It's Imperative Black SGL Community, You Care About My Trans Rights Issues, Too

I attended at the Montrose Center a few weeks ago a Teach For America sponsored meeting on the State of LGBT Education.   When it was over I was offered a ride to the MetroRail Wheeler Station during our post meeting conversation.

During that short ride to the station one of the Black SGL men in the car stated that he didn't understand being trans, didn't understand our issues and why they were germane to him as a Black gay man.

Unfortunately he said that part just as I arrived at Wheeler Station and saw my northbound train approaching,, otherwise he would have gotten this told to him that I'm writing for you peeps perusal right now.

The reason trans issues are germane to you as a Black gay man is for starters, because of our Black skin and shared history of oppression, the folks who revel in hating LGBT people hate ALL of us and don't take time to sort out which peeps they hate in the rainbow community less.

Another reason why you should care is that all oppressions are linked.   Gender discrimination affects you as a gay man because you are not discriminated against solely because who you prefer as a sexual partner when your bedroom door is closed, it is because of the violation of the gender binary.

And frankly, you wouldn't have a movement if it weren't for Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson and other trans and gender variant folk who raised hell at Stonewall in 1969.  Black gender variant activist goes back to 1965 and the Dewey's Lunch Counter Sit In and Protest in Philly.

And just because I transitioned, I did not give up my Black Card.   I get seen as Black before the trans issues even come to the party.  Just like you, I'm either too Black for some segments of the communities I intersect and interact with and not Black enough for others.

It's also imperative you care about my issues as a trans person because 20% African-American trans unemployment rates hurts the African-American community as a whole.   Every trans woman who is killed is a loss of potential and talent that could benefit us.

And I need you as a Black SGL community to set an example to the rest of the African-American community by helping us stamp out the transphobia in your ranks. 

Makes it harder for me and other Black trans advocates to insist that transphobia cease and desist in other communities when you are undercutting our message by in some cases gleefully engaging in it or spreading the same lies our right wing and TERF opponents do about us.

And we as trans peeps have been loyal allies when it comes to your issues.   There are also other issues of mutual concern to us and the trans community like getting to zero HIV/AIDS cases, the uplift of the Black community, and ensuring what we have a voice at the Black community family table.

If you don't understand trans issues, ask a trans person.   Many of us are willing to do the 'ejumacation' about who we are.   Read our blogs and op-eds. Listen to our podcasts.   Watch our YouTube V-blogs.  Come to the conferences and forums in which we discuss our lives. 

All you have to do is hit Google, Bing or any other search engine to get the basic medical facts about transition, SRS and how our bodies morph to conform with on the outside the persons we are on the inside.   It ain't that hard to get up to speed on Trans 101 if you have a sincere desire to do so.

And having trans people in your circle of friends doesn't hurt either.

I and the trans community need you to do that because there are times when you are going to be in the room or other spaces I won't be in at that time with other fellow gays and lesbians  (or cis straight people), some transphobic ignorance will start, and it will be up to you as an ally to shut that BS down. 

So yes, Black SGL community, it's important that you care about my trans issues as a fellow Black  person who is interested in the advancement of human rights for all..  If you claim you are for human rights, that includes your trans brothers and sisters, too.

We are already dealing with near genocidal levels of violence and enough anti-trans ignorance from the conservative movement, the Religious Right, sellout ministers and their flocks.   We don't need our Black SGL allies adding to the microaggressive and macroaggressive crap we as Black trans people already deal with

Plano, TX Passes Problematic TBLG Inclusive Ordinance

With Houston becoming in May the most recent Texas city to enact  an inclusive non-discrimination law with the passage of HERO, Lone Star TBLG Texans were waiting to see what Texas city would step up to the human rights plate next.

Turns out it was Plano, TX with a population of 274,000 peeps. The Plano City Council on a 5-3 vote Monday night expanded its non-discrimination ordinance that has been in effect since 1989 to include gender identity and sexual orientation in front of a standing room only City Council chamber.

Note to all you folks considering the same thing for your cities and towns.  Draft the strongest ordinance you can and bump the haters because you only get one shot to do it right.  The Plano ordinance problematically excluded bathrooms, and the expanded ordinance is STILL getting hated on.

The Plano Equal Rights Policy that takes effect in January affords equal rights to individuals regardless of “U.S. military/veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation and gender identity.”

It prohibits discrimination in places of “public accommodation, employment practices, housing transactions and city contracting practices.”

City contractors must agree to comply with the equal employment opportunity clause but may apply for a waiver “based on a conflict with federal or state law.”

Exemptions are provided for religious organizations; political organizations; nonprofit organizations, except those receiving city grant money; educational institutions; private clubs; and state and federal agencies.

The Plano ordinance does not require employers to provide benefits to an employee’s domestic partner

Plano is not only the sixth Texas city to do so, it is the first suburban Texas one to take that human rights step. “Providing equal rights for everyone is the right thing to do,” Mayor Harry Rosiliere said during the contentious meeting as the haters once again tried to deploy their patented  fear and smear tactics and failed.

The expanded policy has the support of large Plano employers such as Frito-Lay, Toyota and PepisCo, and the North Texas Gay and Lesbian Alliance.    Jeanne Rubin, vice president of the North Texas Gay and Lesbian Alliance said after the affirmative council vote was tallied .“I’m glad the Plano City Council did the right thing,”

But there are people gearing up to do the right wing hate thing.  There was opposition from Texas Values, Collin County GOP (surprise, surprise) state legislators like Jodie Laubenberg, Pat Fallon, Jeff Leach, Rep-elect Matt Shaheen and (indicted) Attorney General elect Ken Paxton.   The Plano based ''christian" advocacy group the Liberty Institute is threatening to file a lawsuit.

There were also threats by the sore bigot losers of recalls against the five councilmembers who voted for it and the mayor.

In big cities like Houston that have sizable progressive populations, we laugh that off, but in GOP leaning 'Collin County, it's stay tuned time to see if they make that threat happen.

Hearing that trans folks in North Texas hate the cave on the bathroom.   I'm going to be interested to hear from Nell Gaither and other peeps in the Dallas metro area to find out if they were even consulted in terms of crafting the language on this.

But congrats to Plano for trying doing the right thing.. 

TransMusePlanet's 20 Most Influential Trans People of 2014

Been a while since I've had the pleasure of signal boosting a TransMusePlanet post, but this is one that needs the extra eyeballs on it.

It's TMP's annual 20 Most Influential Trans People list as determined by Sabrina's readers and visitors to the TMP Facebook group.   These were the twenty people that her readers were talking about during this soon to be departing year.

And yeah, you may see a familiar name or two on this list.

So you can click this link to see who were the TMP 20 Most Influential Trans People for 2014.

RIP Deshawnda Sanchez

So much for the 2014 Christmas season being devoid of a trans murder.

In the Los Angeles area in the early morning hours of December 3, 21 year old Deshawnda 'Tata' Thomas spent the last moments of her life pounding on the door of a Compton, CA home around 4 AM desperately seeking to escape someone.

That help arrived too late, and she unfortunately became the third trans woman on Southern California to die this year and the eleventh trans woman of color nationally to die since June .

And what's even more distressing to me, she was just 21 years old.

In what may turn out to be a huge break in this case, a surveillance camera at a nearby home caught someone getting out of a car and running toward the porch where Deshawnda was standing.   That person is spotted moments later running back toward he vehicle as it departs at high speed.

A vigil was held Friday night to point out those grim statistics and to loudly restate the point that #TransLivesMatter.



Lets hope the person pr persons responsible for this latest murder of a trans woman of color are swiftly caught and punished.

And the trans community won't rest until that happens.

Minnesota Lets Our Transkids Play

You may recall when I posted the testimony of Zeam, who was lobbying the Minnesota State HS League to let him and other trans students participate in high school sports.

The MSHSL board decision on trans participation was unfortunately delayed until December 4 and I hate when they do that because it gives the bigots of the Minnesota Child Protection League time to crank up the anti-trans hatred and disinformation.

The issue of trans participation in high school athletics came up once again in the Land of 10K Lakes..  Despite another full page transphobic ad paid for by the MCPL haters and once again printed in Sunday's Minneapolis Star-Tribune newspaper, the MSHSL by an 18-1 vote dealt the haters a crushing defeat and approved a policy to let transkids play

The transphobic ad was also quickly criticized by the LGBT Sports Coalition.

The passage of the policy was heralded by many of the state's education and political leaders, including Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)

"I applaud the Minnesota High School League's decision to pass a proposal that tells trans students in our community their identities matter just as much as everyone else's," said Congressman Keith Ellison in a written statement. "At a time when so many transgender students are bullied and harassed in the schoolyard, the MSHSL's decision recognizes their dignity and humanity on and off the playing field. All trans students are asking for is to be treated as human beings and I stand with them."

Congratulation to Minnesota for saying no to the haters who tried to grossly distort the issue and becoming the 34th state to let transkids play.

Escaped From New York, Back In Houston

Well, I didn't have Snake Plisskin to help out, but I escaped New York and I'm back home in Houston..

But it was only after sitting on my Houston bound Southwest bird on the LGA tarmac for nearly an hour after we pushed off the gate at 3:35 PM EST before we took off, hitting bumpy air around Atlanta and Birmingham, and landing at Hobby at 7 PM CST but not walking into my apartment until 10:30 PM because my METRO bus back to my crib was grossly late,

This was not only my last scheduled trip of 2014, it obviously was the most interesting trip of the year. It was the first time I'd ever gone to New York this close to Christmas, and when I found out the tree lighting ceremony was happening the day I arrived I was really excited about it. 

As I pull into the B-3 LGA arrival gate on Wednesday the news of the non indictment happens.  I have to get past NYPD barricades just to get to my hotel on W. 51st Street, which is closed off and packed with emergency and police vehicles expecting drama at the Rockefeller Center tree lighting.that night when the action ended up being on the shut down West Side Highway.

I didn't find out that's what triggered the massive police response until I called my mother to let her know I'd arrived safely in New York

I was out of the news loop for a few hours because of the flight and immediately upon arrival hooking up with Stacey Langley to get dinner.

Note to self.  Southwest has Wifi equipped airplanes that have MSNBC as one of the live TV options.  Use it.

The protests continued in New York as I met with other trans leaders from around the country at that Arcus Foundation sponsored event and got to spend some breakfast time catching up with ELIXHER founding editor Kimberley McLeod before starting my subway and bus  trip to LGA from Manhattan.

And yes, I did get that Texas style barbecue Stacey promised me.   It was even served up on butcher paper and had Blue Bell ice cream available for dessert.  And yes, the cooks and servers after finding out I was from Houston asked my honest opinion about their BBQ, and I gave them two thumbs up.

It is the closest you'll get to Texas style BBQ in the New York area, and they also have one in Washington DC now.   I recommend the moist, but the lean was tasty too along with the sauce they had for it.

They just need to add a baked potato to their menu.

But it was wonderful getting to be in the room with these amazing media people and community leaders.   It was also cool to finally meet Eden Lane, Andy Marra, Tracee McDaniel and Kimberly reed in the flesh for the first time.  

For those of you who missed me on the NYC trip, y'all will probably have to do what Stacey did. (and what Ruby Corado-Walker or Samantha master do whenever I go to DC)

If you want quality time with me, grab the Air Marshal when I arrive at your city's airport, bumrush my hotel or grab me before I leave for your airport.

Looking forward to the next time or opportunity that comes my way that puts me in the same space with many of these peeps and others in the community again in 2015.

Shut Up Fool Awards-Moni's Leaving New York Edition

I'm at LaGuardia airport about to take a flight back home to Texas after spending a little over 24 hours here in New York as part of an empowering Arcus Foundation trans media think tank event.

Enjoyed spending quality time with some amazing trans community leaders. It ws also fun to see some  old friends, and meeting people for the first time that I've known forever online or on Facebook.  It was also great seeing some of my New York area friends like Kimberley McLeod and my Houston expat homegirl Stacey Langley

But my life in Houston setting up my new apartmenand post-flight barbecue at Hobby awaits.

As you longtime TransGriot readers know, it's Friday, and it's Itime for me to call out some fools.  Speaking of fools, on New Year's Eve I'll announce who will be the 2014 Shut Up Fool Of The Year, so get those nominations into me before Christmas Day.

And now, let's call out this week's cavalcade of idiots.

Honorable mention number one is to the white couple in NYC who mocked Eric Garner's death by police chokehold while Allison Kaden was doing a news report



You peeps and your ugly attitudes are why we continue to have race relation problems in this country.

Honorable mention number two is Rudy Giuliani for his fracked up comment that "Black people need to stop making White police officers shoot them."  More like White police officers need to stop shooting and killing unarmed Black people.   He then doubled down on it by calling Mayor Bill DeBlasio as the 'real racist' 

Somebody punch that old bigoted crossdresser in the face, please.

Honorable mention number three we go overseas to Latvia for.  Inga Priede is learning the hard way about Godwin's Law after she was forced to resign after tweeting 'Thank God The Nazis shot gays' during a debate with MPs from her party about same sex relationships

Honorable mention number four is Hooks, TX ISD board member Chris Harris for his Facebook post featuring a Klansman standing with arms folded stating "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas".

And what I want for Christmas is your resignation from the HISD school board.

Honorable mention number five is Rev. Stacey Swimp.  He is responsible for killing a proposed  Michigan non-discrimination law  because in his loud and wrong opinion LGBT people haven't suffered enough.

Honorable mention number six is the Staten Island Grand Jury.   What video were you fools watching that caused you to come to the conclusion not to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo in the Eric Garner case?

This week's Shut Up Fool goes to Pastor Steven Anderson in Tempe, AZ   

This Bible thumping idiot called for the extermination of LGBT people if the planet wants an AIDS-free world.

Anderson has run afoul of the Secret Service for openly praying twice for the death of President Barack Obama.

When you call for the extermination of people you don't like, that isn't Christian.

Steven Anderson, shut up fool!

I Can't Breathe

Neither can I.

Still pissed off and wondering what the hell those Staten Island grand jurors were thinking?

But the protests are continuing not only here in New York, but across the nation as people express how fed up they are with po-po's gone wild, killing unarmed Black people, and then escaping punsihment for it.

Now that the feds get a crack at this case, we'll see how this one transpires.

Word of warning to my white friends rights now.   Black America is in F**k Da Police mode right now, and highly pissed off after seeing muliple Black people of all ages getting killed by white cops with no accountability or punishment.  It would be wise of you to not repeat any Conservafool talking points or that 'not all cops are bad' line.

We don't wanna hear that crap right now.  #BlackLivesMatter. Until the po-po's stop treating us as if we're all suspects they can kill with impunity, they are all bad apples until proven innocent.

The police forces of this country have historically proven to us they are hostile to gleefully hateful to African-Americans.   So until they change that pattern, we'll be singing NWA for the next few weeks.

An Empowering Day Discussing Trans Media

I spent much of today at the NBC Universal building's 16th floor to attend an Arcus Foundation and USA Network's sponsored Media Think Session.

The room had a nice view of the nearby St. Patrick's Cathedral, but we had more important things to discuss in terms of the state of trans media 

One of the cool things about these events is you get to see some folks you have been to other events with and others that you are aware of because of their work or they are your Facebook friends.

I finally got to meet at this event Kimberly Reed, Eden Lane and Tracee McDaniel. I got to see some of my fave trans men in Tiq Milan, Diego Sanchez, Dr. Kortney Ziegler and Gunner Scott.  It was wonderful getting to see Janet Mock, Cheryl Courtney-Evans, Angelica Ross, Rebecca Juro, Amos Mac, Jen Richards, Autumn Sandeen and Christina Kahrl again.

And one other person I finally got to meet after all these years was Andy Marra.

We knew there wasn't going to be any shortage of thoughtful commentary about the state of trans media with this group of trans writers, bloggers, filmmakers  activists and media personnel. While we were gathered for a serious purpose, we did manage to have a little fun

Some of the things we talked about are in 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' territory, which is why you didn't see many tweets about this.

In the end, it was a wonderful day discussing the importance of media to the trans community and once again getting the opportunity to spend some quality time with some amazing trans community leaders courtesy of our Arcus Foundation hosts.

TransGriot 2014 NFL Picks Week 14

Another week of NFL games has gone by and I had a great Turkey Day.  I got to see my Texans win and the Cowboys lose.  But unfortunately for me Mr Watts' lead isn't shrinking and I'm running out of time to catch him.

Well, speaking of catches, JJ Watt had another TD catch in the blowout win against the Tennessee Traitors.   He's the first defensive end to have 5 TD's in a season since 1944 and probably merits serious consideration for NFL defensive player of the year.   

We also had something interesting happen int that for the first time ever, all three of us tied with a 10-6 record.

It's now December, and the games all matter as teams are jockeying for playoff positioning and Mr Watts barring a serious collapse is cruising toward his first NFL prognostication title.   

Sixteen games the rest of the way.   My picks in underlined bold print.
Week 13 Results

TransGriot    10-6
Eli                 10-6
Mike             10-6

2014 NFL Season Record

TransGriot     122-69-1
Eli                  117-74-1
Mike              131-60-1


Thursday Night Game
Dallas over Chicago

Sunday Early Games
Houston  over Jacksonville
Cincinnati over Pittsburgh
St Louis over Washington
NY Giants over Tennessee
New Orleans over Carolina
Minnesota over NY Jets
Miami over Baltimore
Indianapolis over Cleveland
Detroit at Tampa Bay

Sunday Afternoon Games
Denver over Buffalo
Arizona over Kansas City
Philadelphia over Seattle
San Francisco over Oakland

Sunday Night Game
New England over San Diego

Monday Night Game
Green Bay over Atlanta

Arcus Foundation Trans Media Think Session

Despite all the drama that greeted me upon my arrival into New York, I do have some business to attend to before I can go back to observing all the protests going on here over the Garner case non indictment.

I'm here along with several other peeps from New York and across the country to take part in an Arcus Foundation sponsored Trans Media Think Session that kicks off at 8 AM EST and will run until 4 PM.

I already am aware that Cheryl Courtney-Evans, Christina Kahrl, Rebecca Juro, Dr. Kortney Ziegler and Eden Lane are some of the participants here from out of town like moi.  I know that Andy Marra is one of the local participants.

So definitely looking forward to seeing everyone and having a productive day.

As to what happens after that, we'll see.  My flight doesn't leave from NYC until 3:35 PM EST tomorrow.

WTF Staten Island Grand Jury?

What the frack is wrong with the individuals who sat on the grand jury in Staten Island?   What the hell did you not see in the murder by po-po, yes, murder of Eric Garner?

As I was jetting to New York, a grand jury was making the mind blowing decision to not charge Officer Daniel Pantaleo with murder after he applied an illegal choke hold on Garner, and the coroner stated in his report that this was the cause of death

That decision triggered a series of peaceful protests that resulted in the shutdown of the West Side Highway, a die-in at Grand Central Station and other protests that are still happening as I.type this.

So what the hell does it take to get a predominately white grand jury to indict a white cop accused of killing an unarmed Black man?

Does it take videotape?  It didn't sway the grand jurors in this case.  Will it take sweeping changes in police policies and procedures?  Been there, done than, and Black men are still dying.

And Rudy Guiliani, instead of you flapping your loud and wrong lips and saying jacked up racistly insensitive stuff like "Black people need to stop making White police officers shoot them," how about we flip that comment and White officers stop shooting unarmed Black people?

Tell me and Black America what will it take for white people to see that Black lives matter, we are not always suspects, and the po-po's aren't always right?

And what will it take to get white people serving on grand juries and juries to not only indict a white police officer, but convict them for killing an unarmed Black person?.

Moni's In New York Again...

For the first time since 2012 when I was here to do the GLAAD POC Media training.

This is the first time I've ever been to New York close to Christmas even though I flew up here multiple times to hand out with friends during my Air Marshal days.   I just never attempted a trip close to Christmas because of weather concerns and fear of getting bumped.

The reason I'm here in the Big Apple is not to peruse the Christmas decorations, flip the finger at Trump Tower or do some laps around the Rockefeller Center ice rink (yes people, I can ice skate), but for an Arcus Foundation trans media event along with other trans media peeps from around the country.

The Club Quarters hotel I'm staying at is on W. 51st Street in Rockefeller Center, and I'm loving the fact it has complementary wifi in my 26th floor room.

Thanks to Stacey Langley for grabbing me at LGA and taking me for a Texas style meal at Hill Country BBQ.

I also didn't know that while I was breaking bread and  having a pleasant time catching up with Stacey, I'd be here when a major news story was breaking out in terms of a grand jury not indicting the cop involved in the Eric Garner murder which has jumped off protests that are blocking the West Side Highway

Too bad I'm only going to be in it until Friday morning, then I have to bounce back to a much warmer and less volatile for now H-town.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in a few hours, but I need to get my behind in bed..

Leaving On A Jet Plane-To New York

I'm about to board a plane at Hobby for another trip to handle some community business, with the destination this time being New York City.   The best part is I have nonstop trips up there and back to Houston.

It's my last trip of 2014 unless something pops up that requires my physical presence outside of Harris County, and looking forward to being back in New York for the first time since I was there in 2012 for the GLAAD POC Media training.

It's basically an in and out trip, with me heading there for an Arcus Foundation event and Trans Media Think Session on Thursday and then returning home Friday to tear into some post flight barbecue when I arrive at Hobby..

And yeah, you know my laptop and WNBA notepad is coming with me so I can tell y'all all about my latest adventure in advocacy.

Looking forward to seeing some New York when I get there on this nonstop bird to LaGuardia

2015 Houston Mayoral Race - The Early Declarees

When 2015 gets here in four weeks, it not only will usher on what promises to be a challenging Texas legislative session, bit it also signals the beginning of the campaign to replace Mayor Annise Parker.

We're expecting a crowded field because Mayor Parker will be term limited, but we have already had two people declare they are running for the mayor's office.

One is longtime Texas state Rep. Sylvester Turner, who lost a bid om a runoff to Bob Lanier to become Houston's first ever African-American mayor back in 1991 and a subsequent 2003 bid to Bill White.

He declared back in February that he was running, and has since made the moves to back up that declaration.  He also gets bonus points from me as a HERO supporter.

Will the third time be the charm for Rep. Turner on November 3, 2015?   We'll see.

One of his challengers will be Ben Hall, who just lost a mayoral bid to Annise Parker in 2013 and is taking another crack at it. 

I'm not a fan of Piney Point Ben Hall because he told me to my face at a October mayoral debate during the latter stages of that 2013 race he not only wasn't in favor of what later became the HERO, but would repeal Executive Order 150 that protects trans people in Houston city employment..

So Hall will probably be the preferred candidate of the HERO Haters, and his first radio ad is already pandering to the Max Miller crowd.

As to the other rumored candidates are Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia,  Councilmembers Stephen Costello, Oliver Pennington and Michael (God Put Me On City Council To Oppose The HERO) Kubosh,  and Jack Christie.    Former congressman Chris Bell is also rumored to be exploring a run for mayor..

Stay tuned to this TransGriot channel to see who becomes the next mayor for my hometown

World AIDS Day 2014 Houston Memorial

I got a chance to spend some quality time with the Gallery Girls, AKA Nikki Araguz Loyd and Meagan Gillett on Monday afternoon and evening.

One of the things that we did besides having a girls afternoon out was also take time to head to Legacy for their World AIDS Day Observance that started at 5 PM.

I was there not only to commemorate the day, but remembers my friends and family members that we have lost since 1981 to AIDS
.
It was hosted by former KHOU-TV anchor Lisa Foronda at Legacy's California St. clinic. Since the weather was a little chilly for H-town, the ceremony was moved to the facility's garage.

State Rep and Houston mayoral candidate Sylvester Turner was in attendance along with Houston city councilmembers Ed Gonzales and Ellen Cohen and representatives from Rep Sheila Jackson Lee's and State senator Rodney Ellis' office.

Proclamations were read commemorating the day read from our city council, state and federal legislators along with the names of many of the people we have lost. 

There were also people from the medical community discussing the progress that we have made toward getting to the goal of zero new HIV/AIDS infections and urging people to get tested.

After a song from Pride Superstar Daniel Rosales, a community candlelight walk commenced to circle the Montrose block the Legacy Clinic occupies before it concluded.

Koko Jones Release Show Tonight

As some of you already know, my sis Koko Jones dropped a new album called Who's That Lady' back on November 18.

Unfortunately I'm going to miss this by at least 48 hours, but later tonight Koko is having a CD release event with her band Soul Spirit from 8-9:30 PM EST at SubCulture.

The location of the venue is 45 Bleecker Street and you can get your advance tickets for it for $15.   Tickets at the door will be $20.

Doors open at 7 PM, so get there early

So go check out some live music from a  girl like us who toured with the Isley Brothers and Whitney Houston, has played with a wide variety of artists across several music genres and has been in the music scene fro four decades.

World AIDS Day 2014

Today is World AIDS Day 2014 in which we remember all the people we have lost due to the epidemic worldwide and take stock of where we are internationally in terms of eradicating it.

While there has been progress over the last thirty years in terms of combating the virus, we still have a long way to go in order to achieve the goal of an AIDS free generation.

The transgender community is one of the groups affected by HIV/AIDS as the 2000 Washington Transgender Needs Assessment first alarmingly brought to our attention.

One of the issues that Trans HIV/AIDS activists and our allies are trying to get rectified is for the CDC and senior level policy makers to separate trans people from the MSM (men having sex with men) statistics so that we can be more accurately tracked and so that funding can be directed at trans populations instead of having our people inflating the MSM numbers so that gay orgs doing the work to fight HIV/AIDS in our community get funding and we don't .

It also causes problems in collecting statistics when you refer to a trans feminine woman in a survey as a 'man having sex with a man'.   That needs to change ASAP. 

I've lost relatives and friends to AIDS, and I like everyone else, including the people infected with HIV and the researchers and doctors working to find a way to cure it, would love to see the goal of an AIDS free generation become a reality.

TransGriot Tour Of Houston TBLG Friendly Churches Continues

One of the things I get a little sick of in the trans and SGL community is people blanket bashing churches. 

While some of them like Grace KKKomunity Church and Second Baptist deserve derision and our community's contempt for their ongoing Bible bashing, do not forget there are not only liberal progressive churches in Houston, but churches that have no problems opening their doors wide to our community, and liberal progressive ministers who see the trans human rights struggle as the next human rights one and want to be on the correct side of history..

And do not forget many of those liberal progressive ministers stood with us during the HERO fight a few months ago and still are.

What I decided to do was to check out the various churches in Houston that are LGBT friendly and check our their services, worship styles, et cetera so that I have some real world knowledge of which ones to recommend to people and newly out people who are looking for a church home.

I checked out Progressive Open Door Community Church (AKA the POD) last weekend for their inaugural  Transgender Outreach service.   This weekend since I now live right down the street from it, I'll be checking out Resurrection MCC's 11 AM service. 

And yes Pastor Lura, I'll be hitting Grace Lutheran Church in the Montrose area before 2014 is history.

If you local TransGriot readers are aware of trans or SGL friendly churches you think I should hit, drop their name, address and time they have their services so I can check them out

As for you peeps at Resurrection MCC, see y'all in a few hours.

Can Y'all Stop Hatin' On Trans Women For The 2014 Holiday Season?

I wrote posts in 2009, 2011 and 2013 asking this question, and in light of the fact we're getting ready to start another holiday season, just thought I'd ask the question one more time.

Can y'all stop hatin' on trans women for the holidays?

I know the TERF's are incapable of doing it because it's programmed into their intolerant of trans women DNA, so no point in even directing this question at them.  

But for the rest of the planet that is capable of love and compassion for their fellow human beings, can y'all refrain for one month from killing or injuring my trans sisters or at the very least, making disparaging transphobic remarks?

For the 2014 holiday season, I would like for not one transperson anywhere in the world to be killed or injured.

For the 2014 holiday season I'd like to not have to read or hear about hate speech or misgendering comments about us coming from friends, frenemies and foes

For the 2014 holiday season, I'd like to not have to see any anti-trans comments from religious leaders.
 
For the 2014 holiday season I'd like to not see a positive story about us on the Net have a comment thread attached to it with an avalanche of hateful, ignorant and transphobic comments.

And as a holiday gift to us, for the 2014 holiday season, can we trans women around the world simply be able to live our daily lives without drama?

Yeah, it's wishful thinking, but I'm going to at least say it so it has a fighting chance of actually happening.