Black Trans Year In Review 2014

In a few days we'll be flipping the calendar to 2015 and wondering what the next twelve months in Black Trans World will bring.  It's going to have to be a serious year after the high bar we set for 2014 and the history we seemed to make every month..

It started out on a shocking note with the untimely death in a New Year's Day car accident in Oakland of Minister Bobbie Jean Baker.   The sadness of losing our sister to a hit and run driver was quickly eclipsed by the wonderful news from Minnesota that the unjustly incarcerated CeCe McDonald was going to be released from prison, with that happening on January 13.

Black trans people were all over the media in 2014, and that started early with CeCe McDonald's appearance on the Melissa Harris-Perry Show with Laverne Cox. 

But it wasn't the only time Laverne Cox received media face time in 2014.   Besides her Orange Is The New Black role, the most important one happened January 6 on the Katie Couric Show when she respectfully broke it down to Katie along with Carmen Carrera that questions about our genitalia are no longer acceptable for media people to ask.

That led to Tiq Milan appearing with Christina Kahrl on CNN to discuss the media trans reporting fails.  Laverne also was featured on a Time magazine cover in April, received a historic Emmy nomination, was on the cover of ESSENCE magazine and was named to the EBONY Power 100.

Janet Mock also continued to be a 2014 news and history maker.   In addition to setting Piers Morgan straight for his jacked up attack interview of her, on February 4 she released her memoir Redefining Realness and began a book tour to support it.

She became the first out trans person to have a book make the New York Times bestseller list.  Mock also closed out the year on a high personal note by announcing her engagement December 23.  Wedding date has yet to be set.

We lost two trailblazing trans sisters to cancer this year.   In Philadelphia we lost trailblazing trans sister Jaci Adams in February.   Chicago's trans and HIV/AIDS activist communities are still mourning the December 6 loss of Joy Morris. We also lost San Diego based advocate Kenishia Hubbard on August 18.

The Black trans community was once again well represented when the second edition of the Trans 100 was released March 30.   Nominations are now being taken for the third edition of it.

Janet and Laverne were an example of Black trans people getting attention from the mainstream Black community when they were honored by being named to the 2014 The Root 100 List. 

I took a lot of heat when I questioned the timing of B. Scott's trans declaration within hours of filing a gender discrimination lawsuit against BET.  I was vindicated when Scott lost that lawsuit and noted he went right back to being an androgynous gay male.

Once again because of the bathroom predator lie the professional trans haters are spreading to fight the passage of laws to fight anti-trans discrimination, we have had instances of ignorant people harassing trans women for simply going to the bathroom to handle their nature calls.  

Kaye Bowers in Arkansas was fired from her job at Mickey D's because a customer complained after she went to the correct bathroom for her outward gender presentation, and in Charlotte, Andraya Williams' case after being disrespected at her community college garnered national attention and at last report a pending lawsuit.

The Black Trans Advocacy Conference in Dallas had another successful run and drew over 100 people including a certain blogger who celebrated her birthday on the last day of it.

Outrage reigned across Black Trans World in May when two trans women were attacked on a MARTA train in the ATL and no one came to their aid.  The wastes of DNA who perpetrated the transphobic attack were later arrested.

There was also outrage over the arrest and conviction of Monica Jones in Phoenix for Walking While Black Trans.  As the New Year unfolds we will see if justice is served in her case.

Longtime San Diego based trans activist Tracie Jada O'Brien was honored by the California LGBT Caucus on June 23.  

Two days later history was made when Tona Brown stepped onto the storied stage of Carnegie Hall to become the first out\trans African-American to perform there

One of the things I had noted that it had been a quiet year in terms of African-American trans women being killed due to anti-trans violence.   That suddenly came to an end in June when in rapid succession, Kandy Hall, Yaz'min Shancez, and Tiffany Edwards were killed along with Latina trans activist Zoraida Reyes.   12 African-American trans women would eventually be lost to anti-trans violence in 2014, and a #BlackTransLivesMatter hasttag has been created to remind our cis African-American family about that simple  fact..

Our fave WMMA fighting sis Fallon Fox not only was kicking azz and taking names in the octagon, she was taking on the anti-trans sporting ignorance in the sports world. 

Fallon was also pointing out the reluctance of the two main WMMA circuits to sign her as they hypocritically sign female fighters with WORSE records than Fox's 5-1 mark.

The most delicious 2014 Fox WMMA bout was a September 13 microwaved beatdown of one of her transphobic critics Tamikka Brents.    Bet Ms Brents doesn't have any doubts about Ms Fox's WMMA skills now, does she?

It was a great year for the trans brothers as well.  Dr Kortney Ryan Ziegler's took Trans* H4CK from its Oakland home to successful stagings of it across the country in Las Vegas, Chicago and Boston.  

Tiq Milan's handsome face was not only seen on various talk shows this year discussing trans people in the media, in May he got married to his spouse Kim.

Speaking of positive media coverage, this Candy magazine cover featured a glam shot of several trans activists of color that should have been non controversial, but was anything but..  

It points out that in 2015, some of the ongoing education we'll have to do is also inside our own trans community.  Elements of it fail to realize (or deliberately want to ignore the fact) that race matters in trans world  and the transitions of Black trans people are not like theirs.

Speaking of 2015, will be interesting to see what happens for our community in the next twelve months.   In addition to witnessing the things we didn't expect, we'll observe what things good, and bad will affect us as we reach the midpoint of the second decade of the 21st century.

METRORail Green and Purple Lines Opening Delayed Until 2015

One of the presents we Houston light rail enthusiasts were hoping to get this Christmas was the opening of the METRORail Green and Purple lines this month like METRO did for the Red Line extension last year.

The opening of the lines had already been delayed earlier this year to October.  Because of problems with the Siemens axle counters that help METRO keep track of the rail cars and construction damage to a chilled water pipe under the Purple Line downtown, it pushed the opening of the new lines back to April 2015.

The opening of those lines when it finally happens will add another 10 miles of track to the already operational METRORail Red Line.

Far from 'nobody riding it' as rail critics deriding it as 'the toy train' loudly sneer,  the METRORail is four years ahead of ridership projections with over 100 million boardings on just one 12.8 mile rail line.   It is the second heaviest traveled rail system in the southern US.

One of the things delaying the opening is the new 1000 room Marriott Marquis Convention Hotel being constructed near the shared tracks of the Green and Purple Lines by Minute Maid Park.   A chilled water pipe under that line was accidentally damaged by construction workers. 

The repairs to it required tearing up the roadway, the section of light rail track above the damaged chilled water line it along with the fiber optics and communications, and then rebuilding and testing it to ensure it works properly.  That process took twelve weeks, making it next to impossible for METRO to open the lines this year.

While we're waiting for service to start on the Green and Purple Lines, there has been progress made in getting the CAF rolling stock that will be transiting the new lines when they finally do open for revenue service.   

Out of the 39 cars contracted for by METRO, 12 have been delivered.  Car 301, the lead one in the CAF ordered rail vehicles has successfully completed its 'burn-through' testing..

Construction has also been completed on the Central Transit Station which although it isn't as show stopping as the one the design contest winners came up with, will be ready when the Green and Purple lines finally open for service.

Happy Black Trans Kwanzaa 2014

Haban gari    What's The News?  

Well, today's news is that it is the first night of Kwanzaa for those peeps who celebrate it.  It will run through  January 1.

During the Kwanzaa 2010 and 2011 celebrations I wrote a series of posts that put a Black trans twist on the seven Nguzo Saba principles celebrated each night during Kwanzaa. 

What I attempted to do in 2010 and 2011 was break down  each one of the Nguzo Saba principles that are celebrated during Kwanzaa and explain how they apply to the African descended trans community.   

I wanted to point out by doing so not only that African-American trans people are not only members of the general African-American community with a shared history, but we trans Black folks can also use these principles  to organize to help us own our power

What are those principles that kinara candles are lit for over the next seven days of Kwanzaa?

• Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together.
• Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
• Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
• Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
• Imani (Faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

As the late Kwame Ture said. "In order to become a part o the greater society, you must first close ranks.".   It has been necessary at the beginning of this second decade of the 21st Century for trans African-Americans to unify, collectively organize, and own our power.

That simple act, combined with the last two years of proud African-American trans people becoming visible possibility models and spokespersons for the trans human rights movement and ourselves has scared the crap our of some folks.

It shouldn't, but if it does, too bad.because the Black trans unification train has left the station, and this needed to happen a long time ago.

We are simply doing what our ancestors did at the turn of the 20th century when also confronted by an America hostile to them and using those time tested techniques to build our community

We African-American transpeople exist at the intersections of oppressions for being Black and trans, and we have to come up with strategies to navigate those issues.

We are also evolving to become New Black Transmen and Transwomen.   We are beyond sick and tired of being demonized not only by society, but by elements of our own people who are doing so to sell out to the white conservative power structure or out of sheer ignorance.

They are also joined by elements of the white trans community jealous of our recent positive media attention.    Those issues must be addressed in concert with our allies in 2015 and beyond as well. 
  
The process must continue because in order for us to be able to help the ENTIRE trans community advance to have the human rights we all deserve, the African-American trans community must do so in order to counter the Forces of Intolerance who are organizing to oppose our just human rights cause.

And if you can't visualize the value of a stronger, powerful unified Black trans cohort confidently exercising its power in concert with our allies , then the problem lies with you.

So Happy Kwanzaa, Black Trans Style 2014.

Shut Up Fool Awards- Last Fool For 2014 Edition

This is the last Friday of 2014, and y'all know what happens on these electronic pages on Fridays.

The Shut Up Fool Awards for the last several years has been one of my more popular features on these electronic pages in which I call  out folks for exhibiting mind numbing stupidity, gleeful hypocrisy, and the WTF moments that make your head spin.

And as Mr. T, our SUF Awards inspiration has started more than a few times, "Fools are everywhere"

Especially in the GOP-controlled Congress and the GOP run Texas Legislature.

That sadly guarantees that I won't be having any problems having fools to call out every Friday in 2015 along with selecting this year and next year's Shut Up Fool of the Year.

You can check out who wins the 2014 Shut Up Fool of the Year at 12 noon CST on New Year's Eve.

Now let's get to what fool, fools or group of fools deserved it this week.

Honorable mention number one is to the three NYPD officers who wore shirts mocking the 'I Can't Breathe' rallying cry of the Garner protestors.

And you wonder why people are singing NWA right now. 

Honorable mention number two is Gaylard Williams.  He's a gaybaiting pastor in Seymour, IN who has been arrested and charged with battery for making unwanted sexual advances.

And it wasn't with a woman.   Yep, another faith based hypocrite has been exposed, and you know what they say about those who doth protesteth too much. 

Honorable mention number three is Rudy Guiliani, who parted his loud and wrong lips to blame President Obama for the deaths of the the two NYC police officers.

That old crossdresser needs to have several sections of seats in Yankee Stadium and STFU.

Honorable mention number four  is Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) who while on his way out of the Senate door blocked funding for a new veterans hospital in Tulsa because he claimed 'they were building a Taj Mahal'

Bet all those vets in Oklahoma who voted GOP are regretting that vote now aren't they?

The last Shut Up Fool Award winner for 2014 is Pat Lynch, the leader of the NY Patrolmen's Benevolent Association Union, the largest of the 5 NYC police unions.  . 

Lynch has a long history of  making inflammatory and racist comments , and is stating true to form in the wake of the killing of Eric Garner and since the non indictment of one of his police officers in that case.

Now in the wake of two NYPD officers being killed, he opened his big mouth to say "that the blood of the murdered officers was on the hands of the protesters, and “on the steps of City Hall, in the office of the Mayor”.

Naw homes, it's on the hands of the person who pulled the trigger,

Pat Lynch, you're one major reason why peeps in NYC and elsewhere can't stand the po-po's.   You're defending the indefensible.  Why don't you. shut up, fool?

It's Important For Trans Women Of Color To See Peeps Like Themselves

Ever since Christine Jorgensen stepped off the plane at what is now JFK Airport from Denmark in February 1953, the discussions about trans femininity have been predominately focused on our white counterparts

While that has been wonderful for white trans women, and how wonderful is up for debate, that six decades of focus on white trans women has been detrimental to trans women of color.

Yeah,we all know that Sylvia Rivera is the mother of the trans rights movement, are getting to know about Miss Major's contributions, and every now and then a Roberta Close, Harisu, Ai Haruna and various Thai trans women would pop up in the media radar when they wanted to briefly focus on transgender issues.  

But the dominant focus stayed on white transfeminine women.   Trans women of color were only seen and heard about when it came to negative issues in the community like anti-trans violence, silicone pumping or HIV/AIDS.

Now that script is starting to flip, and a new generation of trans women of color are getting positive media coverage.   In addition to our lost history being unearthed and talked about, we are starting to get credit for being trailblazing leaders in this trans human rights movement.   We are being discussed as beauty icons, or seen making history and looking good while doing so.

Sadly, elements of the trans feminine  community ain't liking it.

Too bad, because it's been a long overdue development that needed to happen.  The voices of transfeminine women of color needed to be heard not only by Middle America, but by our own people as well.   A blow needed to be struck to take down the 'tragic  trans victim' meme that disproportionately centered trams women of color in it.

While trans women of color have disproportionately taken the brunt of the anti-trans violence casualties, those stories needed to be balanced out by trans women of color leading and doing positive things for our community.

It's also important that trans women of color also be seen as beautiful as well, vis a vis a beauty standard that idealizes white womanhood be you cis or trans 24/7/365.

Black trans women have to struggle with the same 'unwoman' meme that our cis Black sisters have dealt with for four centuries and battling a beauty paradigm not designed with us in mind..   

So yes, we African-American trans women and our cis feminine allies are reveling in the fact that we are seeing beautiful women like Janet Mock, Angelica Ross, Precious Davis, Tona Brown  and  Laverne Cox among others lead, intelligently discuss trans issues and look good doing so.

It has been wonderful to see trans Latinas like Bamby Salcedo, Arianna Lint, Maria Roman and others around the country also step up and take leadership roles in their community as well as inspiring others to do so.

The more diverse our trans human rights movement leadership is, the better.

As this country gets more diverse, the trans feminine leadership in this movement must diversify as well.   The ongoing discussions we have about trans femininity also need to add the perspectives of trans women of color.  

And with trans kids transitioning at earlier ages, it is important for those kids and trans kids of color to see peeps like themselves.

It's also important for their parents, grandparents, our overall society and the communities that trans women of color inhabit to see positive instances of trans women of color contributing to the betterment of our communities as well
.

25 Years Later, A Trans Murder Victim's Assailant Is Arrested

Back in 1989  Santa Ana, CA resident Carla Leigh Salazar was stabbed to death in her apartment.  

While the murdered trans woman's case was investigated by Santa Ana police, they didn't identify a suspect at the time, and the case eventually went  to the cold case file like many of the unsolved murders that involve trans women. 

With the advances in DNA for criminal case detective work, it has allowed police investigators to take a fresh look at cases that couldn't be solved under the methods of the day and gives them another tool in their crime fighting toolbox to close those cold cases.

An arrest has been made in the Salazar case in the person of 63 year old Douglas Gutridge.   

He was an acquaintance of Salazar, may have been the last person to see Salazar alive and was suspected by the police of committing the crime.   In 2007 police investigators received lab evidence that indicated an unidentified male had been in the apartment at the time of Salazar's death.

That led police investigators in 2009 to contact Gutridge, who volunteered to submit a DNA sample.   That evidence wasn't enough to detain him at the time.   Continued advances in forensics technology and the formation in Orange County of a Cold Case Homicide Task Force to address a backlog of over 1000 area cold cases led to the renewed interest in the Salazar one.

The advancements in forensic technology combined with Gutridge's DNA place him not only in Salazar's apartment at the time of the murder, but also showed the placement of his hands on her body.

Based on that new evidence, Gutridge was arrested on December 9 and charged with Salazar's murder.  It was also the first arrest for the newly minted Orange County Cold Case Homicide Task force.    He is facing 25 years to life if convicted, and is being held on a $1 million bond with arraignment scheduled for January 2.

And it gives ne another trans murder case to track in the New Year to see if our fallen sister receives justice.

TransGriot 2014 NFL Picks Week 17

The games aren't happening until Sunday, but might as well get the picks for the final week of the 2014 NFL regular season up so y'all have something to read on those new tablets, laptops and cellphones some of y'all got for Christmas. 

The last 16 games of the 256 regular season NFL contests are all going down on Sunday, and I'm pretty much locked into second place despite winning my second consecutive week. 

Mike has been taking a victory lap since he opened up that big lead on both me and Eli that neither of us have been able to overcome,

As for Eli, after winning the 2013 title in his rookie season, he has fallen victim to the Prognostication Championship Hangover I suffered from last year.

Let's talk about my fave NFL squad for a moment.   Was very happy to see them beat the Ravens 25-13 and get Case Keenum his first NFL win as a starting QB at the same time after going 0-8 in that horrid 2-14 season last year..

The Texans because of that win still have faint hopes of qualifying for the2014 NFL playoffs, but it will take a holiday miracle for it to happen

It starts with them handling their NFL business and winning their final home game at NRG Stadium versus the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Baltimore and San Diego losing.

Good luck with all that happening.  While I believe in sporting miracles, as a longsuffering Houston sports fans, frustration and buzzard's luck is the order of the day, and not expecting this one to happen.

Well, let me get these picks up so you can get back to your holiday merriment.   They will be as usual in underlined bold print.

Week 16 Results

TransGriot    10-6
Eli                  9-7
Mike              10-6

2014 NFL Season Record

TransGriot     157-82-1
Eli                  148-91-1
Mike              167-72-1

NFL Week 17

Sunday Early Games
Carolina over Atlanta
Baltimore over Cleveland
Dallas over Washington
Houston over Jacksonville
Indianapolis over Tennessee
New Orleans over Tampa Bay
Green Bay over Detroit
San Diego over Kansas City
Miami over NY Jets
Minnesota over Chicago
New England over Buffalo
Philadelphia over NY Giants

Sunday Afternoon Games
San Francisco over Arizona
Denver over Oakland
Seattle over St.Louis

Sunday Night Game
Pittsburgh over Cincinnati

Janet's Engaged!

In more dispatches from the trans community good news department, was pleased and megaexcited to hear that Janet Mock is now engaged!

Yep, damn skippy I'm giving the happy couple a TransGriot shout out for this one.

Her longtime beau Aaron Tredwell proposed to her on December 20, and you know our homegirl happily accepted that proposal.

According to Janet's FB page, she's been doing the happy dance for the last several days, and the well wishes and congratulations from all you peeps who love them are continuing to pour in.

Definitely adding mine as well.

Wedding date has yet to be set, but I'm sure the happy couple will let us know when that event is going to happen.

Congratulations to Aaron and Janet!   Can't think of a better time to have that positive event happen, and may you both continue to have a very happy life together.

Merry Christmas 2014!

Merry Christmas people!  I already received my big present in terms of a roof over my head. 

Also checked out Resurrection MCC's Christmas Eve service last night.   The climax of it was when the house lights were turned down while the children's choir was singing, and the candles we had been holding were lit.

Was a beautiful way to spend a Christmas Eve night

It's my first Christmas Day in a place of my own since 2000 and I'm still diligently working to  make it a home.   The best part about starting over from scratch and moving during the holidays is that much of the stuff you need can be acquired on sale or a deep discount after Christmas..  

But enough about me.  I hope you TransGriot readers are having a wonderful holiday season.  Safe travels to and from you final Christmas Day destinations.

I'm going to take the writing day off, but if some news pops up that warrants a post, up it will go.

Searching For My Transfeminine Cousin

We are on Christmas Day countdown in which we are out and about trying to get those last minute presents, prepare meals for Christmas dinners, or wondering what gifts are under the Christmas tree for us.

If there is one gift I'd love to have for the 2014 holiday season, it is to be reunited with my trans feminine cousin that I'll call Janet for the purposes of this post.

We lived in the newly developing (and segregated) Crestmont Plaza subdivision while my cousin Janet and her brother lived in a South Park whose demographics were rapidly changing due to rapid white flight from it.    Janet and her brother were also one of the few local Roberts cousins I was aware of and grew up with in early childhood.

Besides the trans issue, we are similar in a lot of ways.   In addition to her sharing my last name and us being roughly the same age, we are both the firstborn kids of our respective families.  My brother and I attended their birthday parties and got to see and play with them on a regular basis until we lost contact with them after their parents divorced in the early 70's.  

While from time to time I wondered what was going on in their lives, it began to pale in comparison with me try to navigate growing up transfeminine in 1970's Houston and she and her brother faded from my memory for a while.

That changed one day when I was in my high school health class during my junior year at JJ in 1978. A cisfeminine .sophomore student who had gone to Johnston Jr. High with my cousin asked me in front of the entire class if Janet (and used her old male name while doing so) was my cousin.   When I replied yes, she called her the f-word that rhymes with maggot, and I swiftly chewed her ass out for disrespecting my cousin and moi. 

I also sarcastically said to  the messy cis female when I finished calling her out it bothered her because she was probably attracted to my cuz.  We rolled our eyes at each other and moved on.

That was my first clue that something was going on with Janet.   I wouldn't get another one until I took a non-rev trip to California in 1992 and ended up visiting the home of Janet's father while accompanied by a then close cisfeminine cousin of mine who was living in Cali at the time. 

While we were visiting his expansive house, I noted the pics of his two sons on the wall of his study, but none of Janet.  Since I was seriously contemplating getting my own transition party started at the time, I silently sat there and wondered if that was going to be my fate with my own family. 

Two years later I was on the verge of beginning my own transition, and sat my parents down in the living room of our home to inform them of my intentions to do so.  In their attempt to dissuade me from transitioning, they mentioned the existence of Janet and alluded to how challenging her life was.  When I heard I had a trans cousin, all I felt at the time for my parents was anger for keeping that information from me and tuned them out.

It's now Christmas Eve 2014.  I've gotten over the anger I felt for having Janet's existence hidden from me   I often wondered if our paths crossed while I was running around Montrose in the 1980's and 1990's, and .she has never been too far from my thoughts since then even as I navigated my own bumpy at times transition road. 

The trans historian part of me  really wants to know how her life has turned out, especially since she had the guts to transition in the more challenging 1970s and 1980's.  

And yes, because she's my blood family and also trans, if Janet is still alive, I want to get reacquainted with her because we are both trans and have a lot of catching up to do.

So if you happen to be reading this Janet, get in touch with your cousin.  It's been way too long since we saw and talked to each other, and I'd love to have lunch with you as a starting point especially if you're still living in H-town..

And I hope and pray that Christmas wish is granted..

I'm A MUSED Magazine 2014 Game Changer!

While I was taking the rest of the day off  so I could binge watch Hit & Miss and see a few other movies,  I received word via my Facebook page that I'd been blessed with another unexpected honor.

MUSED magazine is a Black LGBT publication that started last year compiling a list of people they considered game changers in the Black LGBT community, but weren't well known to the rest of the world.

On their list of 2014 Game Changers, you'll see a familiar name on it

Actually, there's two names familiar to you TransGriot readers.   One is mine, and the other is my homegirl Kimberley McLeod, the founding editor of ELIXHER magazine,

But thank you MUSED magazine for the early Christmas present and the honor of being named to your second annual Game Changers List.   It is deeply appreciated.

. 

Team USA Is In Group D In The FIFA Women's World Cup

One of the major sporting events we will get to look forward to in a few months is the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup which will be contested north of the border in Canada.

In addition to the expanded field of 24 teams, the prize money was increased to $15 million.
In addition goal line technology will also be in use during this tournament. 

One of the things the players also want in this tournament is to play on grass instead of artificial turf. an which the organizers and FIFA have been recalcitrant on for now.

But with the June 6 date for the World Cup rapidly approaching and the qualification round completed, it was time to find out the groups the 24 teams would play in for the initial round of the tournament.

The draw for the upcoming 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup was held back on December 6 in Ottawa, with Team USA being placed in Group D as one of the tournament's top seeded teams. 

The other teams joining them in Group D when play kicks off June 8 in Winnipeg will be Australia, Sweden and Nigeria.   Sweden is now coached by Pia Sundhage, who coached Team USA to the 2011 Women's World Cup final in Germany and the 2012 Olympic gold medal in London.  She returned home to her native country to coach their national team after the Games.  

So that June 12 match should be an interesting one for FIFA world number one ranked Team USA, who is seeking to win their first world title since 1999 and they lost on penalty kicks to Japan in 2011.

The groups ended up as follows:

Group A: Canada, China, New Zealand, Netherlands
Group B: Germany, Ivory Coast, Norway, Thailand
Group C: Japan, Switzerland, Cameroon, Ecuador
Group D: United States, Australia, Sweden, Nigeria
Group E: Brazil, Korea Republic, Spain, Costa Rica
Group F: France, England, Colombia, Mexico

Will be interesting to see how the tournament plays out this June.

Since When Is Featuring Glamorous TWOC On A Magazine Cover A Trans Activism Problem?

Once again, we trans women of color have to point out the freaking obvious in terms of these salient points.  

*Our trans feminine transitions are not like our white counterparts.  
*Race matters, even in the trans community.
*Black trans women fight the same demonization of Black beauty that our cis counterparts have dealt with for four centuries.

Elle Boatman wrote an op-ed published in Advocate.com entitled Trans Glamour vs. Trans Activism that critiqued a Candy magazine cover that featured Janet Mock, Laverne Cox, Geena Rocero and Carmen Carrera that seemed to presume that trans glamour and trans activism are mutually exclusive.

Since when?  I found the timing of this argument interesting, especially when the women on that Candy cover are predominately trans women of color.

Who says that trans glamour and trans activism aren't complementary?   Why is glamour and activism an issue in this case when it wasn't for trans women with less melanin in their skin like the late Christine Jorgensen, April Ashley, Caroline Cossey and most recently Jenna Talackova?
And with trans kids transitioning at younger ages, there's a high probability some of those young trans feminine activists are going to grow up to be very attractive trans women when they hit adulthood.

I'm amazed and perplexed to see a magazine cover of glammed up trans women of color elicit such a response and I have to ask the question why.   Is that Candy cover of glamorous trans women of color perceived as that much of a threat to white trans women?  Do you not realize that broadening the conversation also helps our trans human rights struggle?  Are elements of the white trans feminine community still mad because the trans feminine narrative for the first time since 1953 is not all about white women?

L'lerret Jazelle Ailith wrote a response to the Advocate.com op-ed on her blog  in which she said:

"It’s odd that a white woman is critiquing the ways in which trans women of color perform gender and how they “conform to the norms” seeing that norms and everything having to do with beauty and gender and acceptability are meant to keep non white folks out. Elle says that these women ‘blend in’ and are ‘conventionally beautiful’ when that just isn’t the case. Being black in the first place automatically knocks one out of this country’s historical colonialists and white imperialist convention."

Ailith continues to say in her brilliant response to the op-ed  post:  "Activism cannot be quantified and I think operating under the idea that it can can have people feeling super uncomfortable. As a white woman, you may not understand this but the simple act of getting up and being in the public eye and proclaiming your transness unapologetically is an act of revolution for every trans person of color and in that right, they are doing the work.

How dare you demean the existence of women who didn’t have to speak on their identity but chose to do so in order to work towards a more inclusive and visible society where young black and brown persons felt value and could imagine dreaming up more than trying to blend in and get “normal jobs” and be respectable; A society where they could finally feel beautiful and in charge of their own destinies. How dare you label the work of fellowshipping to the younger folks looking up to these possibility models as insignificant."

So yes, I'm pleased and proud to see a generation of young trans feminine activists of color who not only have no problem looking fly, but handling their activist business either like Precious Davis, Katrina Goodlett, Angelica Ross, Channyn Parker, L'lerret Ailith and Arianna Lint just to name a few.

That is vitally important as we trans activists of color seek to work with, advance the trans human rights cause  and 'ejumacate' communities that are even more rigidly invested in the gender binary. 

One of the negative memes that has historically been deployed against trans women by our oppressors is the 'linebacker in a dress' one. It is one that is doubly problematic when it is aimed at African-American trans women, because we also have to deal with society's four century old 'unwoman' attacks on Black womanhood

You also have the reverse situation of any Black woman who doesn't fit societal expectations of what feminine beauty is having 'that's a man' shade hurled at her or worse.

If you think I'm kidding about that, when the tennis season cranks up in a few weeks and Serena Williams starts beating the European tennis glamazons again, check out what is said about her in the comment sections.
It is a problem when our white trans feminine counterparts don't understand or are clueless about  those salient points I highlighted earlier in the opening paragraph, but fail to understand until recently the trans societal beauty standard and discussion around trans femininity was very much being all about them until we point it out.   

And don't get huffy or mad because we trans women of color did so.

Malala's 2014 Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech

Because I'm still in the process of moving and only getting my TV recently, I finally got a chance to see Malala Yousafzai's historic Nobel Prize acceptance speech. 

She is the youngest Nobel Laureate ever at age 17, but don't sleep on her.   Malala's voice for women's rights and passionate push for the education for girls in developing countries is loud and needs to be heard by their people running these countries.

Here is the video of her December 10 Nobel Prize acceptance speech in Oslo, Norway.

Happy Birthday Aisha!

Today happens to be the birthday of one of the people I admire and go into fangirl  mode when I'm in her and her lovely spouse's presence.

And yep, she's warrants a TransGriot birthday shoutout.

I'm talking about the fabulous Aisha Moodie-Mills, who you can hear along with Danielle on their Politini show. which broadcasts on Thursday's at 8 PM EST on blis.fm   

You can also see Aisha  and her spouse on various news and cable outlets like the Melissa Harris Perry Show and countless others adding her insightful commentary on various current events and looking stylish while doing so.

And I wanna be just like her when I grow up.

Happy birthday Aisha!   May it be filled with abundant blessings and continued success in the New Year!.

Casa Ruby Gets Two Grants!

Christmas came early for Casa Ruby up in Washington DC as they were awarded two grants to help fund two of the center's programs 

Last month the DC Department of Human Services awarded the Casa Ruby Multicultural LGBT Center a $379,000 grant to help it operate a transitional center for 10-12 homeless LGBT youth.

They still need to raise another $30-40,000 to renovate and furnish a building which will serve as the home for those LGBT youth who end up there.

Casa Ruby also received a $75,000 grant from the NY based Elton John AIDS Foundation that will be used to strengthen its HIV/AIDS prevention programs that target the Washington area transgender and Latino populations.

Congratulations to founding director Ruby Corado-Walker for the continued positive growth and success of Casa Ruby in serving the Washington DC community.  Looking forward to the next time I get to visit and see the latest accomplishments of your vitally needed center.

Who Will Be The Shut Up Fool Of The Year For 2014?

One of the features of this blog that you longtime TransGriot readers have repeatedly told me you love is the weekly Shut Up Fool Awards.

An outgrowth of that is an eagerly awaited by my readers New Year's Eve tradition in which on December 31,  I take the time to honor the person, persons or group who had a year's worth of WTF moments with the TransGriot Shut Up Fool of the Year Award.

With this being an election year, I had plenty of fools to choose for this honor who showed consistent levels of stupidity, arrogance and ignorance from January 1 to December 31.

But with New Year's Eve fast approaching, need to not only decide who gets it for 2104 with your help, but remind y'all who were the previous peeps who walked away with Shut Up Fool of The Year honors.

The inaugural winner in 2009 was then RNC chair Michael Steele who ran away with that title.  He was followed by Sarah Palin in 2010,.   In 2011 Herman Cain snagged the honor over some stiff competition followed by runaway 2012 winner Mitt Romney. 

Last year it was the junior senator from Alberta, Ted Cruz making the late run to snag the 2013 Shut Up Fool of The Year honors.

So who will win it for 2014?    Good question.    You'll need to check the blog at noon CST on New Year's Eve to find out.

Shut Up Fool Awards-Happy Hannukah 2014 Edition

We are now into the third day of the Festival of Lights, which means the third candle will be lit on the menorahs of my Jewish friends, trans family and allies who celebrate this holiday.

And yes, they do have some creative menorahs to hold those holiday candles like this Star Trek Next Gen one.

Today is also Friday, and it means I have the pleasure of selecting what fool, fools, or group of fools get called out in this edition of the TransGriot Shut Up Fool Awards.

And yep, still sorting out who will be the 2014 year's Shut Up Fool of the Year

So lets get busy revealing who this week's holiday fools are shall we?

Honorable mention number one is Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) who if freaking out over President Obama's announcement of normalized relations with Cuba. 

Dude, the policy is over five decades old and hasn't worked.   It's time to try something different.

Honorable mention number two is Missouri State Rep. Rick Brattin, (R) who proposed a bill that would require a woman to get permission from a man to get an abortion, even if he is abusive to her.

WTF?  Well peeps, these are the type of proposed laws you get when you won't vote and the conservafools get elected.

Honorable mention number three is Ann Coulter,  for being her usual ugly self.


Honorable mention number four is a group award for Dave Welch and his Houston Area Pastors Council.   Not content with meddling in Houston human rights business and screwing up, they have now trained their sights 260 miles north to Plano and trying to get their just passed human rights law on a repeal ballot.

Hope you have the same success with that you had on this end of I-45.

This week's SUF winner is Sen Ted Cruz (Teabagger-TX).   

We can thank the junior senator from Alberta for his failed immigration political stunt during the waning days of the lame duck session.  

Because of that failed stunt, it gave the Democrats two critical extra days to confirm President Obama's pick to be Surgeon General, Dr Vivek Murthy,  and multiple judicial nominees that they gleefully took advantage of.

In addition to Teabagger Ted putting himself back in the running for a 2014 Shut Up Fool of the Year  win,, he pissed off his own party while the Democrats gleefully took advantage of his unforced political error. and rubbed it in his face after doing so.

Is it 2018 yet?   

Sen Ted Cruz, shut up fool!

Role Models-Damned Glad To Have Them

One of the things I have been most pleased to see this year is a new generation of trans women becoming well known to Middle America and at the same time, advancing the conversation about trans issues on multiple levels.

Whether it was Janet Mock with her New York Times bestselling book Redefining Realness, Laverne Cox's groundbreaking turn on Orange Is The New Black and subsequent Emmy nomination, Carmen Carrera's quest to become a Victoria's Secret model or Geena Rocero's well received coming out TED Talk and subsequent founding of GenderProud, these ladies are raising the bar in terms of being as Laverne calls it of being a possibility model

You don't have to wait until adulthood to be a trans possibility model in the 2K10's.   I have been inspired by Jazz Jennings and other trans younglings who are not only proud of being who they are, they aren't waiting for their trans elders to handle their business for them, either.

They are not only instilling pride in our trans elder ranks when they talk about their evolving lives, but taking the lead in tacking the problems unique to their age group their damned selves and doing so quite successfully.

It's not  just these ladies and our trans kids positively representing Team Trans these days.    The fellas are stepping up to lead and getting their closeups too like Tiq Milan , Dr Kortney Ziegler, and Carter Brown.

They are also doing their part to get the long needed discussion started about trans masculinity, diversifying that conversation and advancing the overall  trans human rights conversation at the same time .

There are also trans folks in all regions of the country and the world stepping up to do the trans human rights thing on a local level, and I'm so happy as a longtime trans human rights warrior to see this happening.

So glad to see more trans role models these days, and so glad to have them.

DOJ Will Interpret 1964 Civil Rights Act As Protecting Trans Government Employees

With Christmas being a week away,  US transpeeps just got a wonderful human rights present from the Department of Justice.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that they will now interpret the 1964 Civil Rights Act as protecting transgender government employees from discrimination.

Going to take legislation for that to happen for the rest of us trans Americans, but if you're working in the government sector this is fantastic news.

In a memo released today, Holder wrote that the "best reading of Title VII's prohibition of sex discrimination is that it encompasses discrimination based on gender identity, including transgender status." Holder said that while Congress "may not have had such claims in mind when it enacted Title VII, the Supreme Court has made clear that Title VII must be interpreted according to its plain text."

In a statement, Holder called the move an “important shift" that "will ensure that the protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are extended to those who suffer discrimination based on gender identity, including transgender status."

You will call the Employment Litigation Section of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.  They have the responsibility of enforcing Title VII claims against state and local governments.   The DOJ doesn't prosecute claims against private employers, and you would need to see the EEOC for that.

But in a 2014 Christmas season where we could use some good news in Trans World, this is a start.