The Next Time Somebody Brings Up The Tone Argument, Check Yourself

Since I have no problem discussing race and class issues and how they affect the trans community, there are times my tell it like it T-I-S is style of talking about it is something that peeps with vanillacentric privilege find hard to take.

They'll sometimes say that my message would go over better if I just 'watched my tone' or wasn't so 'angry' when I write about the microaggressions and daily slights I face as a transwoman of African descent. 

You can check that tone argument based on an interesting post I read by New Black Woman over at Womanist Musings.  It concerns the recent anti-racism campaign being conducted in Duluth, MN that is garnering a highly negative reaction.

Basically all it is doing is repeating some of the same things that I and other POC bloggers have written for years about whiteness, white supremacy, racism = prejudice plus systemic power and the blind spot that white people have when it comes to race because they don't see it.

Naw, you're not going to see it because it doesn't affect you.   As a white person you can blithely go about your day and throughout your life thinking everythang is hunky dory and we POC's are 'whining' when we talk about how whiteness, white supremacy that benefits you deleteriously affect our lives.

And yes, when we African-Americans think about all the microaggressive incidents that have impacted our lives in the micro and macro sense since childhood, it does piss us off.

So the next time someone tries to tell me that talking about these race issues in a less than angry tone will advance the conversation, all I have to do is point to this Duluth, MN campaign as an exclamation point to me and other POC's saying no the hell it won't.

POTUS Sings The Blues

Our multi-talented president is showing off his singing skills again.   There was a February 21 concert at the White House that will be broadcast on PBS February 27 that featured Buddy Guy, Mick Jagger and blues legend BB King .  

At the tail end of it President Obama was coaxed by Buddy Guy and Jagger into singing a few bars of 'Sweet Home Chicago' and here's the video of it.

Baltimore County MD Passes Trans Rights Bill!

The Baltimore County Council on a 5-2 party line vote last night passed Bill 3-12, a measure designed to protect the human rights of its trans citizens.   Its passing makes Baltimore County the fourth jurisdiction inside the state of Maryland after the city of Baltimore, Montgomery County and Howard County to do so and it joins the more than 160 jurisdictions, Washington, D.C. and 16 states that have trans anti-discrimination laws

As usual, the Republicans on the County Council, David Marks of Perry Hall and Todd Huff of Lutherville voted against the measure. 

Marks had previously indicated that he would support it but when push came to shove, as usual Republican legislators like him can be counted on to revert to their predilection to oppress people, be on the wrong side of history, and try to justify it.

Of course, Marks tried to tap dance around the fact he will go down in history as being part of the Forces of Intolerance and voting against a human rights bill.

"I want all Baltimore Countians to have equal access to those opportunities that make them more productive citizens, but upon further reflection, I don't know if there are already protections under the law," Marks said in a statement released after the vote and reported in the Baltimore Sun. "I continue to have questions about the legislation, and would prefer for the state to act first on this issue."


Yeah, right Councilman Marks.  Peddle that bull feces elsewhere. 

It was obvious in the wake of transwoman Chrissy Lee Polis being viciously beaten inside Baltimore County last April and the stories of countless other trans Baltimore County residents recounting their struggles with discrimination aimed at them that the bill was needed. 

And Councilman Marks, the Maryland legislature since 2001 has repeatedly failed to act to protect its trans citizens.    

"Everyone deserves to be treated fairly," Tom Quirk said before he and his council colleagues voted. "This bill is a human rights bill, and I'm proud of Baltimore County tonight."

Amen, Councilman Quirk, you have every right to be.

The bill adds both gender identity and sexual orientation to Baltimore County's existing anti-discrimination laws, which protect people in the workplace, housing, finance and public accommodations.

There was some vague language added similar to Montgomery and Howard County that stated the protections do not apply to "distinctly private or personal" facilities and exempted religious institutions from it.

That's where I disagree, especially if said religious institutions are getting tax dollars. But it was still a major win for our transbrothers and transsisters in Baltimore County and congrats to everyone who worked tirelessly to get it passed.  

Now if only the Maryland state legislature would follow suit.