Happy Second Anniversary Casa Ruby!

Y'all know I have much love for my DC hermana Ruby Corado, the founding executive director of the Casa Ruby LGBT Community Center in the District. 

Casa Ruby is celebrating its second anniversary later tonight with an awards reception, and I couldn't be happier for her and the bilingual organization and community center that serves 160 clients each week from its Georgia Avenue location with a variety of services.

During my last Washington DC visit I got to spend some quality time there hanging out for a few hours at their Friday group meeting
.  
“Our anniversary reception is a way to acknowledge and celebrate those individuals and organizations who have helped us service the neediest members of our community,” Corado said in a statement. “By working together, we can pull resources together and continue to provide essential services.”

The reception will take place at the PEPCO Edison Place Gallery at 702 8th St NW starting at 6:30 PM.  Six people and organizations with be awarded for their contributions or volunteer service on behalf of the local DC community.

Ted Eytan will receive the Massey Ally Award; Georgetown Law will be presented with the Community Justice Project Civic Leadership Award; Consuela Lopez and Kaprice Williams will be honored with the Distinguished Service Award; and Lakeisha Washington and Gessel Rodriguez will receive the Ruby Corado Perseverance Award.   

Hope it's a megasuccessful event.  May Casa Ruby continue to thrive and provide those much needed services to all who enter its doors.  

Black America, Stop Hatin' On Black Transwomen

I've been discussing this subject in various posts ever since TransGriot first started in 2006.  Sadly I'm still talking about it eight years later and in last month's column at Black Girl Dangerous.   

Once again, I'm compelled to discuss Black America's culpability in the anti-trans hatred aimed at Black transwomen.  

One of the things I and the Black trans feminine  community are sick of is the rampant ignorance and transphobia in elements of the African-American community.   Far too often the people who have been dissing, oppressing or killing us have been other African-Americans.    

The security guard that jumped off the disrespect of Andraya Williams on the Central Piedmont Community College campus in Charlotte back in March was survey says, an African American cis woman.   The 12 murders of African American transpeople (Evon Young was a trans man) that occurred in 2013 were all perpetrated on us by other African-Americans.  Much of the anti-trans hatred and violence Black trans women have to deal with as demonstrated in this recent case in the ATL comes from our own people.

And yeah, need to point out some of that anti-trans oppression has been coming from elements of the Black SGL community.   Y'all seriously need to chill out with that crap. 

Note to you chocolate faith-based trans haters:  Your religious beliefs do not justify willful faith-based hatred and ignorance of the reality that Black trans people exist and have for decades.  

Black cis women, a special message for you.  

If you're jealously mad because some random transwoman is performing femininity better than you are, pulling more 'menz' at the club or in the hood, I suggest you step up your own femme presentation game and stop shadily setting up the transwoman in question for harassment or anti-trans violence.  

We transwomen are simply trying to live our lives to the best of our ability.  We have to deal with the same challenges you do in navigating a planet hostile to Blackness in a Black feminine body.  We have an additional challenge of navigating society and this planet as trans women of African heritage.  

We don't want drama with you, cis Black women.  We want to live our lives united in sisterhood as the Black women we've always wanted and are proud to be.  Instead of succumbing to the people trying to drive wedges between us to make us adversarial opponents, we would rather be fighting the common systemic problems that ail all Black women. 

If you cis sisters take the time and make the effort to get to know us trans women, you'll discover you'll be rewarded with a solid friendship in the process.  You'll also discover some of the issues we deal with are remarkably similar.   We may not have been born with female bodies at birth like you were, but we did have our versions of girlhood and tried to become the Phenomenal Black Transwomen we are as fast as we could.

Whatever issues you cispeeps have going on in your life doesn't justify you taking them out on Black transwomen with your tongues, fists or weapons.  We in Chocolate Trans World have enough drama to deal with just for being our trans selves, plus the onerous application of racist oppression we all get. We don't need an additional helping of hostility, disrespect and dehumanization from the people we share bloodlines, African heritage and history with.    

Bottom line is we realize that many of you aren't cognizant of the fact you know a transperson or have one in your family.  But the odds are you have bumped into one of us somewhere during your daily routine.  You have pooped or pissed next to one of us in a public bathroom.  You have passed us at the mall makeup counter. You've checked us out in the club. You have walked past us as we are busy studying in the library for our midterms.

As for those of us who are publicly out, we range from models to New York Times bestselling authors, MMA fighters, a GLAAD media award nominated blogger, academics, and an actress on a historic cover of TIME magazine.     

At least 1-3% of the African-American population is transgender.  We've been part of this community for over a century and aren't going away any time soon.  Human rights for transpeople are also international human rights issues that benefit the ongoing human rights struggle of the African-American community we interact and intersect with. 

Neither are we transpeeps going back in the closet so you can avoid talking about us or our issues.   

And what are our issues?   In addition to the ones unique to our community, they are same ones the Black community deals with.   Crushing unemployment or underemployment.  Voter suppression.  Unacceptable levels of violence being aimed at us.  Stop and frisk police harassment.  Being targets for anti-female violence and sexual assault.  Body image issues.

Black trans issues are Black community issues.   It's past time Black politicians, our legacy organizations such as the NAACP, the Urban League and our clergy recognize that.   It's also past time for cis African-Americans to realize we trans peeps have much to contribute in order to make Black America, our country and the world better.  

We chocolate transpeeps realize that Trans 101 education needs to be done in our communities and at our HBCU's.  But that's not an excuse for you to not do any 'ejumacation' on your own.  There's this wonderful technological invention called Google  easily available on your computers that you can use to get better informed about our trans lives.
 
It's past time, Black America, that you started loving me and my transsisters instead of knee-jerk hating us.

Another Tuesday, Another HERO Fight

Today may be the first Tuesday in June, but what this day actually is turning out to be is the first battle of the fight to keep our just passed Houston Equal Rights Ordinance from being rolled back by the faith-based bigots.   

It's the first Tuesday City Council comment session since the ordinance passed and went into effect on May 28.

Many of us on Team HERO had planned to go to City Council, thank Mayor Parker and the 10 council members who voted in favor of expanding rights for all Houstonians. But it looks like our haters also targeted this June 3 council meeting to express their HERO hatred.   They were frustrated that Team HERO dominated the chambers and the speaker counts 447-98.  Pro-HERO ministers outnumbered the anti-HERO hater ministers by a 2-1 margin and most importantly, we dominated the media optics during the HERO passage fight.  

Note to the HERO haters.  The city is still standing.  The Houston skies did not see fire and brimstone descend upon it.  The mayor and the ten council members who voted for passage didn't turn into pillars of salt.   The sun has continued to rise in the east and set in the west.  No Houston baker has been forced to bake a swastika cake against their will   Transpeople are using the bathrooms according to their outward gender presentation without incident. 

None of your parade of horribles has happened short of y'all showing your nekulturny asses and issuing death threats to Mayor Parker. 

And you faith based bigots are STILL on the wrong side of history.  You lied, you lost 11-6 and you need to get over it.  Houston is a much better city because that ordinance is on the books.  Your reprehensible behavior is our best evidence why the HERO needed to pass..

Discrimination's time has expired in my hometown, and I'm going to fight with every fiber of my being alongside Team HERO to keep it that way.  

So once again, if you can show up and show out and join me, Amelia, Dee Dee and Team HERO in Houston City Council chambers, I ask that you get there no later than noon CDT for the public comment session that will start at 1:30 PM

Remember, decline to sign for the next 30 days ANY petition that is thrust upon you for your signature.   The anti-HERO peeps need to collect  25,000 signatures to force a referendum.   

And yes peeps, for those of you not inside Beltway 8 or who can't make it, you can watch the proceedings once again by clicking on this link.


TransGriot Update: Turn out the spike in speakers was over a proposed transportation ordinance debating eideshare companies Uber and Lyft's entry into the Houston market.  No haters at City Hall, but members were surprised that members of our community would come to thank them for passing an ordinance. 

 

Maryland Haters Fail In Trans Rights Law Repeal Effort

As I keep reminding folks here in the wake of the passage of our HERO, passing the human rights law is the easy part. 

Now we have to defend it.

The trans community in Maryland saw the fulfillment of a human rights dream of their own when Gov Martin O'Malley (D) signed the Fairness For All Marylanders Act into law on May 15. 

SB 212 passed by a lopsided 32-15 margin in the Maryland Senate and an 82-57 margin in the Maryland House back in March, and has the support of 71% of Marylanders.

But the predominately Republican opposition to the Fairness For All Marylanders Act predictably decided to attempt to get at the ballot box what it couldn't accomplish in the legislature. 

A hate coalition led by Maryland Del. Neil Parrott (R-Washington County) started an effort to collect the 55,737 signatures needed to force a repeal referendum vote on the midterm election ballot in November on the trans rights law.   The signatures needed to be collected by the initial May 31 deadline date to continue the process to June 30, but as of the initial deadline date the opponents had only collected 17,500 signatures.

Translation:  The GOP led repeal effort fails, and the law will take effect on October 1.   So Maryland trans community and our allies, you know who to punish at the polls on November 4. 

On that glorious October 1 date Maryland will become the 18th state plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico that bans discrimination against its trans citizens.

Good, because the expansion of human rights for a marginalized group is something that should never be subject to a majority vote.

Janet's Letter To Jane Doe

Still pissed off to hear through my contacts in Connecticut that 16 year old Latina trans teen Jane Doe is still unjustly locked up in an adult correctional facility.   

This is unacceptable, and a solution needs to be found NOW to end this unjust situation

On her blog Janet Mock has penned an open letter to Jane Doe that need to be read and signal boosted.
Here's a sample of it:

But my dearest Jane Doe this letter is about you, and as you sit in a lowly institution unsuited for a girl queen like you — all I want is highs for you.

In your letter, you said being brutally and wrongfully placed in that adult prison made you feel “thrown away.” You are not garbage. You cannot be discarded and disposed. You are life. Your existence gives me life. You are an unflickering fierce flame that reminds me every day that girls like you — the ones who have unjustly been forced to jump insurmountable hurdles — are the ones our leaders should be centering in our movements. You are worthy of all of our attention, care and resources.

You can read the entire letter by clicking this link

Finally Going To PTHC!

I was supposed to attend and take part in a panel discussion at the 2013 PTHC event.  Circumstances beyond my control kept it from happening and I was bitterly disappointed about that. 

But this is a new year and I can make this official announcement now the details have been finalized.  I'm jetting back up to Philly for the first time since my last trip up there for the 13th annual Philadelphia Trans Health Conference .

Moni will be in the PTHC house for the entire event when it starts June 12-14.  I'm excited because it is the largest trans themed conference in the United States and arguably the world with over 3000 attendees.  

Nope it won't be as a keynote speaker (this time).   The keynote speaker duties for the 2014 PTHC will be ably handled by Janet Mock on Thursday and Harper Jean Tobin on Friday.   If you have copies of Janet's New York Times bestselling book Redefining Realness, bring 'em so she can autograph them.   I'll just be looking for another hug from her.  

It's not on the schedule yet, but I'll be participating in a Trans Pioneers of Color panel at 4 PM EDT on Friday.   

So for the first time ever I'll be in the PTHC 2014 house in reporter and first timer attendee mode.  I'll be there not only for that panel, but roaming around the Pennsylvania Convention Center checking out other panels over those days that interest me.

I'll also chronicle what happens at PTHC 2014 for my TransGriot electronic pages.

There are a lot of people I'm so looking forward to seeing in the community again at PTHC 2014 and connecting with I'm up there.  Some of those peeps include many of my brothers in the BTMI-Philly chapter I didn't get to see at BTAC in Dallas.  I'm also looking forward to meeting people I've only connected with through Facebook or online, but have known for years like Koko Jones.  There are others I've admired for a long time but will be meeting for the first time like our activist trans teen Jazz.   

Yes, even award winning activist me has people that she admires, is inspired and motivated by and goes into fangirl mode when she's around them. 


I'm also pondering the irony that I finally get to go to this conference mere months after Jaci Adams' passing in February.  She was a longtime PTHC planning committee board member and will be missed by everyone whose lives she touched. 

To our trans younglings and others who happen to see legendary me wandering in the Pennsylvania Convention Center halls, don't be shy, just stop me and say hello.  Contrary to what my haters tell you, I don't bite and I accept hugs.  If I have time, I'll be more than willing to sit down, chat with you and take photos during my time at PTHC.

That's what these conferences are ultimately for.  We get the opportunity to meet and greet each other, network and build working relationships with each other.   It's also time to share experiences, tactics and life stories to lift up each other and advance the entire trans human rights movement.

And you can bet I'm looking forward to destroying some cheesesteaks, Tastykakes, water ice and Slurpees while I'm up there. 

For those of you who are going to PTHC 2014, see you in Philly.

Andraya Williams Update

'Appears as though the CPCC peeps seem to think that if they keep stonewalling instead of coming to grips with the fact they have seriously screwed up by disrespecting Andraya and resolving the matter, this will all go away.'
--TransGriot, April 7, 2014   'Tired of Black TBLG Women Getting Harassed For Going To The Bathroom.'

Since it's been a little quiet in Charlotte concerning this case, decided to check in with Andraya to see if she's received justice yet from Central Piedmont Community College for their transphobic sins or are they doing what I suspected was their game plan back in April. 

She confirmed to me they were still stonewalling the situation.  CPCC has not apologized, nor made changes to their nondiscrimination policies to make them more inclusive for trans and gender variant students either.. 

Okay, so that's the way they want to play this.    For starters, here's the petition calling for CPCC to do the right thing, apologize, and take the necessary step to respect trans and gender non conforming students on campus.  

They can do it the easy way or have the legal hammed dropped upon them

But will be keeping an eye on this situation in Charlotte.

SNaP Coalition Statement On ATL MARTA Trans Hate Attack

Solutions Not Punishment is a broad based coalition in the City of Atlanta with close to a hundred organizational and individual members.

The Coalition is anchored by the Racial Justice Action Center, La Gender and (Trans)forming and works to build the power of people targeted and profiled by the Atlanta Police Department – especially Trans* and gender non conforming people of color, current and former street level sex workers, and formerly incarcerated people.   SNaP Co works to transform the city into a vibrant, inclusive Atlanta that ensures the safety of, and holistically meets the needs of all the city’s stakeholders and residents.

They issued a statement concerning the recent arrests of Luther Thomas and Frederick Missick in the ugly May 20 MARTA anti-trans hate attacks on Janell Crosby and Tyra Woods.

Here's a taste of SNaP Coalition's statement: :

Trans people of color suffer as much harassment and abuse at the hands of the police and inside our jails as we do on the streets or on the train. It is too easy for the City of Atlanta and MARTA to say they have solved this issue by arresting and prosecuting the men who initiated this attack. But let’s be real - that actually will not make us safer. The City should model treating trans people with respect and dignity by first ending the abuse perpetrated by their own police department. The trans community needs jobs, housing, health care and to be treated with respect by the police department - the city can take leadership in these matters. - Solution NOT Punishment Coalition

The City of Atlanta should be deeply disturbed by the acts of harassment and violence endured by trans* women both at the hands of the Atlanta Police Department and by the general public on trains, buses, and on the streets. Our lives matter, trans* lives matter and we will no longer be silent or swept aside. Enough is Enough!
Solutions Not Punishment Coalition will be hosting a June 3 town call concerning his issue at the Phillip Rush Center,   It's scheduled to start at 5:30 PM EDT for those of you in the ATL area wishing to attend .

Click this link for the complete SNaP Co statement: http://bit.ly/SNaPCo2

I Repeat, If We Tell You It's A Slur Word, Don't Use It

'Let me drive this point home once again.  You don't get to make the call as to what words are or aren't offensive to my community.  WE make that call.  If you respect our community as you claim you do, then heed our repeated request to simply NOT use the offensive slur words.'  
--TransGriot   April 30, 2014  'If We Tell You It's A Slur Word, Don't Use It' The white gay males throwing temper tantrums like spoiled two years olds because a majority of the trans community has told them not to use the t-word, have deployed yet another useful trans fool in their losing effort to justify the use of two words we have told them and the world are offensive to our community.

And they need to give it up.   We already know that if this situation was reversed, you would go frothing at the mouth crazy if any trans person wrote posts trying to justify use of the f-word, or repeatedly tried to justify doing so by finding contrarian white gay males who validated the loud and wrong viewpoint.   Note to Justin Vivian Bond (not surprisingly white, like the other previously deployed useful fools like Our Lady J, Andrea James and Calpernia Addams) and all you other people sucking up to white gays trying to justify use of a slur word:.  If you're so 'worried about trans unity', stop sucking up to the cadre of white gay males and a cluelessly ignorant Black gay male who petulantly want to keep dehumanizing us by using terms a majority of us have said in a loud voice are hurtful slurs.

And let me repeat this one more time for the cognitively challenged:  A majority of the trans community has said the t-word and s-word are hurtful slurs.  If you respect our community, don't use them, period. 

Words matter. Hate thoughts are expressed in hate words and hate speech that turns into hate violence.

And guess what two words come out of our oppressors mouths before they put their hands on transwomen to violently beat or kill us?  What words come out of someone's mouth when they want to dehumanize transwomen or deny us employment?

When you try to justify use of those words, you are tacitly saying by doing so you don't care, and your privilege trumps our humanity.  If you're a transwoman who thinks the slur words usage is okay, you just gave permission for our oppressors to dehumanize you. 

This is bigger than the slur words. It's about the trans community owning its power, drawing a line in the sand and telling friend, foe, frenemy and the world what is and is NOT acceptable to us.  

If you allies truly respect the trans community, you would accept that reality and move on.   But there are elements of the white gay male community who wish to continue disrespecting and hating trans women to pump up their own self esteem and we ain't having that.   

No matter how many trans useful fools you egg on into embarrassing themselves and risking pariah status in our community by trying to buttress your hypocritical and losing position, bottom line is we're not budging one millimeter on the point the t-word is a slur and you need to stop using it.

You need to stop using it because our community respectfully asked you in the beginning not to do so. 

Now we're telling you.

Mia's Mad As Hell!

There are a lot of us extremely pissed off in Trans World about our sisters Janell Crosby and Tyra Woods being attacked by cismales on an Atlanta MARTA train and no one stepping up to help stop or defuse the situation.  

The fools in question have been arrested for it.  I and the trans community in the ATL and nationally are hopeful that justice will be served in this case.   We're hopeful the message will be sent as a result of this high profile case that putting your hands on a transwoman is unacceptable.

Y'all know I have mad love and respect for Mia Macy, who is a retired law enforcement officer.   She had plenty to say during her radio show about it, and if you click on this link you can hear her take on this developing situation in the ATL.

Perps Busted In ATL MARTA Trans Hate Attack

The two wastes of DNA who were caught on video attacking two African-American trans women on a MARTA train in Atlanta as people cheered and did nothing to halt it have been arrested.

34 year old Luther L. Thomas and 35 year old Frederick L. Missick have been arrested by MARTA police, charged with disorderly conduct (you're kidding, right?) and are chilling in the Fulton County Jail on $2,500 bonds apiece for attacking Janell Crosby and Tyra Woods.   

Both perps were Atlanta residents.  Thomas was arrested on Thursday while Missick was picked up by MARTA police yesterday.

The May 20 incident started when Crosby and Woods were walking to the Five Points MARTA station in downtown Atlanta to catch a southbound train to Oakland City Station.  They were confronted by a group of men, harassed, and had photos taken of them while enduring homophobic and transphobic slurs..   

Thomas and Missick persisted in continuing the abuse during the train ride as Crosby repeatedly told them to stop.   Thomas then physically attacked Crosby as Missick attacked Woods, who was trying to help her friend and stripped her of her clothing.

Thomas and Missick have also been suspended from riding MARTA.   

The ugly incident has incensed the ATL trans community and our local allies, and Mayor Kasim Reed through spokesperson Melissa Mullinax had this to say about it on Thursday.

"The mayor condemns hate crimes of any kind and is committed to the equal rights and equal treatment of Atlanta’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents, workers and visitors. The City’s non-discrimination laws were recently amended with the Mayor’s full support to include gender identity as a protected class," said Mullinax.

"The incident on the MARTA train is disturbing. We understand that MARTA is conducting a thorough investigation and we look forward to the authorities bringing those accountable to justice," she adds.

Two town halls are planned in the Atlanta area to discuss the incident.  One town hall is being facilitated by the group Solutions Not Punishment Coalition on June 3 at the Phillip Rush Center that will start at 5:30 PM EDT.   The second will be facilitated by Restoration Inclusive Ministries at its Decatur, GA church on June 4 and start at 7:30 PM

In the meantime, as justice is being sought in this case, Crosby decided to move back to New York as a result of this incident and Woods is staying with relatives in Cleveland, OH.

As to what outcome Crosby wants to see from this case, she replied, “I really want an apology from them and I really want the law put on them.”      

And your transsisters around the ATL, the nation and the world want the same just outcome.

Kortney's Going To The White House!

I have yet to have this happen for me, but so happy to hear that it has for someone I know.   Dr. Kortney Ziegler is headed to DC for the LGBT Pride Reception at the White House in June 30.

Congratulations Kortney!  Well deserved honor after all your efforts to see Trans*H4CK grow and become a national and one day international event and movement. 

And yes bro, deeply appreciate you being a strong, unapologetic voice for the Black trans community.

We can always use more people willing to stand on truth, tell it like it T-I-S is and ensure our voices are heard.  

2014 WH Proclamation For LGBT Pride Month

May 30, 2014
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2014

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION

As progress spreads from State to State, as justice is delivered in the courtroom, and as more of our fellow Americans are treated with dignity and respect -- our Nation becomes not only more accepting, but more equal as well. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, we celebrate victories that have affirmed freedom and fairness, and we recommit ourselves to completing the work that remains.

Last year, supporters of equality celebrated the Supreme Court's decision to strike down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, a ruling which, at long last, gave loving, committed families the respect and legal protections they deserve. In keeping with this decision, my Administration is extending family and spousal benefits -- from immigration benefits to military family benefits -- to legally married same-sex couples.

My Administration proudly stands alongside all those who fight for LGBT rights. Here at home, we have strengthened laws against violence toward LGBT Americans, taken action to prevent bullying and harassment, and prohibited discrimination in housing and hospitals. Despite this progress, LGBT workers in too many States can be fired just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity; I continue to call on the Congress to correct this injustice by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. And in the years ahead, we will remain dedicated to addressing health disparities within the LGBT community by implementing the Affordable Care Act and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy -- which focuses on improving care while decreasing HIV transmission rates among communities most at risk.

Our commitment to advancing equality for the LGBT community extends far beyond our borders. In many places around the globe, LGBT people face persecution, arrest, or even state-sponsored execution. This is unacceptable. The United States calls on every nation to join us in defending the universal human rights of our LGBT brothers and sisters.

This month, as we mark 45 years since the patrons of the Stonewall Inn defied an unjust policy and awakened a nascent movement, let us honor every brave leader who stood up, sat in, and came out, as well as the allies who supported them along the way. Following their example, let each of us speak for tolerance, justice, and dignity -- because if hearts and minds continue to change over time, laws will too.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2014 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.  I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

BARACK OBAMA

Told Y'all Our HERO Opponents Are Haters

When I conducted an interview in the wake of the HERO vote delay back on May 14, I called the opponents 'haters'.  

I obviously struck a nerve with the faith-based Forces of Intolerance.   In a Thursday interview on KTRK-TV, one of their pastors defensively said 'we're not haters' before launching into the usual lies about the HERO. .    

Well, y'all keep proving what I have to say about you Houston Forces of Intolerance, because KPRC-TV2 is reporting that Mayor Parker has been receiving alleged death threats since the ordinance passed Wednesday night  serious enough to warrant police security posted outside her home.

As the late Maya Angelou once said,  'When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.' 

With every passing day, you faith-based haters in the anti-HERO camp show us who you are.  And it ain't pretty 

It isn't Christian love either.

Shut Up Fool Awards-Houston, We Have Human Rights Liftoff Edition

As the whole world knows by now, my hometown finally passed the Houston Equal Rights ordinance on an 11-6 vote on Wednesday and is now in effect.. 

Thanks to everyone who busted their behinds (and still are) on Team HERO to make this historic day happen.

It's now up to the faith based haters to decide whether they will try to collect the signatures to try to repeal it, but in the interim Team HERO will be working to shore up support, strengthen our coalition and do the Trans 101 education to eradicate the anti-trans lies they put out there.

And since it's Friday, y'all know what that means.  It's time to revel what fool, fools or group of fools deserve to get called out and recognized for their hypocrisy, their jaw dropping ignorance and general WTF actions in this week's edition of the TransGriot Shut Up Fool Awards. 

Honorable Mention number one is a joint award for Houston councilmembers Dwight Boykins and Jack Christie.  Both indicated when they were seeking the LGBT Caucus endorsement and our votes they would support a HERO like ordinance.  But when push came to shove May 28, both voted NO.

Good luck trying to get Caucus endorsement when you both run next year

Honorable Mention number two goes to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) , who is in the Senate race of his political life with his high stakes battle with Democratic nominee Alison Lundergan Grimes.  He got caught lying about the popular KYNECT health care program that has enrolled over 400K people and saying that killing the ACA wouldn't affect it.   Gov. Steve Beshear (D) called his azz on it. 
 
Honorable Mention number three is Earl Cheney, the owner of Big Earl's BBQ and Bait House in Pittsburg, TX that served up homophobia on the menu to a gay couple.  .

With a last name like Cheney, which should I not be surprised? 

Honorable Mention number four goes to RuPaul's Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio for letting his transphobia fly and attacking Carmen Carrera for justifiably putting RuPaul on blast for his continued attempts to try to justify using a slur words.

This is another example of gay men letting their vicious transphobia fly when all we're asking for is the same humanity and respect they demand for themselves .

This week's Shut Up Fool Winner is Ken Blackwell.   I have long despised this cookie chomping kneegrow for his actions to depress Black turnout in Ohio during the 2004 presidential election, and now he adds to his disgusting legacy by trying to blame gays for the UCSB mass shootings.

Naw Ken, let's be real for a minute.  The fault lies with your fetishistic gun worshiping buds in the NRA.   They refuse to allow any reasonable gun control legislation that keeps guns out of the hands of disturbed individuals, despite the rising frequency and body counts of mass shootings.

Take it away Mr. T.  I'm too tired and disgusted to type it in this case. 
  

H-town, It's Decline To Sign Time!

The HERO has been passed and autographed by Mayor Parker, and predictably the faith-based haters are starting to fan out and make a cosmetic attempt to gather signatures in different parts of the city so they aren't all coming from the  Second Baptist and Grace KKKommunity Church hate megachurches.

Received some anecdotal reports this morning about people being spotted yesterday in the 'hood trying to collect signatures to force a repeal vote on the HERO. 

Fortunately in both reported cases to me, we had HERO supporters that explained to people in the vicinity of the attempted signature gathering that the HERO passage on May 28 benefited them.  They were advised that if they signed those petitions, they were in effect signing to take away human rights from themselves

Needless to say the petition gatherers in those cases went away empty handed. 

The faith-based haters have 30 days to try to collect over 25,000 signatures in order to force the repeal vote.   So if someone approaches you over the next 30 days trying to get you to sign a petition, politely decline to do so.

The petition gatherers knoweth not the HERO benefits them, and have been hoodwinked and bamboozled into doing Dave Welch and Dave Wilson's dirty work.   

So assume that any petition being presented to you over the next 30 days that you are being asked to sign is a bait and switch one related to repealing the HERO and refuse to do so.    Every day they don't hit their signature targets is one day closer they come to failing to get enough qualified signatures to place a repeal effort on the November ballot.  

If they get their signatures, they get them.  But let's make them work as hard as possible in this humid Houston air to do so.    

2014 Williams Watch-Sidelined In Second Round

As many of you TransGriot readers are aware of, I've been a little busy with Houston human rights business, but not so much as to not have an eye turned toward Paris, the French Open and see how my fave tennis playing siblings are doing. 

In our last Williams siblings update, both sisters easily dispatched their first round opponents.

If they handled their second round tennis playing business and got past their respective second round opponents Garbine Muguruza of Spain and Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia, a tantalizing and eagerly anticipated third round battle against each other would be their reward.   

A third round French Open Sister-Sister matchup that's shockingly not gonna happen.

Clay has always been like Kryptonite to both Williams sisters, and out of all the majors, the red clay courts at Stade Roland Garros have not been kind to them.    And with top seeds falling in this edition of the French Open, the upset bug claimed two more seeds. 

Number one seed and defending French Open champ Serena was not on her A game and upset in straight sets by Muguruza 2-6, 2-6 in a error plagued 64 minutes on Court Suzanne Lenglen .  

It was earlier in the day on Court Philippe Chatrier, but Venus was also sent packing by Schmiedlova 6-2, 3-6, 4-6. 

Big Sis won the first set and was up an early break in the second set before Schmiedlova responded by winning eight of the next nine games and taking control of the match.

And yeah, cue the gleeful racist vitriol in the Internet comment threads aimed at Serena once it ended.   All I have to say to you bigoted haters is 'Williams'-don is coming June 23-July 6.
 

Thank Y'all For The HERO Love

It's been a little more than 24 hours since the historic vote happened on the HERO, and I do thank everyone from around the world for the congratulations, well wishes and love you have sent my way concerning this historic human rights win for my hometown.

Y'all know as a proud Houstonian I have been gleefully celebrating the fact that my hometown is now listed in the over 180 jurisdictions, 17 states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia which protect the human rights of all their citizens

While I appreciate the love, the media shout outs, and the thanks from all of you inside and outside Beltway 8 for standing up for all Houstonians human rights against the faith based haters, the fact remains I was just one of many Houstonians working together as part of a multicultural Team HERO to get it passed.  

This HERO passage was a personal dream of mine I have pondered ever since I took that first plane ride to Washington DC nearly 16 years ago to participate in my first GenderPac Lobby Day.   My activism is also based on the deceptively simple principle of leaving all the communities I intersect and interact with better than when I initially encountered them. 

Fighting for passage of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance was also the right and morally correct thing to do.  Once that long awaited opportunity presented itself, I was going all out to make it a reality, even if that meant starting to appear in front of City Council to urge passage of a comprehensive human rights ordinance back in January before it was even introduced.  


Discrimination's time in H-town has expired and I want to keep it that way.   As of May 28, 2014 we have a non-discrimination ordinance that protects the human rights of all Houstonians, and I'm exceedingly proud to say I played a role in making it happen.  

How much I'll leave to future historians to judge, but I will be able to proudly tell my nieces and my H-town trans brothers and transsisters I put my butt on the line and fought hard for them to have their human rights covered in their hometown. 

So thank y'all for the HERO love. 

The struggle for Houston human rights continues.

HERO Updates, Notes and News-May 29

H-town discrimination, I'm sorry, but your time has expired.

The marathon May 28 combined 11 hour council session ended with the 11-6 vote passing the HERO and unbridled celebration of it going well into the night.

It was a great and historic day for LGBT Houston and everyone else inside Beltway 8 who value the human rights of all who call this 628 square miles of Texas territory home.

While much of Team HERO was celebrating at the Guava Lamp and other places last night while Mayor Parker was signing it into law, I took my behind home.  I called Mom, chatted with her about the events of the day, watched the local news reports, and finished the initial post concerning my first impressions of an emotional day I've been waiting to arrive for nearly 16 years of activism and 30 years of my life.

And what do you do when a long time activism goal of yours finally becomes a reality?  I cried for a minute, processed the thought that Houston is now on the list of cities that protect the human rights of everyone, profusely thanked all the councilmembers who voted for it, talked to some that didn't, and then proceeded to hug everyone in sight. 

Now let's move on to post-HERO vote business.   This is how the historic 11-6 council vote broke down last night.  :

Mayor Annise Parker- YES

A. Stardig             NO
B  Davis                YES
C  Cohen               YES
D  Boykins            NO
E   Martin             NO
F   Nguyen             YES
G   Pennington      NO
H.  Gonzales          YES
I     Gallegos          YES
J.    Laster             YES
K.   Green             YES

1.  Costello             YES
2.  Robinson            YES
3.  Kubosh               NO
4.  Bradford             YES
5.  Christie               NO

Surprise and angering NO votes to LGBT Houston were CM Christie and CM Boykins.  Both did indicate to the LGBT caucus in the 2013 cycle when they were seeking the community's endorsement they would vote YES should this ordinance pop up. 

CM Christie shouldn't have really been a surprise to throw us under the human rights bus.  He knocked more community friendly former CM Jolanda Jones out of her at large council seat in 2011 and has raised some red flags by being anti-vaccine.

CM Dwight Boykins' NO vote really disappointed and pissed me and a lot of Black LGBT Houston off, his publicly expressed exasperation with the process and Mayor Parker notwithstanding.    

As one of the council newbies (and my councilmember) the sellout Houston pastors in the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston and Vicinity focused much of their browbeating on him and it worked.  

Like you personally Dwight, but dude, you're going down in the Houston history books as having voted against a human rights ordinance that BENEFITS our entire Houston community.    

And your statement that District D is conservative?  You're kidding, right?   Um, no.  You have two universities in TSU and UH in your district, the peeps who can't afford to live in the Montrose gayborhood and folks who aren't followers of the sellout Baptist minster kneegrows that were browbeating you  

We are liberal-progressive in District D and proud of it.  And as you probably noted a Republican doesn't stand a chance of getting elected in District D unless he lies about it or keeps it on the down low. 

As for CM Kubosh, when he made his comment at the Grace KKKommunity Church Hate Rally, he became a target the day he made that problematic 'God put me on council to oppose the HERO' comment.

And yes Councilmember Kubosh, you don't think we didn't have some of our peeps and allies in the crowd at the Hate on the HERO event reporting back to us? 

As to what the Daves and the faith-based haters will do.  As I said in a previous post, if they want to commit political suicide and boost Democratic turnout in Harris County by attempting to roll the HERO back via a referendum, make mine, Battleground Texas and the Harris County Democratic Party's political day.

As to what I wrote back on May 23:.

Houston and Harris County provide 16% of the statewide votes in an election cycle.  Are the conservafools that pissed off about the HERO passing they would go there and give our liberal progressive voters another valid reason to bumrush the polls this November, especially in an election cycle in which Wendy Davis and Leticia Van de Putte sit at the top of our statewide Democratic ticket?  

And with that juiced up Harris County turnout showing up and showing out, we'd urge those same progressive voters to handle their electoral business and cast ballots for every Democrat in down ballot race like the judicial ones.  

So please, be that politically stupid and go there.   Make my political day. 

While the HERO is law and there will be many happy celebrations of that fact at Houston Pride next month, we still have much human rights work to do in H-town. 

Passing HERO was the easy part.  We still have work to do to defend it while simultaneously implementing it   There was far too much toxic anti-trans disinformation put out there Houston trans people and our allies will have to clean up. 

The offer I made to do the Trans 101 education still stands.

LGBT Houston, we have to do a much better job of showing up and showing out for human rights fights that aren't predominately our own battles from this May 28 day forward because the H-town human rights struggle still continues.

But last night's successful HERO vote ensured that we woke up this morning to a changed Houston human rights landscape.  And I damned sure am going to do my part to fight to keep it that way. 

Well Duh, Trans Rights Are International Human Rights

Loving this TIME cover photo of birthday girl Laverne Cox gracing articles discussing whether this is a tipping point moment for trans rights.

Well, duh.  Trans rights are nternational human rights.    

Look no farther for evidence of that salient point in last night's culmination of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance battle.   In 1984 the Houston trans community was disrespectfully told to sit down and shut up by then GL leaders as a gay only ordinance was passed by Houston City Council in June 1984 and subsequently recalled in an ugly and disastrous election in 1985.

Thirty years later it was a multicultural team of Houston trans leaders fearlessly spearheading the passage of a comprehensive HERO.

Trans rights are international human rights, and it is a fact Geena Rocero and Gender Proud puts an exclamation point on as she works along with local transpinay organizations along with friendly legislators to get things done and do the education in her native Philippines.

We have 17 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico that also protect the human rights of trans people.  Argentina has groundbreaking trans human rights policies that next door neighbor Chile is seeking to emulate.   And it seems like on an almost monthly basis we have cities as large as Houston and as small as Vicco, KY passing laws to protect their trans citizens.

So have we reached a tipping point yet for trans human rights?   Maybe.   We still have much work to do, but for the first time since I boarded a flight to Washington Dc nearly 16 years ago to lobby for trans inclusion in ENDA, I can see light at the end of the tunnel.