Ahem: #BlackTransLivesMatter

Just a reminder as I head to Denver for Creating Change 2015 in the wake of trans women being attacked by thugs, one being missing for three months and others being murdered from coast to coast.

#BlackTransLivesMatter     #StopTransMurders

Angel's STILL Missing

In addition to the now four trans people that were killed last month, January 30 marked the third month that North Carolina trans woman Angel Elisha Walker has been missing.

The 20 year old Walker disappeared October 30, while driving her 2000 Pontiac Sunfire westward from Salisbury, NC.   

Her car was found badly burned east of Salisbury on November 23, and it's suspected that foul play may be at work here.   Local media misgendering of Walker also didn't help either in terms of expeditious solving of this case.

Walker often traveled to the Durham and Camp Lejuene areas, so if you have any information that will help solve this case, please call the Rowan County Sheriff's Office at 704-216-8683.

The Case For Edwards Being A Trans Murder Victim

Shaking my head at the ongoing dispute over S Edwards and whether this person IDed as a mister or miss at the time of death.

Since BuzzFeed stuck my name in their post attempting to gayjack this situation, time for me to present the case for why I initially IDed MS Edwards as trans in my January 28 post and why I'm sticking with that.

Unlike BuzzFeed's Dominic Holden, I am a Black trans woman who has written about the issues of the off the charts murders of trans women and all the issues surrounding them for years. 

I also lived in Louisville for nine years.

One of the points of contention is the Facebook page versus Indianapolis mugshot photo that shows Edwards in femme attire at the time it was taken. 

In my two decades of lived experience as a Black trans woman, I have seen more than a few young gay males who liked doing drag, claimed it was 'a hobby', only did it for pageants or gay nightclub talent nights and swore up and down they were gay men and had no intention to transition.

But a year or two later after having that gender epiphany, those same gay males were declaring they were trans, swallowing hormones, answering to feminine names and transitioning to live full time as female.

I received a January 29 e-mail from a Louisville area trans woman who asserts she talked to the EMT who picked up Edwards at the Fern Valley motel at the time of the January 9, shooting, and said in that e-mail the EMT told her the person they picked up ' was not in what you consider standard drag' .

That EMT would know because LMFD EMT's are trained to know the difference between a trans woman and a cis male dressed in drag.

Police departments across this country have a long sorry history which has aggravated me and other trans advocates for years of misgendering trans murder victims as male, even when they have developed feminine bodies and been transitioned over a period of years.  They are still unfortunately stuck in that mentality of looking at genitalia and not gender presentation.

And yes, this is still an active LMPD investigation.

Did Edwards ID as male or female at the time of the murder?   The only person who knows the definitive answer to that question has had their voice permanently stilled by Henry Richard Gleaves.

The rest of us are left to speculate about it or how Edwards' all too brief life would have progressed if not for that fatal January DaVille encounter with Gleaves.

But one thing that isn't up for debate is that trans women of color, and especially Black trans women are under assault.  Stopping trans murders and the off the charts violence aimed at trans women of color is what all of us in LGBT world need to be focused on.

This case also points to the necessity of police departments accurately IDing trans victims of these crimes.   They need to cease and desist with their practice of IDing trans victims based on genitalia, and telling media outlets when they release that news they are men.

Moni's Take On The Bruce Jenner Situation

Been seeing increasing chatter about whether Olympian Bruce Jenner is about to transition, and I've been getting asked questions about it.

Here's my take on it.

I'm going to treat this like the Lana Wachowski situation a few years ago, which was similar to this one in terms of a public personality facing rampant unconfirmed rumors that they may be about to or have started a gender transition..

This reminds me of 2003, when there were rampant rumors coming from the West Coast that Lana was about to come out as trans.

Despite photos at various events of her en femme, reports of divorce proceedings, a Rolling Stone article, medical procedures, et cetera , it still took a few years before Lana finally announced she was part of Team Trans in 2012.

My rule has been in these situations that if a person hasn't declared they are trans, I consider them cisgender. until that declaration happens.

Until Bruce has that press conference, rumors about a Jenner transition are just that, rumors.

Houston Hate Crimes Town Hall Meeting Next Sunday

According to the latest hate crime statistics, in 2013 there were five hate crimes reported that targeted lesbian, gay and bisexual Houstonians.

And how many were there reported that targeted transgender Houstonians?   ZERO.

Those are unbelievable numbers in a city of over two million people and no non-discrimination law on the books covering us at the time and suggests that the actual number of hate crimes directed at the Houston TBLG community is being vastly under reported.

In order to learn directly from Houston's LGBT community about bias crimes in Houston, the Matthew Shepard Foundation and the Montrose Center will be hosting a Town Hall meeting.

2 - 3 PM
General meeting about hate crimes and anti-LGBT bias in Houston

3:15 - 4:15 PM
The transgender-specific experience

We want to hear your experience with anti-LGBT harassment and violence in Houston, or the experiences of people you know.

For example, if you experienced anti-LGBT aggression of some kind, did you report it to the police?

If you did, was it investigated properly?

If you didn't report it to the police, what kept you from reporting it?
What changes would the Houston  LGBT community need to see in order to feel fully confident that law enforcement will investigate and prosecute hate crimes?

By learning more about the actual state of anti-LGBT bias in Houston, we believe the accuracy of future hate crimes reporting will be improved, and future hate crimes will be documented and prosecuted by law enforcement. This will ultimately make Houston safer for everyone.

This is a listening session. No law enforcement personnel will be there. We are committed to provide a safe space for those in attendance.

This will take place next Sunday at the Montrose Center, 408 Branard St

If you have been the victim of a hate crime, whether or not you reported it, you can come talk to a therapist at the Montrose Center at no charge. The Montrose Center often sees people who have kept it a secret for years and years. It is never too late to get help. Call 713-529-0037 x328 to speak with their Hate Crimes Specialist.

It's Black History Month 2015

February 1 in addition to being Super Bowl Sunday is also the first day of Black History Month.

One of the missions of this blog has been to find those nuggets of Black Trans history and talk about them because it is important for you peeps to know it.

May even throw another TransGriot Black Trans History Quiz at you before this month is over.

Here's a sample question for you get to get you ready for it:

50 years ago this event took place in Philadelphia.  What was it?

It's an open Internet and TransGriot blog test and will help you get your Black trans history learn on.  And FYI, Black trans history is also being made in the 2K10's.



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LA Vigil For Michelle Yasmine Payne Tonight

New month, but the same old crap we have to deal with as we mourn the death of our 33 year old LA area trans sister Michelle Yasmine Payne.

Payne was found stabbed to death by firefighters called to put out a fire in the Van Nuys apartment she shared with her boyfriend in the 14600 block of Saticoy St yesterday morning.

A murder weapon was recovered at the scene, and there is a person of interest in this crime in Payne.s boyfriend.   He is described as being an African-American male that stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds.

If you have information that will result in the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator of this heinous crime , please call the Van Nuys detective desk at 818-374-0040. After-hours calls could be made to 818-374-1999.

If you also have a photo of our fallen sister, please get them to me ASAP.

In other news, LA based trans advocate Bamby Salcedo has organized a vigil for Ms. Payne that will start at 6 PM PST at the 14600 Saticoy St. location.   If you can be there tonight, please do so to honor our sister who was ripped away from us far too soon.

Rest in Power, Michelle Yasmine.   Your sisters will not rest until justice is served in your case.

No White People, You STILL Can't Do Blackface Because It's STILL Offensive

"My people and my culture are not costumes for you put on for your or your people's entertainment and amusement.  And when we call your azz out about it, you don't get to tell me as the offended POC party what is and isn't offensive or to 'lighten up' about it."
TransGriot, October 28, 2013

What is it that you white peeps fail to understand, when we Black people tell you it is not appropriate at ANY time for you peeps to do blackface?   Why don't you burn it in your brains to simply don't do it?

Because let's be real, that whiteness and white privilege you walk around with but vehemently try to deny exists won't let you drop the subject.   It also grates at you that those people Roger B Taney said in Dred Scott v Sandford had no rights you were bound to respect, have told y'all repeatedly not to do it because it is offensive to us.

And you wanna do blackface despite what we said.

Why I'm writing another post about this is in response to Mary Cheney asking the question why whites couldn't do blackface if men could still do drag.

The answer is still the same.  Because we told you it is offensive to us, and blackface has 185 years of racist history attached to it.

Blackface was specifically designed to demean, denigrate, disrespect and oppress African-Americans for over a   century  Those  acts centered around the caricature of African-American people as lazy, overly-cheerful, uneducated and musical in addition to dehumanizing Black people and spreading stereotypes that still persist today.

Blackface also spawned products like Ni***rhair Cigarettes, and restaurant chains like the Coon Chicken Inn restaurants that used those stereotypes in their advertising in Jim Crow era America.

Drag shows for the most part are entertainment and do not even come close to meeting that dehumanizing standard.

And since you white peeps have had the societal power and were gleefully using it to oppress peeps who didn't look like you (and still are), it will NEVER acceptable for any white person inside or outside the TBLG community to wear blackface.   Not that some of you fools in LGBT world haven't tried it.

So Mary Cheney, to answer your question, white people can't do blackface because it is still and will always be offensive.   Being part of the LGBT community doesn't give you a pass either on this issue.

Trans Woman Murdered In LA Area

/And I'm saddened to report that we are closing out the month of January with a 4th trans murder.

Was advised by longtime reader Jennifer that ABC7 in Los Angeles is reporting that a trans woman was found stabbed to death in a burned Van Nuys, CA apartment she shared with her boyfriend.

That boyfriend is a person of interest in the case.

According to the ABC7 report the deceased and her boyfriend had recently moved into the apartment located in the 14600 block of Saticoy Street.

Firefighters were called to the apartment to fight a fire at that location at 5 AM PST Saturday.  They found a woman stabbed to death on the kitchen floor and a rear bedroom on fire.

Neighbors reported to the police they heard arguing coming from the apartment at 4 PM, but police were not called at that time.

This is still a developing news situation, and when I get more details from our LA area trans family or additional news reports, I'll pass them along to you TransGriot readers.

TransGriot Update:  Our fallen sister's name is Michelle Yasmine Payne

Daddy Cruz Pimps The Transphobia

I have no love for the junior senator from Alberta, but I have even less love for his conservaevangelist father Rafael Cruz.

Rafael has been colluding with Dave Welch and some of our Houston sellout kneegrow ministers to overturn the trans inclusive non-discrimination ordinance that the Dallas area suburban city of Plano, TX passed and our passed in May 2014 Houston Equal Rights Ordinance that is now in court.

Daddy Cruz got caught on tape saying some jacked up crap about transpeople to cookie chomping kneegrow E.W Jackson, including the mind blowing comment that trans people simply using the bathrooms will bring on the Apocalypse.

Now I know where Ted Junior got his conservaidiocy from.

Since we transpeople are so powerful, I suggest we test out Daddy Cruz's theory by rolling down to Steve 'Swastika Cakes' Riggle's Haterdome  and use the bathrooms matching our gender presentation.

As a TransGriot public service, I've got the video posted so you can laugh your behinds off at the words coming out of his mouth.  

But it's this type of anti-trans hate speech that creates the climate for trans people to be killed, and I'm tired of it going unchecked and unridiculed  

It's also a reminder that this is the mentality that we are fighting for our human rights against and this type of unhinged foaming at the mouth devoid of logic transphobic hate cannot be reasoned with.

You have to destroy it.

2015 Williams Watch-Number 19!

The 2015 Australian Open started with Serena Williams being ranked number one but not having won this title since 2010.  

But with an amazing 18-4 record in Grand Slam finals, she had a great shot at ending her Australian Open title drought.

For the first time in eleven years, the Australian Open featured the world number one versus the world number two player playing for the title.   

It was Serena versus her favorite whipping girl Maria Sharapova.   Ever since that Wimbledon final upset in 2004, Serena has beaten Sharapova like a drum 15 straight times since then.  Two of those losses for Sharapova came in Grand Slam finals, the 2007 Australian Open and the 2013 French Open

Little Sis got off to a fast start in this one by immediately breaking Sharapova's serve and never trailing in that first set.   With Serena up 3-2, here comes the rain and the Rod Laver Stadium room was closed.   After the 12 minute delay, Serena won the next ten points to take control of the set 5-2 and win it  6-3,

;But Sharapova isn't ranked number two in the world for nothing, and jacked up her game another level.  Neither player dropped a game, there were some amazing shots made on both sides and the second set went to a tiebreaker.

The tiebreaker was just as hard fought as the second set was.    After Sharapova got a mini break by hitting a wicked forehand winner, Serena fought back to take both points and get back on serve.

Williams raced out to a 4-1 lead in the tiebreaker before Sharapova fought back to narrow the gap to 6-5.

But one aspect of her game that puts Serena on a another level from \the rest of the women's tennis world is her serve, and she cranked what she thought along with the Rod Laver Arena crowd was the championship point.  

But after it was called alet, she gathered herself and hit another no doubt about it ace which was the 18th of the match and the title clinching point.

6-3,7-6 (7-5).  In addition to this being Serena's 6th Australian Open title, it was her 19th Grand slam title, putting her only three behind Steffi Graf at 22 and Margaret Court at 24.

The race to catch Steffi is on, and if Serena gets a calendar year Grand Slam, she will.  Just remains to be seen if she will accomplish it.

Congrats on title number 19, and on to Paris.

TransGriot 2014 NFL Picks-Super Bowl XLIX Sunday

Well peeps, Super Bowl XLIX will be kicking off tomorrow between the New England Cheatriots Patriots and the defending NFL champion Seattle Seahawks, and I will be standing by with my snacks watching all the action along with my esteemed prognostication partners Eli and 2014 regular season champion Mike . 

Had a blast as usual competing with these two gentlemen in picking NFL games during the 2014 season, and look forward to doing so when the season cranks up again in September 2015.

I've gone 8-2 in the 2014-15 NFL postseason, and was perfec on Championship Sunday.

But it's time to pick who I  believe will be the winner of Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale. AZ.

One the surface, it looks like it's the New England offense versus the Seattle defense.    But you'd be surprised to know that the Seahawks actually had the number nine ranked offense in the league while the Patriots despite the media hype is only ranked 11th.

It's also no surprise the Seahawks thanks to Marshawn Lynch have the league's number one ranked rushing attack. We also know Seattle has the NFL's number one ranked defense that is capable of making Tom Brady have a very bad day.   Tom Terrific doesn't like it when he tastes turf on a regular basis or he has to move from his comfortable throwing spot in the pocket.  

Now New England's defense, while good, isn't at Seattle's game changing level.  It will be fun to see if they can keep Marshawn Lynch from going into beast mode or Russell Wilson from taking off on one of those backbreaking scrambles that tend to come at critical points in the game. 

Speaking of Wilson, he has a chance to make some history.  If the Seahawks win, Wilson would become the first African-American NFL QB to lead his team to back to back Super Bowl titles.

And yep, Glendale is a much closer trip for the 12th Man than it is for the Patriot fanbase.  Translation:  The Patriots may find themselves having to run silent counts to combat the noise generated by the 12th Man.

So who is going to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy when this game is over on Sunday? 

I'm picking the Seattle Seahawks to repeat as NFL champion

Shut Up Fool Awards-Happy 6th Anniversary Edition

It was on this date in 2009 that one of the regular features on this blog that you TransGriot readers have come to know and love is my weekly Shut Up Fool awards in which I shine a bright spotlight on hypocrisy, stupidity, and jaw dropping ignorance.

The inaugural fool I selected as the Shut Up Fool Awards weekly winner was FOX Noise's Juan Williams    
The weekly SUF feature grew into the Shut Up Fool of the Year Awards that I reveal on New Year's Eve, and the upcoming Shut Up Fool Lifetime Achievement Awards.

During Oscars weekend I select five people or groups and retire them from weekly SUF award consideration unless they do something so breathtakingly jacked up I just have to call them out on it. 

But let's get to this week's anniversary edition fool, shall we?

Honorable mention number one is every conservafool who spoke at Rep. Steve King's (R-IA) Freedom Summit.

Honorable mention number two is Sarah Palin.   The 2010 Shut Up Fool of the Year winner not only killed her 2016 GOP presidential nomination chances with a rambling disjointed speech, after holding up a Ready For Hillary car magnet, the pro-Hillary PAC raised $25,000, enough to qualify Palin for national finance chair status.

Honorable mention number three is a local one for FOX 26 'News' stenographer Damali Keith, for two transphobic reports this week that repeated the discredited trans bathroom predator lie and the lies of the HERO opponents with the trial about the ordinance just starting.

Honorable mention number four Pat Robertson.   He advised a fiscally struggling senior to take out a reverse mortgage on her home in order to pay 700 666 Club dues.

Honorable mention number five is faith based hater James David Manning, who admitted what many of us suspected already when he stated he'd been 'tempted by the gay lifestyle'

Dude, you're probably still hitting New York's gay hotspots to chase the boys.   Somebody please take a photo of this closet queen out and about in the gayborhood.

Honorable mention number six is all the University of Michigan frats and sororities involved in #CrimingWhileWhite and destroying two ski resorts.

Honorable mention number seven is Shepard Smith, who is whining about FOX Noise not being considered a legitimate news outlet.

When you network admits it is a propaganda arm for the GOP,  orders its predominately blonde female on air talent  to wear short dresses that if they sit wrong will confirm what genitalia is between their legs, and has NEVER won a major journalistic award in over 20 years of operation, and over a decade of surveys has proven that FOX Noise watchers are the least informed people in the US, deal with it.

If you want to be considered a serious news guy, leave FOX Noise.

Honorable mention number eight is Texas State Rep Don Huffines, who is trying to tap into his inner homobigot and file unjust legislation to roll back LGBT human rights laws in the Lone Star State.

Somebody needs to make sure this Teabagger isn't doing any wide stances in state capitol bathrooms.

Honorable mention number nine is Ben Carson.   He continues to be the frontrunner for the 2015 SUF of the Year award and coon it up for his conservamassas at the FreeDUMB Summit by putting a new twist in their tired cake analogy by claiming that anti-gay marriage bakers would poison the cake.

Honorable mention number ten is 2014 SUF of the Year winner Rep. Louie Gohmert  (R-TX), who parted his lips to say that God would punish America for the jacked up diplomatic relationship between Netanyahu and President Obama.

He also kept the momentum for a repeat SUF Of the Yerr Win \going by parting his lips to say after a federal abortion restriction bill failed that Republican females made the GOP look bad.

Dude, that ship sailed in 1964, and it's you Republican males that have done far more damage to the GOP brand than any of your wacky GOP females like Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Joni Ernst, Virginia Foxx, Marsha Blackburn....

This week's shut up fool winner is Milwaukee County (WI) Sheriff David Clarke, who did his best Uncle Ruckus impression on FOX  Noise and blamed the NAACP and Black single mothers for police shootings of unarmed Black men and boys.

How about putting the blame where it really lies, too many trigger happy racist cops instead of attacking single mothers .

Sheriff David Clarke, shut up fool.

Is It Time For The Huey P. Newton Gun Club To Visit Austin?

“no reason why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons.” - See more at: http://disinfo.com/2011/08/the-black-panthers-and-the-gun-rights-movement/#sthash.1hCCErCD.dpuf

"I see no reason why on the street today a citizen should be carrying a loaded weapon."
California Governor Ronald Reagan (R), May 2, 1967

There have been loud calls by the Tea Klux Klan and the conservafools that run our state legislature (boo hiss) to enact Open Carry laws here in the Lone Star State because believe it or not, my home state is one of just six in the nation that do not allow you to carry modern weapons without a permit..  

And with racist idiots like the Fort Worth based Open Carry Texas walking around doing nekulturny crap like threatening state legislators that  are lukewarm to the idea, that's a good thing.  I'm not in favor of an open carry law unless there is a provision in it to do instant background checks that weed out people who shouldn't have access to weapons whose sole purpose is to kill mass quantities of human beings on a battlefield in the first place.

But with GOP control of both houses and a new GOP governor, if they propose and file it, if it has enough support it'll probably pass.

But I'm seeing something in our past history that might change their conservaminds about just how great an idea open carry is, and it's based on events that happened in California back on May 2, 1967.

To protest the Mulford Act, a bill that was being proposed to repeal the law that allowed for the open carry of loaded weapons on California streets, on that day 24 Black Panther Party men and six Black Panther Party women armed with .357 Magnums, 12-gauge shotguns, and .45 caliber pistols arrived on the Cali capitol's West lawn, climbed up the capitol steps, and marched through the capitol building before Bobby Seale read Executive Mandate Number 1, a statement about Black people arming themselves against the anti-Black terror aimed at us before it was too late.

The Panthers opposed the Mulford Act because it targeted their armed police patrols designed to end the epidemic of police brutality and inform people of the constitutional rights,.  Members of the BPP would listen to police calls on a short wave radio, rush to the scene of the arrest with law books in hand and inform the person being arrested of their constitutional rights. BPP members carried publicly displayed loaded weapons on these patrols while being careful to stand no closer than ten feet from the arrest so as not be accused of interfering with the arrest.

Of course the sight of Black peeps with guns marching through the Capitol building combined with their police patrols, and Malcolm X's statements concerning  Black people exercising their 2nd Amendment rights scared the crap out of the powers that be, and they reacted in California by passing the Mulford Act  and they, along with the NRA pushing for increased gun control.

I noted that Open Carry Texas attempts to try to hold an armed march through Houston's historic predominately Black Fifth Ward neighborhood on MLK Day and Juneteenth and South Dallas ceased and desisted after the Huey P Newton Gun Club marched through South Dallas last August and members of the Houston New Black Panther Party chapter confronted the Open Carry Texas bigots at a meeting informing them they were not welcome in our neighborhoods while showing of their assault rifles

Maybe it's time for the Huey P. Newton Gun club to take a drive down I-35 south and do some lobbying for their 2nd Amendment rights as other Black 2nd Amendment advocates join them in Austin for a rally at the Capitol

Any bets on how fast the Lone Star Republicans will drop the idea of open carry when they realize that open carry laws cuts both ways and we Black folks also own guns?    

And how fast would they back off of Open Carry laws if those same Black open carry advocates marched through the ritzy Dallas area enclave of Highland Park, Houston's River Oaks and San Antonio's Alamo Heights or some ring suburban neighborhoods?

Maybe then and only then will those Republicans see the error of their conservaways and ponder the  wisdom of Saint Ronald of Reagan's words about guns 48 years ago.

FOX 26''s Damali Keith Lies On The HERO And The Houston Trans Community Again

My post about unchecked trans hate speech having deadly consequences is barely a little over 48 hours old and the FOX Noise affiliate here, KRIV-TV Fox26 has once again in their coverage of the HERO trial once again led with the discredited trans predator lie.

Damali Keith needs to read her AP Stylebook and focus on the section that covers reporting on trans people.

Just an FYI for you Damali, since journalism and balanced reporting doesn't seem to be a strong suit for your station that you've been at for over a decade or your station's parent so-called 'news' network on this subject, here's what it says:

transgender-Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.

If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the individuals live publicly.

This is how you reported the story on the HERO trial on January 26:

Chances are you've heard of the fairly new Houston ordinance that allows transgender men to use women's restrooms among other things. Now a judge and jury will hear about the ordinance. Today is day one of a trial that names Mayor Annise Parker as a defendant.

You followed that lie about the  Houston Equal Rights Ordinance the very next day with this transphobic attack on my community, pushing the opponent's HERO lies that "transgendered men" would be allowed to enter women's restrooms:

The controversial equal rights ordinance came under fire when it was revealed as part of the measure transgendered men would be allowed to use women's restrooms. This petition is an effort to give Houstonians the right to vote on the ordinance.

It is a pattern of slanted stenography Ms. Keith that FOX26 has repeatedly engaged in ever since the HERO became an issue, and those of us in the Houston trans community are sick and tired of you and your station repeating the debunked lies of our opponents without giving us a chance to rebut them on air or talk about from our perspective why a HERO that protects our human rights is necessary.

And since it seems Ms. Keith that you don't know the difference between a transgender man and a transgender woman, time to break it down to you.

A transgender man  (or trans man) is one who was born with female genitalia but has transitioned to and lives life as a male.    A transgender woman (or trans woman) is one who was born with male genitalia, but has transitioned to and lives life as a female.

I can do more basic Trans 101 education later.   My eye is on the more important prize of calling out your recent lies and FOX 26's  consistent slandering of the Houston trans community.  Broadcasting that unchecked transphobia has consequences, and your report is only the latest fuel fanning the hell- fire flames of anti-trans bigotry, hatred and violence. 

I have no doubts and fear that the attack on Thailand Warr at her Southwest Houston apartment building back in November is only the beginning of violent attacks that are being fueled by you and your FOX26 colleagues inaccurate HERO reporting combined with anti-trans hate speech coming from the pulpits of the Baptist Ministers Assn of Houston and Vicinity.

Ms Warr survived her attack.   The next trans person attacked by people motivated by your misguided reporting and the faith based trans hate of the Pastor's Council may not be so fortunate..

And when we have already have  had three trans people killed in Texas, Virginia and Kentucky because of anti-trans violence and we aren't even done with the first month of 2015 yet, you can understand why I'm pissed off along with the Houston trans community of your station's continued attacks on an ordinance that also benefits you as a cisgender African-American woman.

We are also angry about FOX 26's repeated loud and wrong attacks on the humanity of Houston area trans people

#TransLivesMatter  #BlackTransLivesMatter.  We're tired of FOX26 stenography that  has a deleterious effect upon our community

Chill with the anti-trans lies.    But based on your station's anti-trans track record, I have a better chance of seeing the Astros, Rockets, Dynamo, and Texans all winning championships in the same calendar year than FOX 26 ceasing and desisting with their trans baiting

2015 Williams Watch-Serena To The Aussie Open Finals!

After the all-Russian semifinal ended with another Sharapova win over Ekaterina Makarova, the all American semifinal took place at Rod Laver Arena  between world number one Serena Williams and 19 year old phenom Madison Keys.

Keys knocked off fourth seeded Petra Kvitova and Big Sis on the way to her first ever Grand Slam semifinal.

This match was going to be a tough one for Little Sis because Keys is one of the few younglings who have the power in her serve and shots to match Serena.

Keys showed that power early and often in a tightly contested first set in which  a nervous Serena was immediately broken in her opening game, but eventually was broken by Williams to even the match in the first set at 3-3 despite a barrage of big serves and laser like ground strokes from Keys.   

Both players stayed on serve in the rest of the first set until the tiebreaker, in which Serena opened up a 4-1 lead before winning the tiebreaker 7-5 to take the first set.7-6.

Serena showed Keys who was the woman in the second set.  She broke Keys twice to run up a 5-1 second set lead.   But Keys showed she had some intestinal fortitude as well.   Serving to extend the match, she fought off seven match points to eventually take the game and force Serena to serve it out.

After Keys survived an eighth match point, Serena uncorked an ace to close out the hard fought match over Keys and win it 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.

She now has a shot at winning her first Australian Open title since 2010 and her 19th Grand Slam title overall.   Because she subdued Keys in the semifinal, she will continue to hold on to the world number one ranking no matter what the result of the final match is at 2 AM CST Saturday. 

Those of us who love Serena hope it's her capturing her fifth Australian Open title.

Upcoming February UK Panel Discussion And Conversation

For those of in the Lexington, KY area or in the general vicinity, on February 12 there will be a discussion about conversion therapy

It will take place at Memorial Hall on the University of Kentucky campus and start at 7;00 PM EST.

Leelah Alcorn's story reverberated through the nation after she committed suicide in the wake of receiving conversion therapy.  Unfortunately her story is not rare. 50% of transgender youth have at least one suicide attempt prior to their 20th birthday.

According to the Trevor Project, LGBT youth who come from phobic or highly rejecting families are 8.4 times more likely to attempt or commit suicide as those who report no or low levels of rejection.

Please join the GLSO, Lexington Fairness, Lexington GSA, TransKY, UK GSA, UK LGBTQ Task Force, UK OUTsource, UK Shades of Pride, and the UK Violence Intervention and Prevention Program as we host Dr. Daniel Walinsky from the Counseling Psychology Department at UK as he educates us about conversion therapy.

After Dr. Walinsky speaks, a panel discussion will take place where the topic will be about fixing and making it safer for trans people to navigate..

For Leelah, let us begin to look within ourselves and take action, even if it is just one step.   Memorial Hall's address is 610 S. Limestone St in Lexington.

Hop that people will check out what is sure to be a fascinating evening. 

2015 Williams Watch- Good And Bad News Quarterfinal Day

My fave tennis playing siblings made it to the quarterfinal round of the 2015 Australian Open and if they made it through their respective matches, would play each other in the semifinals with a Aussie Open finals slot on the line.

While Serena handled her business and took out 2014 Australian Open runner up Dominika Cibulkova in straight sets.6-2, 6-2, to move on to the  semifinals, unfortunately that wasn't the case  for Big Sis.

Venus came out flat against American teen phenom Madison Keys and lost in three sets 3-6, 6-4, 4-6 despite Keys suffering a left thigh injury that necessitated a medical timeout in the second set.

It is the 19 year old Keys who will face the world's number one ranked player for a spot in the final against the winner of the all-Russian Ekaterina Makarova - Maria Sharapova semifinal.

Despite Venus' time in Melbourne being done, Serena is still alive for her fifth Australian Open title, her first since 2010 and her 19th Grand Slam title overall.

Another African-American Trans Woman Killed In Kentucky

Damn, I barely have calmed down from the rant I unleashed yesterday about too many of my young African descended transsisters being killed before I was sent news of this one from my old Louisville, KY stomping grounds.

It has all the disrespectful AP Stylebook violations I loathe when writing about these murders of African-American trans women.

Using mugshot photo in WHAS-TV story: CHECK.   Using victim's dead name: CHECK.   Misgendering her throughout the story:  CHECK

Surprised the WHAS-TV peeps didn't disrespect Ms. Edwards further by inserting whatever criminal record they could find since they found the mugshot.

The 20 year old Ms. Edwards (I refuse to use a name that is in violation of AP Stylebook standards for covering trans people) was found shot to death at the Fern Valley Motel in the 2700 block of Fern Valley Road on January 9.

She was from Indianapolis, and after LMPD was called to the scene, she was transported to a local hospital where she was declared dead upon arrival after suffering a single gunshot would to the chest.

LMPD is searching for 20 year old Henry Richard Gleaves in connection with this homicide and if you have eyeballs on him, please call the anonymous LMPD tip line at 502-574-LMPD.

For those of you in the Louisville area or Indianapolis area where Ms.Edwards was from, if you have some pics of her or know her femme name, please get it to me ASAP so I can properly and respectfully cover her story unlike the stenographers at WHAS-TV.

And this now make three transsisters we have lost to anti-trans violence since this year started, all 30 years old or younger.   

And this month still isn't over yet.

#BlackTransLivesMatter    Once again how many more of us have to die before the Black community gives a damn? .

TransGriot Update.  Typed the last name as Williams instead of Edwards.   That's what I get for writing while watching Serena play tennis.   It has been corrected in the post. 

Henry Gleaves, the person who is alleged to have committed the crime, is now in LMPD custody and has been charged with murder.

Monica Jones' Walking While Black Trans Conviction In AZ Overturned!

Have some good news to report on this day in terms of the Monica Jones 'Walking While Black Trans' case in Arizona.

You'll recall that the local activist was walking several blocks from her home on May 17, 2013 to meet some friends at a bar and was profiled by an undercover cop executing a prostitution sting.  She was arrested and convicted of violating an unjust law in Phoenix.

She subsequently appealed her conviction for Walking While Black Trans in August, and yesterday the Arizona Superior Court overturned her April 2014 conviction for manifesting intent to solicit prostitution under an unjust Phoenix law the ACLU, Ms Jones and other have argued is unconstitutional.

Of course Ms. Jones and her legal team were ecstatic  about the victorious outcome

“Today is a great day! My wrongful conviction under the Phoenix manifestation law was vacated this morning. I am so grateful to my legal team and all of my supporters across the country and world. My conviction being vacated is important but it is a small win in our larger fight for justice. There are so many trans women and cisgender women who might be charged under this law in Phoenix and similar laws across the country. There is so much more work that needs to be done so that no one will have to face what I have no matter who they are or what past convictions they have.”

Jean-Jacques Cabou, a partner at the law firm of PerkinsCoie who represented Monica in her appeal and argued her case, said: “Monica was convicted in an unconstitutional trial, under an unconstitutional law, of a crime she didn’t commit.  We are incredibly pleased that the appellate court agreed that Monica was unconstitutionally denied the presumption of innocence and that the court vacated her conviction.”    

“Like so many trans women of color, Monica Jones was profiled and targeted by police for walking down the street," said Chase Strangio, a staff attorney with the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project. "Today’s reversal of her conviction is an important validation of Monica’s brave fight to be seen and treated like a human being.”

“Monica Jones was targeted by law enforcement after her public opposition to the coercive treatment of sex workers by Project ROSE," said Dan Pochoda, senior counsel at the ACLU of Arizona.  "The demise of this Project is based on the inaccurate claim that most adult sex workers are "trafficked" is further vindication of Monica.”

This case may not be over just yet.   The State of Arizona may wish to refile the charges, so stay tuned.  But Monica won this legal round, and congrats to Ms. Jones and her legal team for standing up for her human rights and striking a blow for justice.