Trans Pioneer JoAnn Roberts Dies

I was shocked and saddened to read the TG Forum and Chrysalis posts from Angela Gardner and Dallas Denny announcing the June 7 death of one of the pioneers in the trans community in JoAnn Roberts at age 65 due to lung cancer.

JoAnn Roberts was one of the five founders of the Pennsylvania based Renaissance Transgender Education Assn., the ill-fated GenderPac, and served on the boards of IFGE and AEGIS in which she was the board chair from 1992-1996.

She also was one of the persons who helped give us a major boost in the founding and formation of NTAC in 1999.

She was an early trans political activist and major leader during the renaissance of trans activism in the early 90's.  She authored the Bill of Gender Rights in December 1990 that was subsequently expanded into the International Bill of Gender Rights at the 1993 and subsequent ICTLEP conferences.

JoAnn appeared on many television shows to discuss our issues including the Donahue talk show and served as the founding owner/publisher of TGForum.

'Cousin JoAnn' as I affectionately referred to her as in addition to publishing 'Art and Illusion-A Guide To Crossdressing' also published a 'Who’s Who of the TG Community' and was the driving force for The Second International Congress on Crossdressing, Sex and Gender hosted by Renaissance in suburban Philadelphia in 1997.

I met JoAnn during the 1999 Southern Comfort Conference.  I have fond memories of sitting outside the Buckhead area hotel that used to host SCC with her, Polar, Pam Geddes and Dawn Wilson drinking a 21 year old bottle of scotch while discussing a wide range of subjects.  

Our conversation was interrupted when the chartered bus arrived from an SCC convention excursion to an Atlanta club called the Chamber.  The persons on the bus began stumbling off of it in various stages of inebriation and hilariously and unsteadily attempted to negotiate in their 5 inch heels the distance from the spot where the bus was parked to the hotel's front door..

She had wound down her interaction with the trans community in recent years to spend more time with her family and work on her beloved model train set when she was diagnosed with cancer in February.  

She'd undergone chemotherapy treatment that appeared to successfully halt the cancer spread in her lungs and liver.  Radiation treatments were begun to deal with a tumor on her spine but were halted last week when it was determined that the tumor there had spread and she opted for hospice care where she passed away on June 7.

There is a Facebook page that has been set up to commemorate her life and in which people who knew JoAnn can pay their respects.  But I'm sad to report that one of the early leaders in the American trans community and a trans community pioneer has moved on.

Rest in peace JoAnn, you will be missed. 

GENDA Stalled In NY Senate Again-What's Up With That?

And as residents of the state where Sylvia Rivera spent her life up to and including her deathbed working for trans rights, it's past time for y'all to start channeling her fighting spirit and kick azz tough minded determination to pass the civil rights coverage that our community needs."--TransGriot June 27, 2011 What Are Y'all Gonna Do New York Trans Community?

New York trans community, I know you won't rest (and shouldn't) until GENDA becomes law but y'all should be taking it as an insult that a statewide trans rights bill introduced on May 31 in Delaware is halfway to passage and becoming law in that state. 

Meanwhile you peeps that reside in the state where the Stonewall Rebellion was kicked off by Ms Rivera in 1969 are once again facing the fact it has been eleven years since human rights coverage for gay New Yorkers was passed by throwing you under the civil rights bus to get it and thirteen years since the non trans inclusive New York hate crimes law passed in 2000.

The what would have been 62nd birthday of Sylvia Rivera is approaching on July 2.  What would Sylvia be doing in this situation if she was still here in this plane of existence?   Raising hell about it until GENDA passed and had Gov. Cuomo's signature on it. 

How about setting a goal of having that done by her birthday?

New York trans community, y'all need to get pissed off and channel your inner Sylvia Rivera.  You not only need to start demanding ASAP the New York Senate bring GENDA out of committee and to the Senate floor for a vote,  but respectfully demand that the governor you helped elect spend some of his political capital pushing for GENDA's passage so he can sign it into law as he claims he would do if that happens.

Here's the phone number of his Albany office to get you started on the road to being agents of your own trans liberation: 518-474-8390 and making Sylvia smile.

That's a nice opportunity for me to segue into focusing on Gov. Andrew Cuomo.   Here's a Democratic governor who loudly proclaimed as he was signing the marriage equality bill into law after it passed in June 2011 that "New York at its finest has always been a beacon of social justice.”

It seems he has amnesia about the fact that same New York social justice has eluded its transgender  residents.  I also must remind folks of those shame inducing moments in 2000 and 2002 when my transpeople were deliberately excluded from New York's social justice when they were cut out of the hate crimes bill and SONDA. 

It also is quite interesting to note that Gov. Cuomo, who couldn't shut up about marriage equality in 2011 and was tirelessly drumming up support to pass it, is cricket chirping silent about equality when it applies to trans New Yorkers.   

And don't forget Governor Cuomo, it's not just trans New Yorkers who are watching you as a GENDA bill that has passed your state Assembly now six times continues to languish in the New York Senate.  We compare and contrast your inaction on this bill of vital importance to the trans community and our allies to the active and vocal 2011 role you took in passing marriage equality. 

Your inaction and silence on GENDA is being noticed not only by trans New Yorkers, but our allies inside and outside the state.  This Change.org petition is evidence of that.

I also need to remind you we transpeople do vote and are active members of the Democratic Party.  If you follow through on the rumors to run for the Democratic nomination for president in 2016 or 2020, you dismiss at your political peril the ability of the trans community to affect a Democratic nomination process. 

If you think I'm kidding about that, did you get an invite to President Hillary Clinton's inauguration in 2008 or 2012?   We may not have as much money as the gay community does and the anti-trans discrimination we face plays a large role in that GENDA would address, but we did manage to donate over $13K to the 2008 Obama campaign.   What we don't have in cash we make up for with votes and people power for campaigns.

16 states, with Delaware on its way to becoming the 17th to do so have laws on the books to protect the human rights of their trans citizens. 

New York has the chance to join that list and no, signing a continuation of Governor David Paterson’s executive order barring discrimination against transgender employees of NY state is not enough.

The transpeople who don't work for the state need the legal protection that GENDA will provide, and the only thing stopping you from becoming known as a state that values its trans citizens is the New York Senate

You also said at the time you signed the marriage equality bill, "The other states look to New York for the. progressive direction. What we said today is, you look to New York once again. New York made a powerful statement, not just for the people of New York, but for people all across this nation.”

And we need you Gov. Cuomo to make that powerful statement once again not only for trans New Yorkers, but the nation as well.
.      

George Zimmerman Trial Starts Today

While I'll be keeping an eye on Washington DC and Milwaukee for two trials starting there , my still unapologetically Black and trans behind will have my attention focused along with the rest of the country on the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford, FL.

The trial of George Zimmerman gets started in Sanford, FL today in which he will attempt to get off for killing 17 year old Trayvon Martin in cold blood for the crime of Walking While Black.

Sarcasm meter off, continuing post.

This trial like the OJ one turned out to be in the 90's is unavoidably going to be an American racial issues litmus test.   We African Americans since the day we heard about what happened have been in 'there but for the grace of God go I' mode every time we see pictures of Trayvon or his parents stoically fighting for justice for their son.

As much as Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin and their attorney have tried to focus the attention on the legal case and getting justice for Trayvon, we can't avoid the overwhelming racial subtext permeating this case.

Those of us who are Black and TBLG and our organizations have a bitter familiarity with the result of what happens when the toxic union of bigotry and violence happens and see it visited upon our people far too often.

We can't avoid thinking about race in this situation especially when the conservafools, their talking heads, and their whiteness uber alles orgs sent cash and rushed to the defense of George Zimmerman. 

And before you even think about e-mailing any comment about Zimmerman isn't white, don't waste your time. He didn't bother claiming that Latino heritage until it was needed.  He had no problem accepting that whiteness and privileged white male status he got from Daddy and was obviously benefiting from by being able to sleep in his own bed the night he murdered Trayvon.

If Zimmerman is convicted, the justice system worked in this case despite the attempts o the Zimmerman family and the vanillacentric conservafool movement to shift the narrative, 'work the refs'  and demonize Trayvon for the fateful decision he made to simply get some tea and Skittles from a local 7 Eleven.

If he walks, we're probably looking at Rodney King levels of anger and pissivity in our community that I hope and pray doesn't explode into what Dr King called it in his 'The Other America' essay as 'the language of the unheard'.    

And what I wrote on March 20, 2012 will sadly be verified.

Once again, it reinforces the fact in the USA that no matter what we do, whether we are the president of the United States or some 17 year old kid just getting a late night snack, the lives of Black people don't mean jack to some people infected with vanillacentric privilege, ignorance and bigotry. 

And in some cases it's justification enough for these bigots to kill us.

We'll see as the court case in Sanford, FL unfolds what happens to Zimmerman and if Trayvon will get justice, or Zimmerman will be given a get out of jail free card for killing a 17 year old Black kid minding his own damned business until he stuck his nose in it despite the Sanford police dispatcher telling him not to. 

Trans Rights Bill Passes Delaware Senate

Well, that was quick.   Senate Bill 97, the trans rights bill introduced late last month by Senate Majority Whip Margaret Rose Henry (D-Wilmington) that would add gender identity and expression to the state’s anti-discrimination and hate crimes laws was passed on an 11-7 Delaware Senate vote on June 6.

Senate Bill 97 would specifically ban anti-transgender discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations and works contracting and insurance.  It has the support of Atty Gen. Beau Biden (D) .and Governor Jack Markell (D).

It also has determined opposition from the Delaware Family Policy Transphobic Bigotry Council.

According to the Washington Blade, of the eleven senators voting YES on SB 97, one Republican, state Sen. Catherine Cloutier (R-Heatherbrooke,) joined the ten Democrats voting in favor of the bill's passage. 

Of the seven senate NO votes, two Democrats, state Sens. Bruce Ennis (D-Smyrna,) and Robert Venables, Sr., (D-Laurel) joined the Republicans voting to continue oppressing trans people in the state.

State Sens. Brian Bushweller (D-Dover) and Senate Minority Whip Gregory Lavelle (R-Sharpley) abstained, while Sen. Brian Pettyjohn (R-Georgetown) was absent.

Keep that in mind Delaware transpeeps when November 2014 rolls around.

“This bill lets people know that Delaware will welcome you and that, in keeping with our highest ideals as Americans, we will not tolerate discrimination or violence against a person based on their race, color, religion, sexual orientation or now based on their perceived gender,” Sen. Henry said after the vote.

SB 97 now moves on to the Delaware House Administration Committee which is scheduled to hold a June 12 hearing on the bill.   Advocates arre confident it has the votes in the Delaware house to pass and get Gov Markell's signature.

Two Trans Murder Trials Start Today

The eyes of the African-American trans community and our allies will also be focused today on Washington DC and Milwaukee,WI as the alleged murderers of Deoni Jones and Evon Young face the legal music for their crimes.

Inside I-495, 56 year old Gary Niles Montgomery after two psychiatric evaluations that declared him mentally competent to stand trial, finally gets to face a jury for the fatal February 2 attack last year on trans woman Deoni Jones at a NE Washington DC bus stop. 

A few hours later in Wisconsin, Billy Griffin, the first of the five suspects involved in the murder of transmasculine Milwaukee rapper Evon Young goes to trial.  They were all initially charged with first degree intentional homicide but Victor Stewart plead guilty June 5 to second degree reckless homicide and will be sentenced on July 23.    

Ron Joseph Allen and Ashanti Mcalister are the next scheduled to get their day in court on June 24 and Devin L. Seaberry will be schedule to go on trial July 8.

If they are convicted of first degree intentional homicide they are facing maximum life in prison sentences.
   
Will Deoni and Evon receive justice?  We'll have to wait and see what happens as the legal maneuverings take place in those courtrooms in our nation's capitol and Wisconsin in front of the judges and jurors empaneled to decide the fates of those defendants.

Based on past cases involving trans murder victims and the outrageous verdicts that have come from past trials,  it's a valid question for the African-American trans community and our allies to ask right now.


TransGriot Update:  Devin Seaberry also took a plea deal to a lesser charge in this case in exchange for his testimony.    In Washington DC, the Deoni Jones trial is once again held up by questions over Montgomery's mental competence to stand trial.

Guyana Reviewing British Colonial Era Crossdressing Ban

I wrote about this February 2009 case in the South American nation of Guyana in which several of our transsisters there were arrested for violating the British colonial era anti-crossdressing statute that for now is still in effect in that nation.   They were fined and given a faith based lecture from the bench by Guyanese Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson, the judge handling the case. 

The four transwomen involved in the case filed a lawsuit on February 20, 2010 to challenge that 1893 law.

Three years have now passed since that case was filed, and Guyana's chief judge Ian Chang is holding hearings on whether to eliminate that colonial-era prohibition on cross-dressing that Seon Clarke, spokesman for the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination alleges is being selectively used by the police to target the country's trans population.

“The law is plainly at odds with the ethos and provisions of the Guyana constitution, which states that it is committed to eliminating every form of discrimination,” said Clarke.

Guyanese officials who attend an annual United Nations conference on human rights issues have promised to review the British colonial era law.   The Government of Guyana committed at the Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations in Geneva in May 2010 to “hold consultations on this issue over the next two years.”

But as you probably guess, because of faith based opposition Christian, Hindu and Muslim groups no action has been taken so far to keep that promise to review the law the faith based haters wish to keep in place.

The first hearings to review the law were recently held, with the government response coming on June 4. 

“Tuesday’s full-day court hearing is really the culmination of more than 4 years work between SASOD, U-RAP, Guyanese human rights attorneys and the transgender folk who suffered egregious abuses and enduring injury to their human dignity during the February 2009 police crackdowns on cross-dressing,” said SASOD’s Co-Chair, Joel Simpson. “Justice can only be served by the court declaring this insidious law unconstitutional, null and void,” Simpson concluded.

WWYD-Transteen Confronted By Father Over Prom Dress Shopping

Shopping for prom dresses is a multimillion dollar business, and as Toni Zamazul and other transteens the last few years continue to point out, trans feminine teens are increasingly a part of that market.

ABC What Would You Do show recently took their hidden cameras to a New jersey dress shop to set up a situation in which a newly out transteen was shopping for a prom dress with her supportive mother only to be confronted by her disapproving father.

Take notes John Aravosis and Dan Savage as to the ethnic background of one of the shoopers who lent the transteen support in this situation.

That Cursed Pipe

Ever since I read one of my TransGriot poems during the BTMI event,  I've wanted to do more poetry slams if I can find the time and the venues that fit my schedule.

I do need to write and post more of my poetry on the blog in the future for those slow news days and weekends and to keep those skills sharp.

I needed to get out of the house last night, and with Carter making another trip down I-45, I got to hang out at Club ISIS in downtown Houston with him, Tye West and two more BTMI members for a few hours. 

Club ISIS back in the early 20th century was the original silent movie theater and three level performance venue space in H-town that has been renovated and can be (and is) rented to host a wide range of events.

One of the things that was going on there last night was a poetry slam entitled 'The Vagina Monologues' which wasn't even close to the Eve Ensler play that has an all trans version BTW, but in which the vagina was the central theme of many of the poems performed by the African descended people in the room. 

There was also a vendor area when you entered Club ISIS with several female entrepreneurs selling goods and services.  BTMI had an information table there that I kept Tye and Carter company at as the DJ played a nice mix of music.

The poetry slam got started around 7:30 PM.  Tye read one of his poems and I was so inspired by him and some of the other people reading at the event I pulled out a mini notepad and pen I keep in my purse,  scribbled this poem in 20 minutes, then stepped to the mic and performed it to an appreciative audience judging by the post performance feedback I got.

Hey, I'm blessed with mad writing skills like that.   Unfortunately it wasn't recorded.  It didn't occur to Carter and Tye to tape it until I was done.   

After I stepped away from the mic, the poetry slam concluded.   I sat down at the BTMI table and ended up being approached by several cis women in the audience who wanted to know what life was like for me and other transwomen.   Since they graciously asked, I took the time to do a Trans 101 segment and break it down for them as Tye did so from the transmasculine spectrum.

I also ended up with a few business cards for the organizer and other folks who want me at the next poetry slam they organize.

But here's the new for the 2K13 MKR poem I performed at Club ISIS, entitled 'That Cursed Pipe'  

***

That Cursed Pipe
An MKR Poem

Doctor slapped me on the butt
Mom's bundle of joy
Then he announced, "It's a boy!"
Dude, stop lying
I'm a girl with a stick for a vagina

Fighting for my femininity
They still can't see
Phenomenal transwoman
Too many of us dying
Because we want to trade the stick in for a vagina

Kunaporn, Menard, Brassard
Bowers, McGinn
Have the skills to turn the stick
from an out to an in

But I don't have 20K
For that trip to Thailand
And get the snip and tuck
And y'all fail to understand

Not all women have vaginas
Some of us aren't born with one
Femininity is way more
Than what's between your legs, hon

Don't call me he/she
Shemale, shim
Can't control the fact
I was not born a she but a him

But I got here as fast as I could
I got the snip and tuck
It's paid for with the blood
Of all the transwomen who didn't have my luck

To thrive, survive and stay alive
And know what it's like
To have a new vagina
Instead of that cursed pipe

Same Person, Different Pronouns

Now that we are about to go into the summer season with family reunions, weddings, barbecues (and hopefully no funerals) on the horizon, one of the things that we transpeople dread when we interact in those family situations is having the relative who refuses to respect that the trans woman playing volleyball against your side or the trans man getting that barbecue plate and playing dominoes deserves the same respect that you give the other cis men and cis women of the family. 

Failing to do so not only is disrespectful to them and hurts their feelings, but can also open them up to anti-trans discrimination or trans hate violence if the wrong ears hear your comment.

Sabrina Samone at TransMusePlanet has another timely post about the necessity of using correct pronouns with your trans relatives even if you're having a problem sorting out your trans issues with them. 

It's entitled 'A Message To Families Of Transgender People: The Importance Of Being Pronoun PC' and here's a taste of it:

Most Trans people know of that one person or more within your family, on your job or simply a neighbor, that refuses to acknowledge or give the respect of the gender that is presented before them. Just because you may know the biological gender of your Trans family member don’t assume strangers know as well, more than likely they don’t. For years, some in my family, I’ve excused them, trying to realize it takes time for those around you to adjust to your new presentation. For everyone involved it’s a learning and growing experience, but after years now it’s just blatant dis respect and  an attempt to be transphobic and belittle me. Occasionally, within all family gatherings I may or may not take the time to remind you to use the proper pronoun of what you see before you, but on a recent trip it was an obvious attempt to be hateful by a blood relative.


Here's the rest of Sabrina's post over at TMP.

Dr. Z -On Being A Good Black Man

Another blac (k) ademic post from Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler that needs to be signal boosted.  

Brought back some not so pleasant memories when I was on that side of the gender fence and dealt with the bigotry, microaggressive and macroaggressive crap of walking around in society in a Black male body that Kortney and other black trans brothers are dealing with now.. 

We live in a world that assumes the worst of young black masculinity to the point in which it causes concerned citizens–even those of color–to act as race vigilantes who enforce preventative measures with the hopes of keeping black men from acting out our criminal nature. The absurdity of the policing of black male violence by “good racists” lies in the reality that violence itself is used and celebrated as the preferred tactic of approach. Ultimately relaying a message that black men and boys are fair game for public scrutiny–even to the extent of annihilation. The murder of Trayvon Martin and the subsequent violent posturing of his life as an acceptable defense for his death is a perfect example.

And sometimes those negative assumptions about Black masculinity bleed over into trans world, too. 

Check out this latest post by Dr. Z. 

2013 Williams Watch-Sweet Sixteen!

Serena Williams completed her relentless redemption march through the 2013 French Open women's field by subduing Maria Sharapova (again) 6-4, 6-4.  

She got off to a slow start trailing 2-0 in the first set until she broke Sharapova's erratic serve to take control of the set and eventually the match. 

Little Sis whacked 10 aces, including three in the final game that clocked out at 118 miles per hour, 121 mph and on double championship point at 128 mph to capture her first French Open title since she beat Big Sis for the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen in 2002. 

Since that shocking first round loss in last year's French Open, Little Sis is 74-3, won 31 straight matches, 22-0 on clay, has captured the Wimbledon singles and doubles crowns, the Olympics singles and doubles title, the US Open singles title, the WTA Championship and has regained the world number one ranking.

And the way she's playing I wouldn't bet against her adding another title at 'Williams'-don in a few weeks. (June 24-July 7)

It is the 16th career Grand Slam title she's captured, putting her only two away from tying Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on the all time list.   Serena is also the fourth woman to win all four Grand Slam titles at least twice (Navratilova, Evert and Graf are the other three) and out of those women is the only one to repeat as an Olympic champion in singles and doubles.  

At 31 she's the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam since Navratilova captured the 1990 Wimbledon crown at age 33..

Serena was magnifique during this two week run at Roland Garros, and I wouldn't bet against her catching Evert and Navratilova before the year is out on the all time title list the way she's playing. 
 

Trans Class Of 2014, Start Planning Now To Beat Your Trans Oppressors

I get approximately 4000 hits per day on this blog, and I don't doubt that some of my traffic is probably coming from people who are under the legal drinking age.

Now that Damian, Isaak, Toni, Chris, Seth, Leah, Cody, Calliope and other trans teens in the Class of 2013 that didn't make the news are headed to their post high school lives, time for me to aim a post at the trans members of the class of 2014.

Congratulations in advance Class of 2014!    When school starts this fall you will be at the top of the high school societal food chain.  I know you've been impatiently waiting for the last two or three years to say the words 'I'm a senior" and couldn't wait for the Class of 2013 to leave so y'all can begin your long awaited time of running thangs in your various high schools and look down your noses at the incoming freshmen and sophomores.   

The start of the fall semester of your senior year is what you, your parents, grandparents and other extended family members have waited for since that first day they tearfully dropped you off for your first day in kindergarten.    

You high school juniors (and high school freshmen and sophomores) probably noted as much as your trans elders did some of the drama the persons I mentioned went through to be their authentic selves on one of the signature days of your young lives.

What this post is ultimately getting at is the TransGriot and your trans elders want you to not only savor every delicious moment of your final year of high school in 2013-14, but being you as you do get that education and prepare for the next phase of your lives.

Seeing that makes us realize that all the struggles we undergo to ensure that the laws and policies are in place for you to thrive wasn't in vain and you're benefiting from it.   

Some of you transteens are increasingly getting to attend school in districts that have adopted anti-discrimination policies that cover trans kids, while other districts aren't thinking about it.  

But don't let it stop you trans teens if you're thinking about running for homecoming king or queen, prom king or queen, class president, or play your favorite sport.  There are federal laws and positive court cases already on the books that allow you to live your trans lives no matter what part of the country you live in.    

There will be those haters uncomfortable in their own skin or with their gender identity who will oppose you.   Some of them will be your fellow students, some will be their parents, and some will be people in the school  administration.  

But go for it!   Be you.  Live your trans lives.  Some of you are fortunate enough to live in states where trans human rights are covered.  Even if you aren't in one of those 16 states (and hopefully 17 if Delaware joins the trans human rights party) the federal law is on your side.       

So is an entire trans community in your various states and in some cases around the world ready and willing to help you and get the word out even in deepest darkest red state America.   You may even make a little history in the process since as of yet we have never had to my knowledge an out transperson become a homecoming queen, prom king or high school class president.
 
I have no doubts that it will happen in my lifetime because of the transkids and transteens now winding their way through their school years at the elementary and middle school level or who are increasingly transitioning in high school.

Your trans elders are fighting to help make this a better world for you when you leave high school so that all you have to do is dream those big dreams and go out and fight to achieve them.

Trans Class of 2014, I hope and pray you have a wonderful and less drama filled senior year than the Trans Class of 2013 just had. 
.  
So word to the wise trans younglings, get your game plan together now so you have a relatively stress free senior year. GLSEN, the ACLU, PFLAG and your local TBLG orgs can play major roles in helping ensure that happens if you run into any transphobic resistance.

But based on what happened in 2013 and previous school years over the life of this blog, I'm betting I'll be writing a few posts during the 2013-14 school year chronicling your attempts to fight the power, express your trans selves and live your lives. 

I hope and pray that some of those posts I get to write will also be ones in which you make trans history and I'm chronicling you doing things that your trans elders only wished we'd had the opportunity to do during our high school days.

Unjust Arizona Bathroom Bill Dead For This Session

For my trans brothers and sisters who live in or are traveling through or into the state of Arizona for business or pleasure, you'll be happy to know that the act of pooping our pissing in the gender correct bathroom will not make you a criminal in the state. 

The unjust bathroom bill that GOP oppressor Rep. Jon Kavanagh filed that originally called for making it a Class 1 misdemeanor offense punishable by six months in jail and a $2,500 fine to use a public toilet, bathroom, shower, bath, dressing room or changing room associated with a gender other than what is on one's birth certificate has died for this session.

After a wave of international outrage, negative publicity and pushback from Arizona trans residents and the national trans community, Kavanagh modified his original draconian bill to shield businesses from civil or criminal liability if they ban people from restrooms that don’t match their birth gender.

According to Kavanagh there's concern in the GOP caucus about the unjust bill's definitions, so it will have to be shelved until next year.

Here's a suggestion Jon.  How about you drop the idea period and save you, your party and the state of Arizona further embarrassment and get thee to a psychologist to deal with that deep seated hatred you have for trans people?

Isaak Still Standing, Still Getting Dissed On His Way To Graduation Day

Needed to give you TransGriot readers an update as to how transman Isaak Wolfe is faring in his senior year Pennsylvania battle against transphobia with the Red Lion Area School District.

Isaak's graduation ceremony from Red Lion HS was today, and as you know his story hit the news back in April when he wasn't allowed to run for prom king  

Without his knowledge he was entered into the candidates for prom queen under his old name because his transphobic principal was 'uncomfortable' with the idea of him running for prom king.   When his girlfriend Taylor Thomas expressed her displeasure with the transphobic shade that Red Lion HS was aiming at Isaak she was barred from attending the prom with him.

That's when the ACLU legal guns got involved.   The prom situation got resolved, Taylor was allowed to attend with him, but his chance to run for prom king was thwarted (which was probably the intent in the first place).   

Then it was the issue of Red Lion High having separate cap and gown colors for male and females students. Frankly, I don't understand the reasoning for it because at my high school and many in this area male and female students wear the same cap and gown in the school colors.

Isaak of course like Damian Garcia in Albuquerque wanted to wear the gender appropriate black gown other male students at the school wore, but the administration was demanding he wear the female one which was gold.

That issue got resolved as well, but one that didn't was having his male name read as he graduated with the other 380 members of his class.  He wouldn't be able at this time to have it placed on his diploma, but had asked to be announced as he crossed the stage as Isaak.   It's a reasonable request and something that could easily be done. 

Of course, the transphobic Red Lion HS administration took the shady road, refused to do so and spitefully read his old name.

Despite that, on his graduation day Isaak received flowers and a binder from the Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition.containing the news stories about his trans human rights fight and a graduation card signed by over 1,300 people

He was also upbeat and optimistic about his special day despite the trying last few weeks.
 
Wolfe said in an interview it would have been "fantastic" to have his preferred name read at graduation, but "they're going to go down in history as doing the wrong thing, and I think that hits them harder than they even know."

"I think we're going to go on to have bright and amazing futures that no one could ever imagine for us," he said.

And that's the one thing your trans family wants for you and all our graduates the most.  Have the type of future that even we can't see right now because we're busy fighting the haters and planting trans human rights trees for you and the next generation of trans kids. 

Congratulations and best of luck in your future endeavors, Isaak!

Shut Up Fool Awards-National Doughnut Day Edition

It's the first Friday in June, and today is National Doughnut Day in which doughnut lovers like moi got a free one in addition to whatever amount we bought to scarf up on the way to work or home.

The Shipley's down the street from the house was passing out a free glazed doughnut until noon today.  Since I'd been good and resisted temptation to eat them by the half dozen (or dozen) for the last three  months, I decided this was a good day to break the doughnut fast.


Let me move on to what y'all really surfed over here for, to find out out what fool, fools or group of fools earned this week's TransGriot Shut Up Fool Award.

So let's get right to it. 

Honorable mention number one is the peeps of MassResistance, who demanded that the Boston Red Sox cancel an upcoming Pride Night game that occurred last night against the Texas Rangers

Honorable mention number two goes to my governor I didn't vote for, Rick 'Governor Goodhair' Perry, (R-TX) who vetoed a bipartisan 'Buy American' bill that passed the GOP dominated Texas House 23-7 and the GOP Dominated Texas Senate 145-0.  The bill mandates that when the state is making purchases and it comes down to a good which is US made and one foreign made and the price and quality are similar, the American made good be purchased.

Can't wait until next year's elections.

Honorable mention number three goes to Texas Tea Klux Klan leader Ken Emanuelson, who said in a May 20 meeting in response to a question about African-American outreach that "The Republican Party doesn't want Black people to vote if they are going to vote 9-1 for Democrats."

Well, Ken, you haven't given us a reason to vote for y'all since 1970 and you have an almost effortless ability to piss us off with your jacked up statements and racist policies that ensure that trend will continue for another decade. 

Honorable mention number four goes to Faux Bidness host Stuart Varney, who admitted that he is being mean to poor people in his loud and wrong lies aimed at the Earned Income Tax Credit




And this week's winner is Uncle Ruckus Rev EW Jackson, the Virginia GOP lieutenant governor nominee who said the reason he doesn't believe in evolution is because "monkeys can't talk" 

That comment is so stunningly stupid I don't even have a response for that one except this.

Rev EW Jackson, shut the hell up, fool!

Damian's Graduation Ceremony At UNM

Despite the efforts of thousands of people around the world who attempted to get transphobic Archbishop Michael Sheehan to defer to common sense and allow Damian Garcia to walk with his Albuquerque St Pius X HS classmates in a black gown, it unfortunately didn't happen and Damian skipped the ceremony.

On May 30 the University of New Mexico welcomed their newest Lobo to the fold by hosting a special graduation event for him at the UNM LGBT Resource Center attended by several dozen people in which Damian was the keynote speaker and got to wear his black graduation robe.

One of the people in attendance was Hawaii Human Rights Commissioner and recent Harvey Milk Champion of Change honoree Kim Coco Iwamoto, who received her law degree from the University of New Mexico's law school

“For me it’s amazing for young people like Damien take a stand for him being his authentic self,” she said.

Damien was emotional as he spoke about seeing a community come together on his behalf. "“I’ve seen a community, the LGBT community come to the rescue, so to speak, of a fellow member,” Garcia said. “Because of this and all the support, I’ve grown as a person as well as the community growing as a whole.”

He starts school at UNM in the fall and plans to become an attorney.

Trans People Make Beautiful Brides And Handsome Grooms

June is considered the start of wedding season, and we transfolks have much to celebrate in that regard in 2013 with two huge international trans marriage rights wins in Malta and Hong Kong.

After an up and down emotional seven year legal struggle that eventually saw her case go to the European Court of Human Rights, it took a change of ruling parties in the Maltese government before Joanne Cassar finally won.

Ms. W in Hong Kong's struggle wasn't as protracted, but was just as stressful.  She was down to her last legal strike after losing twice in lower court hearings before she prevailed at the most critical Hong Kong judicial level, the Court of Final Appeals.

As part of the diverse mosaic of humanity, transpeople also fall in love, form relationships and desire to get married to their partners.  What their genitalia configuration is underneath those bridal gowns and tuxes is none of you transphobic cis people's business as long as the two people saying 'I do' are happy.

And if it's a cis person marrying a transperson, that isn't your faith based concern either. If you wish to strengthen the institution of marriage, focus on your own damn marriage and make it the best one it can be instead of sticking your judgmental nose in somebody else's romantic business.

It's also my hope and prayer that some of my POC transwomen who are unecessairly dying due to anti-trans violence will one day get to experience the joy and happiness of not only being bridesmaids in a friend's wedding like I did in 2004, but eventually get married. 

And if I do say so myself, we are some beautiful brides and handsome grooms, too. 

TransGriot Note: The top photo is of South Koren transwoman Harisu during her 2007 marriage to her longtime boyfriend Micky Jung and the second is of Mexican trans couple Diana and Mario. 

Oh Hell No Sirius XM!

If you want to know why we have unacceptable levels of anti-trans violence disproportionately affecting POC trans people, one of the root causes is the unchecked hate speech aimed against trans folks.

Whether the anti-trans commentary is regurgitated on the Net, in the news media or the blogosphere, as I've said before and I'm paraphrasing here, trans hate thoughts lead to trans hate speech which equals to trans hate violence and the deaths of trans people . 

And the watchdog organization that's supposed to call it out is cricket chirping silent about it.

Another example of hate speech running amok in the media ironically occurred on an outlet founded by a transwoman.   SiriusXM was founded by Martine Rothblatt back in the 90's and hosts on its many channels various talk shows from across the nation. 

On one of them, during the June 3 broadcast of the Lex and Terry show they discussed the April Tampa incident in which transwoman Coco McDonald was lured to an abandoned house, robbed and shot twice by a perpetrator who was later arrested.

Lex and Terry not only condoned the crime, but one of them said they would have done the same thing themselves. 

Gee, nice to know you wastes of DNA condone the murder of other human beings.



Cristan Williams and Cheryl Courtney-Evans are some of the bloggers who have spoken out against this hate speech being broadcast on the air.  Cheryl had this to say about it in her Abitchforjustice post:

Surely this type of behavior and goading the public is just as inflammatory as Don Imus' "nappy-headed hoes", and deserves repercussion, apologies and/or firing(s)! Are not WE as human as the Rutgers University's female basketball team? Are not our persons as at risk when made to be viewed a certain way to the general public (that may hold individuals of low intelligence who might take this type of talk to heart and act on it)? I believe this type of speech borders on the criminal, in that it can incite violence on transgender individuals...

To me it's even more insulting that this happened on a network that was founded by a transwoman and I cosign what my trans sister Cheryl said.  It's also galling to note that this broadcast happened days after a Los Angeles transwoman was brutally beaten and left for dead as the transphobia runs amok in Bossip's comment threads.

But back to focusing on Sirius XM and this Oh Hell No moment.   Lex and Terry need to be suspended or fired for advocating violence against transwomen that as the lengthening TDOR name lists tell us, far too many people are willing to carry out.

TransGriot Update:  A Change.org petition has already gotten started with the goal of getting 500 signatures to demand that Clear Channel apologize for Lex and Terry's transphobic antics. 


SiriusXM has already apologized for it.  They issued the following statement regarding this issue and Clear Channels responsibility for programming the Lex and Terry show.

We apologize for this programming and don’t in any way condone it. The Extreme Talk channel and the Lex and Terry show are programming providing to us by Clear Channel. The channel and all the shows on it are under the control of Clear Channel. We are required to carry the channel based on pre-existing agreement with Clear Channel. We have made Clear Channel aware of this issue and the complaints from listeners.

Patrick Reilly
Senior Vice President, Communications

TransGriot Update: The Lex and Terry show has been dropped by Clear Channel from the SiriusXM Extreme Talk channel..  Lex and Terry according to GLAAD are apologizing for the jacked up comment.

2013 Williams Watch-Serena's In The French Open Finals!

After getting her stiffest challenge of her 2013 Paris business trip to Roland Garros in a three set quarterfinal scare from Svetlana Kuznetsova, Serena Williams moved on to her first French Open semifinal in a decade against the fifth seed, Italy's Sara Errani.

Errani was last year's French Open women's tourney runner up, but it was no contest for Little Sis as she took only 46 dominating minutes to punch her ticket to her first French Open final since she won it all in 2002.

Serena was on her A++ game today as she took only 21 minutes to win the first set and won the first 9 games before Errani finally broke through on her serve to win her lone game in this 6-0, 6-1 rout on Court Phillipe Chatrier.  

Williams bumps her current match win streak to a career best 30 straight matches and a 22-0 record this season on clay and faces in the final defending 2012 French Open champ Maria Sharapova, who survived a three set grunt fest against Victoria Azarenka.  

Sharapova has a 2-13 record against Serena, but one of the wins came in the 2004 Wimbledon final and she lost to Serena in straight sets recently on clay at the 2013 Madrid Open final 6-1, 6-4.

So will Serena be holding the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen Saturday for the first time since 2002?   I wouldn't bet against her the way she's playing right now.   

.

If Our African Trans Cousins Can Do It...

What's stopping us from being more forceful about stepping up to the plate and fighting for trans human rights in our communities on this side of the Atlantic?

Over the last few years I've noted that despite faith-based anti-trans and gay hatred injected into the continent by white American Southern Baptist missionaries, our African trans cousins in their various nations on the continent gave been over the last several years increasingly stepping up,organizing and fighting for their human rights in their various nations and across the Mother Continent. 

They are also doing the education on trans issues.  Forming trans organizations not only in their own respective nations but banding together to hold conferences and form regional and trans African coalitions to do the work.  You have people such as Liesl Theron in South Africa, Audrey Mbugua in Kenya, Victor Mukasa in Uganda becoming the spokespersons for the trans communities in their nations.

In Victor's case, he was forced to leave Uganda because of government harassment to the point he sued them and won in 2009.   Others like Nigeria's Mia Nikasimo are part of the Diaspora and eloquently writing and speaking abut the issues related to being trans on the African continent and debunking the lie that transsexuality is 'un-African' , they don't exist there and being trans is 'a Western concept'.

We in the Western end of the African Diaspors definitely need to be following their lead.  We need to be doing what we can to not only build our communities here on our side of the Atlantic, but prepare ourselves for the day when we can reach our hands out to our African trans cousins and our African descended Caribbean ones as well if they ask for our help.

So I ask again.  If our African trans cousins can do it in terms of being agents of their own liberation, why can't we African descended people in the United States do a better job of emulating them?