Fallon's Fighting In Chicago Soon!

In case you're wondering what the heck our MMA fighting sister is up to, she's been busy training for an upcoming fight in Chicago.

The 'Queen of Swords' is busy getting back in shape and honing her skills for an upcoming March 21 bout in the Windy City against 1-0 Heather Bassett 

The bout will be part of XFO 50, set to take place Friday, March 21, at the UIC Pavilion at 525 S. Racine Ave.for thosee of you in the Chicago metro area who want to attend the fight.  It's being billed as the "Biggest Night in XFO History" and the action starts at 6 PM CST.

And Fallon is excited to be a part of it. 

"I am so incredibly excited [to get] back in the cage, especially since this will be XFO MMA's 10th anniversary show," Fox said in a Windy City Times interview. "There's going to be lots of great fights on this card, including many of my teammates from the Chicagoland area fighting also, or cheering me on."

"This time I'll have the luxury of having my hometown fans and teammates behind me," said Fox, who added that she wants a strong LGBT fan base at the fight. "XFO MMA is an LGBT-friendly organization. I've been to many of their fights and always come away from them pleased, so this should be a good event for everyone who shows [up]."

If you live in the area, please consider doing exactly that.  

TBLG Community, Can't Celebrate Michael Sam As An NFL Player Yet

Like everyone else in the community, I have been keeping up with the wonderful news that a collegiate football player who is an NFL prospect has come out as gay.

Congratulations and mad props to my Texas homeboy (Sam played his high school football down I-45 south from here in Hitchcock) for doing so and being tough minded enough to come out in the testosterone fueled football world.  

But before we get all giddy about the prospect of Mr. Sam spending his Sundays playing in the NFL, there are a a few things I need to point out.

First, and most importantly, bear in mind GLBT community, he is an NFL prospect.   That means he hasn't been drafted yet and the draft won't happen until May 8-10. 

Being the Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-American in one of the best collegiate football conferences in the nation (the SEC) would normally be a plus going into the combine and draft.

But it is interesting to note that after he made his coming out announcement and reports of unnamed NFL coaches and executives commenting that Sam's announcement hurt his draft prospects emerged, it resulted in him dropping from the 90th ranked prospect to the 110th overall ranked one. 

I'm concerned because the NFL Combine comes up February 18-25 in Indianapolis with Sam scheduled to participate in it.  With a good showing he can possibly improve those prospects, but it also depends on just how widespread the homophobia is in the NFL and whether those player personnel people would rank him fairly based on his combine performance and other evaluations despite the league's anti-discrimination policy.  

The code words are already starting to creep into the interviews with NFL coaches and player personnel people.  They are citing 'team chemistry' and allegations he would be 'a distraction' in terms of laying the groundwork to not draft him.  Some have cited homophobic players already on their rosters as a reason. And frankly, there are some NFL teams that just don't want to deal with the extra publicity that the first openly gay NFL player would bring from national and international media.

Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe is throwing the challenge flag on those comments. I call bull feces on it because you have had past NFL players that shot people (Aaron Hernandez) or did a long list of other stuff disruptive to team chemistry that isn't a 'distraction' but being gay is?

If Sam doesn't get drafted this May, then he would have to try to make an NFL team as a free agent.  He'll have to get signed, show up in mid July for training camp and survive all the cuts to make it to an NFL 53 man roster for the opening weekend of the 2014 NFL Season Sept 4,7-8.  

Once he makes an NFL team roster, then and only then can we officially say he is the first openly gay NFL player.   Until then, he is just an openly gay NFL prospect.

But as a longtime NFL fan and a member of the TBLG community, I hope he is successful in his quest to become an NFL player and one of the leagues 32 teams adds him to their roster. 

It would be even better for me if that team was my own Houston Texans. 

Longtime Philly Activist Jaci Adams Battling Cancer

When I picked up my IFGE Trinity award back in 2006 in Philadelphia, after the ceremony I was taken by Dionne Stallworth and Jordana LeSesne who was living there at the time to get my celebratory cheesesteak and meet some of the local activists.

One of the people I met that day was Jaci Adams, who in the Philly area is one of their amazing and beloved activists.

She is a founding member of the Temple University Community Advisory Board, served on the planning committee for the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference, and the Morris County Planning Committee, a long term volunteer with the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, a member of the Philly Police Department LGBT Liaison Committee Team and was a founder of the 2004 People With Hope Trans Conference.

Adams was also honored at OutFest last year with the first annual Jaci Adams OutProud Transgender Award

She also made the POZ 100 List, an annual compilation of the 100 HIV-positive unsung heroes and sheroes from around the country who are committed to ending the epidemic. 

Jaci is battling Stage IV cancer as I write this, and she is fighting it with every fiber of her being.

Ever the activist, she recently sold AIDS :Law Project raffle tickets to her chemotherapy team. 

I'm hearing the news from my Philadelphia sources that Jaci is in a hospice right now and even though she been doing everything possible to beat it, she will need the added assistance of your warm thoughts and prayers.  

If you live in the Philly metro area, may be a good idea if you have time in your busy schedules to swing by Keystone Hospice and see this valiant trans human rights warrior as well.

Beginning Of The Inevitable Backlash

TransGriot Note: I said it a different way, but had to post this commentary from Jen Richards, the co-founder of the Trans 100 over the racist BS that erupted in the wake of the jacked up 'I'll deal with you' Morgan interview.

It was inevitable that other trans people would start coming for Janet Mock & Laverne Cox once they reached a certain level of visibility. Hell, we talked about it. Now that's it's come, it feels less saddening and more ridiculous. What I've just read is too absurd to dignify, and too transparently racist and self-centered to excuse, so I'll just make a few brief points.

1) If you're white and are upset by the attention on issues facing trans people of color, you need a serious reality check. When we talk about violence against LGBT people, we're really talking about trans women of color. That's who is being killed. When we talk about HIV, we're really talking about trans women of color. Yes, we're all suffering in various ways, but focusing where the crisis is most urgent doesn't hurt you. But your griping about it reeks of racism and hurts us all.

2) Neither Laverne nor Janet claims to be spokespeople for the whole community, but they're using their voices for the good of others, and there are a lot of us who are very grateful for it.

3) Don't like the attention Janet & Laverne are getting for themselves, people like them, or the issues they care about? THEN GO SUCCEED LIKE THEM AND MAKE YOUR OWN PRIORITIES. I'm so tired of people knocking others down just because they can't get themselves up. I've seen both of these women struggle, but I've never hear either of them blame anyone else. Not once.

3) Laverne was doing work in the community for years before 'Orange is the New Black'. Not only was she put on the Trans 100 before being cast, she flew herself out to Chicago for the event and was backstage helping other people, just because she wanted to. And she has used her to fame to bring attention to all kinds of issues and causes.

4) Of course Janet wants to sell books. She's a writer, and a damn good one. Is she any less deserving than any other writer selling books? And you all have no idea how much she gives back. But she's never done anything inappropriate to sell books or gather attention. She's just worked really hard, and really smart. Again, go do better if you can! But sure as hell don't tell me that you can't because your white ass has had a harder time.

5) A rising tide lifts all ships. When one of us succeeds and lifts others up, it's a good thing. Try just being happy that a few trans people are succeeding and keep working hard yourself. It's actually much more satisfying.

6) If you're white and are upset by the attention on issues facing trans people of color, you need a serious reality check. Oh, did I already say that? WELL CLEARLY IT NEEDS TO BE SAID A LOT.

We need to have more serious conversations about race in the trans community, and I intend to help start a few. We need nuance, and multiple perspectives. But this shit I've just seen on Facebook is plain old stupid, racist bullshit, so I'm going to have those conversations on another day.


TransGriot Update: And that racist backlash has included people deliberately writing negative reviews on Amazon.com about Redefining Realness.

Redefining Advocacy

TransGriot Note:  Been too damned long since I've had a guest post from Denny Upkins here and it's past time to rectify that.  In this one Denny discusses his journey and thoughts about becoming a trans ally

Enjoy

***

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

– Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I know nothing about the trans experience or trans issues. As an ally I strive not to know a single thing and I remind myself of this daily.

Allow me to explain. When I state that I know nothing of trans issues, it isn't because said issues aren't important. In fact, quite the contrary. By reminding myself I know nothing of trans issues, it is a personal reminder that as an ally, I am a student and it is imperative that I humble myself and be willing to listen to understand, learn to be an asset to my trans siblings.

In my experience Ive found that a willingness to do the right thing, a willingness to listen and  learn and healthy display of compassion, humility and respect, goes a long way with those who I stand in solidarity with. The shorthand: don't be a dick.

Social justice isn't rocket science, not the core concepts of equality and human rights anyway, but in my younger years it often seemed that way.

My education in being a trans supporter began several years ago on Livejournal. I was still trying to find my way having recently come out as a cis-gendered queer person of color. At the time I belonged to an Interracial forum where I met my good buddy, we'll call her Deanna and her girlfriend. I initially didn't know that either of them were trans women but I soon put two and two together as we continued to converse on the regular. Deanna was a riot and a fellow comic book geek. A woman of color herself, we connected on many levels and I was privileged when I made other friends through her.

I soon began to feel guilty because we were growing closer as friends and I realized I knew next to nothing about being a trans person and what they have to face in their day to day. I realized that if I was gong to be in Deanna and my other new friends' lives then I owed them and our friendships the proper respect to educate myself and be knowledgeable of their issues so I could provide support and be an asset, if they needed me.

Even though I had been active in social justice both online and in 3D space, the fears set in. What if I make a mistake, what if I get information mixed up when calling out transphobia and do more harm than good? What if—

And at that point, my reflection stepped out of the mirror backhanded  me, instructed me to get over myself and stop being a punk.

I first began reading Questioning Transphobia which is maintained by the amazing Lisa Questions. I rarely commented as I didn't want to disrupt their space and I was there in a learning capacity.

Soon thereafter I had the pleasure of meeting our very own Monica on Jasmyne Cannick's blog.

Time passed and eventually I became privileged to count both Lisa and Monica as not only mentors but friends as well. I also sat in on trans meetings at a local LGBTQ Youth Organization I volunteered for.

Too often I was heartbroken by the horrors trans folks survived and then amazed at what many of them have accomplished in their lives in spite of the obstacles and the dangers. Over time, I became more aware of the casual transphobia and microaggressions that I witnessed in the media and in society. See bigotry isn't always grandiose, it can be subtle and coded but a marginalized person has to be aware because it can literally make the difference between life and death.

However, as I've learned time and time again, not all bigots are that sophisticated or clever. In fact, to quote my buddy Paul Pogue, some fools are always trying to vacation in Chernobyl.

A few years back, I was a moderator for a popular comic book forum known as Scans Daily. The other mods claimed  they were wanting to take the forum into a more progressive direction and thought my experience and expertise in social justice would be a huge benefit. Trial by fire doesn't even begin to cover it but one of the worst incidents happened one day when a commenter started discussing how women are drawn in comics and proceeded to spew some transmisogynistic bile. A female commenter, a young trans woman herself, understandably outraged and hurt and read him the riot act. I also stepped in and made it abundantly clear that he was out of line and I was going to personally see to it that he was severely reprimanded for his actions. And of course the pushback commenced from other (white) members. My actions were tyrannical, we don't need politics in comic books, the female commenter should be punished as well for being angry and lashing out because calling out bigotry is worse than the actual bigotry. I won't mention all the flattering things I was called.

The next day I posted a video on the forum where a young black trans woman recounted a situation where she was violently attacked, and when she went to to the police for assistance, she was nearly arrested. It was my hope that the video would appeal to the forum's humanity. I was hopeful they would realize that transphobia isn't some abstract offshoot theory of political correctness but a real cancer on our society that is claiming lives. And hopefully by hearing this woman's story we would strive to be more sympathetic and respectful of one another.

That's when all hell broke loose.

That post broke the record with over a thousand comments. Half the forum stood tall and applauded our efforts to making the forum a safer space for minorities and the other half wanted to lynch yours truly, the uppity Negro for harshing their white comic book fanperson squee with political correctness.

 Despite the harassing emails and the hateful comments, I kept griping to a minimum because this was nothing compared to what trans folks deal with every day and if I can bear the brunt to help my peeps, then so be it.

Unfortunately all of the progressive efforts with Scans Daily proved to be for nothing. As the other mods, all of them white, decided a year or so later that cis white fangirls and their fee fees take priority and they should have a space to be racist, homophobic and transphobic and there were plans to penalize PoCs and trans members if they called out bigotry with an improper tone. And with that I departed, with a middle finger proudly raised.

Despite the drama, the stress, the bigotry, the hypocrisy, and the gaslighting, I learned a lot. I learned that you don't have to the foremost authority on social justice issues to be a good ally, sometimes it's simply a matter of taking a stand and doing the right thing, in spite of the risks, in spite of the repercussions. Sometimes its not even about taking up arms. Sometimes it can be showing kindness and respect to a trans customer who comes into the bookstore you work at and shares your love for all things Xena. A small act of kindness like that can shame a bunch of snickering transphobic co-workers into realizing what douchebags they were being..

Too often you do have to kick some butt and take names because there are some things worth fighting to protect and preserve, such as the humanity of trans people, and make no mistake, society has waged war on them and other minorities. But if you know your history, then you know it's a war that's been going on for ages.

We credit the Stonewall Riots for being a key moment in the fight for LGBTQ rights. What the history books and most of Gay Inc (read: mainstream white queers)  doesn't want you to know is that it was PoCs and trans folks who were on the frontlines. I've previously stated that I believe that LGBTQ equality will happen in spite of the gay community and it will be the result of PoCs and trans folks in the trenches doing the heavy lifting. I believe that more than ever. It's always PoCs and trans folks on the frontlines and yet somehow we're erased from history and our humanity is denied.

When a minority's humanity is denied, it allows for cis gay activists to push for legislature and agendas that conveniently omits trans people from the basic rights Gay Inc is pushing for.

When a trans person's humanity is ignored white interviewers have no qualms about violating personal boundaries of black trans women.

When LGBTQs are facing job  discrimination, queer teen homelessness, violence against trans people, and high suicide rates, being able to register at Neiman Marcus should be at the bottom of the priority list, but white supremacy teaches otherwise. After all white supremacy teaches that some lives matter more than others. And privileged cis white queers being to marry most certainly trumps the fact that 53 percent of anti-LGBTQ murder victims were trans women or that 73 percent of all LGBTQ homicide victims were people of color.

 That is the legacy of a white supremacist society, because trust, no matter the marginalized issue, more often than not, it comes back to race. White supremacy teaches that in order for whites to thrive, they must step on others in order to be superior. There's a reason why white gays have been actively campaigning against people of color, most notably during the Prop 8 fiasco. It also explains why white fauxminists constantly throw women of color and trans women under the bus. It's also why many white gays are proud Log Cabin Republicans and supporting the very people who oppress us. See not everyone is fighting for equality, in fact many white minorities are fighting to regain their privilege and gain a seat at the oppressor's table.

Wanna know why most white minority leaders are so quick to compromise and negotiate with bigots. Because they don't like falling out of favor with other whites. Despite all of their denials, they understand white privilege is very real and they rely on it. This is why many poor whites will vote Republican even though the GOP is constantly pushing to deny the poor basic benefits and necessities. This is why a number of whites, cis and trans alike have all but waged war on Laverne Cox and Janet Mock, two accomplished black trans women whose only crime is actively working to attain equal rights for all trans people. But such is white supremacy. It has people go against anything that benefits them, betray their very self preservation just to enjoy white privilege and remain in the good graces of other bigoted whites.

The same dynamic that played out in Scans Daily is repeating itself here. Two extraordinary and accomplished black women are being attacked simply for wanting to better their communities and help change lives. And just as I stood tall to help defend the humanity of the SD forum member, and the bookstore customer, I'm standing with these ladies as well.

In these experiences I've learned one fundamental truth. True allies, true advocates, true supporters, are like family, or as I say your Ride or Die. They will fight to protect you no matter the cost, they will celebrate you and appreciate you as the gift you truly are. After all, you're family.  Thinking back on these past few years, the irony is not lost on me. I set out to educate myself (because I "knew nothing") to be a useful resource to my trans friends if they ever needed me to be so, and in the process, I'm the one who grew and evolved.

Imagine that.

.  

Why Y'all So 'Scurred' Of Black Trans People Owning Their Power?

So white transpeeps, the attack on Janet Mock and other Black trans leaders 'isn't about race'?   Bull feces.  

Peep this comment from transman Mark Angelo Cummings:

I am seeing a very strange twist in our community, and why are we all of a sudden admiring individuals who have recently come out as advocates with little to no experience in that role. One is an actress, the other stealth for many years working at Peoples magazine behind a cubicle and now decides to write a book and is identifying as a fierce advocate? Both trans woman of color, which seems to be a very prominent twist these days as if they are the only ones in the trans community who have suffered and constantly harp on how bad they have it, leaving behind the rest of us. Separating themselves, creating their own groups and associations and hijacking the community at large.

Now all of sudden we see this rage, this uproar, this hatred towards "Cis" Gender individuals, there years of hurt is coming out in their attempt to advocate and it is creating one ugly picture. in addition, they are leading a war path, a path that will lead us into an abyss. I believe we need to stop this movement before it back fires and redirect our efforts to showing love and compassion and stop seeing color.... Mark Angelo Cummings.

Strange Mark?  The question I have to ask is why are you (and white transpeople in general) feeling threatened by the ascendance of an intelligent masters degree wielding Black transwoman who OWNS HER POWER?   

I note the only people in Trans World who have been trashing Janet ever since your 'ally' Piers Morgan led the attack to 'deal with her'  have predominately been white.

By coming out, Janet and Laverne's ascendancy not only gave our community possibility models they can be proud of and point to, they have opened the doors to a sorely needed dialogue (like the one I had in Houston at the Montrose Center last night) in the Black cis and SGL community about trans issues.  

How is that 'a problem' or 'a threat'?   

I and other Black trans leaders don't see it that way.   We have been asking for years to be included in trans leadership ranks that look like a Republican Party convention and you keep ignoring or dismissing our concerns and requests to do so.  We are suffering with a 26% unemployment rate in Black Transworld and near genocidal levels of anti-trans violence being aimed at us that needs to be dealt with now, not 5, 10 or 50 years from now.    

For the last 61 years the trans narrative has centered on whiteness.  The transfeminine one has like in the parent society, white transwomen being the penultimate in beauty and femininity while Black transwomen are belittled, denigrated and murdered along with our trans Latina sisters.

Don't even get me started about how the transmasculine conversation has been centered on whiteness as well when media time does get allocated to talk about it

Now that you see Black transpeople confidently owning their power, have our own heroes and sheroes we can point to with pride, having their own conventions and TDOR events, have people like Kortney and my GLAAD Media Award nominated self and other video bloggers discussing our issues from an Afrocentric perspective, beginning to be supported by Black mainstream advocacy orgs like the NAACP and our SGL allies in the National Black Justice Coalition, you delusionally see this as 'cis' hatred and something that 'needs to be stopped'?

Seriously?   Have a seat Mark (and 'errbody' else in White Transworld who shares that jacked up opinion) and drink a nice tall Southern sweet tea flavored glass of STFU.

Laverne and Janet are in the media eye.   They are sheroes to a Black trans community that for the first time ever has out trans spokespeople who share their ethnic heritage.  We are reclaiming and talking about our trans history.   Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler is not only writing critical essays on his GLAAD nominated blac(k)ademic blog but has created the Trans* H4CK that seamlessly combines a hackathon with trans social justice.   Dee Dee Watters in Houston successfully organized the first ever Black trans organized TDOR.   Trans 100 honoree Carter Brown's Black Transmen, Inc is holding another BTAC Conference in April with a multicultural list of presenters and speakers while his org is helping Black transmen organize and own their collective power.   

And how is Black trans people showing pride in being Black and trans, doing for self and building institutions and community infrastructure similar to the ones that white transpeeps have enjoyed for decades 'hijacking the movement'?  You are clueless or have been standing in the Florida sun for too damned long if you think that way. 

I don't see that as a threat or something that 'needs to be stopped', I see it as something that is long overdue. It is also a breath of fresh air in a trans movement that for six decades has been far too focused on whiteness. and the desire of elements of the white trans community to regain their lost white privilege at POC transpeople's expense.

Not like Moni didn't warn y'all on the pages of this blog for years the Black Trans Revolution was coming. 

Bottom line is that we're beyond tired of the invisibility and it's time for the chocolate trans community to do what our Black sisters did in the late 80's and early 90's when they separated themselves from a similar jacked up situation in the feminist ranks.    TransGriot March 29, 2011

As Kwame Ture said, "In order to participate in the greater society, you must first close ranks." 

I also see this as the long overdue awakening of Black trans people finally doing what our parents, grandparents and great grandparents did decades ago when faced with the same intransigent racism in our parent society.  Because of your lack of vanillacented privileged wisdom, it was made necessary for African-American transpeople to tell our stories, do community building and close ranks.to build our own community so that we as free human beings have options.

And you have no one to blame but yourselves for this development.  We warned you that if something wasn't done about trans leadership ranks that resembled a GOP convention and you kept ignoring our pleas to change that and share the responsibility of leading this diverse community, the day was going to happen that we made our own damned tables and we wouldn't care if you liked it or not. 

As I've said on multiple posts here on this blog and on countless discussion Internet threads inside and outside the trans community for over a decade in various ways, race matters, even in the trans community.

We Black transpeople do not have the luxury of separating our race and ethnicity from our trans status because they are inextricably part of us.   We also get reminded of the kente cloth woven ties we have to the Black community every time we get whacked by the same microaggressive and macroaggressive bull feces whiteness and white supremacy aims at the entire community.

I am Black first, trans second.  If I had any doubts about where I stand in that regard as a member of the trans community, I get a reminder of it every time I call out the bigoted and racist bull feces that occasionally pops up in our trans community ranks and you angrily hiss back I'm 'angry' or 'playing the race card' for simply for being willing to call your unacknowledged white privileged behinds out.

Your White Privilege Rewards Card isn't the platinum one mind you, it just got downgraded to one with a transgender flag sticker on it. 

It was past time for Black transpeople to close ranks, lift each other up as white transpeople have done for the last six decades, have those trans conversations in our Black SGL and cis communities, and do the education because we are the people best suited to discuss trans issues in our community. 

Having a strong, confident, politically aware and vibrant Black trans community telling our stories strengthens the entire pink, white and blue flag waving trans community as a whole.  It also strengthens our Black cis and SGL communities and any other one we choose to ally with. 

We in Black Transworld will choose who our heroes and sheroes are and the people that we consider leaders in it.   You don't like who we choose, tough.   But you are on notice White Transworld that we will not stand by and sit on our hands when you unjustly attack our leaders, and you do so at your peril.  . 

If you fear the rise of the New Black Transwoman and the New Black Transman because of your unacknowledged privilege, have several seats.  You can #bemad and #staymad about it.

We would rather work together to build community with our white trans brothers and sisters and our cis, bi  and SGL allies to advance our common goal of human rights for all.  

But we Black transpeople will no longer do so as a disrespected junior partner that you throw under the bus every time our opponents wave an opportunity in front of your noses to get your lost platinum white privilege levels back.   
 

First Ever Black Trans Homecoming King Crowned

Just in time for Black History Month, some more Black trans history being made.

17 year old Blake Brockington became the first trans homecoming king in the state of North Carolina and the first out Black trans homecoming king ever in the United States when he was crowned during a halftime ceremony last night at East Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte.

Blake was one of 13 seniors nominated for and competing for the honor, and raised the most money for East Mecklenburg High's chosen charity, Mothering Across Continents.  It's a non-profit organization that funds the building of schools in the Sudan.

"It's an honor to become part of East Meck's history," he said in a WCNC-TV interview.
  .
Brockington thanked his supporters, and says he wants to inspire students to never give up on their dream.
"They can be themselves regardless of what anybody else says. Even though you go through some things and have some negative encounters in your life, anything is possible. You can do anything you set your heart to," said Brockington.

As to what the newly crowned king's future plans are?   Brockington is headed to the University of North Carolina Charlotte in the fall, and plans to continue playing rugby and mentoring young trans students.   

Upcoming February Bay Area Trans* H4CK

For those of you in the Bay Area, you'll have another opportunity to participate in an upcoming Trans* H4CK. 

Trans* H4CK is creation of Dr. Kortney R. Ziegler that melds computer coding and app building with trans social justice to create programs and apps that solve real world trans problems . 

The first ever one in Oakland last September I had the pleasure of attending.  It was a wonderful and fascinating event I was honored to be there in attendance for and be one of the judges making the tough decisions as to which projects won.

On February 18 from 7-9 PM PST Kortney is putting together another Trans* H4CK for trans and queer nerds and calling for you to come together for a night of collective hacking, networking in a safe, diverse and friendly environment. 

No tech skills are required and hackers of all levels are welcome to attend.  Light snacks and refreshments will be provided, but space is limited.  

The location of the hack will be released a day prior to the event to ensure privacy, so if you're a trans or queer hacker, sign up ASAP..

Sochi Olympic Watch-NBC Screws Up With Another Bad Olympic Edit

One of the major problems with NBC's coverage of the Sochi Winter Games is the time difference from the East Coast.  

Sochi is nine hours ahead of US East Coast time (translation for me in Texas is 10 hours), so as a night owl, any live action for the Games when I choose to watch it will start around 2 AM Houston time.   

And with the next Winter Games scheduled for Pyeongchang, South Korea, that problem will be around in 2018 as well.

But what NBC needs to do is figure out when to do the edits of their broadcasts. 

NBC got justifiably excoriated for its Olympic coverage from London that was far too heavy on tape delay and included a badly timed edit of the 2012 Opening Ceremonies in which a tribute to the victims of he London attacks was edited out of the US broadcast. 

Well, for those of us watch the Olympic opening ceremonies, NBC's bad timing with edits struck again.  They decided to edit IOC President Thomas Bach's speech, and cut out an important chunk of it that the rest of the world saw that made a strong statement (from the IOC perspective) against any form of discrimination and a plea for tolerance.

Yeah, a strong statement that's a year too late.  

Here's the transcript of President Bach's speech.   The part that NBC cut out is in bold print.

Good evening, dear Athletes. Mr. President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Secretary General of the United Nations, Good evening Olympic friends and fans around the world! Welcome to the 22nd Olympic Winter Games! Tonight, we are writing a new page in Olympic history. What has been achieved in seven years is a remarkable achievement. I would like it thank, in again, the president of the Russian Federation and his Government. The Sochi Organizing Committee. The Russian Olympic committee. And the IOC members in Russia. Thank you to all the workers for your great contribution under sometimes difficult circumstances. Thank you to all the people of Sochi and the Krasnodar region. Thank you for your patience, thank you for your understanding during these years of transformation.

Now you are living in an Olympic Region. I am sure you will enjoy the benefits for many, many years to come. Thousands of volunteers have welcomed us with the well-known warm Russian hospitality. Many thanks to all the wonderful volunteers. Bolshoi spasiba, valantyoram! Thank you very much to everyone. Russia and the Russians have set the stage for you, the best winter athletes on our planet. From this moment on you are not only the best athletes, you are Olympic Athletes. You will inspire us with your outstanding sports performances. You have come here for sports. You have come here with your Olympic dream. The International Olympic Committee wants your Olympic Dream to come true. This is why we are investing almost all of our revenues in the development of sports. The universal Olympic rules apply to each and every athlete- no matter where you come from or what your background is. You are living together in the Olympic Village. You will celebrate victory with dignity and accept defeat with dignity. You are bringing the Olympic Values to life. In this way, the Olympic Games, wherever they take place, set an example for a peaceful society. Olympic Sport unites people. This is the Olympic Message the athletes spread to the host country and to the whole world. Yes, it is possible to strive even for the greatest victory with respect for the dignity of your competitors. Yes, Yes, it is possible - even as competitors - to live together under one roof in harmony, with tolerance and without any form of discrimination for whatever reason. Yes, it is possible - even as competitors - to listen, to understand and to give an example for a peaceful society.
Olympic Games are always about building bridges to bring people together. Olympic Games are never about erecting walls to keep people apart. Olympic Games are a sports festival embracing human diversity in great unity. Therefore, I say to the political leaders of the world - thank you for supporting your athletes. They are the best ambassadors of your country. Please respect their Olympic Message of goodwill, of tolerance, of excellence and of peace. Have the courage to address your disagreements in a peaceful, direct political dialogue and not on the backs of the athletes. (APPLAUSE) To all sports officials and sports fans I say - join and support our fight for fair play, the athletes deserve it. To you - my fellow Olympic Athletes - I say, respect the rules, play fair, be clean, respect your fellow athletes in and out of competition. We all wish you joy in your Olympic effort and a wonderful Olympic experience. (APPLAUSE) To all of you - Athletes, Officials, Fans and Spectators around our globe - I say, enjoy the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games! And now I have the honor of inviting the president of the Russian Federation, Mister Vladimir Putin, to declare open the 22nd Olympic Winter Games.

Okay NBC, you are already getting off to a bad start with the Sochi tape delay.   let's see what else transpires between now and February 23.

Moni Ain't Happy About The Bigoted White Trans Feminine Attack On Janet

It's been 48 hours since that second hideous attack interview Piers Morgan unleashed upon Janet Mock followed by that jacked up panel, and I'm more than a little pissed off about it along with supporters in the Black trans, cis and SGL community.

But I've been surprised and disappointed by the reaction of elements of the white trans community to it. 

I'm tired of the white trans community ignoring the fact that Janet was attacked in this Morgan interview, and frankly some of you are doing so because you are jealous of the media attention she's received over the last two years.

It has the appearance to me and other people in the Black trans community and our allies that elements of the white trans community are secretly happy the 'uppity Black transwoman' got taken down a few notches by your cis White masculine 'ally' Piers Morgan and you're now using Morgan as a human shield excuse to unleash your own attacks of her.

It would be a good idea for you vanillacentric privilege wielding peeps to back the hell up off Janet right now, because the more shade you level at her, the more pissed off we get in Black Trans world about it along with our allies.

And FYI John Aravosis and 'errbody' else that thinks it was a pro-trans interview, this is what a pro-trans   interview with a real trans ally looks like.   This Marc Lamont Hill one is another example.   



Now it's time for a reality check.  I submit that if Janet Mock looked like this trans Hawaiian (Candis Cayne) instead of being a Hawaiian of African descent, the reaction to Piers Morgan's media bull feces would have been substantially different. 

Outrage would be filling up every white trans blog on the Net and you'd probably already have a Change.org petition up calling for Piers Morgan to apologize.

Bottom line is that for the last six decades, the transfeminine perspective, the people interviewed in the media about it, and the transfeminine discourse has disproportionately been centered on, spoken and written about by a long list of white transwomen.

Some of those who have done so I have had profound philosophical disagreements with like Riki Wilchins. Some of Kate Bornstein's writing I don't agree with either but I respected their right to say it.

For the first time in the trans community's modern history, we have Black trans women like Janet Mock, Laverne Cox and my GLAAD Award nominated self stepping up, getting the media spotlight and broadening the conversation. The appearances of Mock and Cox on the scene in the last two years and countless other African-American trans people have done more to advance the conversation and understanding about about trans issues in the Black cis and SGL community and amongst our intelligentsia than those discussions on trans issues in the last six decades

And some of you trans peeps have a problem with that and the masters degree wielding author of Redefining Realness who has SRO book events and has played a major role in making that happen? 

Buy a vowel and get a clue that transwomen come in all shades and ethnic backgrounds.  If we say we want to get trans human rights legislation passed in a near future that sees America getting more diverse, we are going to need a wide variety of spokespeople besides white transmasculine or white transfeminine ones to get people motivated to join our human rights cause and accomplish that task.

Shut Up Fool Awards-Sochi Olympic Opening Edition

Well, the Russians have been waiting four years for this day.  Like some of the other glitchs that have plagues these games such as Olympic torches on the relay going out, construction work at the last minute combined with one of the snowflakes during the opening ceremony not opening into an Olympic ring, the 22nd Winter Olympics that much of the international LGBT community isn't watching because of the unjust anti-gay legislation Russia has passed in the runup to the Games started today.

I'm basically going to watch women's hockey because I've got trash talking to do with a certain Canadian women's hockey fan.  I also want to see if speedskater Shani Davis wins his third consecutive gold medal in the 1000m and see if Lolo Jones wins her first ever Olympic medal in the bobsled.

Speaking of the bobsled, Cool Runnings II is going to happen since the Jamaicans not only qualified for the two man bobsled, but raised the money to get here.

From today through February 23, the Shut Up Fool Awards will be done Olympic style with gold, silver and bronze level fools.  So let's discover who went for the gold in jaw dropping hypocrisy, over the top arrogance, mind numbing stupidity, and Olympian levels of ignorance.

The Bronze goes to Texas GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott, who continued his party's stellar outreach to Latino Texans by calling South Texas, where millions of Latino Texans reside, a 'Third World nation.  

Keep it up Greg.  That Wendy Davis inauguration ceremony next January looks more plausible every time you open your bigoted mouth.

The Silver goes to Toronto mayor Rob Ford who decided to align himself with Vladimir Putin and is attempting to have the rainbow flag removed from a ceremonial flagpole at Toronto City Hall mere hours after it went up to express solidarity for Russia's LGBT population while the Winter Games are taking place.

Ford also pissed off Toronto's TBLG community by announcing he would skip World Pride despite it being held in Toronto this year along with Toronto Pride.   

And you decided to run for reelection?  

The Gold medal goes to Piers Morgan, that wonderful trans 'ally' who screwed up his first interview with Janet Mock, and when she complained about it on Twittier, turned hostile and went even more nekulturny the next night while proclaiming he was an 'ally.'

When HRC is calling you out on your ish, you need to STFU and listen to what people are saying because you have royally fracked up.  . 

As I said in a previous post, if this is an example of you being an ally, I damned sure wasn't feeling the love.

Now on that note, Piers Morgan, shut up fool! 

No Transpeople At The Sochi Games

'Athletic participation has been the road other marginalized groups have used as a pathway to greater visibility and human rights coverage, and it's past time we transfolks did so as well.'
---TransGriot , June 24, 2012
The Stockholm Consensus that allows transpeople to participate in the Olympic Games has been in place since 2004.  Since it was approved by the IOC we have had two winter Olympiads (2006, 2010) and three Summer ones (2004, 2008 and 2012) pass without an open trans athlete participating on their nation's winter or summer Olympic teams.

Keelin Godsey of the US, who did make the US Pan Am Games squad in 2011 has tried twice in 2008 and 2012 to be that first out trans athlete to make that history along with Kristin Worley of Canada, who attempted to make the Canadian Olympic track cycling team in 2008.

But as of yet our dream of a trans Olympian hasn't happened.  The new IOC rules were enacted far too late for a trans athlete to make an appearance in Athens and the first winter games in Torino two years later.  Beijing, Vancouver and London came and went with no trans Olympian sightings and it doesn't look like it will happen as the Olympic cauldron is lit at Sochi either.

Maybe the international trans* community will have better luck seeing one of our own two years from now in Rio or in 2018 at the Winter Games in Pyeongchang

Dyssonance Comments On The Piers Morgan Interview

Been a while since one of Antonia D'orsay's posts has graced my blog. 

But since Piers Morgan had the balls to call Toni's name in vain on his show, I thought it only fair to give The Empress of the Known Universe a chance to respond to his ish and have it signal boosted for the benefit of her loyal subjects courtesy of my GLAAD Award nominated blog. 

The firestorm is still raging inside and outside Transworld over the jacked up second interview that incredibly people with vanillacentric privilege are attacking Janet Mock for and applauding Morgan for putting the 'uppity' Black trans woman in her place.   (sarcasm meter on maximum)

Toni wrote a post on her Dyssonance blog critiquing the interview and subsequent online firestorm and here's a taste of it.

I had stayed out of it, and raised an eyebrow at the way he and his followers were saying that he hadn’t been given the benefit of the doubt. Yet he had been given such: that was how Janet Mock went on his show the first time, and then it was why he was given a second chance the second time. That isn’t merely the benefit if the doubt, that is being willing to stick your hand n a fire twice.

Which is just one example, by itself, of why the entire second show was an act of violence and abuse, and it was intentional because he not only threatened her the night before, but he is so ignorant, he cannot help but be part of the system that intentionally causes harm.

So in that, we can see that what he did not only meets the World Health Organizations definition of violence based on scientific consensus, but that it was an immoral and unethical series of actions as a whole, meant to put her into her place and allow him to stand atop his prize and bleat triumphantly.
I saw it, livestreamed via a friend.

You can read the rest of Toni's post by clicking on the link.

Islan Nettles Rally And The Lingering Questions After It

Something else that was happening while I was busy hosting 4000 of our TBLG family and allies in H-town last week was a January 30 New York rally demanding action on the Islan Nettles case.

When we last checked in on the case the Manhattan DA dropped misdemeanor assault charges against Paris Wilson, the person who was pulled off of Nettles by the police. because the speedy trial prosecution clock had run out and to ostensibly pursue more serious charges in this case. 

Well, the New York trans community isn't staying silent about this, they want justice for Islan like all of us do.  There was a December 20 meeting of New York City trans leaders headed by Laverne Cox and Brooke Cerda Guzman and various organizations facilitated by the New York Anti-Violence Project with the Manhattan DA.. 

Over 100 people including Janet Mock showed up for a January 30 rally at One Police Plaza organized by the Trans Women of Color Collective of New York (TWOCC) to keep the public pressure on NYPD and the Manhattan DA's office, keep the case in the public eye, and prod them into speedier action to solve the Nettles case. 

“Having survived a violent assault, I know what a struggle it can be to get justice in NY. Not one of my attackers was charged - and I was almost treated by the police as though I deserved to be assaulted,” says Madison St. Claire, Co-Chair of Membership for TWOCC. “Now, the same thing is happening in the Islan Nettles case - and that sends the wrong message: that trans women of color are disposable - that our lives don’t matter.” says St Claire. “Today, we send our own message NYPD and the DA’s office: TRANS LIVES MATTER!”

TWOCC activists have pointed out some troubling issues and things that make you go hmm concerns surrounding the Nettles case.  TWOCC has accused the NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney's office of negligence and mishandling of this investigation that is leading to fear in the NY transfeminine community that a perpetrator of violence against us will get away with it.

It was revealed by TWOCC that no DNA evidence was collected from Paris Wilson at the scene of the crime, nor were witnesses rigorously questioned. Nor has it been satisfactorily explained why Simone Wilson, the suspect’s mother, was never held accountable or charged for hindering prosecution or falsifying evidence when she persuaded a friend of her son to make a false confession which was later recanted.

And perhaps in a statement that strains credibility, the DA’s office is claiming that all 10 surveillance cameras in the vicinity of the beating that lead to Islan Nettles’ death on that August 17 night were broken.

There have also been questions raised by transpeople in the NY area and nationally about what exactly is the Rev Al Sharpton's and the National Action Network's stance concerning the Nettles case and trans human rights in general.  

NAN held a December 7 panel discussion moderated by Dominique Sharpton entitled 'My Brothers Keeper' at NAN's Harlem headquarters that included trans panelists Sean Coleman, Arisce Wanzer and Kimberly Howard.  But the forum has not quieted the trans community asking this legitimate question in light of the fact the vicious attack on Islan occurred mere blocks from NAN's Harlem headquarters.

So will keep you TransGriot readers posted on the latest developments in the Nettles case as I receive them.

Piers Morgan Is STILL Tripping

The BS continues from Piers Morgan, who let his vanillacentric cisprivilege take over and continue his attacks in the wake of his first jacked up CNN interview with Janet Mock.  She called him out about it, and he then went on the counterattack on Twitter.

Hell, if this is an example of you being an ally, I damned sure wasn't feeling the love (and neither was much of the trans community and our true allies) after watching the two train wreck interviews that I can confidently say probably won't be nominated for GLAAD Media Awards.  .

And frankly, Piers Morgan claiming that trans people are 'cisphobic' is as laughable as the right wing conservatives polluting his network and elsewhere who claim that people of color calling them on their bull feces is 'reverse racism.'

The thing that has pissed the trans community off about both these interviews is that Piers not only didn't listen, he kept interrupting Janet. Then to add insult to injury, Morgan had the nerve in his vanilla scented privileged arrogance to claim that he was not only an ally, but we should be grateful for the TV interview time.

It's the optics of this interview that set many of us off, and especially those of us in the trans POC community.

And once again, what sets us off is that far too many people, especially in the media, focus and obsess on that past prior to our body morphing and use it to erase the people we have evolved to become now.
  
If you claim that you respect and admire the person that Janet (or any transperson) is now, what her birth name was or what genitalia she's packing in her panties shouldn't matter to you unless you want to date her, and she already has a man who loves her.  

All that should matter is the content of our characters, how we treat you as a fellow human being in 2014 and beyond, not when we came out of the birth canal decades ago.

Happy 19th Birthday, Trayvon!

Today would have been the 19th birthday of Trayvon Benjamin Martin if not for a fateful encounter with bigoted neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in Trayvon's father's Sanford, FL. condominium complex.

And sadly, on Trayvon's 19th birthday we have more African-American parents who are awaiting the starts of trials of white males who felt they had the right to 'stand their ground' and kill Black children for the 'crime' of Existing While Black   

A jury is being selected in the case of Michael Dunn, who shot and killed Jordan Davis because he was in a vehicle with two friends at a Jacksonville convenience store, their music was too loud for his tastes and he 'felt threatened'

Theodore Wafer, another white man who 'felt threatened' has been chaged with second degree murder and is awaiting trail for November 2 shooting death of Renisha McBride.   She simply knocked on the door of a Dearborn Heights, MI house to get help after a traffic accident and paid for it with her life. 

The third white male, Randall Kerrick was wearing a CMPD police uniform when he shot and killed in September 2013 an unarmed Jonathan Ferrell ten times.  He has been indicted and charged with involuntary manslaughter.

So yes Trayvon, we have a lot of work to do to kill the ALEC-inspired Stand Your Ground laws that took you and Renisha's lives.  

And we will never forget what happened to you on the night of February 26, 2012 and how whiteness and white supremacy rallied to the defense (and still does) of George Zimmerman. 

We will commemorate the second anniversary of your murder with nationwide events, and we also won't rest until justice is served in not only your case, but Renisha and Jonathan's as well. 

We also won't rest until Kill A Black Child With Impunity Stand Your Ground laws are eviscerated. 

Happy 19th birthday, Trayvon. 
. 

Piers Morgan Starts Tripping After Janet Calls Him Out Over Interview

After Janet Mock called Piers Morgan out for sensationalizing her CNN interview with her, Piers Morgan took to Twitter to strike back and call her 'ungrateful'.

For what Oh Mighty Media Whitey?   You mad and got your vanillacentric privileged fee fees hurt because the Black trans woman called your azz out for disrespecting her on your show and she and the trans community are pushing back?

The chyron your peeps used was problematic to start with. But as Janet said in her BuzzFeed interview:  

“This is my first mainstream television show, was that moment, with Piers Morgan, and you see what they did to my story. Compared to a moment if I’m on Melissa Harris-Perry, which is slightly different, a more sensitive and safe space. But I go onto Piers Morgan, and all of my followers and everyone are like, ‘What is this?’” she said. But, she noted, “It’s also more representative of the ignorance that there is about trans people’s lives. We’re out of the safe bubble of social justice.”


Frankly, we in the trans community are beyond sick and tired of being sick and tired of the six decade old focus on our genitalia in the media.  If you didn't get that fracking message last month after the Katie Couric interview with Laverne Cox and Carmen Carrera, here's the wakeup call once again.  

As a matter of fact, watch the Melissa Harris-Perry show and check out the proper way to do an interview with a trans woman.

I Received A 2014 GLAAD Media Award Nomination!

Was surprised and pleased to find out during Creating Change Houston that I may have made a little Black  and trans history.

TransGriot received its first ever GLAAD Media Award nomination in the Outstanding Blog category   I'm the first trans feminine blogger ever to have received a nomination in this category and second overall.   Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler's blac(k)ademic last year became the first trans blog ever to receive a nomination in this category.    

However, I have some stiff competition in this category.    Kimberley McLeod's Elixher (of which my posts appear at times) is nominated along with Alvin McEwen's Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters.

The other nominees in this category are Autostraddle and The New Civil Rights Movement.

Like I said tough competition.  All are quality blogs.  Two of the founding editors of the nominated blogs in Kimberley and Alvin are personal friends and I have mad respect for their blogs. .  I read the other two nominees as well and have met people affiliated with them at the LGBT Media Journalist Convening and hopefully will see them in DC later this month.
 
But as I've said a few times when it comes to these award nominations, it's nice when they recognize the hard work you put in to do a quality blog.  You also can't win an award unless you're nominated for it, and the hard part is over.  I'm in it, and hopefully I'll win it on my first nomination attempt..  

Best of luck to everyone nominated in this Outstanding Blog category

Is there a trip to Los Angeles (April 12) or New York (May 3) in my future?   We'll see.

TransGriot Update:  I'm the first transfeminine blogger to earn a GLAAD award nomination and the SECOND overall.   Kortney Ziegler's blac(k)ademic was nominated in the Outstanding Blog category last year won by Rod 2.0.   Story has been corrected to reflect that.
 

Janet's Big Day

Today's launch of her book Redefining Realness was the fulfillment of a dream for Janet Mock to become a published author.  It's also concrete proof that just because you transition, you don't have to give up on making your dreams a reality. 

If you come up with a plan, stick to it and put in the work to make it happen our dreams can be realized.

As Janet wrote in her blog post  'A Dream Realized: Redefining Realness Is Finally Here', she states:

For so long I believed that good things could not happen to me, that my dreams and goals and desires and fantasies could not come true. This is how I’ve navigated the world for so long, with feelings of doom, of inadequacy and pain, of letdowns and failed expectations following me. As I write in Redefining Realness, “Happiness was fleeting and accidental; goodness wasn’t in the cards for a girl like me.” I wish I was at some elevated space with myself where I could say I’ve conquered those feelings, but I have not. And this book is not going to fill that craving.

You can read the rest of Janet's post by clicking this link.

Upcoming TWCUC Trans Panel Discussion

My first local post Creating Change event will take place later this week.

A Transgender Forum sponsored by the Transwomen of Color United For Change (TWCUC ) will happen Saturday, February 8 at the Montrose Center, located at 401 Branard St. just off Richmond Ave and Spur 521   The METRORail Wheeler Station is in easy walking distance of the Montrose Center as well

You can join me, Dee Dee Watters and our facilitator Tye West for the discussion that will take place in Room 112 of the Montrose Center. 

The room opens at 6:45 PM with the discussion starting at 7 PM so join us in what promises to be an interesting and informative evening of conversation.