No, Thank You NBJC!

Got an e-mail from the National Black Justice Coalition Thursday thanking me for my participation in the just concluded 2012 edition of OUT on the Hill.   The e-mail let me know the NBJC team was still getting positive feedback from the events I participated in, and I was happy to hear that. 

But I wanted to take a moment to thank NBJC for giving me the opportunity to not only be a part of that historic trans town hall, but contribute my thoughts as one of the people on that amazing blogger's roundtable as well.   

I enjoyed another chance to be around my NBJC and Black trans and SGL brothers and sisters and our allies.   I enjoyed discussing ways we could 'Own Our Power'.  I reveled in the wide range of conversations I got to engage in with a cross section of our community's thought leaders during the time I was inside I-495.

And yes, loved the chance of spending quality time with old friends and meeting new ones

It's not often we have conferences and events in SGL and trans world in which the majority of the people in attendance at it share my heritage.  OUT on the Hill is quickly becoming one of those must attend events and I was proud and felt honored to have been invited to play a role in the 2012 edition of it .

I hope the 2013 edition of OUT on the Hill next September is bigger, better and bolder than ever.  With the trans men's town hall that's already been announced by NBJC CEO/ED Sharon Lettman-Hicks at the close of this year's event, I know it's on its way to doing precisely that.

Thank you NBJC, for being one of the few organizations that spotlights and capitalizes the "T' in LGBT.  Thank you for being stand up allies for Black trans people who have been largely shut out of having a voice in that national LGBT rights conversation, lifting us up as you climb and helping us own our power.

And thank you once again for blessing me with the opportunity to be a part of it..      

Trans Sister Killed In Vancouver

It's Thanksgiving weekend north of the border, but our Canadian sisters in the Metro Vancouver area will have heavy hearts as they sit down to have their dinners on Monday.

According to Xtra.ca 26 year old January Marie Lapuz died after being found in her New Westminster, BC  home with stab wounds on September 29. 

Lapuz hailed from Santiago, Isabela, in the Philippines, spoke three languages (English, Tagalog, and Chinese), volunteered as a social coordinator, fundraiser and performer with Sher Vancouver, a group for LGBT South Asians but open to all ethnicities.

The RCMP Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) says the New Westminster Police Department received a call just after 10 PM PDT to assist paramedics with a stabbing victim in the 500 block of 3rd Ave. 

Lapuz was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 5:44 AM PDT.

The Metro Vancouver community is mourning January's loss. 

"She was like the mother of the group," Alex Sangha of Sher Vancouver said. "She had so much going against her, and she got through it with her strength. She was very spiritual, very generous, very kind. And she got through her challenges because she believed in God, and she had the support of the group, and her friends, and the people around her."

The investigation into Lapuz's death is still in the early stages.  Police are searching for an Asian male seen fleeing the scene.  He is described as being in his mid-20s, approximately five foot five, with short black hair and a muscular build. He was wearing a black muscle shirt and grey shorts.

“The investigation remains active and ongoing as we continue to look for a motive and a suspect in this case. We also need the public’s assistance as the search continues for a male who witnesses spotted running from the scene Saturday night,” says RCMP Sergeant Jennifer Pound.


"To say something such as a hate crime would be speculation at this point," Pound says.

Here's hoping the perpetrator of this crime is expeditiously captured and brought to justice.   For the people whose lives were touched in one way or another by January Marie Lapuz's presence in it in the Metro Vancouver area, it will be one of the things they think about as they go about their holiday weekend mourning her loss.

Justice For Dee Dee! - Killer Sentenced

TransGriot Note: The reporters of this story either ignored or are unaware of the AP Stylebook rules for reporting on transpeople, so I'm rewriting it per TransGriot policy to conform with those standards. 

Justice has been served in the case of another of my African-American trans sisters who was violently taken from us.

The family of Dee Dee Pearson in Kansas City, MO was in attendance Thursday as they watched the perpetrator of her Christmas Eve 2011 murder be sentenced.  

Kenyan Jones was convicted of second degree murder and armed criminal action for Dee Dee Pearson's murder and will spend 30 years in jail for it.  

Jones told police at the time he paid Pearson for sexual relations and became angry when he later learned Pearson was transgender. 

According to court records, Jones saw the 31 year old Pearson hours later in the area of East 43rd Street and Troost Avenue and became angry about their prior sexual encounter. That’s when Jones obtained a gun from a party he refused to identify and approached Pearson in the area of East 46th Street and Troost Ave. Jones said he chased Pearson to the entryway of 1006 E. 43rd Street where he said, he “popped him.”

A witness described hearing four to five shots. Pearson died in the entryway of the apartment building where she was staying.

Pearson’s family said they forgive Jones who asked for their forgiveness in court.  But we can't forget the fact that Kenyan Jones is going to spend 30 years in jail for letting his transphobia overwhelm him. 

This case is now closed and justice has been served.   We'll memorialize Dee Dee at an upcoming Transgender Day of Remembrance event near you.  But that still doesn't bring Dee Dee Pearson back to the family and friends who loved her.
 

Shut Up Fool Awards-Post Denver Debate Edition

We had a disappointing result from the presidential debate in Denver Wednesday night with Mitt Romney being declared the winner of this first debate.

I'll let Franklin Delano Roosevelt give you the play by play of Mitt's performance . 

And remember, there are three more debates this month, so stop trippin'.

So while the Republifools high five themselves and claim their back in the race, we're still waiting for the polls to come out and see if their post debate gloating is justified.  

But the bottom line is we have work to do people.  Keep registering folks, talking to your friends and neighbors in your influence circles about the issues in this campaign and election season and encourage them to vote on November 6 or whenever early voting starts in your state.

It's Friday, and you longtime TransGriot readers know what happens on this day at noon CT.   I shine a bright spotlight on the fool, fools or groups of fools who deserve our illustrious award.

Nominees were Fox Noise, The Republican Party,  the Drudge Report, Sucker Tucker Carlson, Michelle Malkin, Ann Romney, 

First honorable mention goes to Mitt Romney for his Oscar award winning performance Wednesday night of a moderate politician after spending 18 months being a 'severely conservative' one.

Second honorable mention goes to President Obama and his campaign team for letting Mitt get away with lying for 90 minutes in the first place.

Third honorable mention goes to Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) who has been on the wrong side of a lot of trans issues now jumping in on the Kosilek case.  

This week's winner is John Sununu.  The co-chair of Mittbot's KKKampaign put on his white sheet and engaged in some unrepentant race baiting aimed at President Obama as he made the talking head show rounds Thursday to gloat over Willard's win in the wake of the debate.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The president is 'niot that bright?    Stop projecting and hatin' John.  Think you're describing yourself.

All together now people, John Sununu, shut up fool!

LeVar Burton Calls Out Mittbot For PBS Debate Comments

You TransGriot readers may remember LeVar Burton for his roles in Roots or Star Trek-The Next Generation, but his more important one was as the host for the award winning PBS show Reading Rainbow that ran on the network from June 6, 1983 until November 10, 2006 that encouraged children to read.

Reading Rainbow won a Peabody Award and 26 Emmy Awards, with 10 of those Emmy's being in the 'Outstanding Children's Programming' category.

But after hearing Mittbot attack PBS during Wednesday's presidential debate in Denver, Burton went off.

Burton said in a statement published at TMZ.com, "I am personally outraged that any serious contender for the White House would target as part of his campaign the children of America in this fashion."

"Educators across the country, as well as millions of children and adults know that the programming on PBS has been responsible for significant improvements in education, literacy, math, science and life skills for generations of our children."

He joined astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson in calling out Romney and pointing out "PBS represents .00016% of our nation's budget, yet this free resource benefits kids across all economic circumstances."

Burton adds, "Defunding PBS directly punishes the less fortunate by removing this trusted and extraordinary educational resource available to all."

"On behalf of America's children, I can't stay silent. I encourage you to join me in fighting this short-sighted and frankly mean-spirited attack on our children."

Are You Registered To Vote For The 2012 Elections?

The birthday girl is here to remind you that the October 9 voter registration deadlines in many states are fast approaching.   if you haven't handled your registration business, please do so as soon as possible.

Here's a link to help you do so.

And once you do get registered, take yourself and a few friends to the polls on November 6 or whenever early voting starts in your locale.

Chic, Donna Summer Nominated Again For Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

The nominations for the 2013 inductee class for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have been announced, and I have several of my fave groups nominated this year.

Chic and the late Donna Summer were nominated once again along with N.W.A., Public Enemy, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Meters, Albert King, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Kraftwerk, Randy Newman, Procol Harum, Rush, the Marvellettes, and Deep Purple 

New this year is the ability to vote on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website for your fave artists starting today and through December 3.   Top five artists in the fan balloting will be tallied along with the other ballot that select the 2013 inductees.

The 28th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held in Los Angeles at the Nokia Theater on April 18th, 2013.

I'm tired of Chic and Donna Summer getting passed over for induction.   This is Chic's seventh nomination since 2003 and Donna Summer's sixth. I'm sure Nile Edwards and the members of Chic are starting to feel like Susan Lucci at this point and it would have been nice for Donna to have been inducted before she passed away a few months ago from lung cancer.. 

In the fan balloting I made sure I voted for both of them because rap and hip hop wouldn't exist without Chic's 'Good Times'. and Donna Summer crossed several musical genres in addition to being the Queen of Disco. . 

So I hope that they finally get in, and Public Enemy definitely deserves it as well.   

2012 TransGriot NFL Picks-Week 5

If you noticed the explosion of pink hats, gloves and team logos during the Bears-Cowboys Monday night game, it's October and it means once again its NFL A Crucial Catch campaign month.  

The pink gear worn by players, special game balls and pins worn by officials and coaches will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.

I had a great NFL prognostication Week 4 and increased my lead to six games over Mr. Watts thanks to going 11-4.  I do have room for improvement because I have had a tough time getting the Sunday night games correct.

Speaking of room for improvement, the four teams on their bye weeks, the Cowboys, Lions, Raiders and Buccaneers all have much to contemplate as they chill and watch everyone else play games before they get back into the NFL fray. 

Also happy my hometown ballers not only have gotten off to a strong franchise best 4-0 start, I get to see them on Monday Night Football this week when they take on the New York Jets.        

So lets get to prognostication business shall we?  I have two less games to work with this week, but have some momentum.  Mike's Week 5 picks are here.   Mine are in bold underlined print  

Last Week's records
TransGriot    11-4
Mike Watts    9-6
 
2012 Season Records
TransGriot    38-25
Mike Watts   32-31

Week 5
Bye Week
Cowboys, Lions, Raiders, Buccaneers

Thursday, October 4
Cardinals at Rams

Sunday, October 7
Noon CDT games

Falcons at Redskins
Eagles at Steelers
Packers at Colts
Browns at Giants
Titans at Vikings
Dolphins at Bengals
Ravens at Chiefs

Afternoon Games
Seahawks at Panthers
Bears at Jaguars
Broncos at Patriots
Bills at 49ers

Sunday Night Game
Chargers at Saints

Monday, October  8
Texans at Jets

Diamond Stylz-Louis Mitchell Interview

Been a while since I posted some video from my Houston homegirl's video blog.    Posting an interview she did with another one of my fave transmen, Rev. Louis Mitchell

'Bathroom Meme' Being Deployed Against Bill C-279

While we've been focused on our own electoral business in the States,  Bill C-279 was reintroduced in the Canadian House of Commons.  

It's the private members bill introduced by Randall Garrison, the NDP Critic on LGBT Affairs that would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code to include "gender identity" and "gender expression" as grounds for discrimination.

It's a reintroduction of the Bill Siskay sponsored C-389 private member's bill that passed the Canadian House of Commons in February 2011 but died while it was in the Canadian Senate due to the April 2011 election call.  

Liberal MP Hedy Fry of Vancouver Central also introduced her own private member's bill C-276 on September 19, 2011 which was an exact redraft of Siskay's bill that passed last year.  

Fry's C-276 bill underwent First Reading on March 27 and has the support of MP Garrison and MP Elizabeth May, the Green Party leader.

Bil C-279 has been advancing through the Conservative dominated legislature since its introduction on September 21, 2011.  It passed its First Reading on June 6 on a 150-132 vote with the help of a coalition spearheaded by the NDP that also included May, the Bloc Quebecois, the Liberals and 15 Conservative MP's.  There were also 17 Conservatives that didn't vote including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, but the no votes against the trans right bill were all Conservative.

Bill C-279 has had second reading and is currently in the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights

Of course the harder core elements of the Conservative Party and right wing allies are determined to kill this trans rights bill.  Predictably Conservative MP Rob Anders from Calgary West deployed an all too familiar to trans rights activists around the world tactic of conservative leaning legislators seeking to kill trans human rights legislation, the bathroom predator meme.   

Anders is circulating a petition aimed at stirring up opposition to C-279 and falsely claimed according to the CBC that the bill's goal 'is to give transgendered men access to women's washrooms.'

Anders also played the 'protect the younglings' card and said it’s the duty of the House of Commons to protect children from any exposure or harm that will come from giving men this kind of access.

Yeah, right.  The Conservatives are learning well from their south of the border right wing brothers when it comes to opposing our human rights.  

Of course Canadaian trans activists pushed back against the bathroom predator meme pimped by MP Anders.

"The suggestion that this is somehow some … conspiracy of trans people to sneak into bathrooms deliberately to harm people it’s ludicrous," trans activist Jan Buterman says. "Trans people have been using bathrooms all over Canada for decades with, as far as I know, zero evidence of any incidents whatsoever."
    
Will stay tuned to events north of the border to see if Bill C-279 passes the Canadian House.

Liberals: Chill The F%@K Out

I know y'all wanted the knockout blow for this 2012 presidential election in last night's Denver debate (and so did I), but did y'all really think Romney and company were going to roll over and play dead after all the money and dirty GOP politricks they invested in trying to win this election?  

Did you think that President Obama was going to have an easy time with a person in Mitt Romney who has repeatedly demonstrated that he will lie and say anything to get elected?

If you're being honest with yourselves, nope.

Remember, when we woke up yesterday morning the POTUS was leading in all 9 battleground states, the news was good coming from Nate Silver and they were starting to cast early voting ballots in Ohio yesterday morning. 

Relax. Last night's debate performance isn't going to change the fact that non-white Americans know that a Mitt Romney presidency won't do squat for them and we will be bumrushing the polls as we're doing in Ohio right now to make sure it doesn't happen.

Women, college students and seniors know Mitt in the Oval Office want do shyt for them.  We Black people haven't forgotten Mitt and his party doesn't care for us and we'll be voting accordingly.


We already know what Mitt really thinks about those of us Americans not in his and Ann's tax bracket and the 47% video reminding you peeps of that isn't going anywhere for the next 34 days.  

This is what we're up against in terms of Romney's base.




And liberals, remember, President Obama is still a #POTUSwhileBlack.  He can't allow himself to be seen as the 'Angry Black Man' that Mitt was trying to goad him into becoming last night.  A first debate loss doesn't determine the outcome of the overall presidential election. Ask President Kerry and President Mondale about that.  

So don't go into panic mode. 

There's the vice presidential debate October 11 and a town hall format style one on the Hofstra University campus October 18 that will probably favor the president because those questions will come from the audience with the final one happening on October 22, the day I and other Texans will begin casting early voting ballots.


So to say this in Samuel L. Jackson speak: Liberals; chill the f%@K out and go the frack to sleep.  We have 34 more days before this is over.

You'll need to wake up in a few hours more determined to have the president's back and be more energized than ever to fight for the November 6 win that we know this country needs.

Denver Presidential Debate Wrapup

"The trends look good for President Obama and the Democrats, but we still have a nerve racking 35 days to go, three debates and ballots that need to be cast and counted on November 6 before victory can be declared.  

Much is at stake when the two candidates face off in 90 minutes that will determine how the rest of this election shakes out."   TransGriot October 3, 2012

That's what I wrote before last night's debate.   Yeah, the conservafools are all giddy because Mittens had the strong debate performance he needed and according to the polls that the Republicans now suddenly don't have a question about their accuracy (big surprise) now have declared their guy the winner of this first presidential debate.

Jim Lehrer's pathetic debate moderation only put an exclamation point on what we non-white Americans were concerned about in terms of the lack of diversity in the moderator lineup when it was first announced by the Debate Commission. 

Lehrer let Romney run all over him like the Houston Texans Bulls on Parade defense did Jake Locker last Sunday.

While President Obama was ticking off the facts, Romney was lying his azz off and not getting called on it.  But at the same time he looked like he wanted to be there and the POTUS seemed like he didn't .   Maybe it was because it was President Obama's wedding anniversary, I don't know.   President Obama did look flat to me and as my GLAAD media training instructor Joel Silberman would have said about this performance last night, Romney did a better job of faking it until you make it.

But one thing Romney wont be able to fake over the next two debates and the next 34 days is his sudden conversion from Mr. Severe Conservative to Mr. I Feel Your Pain Middle Class Moderate especially in light of the overwhelming body of severely conservafool evidence he's anything but that..

But I was concerned about the fact that the POTUS seemed off his game and more concerned about not looking like the 'Angry Black Man' than calling Mitt Romney on his bull feces, especially in light of the fact Jim Lehrer wasn't.   

So we'll see how this plays out in the polls over the next few days, but this does place more pressure on Joe Biden in the Vice Presidential Debate at Centre College on October 11.  

And if anyone on the liberal-progressive side was concerned about our side being overconfident over the next 34 days, well people, we just got the wake up call to take nothing for granted, bust our asses to get the POTUS and every Democrat elected and keep running hard toward the finish line until November 7.

Hope the president and the Obama 2012 team got that message, too. 

. 

Young Trans Women, Y'all Inspire Me, Too

Someone sent me the link to the KOKUMO interview she'd recently done in which she gave me a shout out.  

As I read it I drifted back to the comments I consistently heard while I was at OUT on the Hill, the Trans Faith In Color Conference in Charlotte and the ones I get via private e-mail as to how I'm considered by you as an inspiration to yourselves. 

But truth be told, you young trans women inspire me just as much or even more than y'all have told me I inspire you to be out and proud about yourselves as women with trans history.

You are the smartest, best educated, most tech savvy generation our people have ever produced.  I have no doubt that your accomplishments when you reach my age will far exceed mine and you''ll have the opportunity to achieve things I could only have dreamed about when I started as an activist in 1998.

Keeping up with you younglings inspires me to constantly work on my activist 'A' game.  I'm keeping up with the latest developments in our community news wise, medically and philosophically.   I'm in contact with a wide variety of thought leaders, and that's why some of you have my home phone number.   I have no problems taking time out of my day to talk to you, listen to your concerns, giving you advice when you ask for it, shutting up and listening when you have something to present I need to be 'ejumacated' on and proudly acting as your mentor.  

And yeah, I have to lay off the Blue Bell half gallons and stay in shape because some of you girls have serious curves and have a killer sense of style to go with that beauty and brains. 

I do so because I wish I'd had more people willing or in the position to do the same for me when I was transitioning or getting into activism.  I wish I'd had somebody who could have broken down the history of our community to us, passed it along and all we would have had to do is build on their progress.  

But all I can do is deal with the trans community's situation as it exists for us in October 2012 and try to give you something to build on to take to the next level.

Yes, you beautiful #girlslikeus are making strides that make me cry tears of joy at times when I think about it.  I see you in movies, standing on red carpets at awards shows, organizing events, running organizations, and doing television interviews and panel discussions with effortless ease.  I hope to see you running for and winning political office and leading our people into the second half of the 21st century while serving as inspirations for the transkids that are matriculating in elementary. middle and high school now.  

Young transwomen, I want you to know that y'all inspire me just like you tell me that I serve as an inspiration to you.   And y'all do so with style, grace, beauty and class.

And that is a win-win situation for the entire trans community

Critical First Presidential Debate Tonight In Denver

The highly anticipated first debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney happens at 8 PM CDT tonight at the Magness Arena on the University of Denver campus in Denver, CO.

While President Obama's campaign is pleased and cautiously optimistic about where they are at this juncture in the race, the Romney campaign finds itself in a desperate situation with 35 days to go. 

Romney is trailing nationally according to the polls in all nine critical battleground states and most ominously in Ohio and Florida thanks to the inept way they have handled their campaign (thank God) since they clinched the GOP nomination.. 

The GOP attempts to suppress non-white voters and others that made up President Obama's winning 2008 coalition have failed or are being rolled back in the courts.  With every investigative news report revealing the extent of the Jim Crow 2.0 efforts, the targets of those voter suppression efforts are pissed off, fired up and ready to vote out the GOP batturd wing at every level of government..

And these videos of Mitt and his running mate disparaging large percentages of working class voters only poured gasoline on the fire.  






VP Joe Biden will handle that in the vice presidential debate on October 11.

And I haven't even touched on how the GOP War On Women is also playing into why the Romney-Ryan not so dynamic duo is losing.

Republicans and the conservative movement are getting nervous with early voting starting to happen in some locales and their bold predictions of taking the Senate and holding their majority in the House looking quite shaky. 

The trends look good for President Obama and the Democrats, but we still have a nerve racking 35 days to go, three debates and ballots that need to be cast and counted on November 6 before victory can be declared.  

Much is at stake when the two candidates face off in 90 minutes that will determine how the rest of this election shakes out.

Anchor Delivers A Verbal Smackdown To A Bully

Note to bullies. Never mess with someone who has a bigger media platform than you do and is willing to use it.  You will get your feelings hurt. 

WKBT-TV anchor Jennifer Livingston of La Crosse, WI lays the verbal smackdown to Kenneth W. Krause, who e-mailed her a hurtful fat shaming commentary concerning her weight she felt was a low blow.

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She also noted during her on-air rebuttal that October is Anti-Bullying Awareness Month. 

Happy 20th Anniversary To The POTUS And FLOTUS

Today is the 20th wedding anniversary of President Barack H. Obama and First Lady Michelle L. Obama, who were married on this date in Chicago weeks before the 1992 presidential election. 

It's ironic that as the POTUS and FLOTUS are celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary, our nation is once again in the homestretch of a critical and contentious reelection campaign for an incumbent president .

It's also ironic that the first debate of the 2012 presidential campaign is also taking place later this evening on this date

Well, hope y'all get to spend some quality time with each other celebrating your special day.  May you both be celebrating your wedding anniversaries as residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue through 2016.

Let My People Pee!

One of the things that comes up with depressing regularity in the now six years that I have been chronicling events that affect the trans community is the bathroom issue.

I am along with other trans people around the USA and the world beyond sick and tired of being sick and tired of having to confront cis people's ignorance and rank bigoted stupidity when it comes to us trans peeps being able to simply go to the bathroom and handle our nature calls.

It's past time for us to be able to do so without us having to sue your azzes to do so, call you out in the media,  be harassed, risk arrest or a beatdown.

Trans community, I've said this before and it bears repeating, it's time to go to war over the 'bathroom predator' meme.   It is fueling much of the discrimination aimed at us, led to one Tennessee state rep trying to legislate the 'bathroom meme' into existence before the negative attention he received for it led to its withdrawal, and triggered a recent hate attack in New York.

It's time to eviscerate it to the point that anyone who parts their lips to say it has as much credibility as a birther and gets laughed at in the process..

And I'll say it again: let my people pee!.

Ohio Handling Its Early Voting Electoral Business

Umm Republifools, this is probably your worst nightmare unfolding with lines of pissed off African-Americans and other voters waiting for the early voting centers to open at 8 AM EDT.

Ohio State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) was on The Ed Show last night camping out in front of one of the locations in Cuyahoga County giving another one of her fiery and inspirational speeches dropping much historical knowledge about how much we've had to struggle just to be able to cast a ballot.. 

Looking forward to seeing her in Congress, the US Senate or a larger statewide office in Ohio one day..





The 44 year old state senator has been a frequent guest on MSNBC shows calling out the voter suppression efforts in Ohio   

"Never did I think I would live to see the day Jim Crow was resurrected, making repeat appearances in the South. And he has packed his bags, and he has moved North. Something is wrong."

Yep, something is most definitely wrong, and thanks Sen. Turner for being a vocal champion that frequently calls out the jacked up Jim Crow 2.0 GOP voter suppression efforts in Ohio. 
 
Now it's up to you voters in Ohio to let the GOP know how displeased you are about it by handling your electoral business, helping President Obama win the state and dealing a fatal blow to Romney's chances of winning this presidential election since no Republican has ever won the White House without your state's electoral votes..

Voting While Trans

One of the highlights of the 2000 presidential election cycle for me despite the jacked up way it turned out was it was the first time I got to cast a ballot in any election cycle as Moni.

I transitioned in 1994 but it took me a few years to get the name changed on much of my paper trail    I was so proud and pleased to show my voter registration card to the poll worker and cast my early ballot in that Gore-GW Bush presidential race.after standing in line for over an hour at the Bayland Park early voting site on that clear October fall afternoon

It was to me another evolutionary leap toward becoming the Phenomenal Transwoman I am today.

It's now 12 years later and we are facing another critical presidential election about to take place in less than 36 days.  But the Republican sponsored voter suppression laws designed to reduced the numbers of non white Americans, seniors and students voting in this cycle also may affect up to 25,000 transpeople as well


   
Daniel Williams of Equality Texas has advised me that reports are coming in to him from some Texas trans residents with trans histories of them receiving voter registration cards with their old names or not reflecting the persons they are now.

In case you're wondering, yes our Texas Secretary of State is a Republican named Hope Andrade

If your voter registration card is incorrect, you may wish to let Daniel and Equality Texas know about that situation while we have time to correct it. 

The reprehensible True The Vote suppression org is headquartered here and I'm prepared to not give those Tea Klux Klan members a warm welcome to my neighborhood if they dare show up at my early voting polling place trying to keep me from exercising my constitutional right to vote.   I have less than pleasant memories of what happened the last time white GOP poll watchers showed up at a precinct where I was voting in 1984 and tried to keep me from doing so.

But back to voting while trans.  Transpeople, I hope you'll be running to the polls to have the back of a president who has definitely had ours during his administration.

But please make sure you not only vote on November 6 or whenever early voting starts in your locale, but you have done everything possible to ensure you can cast your ballot without drama.

TransGriot Update:  You can get in contact with Daniel Williams via his Equality Texas e-mail address danielwilliams@equalitytexas.org  to report those Texas voter ID card issues.

It's TBLG History Month!

As a child and godchild of historians, I have always believed it is important to know your history.

It not only fortifies your self-esteem against the inevitable micro and macroaggressive attacks that will be leveled at you and your self esteem by your oppressors, but it also helps you as the marginalized person to know where you've come from, where you've been, know that people like you have played major roles in building this community and fighting for its human rights and help chart the course for the future.

October is LGBT History, month, and what I will do since this month will probably disproportionately be focused on the L:G end of the community, is laser beam focus it on the 'T' end of the community.

I'm going to focus it on the African-American trans end as well since we get even less coverage of our accomplishments and our trans history has been whitewashed out of the predominately vanillacentric trans narrative.  It's important for us and the next generations of African descended transpeople that we not only know our history, but honor our trans elders who helped write it, be cognizant of the fact we are at this moment in time ourselves making history and pass it on.

So to get this edition of TBLG History Month started off properly, here's some links to some previous posts I wrote here that you can peruse to get this month off to a proper transcentric start. 

Black Trans History Compilations

Kylar Broadus Makes History In DC Today

The 1965 Dewey's Lunch Counter Sit In

Tyra Hunter Anniversary

The Story of Georgia Black