A Black SGL Call To Arms- Part Two

TransGriot Note: A guest post by NBJC 100 Leaders To Watch honoree Brandon Mack.  

You can click on this link to see Part 1 of this post at Ashton Woods' Strength In Numbers blog.

Thanks to Ashton and Brandon for giving me the honor an pleasure of allowing it to be posted here.


I recently attended an event that discussed Black Leadership and its relationship with the Black LGBTQ community. The event was seeking to answer the question:  Are Black LGBTQ people being left behind by Black Leaders?  In my opinion, we are being left behind, but that is partly due to our own fault as a Black LGBTQ community.  We are not answering the Call to Arms to fight for ourselves.  We are not utilizing our voices to assert our humanity and existence enough to have our issues addressed. We do have many great advocates, activists, and allies who are doing the work, but we need more.  The phone is ringing but the call is going unanswered. In my opinion, this call is not being answered for three reasons: fear of rejection, fear of recognition, and fear of being labeled.

FEAR OF REJECTION

As African Americans we have a history of having our voices being rejected or not equally considered. Slaves could not speak out against their own oppression and enslavement. Early African Americans could not use the tools of the government through the ballot box and public service representation to have their voices heard.  There is a history of our voices being drowned out or not considered.  Couple that with the rejection experienced on a personal level when your family and community reject you for being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered, then it is easy to see why it is hard to raise your voice. However, we have to overcome this fear of rejection and utilize the tools we do have, because the SILENCE is killing our community and us.

FEAR OF RECOGNITION

Even though there is a greater visibility of GLBTQ people in the media and our society, there is still a fear of being recognized as a GLBTQ person that prevents people from participating in advocacy and activism.  People are worried about if they are going to be seen at a particular event or speaking out in support of the GLBTQ community, they are now going to have their identity questions by their family and community.  Often, I hear from SGL/GLBTQ people that, “its nobody’s business who I sleep with, or what goes on in my bedroom.” My problem with these statements is that it reduces who we are as SGL/GLBTQ people to sex. We are full human beings with full lives.  All of those aspects of ourselves should be respected and protected. You can’t be respected or protected if people cannot see you.  Therefore, we need to get over the fear of “what is this person going to say, or what will happen if they think I’m gay,” because the SILENCE is killing our community and us.

FEAR OF BEING LABELED

This may seem that it is similar to the fear of recognition, but it is different.  The fear of being labeled comes from the fear of being labeled as an activist.  Activists are often labeled as angry or difficult because they are always advocating on behalf of their communities. Activists are often accused of turning everything into a cause. This fear of being labeled as an activist or becoming bitter and angry because of the work causes people to not participate. My response to that: GET OVER IT.  Activism can be done in a variety of ways. It can be a simple as sending an email or letter to your Council Member or Congressperson. It can be as simple as casting your vote in an election. It can be joining a protest. It can be speaking out on the news and in front of decision makers.  All of these actions are needed to get our issues addressed. Therefore, we need more people to do the big and small acts of activism. Also, if you do not like what is currently being done by those who are doing the work, STEP UP and TAKE OVER.  Many times activists remain in their roles in organizations and on the front lines because there is no one to take the baton and keep the fight going. If you have a new approach, or want to take the lead, come take it! We need all soldiers to advocate on behalf of our community, big and small, but we need to get over this fear of being labeled the “angry activist” because the SILENCE is killing our community and us.

ANSWERING THE CALL

GLBTQ rights and equality is going to be achieved. However in order to do is we need to show up and show out. We need to bring all of ourselves, our race, gender, sexual orientation, education, talents, etc. to the table. We need to be unafraid to raise our unapologetic voices. We need to demand the recognition of our full humanity and all of who we are. We need to advocate for our community through the ballot box, the meeting rooms, and halls of government. This movement needs to be radical, conservative, intersectional, multipronged, and inclusive. In order for that to happen, we need to answer the call. The phone is ringing, are you going to pick up?

H/T Strength In Numbers blog.

It's Been Fun Philly....

But time was flying as I was in this lovely hotel that has been my home away from home for the last few days and I got reunited with all my friends in LGBT media world.

The 2015 LGBT Media Journalists Convening that those of us from 22 states and the District of Columbia flew, drove or took the train to get to has come to an end.

We had the opportunity to get our learn on about issues from HIV to the bi community.   We got a chance to meet people who haven't gotten the opportunity to attend this event.  We've exchanged business cards, networked, and caught up with each others lives.

We  got the opportunity to roll over to the John C/ Anderson Apartments and talk to our LGBT elders who not only gave us a window to the past as they told their stories, they gave us a glimpse of our futures as they proudly lived their TBLGQ lives as residents of a unique retirement building.

It was also wonderful  seeing Tiq, Gwen, Cristan, Gretchen, Becky, Brynn, Jos and Dawn again and get to talk to them about the issues that impact this community.

It was great being part of the LGBT Media Convening Women's meeting in which we discussed a wide variety of issues from why lesbian clubs are closing to how to better support the trans feminine and bi communities and each other.

Only thing I do regret is not having the opportunity to hang out with some of my Philly based friends. Oh well, maybe I'll be back up here in a few weeks for the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference

It's been fun, but after our brunch and the tour of gay Philly, time to go back to Texas to handle my business.

I'm A Skilled, Trained Professional

As you long time TransGriot readers are aware of, ,it makes my day to point out the ignorance and hypocrisy in the world, especially when it involves conservafools.

And sadly, my Shut Up Fool business has been booming lately.

In my way too brief time with my LGBT media colleagues, they have expressed to me just how much they enjoy me tearing our conservafool opponents a new anus.  And far too often, they just keep handing me the ammo to bash them with on a silver platter

Hey, Mr.T did say that fools are everywhere.

But as much as I like calling them out and that's good for my hit counts, that;s not good for our country and those of us who like to see government work   We the people deserve better that that.

We deserve a democracy in which both parties put their competing visions for running this country in the marketplace of ideas, and let us voters decide which one we like better, not one in which one party checks out from reality, and then tries to rig the game so you as a reality based voter can't toss their asses out of office for daring to be that monumentally stupid and arrogant.

So as long as there are fools, I'll be calling them out

Stay In Your Lane-Vol 1

TransGriot Note:  Guest Post by Ashton P. Woods.

One thing you will come to learn about me is that I am not new to activism and that affords me the ability and talent to know how to communicate in a clear and concise way. Since about August of 2014, a select few, certain people have tried to give me directive about MY message and what I SAY when I stand up for the communities that reflect my intersections. My favorite one is when I was told that I needed to "honey coat" or be less radical in my approach. REGARDLESS of what you may think about my approach, IT WORKS AND SOME OF YOU DON'T LIKE IT and I could give ZERO fucks about how you feel. 

The way you do things works for you and I RESPECT THAT, but be fully aware that you do NOT have the right to impose your respectability politics on me, this is NOT ABOUT YOU. Some of you REALLY need to put ego aside, and even realize that because some of you are in the ranks of predominantly White organizations and groups does NOT give you White privilege. YOU, my "friends" that have a problem with my unapologetic Blackness and my refusal to mold myself into someone that is palatable to White folks can kiss my ass and as a matter of fact you can go straight to your hell if that is what you believe in.

Many of you are confused or flustered that I have been able to reach people in places so fast...THERE IS NO NEED FOR CONFUSION! The very issue that some of you have with me, you know my "IN YOUR FACE" and "HONEST" approach without the sugarcoating is what people ACTUALLY like about me. i will not tell you how to run your show, so STAY IN YOUR LANE! Just so we are CLEAR, I didn't have to join some organization or some PAC to build what many of you hold so dear, political capital. I am not in it for the power like some of you, I just want to HELP PEOPLE and I don't need to join some organization that does not have my best (Black) interest at heart in order to get progress. 

STAY IN YOUR LANE -- XOXO

Moni's In The Middle of #LGBTMedia15

Another week. another event as the TransGriot reps Houston and all the communities she intersects and interacts with once again at  the 6th annual LGBT Media Journalists Convening.

This year it returns to Philadelphia, and as I've mentioned in other posts you can follow the action on Twitter at #LGBTMedia15.

So looking forward to seeing everyone there, and yes, the annual post of me breaking #LGBTMedia15 down from my vantage point will be forthcoming.

And yeas, one thing I absolutely love about the Radisson Blu Warwick Hotel is the free WiFi so I can write , tweet to my hearts content.

But first I need some food.  Sleep can come later.

And judging from my perusal of  some of the tweets and Facebook posts, I'm not the only one excited to see everyone at #LGBTMedia15.

We actually will have one of our attendees in BiNet USA's Faith Cheltenham celebrating her birthday on Saturday. Will find out from her what birthday anniversary she is celebrating after she gets her birthday hug.

Now it's time for me to get ready for the welcoming reception.  At least I won't be locked out of the host hotel in the cold for at least an hour  like I was last year....

But stay tuned to this TransGriot station for the latest news and 411 buzz concerning this 2015 edition of the LGBT Media Journalists Convening.

Shut Up Fool Awards-Championship Weekend Edition

College basketball junkies have been gorging themselves on nonstop hoops in preparation for the 2015 edition of March Madness, AKA the NCAA Men's and women's basketball tournaments.

The non and mid major conferences started having their conference tournaments to decide who gets the NCAA tourney bids last week, and now going into this weekend the major conferences are handling their tournament business.

Speaking of handling my business, time for me to handle some Friday business that you come to love in terms of the weekly TransGriot Shut Up Fool Awards.  

Time to determine what fool, fools or group of fools exhibited championship level arrogance,  shadiness, and just jaw dropping WTF level stupidity.

Honorable mention number one is all the Mississippi Republicans who in a recent poll stated that interracial marriage shold be illegal.   
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Really?  That hatred of interracial marriage is so 20th century.  I guess next you'll be agitating for Mississippi to secede from the USA.

Honorable mention number two, another group award for Joe Scarborough and his Morning Joe MSNBC team for idiotically stating during a discussion about that situation on the OU campus that rap music was the cause foe two white SAE member to be caught on tape singing a racist ditty.  That led to Black Twitter calling his clueless behind out.

Are you really that jawdroppingly clueless about whiteness and white supremacy?   Obviously Joe, you most certainly are.

Honorable mention number three is Craig James, who must have played too much football with his helm,et off and parted his lips to say that supporting same sex marriage is the work of Satan.

Funny,  I think being a GOP conservafool oppressor is the work of, help me out here Church Lady.

Honorable mention number four is attorney Michael Carvin,.  The man arguing in front of the SCOTUS to kill Obamacare actually parted his lips to say that that the difference between this King v. Burwell lawsuit and the one in 2012 is that unlike the 2012 challenge, the argument on Wednesday is on "a statute that was written three years ago, not by dead white men but by living white women and minorities."

Mr. Carvin, your pointed white hood is showing.  but then again Antonin Scalia and his kneegrow ventriloquist dummy probably liked that argument.pro

Honorable mention number five is Frank Ancona, the Imperial Wizard of the Traditionalist American Knights of the Tea Party, oops Ku Klux Klan, who parted his mouth after he took off his pointed hood to state that his group is a Christian organization

Naw you idiot, you've been an unrepentantly racist and anti-Semitic terrorist organization since 1866.

Honorable mention number six is Rudy Giuliani, who let something stupid fly out of his mouth once again and stated that President Obama should be more like Bill Cosby

Dude, have several seats in Yankee Stadium and a nice tall glass of STFU.  

And yeah, you're in the running for the Shut Up Fool of the Year award.

Honorable mention number seven is Ronald Brockmeyer, the Ferguson, Mo judge who levied crushing fines on residents of that town that ruined lives in some cases, is himself a delinquent tax payer who owes the feds $170,000 in back taxes.

I suspect that you'll get far more mercy from the IRS than you gave people who entered your courtroom.

Honorable mention number eight is former Emmy award winning Univision host Rodner Figueroa.  It FORMER host because on Wednesday he dissed First Lady Michelle Obama on the El Gordo y El Flaca show.    Figueroa does biting fashion commentary, and took it way past the valley of good tasts in a segment discussing the work of make-up artist Paolo Ballesteros who posts photos of himself transformed into female celebrities, when he stated that the First Lady looks like a character from Planet Of the Apes.

And what made this hate on Black women moment more insulting is that the Venezuelan born Figueroa is Afro-Latino.
Sadly, demonizing Blackness and Black womanhood is an international pasttime.

Honorable mention number nine is Matthew Pennell.   This now former staffer for anti-gay 'pro-family' Congressman Tim Huelskamp (R-KS)  was arrested on 17 counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

And tell em once again, who are the child predators? 

This week's SUF loser winner is is every GOP senator that violated the Logan Act and signed that jacked up letter to Iran.

Thought international politics and diplomacy stopped at the water's edge. 

But I guess you make a racist exception GOP when it comes to a Democratic African-American POTUS you have unprecedented levels of hatred for and execute Massive Resistance 2.0 for everything he attempts to do that will make this country better.

GOP Senators, shut up fools!

Air Marshal Takes Flight To Philadelphia Again

Last week I was in our nation's capital handling TPOCC board business, and this week it's a flight via Chicago Midway to the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection.

The Air Marshal's final destination is  Philadelphia to take part in the 2015 edition of the LGBT Media Journalists Convening.

I'm so looking forward to spending some quality time with my friends in the LGBT media world and getting my learn on at this 6th annual event that builds capacity in our media ranks and gives us an opportunity to get a much deeper understanding about issues that affect the LGBT community..

 I also owe John Becker a milestone birthday hug and one to Faith Cheltenham on Saturday after  I arrive after .  I also love the fact our hotel has complementary WiFi.

Another thing on the agenda for this trip is finding some time while I'm there to get a good cheesesteak, and I'm not talking about Pat's or Geno's either.

I go get mine where native Philadelphians tread.

If it  doesn't happen this time, I might get the opportunity to do so when the Philly Trans Health Conference happens this June.

If you wish to follow the action, many of us will be blogging or live tweeting it.  #LGBTMedia15 is our hashtag for this year's event

See y'all in a few hours Philly,

Jazz Breaking Historic Ground Again!

Y'all know how much I love Jazz Jennings, and finally got to meet her and her family at last year's Philly Trans Health Conference.

There are two major pieces of news for those of us who love keeping up with our fave trans teen.

The first is TLC has tapped her to do a reality TV show.  Broadcast date to be determined, but this is wonderful to hear.

As y'all know I'm not a big fan of reality TV shows, but for this one I'll make an exception.

The second piece of news is that she has been tapped to be the new face for the Clean and Clear skincare lines 'Be The Real You campaign.

This is historic and groundbreaking in the fact that a trans feminine teen has had this happen.

But it's par for the course for the now ninth grader who has been named by TIME magazine as one of the world's most influential teens along with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai.

It's also timely in the wake of four trans teen suicides this year.

Congrats Jazz!   Best of luck in both those new ventures, and hoping they will be megasuccessful.

Upcoming Houston HPD-LGBT Community Dialogue

When all that anti-trans and /SGL hate speech was flung by our faith based haters in opposition to the passage of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, one of the things I feared was a spike in hate crimes in the area because of it. 

It's taken a while, with the attack on transwoman Thailand Warr being the first warning sign that the hate speech sown during the HERO passage campaign was beginning to manifest itself into hate violence.

Now that we have had a fatal attack yesterday morning resulting in the death of a 22 year old man and  two other gay men wounded, now people are paying attention to what I warned about back in November.

A town hall meeting is being set up to take place at the Montrose Center on Saturday April 11 from 10 AM-1 PM CDT that will involve HPD Chief Charles McClelland, HPD's command staff, the HPD LGBT Liaison EJ Joseph, HPD personnel and other community leaders to discuss the growing crime wave and come up with solutions to this problem.

I can throw one old school solution out there right now.  

In the wake of the murder of Paul Broussard outside a gay nightclub back in 1991 by The Woodlands 10, the Q Patrol was formed.

Looks like we may have to resurrect it.

But we'll see what happens on April 11

Another Day, Two More H-town Events

If you're noticing that I have been quite busy and visible inside and outside my beloved hometown lately in terms of my attendance an participation at various events, you would be correct in that assumption.

I had two panels last night, flew to Washington DC last Thursday to participate in a TPOCC board meeting, and now your favorite Texas Trans Angelic Troublemaker has two more events on her busy schedule before she flies off to Philly for the 2015 edition of the  LGBT Media Journalists Convening.

Last night it was a discrimination panel discussion on which I didn't get a chance to talk about the issues affecting the trans population before the floor was yielded to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

But it bees that way sometimes.  While I was happy to see my congressmember Rep Jackson-Lee,  I still got the short end of the panel discussion time and wasn't happy about the lost opportunity to talk about trans issues, especially with a CBC congress member in attendance.

But was a little happier at the TSU Misfits event that started less than an hour later in the Tiger Room of the Sterling Student Life Center on the TSU campus.   Always good to see NBJC Executive Director/ CEO Sharon Lettman-Hicks and meet more people in academia and in the African-American cisgender ranks supportive of our SGL, trans and bi community.

On today's agenda in my semi-boring life was my attendance at the Harris County Democratic Party's brown bag Lunch series of discussions in which Houston mayoral candidate Ben Hall was speaking.

And yeah, as you probably guessed, he got grilled by me and a few other peeps in the room for his non support of HERO as currently constituted.

Just a reminder Mr. Hall, wanting to be mayor of all of Houston includes me and other trans residents of it, and not supporting a HERO with gender ID protections is a non-starter.

The other event I have starts at 7 PM CDT and is sponsored by the Houston Black Nonbelievers.  It is a panel I'm on in which the topic we'll discuss is Homophobia In The Black Community: Real or Myth?

That fascinating discussion will take place at the Montrose Center, and you know I'll have my say on the topic du jour.

Saks Settles Trans Discrimination Lawsuit With Leyth Jamal

Saks, y'all need to admit you were wrong, pay the trans lady and move on.
-TransGriot, January 9, 2015

After Saks Fifth Avenue tried to disgustingly claim while defending itself from a discrimination lawsuit filed by trans woman Leyth Jamal they had a 'right to discriminate ' against trans people, tried to use their HRC Corporate Equality Index score to try to justify it, they finally settled out of court for an undisclosed amount after taking a PR and legal beating.

Jamal filed the lawsuit after she was harassed, discriminated against and fired from the Houston Galleria Saks location in December 2012 after filing an EEOC complaint.

Jamal’s lawsuit claimed that her coworkers at the store  referred to her as a man and forced her to use the men’s bathroom. A manager suggested that she make her appearance more masculine and “separate her home life from work life.”

After Saks initially tried to assert that trans people weren't covered under Title VII (yeah, we are)  and getting pushback from legal briefs filed by New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Center For Lesbian Rights and the Department of Justice on that point, they relented 

Jamal's lawyers Jillian Weiss and Mitchell Katine filed a stipulation of dismissal of the case with prejudice, and announced the case had been amicably settled.

Discrimination costs you money, business people.  

And FYI to our HERO haters here in H-town, once again, here's a documented example of anti-trans discrimination occurring in our city limits, and it's why the HERO needs to be implemented without delay.

How Debbie Riddle Plans To Enforce Her Unjust Texas Anti-Trans Bills

So how is Teapublican Texas state Rep. Debbie Riddle planning on enforcing her dehumanizing and unjust anti-trans bills that I have no doubt were created by the oppressors at ALEC?

Still waiting for our legacy orgs in the NAACP, the Urban League, and African-American legislators in the Texas legislature and the Texas congressional delegation to forcefully speak our against these bills.  

And I'm getting more angered by their lack of commentary and cricket chirping silence about these unconstitutional attacks on our humanity that will disproportionately have a negative impact on Texas trans people of color. .

#BlackTransLivesMatter   #LatinaTransLivesMatter  #TransLivesMatter

TransGriot Note: Illustration by Jennell Jacquays

Trans MPD Officer Named As Head Of DC GLLU

The last time the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department had a trans feminine officer in their ranks was the late Bonnie Davenport O'Neal who served from the late 70's until her retirement in 1999.

During a TDOR event in DC last November in which  Metro Police Chief Cathy Lanier spoke, the DC trans community was surprised to learn they now for the first time since Bonnie Davenport O'Neal retired, have a trans officer on the force in Sgt. Jessica Hawkins.

Her coming out to her colleagues had occurred before she introduced Chief Lanier at that Transgender Day Of Remembrance event in front of the 250 people in attendance.  After hearing from Chief Lanier the news of Hawkins' coming out as trans, gave her a standing ovation.

As of March 3, Sgt. Hawkins makes history again as the first trans person to lead the DC Metropolitan Police Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit.  

That groundbreaking GLLU news was welcomed by local TBLG groups and longtime DC activist Earline Budd, who said in a Washington Blade interview, "I'm going to work with her to do whatever I can to help her get acclimated to the community, especially the trans community of color."

Congratulations to Sgt. Hawkins, and hope she does a wonderful job as she assumes this historic leadership position in the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department.

I’m very pleased to hear and, yes, ecstatic that the city has moved forward with putting a transgender person in such a position, which is needed within the police department,” said Budd. “But at the end of the day I just really need to know that Sgt. Hawkins understands what she’s taking on in terms of that position based on those like Sgt. Mahl and Sgt. Brett Parson who have held that position and understood that they really have to get to know the community and did get to know the community.” - See more at: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/03/10/trans-woman-named-head-d-c-gay-police-unit/#sthash.dAZGR063.dpuf

Hate Preachers Hatin' On ABC Invite To Bishop Flunder

The predominately American Baptist College in Nashville, TN is affiliated with the National Baptist Convention, USA, the second largest African-American Christian denomination in the US behind the COGIC.

The ABC is affiliated with the National Baptist Convention, and has for the last 57 years held the Garnett-Nabrit Lecture Series in which over several days invites ministers from around the country and the world to talk to ABC students on their Nashville campus to discuss social justice issues.

This year, one of the people invited to this 58th annual edition of the Garnett-Nabrit lecture series that runs from March 14-18 in addition to the Rev Dr Allan Aubrey Boesak of South Africa and Pastor Delmon Coates is Bishop Yvette Flunder of the City of Refuge UCC in San Francisco

And as you probably guessed, the hate preachers started tripping about her March 18 invitation to speak

Two Texas based hate preachers, Pastor William. Dwight McKissic, Sr. of Cornerstone Church in Arlington, TX and Pastor Randy Vaughn of Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Port Arthur, TX  started the mess that resulted in a March 5 press release from the National Baptist Fellowship of Concerned Pastors that centers around the fact that Bishop Flunder is "legally married to a woman" and asserted that because they invited her, the American Baptist College and National Baptist Convention, USA by association are endorsing same-sex marriage.   

They demanded the American Baptist College rescind her invitation to speak, which the ABC refused to do

The Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists and faith leaders from across the Baptist faith traditions issued their own press release on March 9 in support of Dr. Harris, the Board of Trustees of American Baptist College,  Dr. Jerry Young and the Board members of the National Baptist Convention, USA which reads in part:

"We applaud the wisdom, prophetic courage, and commitment to intellectual honesty and academic integrity that Dr. Forrest Harris has demonstrated as President of American Baptist College by inviting Bishop Yvette Flunder of California to preach and lecture at American Baptist College later this month.  A few vocal opponents to equality for persons who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender are trying to force Dr. Harris to "dis-invite" Bishop Flunder because she is a lesbian who married her same-sex partner.  Those critics also are displeased that Dr. Harris invited Dr. Allan Aubrey Boesak of South Africa and Pastor Delmon Coates of the United States to preach and/or lecture at American Baptist College because Dr. Boesak and Pastor Coates are effective advocates for equality and are equally effective in exposing the injustice of homophobia."  

In addition, Rev Robin R. Lunn, the Executive Director of AWAB, stated in rebuttal to the misguided preachers:

"To say that Baptist schools do not invite legally married same gender loving faith leaders to speak is to deny the reality that currently exists.  Many Baptist affiliated schools from across the traditions have invited LGBTQ faith leaders to participate in various programs, to lecture and preach as professionals in their fields.  I applaud Dr. Harris and the American Baptist College Board of Trustees for fostering a rich educational and religious environment that allows for a broad range of beliefs and practices." 

The hate ministers aren't giving up, and they have threatened to come to Nashville to picket Bishop Flunder's appearance.   We'll see.

Gizzy Fowler Case Update

There's been some breaking news in the Gizzy Fowler case 

She was the 24 year old Nashville area trans woman who was found shot to death and lying near the open door of her car back on November 12.

Turns out they have a person of interest in the case in 18 year old Mallory Porter.

Porter became a suspect in the case when during the course of the murder investigation, his phone records indicated he had traveled to the area where Fowler's body was later found, and lied to police detectives about his involvement.

Nashville police are now searching for Porter, and when he is caught he will be arrested and charged with criminal homicide.

If you have any information in this case or the whereabouts of Mallory Porter, please call Crime Stoppers at 615-74-CRIME or 615-742-7463.

Unjust Florida Anti-Trans Bill Clears Subcommittee

Republican trans oppressor Rep Frank Artiles unjust HB 583 had a House Civil Justice Subcommittee hearing last Wednesday which brought people pro and con to Tallahassee to comment on it.

After more than an hour of emotional testimony from both sides of the issue, the subcommittee voted 9-4 along party lines  (Republicans FOR oppression, Democrats AGAINST it) to advance the unjust bill based on Rep Artiles transphobia and being pissed off Miami-Dade passed a human rights ordinance that allows trans people to use the facilities that correspond with their sincerely held external gender presentation

The unjust bill need to pass through two more committees before it heads to the GOP controlled Florida House floor for a vote.

Florida trans peeps, hope you're keeping political score and are paying attention to which party stood up for your human rights and which one is gleefully working to take them away.

Cindy Sullivan said during her testimony to the committee “You all just don’t get it. I’m so scared of all of you. You can put me in jail for being me. This bill is government intrusion at its worst,” Sullivan said. “I’m not a protected class. I’m a throw away piece of trash in this country of freedom and liberty.”
.
After the negative vote, trans people in the room and their supporters shouted "Trans Lives Matter!"

And I'm interested in knowing what the Southern Comfort Conference thinks about this revolting development, especially in light of the fact they just moved their convention from the ATL to Fort Lauderdale for the next three years.

Unfortunately, the unjust Artiles bill is one step closer to becoming law and legalizing anti-trans discrimination in Florida.

Silicone Pumper Padge Windslowe Guilty

Padge Victoria Windslowe, the self proclaimed  'Michelangelo of butt injections', was found guilty by a jury Monday of third degree murder for causing the 2011 death of London resident Claudia Aderotimi after two days of deliberation.

The 45 year old so-called “Black Madam” bragged openly during the trial about her supposed talents for black-market “body sculpting,” claiming curvy model Amber Rose was a “walking billboard” for her artistry.

“I was the best, and I don’t mean that to be cocky,” Windslowe said.

Well, her pumping days are over, and she's now facing  20 to 40 years in prison when she is sentenced in June.

There Will Never Be An OU Chapter Of SAE, Either

Was infuriating to see  not even 24 hours after the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and President Obama's speech the not so surprising action of white frat member gone racist on viral video.

And I wasn't surprised when I heard it was Sigma Alpha Epsilon, a fraternity that proudly touts its association to the Confederacy on its website and has a long history of racist and nekulturny behavior.



In this latest episode of frat boys gone wild, after the video of their racist ditty went viral, OU President David Boren took swift and decisive action to call out the bad behavior, give SAE until today to pack their stuff and leave their frat house, and started an investigation to determine who the miscreants are.

SAE National also condemned the behavior of its now shut down OU Chapter

“Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s national headquarters has closed its Oklahoma Kappa chapter at the University of Oklahoma following the discovery of an inappropriate video,” according to a statement on SAE’s website. “In addition, all of the members have been suspended, and those members who are responsible for the incident may have their membership privileges revoked permanently.”

The University of Oklahoma has already lost one highly touted football recruit as a result of this incident, and it remains to be seen how many more they lose.

And something else that remains to be seen is whether the person or persons that started this latest mess that an SAE chapter has found itself in gets punished.

Misfits Panel At TSU Featuring NBJC's Sharon Lettman-Hicks On Wednesday

Another Misfits panel will take place on the TSU campus on Wednesday, and it will feature as a special guest National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) Executive Director/CEO Sharon Lettman-Hicks.

This Misfits Series town hall discussion will tackle addressing the frequently asked question, "Are Black LGBTQ People Being Left Behind by Our Black Leaders?"

The panel will be moderated by Fran Watson, and the panelists in addition to Lettman-Hicks, Dr Carla Brailey, Jon Humphries, Councilmember Larry Green and Ruby Glass.

The panel will take place in the Tiger Room on the 3rd floor of the Sterling Student Life Center on the TSU campus at 3100 Cleburne St, and will start at 6:00 PM CDT.

UHD State Of Discrimination Panel Wednesday

After taking a few days to rest from my just completed trip to DC and prepping to leave for another one, I get to handle some Houston business on Wednesday

I'm part of a panel that will take place on the UHD campus on March 11 entitled, The State of Discrimination: from Ferguson, to HERO, to HB2, to Islan Nettles is a critical discourse that will examine the current state of discrimination in America by engaging in a dialogue about contemporary forms of oppression and modern day discrimination.
During this conversation we’ll examine issues relating to Ferguson, police brutality, disparities in the criminal justice system, Islan Nettles, the epidemic of violence against Black trans* people, the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, Roe vs. Wade, HB2, and a host of other issues that will help us understand the current state of discrimination in America.

In addition to myself, the panel will include Brad Pritchett, Shailey Gupta-Brietzke, and Durrel Douglas.

The panel will start at 4:00 PM CDT and is scheduled to run until 5:40 PM in room N-1099 on the University of Houston Downtown campus.