SB 1062 Has Died-Brewer Vetoes Unjust Bill

I asked in a post a few days ago if Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) would do the right thing or the right wing thing in regards to SB1062. 

With pressure mounting on her from outraged people in her state, the TBLG community, business leaders and even the NFL starting to make the initial moves to take next year's Super Bowl out of the state if she signed it,  Brewer finally announced that she has vetoed the unjust SB 1062 bill.

From her press conference remarks moments ago::

Good evening, and thank you for joining me here today.

I am here to announce my decision on Senate Bill 1062.

As with every proposal that reaches my desk, I gave Senate Bill 1062 careful evaluation and deliberate consideration. I call them like I see them, despite the cheers or boos from the crowd.

I took the time necessary to make the RIGHT decision. I met or spoke with my attorneys, lawmakers and citizens supporting and opposing this legislation.

I listened . . . and asked questions.

As Governor, I have protected religious freedoms when there is a specific and present concern that exists in OUR state.

And I have the record to prove it.

My agenda is to sign into law legislation that advances Arizona.

When I addressed the Legislature earlier this year, I made my priorities for this session abundantly clear…
Among them are passing a responsible budget that continues Arizona’s economic Comeback.
2

From CEOs -- to entrepreneurs -- to business surveys -- Arizona ranks as one the best states to grow or start a business.

Additionally, our IMMEDIATE challenge is fixing a broken Child Protection system.
Instead, this is the first policy bill to cross my desk.

Senate Bill 1062 does not address a specific and present concern related to religious liberty in Arizona. I have not heard of one example in Arizona where a business owner’s religious liberty has been violated.

The bill is broadly worded and could result in unintended and negative consequences.

After weighing all of the arguments, I vetoed Senate Bill 1062 moments ago.

To the supporters of the legislation, I want you to know that I understand that long-held norms about marriage and family are being challenged as never before.

Our society is undergoing many dramatic changes. However, I sincerely believe that Senate Bill 1062 has the potential to create more problems than it purports to solve.

It could divide Arizona in ways we cannot even imagine and no one would ever want.

Religious liberty is a core American and Arizona value, so is non-discrimination.

Going forward, let’s turn the ugliness of the debate over Senate Bill 1062 into a renewed search for greater respect and understanding among ALL Arizonans and Americans.
.
Thank you..

And if she hadn't vetoed the bill, Arizona's ability to attract businesses would have been crippled for at least a decade.   Whatever her reasons were for making her decision, bottom line it was the right one.

You do not have the right to discriminate, and you deeply held religious belief are not to be used as a shield for you bigotry and hatred of others.

Texas Gay Marriage Ban Struck Down

This is a day I thought I wouldn't see in my lifetime when the Republican majority passed that unjust Todd Staples' penned constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage in 2005.   

While that travesty was going on, it was being denounced by Rep. Senfronia Thomson (D-Houston) in a thunderous floor speech in which she called out the haters and told it like it T-I-S is.  

But there is joy in the Lone Star state about Judge Garcia's ruling as the GOP oppressors are doing their usual grumbling, oblivious to the fact they are on the wrong side of history and the US Constitution.

I awoke to the news that federal Judge Orlando Garcia (Clinton appointee) has declared the gay marriage ban unconstitutional.   

Judge Garcia wrote in his opinion striking down the unjust law: "Without a rational relation to a legitimate governmental purpose, state-imposed inequality can find no refuge in our United States Constitution," Garcia wrote. "These Texas laws deny plaintiffs access to the institution of marriage and its numerous rights, privileges, and responsibilities for the sole reason that Plaintiffs wish to be married to a person of the same sex."

It is still being enforced pending an appeal that Attorney General and Texas GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott is swiftly filing. 

Judge Garcia said that the couples who filed this suit are likely to win their case and the Texas ban should be lifted, but he would not enforce his ruling until ruling are rendered on two other cases pending before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals,   

Mark Phariss and Victor Holmes filed their federal civil rights lawsuit saying Texas’ ban unconstitutionally denied them the fundamental right to marry because of their sexual orientation. Cleopatra De Leon and Nicole Dimetman filed a lawsuit saying Texas officials were violating their rights by not recognizing their marriage conducted in a state where gay marriage is legal.

Attorneys for the state tried to argue Texas voters had imposed the ban through a referendum and that Texas officials were within their rights to defend marriage traditions.   

Bigotry and discrimination is not 'marriage traditions', and bigotry and hatred are not values.  

Another Texas gay couple has filed a separate lawsuit in federal court in Austin in which they are arguing that the Texas same gender marriage ban is unconstitutional because it discriminates against them based on their gender.  That case is scheduled for a hearing later this year.

Texas is in the conservative leaning and New Orleans based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Judge Garcia will give the state time to file their appeal and be on the wrong side of history and human rights again .

The cool thing people, is we have a chance to punish both Abbott and Staples at the polls.  Staples, the author of it, is a candidate for the GOP nomination for Lt. Governor and predictably blasted the decision as 'judicial activism'.   Abbott tried to steer a down the middle path in his comments. 

"This is an issue on which there are good, well-meaning people on both sides," Abbott said in a statement. "The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled over and over again that States have the authority to define and regulate marriage.".

Well, is it possible that we will actually see same sex couples getting married in the Lone Star State? I sure hope so.  But we still have a long way to go and more legal wrangling to come before same sex couples can say I do in Texas.

It's past time that happened and so happy for my Texas SGL peeps concerning this positive news.

Busy Weekend Coming For Me

The tail end of January was busy for me with 4000 of my TBLG friends and allies descending upon Houston for Creating Change, and the end of February for me promises to be just as busy,

I'll be back on the UH-Downtown Campus hanging with the Gators for a Black History Month event jointly sponsored by UHD Safe Zone LGBTQA student org and the UHD Black Student Alliance entitled African American Culture Within The LGBTQ Community. 

It will take place on the UHD campus on February 27 and run from 2:00-4:30 PM  in Room: North 420. 

When that event is concluded, I'll be finishing whatever last minute packing I need to do and prepping to leave Friday morning on a jet headed to Washington DC to participate in the fifth annual LGBT Media Journalists Convening.  

This year’s theme is ‘Honing Our Game’ and will focus on skill building.

It's my second one and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and getting my learn on at the same time.  You'll also be able to follow us on Twitter at #LGBTMedia14 

It will be a whirlwind weekend just like last year's in Philadelphia jam packed full of events and seminars, and the best part about it is that I will get to see many of my TBLG blogging and journalistic colleagues.


So just like I did before Creating Change, definitely made sure I got my beauty sleep last weekend because this is the weekend I'm going to be quite busy and probably not working on a lot of rest.   

Jaci Adams Memorial Service March 21

Just was passed the word by the organizers that the memorial service for Jaci Adams will happen March 21.

The service to celebrate the life of our departed sister will take place at the St. Luke and the Epiphany Episcopal Church, located at 33 South 13th St. in Philadelphia, PA.

It will start at 5:30 PM ET with a reception occurring after the service  

Texas Dems: Don't Vote For This Woman

Normally if I have a chance to vote for a qualified African American candidate for public office with the bonus of them  being from my hometown, I'm jumping at the opportunity to do so. 

But this woman is not even close to what I would call being one of those qualified candidates.

Meet 37 year old Kesha Rogers. 

She's a PK and 2001 Texas State University grad with a degree in political science and speech communications.  She unsuccessfully ran for the chairmanship of the Texas Democratic Party in 2006. 

And she's a follower of Lyndon LaRouche.  She has called for the impeachment and execution of President Obama and has been photographed holding a poster of him with the Hitler mustache drawn in.   She has criticized the Affordable Care Act, calling it 'fascist' and baselessly claiming it will kill Americans'.  She rejects global warming, and argues that London based banking interest are trying to ruin America's economy.

Typical LaRoucheite stuff.   

She unexpectedly won in the 2010 cycle a Democratic primary in the 22nd Congressional District race against Doug Blatt and Freddy John Wieder, Jr,  who combined garnered 6814 votes out of the 14,281 cast in that primary election.

Since Texas has open primaries, I suspect Rogers' win was largely aided by Teapublicans crossing over to frack with our primary so freshman Republican incumbent Rep. Pete Olson could retain the seat.  He did by soundly beating her in the general election. 

Rogers again filed to run in the 2012 election cycle in the Democratic primary for that US House seat and once again faced Doug Blatt and newcomer KP George.  

Despite opposition from TX-22 Democratic leaders, she prevailed in the primary once again by 103 votes.   The Democratic state and local party apparatus refused to support her, and Rep. Pete Olson once again got a free ride to reelection. 

Now Kesha Rogers is aiming higher after her two primary wins and has filed to run in the US Senate race.  There are four unknown candidates in the Democratic Senate primary besides her in David Alameel, who is backed by Wendy Davis, Maxey Scherr, Harry Kim and Michael Fjetland.

And scarily enough, in a recent UT/Texas Tribune poll Rogers leads the best financed candidate in Alameel 35%-27%.  Scherr has 15%, Kim 14% and Fjetland has 9%.   Rogers has raised $26,000 for hers.

David Alameel, if you have some commercial time bought and ads in the can, now would be the time to run them. 

In a election cycle which shows promise of being the best one in over 20 years for the Texas Democratic Party, the last thing we need is an Alvin Green scenario here or even worse, the nightmare scenario that Rogers survives the primary and a potential runoff to become the Democratic Party nominee against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R).

I damned sure don't want that happening, and neither does the Texas Democratic Party.    

They have gotten busy getting the word out that Rogers is NOT a Democrat, but a LaRouche Trojan Horse running in our primary.  These are the Democratic candidates supported by the TDP and note that Kesha Rogers name is not on this official TDP website. 

Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa is making it quite clear that she is not a Democrat.

“The Texas Democratic Party does not support the candidacy of Kesha Rogers or anyone that aligns themselves with the LaRouche Movement. Our State Democratic Executive Committee even issued a resolution against her campaign. Do not vote for Kesha Rogers in the primary.

“Rogers’ candidacy is an insult to our Party, our President, our state, our Democratic values, and to all the work you are doing to move our state forward.”

So Texas Democrats, you have a few days to run, not walk to your local early voting polling place and ensure this doesn't happen.   If you can't make it before early voting closes on Friday evening, then make damned sure you're voting on Tuesday, March 4 in the primary election on that date

Because I can guarantee there are Teapublican activists and pranksters who will cross over to vote in the Democratic Party primary just to make sure this nightmare scenario does occur.  

I would love to see an African-American woman run for and one day become the first African-American US Senator from my home state.  

Kesha Rogers ain't the person I want to see making that history, much less making history by getting the Democratic nomination for that US Senate seat.

I Want Nice Things For Texas

I got a chance this afternoon to walk a few blocks up the street to my early voting center and cast my vote in the Democratic primary.  

Y'all know that after the eight month stress-inducing drama I went through before finally getting my Texas drivers license January 9, it was a triumph for me when I showed my TDL and the now orange Texas voter registration card at the check in desk. 

I was handed the slip with the access code from the smiling female poll worker on the other side of the table, headed to the proper bank of eSlate machines, input the four digit code and began voting in my first Lone Star election since the 2012 presidential one. 

And yeah Texas Republican Party, I'm still highly pissed off about being suppressed out of the recent Houston mayoral one, and will be gleefully participating in the general on November 4.

I have an orange 2014-15 Texas voter registration card that I ironically received the same day I passed the driving test (with a 94 score thank you very much) and a TDL.  I'm currently working on getting my US passport since it is the other document you can use as ID to vote.  

And yeah, I'm highly motivated for the next two years and beyond to use both of them and be standing at the polling centers ready to throw the Lone Star GOP bums out. 

After what happened to me in 2013, I'm even more motivated than ever to turn Texas blue so my little niece Kacielyn and big niece Chantoya spend their teen and adult years in a Blue Texas like I, their father and mother grew up in. 

And I want nice things for Texas, too.   Nice things like a Texas government that works to solve problems for its citizens lives, not create them.  A government that answers to the citizens and voters of the Lone Star State, not the 1% 'bidness' interests or conservative white people.    

I want nice things for Texas like for the first time in 20 years, a resident of the Governor's Mansion in Austin we can be proud of, not ashamed of.    I want nice things for Texas like a wise Latina state senator as our lieutenant governor who will not ignore other female senators when they raise their hand and their voice to be recognized in that body to speak. 

I want Texas to have nice things like a budget surplus, a booming economy that works for all of us, high speed intercity rail, a top notch highway system and infrastructure and a world class education system with great public schools that teach facts based science, not Flintstones science. 

I want nice things like world class universities with reasonable tuition.  I want nice things like a Texas which encourages people to vote in each and every election and makes it easier to do so, not erect barriers to discourage people from exercising that right. 

I want nice things like a Texas with fair and sensible workplace safety regulations that are enforced.  I want nice things like a Texas with clean water to drink and less pollution in the Lone Star skies so we can see how bright the stars really are at night. 

I want nice things like a Texas that values all its citizens, not disrespects them for political gain, demonizes urban, TBLG, women, immigrant and non-white Texans or has leaders that ignorantly calls certain areas of the state during their election campaign 'third world countries'. 

I want nice things like a Texas that doesn't declare war on love.  I want nice things like a Texas that repeals the amendment desecrating its constitution banning same-sex marriage that fuels as Rep Senfronia Thompson said in 2005 when it was unfortunately passed by the GOP majority, the hellfire flames of bigotry    I want nice things like a Texas that allows all of its citizens to get married to the person they love, not erect barriers keeping it from happening inside our state. 

And finally I want nice things like a Texas that recognizes we trans Texans exist, want to do mundane things like work, play, get married and not have our human rights messed with. 

I want nice things for Texas like human rights laws that cover me and the SGL community so that we can be part of the greater Lone Star society we are building..  I want nice things for Texas like trans Texans being able to change their documentation without being hassled or requiring expensive surgeries before you do so.   

I want those nice things for Texas because I was born here in its largest city, and I love the 268,581 square miles of Planet Earth inside our borders and everything else about my home state that makes it a special place to live.   

It's past time we started electing leaders that want nice things for Texas as well, and work diligently to make them happen. 

Tim Gunn, Trans Models Have Curves

To borrow the words from my sis Isis King, Et tu, Tim Gunn?

Tim Gunn said this in response to a question concerning the recently unveiled Barney's campaign using a group of trans models.

"I’m conflicted. On one hand, I don’t want to say that because you were a man and now you’re a woman, you can’t be in a women’s fashion show. But I feel like it’s a dicey issue. The fact of the matter is, when you are transgender– if you go, say, male to female– you’re not having your pelvis broken and having it expanded surgically. You still have the anatomical bone structure of a man."

That picture of rising model Ines Rau to the left, who is part of that campaign says otherwise, Tim.


Hell, based on the transphobia I routinely see breaking out on certain gay blogs in their comment threads and the idiotic transphobic comments coming from predominately white gay men, looks like some intensive Trans 101 is warranted.

School is now in session.   

First the basics.   When we trans women undergo HRT, we put on weight and get curves.  Genital surgery comes later if we are in the position that we not only want it, but can afford it.

Second point.  You refer to a transperson with their preferred pronouns, and if you don't know ask.  Andrej Pejic, who you were primarily slamming in your comment, refers to herself as 'she'.   

It may also be a shock for you to know that trans feminine models just didn't pop up in the second decade of the 21st Century   Trans feminine models have been gracing the world's runways since April Ashley first sashayed down them in the early 1960's.  

And she damned sure didn't look like a boy when she was handling her modeling business back in the day.

Neither did the models who followed her such as Amanda Lear, Caroline Cossey, Lauren Foster, Tracy Africa Norman,  Teri Toye, Roberta Close, Carmen Xtravaganza or the current crop of trans models like Isis King, the aforementioned Ines Rau, Arisce Wanzer, Carol Marra, Lea T, Felipa Tavares or Carmen Carrera.   

Trans models have just as much variation in ethnicity, skin tones, heights, and body types as their cis feminine counterparts. 

And are just as beautiful, too.

As Pejic tweeted to you and I emphatically cosign, trans models deserve a fair shot at making it in a vanillacentric skewed fashion world that has long had a problem with diversity.   

And for you Tim Gunn as a gay man, to pull out the discredited 'bone density' trope that has been used far too often to attempt to bar trans women from playing in sports, is reprehensible.   Guess you forgot it wasn't so long ago the fashion world wasn't so accepting of people like yourself.

Trans models have curves and with trans feminine kids transitioning as early as age six, that trend will continue. 

President Obama's Statement About Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill

Well, the Ugandans went there.   Scott Lively and David Bahati are smiling as Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni despite massive international condemnation, signed the Anti-Homosexuality bill that was passed back in December and is already triggering anti-TBLG violence against the community there.

Here's what President Obama had to say about it in a statement.

***

As a country and a people, the United States has consistently stood for the protection of fundamental freedoms and universal human rights.  We believe that people everywhere should be treated equally, with dignity and respect, and that they should have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential, no matter who they are or whom they love.

That is why I am so deeply disappointed that Uganda will shortly enact legislation that would criminalize homosexuality.  The Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda, once law, will be more than an affront and a danger to the gay community in Uganda.  It will be a step backward for all Ugandans and reflect poorly on Uganda’s commitment to protecting the human rights of its people.  It also will mark a serious setback for all those around the world who share a commitment to freedom, justice and equal rights.

As we have conveyed to President Museveni, enacting this legislation will complicate our valued relationship with Uganda.  At a time when, tragically, we are seeing an increase in reports of violence and harassment targeting members of the LGBT community from Russia to Nigeria, I salute all those in Uganda and around the world who remain committed to respecting the human rights and fundamental human dignity of all persons.
 
 

Spike Lee Confirms 'School Daze' Sequel On The Way!

School Daze has always been one of my favorite Spike Lee movies and I still pull out my DVD to watch it from time to time even though the movie was first released 25 years ago back in 1988.

It was still an encapsulation of many of the issues college students of the 80's were talking about from South African divestment to fraternity hazing.

And with a cast that featured Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, Tisha Campbell Martin, Samuel L. Jackson and Jasmine Guy who was then lighting up the small screen on A Different World, that Spike Lee joint had us packing the multiplexes and made $14 million. 

With the $71 million success of The Best Man Holiday, the sequel to the 1999 The Best Man movie his cousin Malcolm Lee wrote, produced and directed, now that we (hopefully) have Hollywood's fiscal attention, I wasn't surprised that renewed attention has now been focused on classic African-American movies hat should have been made into sequels a long time ago. 

Spike Lee recently confirmed in a Black&Sexy TV interview that he has completed a script for a sequel to School Daze that takes us back to the Mission College campus 25 years later. 

“I had the script for ‘School Daze,” said Lee in a recent interview.  “But, what people have to understand is that it’s a contemporary version. So it’s the same school, Mission College, 25 years later,” explained Lee. “Hopefully I can get Laurence Fishburne to play Dap. He’ll be the president now of the school. And we would deal with issues around Historically Black Colleges today.”

He says he would not only tackle some of the issues Black college students deal with in 21st century college life, he would also tackle the subjects of pledging and homophobia

I hope you can get Fishburne to reprise his Dap Dunlap role and even better, get this sequel filmed.   
  

AB 1266 Repeal Referendum Fails To Qualify For 2014 Ballot!

Great news out of California!  The Forces of Intolerance-California Division have failed in their mission to overturn AB 1266!  

The School Success and Opportunity Act was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown August 13 and took effect January 1.   It requires that the gender identity of trans students in grades K-12 is recognized and they have access to facilities, activities and sports teams based on their gender identity

Of course the right wing haters didn't like that, and mobilized in an effort to get AB 1266 repealed. The spot check was at just a high enough percentage to move the verification process to the next step of verifying all the signatures and cause concern for the trans community and our allies in California and across the nation. 

The Orwellian named Privacy For All Students opponents were spearheaded by NOM's Frank Schubert, who orchestrated the Prop 8 repeal campaign. 

PFAS needed at least 504,760 signatures to force a public vote on AB 1266 and get the repeal referendum placed on the November 2014 ballot.   Had that happened, it was sure to be a just as nasty and divisive a campaign as the Prop 8 one was.

PFAS submitted 619,387 signatures, but California county election officers determined that just 487,484 of them were valid, according to a final count posted on secretary of state Debra Bowen's (D) website.

Translation: they failed.to qualify.

While the PFAS anti-trans coalition is telling their supporters they will continue the fight against AB 1266, the Support All Students Campaign that introduced and passed the law is celebrating along with transpeople across the country.

Said Transgender Law Center Executive Director and Campaign Chair Masen Davis: “This law gives schools the guidelines and flexibility to create an environment where all kids have the opportunity to learn. We need to focus on creating an environment where every student is able to do well and graduate. This law is about doing what’s best for all students — that’s why it’s supported by school boards, teachers, and the PTA.”

- See more at: http://www.frontiersla.com/frontiers-blog/2014/02/24/breaking-frank-schubert-loses-effort-to-overturn-trans-student-law-fails#sthash.6Dxaluu5.dpuf

And the big winners today are the trans students in California.

Goodbye Sochi, Hello Pyeongchang

The Sochi Winter Olympic Games closed last night after seventeen days of competition and a $50 billion pricetag, exceeding the estimated $40 billion the Chinese spent on the Beijing Games.    

Guess Russian President Vladimir Putin and his people will consider it a great investment.  The host Russians made up for their by their standards poor showing of 3 golds and 15 medals overall in Vancouver by riding the home soil competition wave and owning the podium  

They led all nations with 13 gold medals and 33 overall.  Norway was second with 11 gold (26 overall) and Canada third with 10 golds (25 overall).  The USA was fourth, Germany (19 overall) and The Netherlands (24 overall) tied for fifth with 8 gold medals. 

While the USA had the second highest total medal count with 28, only 9 of them were gold, reflecting the disappointing showing of the speedskating team, the aggravating losses to Canada in men's and women's hockey (arrgh), some medal favorites not coming through, and the failure of the women's figure skaters to medal in ladies singles for the first time since 1936.

Hey US Figure Skating Association, guess y'all should have taken.Mirai Nagasu to Sochi instead of snubbing her in favor of Ashley Wagner.    Wagner did get a medal in the inaugural team figure skating event, but still finished sixth in ladies singles.


And speaking of figure skating, it wouldn't be a Winter Olympics without a figure skating controversy that revolved around the judging 

South Korea's Kim Yu-Na was robbed of a gold medal repeat due to some (surprise, surprise) alleged shady judging that led to Russian teen homegirl Adelina Sotnikova who trailed Kim after the short program winning gold to the delight of the Russians in the audience and the derisive whistling (the international version of booing) from the rest of the crowd in attendance at the Iceberg Skating Palace.  

Speaking of failing to medal, one of the two US Summer Olympic team members who was a winter Olympian at these Games is coming home with a history making medal and it isn't Lolo Jones.


Lolo Jones along with Lauryn Williams became the ninth and tenth Americans to make both a Winter and Summer Olympics team and were part of a US women's bobsled team that had four African-Americans on it.   

Jones convinced Williams to try out for the bobsled team, and despite being in the sport for only six months, she became only the fifth athlete ever to win medals in a Winter and Summer Games.   Williams narrowly missed by .10 seconds becoming the first woman and only.the second ever person to achieve the rare feat of winning gold in a Winter and Summer games and the second African-American to win a gold in bobsled

She and Elana Myers were leading in the women's bobsled competition before being bumped off the top of the podium by the Canadian duo and defending Olympic champions Kallie Humphries and Heather Moyse. 

Jazmine Fenlator and Lolo Jones in USA-3 were also trying to make history as well.   Fenlator was trying to become the first African-American bobsled driver to win a medal and Lolo Jones was trying to win her first Olympic medal period but they finished 11th.   The duo of Jamie Greubel and Aja Evans took the bronze, which marked the first time ever the US has taken two medals in the sport in the same Olympics. 

The USA women were up 2-0 and 58 agonizing seconds away from a gold medal, ending Canada's feminine women's hockey dominance and me unleashing a hockey themed rewrite of the Canadian national anthem on this blog and the world until the Canadians scored late to tie it up and then won their fourth straight gold medal in overtime.

It didn't help I had to hear about that 3-2 overtime gold medal game loss and 1-0 loss of the USA men's team in the semis the next day from a certain Canadian.


Shani Davis came into these Games seeking his third straight gold in the 1000m but shockingly finished in 8th place   Like I mentioned earlier, it was a bad Olympics for a US speedskating squad that left Sochi with only one medal in the 5K relay. but a great one for the Dutch speedskaters who made themselves, the Dutch royal family and their orange clad fans feel at home in Adler Arena.

Two time Olympic halfpipe champ Shaun White also failed to leave Sochi with a medal
    
And in the inaugural edition of the women's ski jump the American women favored in it failed to make the podium.  Sarah Hendrickson did battle back from a serious injury to make a little history as the first woman ever to jump in Olympic competition. 

But there was more drama away from the competition venues that at them.   While the feared terror attacks failed to happen, there was the video of members of the activist group Pussy Riot being horsewhipped by a Cossack militiaman, the arrests of former Italian MP Vladimir Luxuria for protesting Russian anti-gay policies, and the escalating violence in Russia's neighbor Ukraine that led to an emotional gold medal victory for the Ukrainian women over Russia in the biathlon relay .   

Now the flame has been extinguished and the hosting torch passed to Pyeongchang, South Korea who after two narrow losses to Vancouver and Sochi finally get to host the 2018 Games.  

Wonder if Dennis Rodman's good friend Kim Jong Un is going to demand like his daddy did when Seoul hosted the Summer Games.back in 1988 that the South Koreans let him host some Olympic events at the brand new ski resort he's having built? 

We'll have four years to see how that plays out.      

Oh Hell No, Arizona! Unjust SB 1062 Must Die!

I've had the pleasure of visiting Arizona, driving across it twice via I-10 and counting many of its wonderful residents among my friends.

But just like here in Texas, their Republican controlled legislature is constantly coming up with new ways to not only embarrass themselves but the entire state.

The next time I get blessed with the opportunity to come to Tucson or the University of Arizona, definitely swinging by Rocco's Little Chicago Pizzeria. 

But back to the post in which I'm about to go Maya Wilkes on this issue. 

The Arizona conservafools may have gone too far this time with SB 1062, an unjust  'Right To Discriminate' bill that would allow people to cite religious beliefs when they deny service to anyone. 

We know what it says, but the real target of this law is the TBLG community.

It passed on a 17-13 party line vote in the Arizona Senate and all but three Republicans in the Arizona House backed the bill that passed there by a 33-27 margin.   It has now been sent to term limited Gov. Jan Brewer (R) for her signature.

Ohio, Kansas, Mississippi, Idaho, South Dakota, Tennessee and Oklahoma are the other states that have tried to pass similar unjust 'Religious Right To Discriminate' legislation but Arizona so far is the only one in which it made it out of their legislature.   The efforts to do so in Idaho, Ohio and Kansas.have been stalled

Arizona is the only one that has passed this unjust bill, and they are justifiably getting called out for it.  I especially loved this eloquent denunciation of it by George Takei.  

The only thing keeping Texas from following Arizona down this Gay Crow legislative road is because (praise the Lord) our legislature only meets in odd-numbered years.  If Governor Goodhair wanted to do the same thing he'd have to call a special session to do so. 

“We see a growing hostility toward religion,” said Josh Kredit, legal counsel for the conservafool group the Center For Arizona Policy that pushed for the passage of this unjust bill.   

Well, duh.  When you and your conservative sycophants like Cathi Herrod continue to cite and use 'religion' as a shield for your old school bigotry and your unjust laws, there is going to be an equal and opposite backlash from the people those unjust policies target. 

But I guess you peeps forgot (or ignored) what Galatians 6:7-9 (KJV) says about reaping what you sow.

⁷ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
⁹ And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

If you're sowing hatred toward BTLG people with unjust legislation and claiming you're doing so because of your 'religious beliefs', you're going to get it back.

Arizona's Republican legislators are not only getting worldwide condemnation for passing SB 1062, business leaders in the state are concerned that if Gov. Brewer signs the bill into law, it could trigger a fresh round of boycotts that could lead to the NFL pulling the 2015 Super Bowl out of the state just like they did in 1993 in the wake of then-Gov. Evan Mecham's boneheaded decision to rescind the MLK holiday. 

The Greater Phoenix Economic Council has already sent a letter to Gov. Brewer urging her to veto the bill, saying that it could affect Super Bowl XLIX and have “profound, negative” economic effects for years to come.   The conservative leaning Arizona Republic newspaper published an editorial urging her to veto SB 1062. 

There are also calls and e-mails being fielded by nervous convention planners in the state who remember the 1993 boycott and the one in the wake of the passage of SB 1070.  They have already heard the warnings that if she signs the bill, they are taking their convention business elsewhere.

And this has happened just as Arizona officials are trying to make a serious push to lure tech firms like Google out of California to the Grand Canyon State.

SB 1062 must die.  Gov. Brewer has a choice.  She can either do the right thing and by extension continue pushing the economic development of her state, or she can do the right wing thing and sign this unjust bill. 

But if Gov. Brewer makes that choice, she will not only cripple her state economically for years to come and cement its growing reputation as a bastion of hate, but give herself a permanent place in the history books among anti-human rights governors like Ross Barnett, Orville Faubus and George Wallace.

Choose wisely Gov. Brewer. 

TransGriot Update: And she did.   She announced her veto of SB 1062 on February 26

Nobody Wanted To Answer The Jeopardy Black History Category Questions

I have been a fan of the show Jeopardy since my childhood, and still have dreams of appearing on the show someday.   When I watch it, I like to test my knowledge by trying to answer the questions as the players are trying to do so on air.  

I still laugh about one day in the ticket counter breakroom during my airline days when Jeopardy used to come on at 3:30 PM here and a group of us were huddled around the TV set to do precisely that.  

It got to the point where myself and my fellow CSR Rick Owen were nailing the questions in the categories broadcast on that particular day.   We were doing such a good job of it my coworkers started waiting for either me or Rick to answer before they would guess.

I bring you down Moni Memory Lane to set up an interesting and sad commentary on modern day race relations in the USA. 

From time to time Jeopardy does tournaments, and one of those is the collegiate one in which college students do battle on the show to be crowned the collegiate Jeopardy champion.

While the three collegiate semifinal contestants easily breezed through the question topics such as 'Kiwi Fauna', 'Talk Nerdy To Me' and 'Weather Verbs', the trio awkwardly left the African American history category alone until they were forced to answer questions in it, and those weren't really difficult.
They missed on the Rhode Island Regiment one (which I answered correctly because of the Ocean State reference) and the one on the Scottsboro Boys. 

Host Alex Trebek trying to bail out the young contestants after the silence on the Scottsboro Boys question by saying "That was before your time"  was awkwardly problematic as well.   Many of the questions in the other categories they cleared were 'before their time' as well.

The show was taped back in November, but it airing during Black History Month made the ignoring of the category until the last moment more glaring. 

It also points out in microcosm the Two Americas double standard we grapple with.   These colloge eduated white kids aren't requred to, nor do they need to know anything about my people's history, which is also American history by the way.

But before I or any person of color can walk out of high school, much less college with a diploma or a degree, I damned sure better have more than a working knowledge of theirs

The fun starts at the 15:50 mark



 

CNN Ending Piers Morgan's Show

As I like to say, Karma is not only a you know what, but wears a dress and stiletto heels.

I am posting my remix of the saying about karma to giddily post the news that CNN is pulling the plug on Piers Morgan's consistently low rated show that was facing the double whammy competing in that time slot against Megyn Kelly on FOX Noise and Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.

And after the jacked up interview with Janet Mock and his continued attacks on her and other trans activists, I care even less about him and his show. 

CNN is planning on keeping his around the network in some other capacity (why?) but as far as I'm concerned, Piers Morgan needs to have a Georgia Dome full of seats and a nice tall glass of STFU.

Where's Kortney? Everywhere!

Dr. Kortney R. Ziegler since the start of 2014 has been one busy brother.   He's been racking up the frequent flier miles as he takes Trans*H4CK national in addition to his speaking and lecture schedule.

I'll get to see him this weekend at the 2014 LGBT Journalists Media Convening in Washington DC, but this past weekend he was in Las Vegas handling their edition of Trans*H4CK.

FYI for you peeps in Chicago: Trans*H4CK (and its handsome creator) is coming to you in March as part of the weekend series of events surrounding the unveiling of the second edition of the Trans 100.   

"Considering that Trans* H4CK focuses on creating technology for trans* people with the input of trans* people," Dr. Ziegler continued, "it makes sense to partner with the Trans 100 in an effort to further highlight transgender activists that are changing the world for the better."

It will be taking place March 28-30 at Dev Bootcamp, so if you wish to take part. sign up now.

Dr. KRZ will also be one of the keynote speakers for the upcoming Black Trans Advocacy Conference in Dallas April 30-May 4 and looking forward to hopefully seeing him again in the Lone Star State.

Assuming I don't have any other pressing business in New York May 3,  I'm looking forward to being in the audience for this keynote instead of delivering one like I did last year. 

But I know for certain there will be a Dr. KRZ sighting in Washington this weekend, and looking forward to seeing him there. 

Upcoming Shut Up Fool 2014 Lifetime Achevement Awards

Well people, Oscar week is approaching, and that means it's time for me to add another five names to my ever growing list of Shut Up Fool Lifetime Achievement Award winners.

Gives me something else to do besides wasting my valuable time watching Black actors and actresses nominated for Oscars getting snubbed.   

But that's another post. 

There are just fools among us who repeatedly exhibit their world class levels of stupidity and rank hypocrisy so often that a Shut Up Fool Weekly Award or a Shut Up Fool of the Year just doesn't do them justice.   So I started giving out a SUF Lifetime Achievement Award during Oscar Weekend 2010, with Rush Limbaugh being honored with the first ever well deserved SUF award

One wasn't enough, so I expanded it to five honorees in 2011 and here were the 2011 winners
Sarah Palin
Glenn Beck
Bill O'Reilly
Ann Coulter
Michele Bachmann

In 2012 the fools kept on coming, and these were the 2012 winners.    For the first time I gave out a group award as well. 

A group award for the Gendertrender radfem trans hate blog
Michelle Malkin
Dan Savage
Michael Savage
Chuck Knipp (AKA Shirley Q Liquor)

And the SUF Lifetime Achievement Award winners in 2013 were

Mitt Romney
John McCain
Sen Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
Supreme Court (In)Justice Clarence Thomas

Who will join the 2014 Class of TransGriot Shut Up Fool Lifetime Achievement Award winners next Sunday? 

Surf by this blog on Oscar Night at 7 PM CST to find out.    You can also send me nominations as to who you think should named.

Don Lemon Remembers He's Black Again.

CNN commentator Don Lemon can be exasperating to me at times.  

One minute he sounds like a cookie chomping sellout when he teams up with negro conservafool Niger Innis to attack North Carolina NAACP President the Rev. Dr.. William Barber for correctly calling Sen. Tim Scott (Teabagger-SC) a 'ventriloquist' dummy for the Tea Party or hypocritically siding with the New York City po-po's and former mayor Michael Bloomberg  over the jacked up stop and frisk policy. 

And don't even get me started discussing his interviewing trans fails.

But there.are times he gets it right and I have to give him his props for it like when he schooled CNN conservafool Ben Ferguson on his privilege in the wake of the Zimmerman verdict     

Here's another one of those moments.   Lemon and Keli Goff call out conservafool Emily Miller for parting her lips to say that 'white guilt' got President Obama elected.   Naw Emily,  it was 69,486,516 votes from a multicultural and multigenerational coalition and a 365-173 electoral buttkicking of McCain that got him elected.   And just for grins, while facing Massive Resistance 2.0 from the GOP,   President Obama garnered 65 million votes while winning another decisive 332-206 electoral vote win over Mittbot.  

Deal with that reality Emily Miller.   Oh yeah, forgot you conservatives can't hanlde reality well

Enjoy this Don Lemon Blackness sighting.   I have a feeling it won't be long before I'm blasting his azz again.

Shut Up Fool Awards- Last Weekend In Sochi Edition

This is the last weekend of the what has been controversial except for the sports Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.   

To be honest, I haven't been as psyched up or enthused about these Games as I have been for other previous winter Olympics because of all the problematic politics leading up to them.  

The Olympic flame will go out this weekend, and the hosting torch will be passed to Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018.  

But since this is Friday, y'all know what happens today.   It's when I announce who won the Shut Up Fool Award for this week.   I had a lot of fools to weed through, and me staying up late Thursday night didn't help.

So let's get right to who stands atop the Shut Up Fool Olympic medal podium and were this week's gold, silver and bronze medal winning performers who engaged in mind bending hypocrisy, off the charts bigotry, and displayed Olympian levels of ignorance.

The Bronze Shut up Fool medal goes to the International Olympic Committee.   These milquetoasts haven't woken up to the fact that they have immense power to shape world opinion and move governments and society into a more positive direction by using the stick of awarding of the Olympics and their multibillion economic boost as the catalyst for change.   They continued their soft on Putin position by defending the arrest of former trans Italian MP Vladimir Luxuria for protesting their anti-gay laws.  

And next July, the 2022 Winter Games host will be announced  Where are you going to put those games?  Pyongyang?  

The Silver Shut Up Fool medal is a joint one for John Kavanaugh and his fellow haters in the Arizona Legislature who passed SB 1062, a right to discriminate bill ostensibly aimed at gay peeps in the Grand Canyon State but in which Kavanaugh will defending it on national TV let it slip it could be aimed at other ethnic minorities you white conservahaters don't like and hold up your 'religious beliefs' as a shield for your bigotry.   

Gov Jan Brewer (R) hasn't autographed it yet, but it remains to be seen if she';s going to to do the right thing or the right wing thing.  

Because if she signs it, this could have unintended consequences for the haters like so called 'Christians' being banned from places and as one Tucson pizzeria just did, posted a sign in protest of the law reserving the right to refuse service to Arizona legislators. 

Arizona once again could be facing the backlash of an economic boycott as organizations pull their convention business out of the state, corporations refuse to relocate there and the NFL and NCAA  refusing to host Super Bowls or Final Fours in the state.

The Gold Shut up Fool Medal winner is Texas AG (R) Greg Abbott, who decided to burnish his conservfool credentials with GOP primary voters in next months primary that early voting ha started for by touring the state on a campaign swing with racist and misogynist azzhole (and 2013 Shut Up Fool of the Year contender) Ted Nugent 

Ted stirred up much of the controversy when he said of his own conservafool political advocacy, "I have obviously failed to galvanize and prod, if not shame, enough Americans to be ever-vigilant not to let a Chicago communist raised, communist educated, communist nurtured, sub-human mongrel, like the Acorn community organizer gangster Barack Hussein Obama, to weasel his way into the top office of authority in the United States of America."

As Ted toured Texas with Abbot, who also has a lot of baggage of his own with non-white Texans, he kept pouring gasoline on the controversy he was stirring up while Greg Abbott tried to defend his decision to do the tour with Nugent as 'forcing Wendy Davis into a box on 2nd Amendment issues."

Keep running the Clayton Williams 2.0 campaign Greg.   The more stuff like this you pull, the more it makes likely the election and the inauguration of Gov. Wendy Davis

And oh yeah,  Greg Abbott and Ted Nugent,  Shut up fools!
    

Letter To A Young Black Canadian Trans Ally

Dear Destruction,
When your mother called me to rub it in about your nation's women winning hockey gold in Sochi over mine, she also took the time after getting her shots in as your proud mother to update me about what was going on in yours and your brother's lives.

She mentioned that you called out a classmate for being transphobic, and when the teacher tried to use the threat of calling your mother to bully you into silence and make you feel bad for calling out your classmates transphobic toro poo poo, you simply gave him the phone number to your house and said, "Call her."

So proud of you Little Nephew!

As Malcolm X once said, "I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being, first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.”


You have so far shown in your young evolving life that you deeply care about all human beings be they cis, trans, gay or physically challenged.  You are a proud outspoken young Black teen (and fellow Taurus) in a town that is a challenge at times for you and your family to navigate. You are also passionate in your evolving core beliefs, act on them, abhor bullies and ignorance in all their forms.and are not 'scurred' to call individuals, people, and entire systems out. 

Damn, you remind me of myself back in the day.   

I know Renee is making sure you and Mayhem as young Afro-Canadians, are being rooted in your Black history from across the Diaspora, being taught how to critically think and will continue to do so..

While your passion about standing up against injustice when you see it and telling it like it T-I-S is is admirable, bear in mind there are a lot of people who don't want to hear that truth in their zeal to stay blissfully ignorant about the injustice around them. 

There's also what poet Gwendolyn Brooks said and is one of your Aunt Moni's fave quotes.  "Truth tellers are not always palatable.  There's a preference for candy bars."  

I'll substitute there's a preference for white chocolate candy bars to reflect the element of whiteness, white privilege and white supremacy that never likes hearing the truth about the way things are, but I'm digressing here. 

The reason what you did is rating your honorary aunt in Baja Alberta taking the time out of her day to write you about it is multilayered.  I and several other people on this side of the 49th Parallel have faced increasing attacks because we dare to like you, be and are unapologetically Black,  we are truth tellers about what's going on, and we are leading our community.  We are getting media attention while we do so, and it pisses off the people who want to see the same status quo of an invisible POC trans community continue.

The movement of C-279, the Trans Rights Bill now at second reading in the Canadian Senate is already galvanizing the Forces of Intolerance, Canadian Division who have no legitimate facts based excuse to oppose this human rights law to go to 'fear and smear' tactics.   

So it not only does my heart good to see younglings like you who not only get it, but ain't 'scurred' to call the crap out.   My Canadian trans cousins are going to need allies like you standing up and saying no to the transphobia in the cis circles we don't have access to as the opponents to C-279 ramp up their transphobic hatred and unleash their false stories and attacks in the attempt to kill this needed human rights advance in your home and native land. 

And frankly, I'm proud of you.   You are showing through your small example what being an ally means.   It's standing with us even when people are misguidedly trying to make you uncomfortable for doing so.  

Destruction, thanks for being willing to stand up not only for transpeople and calling out the wrong when you see it, but doing so for everyone who is oppressed. 

The Struggle Continues,
Aunt Monica

4th Annual TransGriot Black Trans History Quiz-The Answers

Did y'all have fun getting your learn on and actually trying to work on the 4th Annual TransGriot Black Trans History Quiz?  Or did you just decide to wait until I posted the answers? 

If you did, shame on you.   It was an open Internet test.

So let's get to the answers for this year's edition of the Black Trans History Quiz.

And pay attention, because you will get another one during Black History Month next year.

***

1. True or False   When last year's Trans 100 List was unveiled, there were 11 African American trans women and four African American trans men honored on it.   
TRUE

2.  Which one of these is NOT a BTAC Conference award? 

A. Monica Roberts Advocacy Award
B  Kortney Ryan Ziegler Awareness Award
C  Carter Brown Transman Of The Year 
D  Kylar Broadus Equality Award  
E.  Louis Mitchell Empowerment Award 

C.  The Carter Brown Transman of the Year Award is not a BTAC Conference award (yet)

3.  What Black transman and Black transwoman were named to the Out 100 List for 2013?
Kylar Broadus and Laverne Cox

4   This transwoman from Toledo became the first ever trans athlete in her sport.  Who is she and name the sport.  
Fallon Fox     Women's MMA

5  Blake Brockington became the first ever Black trans masculine to accomplish this feat.   What was his history making accomplishment?
Became the first Black transmasculine homecoming king in the US and the first ever in North Carolina

6. This transman born in Houston was a popular gospel singer from the 40s-70's.  What was his name? 
Wilmer 'Little Axe' Broadnax

7. Laverne Cox says she prefers to think of herself as this term.  What is it? 
A possibility model

8. True or False  Dee Dee Chamblee was named a Champion of Change in 2011 by President Obama.
TRUE

9   Name the transperson who was the first ever to receive a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Blog.
Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler in 2012 for blac(k)ademic
 
10   True or False.  Video blogger Diamond Stylz was the plaintiff in a court case to allow her to wear her dress to her high school's prom.
TRUE   Diamond sued her Indianapolis HS for the right to do so

11. Who said this quote? "More than I’m a trans man, I’m a Black man. Many of the things that I see in the world and many of the things that I respond to in the world have more to do with how I am treated as a Black man rather than how I am treated as a trans man."
Louis Mitchell

12   Audrey Mbugua filed a lawsuit to get the National Examinations Council in this nation to change the records to reflect who she is now.   What is that nation?
Kenya

13.  Who said this quote?  “Our lives, the path we feel we have to take is a challenge. We are voluntarily accepting the role of Public Enemy No. 1: The black man is the most feared man in America."
Carter Brown

14.  Houston's Dee Dee Watters last year became the first trans person ever to organize an African American themed version of this trans community event.  What was it? 

A.  A trans feminine summit
B.  A TDOR memorial
C.  A statewide trans conference
D.  A Transgender Day of Visibility
B.  A TDOR memorial

15.  The inaugural Trans* H4CK organized by Dr. Kortney R. Ziegler took place in this city.

A  San Francisco
B  San Jose
C  Berkeley
D. Oakland
D. Oakland
 
16  Angolan musical star Titica was named a Goodwill Ambassador by this agency last year.  Name the agency.
UNAIDS
 
17  Who said this quote?  "I'm a woman in mind, heart and spirit. That's all that matters. They can cut things off, paste things on, or reconfigure my body parts. If you're a woman, you're a woman. Period"
Trans author Roberta Angela Dee

18. True or False.  A Black trans feminine student has never been named as her schools homecoming or prom queen.
TRUE.  Trans Latinas and trans white women have but as of yet no trans feminine African American. 

19   How many ESSENCE magazine covers did trans model Tracy Africa Norman shoot? 
Five ESSENCE covers...Sixth was ruined when she was outed.

20.  Jordana LeSesne, Honey Dijon Redmond and Zoe Renee Lapin all have this in common.  What is that common denominator? 
They are currently or have DJed.

21   Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P Johnson co-founded this organization in 1970.  Name it.
S.T.A.R. Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries

22.  This trans musician played tours with Whitney Houston, the Isley Brothers and several other major artists.  Name her.
Koko Jones 

23   Who said this quote? "“They wanted to force me to be someone that I wasn’t. They wanted me to delegitimize myself as a trans woman — and I was not taking that. As a trans woman — as a proud black trans woman — I was not going to allow the system to delegitimize and hyper-sexualize and take my identity away from me.”
CeCe McDonald 
 
24.  The murder of this Boston area African-American transwoman in 1998 was the impetus to start the Transgender Day of Remembrance that occurs every November 20.  Name the transwoman.
Rita Hester

25.  Trans pioneer Gloria Allen in 2012 was teaching charm school classes for trans youth at the Center on Halsted in what city?
Chicago