TRANSFORMATION: A Community Writing Salon At Mills College

When: Friday September 24th, October 22nd, and November 12th, 2010  3:00-5:00 p.m. PDT
Where: The Bender Room #200

As part of my work with the "Belonging Initiative at Mills College", I am inviting you to build community across boundaries at Mills College. The Belonging Initiative at Mills College mission is "to connect unlikely allies across differences, in order to build strong integrated communities where all students can feel a sense of belonging, particularly on College campuses".

TRANSFORMATION:A Community Writing Salon with Ms. Terrilynn Cantlon and Mr. Fresh! White. Fresh! is a professional Whole-Life Coach, Community Activist, Facilitator and experienced LBGT Diversity Speaker covering gender diversity and inclusion.

We will be co-presenting information from the Gender Diversity Project this Friday at 3:00-5:00 p.m. in the Bender Room. Come and be a part of building a stronger inclusive campus at Mills College. There is no charge, and snacks will be served for free. We will be holding a no cost raffle for some cool prizes! Open to interested faculty, students and staff. Note: This salon is open to the public. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Funded by a civic engagement grant through the Mills College Institute for Civic Leadership. Advised and mentored through the Mills College English Department. Dr. Ruth Saxton, Dr. Diane Cady and Dr. Rebekah Edwards faculty mentors and advisors. In association with the Mills College Division of Student Life “Belonging Initiative”.


For further information contact:
Terrilynn Cantlon
tcantlon@mills.edu

Angela's Tribute To Her Friend Victoria

TransGriot Note: One of the things people fail to realize is that when a transperson is killed, it not only ends their life, but has ripple effects with loved ones, family members, friends and all of the people who were acquainted with them.    Victoria Carmen White's friend Angela DeRocco writes a heartfelt editorial about her in the Maplewood, NJ newspaper.  


I can't even begin to explain the pain that my heart feels. Such a wonderful, caring, loving, woman was taken out of this world—for what reason?

She touched so many lives and so many looked up to her and were inspired by her. She taught us how to live our life to the fullest and  how to push drama out of it. She was the sweetest person and would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. She was always generous with her money, even though sometimes she just shouldn't have been. But that was my April [a name that some of Victoria's older friends new her by].

She was always caring and worrying about others and making sure her loved ones had what they needed.

But she also knew when to stand her ground and when to get rid of the fake people in her life.

I saw her go through a lot in high school but she always held her head up high and never let the b.s. bring her down. I met her in sixth grade and we were inseparable ever since.

She was there for my family. She was there for me at a time when I needed her most—when my dad died in 2000. She constantly called and came over and made sure we were okay. She always called my mom and
referred to her as "Ma."

Everyone who truly loved her accepted her for who she was with no discrimination. When I needed someone to talk to and I was going through stuff, she was right there on the phone talking to me. And she never judged, she just told me her opinion and was still always there. I know for sure—she never ever let anyone disrespect me. She didn't stand for it, and she was quick to let me know.

She always knew how to turn your bad day around and make you smile.

There are so many memories with April and she made everyone of them so unforgettable. Even just little things---like dying my hair. I look back and smile because we were just crazy together—hanging out in Maplewood Village, going out for lunch.

She was there for me through my pregnancy. She was the one who went to my mom and told her she wanted to set up the babyshower. She took me to go pick out my invitations and told me to pick out whichever ones I wanted—it was my day and she wanted it to be special. And she became my daughter's godmother. Her and my mom made my shower so wonderful. I was such a lucky person to have a friend like her.

She wanted to see me last weekend but I was just so busy that I didn't get to. If I only knew that I would face a day and so soon that I would never see her alive again—I would have run to her without a question. I just can't get it out of my head—me not going to meet up with her. I know it's not my fault, but I could have seen her one last time. I could have hugged her and told her how much she meant to me.

All she wanted to do was see my daughter because it had been awhile.  Dammit, I just wish I could change things. I wish I would have been with her Saturday night and Sunday morning. She never would have been
where she was and she would still be here sharing her life with us.

She did what she had to do to get through life and she didn't care what anyone thought of her. If they did think negative, she just brushed it off her shoulders because she knew the ones who truly cared about her wouldn't judge her and would always be there for her.

I love her so much and respect her for keeping true to herself. She worked so hard becoming who she was, and it made her happy. I remember she asked me if I would still love her and be her friend. Of course I
would, I couldn't believe she even had the nerve to ask me that.

Now, I sit here and so many thoughts run through my mind. What did she do to deserve this? How did it happen? What was she doing when it happened? Did she try and fight back? So many questions, most of which I will never get the full and right answers for because I will never get to hear it from her.

The main question—Why? Why would someone want to hurt such an innocent person? Why would you want to take her life from her?

She was so young! She deserved to live her life to the fullest, and some ignorant piece of dirt had to shoot her and take that away from her. They took away her future. They took away someone's bestfriend, someone's sister, someone's grand-daughter. They just took it all. And for what? To prove what?

None of it makes sense.

They took an innocent person's life. I will never get to hear her voice talk to me again. I will never see her and be able to give her a hug. I will never be able to hear about her day. I'll never be able to see her get married.

Most of all she will never get to live out her future.

Victoria Carmen White, I want to thank you for everything. Thank you for being such a great friend, always keeping it real and always being there. All the memories we have will forever play in my mind, and you
will always be in my heart. You were beautiful, loving, outgoing, had a great personality—so sassy—and I loved it. Your attitude towards life was always, and I mean always, so positive. You always found a way to fix it.

I just can't believe that you are no longer here with us. It is just too hard to take in and accept. I told my daughter today that you really wanted to see her, and I realized now you will never get to see her again, and I started crying.

Well, my daughter said to me, "Mommy, but she's in heaven, she will always see me now!"

You are now flying with the angels watching over all your loved ones making sure we took in and will use what you taught us during our course of life. You touched so many lives during your time here and you will continue to do so. I will never forget you!

R.I.P., my love.
Angela DeRocco

Team USA Women 2010 FIBA Worlds- Good Start! USA 99-Greece 73

The Team USA women successfully began their quest for an eighth FIBA world championship in Ostrava by beating Greece 99-73 in their tournament opening Group B game.

They were in the unfamiliar position of coming into this tournament as bronze medalists.

Several members of this team such as Tamika Catchings and Sue Bird who played on the 2006 FIBA squad are on a mission to return this team to its recent gold medal winning ways in international basketball competition.  

Every player on Team USA scored and five were in double figures led by Swin Cash and Angel McCoughtry's 16 points each.   Candice Dupree and Tina Charles chipped in 12 apiece with Tamika Catchings contributing 10 points in 20 minutes of play.

Team USA shot 55.7% for the game and a blistering 45.5% from 3 point land on 5 of 11 shooting from behind the arc and outrebounded Greece 43-19.


Maya Moore became the third collegiate player in the last twelve years to play on a US FIBA team (Chamique Holdsclaw 1998 and Candace Parker 2006) and helped ignite the 17-6 run that expanded a three point USA lead to 32-18 at the end of the first quarter.   That lead grew to a 52-35 at halftime despite Evanthia Maltsi's game high 29 points for Greece.

Team USA continues its Group B play tomorrow with the FIBA Africa champion Senegal team they obliterated last week in a Spanish warmup tournament and Saturday against a French team missing two of its better players from its Eurobasket squad in Sandrine Gruda and Emilie Gomis.

If they finish in the top three teams in Group B they will move on the the crossover round against the surviving members of Group A September 27-29.

Maine Human Rights Commission Rules In Favor Of Trans Student

I've pointed out that because trans people are transitioning at earlier ages, the trans civil rights fights are playing out now about schools and other presentation issues.

The trans teen student in question that was discriminated against no longer attends that particular school, but struck a blow for her civil rights.

The Maine Human Rights Commission ruled on Monday that Orono Middle School unlawfully discriminated against a transgender student during the 2008-2009 school year by not letting the trans female sixth-grader use the girl's bathroom.

The student's parents had contended that the policy isolated and alienated their child, and created a hostile educational environment, the Bangor Daily News reports.

In its ruling, the panel cited derogatory remarks made by other students, and allegations of stalking and harassment, but agreed with the commission's investigator that there were no grounds to believe that the school had subjected the student to a hostile educational environment.

The school district is battling a civil suit filed by the parents on behalf of their child in Penobscot County Superior Court.

Renee, Looking Forward To Team USA Dishing Out That B-Ball Beatdown

The FIBA World Basketball Championships for Women start in just a few hours and one of the things I'm looking forward to in this tournament is when my FIBA Number one ranked 2008 Olympic champion ballers finally get that opportunity in the crossover round to play Canada.

A certain Canadian had a little too much Molson's and was talking smack to me one night about how a Canadian from Ontario by the name of James Naismith invented the game of basketball.

Yep, he sure did. On American soil in Springfield, Massachusetts.

He may have invented the game, but we Americans perfected it, took the FIBA men's championship trophy that bears his name back to the States and are back to dominating the game at all levels. Our men hold championships at all FIBA levels of competition, did so without losing a game to international competition and are also ranked number one in the various FIBA classifications.

Team USA is only a FIBA women's title away from matching what 'the menz' did.

In the meantime, enjoy this video from the Canadian victory over Cuba in the bronze medal game of the 2009 FIBA Americas tournament as the countdown to your b-ball beatdown commences.



The good news is you caught one break by not ending up in Group B with us during the draw. The bad news is you ended in Group A with defending FIBA women's champ Australia, Belarus and China, and you start Group A play with the Opals.

So if Canada is one of the top three teams in Group A, Team USA will be waiting for you in the crossover round.

Looking forward to the upcoming basketball beatdown. USA! USA! USA!

John McCain Done Told Me So!

TransGriot Note: Guest Post by the wonderful Maura Hennessey

Wednesday, September 22, 2010
at 19:27:06 PM EDT

We are clearly losing the war in Afghanistan, and there is a good possibility that Iraq will slip first into chaos and then into the hands of Iranian Shiite clerics. How could we lose the war? How could the greatest nation on earth, with the most sophisticated weapons and a professional army lose?

Simple: Because of the gays. I know, 'cause John McCain done told me so.

Gays break up unit cohesion, out gays create sexual tensions that distract from battle. Gays sap morale out of an army, weaken the resolve of fighting men.

How do I know? 'cause John McCain done told me so.

Now, all of you liberal tree hugging Obama-Socialist sodomitic Al Gore acolytes like HRC and that gay and lesbian servicemen's advocacy group or dating service or whatever are going to tell me that our military gays are safely closeted where they cannot do this kind of damage. Well, they aren't that closeted; they seem to be out all of the time since they are getting thrown out for being gay and we know that the military isn't doing witch hunts.

How do I know? John McCain done told me so.

But, that said, the biggest factor, the greatest danger and contaminant to our brave fighting men and women, the Christian Crusaders of the 21st century, isn't our gays, who remain closeted or we sweep their contagion out of the purified army of Christ. No, the real danger is those nations' forces who have real, honest to god out lesbians and homosexuals serving shamelessly and creating tension every time that their "social experiment" armed forces and our brave, real military men and women are tragically forced to work together. When that happens, their weakened, sex laden and perversion driven hopefuls for a Village People video infect our armed forces with their malaise, their unit division and their poor morale and combat readiness. It has to be so, there could be no other outcome from that kind of contamination.

How do I know? John McCain done told me so.

We must face two choices. Either we pack up and leave both nations to the armed forces of Sodom and Gomorrah or we inform our 'allies' that they must leave, and immediately. They must swish their way out of the war and let REAL, straight, Christian American men and women do battle against the forces of evil. Because, for as long as out armed forces are exposed to theirs, we cannot triumph, we cannot succeed and our military might will just wither like an aging Senator's phallus after the Viagra runs out.

We must act, and now, for every day, every hour that passes that we expose our own outstanding forces to these weakening and malicious influences, these GAYS, our potential to defend our nation turns to dust and we risk the Afghani desert looking like the Arizona desert, filled with headless corpses.

How do I know? What makes me so sure? What makes my position irrefutable and inerrant?

John McCain done told me so.