Getting Your Education While Trans Is A Revolutionary Act

It's May, and in addition to it being prom season, we also have people walking across stages across the country to receive their diplomas.

The topic is on my mind because I'm about to deliver a keynote speech on the UT-Austin campus in a few hours for their lavender graduation ceremony, and witnessed a trans feminine friend of mine get her degree from Prairie View Saturday.

I love being on a college campus whether it is a ginormous one like the UT-Austin one is or as small as the HCC-Southeast one that I've had the honor to do numerous events and panel discussions.

The common thread with both is those campuses are in the important business of educating our next generation of citizens and future leaders

And some of the citizens being educated on our college campuses in Texas and around the country are transgender ones who either transitioned in their teens or on those campuses.

Trans people go through hell and if they manage to get their high school and collegiate diplomas, they have beaten the odds that see 71% of them drop out before finishing high school.

If they managed to beat those odds and graduate, then its getting through college while trans, which can be a feat in itself in addition to just dealing with collegiate classwork.

And a trans person getting their education while trans is a revolutionary act.

Moni's Getting On The Bus-To Austin Again!

Another month, another trip, and I'm headed back to the ATX, but not for lobbying purposes.  Now if something blows up while I'm in the Austin city limits, I won't be too far away from the capitol building to handle lobbying business if I get the phone call.

I'm heading there because I was asked to be the keynote speaker for UT's Lavender Graduation.

It's happening May 20, and is co-hosted by the Gender and Sexuality Center and the UT Queer Students Alliance (QSA).  The goal of the Lavender Graduation is to provide a venue to demonstrate the success of our community members in a personal, entertaining and celebratory way. The Lavender Graduation will take place at the Student Activity Center starting at 4 PM CDT on the UT-Austin campus at Speedway and 21st Streets.  

Hope to see you there!.

But first, my Megabus needs to get me to Austin, and in addition to hoping we leave on  time at 1:30 PM, hope the wifi is working.   We'll see if I can access TransGriot since it was blocked the last time I traveled on Megabus, and I was not a happy camper about that.  

See y'all in a few hours, ATX and UT-Austin..

6 Million Hits!

Another day, another amazing milestone at TransGriot as my 6 millionth visitor graced my electronic pages at approximately 11:59 AM CDT

A little apropos it happened on Malcolm X's birthday and also on a day in which I'm traveling to Austin to deliver a keynote speech on the UT-Austin campus.

6 million hits in 9 years.   Can't thank you TransGriot readers enough for not only taking time out of your busy day to read the posts I've compiled, but share them and tell your friends about the blog.

I also thank those of you who from time to time drop some change in the TransGriot tip jar.   It helps me pay for Internet access, build up a repair fund when I need to repair a computer, or save for the day when I need to replace one.

Thanks once again for helping me reach 6 million visitors!  On to the next milestone.

I Repeat: We Didn't Start The Rad Fem War On Trans Women

You TERF's don't get to play that game in which you gleefully oppress and attack trans women's humanity and then climb on your white femininity pedestal and claim you're being 'bullied' or 'attacked'. You're getting called on your transphobic crap and if you don't like it, tough.
TransGriot, July 10, 2013

And yeah, I have no problem calling your asses out.

Had a female activist friend in Louisville who asked about the TERF designation, felt it was a slur and who didn't understand why there is major animus between the trans feminine community and our TERF oppressors.

Well, here's my response to her, and it's one I need to share with you readers as well.
TERF, Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist is NOT a slur. It is a term to accurately describe them that was created by other feminists because they were sick and tired of being lumped in with those racist and transphobic fauxminists who really need to be declared a hate group.

And no, they have had a 40 year run to demonize trans women. Too bad if they don't like being called out on their BS.  New century, new decade, new rules.  

They started the anti-trans attacks back in 1973, gleefully worked in their words 'to morally legislate us out of existence', worked to get trans medical care excluded from insurance coverage, called for our extermination, and as part of the senior leadership of LGB organizations gleefully worked (and still are working) to cut us out of human rights legislation or fight our addition to it.

What made them think in their vanillacentic privileged minds that trans feminine women weren't going to get sick and tired of being attacked and wouldn't respond to their repeated provocations?

And now TERF's are attacking our trans kids in conjunction at times with right-wing hate groups, it's on like Donkey Kong.
The TERF War On Trans Women, their stirring up of animus toward trans women, and the deliberate oppression of us has had a negative effect on trans women of color.  So when a group of predominately white alleged feminists have taken a long, documented series of actions dating back to 1973 that have had disproportionate negative effects on POC trans women, and they are now attacking trans kids, that doesn't engender warm and fuzzy feelings toward them.

And as part of the group of trans women who have been disproportionately harmed by their racist rhetoric and actions, I'm not (and neither is the trans community) going to twiddle my thumbs as they continue to peddle their anti-trans hate speech.   I give zero fucks when I see the TERFs play the game of crying white women's tears when we justifiably react to counter their nekulturny behavior and call them out for their reprehensible actions they refuse to take responsibility for.

I'm glad you went to MichFest and had a positive experience there.  That's not the case for many trans women who were booted off The Land

People evolve over time.  However, it seems that the TERF's have refused to evolve since 1973, so until they realize that trans women ARE women, their efforts over the last 40 years have caused real harm to us, and they respect our humanity, we have noting to discuss with them.

The bedrock position we have as trans women is that our humanity is non-negotiable, and until TERF's respect our lived experiences and our femininity as just as valid as their own, there's no point in having a dialogue with a group of people that don't respect us.

We didn't start the Rad Fem War On Trans Women.  But if the TERF's want to keep it going, for our survival we have no choice but to finish it.

Can The Rick and Maya B&B Relationship Lead To An Enlightened Attitude Toward Trans Relationships?

Yesterday Maya Avant told her boyfriend Rick Forrester on the CBS soap 'The Bold and the Beautiful that she is trans.

Rick didn't take the news well initially, but when Maya was about to walk out of the door of that Big Bear cabin and out of his life forever with her heart breaking in the process, Rick once again declared his love for her.

We'll see how the rest of their relationship transpires, especially as media mogul Bill Spencer is about to blast Maya's trans business all over the tabloids in upcoming episodes along with the various reactions of the B&B characters to that news..

But the happy tears I was shedding as this episode transpired led to me doing some hard solid thinking in the wake of it.   I know that many relationships in which a cis man dates a trans woman don't survive her telling her partner, and in far too many instances, the trans woman faces the risk of intimate partner violence when she does disclose her status.

But the other question I pondered in the wake of this broadcast is will the broadcast of the Maya and Rick romance finally lead to a honest discussion about the stigma and attacks on their masculinity that cis men like Rick endure for dating a trans woman they love and the attacks on the femininity of the trans women that are the objects of their affection?

While we have instances in our community in which you have couples like Myles and Precious who are trans masculine and trans feminine people who love each other enough they are engaged to be married, far more prevalent are hetero normative relationships in which a trans man is coupled with a cis feminine partner and a cis man is coupled with a trans feminine partner.

It's been happening ever since Christine Jorgensen stepped off the airplane from Denmark in 1953 and Cupid's arrows stared targeting their hearts.  

Pioneering French trans woman Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy married her first husband at Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral in 1960.

But that was in an era before the TERF's started attacking the femininity of trans women in the early 70's, and the rise of the gay rights movement led to a social conservative backlash and attack on the human rights of LGBT people.

The bottom line is that trans men are MEN, and trans women are WOMEN, but for far too long cis men who love us enough to pursue us and put a ring on our fingers have had their masculinity questioned.  

Some of those cis men have even experienced the discrimination their trans partners get as the trans women, especially if their trans partner was low or no disclosure until yanked into the spotlight.   And as Mister Cee discovered, your masculinity, especially when it is revealed that you like trans women, is rigidly and at times viciously policed.

That scrutiny and hostility is magnified if you are a cis man who admits that you like and prefer dating trans women as my brother Troy has pointed out to me in numerous conversations over the years.

Even Hollywood has demonized trans women and the men who love us.  The movie Ted 2 has a scene in which derogatory comments are made by the teddy bear when he finds out his friend has trans porn on his computer.

We need to have an ongoing conversation about our relationships in which the baseline for having it is that our femininity as trans women is not erased and the cis men who prefer us as their partners are not demonized for doing so. 

The cis men who love us are going to have to step up and meet us trans women halfway.  They are going to have to come out of the shadows and say in no uncertain terms they love us, we are the women they want to marry, and to kiss their behinds if you don't like it.  

If a soap opera storyline can lead to an enlightened conversation about a real world issue, then by all means lets get that conversation started.

And Now There Are Eight...RIP London Chanel Allen

After the initial flurry of trans women that were killed in the first two months of 2015, things had gotten quiet on that front in the United States until today.

News stations in Philadelphia are reporting that 21 year old London Chanel Allen was stabbed tin the back and neck after a fight between her and her 31 year old attacker that occurred in an abandoned rowhouse on North Philadelphia at 12:40 AM EDT in the 2200 block of Ingersoll Street

She was rushed to Hahnemann University Hospital where she was pronounced dead just after 1 AM., police said.

"My heart goes out to her family, friends and the community as we mourn her death," said Nellie Fitzpatrick, Director of LGBT Affairs for the City of Philadelphia. “I know that the police department will work tirelessly to fully investigate the case."

Allen had a Texas connection.  She was born in Victoria, just 127 miles southwest of Houston and moved to Philadelphia several years ago.   She'd reconciled with her mother Veronica Allen, was in the process of getting her name change done and moving back to Texas when she was murdered

“She was going to go to court to change her name and then she was going to come home," Veronica Allen said. “That’s what we were working towards, but that man took it away from me."

A candlelight vigil is set to be held this Friday at that location, and a bank account has been set up to collect funds to pay to return  London's body back to Texas for burial

But once again, we sadly have another young trans woman of color dead before her 25th birthday.

RIP London

TransGriot Update:  31 year old Raheam Felton has been arrested and charged with London's murder.

Angelica Ross 2015 HRC Corporate Equality Index Keynote

Y'all know how much love and respect I have for Angelica Ross, the founding CEO of Trans Tech Social Services and She's one of the leaders in our national trans feminine community that people need to be paying attention to.

She was the keynote speaker at a March 31 event revealing the 2015 HRC' Corporate Equality Index Awards, and had some interesting things to say as she stylishly stood at that podium.

And now, here's Angelica.

President Obama's IDAHOT 2015 Statement

Today I's the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, know as the IDAHOT for short.   It was created in 2004 to draw the attention of policymakers, opinion leaders, social justice movements, the media and the public to the violence and discrimination faced internationally by trans, bi, intersex and SGL people.

President Obama is marking this international human rights day with this statement

Michelle and I join our fellow Americans and others around the world in commemorating the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia tomorrow, May 17.  We take this opportunity to reaffirm that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights are human rights, to celebrate the dignity of every person, and to underscore that all people deserve to live free from fear, violence, and discrimination, regardless of who they are or whom they love.

We work toward this goal every day. Here at home, we are working to end bias-motivated violence, combat discrimination in the workplace, and address the specific needs of transgender persons.  Overseas, I am proud of the steps that the United States has taken to prioritize the protection and promotion of LGBT rights in our diplomacy and global outreach.

There is much more to do, and this fight for equality will not be won in a day.  But we will keep working, at home and abroad, and we will keep fighting, for however long it takes until we are all able to live free and equal in dignity and rights.

Hope that day day happens within my lifetime.

Goodbye Marie Angel!

A few years ago I met this amazing and beautiful young Latina woman during a local event not long after I moved back to Houston from Louisville.

I watched her tell her story about growing up in Honduras as a young trans feminine woman who moved to the US to get her education and make her dreams come true, I was also impressed by her intellect. 

As I've gotten to know Marie Angel, I'm also been impressed by her determination and drive as she strove to balance her collegiate studies with her work and personal life.

She managed to at times add a little advocacy into her life equation.  She was part of the effort on the University of Houston Downtown campus to get gender neutral restrooms there last year, and was invaluable in explaining the issue to our local Spanish language media.

 I've also had the pleasure of doing a few panels at local schools here since that initial meeting, including last month's one of the TSU campus.   I've also had the pleasure of having some long conversations with her at times about a host of other issues.

Was experiencing mixed emotions when Marie told me after that TSU panel that she was now engaged, and will be getting married.  

While that is wonderful news and I'm deliriously happy for her. the bad news part of it is the man who was smart enough to put a ring on her finger lives in California, and she's moving there to be with him.

Thursday was the last day she spent here in H-town, and she's packed up the car and pointed it west toward California and a new chapter in her life.   While I'm going to miss being able to see her from time to time, I'm also happy that she has found someone to share her life with, even if it is on the West Coast.

Goodbye, Marie Angel!    All of us who love you in Houston will miss you, but wish you the best of luck and safe travels as you begin this new adventure and a new life

Open Carry Laws Racist Enforcement

One of the things I'm not in favor of is the proliferation of guns and open carry laws that allow ammosexuals to carry assault rifles in public.

I see them as problematic.  'Stand your ground' laws have come to be 'Kill Black People And Get Out Of Jail Free' cards for white people while Black people like Marissa Alexander do jail time for simply firing warning shots in the air.

I'm highly skeptical of open carry laws and how they will be enforced.by police departments that let's be real, have their share of racist cops.

And right on cur, here's a video that basically encapsulates how I believe these laws will disproportionately be enforced.

Note the difference in how the persons carrying an AR-15 down the street are treated.

Shut Up Fool Awards-Congratulations Class Of 2015 Edition

The month of May also means it's time for graduations.  While the ones that get the most attention are at the collegiate level and from high school, you also have people making the jump from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school.

They are not only rites of passage, they are moments of personal achievement, triumph, perseverance and growth.

Congrats to all of you in the Class of 2015 who are crossing those stages around the country to get their diplomas and move on the next stages of their lives.

It's Friday. and time for our usual business of calling out peeps who have an associate in stupidity, a bachelor's in ignorance, a masters in brazen hypocrisy, and a PhD in mind blowing WTF actions that compel this blog to call them out and give them Shut Up Fool Awards.

So let's crank up Pomp and Circumstance and get busy passing out this week's Shut Up Fool Awards.

Honorable mention number one is Raven-Symone, who parted her lips but unfortunately didn't take her brain out of neutral when she opened her mouth on The View in opposition to putting Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.   An idea BTW, that a majority of people in an online poll said yes to.

What next Raven?  You going to audition to be a FOX Noise fembot?  You already have the prerequisite qualifications of hair color to be one.

Honorable mention number two is a group award for FOX Noise for going off the deep end when the FLOTUS called out the racism she and her family have been subjected to during a commencement speech at Tuskegee and the POTUS called out FOX Noise for their slanted anti-poor propaganda.

Predictably, they sent the Fox Kneegrow Sellout Brigade to do their dirty work for them, but it doesn't change the fact the POTUS and FLOTUS were on target in calling the issues they separately discussed out.

Honorable mention number three is another group award for the Duggar family.   Jessa and her hubby launched an idiocy filled commentary that attacked atheists and tried to claim Flintstones science (AKA creationism) was real.    Then her mom Michelle engaged in pimping the debunked trans predator myth again.

The Duggars continue to serve as shining examples as to why birth control should be legal and available, and homeschooling should be banned.

Honorable mention number four is Beverly Roberts (damned sure ain't no relation to me) an area director of the Concerned Women of America who admitted she gave false testimony to a May 4 Texas Senate committee hearing concerning SB 2065, a bill that would shield clergy from having to perform same sex weddings.

Honorable mention number five is Congressman Scott DesJarlais (R-TN).   This serial adulterer, pressured one of his mistresses to have an abortion, but just voted for the GOP 20 week abortion ban bill.  

Honorable mention number six is Rafael Cruz.   Daddy Cruz let loose another ridiculous claim in Edmond, OK  that LGBT rights would lead to football teams showering with girls.

Some boys would probably love that idea, but looks like you were watch oo much of Nickelodeon's Bella and the Bulldogs when you let that crap fly out of your mouth, so have a seat.

This week's Shut up Fool winner is Sandy Rios, who blames homosexuality for the Philly Amtrak crash because the engineer in it is an aleged marriage quality supporter.

How fracked up is Rios and the movement she represents to use a tragedy like this in which 8 people died  and dozens of other folks were injured in order to further the Hate The Gays political agenda of the American Fascist Family Association?

Shut the hell up fool!




Note: Grad photo is of my homegirl Tarah, who is graduating from UHD.  She is a former White House intern, an amazing ally, mom and wonderful friend I want to be like when I grow up.

Photo taken by Colby CJ Walker Photography

2015 Texas Legislature Anti-Trans Bills Die!

It's midnight, and a critical moment in the 2015 Texas Legislative session has just passed.

Any bills that were proposed in this legislative session had to be clear of the House or Senate chamber in which they were filed by midnight CDT or they died.

As many of you know the Republican majority had an ambitious anti-LGBT agenda in which 20 bills were filed.   Four of them were anti-trans ones that if passed, would have criminalized being trans in the Lone Star State and encouraged monetized bullying of Texas trans kids.

But with the passage of that midnight deadline, Rep Gilbert Pena's (R-Pasadena) anti-trans bathroom bounty bills aimed at our kids HB 2801 and 2802, and Debbie Does Discrimination Riddle's (R-Tomball) HB 1747 and HB 1748 are dead for this session!

However, it also means that good bills also die if they haven't cleared the House or Senate, like Rep. Garnet Coleman's (D-Houston) HB 2058 that would have streamlined the name change process for trans Texans.

We trans Texans and our allies can breathe a little easier in the Lone Star State that the bad anti-trans bills have died, but we can't exhale until June 1

Until then, we must be vigilant.  The session isn't done until June 1, and the legislators seeking to oppress TBLG Texans never sleep. 

These legislative oppressors will be looking for opportunities to tack those dead bills onto another piece of legislation further along in the legislative process.

And yes, just as we have had all throughout this , and we have people, organizations and fair minded legislators standing by on both sides of the aisle waiting to alert us and spring into action to kill it when they do. 

And if these anti-trans bills come back to life, as soon as I know, you will know.  But the clock and the days are inexorably ticking toward the June 1 sine die.

Upcoming UT-Austin Lavender Graduation May 20

After doing some local events, the BTAC conference and resting from that hectic March travel schedule that saw me flying over 8000 miles that month, it's time for me to hit the road again for my first keynote speech in a while.

I'll be heading back to Austin, but not to lobby.   On this trip to the ATX I'll be spending time on the University of Texas- Austin campus delivering a speech for their 8th annual Lavender Graduation.

So what's Lavender Graduation you ask?  Lavender Graduation is a special graduation ceremony that honors the achievements of graduating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and ally students on the UT-Austin campus.

Lavender Graduation is co-hosted by the Gender and Sexuality Center and the UT Queer Students Alliance (QSA). Our goal is to provide a venue to demonstrate the success of our community members in a personal, entertaining and celebratory way.

The Lavender Graduation Ceremony will feature not only my keynote speech, but inspiring speeches from UT-Austin faculty, administrators, students, and alumni; the chance to cross the lavender stage to celebrate your success and to receive a Lavender Graduation certificate as well as a rainbow tassel; and music, cake and food to share with friends, family and well-wishers!
Would you like to show your support for the event even though you are not graduating?   You can RSVP for the event at this link.   You can attend the event, and bring your friends and community allies!

Sign up on the GSC listserv to get updates and reminders closer to the event – sign up by sending an email to the GSC.   If you need further information about it you can contact the Gender and Sexuality Center at gsc@austin.utexas.edu or 512-232-1831.

The Lavender Graduation will take place at the Student Activity Center starting at 4 PM CDT on the UT-Austin campus at Speedway and 21st Streets.   Hope to see you there!.

Geena's Upcoming GenderProud Philippines Tour

Ever since model Geena Rocero came out as a trans woman during a favorably received March 31`TED talk last year, she has been on a mission to fight for trans human rights around the world.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Geena, talking to her regularly about that mission and spending quality time with her at last year's Philadelphia Trans Health Conference and a White House event last July.

After a May 11 visit to the UC-Santa Barbara campus for an event there, she's once again leaving on a jet plane headed back home to the Philippines.

Rocero will be there for a three week GenderProud tour in conjunction with local Philippine trans organizations from May 16-June 1 to talk with the Philippine transgender community.

"There's nothing more beautiful than being your full authentic self and saying it publicly, being in the public eye," said Rocero in an interview.



"I hope the trans community could feel that their stories matter, they need to be heard, and you're enough. You're a beautiful person by pursuing your truth, you are courageous, you should know that," she said.

While she has been part of the heightened visibility the trans community has seen in the past year that exploded after her coming out TED talk, she is quite aware of the fact that visibility can only go so far.and doesn't necessarily mean equality.

It's why she's in the Philippines for the next three weeks doing a series of events, and why she says she will continue to tell her story until she no longer has to.

Obama Presidential Center To Be In Chicago

There were 13 areas that fought to get it including his hometown of Honolulu, but in the end the Barack Obama Presidential Center's home will be in Chicago.

The Barack Obama Foundation decided May 12 to accept the University of Chicago proposal to build in either Washington Park or Jackson Park.

The foundation following the announcement by the President and First Lady immediately got to the business of selecting an architect to design it and coordinate the details for the construction of it.



They will also discuss the needed infrastructure improvements and details concerning building the Obama Presidential Center on city owned parkland with the City of Chicago, in addition to determining which park will be the home of it..  

If you're wondering when you'll be able to take a trip to Chitown to visit the Obama Presidential Library, you'll have to wait a few years.  Construction is not scheduled to begin until after President Obama leaves office in January 2017, with completion scheduled between 2020 and 2021.

Eureka Springs Votes To Keep Trans Inclusive Non Discrimination Ordinance

Last night was election night in Eureka Springs, AR  and it resulted in another loss for the Forces of Intolerance.

The Eureka Springs City Council unanimously and quickly passed Ordinance 2223 on February 9,  a non-discrimination ordinance that covers gender identity and sexual orientation in advance of the GOP controlled Arkansas Legislature passing the unjust Act 137 law that bans local jurisdictions from doing so that takes effect July 20..

Ordinance 2223 prohibits discrimination against anyone in Eureka Springs based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and provides anti-discrimination protection in employment, housing and public accommodations.

Eureka Springs wanted that ordinance in effect so they would have standing in a court challenge to Act 137.   However the local haters, including former Chamber of Commerce President Mike Bishop some clergy and AR State Rep. Bob Ballinger (R) who filed Act 137 in response to  Ordinance 2223, wanted it to die. 

So they dusted off the Conservative Noise Machine, their debunked trans predator lies and set out to repeat in Eureka Springs what they had done in Fayetteville and overturn a passed non-discrimination ordinance.   However, the fear and smear campaign in Eureka Springs ran into a huge PR problem when Rev. Acra Lee Turner,  the kneegrow spokesellout they were using to bear false witness for the repeal effort was revealed to have been convicted of sexual assault in Oklahoma.

The karmic wheel also turned on Mike Bishop, who was fired from the presidency of the local chamber of commerce for getting politically involved in encouraging the repeal of Ordinance 2223 without board approval

Yesterday the repeal referendum election happened, and by a nearly 3-1 margin, the people of Eureka Springs voted to keep their ordinance 579-231.

“This is historic, this is so exciting, historic not just for Eureka Springs but for all of Arkansas,” Mayor Butch Berry said to the Eureka Springs Independent  on receiving the tally. “We’re part of this! The feelings of joy here at campaign headquarters are contagious. It reminds me of when Bill Clinton was elected the first time.”

Lamont Richie-Roberson, the Carroll County JP who crafted the ordinance, was also happy about the positive outcome.

“We won! I’m blown away by the margin. It’s almost three-to-one.” Richie-Roberson said he thought the reason the margin was so significant was because the For 2223 camp ran a positive campaign and got people to the polls. “This validates the Eureka Springs welcome sign,” he said.

It also sends the message around the world that Eureka Springs doesn't discriminate.

What I'm Looking For In A Houston Mayoral Candidate

The wonderful thing for me about living in my hometown is that ever since I moved back home in May 2010, Annise Parker has been my mayor.    If it weren't for term limits, I'd bet you my last dollar she would easily win reelection to the mayor's chair for a fourth term if she could run again.

And this is why I hate term limits people, but that's a discussion for another day.

Since she is term limited, that has set off a mufti-candidate scramble for her soon to be vacated seat.  The declared candidates include the man Annise beat in 2013 in Ben Hall, TX State Rep. Sylvester Turner, former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia, Councilman Stephen Costello, Bill King, the former mayor of Kemah, TX and retired United Airlines executive Joe Ferreira.

There are others considering it, but the clock is ticking toward the date they can officially file in August for the seat and fundraise for what is sure to be an interesting campaign when it kicks off around the tradition start for Houston civic elections around Labor Day

And this is your not so gentle reminder to get registered to vote if you aren't already so that you can take part in the November 3 election.

The largest city in Texas since 1930 is continuing to grow, and will pass Chicago probably before the end of this decade to become the third largest in the United States. But with that growth comes other issues that I am concerned about as a unapologetic African-American trans Houstonian

One is affordable housing.   There are a lot of units being built with more high rises dotting our skyline.   Many of those new units are being built alongside the METRORail light rail line of which two more will be opening for revenue service on May 23.   But those units being built are unaffordable to many people in this city.   

That needs to change to where we have provisions for mixed income housing and possibly incentives for building housing for low income people.  Not all area of Houston have shared in its prosperity, so we need to come up with ways so that prosperity and development positively impact neighborhoods like South Park and 5th Ward and eliminate food deserts.

Speaking of light rail, it not only needs to be expanded and extended to Hobby and IAH, we need to add commuter rail to the mix.   We can no longer build freeways to deal with the increasing traffic loads in the Houston metro area.  

The light rail needs the east west Blue line built toward the Galleria and the Gold Line through the Galleria area is currently being done as a BRT (bus rapid transit) that can be converted to light rail when needed.

Transportation and infrastructure is also an issue in a city that covers 599.6 square miles and three counties, and I'm interested to hear what the candidates have to say about it, especially in a regional context.

And yes, HERO not only needs to continue to be implemented, I would add a category to it in terms of formerly incarcerated folks who have done their time and are trying to restart their lives.

One thing that will be a deal breaker for any Houston mayoral candidate (Ben Hall) seeking my vote is non-support of the current HERO or pledging to kill it.  TBLG Houstonians are part of this community's over 2.2 million people, and we aren't going away.  

You must respect and protect our human rights and any candidate that wants to demonize me to curry favor with the Baptist Ministers Assn of Houston and Vicinity, Ed Young, Dave Wilson or suburban haters like Steve Riggle and Dave Welch will not get my vote.

I have a few months to decide before I hit the polling place which  person deserves my vote as my hometown's  next mayor, but you can bet as the mayor's race intensifies, the commercials start appearing on TV and radio, I'll have a lot to say about it on these electronic pages.

Seattle Trans Woman Sues Blood Bank

Because I have an AB+ blood type, from time to time I would take part in blood drives when the need arose.

But after my 1994 transition, I could no longer donate blood because the US Food and Drug Administration uses a policy they implemented in 1983 that treats trans men and trans women as gay males having sex with other males (MSM's) and permanently bars us from donating blood.

While the FDA is considering new donation  guidelines for gay and bisexual men, they still haven't as yet come up with guidelines that would allow trans people to do so.

Well, a legal case percolating in Washington state may force the FDA to speed up their timetable for doing so.

Jasmine Kaiser attempted to give plasma in exchange for money at CSL Plasma, Inc in Kent, WA but was told because she was assigned male at birth she could not donate.   She was also told by CSL workers she'd be placed on a 'permanent deferral list' and they would inform other blood banks of this status.

Since Washington state has had a law on the books since 2006 prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity,.Kaiser filed suit against CSL with attorneys from Seattle women's rights group Legal Voice and the Keller Rohrback law firm arguing that CSL violated the Washington non discrimination law
CSL Plasma, Inc is also facing a similar lawsuit from another trans person in Minnesota.

They have yet to respond to the Kaiser suit, but according to the Advocate a spokesperson stated that CSL "operates its business in accordance with all applicable industry, state, federal, and international laws, regulations, guidelines, and guidance documents."

Will be interesting to see how this case transpires.

Capt. Thomas Araguz III Being Recognized At LGBT Fallen Heroes Ceremony Tomorrow

Tomorrow afternoon there will be a LGBT Fallen Heroes Memorial Service ceremony at the Women In Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery.

The first LGBT Fallen Heroes Memorial Service was held in DC's Dupont Circle on May 13, 2012 during National Police Week. What began as a memorial service to honor LGBT law enforcement officers has grown to encompass all uniformed public servants, EMT's and military personnel. It also inspired the subsequent creation of the LGBT Fallen Heroes Fund.

During the memorial service, the stories of our fallen heroes are read aloud by volunteers and then flags that have been flown over the Capitol building in their honor are presented to the significant other of the fallen hero.  The significant other is also presented with a commemorative portrait that serves as a reminder of their loved one’s faithful service.

Sometimes this LGBT Fallen Heroes memorial service serves as the first time those significant others are recognized for the supportive role they played in their departed loved one’s service to their communities.

Because of our country's problematic at times interpretation of marriage laws as they apply to TBLG people, at times the significant others of these fallen heroes are not given the support and respect they deserve. 

The memorial service is a way for the BTLG community and its allies to be there for the surviving significant others during their time of grieving, thank them for their loved one's service, and remind them they are not alone.

One of the people being recognized this year is Capt. Thomas Araguz III, who was killed during an egg farm fire on July 4, 2010 in Wharton, TX.   

Capt. Araguz was married to Nikki Araguz Loyd at the time, and his untimely death resulted in a now five year trans marriage legal fight percolating at the Texas Supreme Court level. 

Judge Randy Clapp (R) voided her marriage after it came to light she was a transgender female, and she has been battling to have her rights reinstated as a widow and to recognize the marriage.

This memorial service is significant for her is because she is being publicly recognized as Capt. Araguz's widow at a memorial event for the first time.

“I am honored to finally begin to be recognized as the widow of my firefighter, however, the event is bittersweet," says Araguz Loyd. 

"Not only do I remember the day he died like it was yesterday, but also the pain of being treated so horribly in those following weeks and to still have to fight for the same rights every widow of a hero deserves.   I wasn’t able to choose his headstone and I am still arguing in courts to reinstate our marriage. We loved each other and I supported him through schooling to make his dreams come true. We were husband and wife; we even met and married in the church that would later ask me to not return. We as trans people have come a long way in regards to receiving acknowledgment of our existence, however we are still lacking the basic protections and rights every person deserves.”

For those of you in the Washington DC metro area who wish to attend, the service will start at 2 PM EDT at the Women In Military Service for America Memorial.   The memorial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.

Why I Write

I'm rapidly approaching 6 million hits on this nine year old blog, and it's an upcoming milestone I'm exceedingly proud of.   I'm also proud of the fact that despite some of the challenges that have occasionally popped up, I've been blessed to be able to keep writing on these unapologetically Black trans electronic pages for almost a decade.   

But the reasons I write on this blog are multilayered.   First, I love doing it.   There are times I'm up until 3 or 4 AM in the morning compiling posts because a thought crossed my mind and I can't sleep until it has been placed on electronic paper.

There are time I've arisen before the sun to start a writing day that continues for eight to ten hours.

And as many people who have been to conferences with me know, sometimes they have been frustrated in their attempts to spend quality time with me in the lobby or bar because I have retreated to my room or the hotel's cluster of computers to write for hours.

Most of the time is to inform you of what's going on in Trans World, but not exclusively.   I have thoughts about what's going on in the world around us, and have no problem sharing them with you loyal TransGriot readers.

And from time to time I have to tell y'all what's going on in my own life.

Many times I write to inspire my trans brothers and trans sisters to aim higher in their own lives and be better people than our haters.   It's vitally important in a time period in which society is attacking our very humanity and telling us we shouldn't exist, that someone is writing and saying things that not only counteract the anti-trans negativity, but motivate us to bump the haters and handle our business.

And yes, there are times when I write to help me think about and get over some issues I'm personally dealing with on my own evolutionary feminine journey so I can be that leader, role model and quality human being I strive to be.

I've had at least four people write me over the life of the blog and tell me that perusing my TransGriot blog posts kept them from committing suicide.   I've had others say my posts helped them get through difficult and trying times in their own transitions or was the nudge they needed to make it happen.

And as a writer intimately familiar with the trans community's history, it is my duty to disseminate it to you so you can pass it down to the next generation of trans people and those new to our community.

Hey, that's why the blog is named TransGriot

I've had countless others say thank you to me for doing what I do and for TransGriot's existence.   Well, you can thank my sis from another mother Jordana LeSesne for kicking me in the behind until I started it in January 2006

But the main reason I write is encapsulated in a Maya Angelou quote in which she said, "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."

I have been blessed with the talent, ability, and a glorious opportunity to tell those stories, and I am compelled to tell them.

And that's why I write.

TransGriot Note:  Initial photo is of my Louisville homegirl, writer, and fab reporter Angie Fenton