Colonel Sanders 120th Birthday

It escaped most people's attention and I'm surprised the nekulturny media pimps at PETA didn't release another one of their anti-KFC screeds, but today was the 120th anniversary of the birth of one of my fellow Kentucky Colonels, Harlan David Sanders.

'The Colonel' at age 65 took a $105 Social Security check, a sixth grade education and a chicken recipe and parlayed it into a global food empire. Until his 1980 death at age 90, he traveled 250,000 miles a year visiting KFC restaurants worldwide.

For years, he carried the secret Original Recipe in his head and the spice mixture in his car as he drove coast to coast visiting franchisees.

By 1976, he was ranked as the world’s second most recognizable celebrity behind only heavyweight champion (and fellow Kentuckian) Muhammad Ali. I lived down the street from the Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville where he is buried.

I'll have to make a pilgrimage to my local KFC in his honor.

Team USA FIBA Worlds- USA Beats Russia 89-79

Thirty eight years ago today I was watching on TV as Team USA was screwed out of a basketball gold medal in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

They played the Soviet Union for the gold on that day that lives in American basketball infamy. With Team USA clinging to a 50-49 lead, they stopped the Big Red Machine twice in the final three seconds of the game to seal the apparent gold medal clinching victory.



Incredibly, the Soviets were given a third chance when R. William Jones, Secretary General of FIBA, stepped in and ordered the clock again reset to :03 and the game replayed from that point. This time the Soviets made it count. Aleksander Belov and the USA's Kevin Joyce and Jim Forbes went up for the pass, Belov caught the long pass from Ivan Edeshko at the foul line sending the two Americans sprawling, Belov then drove to the basket for the layup and the winning points.

The controversial 51-50 loss snapped Team USA's 63 win Olympic basketball winning streak. The US filed a post game protest which was denied by FIBA officials. The incensed American players voted unanimously to refuse their silver medals and to this day not one player has picked them up.

Team USA and the Russians have clashed on international basketball courts more than a few times since 1972. Our last FIBA title in 1994 was won at Russian expense in Toronto. But the Russians denied us a chance to repeat as FIBA champs despite the NBA lockout when they knocked Team USA off 66-64 in the 1998 FIBA semis

I bring it up because one of the players for Team USA in that 1972 game, Mike Bantom, is now the NBA's senior vice president of player development and accompanying the team in Turkey.

In addition, there was some pregame trash talking that opened up those old basketball wounds.

Russia's American born coach David Blatt stated that he believed the outcome of the 1972 game was fair.

Coach K shot back, of course, Blatt would have that opinion as a Russian.

During the first quarter, it looked like history was eerily repeating itself as the first quarter ended tied at 25 apiece. The Russians sprinted out to a five point lead during the second quarter before Team USA tightened the defensive screws and started forcing turnovers.

Kevin Durant ensured that there would be no repeat of 1972 as he torched the Russians for 33 points as Team USA broke the game open in the third quarter to cruise to the win and get one step closer to bringing the Naismith Trophy back to the USA.

They will play Lithuania, who knocked off the FIBA number one ranked Argentine squad 104-85. The other semifinal features the hosts Turks and Serbia.

I want the Serbs to get their butts kicked because I'm tired of their fans posting on FIBA sites the BS lie that Team USA's players are on steroids or crowing about the alleged superiority of European basketball.

Yeah, right. NBA ballers are faster and better than the slow plodding Euroball players you're used to watching.

If Euroball is so superior, why are some of your players warming the ends of NBA benches? When I called the Serbian fans on their ignorance and crap, (the NBA is part of the FIBA Clean Game anti doping program) I found myself one day mysteriously blocked from posting on the site until I complained about it.

Then again, it would be more fun if we beat the Serbs down in the finals.

Tomball Refuses To Pass Anti-Immigrant Measures

There's anti-Texas sentiment in liberal-progressive circles that is fueled in large portions due to the extreme dislike of the GW Bush misadministration and the Texas GOP being as nekulturny, homophobic, transphobic and racist as they can be.

It's something that annoys me as a proud daughter of the state who knows its progressive history and is acutely aware of the fact that current Republican control of it is only a recent phenomenon.

Thought I'd hip you Texas haters to a story that isn't getting much coverage in the national press outside of the Houston Chronicle that bolsters mine and a lot of true blue Texans faith in our fellow citizens.

It also points out that progressive attitudes just aren't ensconced in Austin, Dallas, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Houston and the Rio Grande valley.

Tomball is a 'burb in the far northern reaches of Harris County which has had an influx of Latinos throughout the years. For the last month the local Tea Klux Klan has been stirring up anti Latino and anti-immigrant animus over a ten year old day laborer center funded by the city of Tomball.

Tuesday night first term Tomball City Councilman Derek Townsend, Sr. placed two anti immigrant measures on the Tuesday city council calendar in front of a packed city council chamber filled with proponents and opponents of the measures.

Townsend told the audience the usual 'white wing' spin line that his proposals were not about racism, but about standing up for the US Constitution.

Bull feces. One proposal was to make English the official language of the city of Tomball. What was the other one? It sought to prohibit undocumented immigrants from renting, owning property or owning or operating a business there.

So Texas haters, guess which way the Tomball City Council voted? If you said in favor of both proposals, wrong. Both went down in flames.

The Tomball councilmembers besides Derek Townsend probably had in mind what happened to the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch.

In 2006 Farmers Branch voted to make English the city's official language and followed it up in 2007 with a measure to prohibit landlords from renting property to illegal immigrants. Both ordinances got struck down earlier this year by federal judges as unconstitutional.

"I'd sure hate to take our people down that route," said City Councilman Rick Brown. "It's lawsuit after lawsuit."

Councilman Preston Dodson agreed, saying such a move could have "huge constitutionality issues."

So there you have it, Texas haters. A group of Texas politicians that did the right thing and not the 'right wing' thing.

Imagine that. Now where's my Blue Bell homemade vanilla?

GIEC Credibility Chasm Widens

2000 IFGE Trinity Award winner Dawn Wilson has a saying that was taught to her by her Sunday school teacher in Lexington, KY and often repeated during our frequent conversations in the seven and a half years I lived with her in Louisville.

When me, her and Polar would discuss the travails of the trans community over the now eleven years I've known her and the Polar Bear, she would at some point in our conversation say and repeat this saying like a mantra:

Accountability plus responsibility equals credibility.

I've taken to writing and saying it at times in shorthand like a math equation: A plus R equals C

But in the wake of the post I penned earlier this week about GIEC, Dawn's words came back to me with stark clarity as I perused the comments left on the TransGriot post, the e-mails I've received about it, the commentary throughout the Transosphere, and comments on mine and the FB pages of GIEC.

It's clear that I wasn't the only person in Trans World who had concerns about GIEC and their credibility gap.

Umm, now that I think about it, GIEC doesn't have a credibility gap.

It has a credibility chasm.

In the wake of the mea culpas posted to their site and their blog there's a spirit of glasnost now sweeping through the organization. But it seems old habits die hard for the trans comrades that can't shoot straight (pardon the pun) and they are up to their maskirovka tricks again.

The GIEC website just posted pictures of their 'alleged' board members.

Note the word 'alleged' in quotation marks.

I was sent an e-mail by a respected trans community icon pointing out to me that this posted board resembles the title of an Alexander O'Neal song.



She pointed out to me in that e-mail and subsequent conversation we had that none of the pictures have names underneath them, nor are the names of the board members listed on that page.

The names can only be accessed in pulldown menus, thus avoiding easy discovery of their inclusion on that page should the peeps in question do Google searches on themselves.

One of the photos she recognized was a friend of hers. and she contacted him to ask if he was part of the GIEC board.

That friend turned out to be noted intersex activist and ally to our community Curtis Hinkle.

When contacted by the respected trans community icon, Hinkle was shocked to discover his photo was uploaded to the GIEC page and is not happy about it.

This is the e-mail he sent to me and CC'd to the respected trans community icon yesterday.

From: "Curtis Hinkle"
To: “Monica Roberts”
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2010 6:32 PM
Subject: Urgent concerning Ariana Davis

Dear Monica,

I am writing to let you know that I have been informed that Ariana Davis has posted information about me which makes it appear that I am a board member of the GIDC. I have never been aware of such a position. I simply joined an email group and then agreed that OII (Organisation Intersex International) supported the goals of the GIDC, which we do, i.e., the depathologization of transsexuality and transgenderism. I have heard nothing from Ariana in over a year, maybe longer, and she is no longer associated with OII.

I am very concerned about the situation that has developed and wished to inform you that OII is in no way associated with it.

Kindest regards,
Curtis

***

Curtis, so am I and a lot of people in the trans community.

To the folks whose photos are posted, let me know if you are or aren't a member of the GIEC board that was posted to their site.

Note to Arianna, Katerina and the rest of GIEC. A plus R equals C and I'd suggest you repeat that on a daily basis before it's too late.

Because of your inattention to accountability and responsibility, GIEC's credibility is rapidly dwindling.

The eyes of this trans Texan aren't the only ones upon you. There are others who are paying attention to what you have been doing and will not hesitate to speak out and call you out.

GIEC's actions have given me and others the impression you don't or are simply clueless not ready for primetime poseurs.

I and many people in the community would like to believe that you have the best of intentions for this community and our best interests at heart.

But the trans community in the second decade of the twenty first century doesn't have the luxury of thinking with its heart.

We can't allow ineffective 'all hat and no cattle' organizations with credibility problems to speak or attempt to speak for it.

We need effective organizations and leaders who know the meaning of A plus R equals C.

T-Minus 30 Days Until My JJ Class Reunion

Yesterday marked the one month to go point of the countdown to my 30th high school reunion with my Jesse H. Jones classmates. I've surpassed my weight loss goal and actually was stunned to discover when I stepped on the scale yesterday that I'm at 198 pounds.

I haven't been under 200 pounds since I started transition, so I'm happy about that.
What I'm not happy about is my status as a 99er and this economy. I've had to scrip and save to get the money together for this event, but it's worth it.

Despite my own personal drama, I'm still looking forward to seeing some of my classmates, and hope they feel the same way.

As my homegirl Joslyn posted in her FB profile note to me and the 'Class With Class'

Time is so precious especially now. We're not getting any younger. LOL I know there are many of us who are planning to attend our 30th Reunion and some who are on the fence as to whether to go or not. I have to say please jump off the fence and go. Only the Lord knows how much longer we have and it's been 10 or more years since many of us have seen each other. Many of us have changed since high school. Just like a fine wine our class has gotten better with time.

I know I've definitely changed since high school for the better. Looking forward to seeing who else has. I'm also hoping that I see some classmates in attendance that I haven't seen since I was a skinny kid walking JJ's halls in 1980.

And she's right in that time is not only precious and we don't know how much of it we have left at any given time, it moves at warp speed. I still remember how I felt the day school started in August 1977 and walked on JJ's campus as a sophomore.

30 years ago this month I was starting my freshman year in college. Now I'm contemplating going back.

It'll also be cool to note that I won't be in the running for the 'Most Changed Award' this time like I was in 2000.

Hail JJ! See y'all October 8-10

U of L To Host Statewide Fairness Coalition Fall Summit

Even though I'm now 1000 miles from Louisville and the state of Kentucky, I still am in contact with many of the people and organizations I gave time to, helped and was a part of for the almost 8 years I lived there.

Received this e-mail recently about this upcoming Kentucky specific event while I was moping about not being there for Carla's Lawn Party.

Since I still have a lot of peeps from Da Ville and the Bluegrass state checking in and even dropping comments on this blog from time to time, thought I'd post it.

I attended the spring Statewide Fairness Summit in Frankfort, and now it's time for the fall edition to happen and plot the next steps toward getting a statewide Fairness law.

The Statewide Fairness Coalition Fall Summit 2010 will will take place September 25 from 9:00am EDT - 5:00pm EDT on the University of Louisville campus just south of downtown.

Figures y'all would have it in Da Ville after I leave.

Just as with the spring event, it's FREE Registration with breakfast and lunch provided.

Students are enthusiastically wanted and encouraged to attend. Supporters from across the state are needed to strategize for Statewide Fairness with Coalition members ACLU-KY, Fairness Campaign, Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, Kentucky Fairness Alliance, and Lexington Fairness!

Since this is occurring during U of L's Pride Week celebration, there will be a special student event. So if you're a college student thinking about attending ask for the details about the Friday night special student event as part of U of L's Pride Week.

Travel and lodging assistance is also available for students withing to attend as well.

You can register for the event by e-mailing Laura@Fairness.org as expeditiously as possible. If you're a college student, note that in your e-mailed registration as well.

I won't be there, but I'm confident the folks in my other hometown will put on an informative and great event.

2010 US Open Williams Watch-Venus Moves To Semis

it's been a struggle at times, but Big Sis has battled her way through this 201 US without her sister by her side. The doubles teams of the tennis world are breathing a sigh of relief until Little Sis' foot heals.

She got one step closer to her first US Open final since 2002 by beating 2010 French Open champ and sixth seeded Francesca Schiavione of Italy in a hard fought 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 quarterfinal match.

While her serve has been shaky for most of this tournament, she still hasn't dropped a set in advancing to her first US open semifinal since 2007.

Number 3 seeded Big Sis will take on number two seed Kim Clijsters in the semis, who survived a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 three set quarterfinal tussle with number seven seeded Aussie Samantha Stosur.

Here's hoping Big Sis has a better result against Clijsters than Serena did last year.

Tona Sings National Anthem

I will say this until they bury me six feet under my beloved Texas soil.

If we chocolate flavored transpeople are given the opportunity and the chance to do so, we can do anything we put our minds to and excel.

BTW sis. Jealous of you being sandwiched between two handsome men in this photo.

I've told y'all over the years about my baby sis Tona Brown and how she has it going on musically.

She was invited to speak and sing at a Department of Agriculture event in Washington D.C. recently, and I'll post that YouTube video later.

But enjoy her rendition of our national anthem. Hopefully you'll have many more opportunities to do.

More Tea Klux Klan Homophobia

For you GLBT people who have ludricrously drank the Delusional GOP Red flavored Kool Aid and advanced the cow feces that the Democrats are the enemy of GLBT kind, y'all really need to wake up, smell the coffee and note that your enemy worships the Elephant.

Funny, I don't see any Democratic party platform that advocates criminalizing same gender marriage or your bedroom activities as the Texas GOP one does. I didn't see the GOP pass GOP friendly laws in the 12 years they had control of Congress and the eight years they stole the White House.

But yet' in GLBT Bizarro world, the Democrats are the enemies of the community. Because a few conservafools have said nice words about marriage equality, they are suddenly 'more friendly' on the issues than the Democrats who fought tooth and nail to keep the Federal Marriage Amendment from becoming the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution, have spent the last 22 months reversing anti gay GLBT policies, and passing GLBT friendly legislation such as the Byrd-Shepard Hate Crimes Bill?

How quickly you forget. But oh, I forgot, if it ain't marriage equality, DOMA or DADT repeat, it's 'crumbs'.

Buy a vowel and get a rainbow clue. The Republican Party hates you, and their Astroturfed Tea Klux Klan subsidiaries aren't much better. The sooner you get that through your heads and run to the polls this November to keep them out of Congress, the better.

Already posted about the Conservative Voter Guide an Ohio Tea Klux Klan group was putting together, now here's another reality check for you.

Peep this FB exchange that was posted on the Ampilfy Your Voice blog between Tim Ravndal, the now former president of the Montana Big Sky Tea Party and Dennis Scranton in which they make jokes about the Matthew Shepard murder.

Dennis Scranton: "I think fruits are decorative. Hang up where they can be seen and appreciated. Call Wyoming for display instructions."

Tim Ravndal: "@Kieth, OOPS I forgot this aint(sic) America no more! @ Dennis, Where can I get that Wyoming printed instruction manual?"

Ravndal was removed from the presidency of the group, but the damage has already been done. It's more evidence of the true nature of the Tea Klux Klan movement.

Tim and everybody who thinks like you, the America in which you vanilla flavored peeps could kill anyone you didn't like with impunity is thankfully long gone.

Those of us on the liberal-progressive side not only don't want to live in your neo Know Nothing, phobic, white supremacist flavored America, we don't want it making a comeback.

Post Number 3000!

TransGriot readers, you are now feasting your eyes upon post number 3000 since I started this humble blog.

I've had a lot of things to say about a wide range of subjects since I started the blog on January 1, 2006 and I'm not tired of it yet.

Maybe the people I call out on their BS are, or wish I would cease and desist putting my size 12 pumps up their behinds, but I'm not.

I do want to profusely thank those of you who take the valuable time out of your day to surf over here and check out TransGriot. Without you doing that, it wouldn't have grown to become one of the leading blogs award winning blogs on the Net of its type and one that's considered to be an authoritative one on trans issues.

I'll continue to do my part to fulfill the blog's mission of making you think and exposing you to some of the drama that African-American transpeeps (and transpeople in general) deal with.

And now, onward to the next TransGriot post milestone. Post 3,500 here I come

US Military Concerned About Conservafool Quran Burning Church

Can I call it or what?

This is what I wrote in my August 31, 2010 post entitled 'Conservafools: If You Really 'Support Our Troops', Stop Hatin' On Islam':

What the conservafools fail to realize is that the Internet runs both ways and this 'hate on Islam' rhetoric isn't occurring in a vacuum. Devout Muslims around the world have computers too and surf the web. They read what our right wing fools do, get rightfully pissed off and want to strike back at Americans.

And who are the Americans the adherents of Islam have the easiest access to attack? Our troops on the ground in Afghanistan and military personnel around the world.

That concerns me since I and other people have family members currently in the military. Those deployed in Afghanistan have a rough enough time there without you right wing idiots inciting and antagonizing the 1 billion people who are Muslims.

Yesterday General David Petraeus, the commander of our troops in Afghanistan, echoed what I had to say about the September 11 event.

He wrote an e-mail to reporters in which he warned that the actions of this Islamophobic Gainesville, FL church could be used by extremists in Afghanistan and around the world to “inflame public opinion and incite violence.”

“I am very concerned by the potential repercussions. Even the rumor that it might take place has sparked demonstrations such as the one that took place in Kabul. Were the actual burning to take place, the safety of our soldiers and civilians would be put in jeopardy and accomplishment of the mission would be made more difficult,” General Petraeus said. “It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems.”

NATO Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen also criticized the plans, saying that burning Qurans violated the NATO alliance’s values. “There is a risk that it may also have a negative impact on security for our troops,” he is reported as saying.

It's not me, General Petraeus or the NATO alliance selling woof tickets. Just rumors or reports of US soldiers desecrating the Koran in Afghanistan and Iraq has caused bloodshed in the past In 2008 there were deadly protests in Afghanistan when an American soldier shot a copy of Islam's holy book full of holes.

Now we have 'Pastor' Terry Jones and his Dove World Outreach Center about to jump something off that will have potentially deadly consequences not only for American troops abroad, but aid workers in Muslim countries as well.

So Muslim world, know that the vast majority of Americans of all faiths are horrified that this fool is attempting to desecrate the Quran and oppose it. Unfortunately our voices until recently have been drowned out by the Right Wing Noise Machine pimping Islamophoibia for midterm electoral gains.

If you want to focus on am American to be mad at, focus it on the fool who is stupid enough to jump this crap off by disrepecting your holy book in the first place.

Gender Identity Empowerment Coalition Questions

I'm not a big fan of Ronald Reagan, but even a broken clock is right twice a day.

He once said during the Cold War when it came to negotiating with the old Soviet Union, 'trust but verify'.

When it comes to the trans community, we need to have the same attitude with people inside and outside of it.

Unfortunately, like most marginalized groups, the trans community has had leaders in name only more concerned with sucking up to power and lining their own pockets than addressing the many ills that ail the trans community at the grassroots level.

Transpeople weary of being emotionally beat down by society for living their lives are desperately hungry for people to show compassionate concern for them. They yearn for muscular trans organizations that have leaders who stand up for them against the slings and arrows of our oppressors and proactively act to help solve their multitude of pressing problems.

If some organization or someone appears to be doing that, they will find a segment of the trans population eager and willing to follow anyone who will do for us. It's a leadership void exploitable for trans people who wish to take advantage of the situation either to build a name for themselves at the expense of the community or scam it and our allies to line their own pockets.

Arianna Kitti Davis has had a seemingly meteoric rise in the last two months as the head of the Gender Identity Empowerment Coalition. It has a Facebook group called Trans Role Models that has user uploaded photos.

But it's the interesting and eyebrow raising claims made over the last two months that have people in the trans community talking.

*That GIEC is a rapidly growing national organization with a board of directors and a IRS EIN (employer ID Number)

*That GIEC is hosting a free Trans Strategy Conference September 4-5 with participation from big name community ally groups.

*That GIEC and Lotus Holdings Limited is scouting locations and properties in the Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles for a Trans Empowerment Center.

*It is contracting with various providers in different areas of the country to set up free services that transpeople need.

Conventional wisdom says if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

When Gina Morvay and I started asking tough questions about the claims that GIEC has given emergency financial assistance to transpeople for various purposes, a Katerina G. du Lac popped up, claimed that she was the VP of the org, and posted an IRS Employer Identification Number as 'proof' the organization was legit.

That EIN number she gave (272340079) when I checked it on the IRS website and a nonprofit verification website called Guidestar drew a blank. When they were called on it, that number and the FB post trumpeting it as 'proof' of GIEC's existence suddenly vanished off the page.

There's also no record of GIEC's existence in the real world except on its Facebook page.

The Trans Strategy Conference it was supposed to be sponsoring last weekend on the Soka University campus in Aliso Viejo, CA is not only NOT listed among the university's upcoming events, it has been postponed twice.

There were also claims made of a long list of noted GLBT organizations that were allegedly partners in this 'invitation only' conference.

From the initial press release for the conference:

Significant ally organizations and others, such as the ACLU, Lambda Legal, Sylvia Rivera Law Center, TIP, Radical Women,GLAD, NLGTF, GLAAD, NOW, TFA, TransUnited, TransHaven, GASS, TransAngels, Gender Justice, contributive UK/European/Asian/Latin American/African entities, MAGNET and Board members of the Guardian Angels, are just some being invited to attend.

One of the organizations was MAGNET, and when they were asked about the sponsorship, they not only weren't aware of it until I asked their communications director about it, MAGNET demanded that their orgs name be removed from any advertising for said conference.

There's the food giveaway trumpeted on the Gen ID Facebook page that was supposed to take place in Oakland.

Gen Id ‎***GIEC will be helping implement the very large food give away (including up to 4,000 loaves of bread) and housing program for Trans people and all other people in desperate need, in the California Bay Area tomorrow. We will be duplicating this throughout the country region by region. GIEC Assistant Bay Area Representative, Katerina G. du Lac will be making a mass media announcement of this tomorrow.
See More
August 13 at 3:40am • Comment • Like

Guess what? The mass media announcement didn't happen on August 14, nor did the food giveaway either.

And that's before I even get started focusing on the long list of conflicting claims Arianna Davis has made, including about health issues that so far have not been verified and I'll deal with in a separate post.

But here's a sample to whet your appetite.

This is what she wrote on July 31 about an upcoming appearance on the local Los Angeles TV show Good Day LA.

Arianna Empowered Kitti Need to relax for a length before "Good Day LA" interview next Thursday morning.
July 31 at 4:09am • Comment • Like

That 'next Thursday' alluded to would be the August 5 airing of 'Good Day LA' on KTTV-TV Fox 11, which has a live stream of the show on its website. So far no video of Arianna Davis, Arianna Kitti or whoever showing up on the FB page for the group of the GDLA interview in question.

If you had a trans organization doing all these allegedly wonderful things for the community and a local TV station gave you an interview, wouldn't you want the trans community and the world to know about it?

Another one of those things that make you go hmmm.

As a marginalized group, we're at a critically sensitive point in our community's maturation, development and are on the verge of gaining mainstream support.

We cannot afford people or organizations proporting to represent the community making unverified claims of philanthropic work in a bid to seem legitimate.

We must have leaders that exhibit the highest moral and ethical character and organizations that operate in an ethically transparent, honest and as open way as humanly possible.

If GIEC, Gen ID or whatever its name is claims it is doing all this dizzying array of work on behalf of the trans community, it's show and prove time.

Where is your Board of Directors, pictures of it, or even a photo of a board meeting? Video of your food giveaway? Protests you've conducted? Your VP named Katerina G. du Lac?

If you're legit, prove it. It's not just the TransGriot asking questions, inquiring minds in the national trans community and the trans leadership ranks want to know if you are as well.

Sadly, the evidence is leaning toward the cow feces laden conclusion you aren't.

Diane Abbott Running For British Labour Party Leadership

Labour Party MP Diane Abbott made history in 1987 as the first Black female MP in Britain. Now the British born daughter of Jamaican immigrants and Cambridge University graduate is trying to become the leader of the Labour Party.

“I am running for the leadership because I am the best candidate for the job,” Diane Abbott declared in a interview posted on The Third Estate blog. “The most immediate task is to rebuild and revitalise the party and no other candidate has my experience of the party.”

The current leadership race was triggered after Gordon Brown resigned as the British Prime Minister and Labour party leader on May 10.

Ten days later Abbott announced she was running.



"I am not just another man in a suit. There’s not a lot of difference between the candidates so far. I am standing because I represent "real choice," not a return to the Blair/Brown politics of the past 13 years. I voted against the Iraq war which is the single biggest source of disillusionment with Labour. And I do not believe that we lost the election because of immigration, as some of my rivals seem to be suggesting. I am a truly independent candidate who will create real change out of the ashes of New Labour, and reclaim the true identity of the Labour Party."

If Abbott becomes the leader of the party, and Labour wins the 2015 Parliamentary elections, she would become the second female and first African descended Prime Minister in British history.

She's been during her time as the MP for the Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency a strong civil liberties, equal rights and education advocate.



The Labour Party leadership vote started on September 1 and will conclude on September 22. Labour MPs, Members of the European Parliament, individual party members, and individual members of trade unions and other affiliated groups are eligible to vote with the results will be announced at the September 25 Labour Party conference in Manchester.

The question remains is after that vote, will Diane Abbott be one step closer to making British history?

At any rate, Diane Abbott definitely bears watching by we children of the African diaspora and other interested parties.

Team USA FIBA Worlds- USA Annihilates Angola 121-66

Been perusing the FIBA basketball website during this tournament and the European basketball fans still are hatin' on Team USA.

They think they have a chance because the Redeem Teamers are watching this one from the comfort of their couches back in the States and presume they have caught up to the USA in basketball ability.

Dream on. The team they love to hate is just three tantalizing wins away from the FIBA title.

Team USA sent a message that you sleep on us at your peril by not expending much labor on Labor Day racing out to a 33-13 first quarter lead, having 11 of the twelve USA players score in the first half, playing in your draws defense and shooting lights out from FIBA three land as they annihilated Angola 121-66 to move to the FIBA World Championships quarterfinals.

Kevin Durant scored all 17 of his points in the first half with 'old man' Chauncey Billups contributing 16 of his game high 19 point in the first two stanzas as well. Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay chipped in 17 points as well.

Team USA shot 18 for 59 from three point range, barely missing the FIBA record of 19, only turned the ball over 5 times, and dished out 30 assists.

"This is what we all sacrificed our summers for," Billups said of trying to win the Americans' first world title since 1994. "Right now we're on the right path."

It won't be as easy from now on. Next up after they get two more days off is a September 9 showdown with Russia, who knocked off New Zealand 78-56.

But if they keep playing like they did against Angola today, FIBA world, you're in big trouble.

Kim Coco Is Running For Reelection!

Kim Coco Iwamoto in 2006 became the first transperson successfully elected to a statewide office and the highest ranking one when she was elected to the Hawaii State Board of Education.

I'm happy to let you TransGriot readers know that Kim Coco is running for another four year term on the Hawaii State Board of Education!

She has been a wonderful addition to the board, and as long as her constituents are happy with her performance, bump what the haters have to say.

The more trans elected officials we can point to with pride, the better for all of us no matter where we reside in the States.

Best of luck Kim Coco on November 2!

Happy Birthday To Her Excellency!

Today is the birthday of Her Excellency The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, the current and 27th Governor General of Canada. She was born on this date in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 1957 and emigrated to Canada with her family when she was 11 to escape the Papa Doc Duvalier regime in 1968.

You know I have much love and admiration for her and I'm saddened to hear that her term as Governor General will be coming to an end on October 1. While her term as Canada's head of state is ending, it probably won't be the last time you see this talented lady on the world's stage.

Jean was appointed in June as UNESCO's special envoy in Haiti, with the job of supporting efforts to rebuild Haiti’s heritage infrastructure and national education system.

But I wasn't going to let her birthday slide by without recognizing the together and fly African descended sister who resides in Rideau Hall until September 27.

Happy Birthday Your Excellency. May you have many more and much success in your new position.

Team USA FIBA Worlds- 4 More Wins To The Title

Team USA had three days off after dispatching Tunisia in their final Group B match.

They spent one resting and two practicing for their knockout round game with Angola, the fourth place team from Group A.

While the rest of the FIBA world is still sleeping or hatin' on this team, they are only four wins away from taking the Naismith trophy back to the States for the first time in 16 years and the automatic bid to the London Games basketball tournament that comes with it.

On their side of the tournament bracket lurks Brazil, China, Argentina, and Lithuania, but Coach K and the players like their chances.

“Today we had no contact but good enthusiasm, game like preparation and we already started putting in our game plan for Angola. The guys are healthy. I think the two days have helped us and hopefully translate into playing the kind of defense especially that we want to play,” said Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

If they handle their 11 AM EDT business in the Sinan Erdem Dome against Angola, they will take on the winner of the Russia-New Zealand game on Thursday.

SCC 2010

In a few hours, the 20th anniversary edition on one of my fave trans conferences will begin down in the A-T-L. Or more precisely, the A-T-L 'burbs.

It's Southern Comfort Conference time once again, the largest trans themed conference in the United States and possibly the world.

It's happening from today through September 12, but unfortunately due to a previous commitment in Northampton, I won't be there. I was invited by Autumn and Pam to be part of their Friday 'New Media In Colorful Diversity' panel discussion, but unfortunately will be traveling that day. Ironically my Delta flight has me changing planes that weekend in Atlanta.

Well, there's next year. If SCC wants me, maybe they could have the TransGriot speak at one of the dinners or luncheons, hint hint.

Speaking of the seminars, it's one of the things I've always loved about SCC. They have strived to make them informative and give you a lot of seminar track choices. They also include opportunities to do off site activities that have included visiting Atlanta institutions such as the World of Coca-Cola and CNN headquarters.

Frankly, I'd like to see them add trips to the King Center and the Carter Presidential Center in town as well. Perhaps those of you contemplating being on the 2011 SCC planning committee can suggest that.

My first SCC was in 1999 and it was a memorable one. I met Dawn, Marisa Richmond and much of the legendary trans leadership at the time and returned in 2000 since it was the site for one of our NTAC face to face board meetings.

The 2000 SCC happened to be the 10th anniversary event and the last one they held at the old hotel in the Buckhead area. It also had the then record POC attendance of 27 people.

My last SCC I attended was in 2004. Got old counting the African descended trans people in attendance on one hand, but I do have to point out since then they've been diligent about and managed to get SCC POC attendance into the double digit range.

So congratulations SCC on making it to 20 years. Here's hoping that the conference continues to grow and prosper and get more diverse.