OUT On The Hill-Day of Reflection

My butt needs to be in bed getting some sleep for the day I have tomorrow at the CBCF-ALC and the NBJC sponsored panel discussion that starts at 9 AM EDT at the Convention Center.

Had a late night yesterday as part of a kick butt panel discussion on trans issues that could have gone another hour and still not addressed many of the issues we face as African descended trans people. I was still getting kudos about when I arrived at the Center of American Progress HQ for a panel discussion a little late because I overslept. 

Hey people, somebody had to write these updates you're getting about the inside I-495 happenings.

No More Down Low TV is videotaping much of what's going on with the NBJC Out on the Hill event and the 41st Annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation-Annual Legislative Conference.

As I mentioned when I started the updates earlier in the week, it's been one of my goals as an activist to one day attend the CBCF-ALC, and it was even more awe inspiring that I imagined.  Everyone who is anyone in Black America from the political, entertainment and sports worlds is at this event.

Including this trans blogger from H-town who is soaking it all in

I was hanging out with some of my NBJC colleagues from New Orleans (and yes Mark, the Texans are going to beat Den Saints on Sunday) friends and our conversation was interrupted because one of their friends was greeted by CNN pundit Roland S. Martin's wife..

I wandered around the vendor area and DC homegirl Stacy Lattisaw was there in the book authors section taking photos with her fans.  Line was too long for my nosey behind to find out what was up, but it's on my ALC to do list for tomorrow.

Yep, THAT Stacy Lattisaw.  She was looking good for all you peeps who had crushes on her back in the day.   Speaking of looking good, the brothers are looking fly and the sisters are on their fashion A games.


But the ALC is also chock full of informative and thought provoking seminars.  I'm looking forward to checking many of them out in addition to the other sights, sounds, and delicious smells of the food wafting through the convention center.

I just decided to call it a day and get some sleep.  My body was crying out for it and I needed to peruse my program in order to figure out how best to efficiently maximize my time here gettin' my learn on.
 
I've waited ten years for this moment.   Definitely going to take advantage of it.

Shut Up Fool Awards-Moni's In DC Edition

Yep, Moni's in town and inside I-495 for the first time since my last trip here in 2009.   Having a wonderful time here at the 2nd Annual OUT on the Hill and the CBCF-ALC  getting my learn and lobby on, talking to my fellow activists here in the Washington DC area and nationally, seeing old friends and making new ones.

Don't hate.  It lessens you.  

Nice segue into this week's Shut Up Fool Awards business.   As usual I get to shine a bright spotlight on the fool. fool or group of fools that need to be called out for their ignorance and stupidity.

Let's just get straight to our winner this week, Supreme Court (In)Justice Antonin Scalia.
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Scalia was recently quoted as saying that it isn't unconstitutional to execute an innocent man.

“This Court has never held that the Constitution forbids the execution of a convicted defendant who has had a full and fair trial but is later able to convince a habeas court that he is “actually” innocent. Quite to the contrary, we have repeatedly left that question unresolved, while expressing considerable doubt that any claim based on alleged “actual innocence” is constitutionally cognizable.”

Really?  Try telling that legalistic BS to Troy Davis' family or anyone who doesn't share your ethnic background.

Time for your azz to resign from the Supreme Court.   And take your allegedly Negroid ventriloquist dummy with you.

(In)Justice Antonin Scalia, shut the hell up fool!

Trans Oppressors Hate Transpeople

Let me make this perfectly clear. If you advocate for policies that oppress transpeople and make our lives more difficult, you hate us.

It’s that simple

If you penned a transphobic book as Janice Raymond did and wrote a 1981 paper that resulted not only in the elimination of a low income trans person's ability to use Medicare and Medicaid to cover SRS, and then insurance companies followed suit by denying us insurance coverage we paid for to do that, then you are a trans oppressor.

If you got a transperson terminated from a job or did the deed yourself, you are a trans oppressor.

If you outed a transperson against their will or started a whisper campaign against them because of jealousy, your faith based hatred or ignorance of transpeople,  you are a trans oppressor.

If you wrote an unjust academic paper with the goal of restricting or eviscerating the human rights of trans people around the world to pimp a failed disco era radical feminist agenda, you are a trans oppressor.

If you penned an unjust law that denies human rights to transpeople, you are a trans oppressor.

If you are a judge that has made an unjust ruling against a transperson when the merits of the case and weight of the evidence called for you to rule in favor of the trans person to protect their human rights, you are a trans oppressor.


If you are pushing a self serving, racist, exclusionary definition of transsexual because you are self loathing and too clueless to see that it's deleterious to the human rights of all transpeople including yourselves and colluding with radical feminists who hate you, then you are a trans oppressor.

As Alfred Paster said in The Roots of Soul in 1982, "Oppression places identifiable constrictions on the natural rhythm of man." 

And I and the trans community are tired of those identifiable constrictions being cavalierly placed upon our human rights by so called friends and foes alike..

Unlike you who hate us, we don't hate you.  We hate your oppressive behavior.

OUT On The Hill-Hangin' With The CBC

I get to fulfill another long held dream today when I and my NBJC peeps spend some time with the Congressional Black Caucus at the ALC. in conjunction with this second annual NBJC OUT on the Hill event.

Remember, you can catch the tweets of those of us discussing the seminars and the day's action on Twitter by following the # OOTH 2011 hashtag  .

And on that note, gotta go.   I've waited ten years for this and have a train to catch.

 

Troy Davis Executed

Troy Davis was executed last night despite pleas for clemency from a long list of people on both sides of the issue at 11:08 PM ET

I found out it happened after I arrived back to my undisclosed NW Washington DC location..

I'm still bummed about it and in hard solid thinking mode about this possible travesty of justice, but this is the point I want people to think about that bears repeating from yesterday's post.

The fact is, no physical evidence connected Davis to the murder of Office MacPhail. Seven of the original nine witnesses have recanted, with many saying their testimony was a result of law enforcement pressure. Of the remaining witnesses, one is highly suspect and the other could be the actual culprit in the officer's murder.

I fear another innocent man was just executed, and what disturbs me is that there was no physical evidence tying him to the crime

OUT On The Hill-Busy Day, Especially For Me

Yesterday was the first full day of events for the 2011 edition of OUT on the Hill and I made my way from my undisclosed location in NW Washington once again to the AFL-CIO headquarters. 

Made a wrong turn after I exited the Farragut North Red Line stop and walked two blocks before I had to retrace my steps up L Street and back to 16th St.

Since I was in the 1000 block, still had to walk a few blocks to get to the AFL-CIO headquarters building in the 800 block, and chuckled when I passed the infamous K Street where many of the DC lobbying firms are predominately located.

Eventually strolled into the building after my extra exercise I got enroute and was greeted by the smiling faces of MarQuis, Katina and the rest of the NBJC gang at the registration desk.  I picked up my packet and started surveying the room to see who was in the house.

Spotted my mentor and NBJC founder Mandy Carter, and walked over to her as she was checking her computer and bowed to her, which elicited a smile and a hug from her. 

While I was chatting with her Kamora Herrington and I finally got to meet and hug.  Have known Kamora and talked to her online for years and we barely missed crossing paths while I was in western Mass for NoHo pride last year. .

Same was true for Valerie Spencer of LA and finally got to meet her.   She was siting next to my DC homegirl Tia.

Okay I'll drop some more names later in the lifestyles of the activist not so rich but famous files.  It's time to get to business chronicling the events of the day.

After some opening remarks from NBJC ED/CEO Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Katina Parker, NBJC's Communications Director took the stage to do some media housekeeping announcements.  In addition to the official Out on The Hill hashtag for tweets from the conference, (# OOTH2011), No More Down Low TV is also filming the conference.as well.

We moved to a panel discussion that focused on various aspects of activism and focuses from Mandy talking about the historical perspective, Kylar taking about the trans piece, Charles Pugh on the political one, George Walker talking about he importance of LGBT officials and Stacey Long discussing the Task Force' work.

We broke for lunch before shoving off to the White House for our three hour meeting with Obama administration staffers.  After clearing security and getting comfortably ensconced were were treated to a briefing on the various aspects of Obama administration policy initiatives as it applies to TBLG people.    

We had a surprise guest in White House advisor Valerie Jarrett.before we dove into three hours of briefings covering public policy on issues ranging from minority health issues to DADT , jobs and HIV/AIDS.

We then moved when it was over via bus to Washington DC's city hall and after another reception with good food, we headed to the fourth floor for a panel discussion on two topics.   The first half of it was devoted to the DC marriage equality fight and how they melded local and national orgs and activists into a winning team on that issue.


The second half panel I was to take part in was a discussion on the recent spike in trans hate incidents and assaults that was a mix of local and national activists .  We touched on everything from racism in the trans community, laments on the infighting and challenging the GL community and our allies to do a better job of supporting transpeople.   We also challenged transpeople to handle our own shame and guilt issues before the discussion broke up.

One day down, another to go.