere in the Lone Star State and beyond its larger than France sized borders.

The Astros having a less than stellar season combined with the anticipation in the wake of the Texans first winning season since they started NFL play in 2002, the UH Cougars reasserting themselves in the national rankings, and the high quality high school ball in the area has many of us here in H-town ready for baseball season to be over and letting the pigskin games begin.

That's a nice segue into this week's SUF awards. Time to kick butt, take names and see what foll, fools or group of fools distinguished themselves in making themselves look stupid enough to earn our illustrious award.

Let's face it, there's no contest this week. It's Andrew Breitbart.

This conservafool has been posting lies, race baiting and and conservasmearing people and liberal progressive organizations for years, and was front and center in the campaign that took down ACORN.

His latest campaign cost an innocent woman her job,and now that his smear campaign has begun to unravel, refuses to apologize.

The Shirley Sherrod controversy was designed to smear the NAACP and the Obama administration, but it may have the opposite effect of finally being the nail in the coffin for the MSM taking Fox News and right wing smearmongers such as Breitbart as credible news sources.

And to Ms. Sherrod, who was unduly harmed by the conservasmear campaign, please sue his and Fox 'News' azzes.

Andrew Breitbart, shut the hell up fool!

Tired Of Being Invisible

TTransGriot Note: My post at the Rude Pundit

I get the honor of closing out this LGBT Week of posts here at the Rude Pundit. It has been an interesting week of commentary from some of the leading bloggers in the LGBT blogosphere.

Guest posting stints like this remind me that even though I don’t consider myself an ‘A’ list blogger, other people and my blogging peers think the TransGriot is all that and three bags of chips, and I thank The Rude Pundit for the invite.

So let’s get to what’s on my mind today.

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday attending the 2nd Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Conference on the Rice University campus. One of the conversations I was engaged in during our lunch break on Tuesday was the lack of visibility for African descended trans people.

The overwhelming narrative for transpeople in this country since Christine Jorgensen stepped off the plane from Denmark in 1953 has been disproportionately a vanilla flavored one despite the fact that trans people are found on every inhabited continent on this planet, including Africa.

And contrary to that vanilla dominated narrative, we’ve played some key roles in the shaping of the trans community in the United States.

*The first trans specific protest was a 1965 sit in at Dewey’s Lunch Counter organized by African American transpeople in Philadelphia.

*The first client of the now closed Johns Hopkins gender program was an African American transwoman named Avon Wilson.

*Miss Major was one of our African American trans Stonewall veterans.

*An African American transwoman named Marsha P. Johnson played a key role along with Sylvia Rivera of setting up and organizing the proto organizations that led to the modern GLBT rights movement.

*When then Senator Obama made his historic acceptance speech at the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver, in the stadium that evening was Dr. Marisa Richmond, the first African-American transwoman elected as a delegate to a major party convention..

African descended transmen have also stepped up to the plate to provide leadership such as NBJC Board Chair Kylar Broadus, the late Alexander John Goodrum, the late Marcelle Cook-Daniels, and Louis Mitchell just to name a few.

But you wouldn’t know that if you peruse the trans history narratives being written, the melanin free White House LBGT receptions and congressional hearings, and the leadership ranks of trans organizations devoid of African American talent.

We even get ignored in our own community, when our fellow African American SGL people put together leadership lists purported to be inclusive of the entire community, but end up having no transpeople of African descent on them.

When they get called on it, they offer the weak excuse that ‘they don’t know of any African-American trans leaders.'

Oh really?

That bull feces needs to stop, especially when we along with our Latina sisters are taking the brunt of the anti trans violence casualties.

We’re not just ‘tragic transsexual’ victims, we are beautiful and talented people in our own rights. We are ready, willing and more than able to provide quality leadership for the entire TBLG community if just given the opportunity to do so.

The point is that this is the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century, and we're beyond sick and tired of being sick and tired of this situation.

You have a choice. It's either take the steps to correct this 'illusion of inclusion' situation, or suffer the consequences for your lack of visionary thinking.

Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit-Day Two Recap

For Day Two I decided to go casual and leave the house a little earlier so I wouldn't have the METRO drama I endured yesterday.

I decided I just couldn't hide my Cougar pride and showed up in my UH t-shirt and jeans instead of being in diva mode. I got there early enough to partake of the continental breakfast and talk with some of the younglings like Ambi and Lowell and veteran activists such as Lisa Scheps.

I continued to hear how happy people were to find out the Texan in Exile was back on Lone Star soil, that my blog is well thought of, and people on the national trans leadership scene think highly of me.

If y'all think that highly of me, then hire a sister for your organizations.

While that made me feel empowered and happy, this event still wasn't about me. It was about Day Two of the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit and what WE could do to help bring change on and off Texas college campuses for the better.

After giving birthday girl Vanessa a big hug, we returned to the Kyle Morrow Room to pick up where we left off in the TTNS Day One proceedings on Tuesday.

After listening to the housekeeping announcements, my Group 5 cohorts and I headed to our group moderated by Shane Whalley.

It was a discussion about domestic partner benefits and the problems of getting them in a GOP dominated state. I did contribute some points from my time in Kentucky about how UK and U of L have managed to do so with roughly the same political climate and budget deficit situation.

When those 30 minutes were up, it was off to Randall Terrell's group to discuss the current landscape of Texas politics, the upcoming 2010 midterms, redistricting and how all of this affects the Texas TBLG community.

That was another group I was more of a active listener in because it was helping me get back to speed on the Texas political climate circa 2010.

Our group then went to our final mini session of the TTNS, moderated by Jo Tittsworth on another subject I've discussed or thought about more than a few times in terms of intersecting ideologies.

Thirty minutes wasn't enough for this group. We talked about lobbying strategies, intersectional work, incorporating different points of view in compiling and executing those strategies and how factors like race, ethnicity and class can impact it. Jo, Maria and I even talked about interesting things that happened to us while lobbying at the state, local and federal level.

We then took a break, then went into our large group before we broke for lunch that Lowell and Katy facilitated.

They hammered five main points about strategic planning that we expounded on in the discussions.

1- Defining the problem
2- Identifying the target
3- Gathering the troops
4- Status check
5- Evaluation of success/failure

We then broke for lunch while a smaller group headed by Randall began working on a joint support statement for Nikki Araguz that we discussed and cleaned up from the initial draft during the lunch break.

Yes, even during conferences sometimes real world events have a way of inserting themselves on these preplanned affairs that compel the activists gathered at that venue to take some kind of action.

I'm still bummed about a protest I missed at the 1999 Creating Change conference I attended that took place in Oakland. It was in response to an African-American transwoman who was assaulted outside the convention center, then was disrespected by the Oakland po-po's who were called to the scene to take the report.

I had to fly back home to be at work that Sunday, and while I was winging back to Texas from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area, the Creating Change conference attendees were marching in the streets.

There was also a conversation I had with some young African American activists in which I discussed with them the emotions and issues with being the lone POC's sometimes in conferences and organizations. I pointed out POC's would like to be active participants at many LGBT conferences and orgs in the community, but circumstances sometimes prevent them from doing so or we're not asked.

I advised them that if they find themselves being the Lone Sistah in the room, to be fearless in speaking up, saying what's on your mind and not be too overly concerned about it. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't no matter what happens.

If you don't speak up, you'll be kicking yourself for not doing so. If you do and peeps are going to trip about you representing your constituency and saying something that may not line up neatly with the groupthink in the room, so what?

After lunch came the role playing scenarios, and the question and answer discussions that followed them utilizing the strategies we'd spent a day and a half learning.

Then came the concluding remarks from Jo, the post test and evaluations, and just like that, the 2010 Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit was over.

Before we left, we've been collecting donations toward a fund to help defray the costs of Nikki Araguz's legal expenses since her accounts have been frozen. It was $100 in cash and $200 in checks.

I spent a few minutes talking to some of the college students and other people I'd gotten to know over the last day and a half before departing from the Fondren Library and walking across the Rice campus to Fannin St. and my train stop.

I'm looking forward to interacting with them on upcoming projects and speaking engagements inside and outside the Houston metro area. You can also add Texas State to the list of possible places you may see the TransGriot speaking.

I'm looking forward to if I'm available to do so, stepping on the Texas A&M campus for the 2011 TTNS. Info and dates coming soon.

Hopefully at the 2011 event I'll see representatives and attendees from HBCU's such as Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M in the house as well.

TransGriot Notes: Photos of 2010 TTNS Courtesy of Angela Hon Photography

Phyllis Frye Is ON The Case

The developments in the Araguz case are coming fast and furiously. During Day Two of the TTNS a press release was compiled in support of Ms. Araguz that will be released as soon as it is ready.

One welcome development is that longtime attorney and the grandmother of the trans movement here in H-town Phyllis R. Frye has been hired as Nikki Araguz's attorney.

Frye runs a firm here in Houston that covers all facets of the law, but is well known as being one of the leading authorities on trans law.

If she releases any Phyllabusters of note, I'll post them to the blog.

The first round of this case will take place on Friday, and I and a lot of people in the Houston area and the Lone Star State are less anxious about it knowing that one of our best legal gunslingers is on the case.