Moni's In The Facing Race 14 House!

After handling my emcee hosting duties and having a late night trying to decide what fool gets the blog's Shut Up Fool award, it's time to get into the Facing Race conference and see some of the seminars before I have to leave for a slightly warmer Houston.

Yep, when I arrived in Dallas yesterday at Love Field it was a sunny33 degrees.

The sun is taking a vacation today.  Figures it would do that the first time this event is hosted in Texas.

And yep, this is my first one, so I definitely want to see  and hear what peeps are talking about at a conference dedicated to one of my favorite subjects in terms of eradicating racism from this planet for future generations.

You also gotta love a conference that renamed the ballroom at the Hilton Anatole Hotel the 'Anti-Imperial Ballroom. 

And I'm still getting kudos from last night's emcee performance.   Believe it or not that was the first time I've ever been asked to do it for a major conference, even though I've been hosting or emceeing events since I was 10. 

You can follow the #FacingRace14  hashtag to check out what people are talking about, texting and tweeting to each other and the world.   There's also a YouTube channel that they will be livecasting various events on like last night's plenary.and today's 3:30 PM CST.keynote speech from Dr Bernice Johnson Reagon and her daughters Toshi and Tashawn

They are three generations of artists and activists who have an interesting intergenerational story to tell

Okay, enough writing.   Time for me to get my learn on before I have to go...

PRIDE Houston Moves Date Back To June 27

PRIDE Houston after a contentious public meeting at the Montrose Center last night corrected their mistake and moved the 2015 Pride Parade back to its traditional last weekend in June date.

Now was that so hard?   It wouldn't have been if you'd listened to the Black LGBT community and our allies when we first told you about the problematic date conflict to begin with. instead of blowing us off. 

You could have saved yourselves the negative publicity, another contentious public PRIDE meeting, and unnecessary drama.  

But thank you for FINALLY doing the right thing and moving the parade date back to the last weekend in June where it belongs.    They also announced the formation of a Cultural Committee.

Great first steps to undo the unnecessary drama started by the initial decision, but satisfying to many people including those of us who warned about the Juneteenth scheduling conflict in the first place..

We'll be watching to make sure PRIDE Houston follows through on what you told that packed meeting room you'd do.

Deeds will be far more important than words from now on.

PRIDE Houston Juneteenth Parade Conflict Update 3

Even though I'm in Dallas for the Facing Race Conference, the fight continues on my end of I-45 to get the PRIDE Houston board to see the error of their ways and change the date of the parade back to June 27.

Looks like since the heat has been turned up on them by other peeps with clout.  Seems they are less obstinate and dismissive about things than they previously were and are now willing to discuss the issue.  

Well, that what we presumed we were doing back on October 22.   But actions speak louder than your weasel words.

In our latest update on this hot mess, the original post I wrote sounding the alarm about the jacked up decision not only has gone viral, it's now picking up national LGBT blog attention.

It also got the attention of KCOH-AM, one of the local African-American radio stations this morning and their talk show hosts. As we feared, the verdict from my community about this parade conflict has been 'this was deliberate' along with other conspiracy theories.

Sunday sermons from the hate ministers claiming 'the gays are trying to hijack Juneteenth' in 5...4..3..2...1.

A Change.org petition has been created asking PRIDE Houston to once again, do the right thing and move the parade from June 20 to the tradition last Saturday in June date closest to the Stonewall rebellion date of June 28, 1969.   Here's the link to it if you wish to add your John and Jane Hancocks to it.

The PRIDE community meeting is also taking place tonight at the Montrose Center starting at 7 PM.   So come on down to 401 Branard St and let your voices be heard on this issue.

Will keep y;'all posted.

TransGriot 2014 NFL Picks Week 11

I rebounded rather nicely in Week 10 with my NFL picks after that disastrous sub-.500 week we'll see if it costs me my chance at  the 2014 NFL Prognostication Title. 

I went a stellar 10-3 to tie for weekly honors.  Unfortunately so did Mike, so I failed to make a dent in his now six game lead on me.   But I did pick up a game on Eli, who went 9-4.


Mike wants a solo title after being denied by me and Eli for the last two years despite going on monster down the stretch finishing kicks.   Mike is going to have to choke down the stretch for me and Eli to have a chance to catch him/

Speaking of rebounds, that's what my fave NFL team is seeking to do after finally benching Ryan Fitzpatrick and giving the starting job to Ryan Mallett after falling to 4-5 after starting the season 3-1..


I and many other peeps in H-town think Case Keenum should still be here, or the Texans should have drafted Teddy Bridgewater,  but that's another point of contention for all of us armchair general managers to debate later.

Is Mallett the answer at QB for the Texans despite only throwing four regular season passes as he backed up Tom Brady in New England, or are the Texans right back where they started at quarterback when they said goodbye to Matt Schaub?

Starting this Sunday, we Texans fans will find out the answer to that question. 

But time to handle my NFL prognostication business for Week 11.  We have 14 games to pick with the Ravens, Cowboys, Jaguars and NY Jets on their bye week after consecutive weeks with only 13 games on the schedule.

Week 10 Results

TransGriot  10-3
Eli                 9-4
Mike           10-3

2014 NFL Season Record

TransGriot     93-53-1
Eli                  94-52-1
Mike              99-47-1



NFL Week 11

Thursday Night Game
Miami over Buffalo

Sunday Early Games
Chicago over Minnesota
Cleveland over Houston
Carolina over Atlanta
New Orleans over Cincinnati
Washington over Tampa Bay
Denver over St Louis
San Francisco over NY Giants
Seattle over Kansas City

Sunday Afternoon Games
San Diego over Oakland
Arizona over Detroit
Green Bay over Philadelphia

Sunday Night Game
New England over Indianapolis

Monday Night Game
Pittsburgh over Tennessee

Leaving On A Jet Plane-To Dallas

With all the drama swirling around the logic defying PRIDE Houston board decision not to move their parade back to the traditional last week in June, it figures this would break just as I have to go to Dallas for the Facing Race conference that starts today and runs through the 15th.

It's the first time it is happening in Texas, and I'm happy to be representing my hometown as I wing my way up there for the short fight up and back to Love Field.  

It's also ironic this is the first time I will ever fly into Love Field, where my late grandfather Leo worked until he was transferred to Houston.   I've flown into DFW,  and driven by Love Field in my numerous visits to Dallas, but until today haven't flown into the airport.

I'm looking forward to seeing all the folks attending that conference, and you can follow the action at the hashtag #FacingRace14

TDOR 2014- Who We're Remembering

As noted from time to time as you've perused these electronic pages, I have also covered the deaths of our fallen sisters as they have happened.  

The date is rapidly approaching in which we pause to remember all the trans women around the world we have lost to anti-trans violence from November 21, 2013 to November 20 of this year. 

Let us continue to work for and pray for a  time in which trans human rights will be an unchallenged reality and a time in which the Transgender Day of Remembrance events are no longer necessary.   But until that day comes, let us remember our sisters who were killed because someone hated them enough to do so. 

May the people who committed these heinous crimes be swiftly captured and brought to justice. May the grieving families and loved ones of the departed see justice happen sooner and not later.

And now, the 2014 TDOR memorial list.

PRIDE Houston Juneteenth Parade Conflict Update 2

This screenshotted comment from PRIDE Houston board member Jason Gallegos is a sterling example of the cluelessness, arrogance and vanillascented privileged hubris we are trying to reason with in terms of getting them to see the error of their ways and change the 2015 Houston Pride Parade date back to the traditional last weekend in June.

PRIDE Houston, just in case you didn't get the memo, African American LBGT people exist. ‪#‎WeExist‬

The question that is on many people's minds in LGBT Houston and beyond is that Stonewall is on June 28. Why move the pride parade date, which celebrates that event from the last weekend in June?

You claim you didn't want a conflict with the 4th of July weekend, but have no problem causing a conflict with another holiday in Juneteenth.   Unless your intent was to stick the middle finger to the Houston African-American community in retaliation for all the vitriol aimed at the Houston LGBT community from some misguided kneegrow pastors.

But it's a stunt that puts the African-American SGL, trans and bi community in the middle of drama we didn't ask for, but will unfortunately have to clean up.

I've been asked who were the community members that tried to get the PRIDE Houston board to see the big picture ramification of this move at that October 22 meeting.   The LGBT community members and allies in that meeting were Ashton Woods, Synthia Walton, Marshella Abrams, Michael Webb Jr, Christina Gorczynski, Melanie Espinosa Pang, Fran Watson, Kim Watson and Ryan Leach.

So much for Frankie Quijano's' lie he's been  pimping.that the people requesting the change were 'unaffiliated with any group'.

You assumed they were unaffiliated with any group, and you know what they say about when you assume.

I've also been asked about the letter that Quijano sent to the community reps trying to get PRIDE Houston to see they had a problem that needed decisive action to solve.  Here it is:

***

November 11, 2014

Re: Request to move the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration

To Whom It May Concern:
The Board of Directors for Pride Houston® have discussed in length the recent request to move the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration® from Saturday, June 20, 2015 to the following week on Saturday, June 27, 2015 by a group of local individuals that are unassociated with any one (1) local group.

With a 6-2 vote the Board of Directors have decided to continue with the current date of Saturday, June 20, 2015 for the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration.

There have been previous instances where the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration has fallen on the third weekend in June around the 20th of the month and similar requests were not made during those instances. Furthermore, a substantial amount has already been invested into the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration for its current date that would un-recoupable which can be crucial for any non-profit organization.

As was recently confirmed by the Mayor’s office of Special events, currently on June 20, 2015 the only parade listed is set to begin at 10:00 AM CST and end around 11:00 AM CST. With the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration beginning its parade beginning at 8:30 PM CST it would show minimal impact on that parade. Pride Houston is willing to work with any organization that could be producing a parade on the same date so that both can be equally marketed and supported by the Houston community.

Pride Houston also hosts public production meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of every month where our volunteers discuss logistics, its events and of course the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration. This has been an ongoing tradition for over 15 years and would be an excellent opportunity for those not associated with the organization to observe, provide external insight, brainstorm new ideas and even volunteer for the organization. For more information on these meetings please email volunteer@pridehouston.org.

Sincerely,
Frankie Quijano President and Chief Executive Officer Pride Houston, Inc.
fquijano@pridehouston.org

***

Can you say, dissed and dismissed?   Thought you could.  Because that was the way this tone deaf letter was received.   It also turned out Quijano was mistaken when he claimed thee were other occasions that the Pride parade was held on Juneteenth weekend, and reviewing the history of past Pride parades going back to 1994 shows ZERO dates that the parade was Held on June 18, 19, 20, or 21.

One thing we predicted that has sadly come true is that this was going to cause drama if they didn't make the right decision, and unfortunately only two people on that eight member board had the vision enough to vote to do the right thing

Later tonight at the Montrose Center the PRIDE Houston perspective meeting will take place at 7 PM   Let the board members who aren't 'scurred' to show up know that it isn't okay to dismiss folks when they bring you information you may not want to hear but it will save you drama if you heed it.

And if you think the Houston Black SGL, trans and bi community and our allies are upset about the disrespecting of Juneteenth, wait until the rest of the African-American progressive coalition and those sellout ministers start talking.

PRIDE Houston Juneteenth Parade Conflict Update

Just an update to the boneheaded vanillacentric privileged PRIDE Houston decision to not move it from conflicting with the Juneteenth parade on the same June 20, 2015 day.  

This is after having it pointed put to them by Houston Black LGBT leaders and our allies that the date is problematic and could put the HERO in jeopardy if they don't wake up and see the big political picture aspects of this.

It has also put the Houston African-American SGL, trans and bi community once again in the uncomfortable position of having to not only choose between the events, but choose which community they intersect and interact with to support.

And on this one, we're going to choose our people.

First up, PRIDE Houston President and CEO Frankie Quijano misspoke lied about the pride parade being held on Juneteenth (June 19) in the past.   Here are the June dates of past Houston pride parades going back to 1994:

2014: 28
2013: 29
2012: 23
2011: 25
2010: 26
2009: 27
2008: 28
2007: 23
2006: 24
2005: 25
2004: 26
2003: 28
2002: 29
2001: 24
2000: 24
1999: 26
1998: 28
1997: 28
1996: 23
1995: 25, a Sunday
1994: 12, a Sunday, held on that date to not conflict with NYC's Stonewall 25 anniversary at the suggestion of legendary Houston gay activist Ray Hill.

So as you can see, the Houston Pride Parade has since 1994 NOT been held anywhere close to the June 19 date of Juneteenth.    Why now?   Is it simply cultural incompetence?   Or was it a deep seated need from the predominately white PRIDE Houston board to get back at the Black community for all the drama and animus stirred up in the HERO battle?

The news is spreading fast since I posted it at midnight.  Edward Pollard, the president of the Houston Black Area Democrats (HBAD) penned this letter to Frankie Quijano:

***
Mr. Quijano,
My name is Edward Pollard and I am the President of the Houston Black American Democrats. I am also an attorney and member of the historic Antioch Missionary Baptist Church downtown (oldest black church in Houston built by the newly freed slaves in 1866).I am writing you because I have received news that PRIDE Houston has decided to change the date and location of the PRIDE Parade to Juneteenth weekend downtown. I am not sure if you are aware of the significance of Juneteenth Holiday/Weekend in Houston but it is arguably the most highly recognized and celebrated weekend for Blacks, especially in Houston.
Juneteenth is the weekend Texans remember and celebrate the abolishment and emancipation of black slaves in our state. The holiday is celebrated because although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln in 1862 and went into effect on January 1, 1863, slaves in Texas did not get news of their freedom until June of 1865.
Leaders in Houston have fought for Juneteenth to be a recognized and celebrated holiday in Texas and our community deserves for that celebration not to have to compete with the attention and coverage of the PRIDE Parade.
The black community understands more than any community what it feels like to be discriminated against. We understand what it means to fight for equality. That is one common bond we share with the LGBT community. Many efforts, sacrifices, and lost lives of our ancestors have afforded the civil rights that you and I have today.
It is my hope that you will not move the PRIDE parade to our historic Juneteenth celebration and respect that it is a weekend we want all people around Texas to reflect on our past and celebrate our present.
I would not be opposed to speaking with you further on this topic in person and I look forward to your response.

***.

I received a call at 1 PM from former Houston City Councilmember Jolanda Jones, who was alerted to the clueless decision of PRIDE Houston.  She is working to ensure that progressive African-American community leaders impress upon Mr. Quijano and his friends what they just set off could imperil the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance if it goes to a repeal vote during next year's city elections.

This is not a simple dispute about a parade date.   This is about cultural respect that sadly, the PRIDE Houston board has demonstrated it lacks.

So let them hear your thoughts at tomorrow's PRIDE Perspective meeting  at the Montrose Center 401 Branard St.    It starts at 7 PM, so let them know your thoughts on this issue.

#CHANGEtheDATE #RESPECTus #RespectJuneteenth

TSU Town Hall Discussion Tomorrow

Tomorrow night the panel jointly sponsored by Delta Phi Upsilon Fraternity Inc, Legacy Community Health Services, TSU OUTLaw, and the House of Capri entitled The Misfits: Being Gay And Transgender In The Black Community will happen. 

It will take place starting at 6:30 PM CST at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Moot Court Room #105 and features Rep. Sylvester Turner as a guest speaker followed by a panel discussion of community leaders 

The panel will be a much needed discussion on transphobia and homophobia in the Black community in the wake of HERO passage.   It will also send the much needed message in Houston that trans, bi and SGL people exist and are part of the kente cloth fabric of our community..campus

Address of the Thurgood Marshall School of Law is on the TSU campus, 3100 Cleburne St.   Hope that you will attend this event, learn that #WeExist and   and get your learn on about our community.

PRIDE Houston, What Were You Thinking?

Last month I attended a meeting in which we tried to resolve an issue not of our own making that once again has the Houston Black LGBT community stuck uncomfortably in the middle.

A few weeks ago the Houston pride parade was controversially moved from its longtime location in the Montrose gayborhood to downtown. 

It was controversial because while the now 37 year old  nighttime parade has probably outgrown Montrose's ability to handle the crowds that attend it, the disagreement has been between folks who want to keep that piece of Houston LGBT history there versus the folks who thinks it is past time our diverse city have it downtown.

The PRIDE committee's move of the parade to downtown  without community input pissed a lot of people off in the Houston LGBT community. 

The tone deaf responses of several PRIDE Houston committee members at a contentious October 4 town hall meeting conducted after the move only added to the community pissivity over the move.

One of the other things that was done by PRIDE Houston was the parade date was moved from the traditional last weekend in June that coincides with the historic June 28, 1969 date of the Stonewall Riots, to the third weekend ostensibly so it wouldn't be so close to the 4th of July weekend.

Well, the problem with that date is that it conflicts with Juneteenth, which is a sacred holiday to Black Texans. 

Frankly I'm stunned that white LGBT Texans would NOT know about Juneteenth, the history of it, or the fact that the efforts to make it a state holiday originated here in Houston with former state Rep. Al Edwards spearheading them.  

But then again I shouldn't be surprised anymore about the stunning depths of vanillacentric rainbow flag waving cluelessness to anything that doesn't revolve around them.

A group of Houston Black LGBT leaders and allies with multiple ties to mainstream African American community organizations, sensing the potential political and PR problem with this parade date conflict, asked for a meeting with the PRIDE Houston board.   A meeting was arranged with three PRIDE Houston representatives that took place at the Houston Urban League's downtown headquarters on October 22 in an attempt to reason with them and get them to see why this June 20 date was a terrible idea..  

The Black LGBT leaders and allies compiled the following statement at our Strategic Working Group meeting on October 15 articulating on behalf of the Houston Black LGBT community and our allies why this was a bad idea.

***

As Black LGBT and allied leaders and activists, we strongly and collectively oppose the June 20, 2015 date  of the Houston  LGBT Pride Celebration.  We urge Pride Houston to move the celebration to June 27, 2015.  

Holding the Pride celebration on June 20 is a mistake for several reasons, but the top two reasons are 1) it directly interferes with Juneteenth, the oldest known nationally recognized celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the US and 2) it undermines the meaning of the Pride celebration, which at its core commemorates the Stonewall riots, the catalyst for the LGBT movement we know today. The effect of not moving the June 20th date will be disastrous, as it will erode the relationship built among the LGBT community and communities of color, specifically the Black community.

The erosion of these relationships will be detrimental to the Houston LGBT community with respect to the fight to keep the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance. Opponents of the ordinance have vilified it since its inception stating in hateful terms that the ordinance is an underhanded means to grant more rights to LGBT persons while denying others. Because leaders from the mainstream black community feel they were not consulted, they were inclined to believe this false rhetoric of the HERO opposition. It took many long nights from LGBT and allied leaders to correct that misinformation. By holding the Pride celebration the same weekend of the Juneteenth celebration, communities of color will likely be inclined again to believe the misinformation, thereby unraveling community trust and HERO support.

Politics aside, maintaining the June 20 date excludes the Black LGBT community.   At the very least, Black LGBT persons are put in a situation where they have to choose whether to celebrate Pride or Juneteenth with the corresponding communities. Far too often, people who live an intersected life must choose which part of their identity fits the occasion. During the Pride celebration, people, including those who live at those intersections, are able to bring their whole selves to the celebration. Why? Because the LGBT community contains all races, abilities, and identities. Moving the date to June 27the maintains the tradition of inclusiveness, something the LGBT community is continuously striving to attain.

Practically speaking, moving the date now will not cause any confusion and doing so quietly will prevent community uprisings.  At this time, the June 27th date is free, which means the process to change it should be simple.. However, not changing the date will definitely cause more problems than necessary.

So again, we urge you to move the Pride celebration back to the last Saturday of June, specifically June 27, 2015.

***

And what was the response of the predominately white PRIDE Houston board?  After the October 22 meeting, their representatives said they wanted to present this to the full PRIDE Houston board, and then we didn't hear anything but radio silence from them for two weeks.

We found out via an e-mail dated yesterday from Frankie Quijano, the President and CEO of PRIDE Houston, the board voted 6-2 to keep the June 20, 2015 parade date.

The Houston Black trans, bi and SGL community and our allies are not happy because we know the traditional last Saturday in June parade date (June 27) is available.  

While Quijano stated in his tone deaf November 11 email that the pride parade was held on other occasions on that date with no request to move it at that time, neither did we have at the time as we do right now the heightened negativity in the Houston African-American community toward the Houston LGBT community in the wake of a passed human rights law stirred up by anti-gay ministers and conservative activists.

They will see this as another slap in the face to the Houston Black community and I predict it will be spun by the haters as an attempt by the gay community to 'hijack Juneteenth'.

With this boneheaded decision, which is a sadly predictable one from an organizational board that is predominately monoracial and insular in its thinking, PRIDE Houston has just unnecessarily set off some drama that will only inflame the homophobic animus elements of the Houston Black community have for the LGBT community.

It is an animus that Dave Welch, the sellout pastors of the Baptist Ministers Assn. of Houston and Vicinity will eagerly pour gasoline on as the Black LGBT community shakes its head and gets out of the middle of the coming public relations nightmare between these two groups.

Meanwhile the Texas Republican Party and conservative movement foot soldiers will be smiling as they observe their plan working to drive a wedge between key members of the Houston liberal progressive coalition in the African-American and LGBT communities.  .

And once we in the Black LGBT community are forced to choose sides in this no-win situation, we will stand with our people.  The reason we will do so will be simple.  You had a chance, PRIDE Houston to defuse this situation.   But instead you dismissed our concerns as fellow LGBT community members and by extension dissed the  African-American community by not listening to and heeding what we had to say as Houston Black LGBT leaders better positioned to know the pulse of our community.

And now because of your lack of vision PRIDE Houston, a hot political mess has potentially been created, in the wake of the mayoral subpoena controversy and the hate sermons at Riggleworld that will has a deleterious effect on the entire Houston LGBT community and possibly put the survival of the HERO at risk..

PRIDE Houston, what were you thinking?     Obviously you aren't.

TransGriot Update:  Received another e-mail from a TransGriot reader that calls into serious question what Quijano said about the Pride Parade being held on or near Juneteenth.   In fact the earliest date the Parade has been held since 1994 was June 12.

Happy Veterans Day 2014

It's November 11 and once again it's time to acknowledge the veterans in our country who are also members of the trans community.

One of the interesting dynamics I've noted in our trans ranks is as Kristin Beck is a concrete example of, the number of trans folks who have served in our nation's military. 

They have served  our nation proudly, but in far too many cases they have had to hide who they are to do so.   And because of DOD regulations that can be eliminated with a pen stroke, trans people are not allowed to enlist.

The veterans I have met in our community have fought in every conflict from World War II to Afghanistan and Iraq.

And lets take a moment to remember our trans vets who never came home or lost their lives before they came to that gender epiphany.

Many of those vets took those leadership lessons they learned in the military and translated them to help build our trans rights movement like Phyllis Frye.   Monica Helms and Angela Brightfeather in 2003 founded TAVA, the Transgender American Veterans Assn..  

Even Christine Jorgensen, one of our iconic trans women, was a US Army vet.

And we have trans folks who served who are continuing that tradition by contributing their leadership skills to build our community like Angelica Ross,  Dawn Wilson, Autumn Sandeen, Fallon Fox and Rev. Yeshua Holiday

And if ten nations allow trans people to openly serve, what's wrong with the alleged biggest baddest military on the planet doing so?   As I said back on this date in 2012 and will repeat, 'If it's not acceptable for LGB military personnel to have to hide who they are to serve our nation's military, it damned sure isn't acceptable for transpeople to have to hide to serve in the military either. '

Let's hope that we will see a Veteran's Day happen in which our trans peeps can serve our country.

Laverne Is A 2014 Glamour Woman Of The Year!

This has been one amazing year for Laverne Cox in which she has broken ground for transkind on one level or another.  She was the first transperson to appear on the cover of Time magazine.   She was  the first out transperson to be nominated for an Emmy thanks to her groundbreaking Sophia Burset role on Orange Is The New Black.   She's produced a documentary on the unjust incarceration of CeCe McDonald for defending herself from a transphobic attack.

And now you can add one more first to an amazing list of them for Cox.   The first out trans person to be named a Glamour Woman Of The Year.

Yep, there's a girl like us along with other 2014 winners Chelsea Clinton, Robin Roberts, Lupita Nyong'o, and Mindy Kaling just to name a few of the other honorees

Megacongrats on another trailblazing first, Laverne.  

Dallas Adds TBLG Protections To City Charter!

There was actually some good news out of Texas in the wake of an abysmal night for Team Liberal Progressive.

One the ballot in the City of Dallas was  a proposed addition of a nondiscrimination proposition that would add several classes to its city charter.

Proposition 4 if passed would add in addition to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, color, age, marital status, genetic characteristics, national original, disability, and military or veteran status

Dallas already prohibited discrimination against city employees based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in its equal employment opportunity policy.

When all 430 precincts reported in, 77% of the city voted to pass Proposition 4.

Congrats Dallas!

Representing Trans* In Chicago And In The Friendly Skies

And to think I almost decided NOT to come while I was in the middle of my drama back in September and October.

I'm so glad I did decided to come to Representing Trans*.

I not only got to hang out with old friends like Tiq, Myles, Jen, Precious and Kristen, I got to meet new ones like Amos, Chase, Ariel and countless others during my weekend trip to the Windy City.

I accomplished my goals of getting reacquainted with Giordano's Pizza and a Slurpee in whatever flavor was available at the first 7-Eleven I encountered.

And I finally got to meet and have conversations with the legendary Kate Bornstein and Vivian Namaste.

Kate and I at one point talked about what is like to go for being the neophyte activists barely mentioned as leaders in the community to respected elder statespersons.

Speaking of conversations, finally got to meet the awesome Fallon Fox and Christina Kahrl.  We spent a wonderful couple of hours at a local restaurant plotting the next phase of the trans revolution that will not be televised along with getting to know each other.We had so much fun doing that  we lost track of time enough to where I missed my non-stop flight back home to Houston despite me doing the Chicago Midway 5K run to gate A19 from the TSA security checkpoint and ended up having to take another one 30 minutes later that went through Birmingham.  

And it was beginning its boarding process in 10 minutes at gate B-20.  

As in Concourse B.   Arrgh.  

On the Birmingham-Hobby leg I even had a nice conversation with a woman on that homeward bound flight.  After revealed to Rita I'd been in Chicago for a trans conference, that sparked a wide ranging conversation between us that lasted all the way back to Hobby 

Despite getting back home a little later than I'd planned, it was a wonderful weekend.   For those of you I didn't catch up with in Chicago this time, you can be assured it won't take me five years to make my next trip there.

And if you want to assure you get quality time with me, do what Ruby Corado-Walker does when I go to DC.   She just grabs me as soon as I step off the plane at DCA.

Yep, even when I'm traveling, there are times as I did with Rita, when I unexpectedly get to shift into trans ambassador mode and do some 'ejumacation' about our lives.

And it's a reminder that we are representing trans not just at conferences,, conventions and symposiums, but just by living our everyday lives to the best of our ability.

Carli Lloyd's Coming To H-Town!

I see the Houston Dash were serious about putting a competitive team on the field after a challenging inaugural NWSL season that saw them finish last in the league.

The team recently announced they had acquired via a trade with the Western New York Flash US national team star Carli Lloyd in exchange for midfielder Becky Edwards, defender Whitney Engen and a 2016 NWSL third round college draft choice.

That's a lot for Lloyd, since Edwards and Engen were probably two of the best players on the Dash in the team's maiden season and Lloyd is going to be busy for a month in Canada next year during the World Cup.  But Houston Dash Managing Director Brian Ching believes the deal to acquire her services was worth it..

“She’s a household name when it comes to the US women’s national team. It’s going to help build our brand even more. These are the types of players we want to go after, these are the types of players we feel need to be playing here in Houston, especially if we want to be considered one of the best clubs around.

“We feel that to pick up a Carli Lloyd, it makes your team 100 times better and we’re a team that is looking to compete for the championship. She’s the kind of player that we can build a team around while she is here.”

We'll see what other moves Brian Ching has in store for the Dash to fulfill their goal of turning the team into a perennial NWSL playoff squad, but Dash games at BBVA Compass Stadium just got a little more interesting.

Bye Chicago! Headed Back To H-Town Again

After spending a wonderful weekend in Chicago for the Representing Trans* Symposium here, getting to demolish a deep dish pizza and some Slurpees, staying a a wonderful hotel for two nights and seeing a few of my Chicago area friends, time to head back to the warmer climes of Houston.

Was happy I got to see some of my trans peeps during my time up here, and hope I can return to the Windy City soon

But preferably in the summer months.

I thoroughly enjoyed the symposium, hanging out with some old friends on that panel, making some new ones and the fascinating conversations I had during the event. 

Thanks to Kristen and Chase for the invite and I'm so glad I came.

It's been real Chicago, but Houston and my life there awaits along with some Pappas Barbecue in the Hobby Airport terminal.

Just hope I'm not hanging around Midway as long as I did back in August.

25th Anniversary Of The Fall Of The Berlin Wall

Like the Cold War and Jim Crow segregation, the Berlin Wall was a part of the world when I was born in 1962.   It was erected in August 1961 to stop the flow of East Germans fleeing their 'worker's paradise' to West Germany and came down in dramatic fashion on November 9, 1989.

For something that seemed like it was going to have a permanent place during my time on Earth to the point it was a tourist attraction and two US presidents made speeches near it, the stunning way events unfolded 25 years ago that brought The Wall down and several months later on October 3, 1990 led to the reunification of Germany are still mindboggling at times to me as a Cold War baby.

The Berlin Wall was such a reality in my world that I used it as a visual example of my determination NOT to do something.   I would say to peeps, "That will happen when the Berlin Wall falls."

And now, within my lifetime, before the close of the 20th century, it was beginning to happen before my very eyes.   The official dismantling of the Wall didn't start until the summer of 1990 and was completed in 1992

But happen it did, and the process got started 25 years ago on this date.

Representing Trans* Symposium Today

This is what I flew up here for and was the event I was focused on while all the unnecessary family drama was swirling around me.

November 8 is finally here, and I'm in the house to take part in a symposium on the University of Chicago campus entitled Representing Trans*

The symposium kicks off at 1:30 PM CST with a 'Sociological Approaches to Trans Representation' panel moderated by Dr. Kristen Schilt of the University of Chicago.  The panelists for this discussion will be Vivian Namaste, Tey Meadow, and Salvador Ortiz-Cruz.

Then it will move to the 3:30 PM panel I'll be taking part in entitled ''Artistic and Activist Approaches To Trans Representation.'  moderated by Chase Joynt..   In addition to your favorite award winning blogger, my fellow panelists will be Amos Mac, Tiq Milan, Jen Richards, and Ariel Schrag.    All five of us definitely will have something to say about this topic, and this should be a fascinating discussion scheduled to run until 5:00 PM..

Both of those panels will take place in the Gray Center Lab Midway Studios at 929 E 60th St.

Then at 6:30 PM we move the symposium action to the Logan Center For the Arts and an Evening with Kate Bornstein.   You'll get to see this legendary author, playwright, gender theorist and performance artist live and in person

Logan Center is located at 915 E. 60th St. for those of you in the Chicagoland area wishing to attend this event.

And I'll let y'all know if I got to destroy that Giordano's Pizza I was fiending for ever since I confirmed I was coming to Chicago.

Mia Love Is NO Shirley Chisholm

The Republicans are still crowing about the history they made in terms of Mia Love being elected to congress as the first ever Black* female Republican.   

Took y;all until 2014 to do it.  Meanwhile the Democratic Party has been electing powerful Black women to Congress since 1968  starting with Shirley Chisholm, and even elected the first ever Black female senator in Carol Moseley Braun in 1992.

Ho hum.  She lost by a mere 768 votes in the 2012 cycle to Democrat Jim Matheson who retired, is a Mormon and got elected in Utah, a state that rivals Wyoming as Safe Republican turf.  Color me impressed when a Black female Republican spouting that same conservabullfeces gets elected in the 'hood in LA or Oakland.

I have a better chance of you  seeing me sashaying down the runway of the Victoria's Secret show than you seeing a Black female Republican getting elected to Congress from a predominately Black district where GOP is an epithet. 

Ask Star Parker about that. .

Love may have Caribbean roots, but that's where the similarities end between her and the first Democratic woman to get elected to congress in Shirley Chisholm back in 1968.

Love espouses the same jacked up policies white Republicans love while denying her Black heritage unless it's convenient for her to do so..


And Love declaring herself 'a problem for the Democratic Party?'  

Excuse me one moment.

So spare me if the GOP is going gaga over her right now.  Ask Michael Steele or JC Watts what happens when your useful fool days are over in the conservative ranks

Trinidad And Tobago Starts Their FIFA Playoff Leg Today

In the history of the FIFA Women's World Cup, a Caribbean based team has never played in the tournament. 

With CONCACAF tournament qualification play dominated by women's soccer powers the USA, Canada and Mexico and only 16 women's national teams around the world being involved in the tournament, that made it tough for a Caribbean based  women's team to break through a tough CONCACAF region and play on the big FIFA international women's stage.

Female players in Caribbean nations also had to contend with the sexist notion that soccer was a 'man's game'.  That resulted in little to no funding or corporate sponsorship for their teams.

;But with the FIFA women's tournament (finally) being expanded to 24 teams, and Canada hosting the 2015 edition, it created an opening for a Caribbean team to finally break through and qualify for the tournament.

The Reggae Girlz of Jamaica tried but were eliminated in the group stage after heartbreaking losses to Costa Rica and Mexico.

That left the Women Soca Warriors of Trinidad and Tobago with a goldenGroup opportunity to grab that history for themselves

After holding the FIFA world number one ranked Americans to one goal in their initial group play loss, the rebounded to beat Haiti 1-0 and Guatemala 3-1 to finish second in their group.

They faced Group B winner Costa Rica in the semifinals with a berth on the line, but lost after a 1-1 draw on penalty kicks.   Trinidad and Tobago still had a shot to qualify with a win in the CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament third place game, but they fell to Mexico 4-2 in extra time. 

That sent them to a two leg aggregate score playoff starting later today that has the Soca Warriors facing the daunting task of playing CONMEBOL rep Ecuador in the 9300 foot altitude of Quito's Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa.   They will return to the friendly confines of Hasely Crawford Stadium on December 2 for the second leg with the last Women's World Cup berth on the line.

I'm paying attention to this playoff for multiple reasons.  I want to see the Soca Warriors make that history because it's their best shot to do so. With Trinidad and Tobago being a fellow CONCACAF member, I'd love to see another CONCACAF squad playing next June.

It also strikes a blow for women's sports in the region and will hopefully lead to better funding and corporate sponsorship if they pull it off.

There's a large cadre of Trinis that live here in Houston and I'd love to see the smiles on their faces if it happens.   Randy Waldrum,, the coach of the Houston Dash, is also the national coach of the Trinidad and Tobago women's squad

Will they do it?  We'll find out as the opening chapter of this sports story unfolds later today.

TransGriot Update:  Trinidad and Tobago 0-Ecuador 0  in a Leg 1 scoreless draw.