Allen West Needs A Time Out

Enjoying the tough ads that Rep.Allen West's (R-FL) Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy is running against his cookie chomping azz for his congressional seat.

This one is called 'Time Out' which has kids reciting some of the insulting crap that waste of DNA has said during his reprehensible term in Congress.

Hey, he called President Obama's supporters a 'threat to the gene pool', so I'm taking my opportunity to hit his conservabutt right back.

Leaving On A Jet Plane-To New York

Seems like I just wrote one of these posts last week at the start of my weekend trip to Charlotte for the just concluded TransFaith In Color Conference.

This time I'm headed to New York for the GLAAD National POC Media Institute that will start tomorrow and runs through August 26. 

Thinking about keeping a diary for this one, even though this is going to be a whirlwind trip and as of yet much of my writing in it might be in the HOU and MDW airports and on the flights up to New York and back to Houston..

It's the first time I've been in New York City since May 2000.  That vacation trip ended up with me having an unexpected but pleasant meeting with Sylvia Rivera. .  

And Mayhem, if you're reading this post, I discovered my New York hotel is within walking distance of several Tim Horton's locations so I'll finally get a chance to sample Timmy's fare and see if it's all that as several bags of ketchup flavored chips.

While I'm there I'm going to try and catch up with my New York area homegirls.once I'm finished with my GLAAD business.  

Well New Yorkers, you've wanted Moni to come to the Big Apple for awhile now.   You're about to get your wish.  See y'all in a few hours.

NABJ Comments On The Lack Of Debate Moderator Diversity

I had my say about the problematic lack of diversity when the presidential and vice presidential debate moderator selections were announced.  So did the NAACP and Univision's president on behalf of the Latino/a community. 

It was appalling that in an election year which will feature the most diverse electorate ever in American history and has an African-American president running for re-election, those October debates with have no African-American, Latino/a or Asian journalists posting questions to the 2012 presidential and vice presidential candidates. . 

In case you're wondering, the last African-American male journalist to serve as a presidential debate moderator was CNN's Bernard Shaw in 1988.

Former ABC News anchor Carole Simpson was the last African-American female to moderate a presidential debate, doing so in 1992. 

Gwen Ifill of PBS has moderated two vice presidential debates in 2004 and 2008.  

The National Association of Black Journalists are definitely not happy about the vanillacentric debate moderator selections whitewashed by the Commission on Presidential debates either, and here's what they had to say about it on August 17:

NABJ is disappointed that the journalists chosen to participate in the presidential debates don't reflect what has become the most diverse electorate in U.S. history. 

While we commend the selection of the first woman moderator in 20 years, we find it unacceptable that no journalists of color will be involved. The Commission on Presidential Debates, which announced the selections this week, blamed the omission on "debate arithmetic." Frankly, the math doesn't add up.

There is no absence of qualified journalists of color, or those with experience as debate moderators, such as NABJ Hall of Fame member Gwen Ifill, of PBS.

By excluding journalists of color, the commission failed to satisfy an important public interest given that racial and ethnic minorities will contribute roughly one quarter of the votes cast on Election Day. Any credible analysis has shown that their turnout, or lack thereof, will be a decisive factor in the presidential contest. This year, both presidential campaigns and their parties are devoting more resources than ever to reaching non-white voters.

Yet the commission has minimized the significance of our nation's changing identity, as well as the role of minority journalists in informing an increasingly diverse public. We believe the commission wasted an opportunity to use its unique platform in a manner that encourages more citizens to participate in the democratic process.

"The commission had a chance to embrace the racial kaleidoscope that the American electorate is fast becoming, and chose instead to remain blind to it," Sonya Ross, chair of NABJ’s Political Journalism Task Force, said. "It is time to end this cyclical charade of treating equally deserving, equally capable journalists of color as if they are invisible, unqualified, or both. I would like to invite the commission, along with leading entities in political media, to join the task force in making a concerted effort to ensure a truly diverse set of presidential debate moderators for 2016."

So why is this lack of debate moderator diversity a big fracking deal to POC's?   In addition to the fact there has never been an Asian or Latino presidential debate moderator of either gender, non-white voters will be the decisive voting blocs in several swing states.

We need to hear the presidential and vice presidential candidates answer debate questions that are geared toward our policy concerns and issues as people of color. 

As NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous stated, “The lack of diversity among this year’s debate moderators is representative of the overall lack of diversity in news media. Whether it’s as primetime news anchors, debate moderators, or commentators on the influential Sunday morning political talk shows, people of color — and African Americans specifically — are strikingly underrepresented.”

That is what we POC Americas are complaining about, the lack of representation.

A debate setting is one of those times Republican candidates, who avoid non-white media outlets on a routine basis because they don't want to answer those tough questions from POC journalists, have to do precisely that, especially if the moderator is a person of color. 

Some of those issues and policy concerns (let's be real here) white journalists aren't culturally fluent in or it wouldn't immediately occur to them to ask those types of questions from our non-white points of view because we do live in two vastly different American realities.      

If you are going to run for president of the United States, then you have to be president for ALL Americans, not just a vanillacentric 63% slice of th population.   If you are setting up debates to ask the people running for the highest political offices in the land questions, the journalists asking those questions also need to reflect the diversity of our nation.

 

Hampton Case in Ohio Update

I posted last week about the Hampton trans murder case in Ohio and my pissivity over the almost immediate deployment of the Black trans unwoman meme' in the initial reports by several Cincinnati media outlets.  

The local media in addition to immediately misgendering her, assumed Hampton was engaged in sex work, which pissed me off still further

Well, interestingly enough, there's a story that came out yesterday in GLBTNewsCincinnati.com by Worley Rodehaver about this latest trans murder based on an interview with a person purported to be a relative of Hampton's named Terri.

According to the article, Hampton had just had a fistfight with a transphobe who called her names, and the cismale she vanquished was being teased by other males for being beat up by a 'fag'.

Terri says another female relative was with Hampton and went inside a carryout.   Sometime during that period she was in the carryout Hampton was shot, and as we are aware of later died after being taken to the hospital

Terri is also quoted in the article as saying about Hampton “He always had to fight (literally) because of who he was. He lived in a bad area of town around young males who are in gangs and sell drugs.” 

“What I am concerned about is the State of Ohio does not have any Hate Crime Laws regarding sexual orientation or gender identity.”  Terri concluded, “I hope the Cincinnati Police Department will find this person/s and bring them to justice. 

Terri, that's the same thing we transpeople are hoping and praying for as well, that your relative get justice. 

Another thing we African-American transwomen are hoping for is the media actually pays attention to and starts consistently using the AP Stylebook guidelines on respectfully reporting on trans people.   

We transwomen of color are extremely sick and tired of the first words coming out of your media mouths when we are unfortunately killed and you report the stories is making the assumption filled and racist leap that we are engaged in sex work

You know the old saying about when you assume.

But it's more like you're making azzes out of yourselves, not the transperson you disrespected. . 

Rush Blames POTUS For Hurricane Isaac

You can't make this stuff up with the Republifools, and the King of Fools has opened his big mouth and unleashed the OxyContin fueled ignorance on this one.

Hurricane Isaac is bearing down on Tampa and the Florida Gulf Coast just in time for the GOP convention set to start on August 27.  And who gets the blame for the decision to put a major political convention in Florida during hurricane season?    

President Obama.   

Really?   The presidential brother got that kind of juice, huh?  If that were the case you fools wouldn't have a majority in the House, the POTUS' legislative agenda would be sailing through Congress and the 2010 midterm elections would have gone far better for Democrats than they actually have in reality. .



If Rush weren't a Shut Up Fool Lifetime Achievement Award winner, I'd give him this week's Shut Up Fool award for that comment alone, but there are others far more deserving of ridicule and contempt in the GOP tomorrow.

But just for old times sake, hit it Mr. T.

You Lie, Log Cabin Republicans!

TransGriot Note:  Received this press release from Jerame Davis of the Stonewall Democrats calling out the Log Cabin Republicans attempt to misrepresent the rainbow community concerning their 2012 platform.

Gay Republicans Mislead LGBT Americans on GOP Platform

Gay Republicans are touting new language in the GOP platform as being a step forward for LGBT equality and as evidence the Republican Party is moderating on LGBT issues. The specific text reads, "We embrace the principle that all Americans have the right to be treated with dignity and respect." National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director, Jerame Davis, responds:

"The idea that this generic bit of meaningless rhetoric is movement by the GOP toward a more inclusive and pro-equality footing is preposterous. For decades, the Republican platform has included anti-LGBT language that, at various times, has opposed adoption rights, marriage equality, and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

"What's even more ridiculous is the idea that this language is something new. The Republican Party platform has included similar language since at least 1996. This is just a rewording of a generic principle that few Republicans would construe to include LGBT equality. While the GOP gives lip service to the principle of dignity and respect for all, the reality of that ideal clearly escapes them.

"The real message to read in this is that the GOP's cognitive dissonance continues unabated and the apologists at Log Cabin Republicans are still selling snake oil and calling it progress."

Below are examples of similar passages from past GOP platforms, by year, and the anti-LGBT language contained in those same documents:

1996: 

"Because we are all one America, we oppose discrimination. We believe in the equality of all people before the law and that individuals should be judged by their ability rather than their race, creed, or disability."

Anti-LGBT Rhetoric

"We oppose Bill Clinton's assault on the culture and traditions of the Armed Forces, especially his attempt to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military. We affirm that homosexuality is incompatible with military service."

"We reject the distortion of those laws to cover sexual preference, and we endorse the Defense of Marriage Act to prevent states from being forced to recognize same-sex unions."

"They passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines 'marriage' for purposes of federal law as the legal union of one man and one woman and prevents federal judges and bureaucrats from forcing states to recognize other living arrangements as "marriages.""

2000:

"Since the election of 1860, the Republican Party has had a special calling — to advance the founding principles of freedom and limited government and the dignity and worth of every individual."

Anti-LGBT Rhetoric

"We affirm that homosexuality is incompatible with military service."

"We support the traditional definition of 'marriage' as the legal union of one man and one woman, and we believe that federal judges and bureaucrats should not force states to recognize other living arrangements as marriages. We rely on the home, as did the founders of the American Republic, to instill the virtues that sustain democracy itself. That belief led Congress to enact the Defense of Marriage Act, which a Republican Department of Justice will energetically defend in the courts. For the same reason, we do not believe sexual preference should be given special legal protection or standing in law."

2004:

"Every day, we strive to fulfill Lincoln's vision: a country united and free, in which all people are guaranteed equal rights and the opportunity to pursue their dreams."

Anti-LGBT Rhetoric

"We affirm traditional military culture, and we affirm that homosexuality is incompatible with military service."

"We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life."

"The sound principle of judicial review has turned into an intolerable presumption of judicial supremacy. A Republican Congress, working with a Republican president, will restore the separation of powers and re-establish a government of law. There are different ways to achieve that goal, such as using Article III of the Constitution to limit federal court jurisdiction; for example, in instances where judges are abusing their power by banning the use of 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance or prohibiting depictions of the Ten Commandments, and potential actions invalidating the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)."

"Attempts to redefine marriage in a single state or city could have serious consequences throughout the country, and anything less than a Constitutional amendment, passed by the Congress and ratified by the states, is vulnerable to being overturned by activist judges. On a matter of such importance, the voice of the people must be heard. The Constitutional amendment process guarantees that the final decision will rest with the American people and their elected representatives. President Bush will also vigorously defend the Defense of Marriage Act, which was supported by both parties and passed by 85 votes in the Senate. This common sense law reaffirms the right of states not to recognize same-sex marriages licensed in other states.

"President Bush said, 'We will not stand for judges who undermine democracy by legislating from the bench and try to remake America by court order.' The Republican House of Representatives has responded to this challenge by passing H.R. 3313, a bill to withdraw jurisdiction from the federal courts over the Defense of Marriage Act. We urge Congress to use its Article III power to enact this into law, so that activist federal judges cannot force 49 other states to approve and recognize Massachusetts' attempt to redefine marriage."

2008:

"We offer it to our fellow Americans in the assurance that our Republican ideals are those that unify our country: Courage in the face of foreign foes. An optimistic patriotism, driven by a passion for freedom. Devotion to the inherent dignity and rights of every person."

Anti-LGBT Rhetoric

"To protect our servicemen and women and ensure that America's Armed Forces remain the best in the world, we affirm the timelessness of those values, the benefits of traditional military culture, and the incompatibility of homosexuality with military service."

"We lament that judges have denied the people their right to set abortion policies in the states and are undermining traditional marriage laws from coast to coast."

"Preserving Traditional Marriage

"Because our children's future is best preserved within the traditional understanding of marriage, we call for a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman, so that judges cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it. In the absence of a national amendment, we support the right of the people of the various states to affirm traditional marriage through state initiatives.

"Republicans recognize the importance of having in the home a father and a mother who are married. The two-parent family still provides the best environment of stability, discipline, responsibility, and character. Children in homes without fathers are more likely to commit a crime, drop out of school, become violent, become teen parents, use illegal drugs, become mired in poverty, or have emotional or behavioral problems. We support the courageous efforts of single-parent families to provide a stable home for their children. Children are our nation's most precious resource. We also salute and support the efforts of foster and adoptive families.

"Republicans have been at the forefront of protecting traditional marriage laws, both in the states and in Congress. A Republican Congress enacted the Defense of Marriage Act, affirming the right of states not to recognize same-sex 'marriages' licensed in other states. Unbelievably, the Democratic Party has now pledged to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which would subject every state to the redefinition of marriage by a judge without ever allowing the people to vote on the matter. We also urge Congress to use its Article III, Section 2 power to prevent activist federal judges from imposing upon the rest of the nation the judicial activism in Massachusetts and California. We also encourage states to review their marriage and divorce laws in order to strengthen marriage.

"As the family is our basic unit of society, we oppose initiatives to erode parental rights."

###

National Stonewall Democrats is the national voice of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied Democrats, with more than 80 local affiliates across the nation. Stonewall Democrats works to elect more pro-equality Democrats regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity - and to improve the Democratic Party on issues important to LGBT Democrats.

Eagerly Awaiting The GLAAD National POC Media Institute

In a little over 48 hours I'll be in the Big Apple eagerly awaiting the first session of the 2012 Edition of the GLAAD National POC Media Institute.   The LA edition of it will occur September 7-9..

You TransGriot readers are probably wondering with my demonstrated writing, radio interview and speaking skills why I would be taking part in this event. 

One of the reasons is that we need more trans POC spokespeople with media training speaking about the issues that impact our community for starters.  

It's something I've complained about for years and by attending this institute, to paraphrase the words of my shero the late Barbara Jordan, who was an award winning debater and speaker herself, I'm doing more than just talk about it.  I want to be in a better position to act as a spokesperson for the trans community.

They also cover television interviews as well.  I haven't done as many of those as I have the radio and print variety and definitely could use the practice.  If I make mistakes in a TV interview I'd rather do so in a learning environment rather than in a moment critical to our community's media advocacy strategy

And frankly, I'm attending the GLAAD National POC Media Institute because I want to get better at what I do media communications wise and this is a wonderful opportunity I've been blessed with.

See y'all this weekend.

Korea's Next Top Model Features Trans Woman

It took America's Next Top Model 11 seasons before Isis King broke ground as the first open trans woman to appear on the show.   Its Korean counterpart took only three seasons to do so.

I've talked about Choi Han-bit, the now 26 year old transwoman who came in second on the 2009 edition of the Open Hall show that is a televised model search competition.   She was one of 1,200 contestants who started but the aspiring model kept progressing through the competition all the way to the finals.

She transitioned back in 2006 and has been diligently working to crack the modeling ranks in South Korea but keeps getting turned down for modeling jobs.  

She's now appearing on the third season of Korea's Next Top Model and once again has the eyes of a nation and the international trans community on her.  

Her appearance on KNTM3 has been met with mixed reviews from viewers and contestants, but show officials pointed out she is considered legally female in South Korea and it would be a human rights violation if she is not allowed to do so.

So far she is five shows into the KNTM3 cycle and has been doing well so far.   She finished third in one episode and in episode five won the reward challenge.    Staying alive and avoiding elimination is the name of that the game on that show, and so far Choi Han-bit has managed to do so. 

Here's hoping she not only makes the final of KNTM3, but wins it. 

Ugandan Team Makes LLWS History

When the Little League World Series comes on, I'll take some time to watch the games that are broadcast on ESPN because it does take me back to when I played Little League ball back in the day but never got the opportunity to play for my league's All-Star team.  

I have a deep appreciation of how hard it is to not only make your individual Little League's all star team, but go through the various regional playoffs in your state and region to get to Williamsport, PA where they play the Little League World Series.

I was excited to see for the second time ever in the 66 year history of the LLWS, a team from the African continent break through their region chock full of Middle East based Little League teams with children of expat Americans working in the area and win.

Last year a team from Kampala, Uganda beat a strong Saudi Arabian team in the Middle East-Africa regional finals to become the first African team ever to qualify for the LLWS. 

But the joy over that landmark accomplishment was dashed when problems arose with the Ugandan team’s visas and player birth records.  That resulted in the Saudi team they vanquished making the trip to Williamsport

This year's team from the Mehta Little League didn't have that problem since they made certain it was comprised of all 11 year olds and the visas were cleared by the US State Department.  But they still had to successfully navigate the Middle East/Africa regional tournament in Kutno, Poland once again in order to make history.         

That road to reach the LLWS began in July with a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia due to a two run homer hit by the Saudis in the top of the 6th inning.   The kids from Lugazi bounced back the next day to beat Dubai 6-0 in the first of their must-win games to stay alive in the double elimination tournament.  They had to play two must-win games the following day, beating Qatar 13-1 and Kuwait 8-0 to get to the July 16 MEA Regional Championship game. 

They beat Kuwait 5-2 to make it the second straight year a Ugandan team has claimed the Middle East/Africa regional tournament title and qualified for the Little League World Series.   The Mehta Little League team scored 33 runs in five MEA tourney games with four of them being pressure packed must win ones.  They gave up only 5 runs in the MEA Regional to begin the trip of a lifetime representing their town,their country and get a shot at winning the world championship. 

The Ugandan squad knew they would be underdogs when they arrived here to play the more experienced international Little League teams, and on Friday they lost to Aguadulce, Panama, 9-3.  The next day Uganda lost to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico 12-0 to eliminate them from international division championship consideration ans send them to a consolation game against Gresham, OR..  

In their consolation game against the Gresham, OR squad today they broke through for a 3-2 win, the first ever by an African based LLWS squad. 

     



They will officially have a 1-2 record, but they will leave Williamsport having made many fans and accomplishing their goal of making friends.   Once the Little League World Series is over they will take in a minor league baseball game and see the United Nations building in New York before heading back home

They will also go back home knowing that they accomplished something that no other African based little league team has ever done in terms of winning a game at the LLWS.

Univision President Decries Lack Of Debate Moderator Diversity

Looks like I wasn't the only person along with the National Association of Black Journalists that noticed the lack of debate moderator diversity in the upcoming October presidential and vice presidential debates.

Univision President Randy Falco wrote a letter that put the Commission on Presidential Debates on blast for their vanillacentric and major network centric selections of debate moderators.

"This November more than 20 million Hispanics could play a critical role in electing the new President of the United States and it is important that they make an informed decision," Falco wrote. "The debates announced yesterday presented an ideal opportunity to tap one of the two best journalists in the business who have a broad understanding of the domestic and international issues facing this country, understand the Hispanic community better than anyone else and are fully bilingual: Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas."

The other Latino journalists whose names were rumored to have been considered for moderator slots were CNN's Soledad O'Brien and Telemundo's Jose Diaz-Balart.  

As the fastest growing minority group that will make up by 2050 a third of the population of the United States, the 2012 presidential candidates should have to answer questions posed by Latino journalists in a debate setting just as they needed to answer questions from African-American journalists.

The importance of having POC journalists is magnified when one of the presidential candidates has been routinely ducking non-white journalists on a regular basis.

Falco also offered in his letter to the Commission to create a Latino forum for both presidential candidates to participate in.

"Since you have already made your decision on moderators for the debates and have neglected to have someone speak credibly to the concerns of Hispanics in America, Univision would be willing to create a forum for the presidential candidates to address this sector of our society."

Janet Brown, the Debate Commission's executive director tried to deflect the justified criticism coming their way about the glaring omission of journalists of color.   In addition to stating the Commission was not creating the requested forum,  she wrote this in response to Falco.

"We recognize that there are many organizations and individuals who wish they had been included in our moderator selection. Debate arithmetic means that it is impossible to accommodate all of them. However, we strongly believe that the four journalists we have named see their assignment as representing all Americans in their choice of topics and questions. The general election debates have always focused on issues of national interest that affect all citizens, including Univision’s audience.  We have met with Univision about joint efforts to get the largest number of people possible engaged in discussing and learning from the debates, and remain interested in working with you toward that goal."

Yeah, right.  This is a cop-out statement and a recognition the Commission fracked up by not adding journalists of color for these debates.  It also doesn't address the valid point that Falco made that the four journalists chosen as moderators don't have experience or cultural fluency with the issues the Latino community faces. 

It's also arrogant and insulting of Ms. Brown or the commission to presume that non-white journalists aren't capable of asking debate questions that would appeal to all American citizens, since it has been effortlessly done by Carole Simpson in the 1992 presidential debate and Gwen Ifill most recently in the 2004 and 2008 vice presidential ones. .

Debate Commission leadership, it's past time for you to recognize the reality that the 'all citizens' part of that statement Ms. Brown crafted also includes non-white Americans.    
 .

Black Trans History-Ajita Wilson

Stumbled across an interesting piece of Black trans history while searching for something trans related to write about.   It concerns the surprising note that cult film actress Ajita Wilson was a trans woman.   But then again, why should I be surprised about what I discover when it comes to women like us?

It's simply another fascinating piece of Black trans history that I'm bringing to your attention.     

She was born in Brooklyn, New York around 1950 and started out as a female illusionist and entertainer in New York's red light district   She had her sex realignment surgery in the mid 1970's and not long after that occurred began appearing in underground adult films being produced in the New York area. 

She was discovered by a European film producer who got her roles in French, Italian, Greek and Spanish films.  By 1978 Wilson had built up quite a following and name recognition in doing so.  
She appeared in a seemingly nonstop series of films during the 1970s and 1980's that ranged from soft and hardcore porn films to mainstream horror, light comedy, anachronistic historical epics and espionage thrillers.  

Interestingly enough one of the people she worked with during her film career was The Exorcist actress Linda Blair in the movie Savage Island.

To add another interesting note to this post about her, she was a Jet Magazine pin up girl.  Ajita Wilson appeared in the August 20, 1981 issue of the iconic Jet Magazine as their Beauty of The Week    That may make her possibly the first trans woman to hold that distinction.

While her acting career was still going strong and in a positive direction for her she was involved in a horrific automobile accident in Rome, Italy.   She passed away from a brain hemorrhage on May 26, 1987 that resulted from that accident.

After Wilson's death, speculation about her trans status began to emerge.  When director Carlos Aured was asked to comment on it, he said this in reply.to the interviewer's question.

"She was charming, beautiful and very professional. The rest is not important." he said. 

Indeed.  Ajita Wilson was as director Aured said, charming, beautiful and professional as an actress.  But I'd disagree about the second part of his comment.  

In that time period there were very few out Black transfeminine role models.  While I understand what the transition protocols were at that time and she was a product of that era, it sure would have been nice to know that Ajita Wilson was also a girl like us, too.

Why I STILL Won't Vote For Conservafools

I have a diverse collection of people in my life who encompass a wide variety of political thought up to and including conservatives. 

The country club ones, not the batturd crazy wing.

But lately I've been getting pushback on my Facebook page from a few of them who have objected to my scathing critiques of the conservafool movement and tried to challenge me using Fox Noise talking points that are awash in vanillacentric privilege they continue to fail to acknowledge.

This post is the result of a series of conversations and response to one of my friend's charges that in his point of view, he has the opinion I think the Democratic party is perfect.

I never said the Democrats were. There are things I don't like that they do. There are policy directions such a universal health care I'm disappointed they haven't been more aggressive on in enacting.  I would like to see them more forcefully call the Republicans out for what they are in terms of being neo-fascist anti-intellectual extremist bigots.

I've been made aware of in my lifetime that conservatives as a whole don't like my people. Individual Republicans may not feel that way and resent it when we slam the conservative movement they are personally aligned with.

But in these hyperpartisan times when there is a clear Grand Canyon wide chasm between the policies advocated by Democrats and Republicans, that 'vote the person not the party line' spouted by people is bull feces.  The party you choose to support gives me a major clue about what type of human being you are and an insight into your personal values.   It also gives me a major clue as to how you will govern if you gain control of the government at whatever level and how you will use that power. 

From where I sit, the 2012 edition of the conservative movement and the GOP is not one that is worthy of my time, much less my precious vote because the conservamajority consensus that comes from your movement, your GOP party that is the political arm of your movement, the media that supports it, and the vanillacentric policies and the policies that it promotes are seen by myself and other persons of color as relentlessly racist and hostile to our political and economic interests.

So naw conservatives, I can't in good conscience as someone who loves her people vote for Republicans .
Another thing I have observed over my lifetime is that when Republicans have attacked mine and my people's human rights, it was Democrats I saw repeatedly standing up to resist it.   It was Democrats who called out the bigotry and racism while Republicans were united in cricket chirping silence about it.

It is Democrats who have the policy agenda, desire and attempt to spend their political capital on policies that help urban America while you Republicans denigrate it.and oppose those policies while coming up with the same warmed over supply-side conservabull feces that we know doesn't work.  .     

It is Democratic candidates who repeatedly come to my community and respectfully ask for my vote.  You conservafools seek to come up with any excuse to ignore and disrespect my community while suppress its paid for in blood ability to vote.

I know and my community knows when we have been spit upon.  So  don't even try to disrespect our intelligence and attempt to tell us that it's raining.  We don't watch Fox News so that baa baa conservasheep routine doesn't work on us. 

Neither does sending cookie chomping sellouts to parrot the same policies and anti-Black remarks uttered on a regular basis by conservative white pundits.

So if you can't stand me and my people, and you have repeatedly  demonstrated through deeds and words when you get power you will use it to oppress me and my people, why would I be foolish enough to vote for representatives of a GOP that make it quite clear that they hate me and the policies they pursue will have deleterious effects on my life?

So naw, Moni and the African-American community ain't going out like that.   When you conservafools make up your minds that you will stand up for my community like the Democrats have done for over four decades and you come up with policies that fix the problems that ail my community, then I might start listening.

Until then, every election day I'm voting for people with D's behind their name on the ballots..

2012 TransFaith In Color Conference-That's A Wrap

The TransFaith In Color conference  is over for 2012 and as long as I eagerly awaited the arrival of last weekend, it seemed to pass at warp speed once it did.  

From meeting amazing allies like Bishop Tonyia Rawls,  to the wonderful people on the staff and local organizing committee such as Gwen Rawls and Mecca Moss to the numerous volunteers that keep the conference smoothly running it was definitely worth the trip to be in that amazing space.   I even had some wonderful conversations with the host hotel staff and it was covered in the local Charlotte media.   .

But the cool thing for me was sitting at a table during Saturday's award luncheon having Cheryl Courtney-Evans on my immediate left and Miss Major on my immediate.right, an emerging award winning youth leader in Anthony Dondero and his mother,  Minister Bobbie Jean Baker, .Valerie Spencer and my Houston homegirl Diamond Stylz at it.

We had seminars over the three days of TFIC 2012 that covered a wide array of topics from becoming a man or woman to spirituality while being trans.  There was a fascinating Afrocentric welcoming ceremony Friday night and a closing church service I unfortunately missed because I was headed back to Houston Sunday morning.   

And there are those conversations that occur in  various situations during a conference like the Saturday morning breakfast one I had with Mecca, Valerie, Sade and Cheryl.   The opportunity I had to get some quiet quality time with Miss Major and while we're talking people realizing the historical significance of that moment and snapping pics of us.

She and I also talked about our respective status in the community, my observation that our path cross a lot, and her awareness of the fact that she needs to talk about the history she's witnessed since she's approaching another milestone birthday in a few days. 

There are also the new friends I made like my roommate Andrea  from Minneapolis who I discovered we have playing tennis in common in addition to both of us not being happy about how the CeCe McDonald case played out in Hennepin County.    I met Christine Arcila who I wrote about in this blog in conjunction with the SEPTA transit pass gender marker problem.  Minister Carmarion Anderson and I not only live on different ends of I-45, ironically one of her best friends is my cousin.   Meeting some amazing trans brothers who are rapidly ramping up their efforts to build community while strengthening the bonds with their trans sisters.

It's meeting people that I'd only been corresponding with on Facebook for the first time.  It's me demonstrating why the TransGriot has the national and international representation in the trans human rights community I do and our younglings realizing they can stop me in the hall and get quality time to talk to me.

It's seeing old friends and allies like new daddy Louis Mitchell, my little brother as I call him Yeshua Holiday (who is headed your way Memphis, TN), Kylar Broadus, Kimberly McLeod, Darlene Nipper, Rocco Katastrophe, Mandy Carter and countless others.

It's just being in one of the rare spaces in our community that is not only trans affirming, but also is reflective of my heritage and steeped in our spirituality as well. 

It's also cool when people you admire in this community tell you the same thing.  It more than makes up for any negativity I get from my haters.  I marvel at the honor and blessing of being the keynote speaker for it.   How cool does that get?

So when this conference returns to the Queen City in 2014, if you haven't gone, you might wish to seriously consider checking it out. 

I know I'm definitely thinking about it, and might do a seminar. .

Another Young Transwoman Lost In Ohio

While I was in Charlotte for the just concluded TransFaith In Color Conference, heard about another young African-American transwoman who has been killed in the Cincinnati suburb of Walnut Hills, OH.  .

As usual, we have another case of an African-American transwoman being disrespectfully misgendered in the media, followed up by transphobic comments in the jacked up story on that media outlet's website.

What aggravates me even further about the developing story besides the pimping of the Black trans prostitute meme, is before I left for Charlotte had to report about another Chicago trans woman who had been killed.  

WKRC-TV. read your AP Stylebook as to the proper way to report on trans persons.  Umm, never mind, I'll do it myself since you trained professional journalists can't seem to get it right the first time.

Before I do your job for you, here's the pertinent section of the AP Stylebook you need to pay fracking attention to since this probably won't be the last time you end up reporting on trans persons

transgender-Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.

If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.

***
Shortly after 10:30 PM  EDT Saturday night, police were called to the parking lot of a Dairy Mart on E. McMillan Street near Victory Parkway Drive where they found 26 year old Kendall L. Hampton suffering from a gunshot wound    She was rushed to University Hospital where she died  

Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call the Cincinnati Police Criminal Investigations Section at (513) 352-3542 or Crimestoppers at (513) 352-3040.

***

See WKRC-TV?   That wasn't so hard was it?  So what's your excuse for the piss-poor reporting in your story?

This is early info on the latest transwoman to die in 2012   Until I find out what Ms Hampton's femme name was, I will refer to her in this and subsequent posts by her initials.

And if someone has a more flattering photo of her besides this po-po mugshot or info about Ms. Hampton, please e-mail it to me ASAP.

Anniversary Vigil For Nakhia Today

I recently wrote about justice finally being served in my friend Nakhia Williams' case in Louisville with the wastes of DNA who committed the crime being punished for doing so .

Today is the fourth anniversary of  Nikki's death and there is a vigil being planned for her at 10:30 AM EDT.  She was a good friend that I miss and I wish I could be there for it.  

Here's the press reease from the Fairness Campaign for the vigil

***.  

Nakhia "Nikki" Williams was a proud transgender woman, a writer and painter, who was deeply involved in her community. She was brutally murdered in Louisville on August 20, 2008, a few days shy of her 30th birthday. This Monday, August 20--the anniversary of Nikki's murder--the Fairness Campaign will join her family to remember Nikki, and all victims of bias-motivated violent crime, at the site of her murder, 15th and Market Streets, 10:30 a.m.

Pinwheels will be distributed at the gathering symbolizing hope of ending all bias-motivated violent crime.

"With the recent Sikh temple shooting, the assault on a young lesbian girl in Louisville, and the brutal attack of a Nebraska lesbian, it is necessary to further the discussion of ending prejudice and bias-based violent crime in America," shared Fairness Campaign co-coordinator Keith Brooks.

WHAT: Pinwheels of Hope--A Remembrance of All Victims of Bias-Motivated Violent Crime

WHEN: Monday, August 20, 10:30 a.m. (anniversary of Nakhia's murder)

WHERE: 15th & Market Streets in Downtown Louisville (site of Nakhia's murder)

2012 TransFaith In Color Conference-Day Two

It's been an amazing day and is still going on as I type this post from the hotel's business center.  Still getting kudos for the keynote speech, reconnected with friends and met new ones, and hearing the sounds of the music from the Sweet-T ball.

I'm headed back to Houston in the morning until it's time for my next trip in a few short days to the Big Apple, and in September I'll be heading back to Washington. 

The TransFaith In Color 2012 conference has been all that and then some, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the various regional events in 2013 take shape as the main TFIC takes a pause until 2014.

We were given a warm welcome by the wonderful people of the host committee that put on a well run, spirit filled, and informative transcentric event. 

We had close to 300 people take part in this conference with well attended, informative and interactive seminars.  We had one serious discusson last night after the screening of Gun Hill Road led by Bishop Rawls and later myself that talked about trans pain and other issues in depth until 4 AM

Well, time to go check in for my flight and pack my stuff.  Gotta be at the airport for an 8:30 AM EST departure and need my beauty sleep.

TransGriot Note: Thanks to Mya Leilani Vazquez for the photo.

2012 TransFaith In Color Conference Keynote Address

TransGriot Note; this is the text of the speech I'm delivering as you read this post at the TransFaith In Color Conference in Charlotte, NC.

2012 TransFaith In Color Conference Keynote Speech 

Giving honor to God, Bishop Rawls, faith leaders, TransFaith In Color Conference board, Mayor Foxx, conference organizers, volunteers, distinguished guests, conference attendees, my fellow transpeople, friends and allies. 

I thank you for the kind invitation and the blessing of being able to speak in front of an event I have wanted to attend ever since I heard about the initial 2010 TransFaith In Color conference that occurred in Los Angeles.  

I received an inquiry from the organizers of that 2010 event asking me if I would be able to speak at that initial conference, but unfortunately a previous commitment kept that from happening. 

Then I heard how much fun y’all had, how wonderful and empowering the inaugural TransFaith In Color conference was and I was bummed about missing it.  

So know TFIC Family that I consider it an honor and a privilege to be standing before you in the Queen City today at the 2012 edition of this conference to give this keynote speech.

The best part is I get to come here a week after my beloved Texans beat the Panthers 26-13.  

Hey, I’m a native Texan and loving football, no matter what level it’s played at is hardwired into my DNA. 

One of the things I have noted ever since I began my transition in April 1994 is the sometimes outright hostility that some people in the trans community have concerning the topic of faith and spirituality in trans circles.  Those of you who know me are quite aware of the fact I haven’t been shy about tackling many subjects in my decade and a half as a national trans leader and have noted in my speeches, radio and podcast interviews and blog posts that I am a Christian.  

I was baptized at my home church in Houston 40 years ago this month on August 2 and that faith has been an integral part of my life long before I transitioned.  There were periods during the rough spots in it I couldn’t have made it through some of the situations I found myself in without it.   There were some situations I found myself in during that time when I look back at it there was no logical explanation as to how it successfully resolved itself to a satisfactory conclusion

That faith has allowed me to appreciate some of the blessings that have come my way and give me the patience and clarity of thought I needed to navigate some of the challenging times I’ve experienced and come through it a stronger and better human being. 

One of the things I noted when I started interacting with the trans community and attending the trans themed conventions I’ve had the pleasure of attending such as the IFGE Conference or Southern Comfort in Atlanta, I found it interesting that every type of faith tradition has been respected even up to having none at all.

But let someone in the trans community say they are a Christian, and they get either the side-eyed look or get some rant directed at them by a self proclaimed atheist in some cases for simply naming and proclaiming their faith. 

That hostility to Christianity, which is a several centuries spiritual bedrock of our culture has been one of the impediments in terms of getting trans POC involvement in the trans rights movement.  

I talked about this during an April 2006 speech I delivered in Philadelphia when I was accepting my IFGE Trinity Award and I’m going to repeat a section of it that talked about that hostility and what we needed to do about it.

Granted, some people who profess to be Christians have invited this negative response but there’s a major difference between little ‘c’ Christians and big ‘C’ ones.

Big ‘C’ Christians believe in love, tolerance, understanding others and their differences and embracing them. Little ‘c' Christians are the intolerant ones who are using the faith as a white sheet to camouflage their bigotry and hatred.

Christianity isn’t the private property of right-wing zealots. It’s past time for those of us in the GLBT community who are Christian to proclaim it, stand up to those thugs and take our faith back from the Pharisees who are using it as a baton to beat us down with.

Those words I spoke that day are just as apropos today as they were then.  We just witnessed little ‘c’ Christians in action during the Amendment One fight in North Carolina.  They are hard at work trying to keep President Obama from being reelected and attempting to either pass marriage bans in Minnesota or overturn marriage equality laws in Maryland and Washington state.  They were busy trying to stop the Massachusetts trans rights law from passing.  

Hear me today, transpeople who have their hate on for transgender Christians. Liberal-progressive Christian allies such as the Freedom Center For Social Justice, pastors like Bishop Rawls, Bishop Yvette Flunder, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and a long list of transgender Christians are not your enemy. 

The depressingly long list of people and organizations who currently oppose your human rights, deny your humanity while unfortunately claiming they are Christians are.

So let’s not get it twisted.  These misguided little ‘c’ Christians are cut from the same segregationist cloth that our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents fought during their successful battle for the constitutionally guaranteed human rights. 

Like the 21st century ones we have to deal with on a regular basis, we have little ‘c’ Christians who try to hide behind the Bible to do their dirty work.

Transwomen have had the added problem of doing battle for the last four decades with a group of radical feminists who have done everything possible up to and including denigration of us, denying our humanity, bearing false witness about us and writing transphobic papers to the United Nations Entity for General Equality and the Empowerment of Women in an attempt to deny us human rights coverage worldwide.

It didn’t work because these people were on the wrong side of the moral arc of history at that time, it didn’t work in the 20^th century, and it’s not gonna work in the second decade of the 21^st century either.  

Susan L. Taylor, the former longtime Editor-In-Chief of ESSENCE magazine wrote a very popular column in that iconic magazine for several decades called ‘In the Spirit’.

Ms. Taylor wrote, “We are not powerless spectators of life. We are co-creators with God, and all around us are the gifts, the clay that we can use to shape our world.”

Yes, we are.  But the problem has been that for the last five decades transpeople have felt so overwhelmed by having to deal with the multiple challenges of a gender transition combined with dealing with the unholy trinity of shame, fear and guilt that we have not owned our power to take the time to shape the clay that we use to make that better world for ourselves. 

We transpeople are part of the diverse mosaic of human life.  We are unique on this planet in terms of living on both sides of the gender binary.  That is nothing to be ashamed of, we aren’t going anywhere, so society needs to deal with it.

Since we know we are part of the diverse mosaic of human life, that means we shouldn’t feel guilty about being trans men and women.  

We should be saying it loud we are Black, trans and proud.  We also need to be boldly stepping up to demand our place at the African-American family table and seats at any other table we need to sit at and exercise power on behalf of our community.  

To own our power takes courage on our part.  We can’t worry about what people will say when we are beyond sick and tired of being sick and tired of being mistreated do and our requests to be treated like human beings are seen as unreasonable in other person’s eyes.  That’s their problem if they see it that way. 

To quote Asa Philip Randolph, “I want to congratulate you for doing you bit to make the world safe for democracy and unsafe for hypocrisy.”   We need to forcefully speak up and speak that truth to entrenched power whoever wields it.  

We transpeople don’t need tolerance.  We need full fledged acceptance and acknowledgment as fellow children of God that we are your brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, spouses, lovers, friends, and family members.

It’s irritating to transwomen when you give far more respect to Tyler Perry dressed as Madea, will use the correct pronouns when he is playing that character, but you leave the theater after watching that movie or play will misgender and disrespect a transwoman.

We are also part of the greater society and it’s past time for us to be able to contribute our talents to making our communities that we inhabit and intersect with better.   Just as we transpeople have fearlessly owned our power in terms of taking charge of the clay that molds our political and personal lives, we must now do so and step up to leadership roles in our communities of faith.  If your home church has a problem with you doing so, then find an accepting church home that will.

We have just as much right to sit in the pews on Sunday mornings, become deacons and ushers and ministers of various churches just as anyone else in this country does.

But one of the ingredients in the clay to shape our world that Ms. Taylor was talking about is faith.   She describes it as the flip side of fear and also reminds us that our ancestors in times far more challenging than what we transpeople face today relied on that faith to carry them through hard times. 

They imagined a better world for their children and grandchildren and worked diligently to make it happen even though many of them may not have lived long enough to enjoy the fruits of their labors. 

And what is faith, you ask?   In Hebrews 11:1 it states: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in his 1963 Strength to Love essay about the subject, “Faith can give us the courage to face the uncertainties of the future.”

Lord knows that transpeople have had to draw upon our faith in order to have the courage to not only transition, but face our challenging at times lives.   When I transitioned in 1994, the transcommunity of the mid 90’s faced hostility aimed at us from inside and outside the rainbow community. 

Employers could fire us just for being who we are.  Human rights laws only protected our employment in a very short list of cities and states.  

The transpeople we had at the time who bravely came out got the full brunt of trans discrimination from friend, foe and frenemy alike. 

The shame, guilt and fear at times had such a powerful grip on this community that many people transitioned, melted away into society and never let anyone know they were trans. 

Those unfortunate enough to lose their lives suffered the indignity of not only being posthumously misgendered, but the people who loved them had to witness in the infrequent instances the perpetrators of the crimes against them who were caught getting what amounted to a legal slaps on the wrist for doing so.

At the time I transitioned I didn’t even have role models who shared my ethnic heritage.  I wasn’t sure I would be able to hang on to my job at the time, much less have familial ties when I was done. 

But I forged ahead with my transition and did so with the faith and expectation that the situation would get better.   I also did so with the words of my Lone Star shero Rep. Barbara Jordan ringing in my ears.  When she accepted her Spingarn medal from the NAACP in 1992, she stated “It is a burden of Black people that we have to do more than talk.”   

The interesting thing I discovered is when I finally did more than talk about it and actually stepped out on faith to do it, my life did get better.  By 1998 I felt the need to join other transpeople here in the United States and around the world in helping to shape the clay to make a better world for myself and the people that would follow in my footsteps because I knew deep down that was the only way the situation would get better for all of us 

Because transpeople owned our power and renewed the push in the 90’s to start shaping our world, it did get better to the point in which 2012 has so far been a watershed year not only in the United States but internationally in terms of trans human rights.

Is it perfect?  No.  Do we have a lot of work that still needs to be done to shape the clay before we can stick it in the kiln to harden it after we create that world?  We most certainly do.  Can we do it?  Yes, we most certainly can and we can’t stop until the job is finished.    

We have shaped the world to the point that we have trans kids coming out at earlier ages that we could have dreamed of when I did so in 1994.   We now have 15 states and over 180 jurisdictions that have gender identity and expression language that covers transpeople in their human rights laws and policies.   We have increasingly long lists of colleges, universities and school districts that are doing the same in their employment and non discrimination statements and policies.

We have several nations such as Argentina passing groundbreaking laws that reaffirms the humanity of their trans citizens.   We had a transwoman just a few months ago fight a human rights battle that resulted in the breaking of the Miss Universe pageant glass ceiling by Jenna Talackova and her being able to compete in the Miss Universe Canada pageant back in May.  

I have begun to see trans role models who share my ethnic heritage such as Kylar Broadus, Janet Mock, Isis King, Laverne Cox, Minister Louis Mitchell, Miss Major, Cheryl Courtney-Evans, Carter Brown, Valerie Spencer  Minister Carmarion Anderson Yeshua Holiday and countless others who have not only gone through their own personal journeys, but realized on one level or another they needed to do what they could personally to shape a better world for the people who come behind them. 

They also realized they needed to act as role models for a community that has precious few of them.   

I have seen organizations rise in the African American community over the last decade such as the National Black Justice Coalition, Trans Persons of Color Coalition, the Freedom Center For Social Justice and countless others who recognize they are their transbrothers and transsisters keepers and the Black community includes transpeople of African descent.

Even iconic civil rights organizations such as the 103 year old NAACP have had the epiphany that the colored people in their name also includes transgender colored people.  They realize the need to be just as outspoken and inclusive as the NBJC and TPOCC are in advocating for the trans community

I was moved to tears to see Chairman Julian Bond, Alice Huffman and other during a reception at last month’s NAACP convention in Houston make it clear we were witnessing a historic day in terms of cementing a permanent marriage between the NAACP and the Black LGBT community.   

The NAACP and our other legacy orgs have come to this realization either on their own accord or have been made aware of this point  through years of unrelenting trans community activism:

Trans people exist, we are part of the kente cloth fabric of the African-American community, and we aren’t going away. 

They are now aware of the fact that African-American transgender community’s problems are their problems and vice versa.  If they aren’t or chose to ignore it, they soon will be made aware of it by us.

A person who is running around killing transwomen may one day do the same to a cisgender female member of your family if they aren’t caught and swiftly brought to justice.

To my same gender loving brothers and sisters, I must point out some of us trans peeps also are part of bi, lesbian and gay end of the rainbow community in addition to belonging to the trans end.

Our historically Black colleges and universities need to be stepping up to the plate and emulating what other colleges and universities are doing in terms of making their campuses safe for SGL and trans students.   African descended GLBT students have the right to demand when they choose to spend their hard earned education dollars matriculating on an HBCU campus, their human rights are respected and protected while doing so.

Our African descended GLBT students and their parents shouldn’t have to fear for their children’s lives and safety while they work to get their degrees.

When the Republicans passed laws in several states attempting to suppress the votes of African-Americans in advance of November’s critical national elections, they didn’t make distinctions between the African-American trans and cisgender communities.  

If you’re a transperson who lives in one of the states that passed this reprehensible legislation and it hasn’t been blocked by Department of Justice action like the one in my home state of Texas was, you may find yourself on Election Day not being able to cast a ballot

While I’m talking about the subject of voting, make sure you are not only registered, but as soon as the polls open y’all take yourselves and a few friends to the polls with you on or before November 6 to vote. 

It also hurts the entire African-American community when transpeople are getting devastated by 26% unemployment rates and 34% of us are making less than $10,000 a year.  

That means we don’t have the cash to do what we need to do to uplift not only our own community, but the African-American one and the others we intersect with.   

Dr. King also wrote in Strength to Love, “Before the ship of your life reaches its last harbor, there will be long drawn out storms, howling and jostling winds, and tempestuous seas that make the heart stand still.  If you do not have a deep and patient faith in God, you will be powerless to face the delay, disappointments and vicissitudes that inevitably come.”

Sounds like the Good Doctor was talking about the lives of trans people in a nutshell.

When we finally come to the epiphany that our gender identities are not in sync with the bodies we were born into, we face the long drawn out storms of going through a gender transition.   We have to deal with the howling and jostling winds of a disapproving society.  

We have to navigate the tempestuous seas and sometimes hurricane force winds the unholy trinity of fear, shame and guilt create that keep trying to push us to shallow waters, coral reefs and shoals that can wreck our ship and keep us from steering a consistent path to our final harbor. 

We also have moments that make our hearts stand still as we see the ships of fellow travelers on this trans sea of humanity founder, take on water and eventually sink for various reasons.

But it is with a deep and patient faith with God that we have the courage to face those challenges and confidently move forward with our lives.  If we don’t take that time to meditate, pray, and consistently develop the spiritual sides of our humanity, it allows doubt and the unholy trinity of shame, fear and guilt to creep back into our lives and block our blessings

That type of deep and patient faith takes time to develop along with constant work on our part.   We have to make time to stay spiritually tuned in and remind ourselves that God is always on our side. 

And just to touch on a few scriptures to emphasize that point.

1 Samuel 16:7 "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

In other words, while humans look at the outer shell and focus on that, God focuses on the inner being.

Zechariah 12:1
"The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him."

To summarize, our spirit is formed separately from our body just as our gender identity and a trans person’s physical bodies conflict. 

John 7:24:
"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

This is Jesus commanding us to stop judging people based on outward appearances and going deeper and looking into our hearts.

Matthew 19:12 states.  “For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.”

Eunuchs were back in the day transpeople.  Jesus was talking about the fact hat not only are some eunuchs born that way, some were created by human beings through castration while others did so because of gender identity didn’t match bodies.     

He didn’t see that as an impediment to being a Christian.  I don’t and other trans people don’t see being trans and Christian as mutually exclusive either.

And amazingly on October 5, 1999, neither did Rev. Pat Robertson. 

I know, you’re shocked I’m about to quote Pat Robertson in this keynote speech, but every now and then he has one of those broken clock moments that you have got to point out.   He said this on a 700 Club show in which a question that was allegedly sent by a transperson was read on air that asked if transsexuality was a sin.    

Pat’s response to the question was not only was transsexuality NOT a sin and we transpeople do not have feel guilty about it, he also said this to close the segment.

God does not care what your external organs are. The question is whether you are living for God or not. Yes, He loves you. Yes, He forgives you and He understands what is going on in your body.

So if God understands what is going on with us transpeople, what’s wrong with the rest of society?   So nope, I don’t feel guilty. 

I’m proud of being who I am and so are increasing numbers of transgender people for being our out and proud true selves. 

Every now and then I’ll run into a right wing Christian online or at my home blog trying to spout the ‘transsexuality is a sin’ nonsense or their latest ‘you’re rebelling against God by altering your body’ talking point. 

I’ll repeat this Pat Robertson quote, then tell them go to Google and type in the October 5, 1999 700 Club show if they don’t believe it. 

And on the ‘altering your body’ talking point, the first thing I ask them is if any members of their family or someone they know have had plastic surgery lately just to point out the ridiculous levels of hypocrisy in their specious argument.

I and other transpeople didn’t go through transition drama, spend time, money and go through various surgical procedures to be ‘edgy’, ‘rebel’, ‘live a lifestyle’ or whatever disrespectful term du jour our friends, foes and frenemies come up with to minimize and disrespect our lives. 

We know that once we start taking our first estrogen or testosterone shots, we are going to get all the baggage good, bad and indifferent from leading our transmasculine and transfeminine lives in our target gender role.  Once we do take that shot and make the committed decision to transition we step out on faith that we are ready to do so. 

We transition to be the men and women we are and God created us to be, nothing more, nothing less.  The fact we had to work much harder to do so is just something we have to deal with as we seek to live quality lives.  The international trans human rights struggle work in my estimation has been far easier than the ongoing work we’ll have to do to overcome the internalized shame, guilt and fear we all struggle with on various levels.    

The TransFaith in Color conference is the perfect venue to help us get to the point in our lives where we can break free of those internalized shackles that block our blessings, paralyze us with self doubt and inaction, and have us questioning the talents we were given.  

The TransFaith In Color Conference is giving us a venue to learn, to network, to reconnect with old friends from around the country, meet new ones, create partnerships with various organizations and hopefully discover something new about ourselves we haven’t considered before.

It’s also giving us the ability to develop that deep and patient faith in God that we’ll need to rely on as we continue our ongoing trans human rights struggle. 

That faith will help us as rainbow community human rights leaders and our allies traveling with us on this journey shape the clay for ourselves and others who look to us for the principled leadership to show them how to do so. 

This conference will also give us in the various panel discussions and seminars the tools to help us confidently lead the people who count on us to shape the world so it is better for trans people and our allies.

To close, I’m going to leave you with the words of Dr. Benjamin Mays.   

“We live by faith in others.   But most of all we must live by faith in ourselves- faith to believe that we can develop into useful men and women.”

At this conference, during this weekend and during future editions of the TransFaith in Color conference, let us always strive to develop the deep and patient faith we’ll need so that we can and will develop into useful men and women.   

In the spirit of having faith in others, let us continue to forge alliances with old and new partners amongst the various communities we intersect and interact with.   I pray along with the trans community that you allies never forget that transpeople are part of your advocacy constituencies as well.

As you give us a helping hand, we become a stronger, more cohesive community that will be better able to not only own our power, but use it to shape the clay of the world we wish to build for mutual benefit.

My fellow trans men and trans women, in the spirit of us having faith in ourselves, let us continue those friendships and working relationships we either started here during this TFIC conference weekend or continue to build on the ones we forged when we first met each other for our community’s sake.

By doing so, we trans people will not only benefit individually, but the trans community and the communities we transpeople of color intersect and interact with will reap the benefits as well.