Why I Haven't Had Many Kye Allums Updates Lately

The entire trans community was pleased when we found out we were going to have a reason to pay close attention to the 2010-11 NCAA women's basketball season besides seeing if UConn's long winning streak would be extended.

George Washington University junior guard Kye Allums came out as trans, and we looked forward to hearing him speak about the issues of being a transitioning Division I student athlete and seeing him play.

But after suffering a concussion during a game several weeks ago, note the lack of appearances on the floor much less the silence coming from GWU.    He has only played in eight games this season.

The Washington Post published a story in which Kye's mother asserts that he has been cleared to play by the team doctor, but has not been allowed to play.   In addition, they are restricting his access to the media allegedly because GWU has agreed to give Oprah an exclusive interview with Allums.

If that part is true about the Oprah interview, about damned time she interviewed an African-American transperson.   We'll see if it happens.

But back to the developing Allums story.  GWU AD Jack Kvancz denies it and GWU spokeswoman Candace Smith is quoted in the Washington Post story as saying   "GW has offered Kye guidance and support on multiple fronts. At no time was the university involved in any discussion about compensation for any interview requests."

Okay...my intuition is telling me the truth is somewhere in the middle on this, but you know the eyes of this trans Texan will continue to be trained in this direction..  

Barbara Jordan's 75th Birthday

It would stand to reason that a trailblazing political figure like Barbara Charline Jordan would be born on George Washington's birthday.    One of the things I have lamented about Texas' slide into conservafool madness is that we haven't produced national political leaders with her stature ever since.


As you longtime readers know, I have much love for Barbara Jordan and a lot of my attitudes toward government were formed by watching her actions and listening to her eloquent words as she represented me as a Texas state Senator and later in Congress .

If you ever hear me mention the letters WWBD, she's who I'm referring to when I say it. 

Every time I hear somebody say there's no such thing as an honest politician, Barbara Jordan's memory comes to my mind when I tell that person that's bull feces.  Barbara Jordan was so ethically rock solid that when Ann Richards became the governor in 1990, she appointed her as the head of her Ethics office that she established in the wake of the scandal ridden Clements administration 

Yesterday would have been her 75th birthday, and I'm pausing for a moment to think about her remarkable life.   She was the first African American woman and first elected to the Texas State Senate since Reconstruction.   The first Southern Black woman ever elected to Congress.   She served on the Judiciary Committee during the Watergate Hearings.   The memorable 1992 DNC keynote speech.  She was considered by Jimmy Carter as a vice presidential running mate in 1975 and by President Clinton for a seat on the US Supreme Court.





Even in death she was a trailblazer when in 1996 she became the first African American to be interred in the Texas State Cemetery.

There are some of us who still refer to the 18th Congressional District, the one currently held by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and once held by Mickey Leland, the man who succeeded her as 'Barbara's Seat'.

Texas, and the nation could stand to have more leaders like her. 

The First Annual TransGriot African-American Trans History Quiz.

It was brought to my attention by Gina of the Skip The Makeup blog that Alvin McEwen's Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters Blog  has an African-American TBLG history quiz  posted there and at Pam's House Blend that was not surprisingly, light on the trans history end of it.

I've vented my spleen more than a few times about my displeasure at trans African Americans being erased from our history by the predominately white TBLG community.

It's even more irritating when it happens with our chocolate GLB peeps as well.

You know the old saying, if you want something done right you got to do it your damned self.

In that spirit of ensuring my chocolate transpeeps aren't erased, the TransGriot is going to rectify that far too frequent occurrence and create her own African-American trans history quiz.

I'll give y'all a few days to come up with the answers and post them on Thursday.


And now , the First Annual TransGriot African-American Trans History Quiz


1.This transman was the first African-American president of FTM International.  Who is he?

2. In 2008 she became the first African American trans person to be elected as a delegate to a major political party convention.    Name her.


3. There have been four African American winners of the IFGE Trinity Award.  Who are they?   Bonus points if you can name the year they won those awards.

4. This transperson is a Stonewall veteran, has testified at the UN about our issues and is an advocate for incarcerated trans persons.   Name her.

5. This transman was a member of the City of Tucson GLBT Commission and instrumental in getting TBLG protective laws passed there.   Who is he?

6. She was the first patient of the now closed Johns Hopkins Gender program.    Who is she?
 
7. In 1965 African-American transpeople were responsible for the first known protest rooted in trans issues.  In what city did this occur?

8. This transman was board chair of the National Black Justice Coalition and recently featured in a Black Enterprise article.   Name him.

9. This transwoman was the first out transperson to compete on America's Next Top Model  Who is she and bonus points if you can name what cycle of the show she competed on.

10. This transwoman was a fashion model in the 70's and 80's with runway and print ads to her credit.   Name her.

11. This trans civil rights organization had two African American founders and an African descended Latino transman as it leaders.  Name the organization and the year it was founded.  

12. What does the 'P' in STAR co founder Marsha P. Johnson's name stand for?

13.  Edith Stokes was an African American transgender character on a episode of a groundbreakting television show entitled 'Just A Friend".    Name the show and bonus point if you get the year it aired.  

14.  This transperson is a member of the Chicago GLBT Hall of Fame for her advocacy work.   Name her.  
   
15.  A. Dionne Stallworth's signature is on the incorporation papers for a trans lobbying organization.  Name the organization.

16. In 2005 and 2006 the Transsistahs-Transbrothas Conference, the first African American trans oriented conference was held in this city.    Name the city. 
.
17.  Name the first open transgender NCAA Division One athlete.

18.  True or False:  Kerry Washington, Veronica Redd and Sheryl Lee Ralph have played transwomen on the big and small screens. 

19.  Helena Bushong became the first African-American transperson to accomplish this as a result of attending a HIV/AIDS policy event there.   What did Helena do? 

20.  This transwoman was in the news in 1982 for being a passenger in a car accident.    Who was the driver of that car and what is the transwoman's name?

21.  She became the first trans person to speak at the rally concluding the MLK day parade in Atlanta in 2007.  Who is she?

22.   This legal case was the first effort to determine if the 1977 DC Human Rights Law's looks-oriented discrimination provision applied to transsexuals.  The plaintiff was an African-American transwoman . Name the case
  .
23. The videotaped police brutality in this city's jail focused attention on the mistreatment of transpeople at the hands of the police.   Name the transwoman involved and the city it took place in.

24. What is Tracie Jada O'Brien's connection to African-American trans history?

25.. The TransGriot blog made history with this achievement in 2008.  What was it?

26.  Adrian Williams is involved in this August 7, 1995 Washington DC incident.   What was it?

27.  There have been two African-American transwomen who have competed in the Miss International Queen Pageant in Thailand.  Who are they?

28.  This transwoman won a GLAAD Media Award for her appearance of a reality TV show.   Who is she? 

29.  True or False:  African American transpersons were present at the White House LGBT receptions.

30.  This transwoman was featured in a JET magazine article and wrote an autobiographical book entitled 'A Finer Specimen Of Womanhood'.   Name her.

31. Transwomen Katey Red, Foxxjazell and Pam Jones have this in common.   What's the link?

32. JET magazine did several stories on Carlett Brown in 1952.    What was she trying to accomplish?    

33. True or false.   Drum and bass DJ 1.8.7 is an African American transwoman.

34. Trans twins Chanelle and Gabrielle Pickett appeared on what talk show in the early 1990s?

35. This iconic transperson known as Sweet Evening Breeze was legendary in her home city.   Name this person and the city they resided in .  
  


TransGriot Note:   Link to the post that contains the answers to this quiz.