Shut Up Fool Awards--Fools Everywhere Edition

As our TransGriot Shut Up Fool Awards mascot has often said,  Fools are everywhere.

And they have come out to play in a week leading up to a historic SCOTUS ruling combined with the right wing trying to tapdnce around the fact that one of their southen fried white supremacist bigots shot and killed 9 Black people in a Charleston, SC church.

So yeah, I know y`all wish to get right to this week`s TransGriot SUF winner is, and I needed extra time to determine it with the avalanche of late entries for the honor.

But with you TransGriot readers help, we have a winner.

This weeks fool is a Lone Star State one in longtime LGBT suburban LGBT hater Rick Scarborough.

Scarborough loudly  was sellin` woof tickets to the conservasheeple by claiming he would set himself on fire if the SCOTUS ruled to make same sex marriage the law of the land,   Now that that has happened, as I suspected, he has quickly done what all conservafools do by reneging on what hey say,

Yo dude, you need to make your deeds match your words, and I know more than a few peeps in the Houston area who would be happy to supply you with the gasoline and matches to immolate yourself.

All you have done is one again proved what lying you know whats you faux faith based haters really are.

Rick Scarborough, shut up fool!

Cisgender Added To Oxford Dictionary

Our TERF haters love to flap their gums and claim cisgender not only isn't a word, but weakly try to claim the word is a slur.

As we say in the Lone Star State, that dog won't hunt any more thank to recent news.

Because the English language is one that is constantly evolving, the Oxford English Dictionary adds words to it every year,  This year, one of the nearly 500 words added to the volume that is considered the definitive and authoritative volume when it comes to English in addition to twerk was cisgender.

That sound you just heard was TERF heads exploding,

Yep,  cisgender is now officially an English language word, so  you can stop telling that lie that it isn't.  

It will be not only included in the 2015 edition of the Oxford dictionary, but will soon be included in other online and offline dictionaries that look to the Oxford one as their standard for deciding what words do and don't get included.

Countdown To A SCOTUS Ruling

The clock is ticking toward the end of this latest 2014-2015 term of the Supreme Court session, with the country anxiously awaiting a ruling that could open the door to marriage equality becoming the law of the land.

If that ruling does come down eithe today, Friday or on Monday, looks like the GOP establishment in Texas is prepared to go the Massive Resistance 3,0 route that Alabama has tried to keep its LGBT citizens from exercising that right to marry,

Looks like the GOP county clerks in Texas are already prepping to not be ready to issue marraige licenses to the couples who wish to have them and that list includes Stan Stanart of Harris County.

Elections matter people, so take out your frustrations about Stanart and his partisan actions along with all the other GOP oppressors at the ballot box next year.

As for which way I think it will go, I believe in this hyperpartisan SCOTUS, it will probably be a 5-4 decision.

We will also be wondering in Trans World what effect this ruling will have on our ability to get married since it was negatively affected by the push that started in 2003 for same gender marriage.

But in the interim, all eyes in LGBT America will be turned toward Washington DC.. tuned to news stations and reading their fave blogs to find out what happens when that long awaited SCOTUS opinion is released.

The Confederate Flag Represents A Heritage Of Hate

Been keeping up with the terrorist attack in Charleston, SC that led to the deaths of nine people at Mother Emanuel AME Church by white supremacist Dylann Roof.

It has been interesting to see how fast the conservafool media has been quick to revoke his white male card and try to disassociate themselves from the fact he was one of theirs, weaned on FOX Noise and other anti-Black hate speech.

First they tried to avoid even calling it a terrorist attack, but had to drop that attempted talking point when his anti-Black manifesto came out.  

Then it was the conservafool media trying to paint Roof as a `lone wolf`, `disturbed`,`mentally ill`, et cetera.

Nope, he`s a ` Real American` and all yours.  Deal with the consequences of pushing nonstop anti-Black hatred for fun and political advantage combined with lax gun laws leading to dead Black people.

Now that it has also resulted in renewed attention on the Confederate flag as a symbol of hate that needed to die 150 years ago, we hear the whining coming from groups like like the Sons of Confederate Veterans trying to pimp that `Heritage Not Hate` BS.

Don't even try it.  The Confederate flag not only represented a group of traitorous states that fomented an armed rebellion against the US government, they did so for the sole purpose of keeping my people perpetually enslaved.

You are still bitter you lost 'The War To Perpetuate Slavery`and have been taking your Civil War defeat out on Black people ever since.

And when my people began to march against unjust Jim Crow laws in the 1950s and 1960s, you unfurled that flag across the South as a big middle finger to us and the country.  You rallied around that racist flag in order to don pointed white hoods and conduct terrorist attacks aimed at Black people an intimidate righteous white people into silence.

That flag has a 150 year heritage of hate, and it is past time that it be consigned to the dustbin of history.  It is also past time we tell the truth about that flag being anything but honorable.

2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Team USA Watch- Playing Colombia

FIFA number four ranked Team USA gets its first match in knockout round play later tonight against a familiar opponent in FIFA number 10 ranked Colombia.  

The last time these teams met, it was during group play in the 2012 London Games, and it resulted in a 3-0 USA victory.

It's also a match that Abby Wambach probably remembers well because of the not so ladylike sucker punch she received from Lady Andrade that earned her a two game suspension.

Here they are again, fighting to not only stay alive in the knockout rounds, but face China.

Should be a fun match, and go Team USA!

Moni's Excellent Night With The Houston Dash

Been a rough week for me, and I got the opportunity thanks to Mike Craig to knock things off my Houston bucket list.  

I got the opportunity to on a cooler than normal Saturday night to not only check out BBVA Compass Stadium for the first time, but watch the Houston Dash play.

It was the first time since 2001 I'd gotten the opportunity to see a Houston based women's professional sports franchise play a game since the dearly departed Houston Comets played WNBA games in the former arena that is now Joel Osteen's sanctuary.

That's another post and another sport, so back to focusing on our femme footballers.

The opposition for the Dash was the Western New York Flash, and the Dash were missing six total players who were doing Women's World Cup duty for the USA and Canadian squads.  Carli Lloyd, Meghan Klingenberg and Morgan Brian were playing for Team USA and Erin McLeod, Lauren Sesselman and Allysha Chapman for the host Canadians. 

The Dash coming into this game were on a bit of a hot streak, having gone unbeaten in four straight games and looking to extend that streak in this World Cup shortened 2015 NWSL season in which every match is critical and only the top four teams make the playoffs.

My seats were in section 110, in the corner where I could along with the rest of the peeps who came see the corner kicks and all the action developing in front of goal.  We.also had a Latino guy in our section named Carlos who was attending the game as an early Father's Day gift from his wife and he was making this even more fun.

It took a while but we were finally rewarded with a Dash goal in the 24th minute as Jessica McDonald headed the ball into the upper left hand corner for her 5th goal of the season and a 1-0 Dash lead they would take into halftime.

The party continued for us and Carlos as Kealia Ohai, the sister in law of Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing, scored her third goal of the season in the 63th minute to build a 2-0 lead and grant Carlos' wish for a Dash victory, three points in the standings and just one point away from first place.

Carlos even got us and the 3,400 peeps in attendance after several tries to do the wave.

Mike had another surprise for us when the game was over and we got to meet a Dash player after the match.

That player turned out to be Dash forward Ella Masar.   She signed autographs and took photos with us to cap off a thoroughly enjoyable evening for me and my crew.

Can't wait to check out another Dash game, and the next time it'll be when all of our players doing World Cup duty will be back.

Pope Francis, Stop Attacking Trans People!

One of the things I've been more than pissed off about is the disgusting pattern since 2003 of anti-trans rhetoric and hate speech coming from first Pope Benedict, and now Pope Francis.

Since you compared trans people to nuclear weapons, time for me to drop a truth bomb on you.

Stop demonizing and attacking trans people.  Your words are leading to the deaths of trans women in Latin America and Eastern Europe, and you need to chill with that.

Trans people are part of the diverse creation of human life, and we aren't going away or into hiding.

Instead of the church you head demonizing us, you should be first and foremost in taking the lead on trans international human rights issues, and it's disappointing to trans Catholics (if their are any left) and our supportive families, friends and allies around the world that you aren't using your voice to advocate on our behalf.

So on this Sunday morning Your Holiness, I have a simple request that I and probably other trans people of faith around the globe will be echoing when we say our prayers later this morning.

Will you stop demonizing trans people and realize that we too are created in God's image?

We'll see if that prayer will be answered.

Time To Root Out US Embassy Transphobia

Last month I talked about the situation of Amruta Soni, an Indian trans person whose visa application was held up to visit the United States to attend the recently concluded Philadelphia Trans Health Conference.

Soni eventually got her visa and was able to get to Philadelphia for the conference and her panel.

But I'm hearing disturbing news that it has happened once again for another group of trans women trying to get visas to travel to the US for an event, and I'm not a happy camper about that.

According to the Washington Blade, three Central American trans feminine activists, Mixair Nolasco, Stacy Vasquez  Velasquez and Ambar Alvarado Alfaro from Panama, Guatemala and El Salvador were invited to attend the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly that took place June 15-16.  

They unfortunately missed it because they were denied visas by embassy personnel in their home nations.

The trio brought their passports, the OAS invitations, and all necessary paperwork in conjunction with their visa applications for those embassy visa interviews, but were denied by US Embassy personnel working in those nations.

One embassy staffer exhibited a shocking level of ignorance by not even knowing what the Washington DC headquartered OAS was.

These nations these trans women are from are also nations in which the human rights situation for trans persons is problematic, as the recent murder of a Salvadoran trans activist is a glaring example of.

The Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) LGBT Rapporteurship was aware of the situation, and not happy these activists could be there to testify about the conditions for trans women in these Central American nations.  The IACHR has previously expressed concerns about the inability of trans person to travel to Washington DC to participate and testify in hearings concerning human rights related issues in the Americas.

Randy Berry, the US special envoy to promote global LGBT rights, insists there isn't a problem and told the Blade, "I'm quite satisfied that there is not an issue of discrimination on the issue of gender identity.  As a policy point we work very, very hard against it."

But tell that BS to Amruta Soni and the trans activists who were denied an opportunity to tell their stories at the just concluded OAS General Assembly.

You have a transphobia problem in various US embassies that it negatively impacting the ability of international trans people to travel to the US for whatever reason they need to do so. 

And that problem needs to be fixed.

Nicole's 'Royal Pains' Episode To Be Broadcast June 23

I mentioned in a recent post I wrote about her last month that the amazing trans teen Nicole Maines was taping an episode of USA Network's show Royal Pains

Well, get ready to set your DVRs because that episode in which she plays a character named Anna will be broadcast starting June 23.

Will be looking forward to seeing it when it gets broadcast, and hope it leads to more acting work for you.

And best of luck to you as you start your freshman year of college

Let The Tapdancing About This Latest Domestic Terror Attack Begin

Wednesday night 21 year old Dylann Roof walked into a side door of the historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston SC and attended a Bible study happening there for an hour/

He then whipped out a concealed handgun and began shooting the attendees, killing 9 people and wounding three before being captured after a 14 hour manhunt yesterday.. 

His stated reason according to one of the survivors, was that "I have to do it.  You're raping our women and taking over the country. You have to go."

And homey was involved with white supremacist groups.   So what do you think the good people at FOX Noise had to say about this domestic terrorism situation involving one of those good conservative Americans?   That it happened because of 'America's acceptance of trans people like Caitlyn Jenner', bellowed Erik Erickson.

Yep, they are in full distract, deflect and 'blamed the victim. mode.  They are also trying to play that tired 'lone crazed wolf' card.

Anything to deflect from the fact that this is the living breathing manifestation of anti-Black hatred they have pushed on right wing talk radio and FOX Noise.    Hate thoughts + hate speech + unfetter gun ownership = hate violence.

So stay tuned to see how the conservative movement tries to whitesplain away this hate crime committed by another white male weaned on their relentless anti-Black talking points?

Rest In Peace, Mercedes

It's my sad duty to inform you TransGriot readers about the murder of another US trans woman.

According to the Advocate, 17 year old Mercedes Williamson's body was found May 30 by George County Alabama police.

Her alleged killer, 28 year old Josh Brandon Vallum, was charged with Williamson's murder several days after police recovered the teen's body.

He is reportedly a longtime member of the Latin Kings gang, and confessed to his father on June 1 that he'd killed someone.   Bobby Vallum reported the conversation to the police, who found Williamson's partially decomposed body hidden under debris on the property around  9 AM on June 2.

Mercedes Williamson's life was sadly ended before she even had a chance to live it.   That's what pisses me off about these murders of our trans kids.   I hope and pray justice is served in this case.

rest in power and peace, Mercedes.

Shut Up Fool Awards- Moni's Moving Edition

After a drama filled run to get to this point,  I finally moved out of the place I've called home for the last six months yesterday.

I'm still trying to find a new landing spot, and after moving my belongings to a storage facility, I'm spending the next few days at a friend's house destressing from the events of the last month while working on trying to find a new place without that time pressure bearing down upon me.

Thanks to Dee Dee Watters and Nikki Araguz Loyd for their help on Wednesday and Thursday getting the process started.  I also thank all of you who have contributed to my moving fund which is just $300 short of the target and those of you who have offered multiple places to choose from to stay while I find a solution to my housing situation.

Still time to donate and I thank you for doing so.  On the let side of the blog is a tip jar button that goes to my PayPal.

Dee Dee and I have some leads on a new place to call our own, and hopefully they will pan out in an expeditious manner.

Now, enough jibber-jabber about me, I know what y'all surfed over here for.   It's Friday, and while I was contemplating where I wanted to live, I also was contemplating what fool, fools or group of fools would be getting called out in this week's edition of the TransGriot Shut Up Fool Awards.

So let's get right to it shall we?

Honorable mention number one goes to every kneegrow who tried to defend Rachel Dolezal's fake Black feminine alleged bisexual behind.

Her 15 minutes of fame have long since expired.  Time for you to have several seats and a nice steaming cup of shut the hell up.

Honorable mention number two is a group award for everybody in Conservaworld tapdancing around another domestic terrorist attack and hate crime committed by a Real American like them, avoiding any mention of the systemic racism and anti-Black rhetoric they inflame conservasheeple like Roof with, trying to blame the victims and spin it as an 'attack on Christianity'/

Oh yeah, it most certainly is.  Another example of the centuries old historic pattern of white supremacists attacking Black churches and the people who attend them.

Honorable mention number three is LMPD Sgt Dave Mulchler, the president of the local FOP branch in Louisville who stupidly sent out an open letter threatening retaliation against any citizen who questions police actions in the wake of a fatal police shooting that has inflamed local tensions

He was rebuked by Mayor Greg Fischer (D) hours after releasing it.

“I appreciate that emotions are high after the tragic event of last week,” he said. “This letter does not reflect the sentiments of me or the vast majority of Louisville’s citizens, who know that we are all on the same page, working to build safe and strong communities for all of our families. We are in this together — police who put their lives on the line to keep us safe while building strong relationships of trust, and community members, who must be engaged citizens involved in our efforts to create a compassionate, thriving Louisville. Rather than incite anger and distrust between the police and the community, my administration will continue to work to build those critical relationships and the trust they create.”

Of course, Mulchler is now zipping his lips and not saying jack to the media after opening mouth and inserting badge in it.

Honorable mention number four is another group award for the nine GOP Kansas legislators who filed a complaint against Valdenia Winn (D-Kansas City) an African-American legislator who called them out on their racist anti-immigrant legislation.

A special Uncle Ruckus Award goes to the two kneegrow Republicans who allowed themselves to be used as sellout human shields so the white Republicans would appear less racist for what they are trying to pull

Honorable mention number five is FOX Noise' Erick Erickson, who blamed the Wednesday terror attack at Emanuel AME Church on transgender people.

Honorable mention number six is Alveda King.  She was cooning it up on FOX Noise trying the blame the Charleston terror attack on legalized abortion.

Damn, isn't your 15 minutes up yet?

This week's winner is Pope Francis, who every time he takes one positive step forward, takes another two backwards by saying something jacked up

Once again the toxic anti-trans hatred Paul McHugh injected into the Vatican ranks reared its ugly head yesterday when he wrote as part of a 184 page encyclical that "transpeople should accept their God given bodies  and not seek to manipulate them."

Hey Your Transphobiness, don't know what McHugh has been telling you, but transsexuality is not a sin.  

That's also why medical professionals have called for society to stop attacking transpeople and embrace them as the church you head should be leading the way in doing, but tragically fail at.

And I accept my beautiful trans body that was created by God along with the millions of other transpeople on the planet who are sick and tired of your attacks on our humanity.

Since you are a man of science, why don't you consult with experts in the field of transsexuality instead of a discredited quack?   And yes, I'll remind you that trans people are part of the diverse mosaic of human life

Have several seats in St Paul's Cathedral and shut up fool

Juneteenth 2015-Up, Up, You Mighty Black Trans Texans!

150 years ago today Union Major General Gordon Granger ascended a balcony at Ashton Villa in Galveston, TX and read General Order Number 3 that proclaimed that all slaves in Texas were free. 

Last year in honor of Juneteenth I wrote a post that called for all Black trans Texans to engage in a Juneteenth o our own to emancipate ourselves from the mental plantations we inhabit and stride boldly into facing the world as our true selves..

Yes, trans rights are international human rights.  We are at a tipping point moment that sees us on the verge of making them a reality around the world. Even a red trending purple Texas can't resist the forward momentum of trans human rights forever.  If we want a Texas that protects our human rights as trans people, we will need to show up, show out and fight tooth and nail to make it a reality. 
--TransGriot June 19,2014

It has been a tough year for us.  We beat back with the help of our allies the attempts of two transphobic Republican legislators to criminalize being trans and incentivize bullying of trans kids.

One of the names we will memorialize at TDOR in November is 24 year old Ty Underwood of Tyler,.

While the perpetrator in the Underwood case has been caught and is awaiting trial, we still have much work to do to promote a culture in Texas and beyond that emphatically proclaims #BlackTransLivesMatter. just as much as cisgender Black lives do.

While we fought off anti-trans legislation in our state this time, the transphobes will try it again in 2017, and we need to start preparing now to deal with that.   Dee Dee and I must have help in the next legislative session from other Black trans people around the state.   We cannot continue to be the ONLY Black transpersons willing to go to Austin and walk the halls of our state capitol to lobby our state reps and state senators.   Our legislators need to see more of you from Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Beaumont, Tyler, Austin and those of you who live in small towns across our ginormous state.

We also need to be involved in he life of straight and SGL Black America as well.   We need to show up and handle the community's business on issues of importance to ALL of us as Black Texans and Black Americans.

So up, up you might Black Texans!  Your community, your state, and your country need you to stand tall and represent.

.  

2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Team USA Watch- On To The Knockout Round

Group play at the 2015 Women's World Cup has been concluded, and we now know which 16 teams are still alive in the chase for the FIFA women's world championship trophy and which ones are packing to go home.

For the rest of the tournament. you play until somebody wins or loses.  If the score is tied after 90 minutes plus stoppage time. you get 30 more minutes plus stoppage time to break the deadlock.  If it's still tied after that, a penalty kick shootout to determine who moves on.

The FIFA number four ranked USA is one of those sixteen teams.   They survived the 'Group Of Death' and advanced as the Group D winner.   By winning the group, they now reap the rewards of a less difficult road to the July 5 final in Vancouver.

But one of the burning questions in the inquiring minds of Team USA fans is are the struggles they've had generating offense lately over now that Alex Morgan is back in the lineup and getting her match fitness level back?

As long as they play defense the way they have been over the last three matches, all they need is to generate just enough offense to carry the day.   Hope Solo has been brilliant as usual in net, and is working on 243 minutes and counting in not allowing an opposing team's shot to pass her and enter the goal.

But first they will have to go through the Group F third place team in Colombia, who are making noise in this Women's World Cup tournament.   They were ranked 28th in the FIFA world rankings before it started, but after shocking FIFA number 3 ranked France 2-0 in Group F play, they have rocketed up to number 10 in the FIFA rankings.

So Team USA is acutely aware of the fact they can't fall asleep against this team.  Abby Wambach is probably more motivated than anyone else on Team USA to deliver some personal payback after she got sucker punched by Lady Andrade during the waning moments of a 3-0 USA win a 2012 Olympic tournament group match play.

Should they get past Colombia, the winner of the China-Cameroon match awaits in Ottawa on June 26.  Should they be successful in that match, they will play a semifinal match at Montreal's Olympic Stadium on June 30 with one of the teams in the other half of their bracket that include FIFA number one Germany, FIFA number 3 ranked France, a possible rematch with FIFA number 8 Sweden, and South Korea.

The knockout round starts June 20, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

All The Seven Sisters Will Admit Trans Feminine Students

The Seven Sisters are a group of historical elite women's collegiate institutions in the Northeast US founded between 1837-1889 whose primary was to not only give female students a liberal arts education equivalent to men, but provide opportunities for women in academia. 

The Seven Sisters received that nickname in 1927 and are Barnard College,in New York City; Bryn Mawr College, in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA; Radcliffe College in Cambridge, MA; Smith College in Northampton, MA; Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY; and Wellesley College in Wellesley, NY.

Radcliffe and Vassar were once women only colleges, but became coed institutions.  The remaining Seven Sisters institutions had debate about the issue, but decided to remain women's colleges.

They were founded  in an era in which their mission was to give women a college education, and they have been exceedingly successful at that mission. 

The Seven Sisters count as their alumni such notable people as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Emily Dickinson, Secretary of State Madeline K. Albright, Diane Sawyer, Glenda Hatchett, Debra Martin Chase,Yolanda King, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Joan Rivers, Cynthia Nixon, Ntozake Shange, Molly Ivins, Gloria Steinem and Katharine Hepburn along with thousands of other alums around the world that include several friends of mine..

But in the late 20th and early 21st century, the question of how to accommodate transgender students has arisen. The  definition of womanhood has evolved, but the admissions policies of the Seven Sisters haven't.   Those hypocritical policies allowed trans men to matriculate on those campuses if they started their transitions after being admitted as female bodied people but barred trans feminine students from even enrolling.

When Calliope Wong was denied admission at Smith, that brought new scrutiny to those Smith policies and triggered reexamination of those policies to ensure they admitted all women who wished to attend.

Mount Holyoke because the first of the Seven Sisters to admit trans feminine students in 2014, and now Barnard College starting this fall will do so.

“As expected, a wide range of passionate and deeply held beliefs were discussed and debated,” Barnard’s president, Debora Spar, and the chair of its board of trustees, Jolyne Caruso-FitzGerald, wrote in a joint June 4 letter to the Barnard community. “But on two main points, the responses were compelling and clear.

“There was no question that Barnard must reaffirm its mission as a college for women. And there was little debate that trans women should be eligible for admission to Barnard.”

Barnard will consider applications from anyone who now “consistently identifies as a woman,” but not those who have transitioned to become men, or those whose gender identity is fluid.

It will be interesting to see what happens now that trans feminine students can matriculate at Barnard and the other Seven Sisters campuses.

Happy Martian New Year!

If you were sitting on the planet Mars, you'd be celebrating a brand new year this week.

The Red Planet has a similar axial tile to or planetary home and a day that last 40 minutes longer.   But because of an eccentric orbit, it takes Mars nearly two Earth years to make on trip around the Sun.

The Curiosity rover roaming the Gale Crater in Mars' southern hemisphere over the last three years has been doing experiments and ascertaining through soil and rock sample analysis with its onboard instrumentation suite whether Mars once harbored life, and if we Earthlings could live there.

There are even people contemplating if we could actually terraform Mars so that we could comfortably live on the planet.

On Friday, NASA will celebrate the occasion at a event for space enthusiasts in the town of Mars, PA, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh.  The town of 1700 has a flying saucer sculpture in the town square, and will celebrate the occasion with a festival that has an outer space costume contest and exhibits from NASA.

And if you want to attend the next one, here's your save the date moment for it.  It's scheduled to happen May 5, 2017.

With the upcoming Pennsylvania event, NASA wishes to inspire kids to take science and technology courses.   Their goal is hopefully when NASA is ready to tackle the scientific and engineering challenges of manned missions to Mars in the 2030's and we have the political and societal will to do so, they will have a pool of qualified STEM trained people to select from.

Happy Martian New Year!  In the meantime, we'll keep looking thorough our telescopes, watching movies, reading sci-fi books with Mars as part of the plot, and contemplating if we have what it takes and the will to make that dream a reality.

Fayetteville, AR Passes New Civil Rights Protection Law

Was wondering if in the wake of the exposure of the Duggar hypocrisy, that Fayetteville, AR would revisit the marrow repeal of the previous TBLG inclusive law and work on passing a new one.

They have and did.

After almost four hours of discussion last night that favorably commented on it by a 32-20 margin, ,Fayetteville City Council members voted 6-2 to pass the Uniform Civil Rights Protection Ordinance and send it to the voters for a September 8 special election.   The new ordinance won't go into effect until it passes at the ballot box.

Work on the new ordinance started immediately after the controversial repeal vote in December that featured Michelle Duggar's transphobic robocall.  The new ordinance incorporates several existing laws like the Arkansas Anti-Bullying Act and the Fair Housing Act. It also borrows language from the Arkansas Civil Rights Act of 1993, which defines “employer” as a person who employs nine or more employees in the state.

Besides the citizens that spoke favorably for it, it also has the support of one of the groups who initially worked to defeat the original law, the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce.

If passed, the new law will prohibit business owners and landlords from firing or evicting someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It will also provide protections for use of public accommodations, including restrooms.  

City Attorney Kit Williams believes that he can defend it, despite the passage of Act 37, the deceptively named  Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act .  It bans cities and counties from enacting or enforcing “an ordinance, resolution, rule or policy that creates a protected classification or prohibits discrimination on a basis not contained in state law.”

And as usual (boo hiss)  Churches, religious schools, daycare facilities and religious organizations of any kind are exempt from it.

We'll have to stay tuned to see what the next chapter brings in terms of whether this stays on Fayetteville's law books. 

Because Fayetteville is the home of the University of Arkansas, not having a human rights law on the books is bad for business and recruiting, especially with the Razorbacks being  a member of the SEC, I'm betting it will.

2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Team USA Watch-Escaping The 'Group Of Death'

Last night Team USA played their final group match in Vancouver against Nigeria with much on the  line. 

A Team USA win over the Super Falcons would clinch Group D, send them into the knockout round with a favorable draw that would allow them to avoid a clash with FIFA number one ranked Germany until at least the semis, and they wouldn't play until June 22 in Edmonton against the third place team from either Group B, E or F.

While they were an unbeaten (4-0) against Nigeria coming into that match, there's always that chance the breakthrough win for the Super Falcons could come at any time, and with the team having come off a draw with Sweden and being dropped to number 4 in the FIFA world rankings, Team USA fans had a lot to be worried about.

But with Alex Morgan finally starting and being paired with her running buddy Abby Wambach, the team we were looking for offensively finally showed up.

They kept the pressure on Nigeria from the outset, and in the 8th minute finally broke through with a goal from Julie Johnston that was waved off due to a controversial offside call

But they kept attacking, and it was Abby Wambach to the rescue in stoppage time just before the half as she headed a corner kick from Megan Rapinoe into the back of the net for the only goal the USA would need.



It was Wambach's first of the tournament and 14th career World Cup goal, putting her at second all time behind Brazil's Marta. And to those of us in the US LGBT community, I loved the fact it was two of our LGBT family members teaming up to score against a Nigerian squad that bans gay players and sending them packing as a result.

Thanks to another clean sheet for Hope Solo, who has now gone 243 minutes without allowing a goal, the Red White and Blue have escaped the Group of Death and await their initial knockout round match against the third place team from either Group B, E or F

Colombia Allows Gender Marker Changes Without Surgery

Identity documents that accurately reflect our expressed gender identities are an important issue for trans people around the world.

The nations of Argentina, Spain, Uruguay and Denmark allow trans people in those nations to make those changes to identity documents without surgical intervention, and Ireland and Malta are on track to join that small but expanding list of nations doing so. 

Two South American nations are leading the way in the Western Hemisphere when it comes to the human rights of trans people and there was a surprising new entrant to that list in Colombia.

Colombia is conservative leaning and Roman Catholic, but has made some interesting strides on the TBLG rights front lately as the grip of the Catholic Church in the country has waned and more GLBT people have become visible in Colombian society.    A nondiscrimination law protects LGBT people on the basis of employment, and  now a major step forward for trans Colombians has occurred.

Colombia began allowing its transgender citizens to legally change how their name and gender are registered on government identification cards without having to endure intrusive physical and psychological examinations or surgical intervention to prove their gender.

Under the new policy, Colombian transgender people can simply present a written request, with their name and national identity card number, and copies of their national identity card and birth certificate. The process should be completed within five business days.

Will be nice to see the day when my own nation will allow me and other trans Americans to do what our trans cousins in Colombia can now do.

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2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Team USA Watch-Next Up Nigeria

The final group play match for now FIFA ranked number four Team USA is taking place in Vancouver against Nigeria with much at stake for the Red, White and Blue. (We have to come up with a cooler nickname for our team).

They also slipped two spots in the FIFA world rankings.

Thanks to Meghan Klingenberg's header that preserved the 0-0 draw against Sweden, a win by Team USA in tonight's match at BC Place Stadium will allow them to clinch the 'Group of Death', punch their ticket to the knockout round, have an easier bracket, and face off in Edmonton June 22 against the third place team from either Group B, E or F.

If the Nigerians do something they have never done in Women's World Cup  competition and either upset Team USA or draw with them, it could depending on the result of the Australia-Sweden match either have them facing the Germans in Ottawa on June 20 , finishing second with a less favorable knockout round draw or knock them completely out of the tournament well short of their goal of winning the World Cup.

The Super Falcons aren't going to roll over and let Team USA waltz into the knockout round, especially since they have a chance with a win for the ages to advance to the knockout round themselves. 

So Team USA better not fall asleep on the job tomorrow night because they have much riding on the outcome of this match.  While Team USA's defense has been improving, their offense is a concern for Team USA fans.   

Here's hoping that whatever is ailing Team USA on the offensive end will get rectified starting at 7 PM CDT and continue through the rest of the tournament.