NBJC Endorses Equality Act

The National Black Justice Coalition upon today's introduction in Congress of the Equality Act, has endorsed this sweeping and unprecedented piece of federal legislation.

If enacted, the Equality Act would expand basic human rights protections for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender) and gender nonconforming Americans based on their actual or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation. 

The Equality Act adds key LGBT rights protections to existing civil rights laws including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 to ensure like other protected classes (race, religion, national origin) LGBT people cannot be legally discriminated against in the United States. 

The Equality Act also provides federal protections on the basis of sex and sex-based stereotypes in both public accommodations and federally funded programs..

"Without a federal non-discrimination measure like the Equality Act in law, the current framework of LGBT civil protections--or lack thereof-- within states and local jurisdictions provides a majority of LGBT Americans with no clear legal defense from discrimination," said Sharon Lettman-Hicks, NBJC Executive Director & CEO in a statement.. "When a person is both Black and LGBT, discrimination--and the evils of blatant and systemic racism--is too common place  and faced on a number of levels that are fundamentally unacceptable in a democracy.   As such, NBJC supports the Equality Act, which would provide vital legal protections to so many in the Black LGBT community who are particularly vulnerable to discrimination in our nation."

According to a UCLA Williams Institute study, 3.7% of all adult African-Americans identify as LGBT people, representing more than 1 millions Black LGBT Americans. Significant populations of Black LGBT people like in southern states that in many cases have no local or statewide non-discrimination protections that cover LGBT people.  The Equality Act's passage would ensure that the most vulnerable LGBT citizens--which includes Black LGBT ones, would have recourse when they are treated unfairly because of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

'The heightened attention we have seen in recent years, months, and days about the mistreatment of black people in regards to policing, racial profiling and senseless violence demonstrates that the fight for true equality continues.  Even with key civil rights laws on the books meant to prohibit discriminatory treatment, we continue to live in a nation grappling with the plight of racial justice,"  added Lettman-Hicks.

"The movement for equal justice under the law calls for us to continue to place pressure on those in power to make and enforce laws that protect us all--no matter our background.   That is why NBJC will continue to fight to see an end to all forms of racism in our nation and world, while simultaneously working to see the day when measures like the Equality Act are signed into law."

Italy Becomes Sixth Nation To Allow Trans Self Identification Without Surgery

Thanks to a recent Italian Supreme Court ruling, Italy has now become the fifth nation to acknowledge that trans people have the right to self identify without requiring genital surgery or medical intervention.

Italy now joins Argentina, Denmark, Malta, Portugal and Ireland in doing so.

The landmark ruling overturned adverse lower level  court cases and makes it clear that the official gender record can be amended without surgery or sterilization.

The plaintiff in the case was a now 45 year old trans woman who in 1999 was granted permission to undergo genital surgery but decided over time that surgical intervention wasn't necessary.to get social recognition as a  woman.

Burt a tribunal in Piacenza and the Appeal court in Bologna both said no prior to her win at the Italian Supreme Court level.

The Court stated:   The desire to align body and spirit is, even in the absence of surgical intervention, the result of a very personal journey to gender identity, supported by a range of medical and psychological treatments that will vary according to individual personality and need.

‘The moment of truth is deeply influenced by individual characteristics.

‘Ultimately, it can only be the end result of a process of self-determination towards the goal of a change of sex.’

The Court also stated in their landmark ruling: ‘The complexity of the route, which encompasses a plurality of medical treatments (including hormonal and aesthetic) as well as psychological further illustrates how that right is central to the expression of individual and social personality and social, insofar as a proper balance is to be struck between the public interest… and the limits of our legal system.

The Italian Supreme Court ruling comes one week after Ireland passed legislation to allow trans people there to self identify without surgical intervention.   It is also increasing pressure on France and Great Britain to follow suit.

At any rate, it's a wonderful day for our Italian trans cousins.   As for when it will happen in the United States, I'm not holding my breath with science denying Republicans in control of Congress right now. 

TransGriot Note:  Initial photo is of Italian girl like us actress Vittoria Schisano.  She wasn't the plaintiff in this case, but is the most well known Italian trans woman right now.

Meagan Taylor Is Free!

Received the wonderful news that Meagan Taylor, who was visiting Iowa with a trans friend and ended up in jail after being racially profiled because of a transphobic Drury Inn employee, is now free!

“I’m ecstatic to be released,” Meagan told the Transgender Law Center. “Words cannot express the way I feel to be out. I want to thank everyone who shared my story, and let people know that I am going to seek justice for what they did profiling me as a Black transgender woman.”

She spent over a week in isolated custody in the Polk County jail in Des Moines as local activists Kaija Carter, Tony Tyler and Mira Bellwheter , national organizations and San Francisco based Rev. Megan Rohrer teamed up to free Meagan.   Pastor Rohrer, who is also transgender, raised over $4400 thanks to 133 donors to help pay her bond as the Transgender Law Center worked to get the Illinois warrant vacated.

I thank Kaija for keeping me informed as to what was happening on the ground in Des Moines.

“We are relieved and thrilled that Meagan is finally free, but know that her story is all too common,” said Flor Bermudez, Esq., Director of the Detention Project at Transgender Law Center, which helped advocate for Meagan’s release. “Black transgender women are regularly viewed as criminals in public spaces, triggering unlawful arrests. In the vast majority of cases, transgender women are jailed in facilities that do not know how to house them safely and humanely.”

Ass for what happens now, that remains to be seen.  The Drury Inn has yet to issue an apology to Taylor, and may be facing action on a possible violation of the Iowa Civil Rights Act.

But the important part of this story is that  Meagan is free, and hope the next time she gets to take a trip it is drama free.

Yes Ben Hall, You ARE A Hater

I guess some people in the Ben Hall camp have been reading my blog, because the Ben Hall campaign just put out a weak as wellwater spin filled statement denying that he's hating on the Houston LGBT community.

Let's look at the empirical evidence, shall we Mr. Hall?  

You don't support the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance because of two of the 15 categories it covers in sexual orientation and gender identity, and have doubled down on that position at community forums such as the Harris County Democratic Party's Brown bag luncheon.

You went on KUHF-FM's Houston Matters on October 28, 2013 and expressed your opposition to our community with a homophobic caller..  You refused to come to the Houston Stonewall Democrats or the Houston LGBT caucus endorsement meetings.

You signed the Dave Wilson inspired anti-trans petition designed to enshrine anti-trans bigotry into the Houston City Charter and gut the HERO.


And FYI, if your anti-HERO side were so keen on getting the HERO on the ballot and 'letting the people vote', why do we keep busting y'all forging signatures on petitions and trying to skirt Texas election law by any means necessary in doing so?

Besides, we already had a vote on the HERO, and it was in the 2013 mayoral election.  It was a campaign issue asked of all candidates, including you running in that cycle, and by the people we put in the mayor's chair and on council as a result of that election, the people of Houston signaled their desire to have a local human rights law to cover them.

As for your declaration in that statement from your campaign that you are a Christian, well dude, so am I along with many people in the Houston LGBT community.    But the God I serve and the values I have that are informed by my Kingian style faith compel me to fight for the human rights of all people.

That seems to be a lesson that you and your right wing Bible scripture twisting hypocritical friends somehow forgot in your quests for power..

Don't get mad at me, bloggers and activists inside and outside the bi, trans and SGL community, or anybody else for doing our jobs and calling your butt out.   It would  be civil rights malpractice if we didn't warn the people in our community and our allies about your problematic HERO stances and questionable comments about TBLG people. 

If you keep lying down with the homophobic conservadogs, you keep getting bitten by their fleas, and we in LGBT Houston will justifiably call your behind out about it. 

You seem to keep forgetting that SGL, trans and bi Houstonians also reside inside the 628 sq. miles of Texas turf we call home   And as you found out in 2013 when Mayor Parker thumped you by 30 points and will discover again in four months on November 3, we vote..

We also see the only people being 'divisive' in this cycle are you and your pastoral friends.

Representing ALL Houstonians, Mr. Hall, means representing the interests of TBLG Houstonians. While there may be some issues we agree on like mass transit and possibly others, the non-negotiable condition that our political support for your campaign will hinge on is whether you do or do not support the current LGBT inclusive HERO, and if elected, will you defend it?

Seems like the answer to both those questions is NO.   You have spectacularly failed to demonstrate ever since your 2013 campaign to our community that you are the person for that important human rights job while making some problematic statements along the way

By their fruits ye shall know them, and the fruits we have seen fall from your tree so far in this and the previous 2013 campaign have been homophobic and transphobic ones.

TransGriot Update:  Ben Hall is doubling down on the anti-LGBT hate in his play for the Houston bigot vote.  Had a press conference at 1:30 PM today (July 23) to once again call for enshrining anti-trans hate in the Houston city charter.  

Really, fool?  When we are dealing with the Sandra Bland case just up the road in Waller County, you choice in your #BenHallForSome campaign is to gaybait and use the same debunked likes to demonize trans Houstonians for your political purposes?

Thailand's Apple Modeling Agency Opening All-Trans LA Branch

The Bangkok based Apple Modeling Agency back in November decided to open up a branch of their local office there dedicated specifically to promoting trans models.  

Business must be booming, because they are now opening up a trans specific branch office in Los Angeles.

While trans models have had a long distinguished history in the fashion world, we are at a moment in time in which people, designers and corporations are openly soliciting for their services.  

Jazz Jennings is the face for Clean and Clear.  Carmen Carrera has signed with Elite Models and has made clear her desire to become the first trans Victoria's Secret Angel.  . Lea T has signed a deal to become the global face of Redken beauty products, and trans models like Ines Rau, Arisce Wanzer, Geena Rocero, Isis King and Andreja Pejic are popping up on runways from New York to Milan in catalogs and elsewhere..

Apple Model Management LA is set to open under the guidance of Cecilio Asuncion and already has six transgender models on their initial roster and are looking for more. 

“We see trans individuals as beautiful,” says Apple's LA  agency director Cecilio Asuncion. “Our strong commitment to developing them as successful models is never about quantifying or qualifying their gender. It's never a question of if they are women or men, it's about their passion and commitment to being the best possible models they can be.”

So if you are a trans woman  5'8" or taller or a trans man who is 6’ or taller and are interested in being represented by them, you can apply by following the application guidelines at the Apple Model Management website.

 

Application materials and photos may be emailed directly to Apple Model Management L.A. Director Cecilio Asuncion at cecilio@applemodels.com.

H/T  The Advocate

Breanna Sings The National Anthem

When this happened back on June 18, I was in the middle of having to move, my laptop computer was packed up and offline, and I had no choice but to put the story on the back burner until my housing situation stabilized and I could talk about this piece of trans history.

Meet 25 year old Breanna Sinclairé.  She is a classically trained operatic vocalist who graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  On the occasion of Athletics Pride Night, she received the opportunity to sing the national anthem before a crowd of 30,000 people attending the A's game at the O.co with the San Diego Padres.

She may be the first out trans person ever to sing the national anthem (that we are aware of) at a major sporting event.  And she nailed it.

“It means a lot. I feel very honored,” Sinclairé told the Associated Press of the experience. “I used to be homeless in New York City. I think from being homeless to getting my bachelor’s degree and my master’s degree to this, it’s just kind of mesmerizing to me to have such a group of people that support me and love me and want to see me succeed. I’m so thankful for them.”

Told y'all if we trans peeps are just given the opportunity to achieve our dreams, we will excel.

Brava Breanna!   And here's some video of Breanna's performance

1996 Miss Major Letter- Affirmation!

The MAJOR documentary is a step closer to finally being finished, and you can check out the website or the film's Facebook page for updated news and other tantalizing tidbits from the upcoming documentary..

Here is a 1996 letter courtesy of StormMiguel Florez from Miss Major that she wrote for the first issue of the Knock Knock Times, a voice for & by the Tenderloin Transgender Community entitled Affirmation!

While some of the drama, storms, trials and travails we go through as 21st century trans people is nothing compared to what our trans elders endured and is nothing new, if we aren't careful, we will let that avalanche of negativity creep into our lives and rob us of our happiness and joy.  We must guard against that.  

As Miss Major reminds us in that letter, we are unique, wonderful and part of the diverse mosaic of human life.  

And now, here's some circa 1996 words of wisdom from one of our distinguished trans elders.

****

Dear Glamour Girls!

With all the negative attitudes and anti-us people in this world, we need to remember that WE ARE UNIQUE & WONDERFUL! We are the creative souls of humankind. Therefore, we must stand our ground and have all who come in contact with us realize we are worth loving. We are worth it all!

Love is wonderful, but it must be kept safe so that we will survive the wrath of the ignorant. With that in mind, you must constantly think positive, self-affirming thoughts. Re-affirm your precious existence all through your day with affirmations.

You can create them to fit your own special energy. You can feel pretty, like Maria in West Side Story without a man to tell you so ... because you ARE and you know it! Loving yourSelf helps you love someone else. So sing out loud: I FEEL PRETTY!

Stay focused on yourself, stay safe, and keep a positive attitude. We are worth it ALL!

Here are a few affirmations you might use:

*I am a radiant being, filled with light and love.
*I am master/mistress of my life.
*The more I love mySelf, the more love I have to give to others.
Well, my dear other-selves, I close with marvelous thoughts for you.

Love, respectfully,
Major

Another Black Trans Woman Killed In Florida

It is my sad duty to inform you once again that another Black trans woman has been murdered, this time in Tampa, FL.

25 year old India Clarke's body was found after the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department received a phone call at 9 AM EDT this morning from an employee at the University Area Community Center located at 14013 N. 22nd Street.   The employee reported that a deceased body was lying next to the basketball courts.

Clarke was last seen alive by her parents at their home on Sunday and as usual, the local media violated the AP standards for respectfully covering trans people by misgendered her.   Eric Glasser of WTSP-TV took his disrespectful reporting a step further by not only misgendering India, but putting  her chosen name in quotation marks, and aggravatingly injecting an old arrest.into this story.

Do you media peeps do that crap to white women and white people in general who are murdered?  I doubt it.  So why do you media peeps continue to racistly disrespect the lives of Black trans people by doing that BS?

If you live in the Tampa area, please pass along any updates concerning this case, arrest of suspects or pending funeral arrangements so I can post them on the blog.

India is now the tenth trans woman murdered in 2015, and what is pissing me off is that once again, the murdered trans person in question not only shares my ethnic background, but is under 30..

Once again I ask the question of my African-American cis brothers and sisters?  When will #BlackTransLivesMatter?   When will your trans brothers and sisters see ministers and politicians decry the loss of these lives as loudly as you do for cisgender Black people?

Detectives are asking for anyone with any information to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200.

My condolences to your family and friends who loved you.  Rest in power and peace, India.

TransGriot Update: A candlelight vigil in Clarke's memory is planned for Friday, 8 PM EDT at Lykes Gaslight Square in Tampa.

TTNS 2015 Rapidly Approaching

The Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit is rapidly approaching, and this year will  be coming to the Dallas-Fort Worth area for the first time.

The 7th annual edition of this event will take place July 31-August 1 on the UT-Dallas campus in Richardson, TX .

Ever since the first event happened on the University of Houston campus back in 2009, the TTNS has been pushing for trans inclusive policies in Texas school districts, colleges and universities. 

It's no accident that ever since the first TTNS event was conducted,  the number of school districts and Texas based colleges and universities with those policies in place has steadily increased, and the training being done at the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit has played a role in it.

And ever since I moved back home in May 2010, I haven't missed one.

In addition to the seminar blocks, this year's keynote speakers will be Dr. Stephen Sutton, Ph.D., Assistant Vice Chancellor University of California at Berkley and Heather Snow, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at The University of Texas at Arlington.

If you're in the Dallas-Ft Worth area, in easy flying or driving distance or just wish to attend the event, the TTNS staff, volunteers and their UT-Dallas hosts would love to have you there.   You can register for the event by clicking on this link

See y'all on the UT Dallas campus in a few weeks

Jordana Composing The ''Free Cece' Movie Soundtrack

You have heard me discuss Jordana LeSesne on this blog numerous times because I have much love for her, and you TransGriot readers have her to thank for me starting this blog.

She got me to commit to that January 1, 2006 start date for TransGriot, and stayed on my behind until I put up that first post on that date at midnight EST.

And the rest is history.

My musically talented little sis from another mother is a groundbreaking and amazing music producer that is on the comeback trail after breaking out in a major way in the 90's

Jordana is ramping up for a return to the music biz and has been tapped to create the music soundtrack for the upcoming Laverne Cox produced documentary movie Free CeCe that is in the crowdfunding stage.

Congrats Jordana!  can't wait to not only see that movie but hear the awesome soundtrack you're going to put together for it.  Also looking  forward to seeing what else is on the horizon for you.

Ben Hall Still Hatin' On Trans Houstonians Y'all

"..It was unacceptable for transgendered people who are “anatomically another gender” to be treated as anything but the anatomical gender.
--Ben hall, KUHF-FM  Houston Matters interview, October 28, 2013

With our mayoral election just a mere four months away, the campaign to replace our term limited mayor Annise Parker will be heating up soon as we get inexorably closer to the traditional Labor Day start for Houston civic election campaigns.

Out of all the candidates running for mayor in 2015, the one I have the most disdain for is Benjamin Lewis Hall, our former city attorney who spent $3 million dollars of his own money getting thumped by Mayor Parker by double digits in the 2013 mayoral race.

Hey, as I've said before, I don't have to like or respect people who are trying to oppress me..

He not only said to my face in an October 2013 mayoral town hall that he wasn't in favor of HERO, but if he had been elected, would have repealed the executive orders of Mayors Brown and Parker that protected Houston LGBT people in city employment.  He also doubled down on the BTLG hate in the last two weeks of that 2013 campaign.

As to whether he has changed his mind on HERO or the human rights of trans Houstonians,, the answer to that question is an emphatic NO.   He made it clear at a recent Harris County Democratic Party Brown Bag luncheon I attended that he hasn't evolved on either of those issues

A recent check of the signatures of Dave Wilson's second failed effort to enshrine anti-trans bigotry in the Houston City Charter by a team of Houston GLBT citizens and allies revealed an interesting name that popped up:   Ben Hall.

So Houston trans peeps and allies, if you were thinking about voting for this man as our next mayor, don't.

Find someone else to cast your precious vote for on November 3, because it is quite clear Hall is a trans oppressor who will if elected, throw my hard won human rights as a trans Houstonian away to curry favor with faux faith based bigots like the Baptist Ministers Assn of Houston and Vicinity and professional gaybaiters like Steve Hotze who don't even live in this city.

There is also little doubt by his signature on that transphobic petition and behavior pattern dating back to 2013 that Ben Hall's vision of this city doesn't include transgender Houstonians like me.

Who Knew Playing The Dozens Would Help Me In My Activist Life?

In the wake of Zoey Tur allowing herself to get baited by conservafool Ben Shapiro into losing her cool on national television, it underscored a few things that we were concerned about in Trans World.

She had already shown this propensity to be hardheaded and not listen to folks who had been in these trans human rights wars decades before she transitioned.   She'd also shown a problematic tendency in intracommunity conversations to be hotheaded, which burned her in that disastrous TLC interview last Thursday.

As I have pondered what happened,  I thought about the fact that our community would have been better served by someone with a cooler head in that situation.

But that's a subject for another time and post, and I'm going to move on to the main topic of this one..

People have asked me how I stay calm in the face of situations like that or in last year's HERO battle.  Last year as we fought to pass that much needed Houston human rights ordinance, we faced hours of unrelenting insults by our right wing opponents trying to get a rise out of us that they could seize on to bash us over the head with later..

It's a skill that believe it or not, I learned in my childhood when I used to play the dozens with my friends.

What's the dozens you ask?  It's a game in which you and an opponent square off and hurl insults at each other with two goals in mind.  Goal number one is to make everyone watching the battle of wits laugh at the insults you are hurling at your opponent.   The second goal is to make your opponent lose their cool.



You win the game when either that losing their cool by your opponent happens, you are judged by the people watching to have landed the more humorous verbal jabs or y'all keep throwing barbs at each other, no one loses it, and both of you end it and just go on your merry way.

But little did I realize at the time that playing the dozens in my teen years would have real world applications in my adult life.   Playing the dozens taught me how to think fast on my feet, which is an invaluable quality to have when you are lobbying, doing a media interview, in a tense customer service situation, combating the Ignorati or writing a blog.

And as two faith based haters found out in Houston city council chambers last year when they crossed my path, it also taught me how to quickly come up with humorous insults that would cut to the bone, as when I called them 'Bible-thumping Barbies' or shut down an HRC lobbyist who stepped to me the wrong way at the 2000 National Transgender Policy Meeting.

Hey, as I've said more than a few times, I don't have to be nice to or respect people who wish to oppress me.

It also taught me how to even if I'm pissed about something you said, I don't let you see it, and stay focused on the task at hand.   Depending on the situation, I can either coolly come back with factoids to rebut your erroneous statements in a lobbying setting, or strike back hard with a rapid fire verbal volley of my own capable of making you lose your cool for the world to see.

But who knew that playing the dozens would have real world applications, and become an invaluable tool in my activist toolbox?

NIkki Araguz Loyd Eviscerates Dave Welch In Local News Debate

Y'all know I love my sis Nikki Araguz Loyd,  who is a kick butt activist in her own right fighting a now five year long battle to have recognition of her marriage to her late husband Thomas Araguz III restored.

The case is now at the Texas Supreme Court level, and in like of the Oberkfell SCOTUS ruling legalizing same sex marriage, it remains to be seen how this will  affect Nikki's still pending case.

Nikki was on FOX 26 last night not to talk about her pending marriage case, but to tangle with Dave Welch in a segment moderated by FOX 26's Isiah Carey.  

Dave Welch is a longtime hater and professional gaybaiter who before heading the Houston Area Pastoral Council, the predominately white right wing group of haters that Max Miller and his Baptist Ministers Assn of Houston and Vicinity cooned it up for in last year's HERO fight, worked for Ralph Reed's Christian Coalition in Washington DC.

He's been back in Texas attempting to spread his special brand of hate with the aid of sellout non-white preachers like Miller and friends.

Note to Zoey Tur, this is how you deal with a right wing hater.

Here's the link to the FOX26 webpage if you can't see the video..

Welch is probably tired of getting his azz kicked when he tangles with Houston trans women.  First Cristan took him down to the point where he refuses to debate her any more, then moi, and now Nikki have made him look bad on local TV.

But hey, the existence of trans people is not up for debate, and neither is whether or not as Houstonians, Texans and Americans we should have human rights protection.

Anybody like Welch who thinks their religious beliefs and praying to Conservagod trumps human rights  is our enemy, and doesn't deserve our pity or respect.

How A Black Trans Woman Ended Up In Jail Because Of An Iowa Transphobe

When 22 year old cosmetology student Meagan Taylor and a trans feminine girlfriend traveled to Des Moines, IA from Illinois for a visit, they were only planning to stay a few days in the city before returning home.when they checked into the Drury Inn in West De Moines.  

Unfortunately transphobic hotel staff and racist assumptions about them would combine to make this visit to Iowa a less than pleasant one.

Taylor and her friend noticed that the staff was in their words 'acting funny towards them' when they checked in.

That 'acting funny' was the transphobia the hotel staff was expressing, and several hours later it manifested itself into the police arriving at their hotel room door after being called by the staff about 'two males possibly engaged in prostitution activity.'

When the police officer arrived to begin the investigation, he found no prostitution activity occurring.   But a search of Taylor's purse led to the discovery of the spironolactone she was taking as part of her hormone regimen in an unmarked bottle, and she was arrested and charged with possession of prescription drugs without a prescription.  

She is also being head-scratchingly charged with  'malicious prosecution', which is an aggravated misdemeanor and Taylor’s bond was set at $2,000.

A subsequent check revealed that Taylor had an outstanding Illinois warrant for a probation violation stemming from a previous 2010 credit card fraud conviction that occurred when she was 17.  She had served time for it, but still owed $500 in fees.

She was taken to a Polk County jail that has no policy for housing trans prisoners, and since she was pre-op, they used a female officer to search the top half of the patdown search and a male office for the  bottom.

Because Polk County officials don't feel comfortable housing her with women, and the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) still is unclear about where trans feminine prisoners should be housed (it definitely ain't with the cis men) she's being stuck in isolation in the medical unit.   She told the Des Moines Register in an interview that if she were from Polk County, she could have paid 10 percent of her $2000 bond and been released.

But because Taylor is from out of state, she would need someone in Polk County to co-sign.  She doesn’t have a lawyer and doesn't have a court date set until August 25..

So because a transphobic Drury Inn hotel employee racially profiled two Black trans women who were minding their own damned business, Meagan Taylor is stuck in an Iowa jail at least until August 25,  or until she gets some help from the local LGBT community

TransGriot Update,  Since I wrote this post, crowdfunding has started to raise the money to not only pay for bail in Iowa, but the $500 she still owes in Illinois.  Also been advised that an attorney has stepped up to represent Meagan.

There is also a protest being organized that will take place in front of the West Des Moines, IA Drury Inn where this mess started.

I'm Happy With The Person I See In The Mirror...

And I don't give a rat's anus what you peeps wallowing in unrealistic beauty standards or not doing the human rights work think.

A few days ago I received a congratulatory phone call from a friend who had read the press release from Fantasia Fair about moi being named this year's winner of the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award.    I'm the first African American trans person to receive it, even though in my mind there were some folks like Miss Major and a few others in our chocolate trans ranks who could have and probably should have gotten that distinction before me.

But I'm the one they chose, and I'll be heading up there in October to collect it.

The friend then told me he was bothered about chatter from some local Black trans women he was hearing who were criticizing me for in their words, 'not being passable enough' to be a high profile rep for them.

Seriously?   Obviously the guy who whistled at me when I walked by him last week has a dissenting opinion.

I started my physical body morphing 21 years ago in the middle of IAH's Terminal C.  It has taken me a while to get comfortable with my statuesque body, and like every woman cis or trans, I still have my issues I have to work through.   What I have is what I was blessed with through the magic of hormones, and I did my body morphing without using silicone or plastic surgery.

Ever since that April 4, 1994 day I nervously clocked in at worked and headed to my gates to be gawked at by all the peeps who were either traveling on my flights or were fellow employees taking me up on my offer to have one on one conversations about why I was transitioning, I've done so pretty much in the public eye.   I also did so at  a time when there were few out Black trans people or out  Black trans activists.

So for you peeps who want to throw shade, let me ask you a few questions?   Where the hell were y'all last year when we needed peeps to talk to Houston City Council about passing HERO?

Where were you during the last legislative session when it was time to stand up, go to Austin and fight to keep four anti-trans bills from becoming law?

Where were you in 2011 when we needed people to tell their stories at HISD headquarters when they were contemplating and eventually passed trans inclusive policies in the employment and anti-bullying areas? 

And where were y'all when your Black trans brothers and trans sisters from around the world were having an amazing weekend building community as we gathered in Dallas for the Black Trans Advocacy Conference?

I know where I was.   I was also there to chew on the HISD school board's behinds when our Black neighborhood schools were under attack.   I was at City Hall to speak at a Trayvon Martin rally.   I was making my fifth trip to the White House in March for a Black trans policy briefing.

I sit on the boards of two trans oriented organizations, and receive regular invitations to speak to college campuses, organizations and conferences across the country about trans issues.  I have also gotten to meet some amazing people inside and outside the community along the way.

I was also blessed with writing skills to pay my bills.   I get to write about life as a Black trans person on a 9.5 year old award winning blog,  have 6 million readers eagerly surf to it to read what I have to say, 7600 followers (and counting) on Twitter, and almost 2500 people on my Facebook page..


So hate on, haters.   Nice to know that you are spending a part of your day thinking about me enough to the point where you are talking about me behind my back

But while you are busy throwing shade at me. you're not doing much else to help advance the human rights of the trans community or working to increase education and acceptance of our lives in the Black community.

I am, and have been doing so since 1998.  My human rights colleagues around the planet, the people that I have helped, and the people who are my friends DO appreciate what I have done on their behalf, and tell me so on a regular basis.

While  my life isn't perfect and there is always room for improvement on a few levels, for the most part I'm happy with where it is right now.  I'm also happy with the person staring back at me in the mirror, and that's all that matters..

It also tells me I'm doing my human rights work correctly if I have haters, and I'll be sure to continue doing what I need to do to advance the human rights of our community while y'all suck your teeth and roll your eyes.

Happy 80th Birthday Diahann Carroll!

Today is the 80th birthday of trailblazing singer and iconic Broadway and television actress Diahann Carroll, who was born on this date in New York City in 1935.

She appeared in Carmen Jones (1954) and Porgy and Bess (1959) two of the first major studio films to feature predominately African-American casts. 


As the star of Julia, in 1968 she became the first Black woman to star in a network television series in a non-stereotypical role.  She played Dominique Deveraux on Dynasty and Marion Gilbert on A Different World.

She has been nominated for numerous awards in her career that has spanned six decades including a groundbreaking Tony Award win in 1962 , a 1968 Golden Globe win for Julia and a 1974 Best Actress Academy Award nomination for Claudine. 

In 2011 she was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

I have much love for Ms. Carroll as one of my style role models, a timeless beauty and a trailblazing actress.

Happy milestone birthday!

Rest In Power Juan Evans

Was shacked and saddened to hear the news that Atlanta based trans masculine activist Juan Evans has joined the ancestors at age 42 after suffering from as yet undetermined health issues for the last few days.

Evans was active in groups such as Blue House Family, the Solutions Not Punishment Coalition, Women on the Rise and the Racial Justice Action Center, according to Project Q Atlanta.

He was also active in Unity Fellowship Church, Greater Atlanta.

Evans died on Tuesday at Emory University Hospital Midtown and a cause of death has yet to be determined according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner.  Funds are being raised to help defray medical and funeral costs at this time.

The news was greeted with shock and sadness by the ATL activist community, who praised him as a fierce human rights advocate.  In addition to the legions of friends and colleagues mourning his loss, he leaves behind his wife Jacqueline Evans.

For those of you in the ATL who wish to pay your last respects to Juan, the funeral will be held tomorrow at  11 AM EDT at Virginia Highland Community Church.  Address is 743 Virginia Ave. NE, in Atlanta, GA 30306

Rest in peace and power, Brother Juan.    You will be missed.  

743 Virginia Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306

743 Virginia Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306.

Shut Up Fool Awards-Dropping Da Bomb On Ignorance Edition

Yesterday was the 70th anniversary of the Trinity nuclear test in New Mexico that proved the first atom bomb design worked.  

Several weeks later om August 6 'Little Boy' was dropped on Hiroshima and 'Fat Man' was dropped on Nagasaki three days later   Those bombs ended World War II in the Pacific theater.

The also led to a series of nuke tests in the late 40s and 50's as the military sought to learn the effects of The Bomb in various situations until above ground and atmospheric testing was stopped due to the signing of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963.

Now that we've gotten the min-history lesson out of the way, time to do what we do on Fridays and drop the bomb on ignorance.   It's time for this week's edition of the TransGriot Shut Up Fool Awards.

Honorable mention number one is a group award to all the fools waving the Confederate flag when President Obama visited the state on Monday.   Thank you for doing us all a favor and letting us and your neighbors know you are ignorant racist bigots.

Honorable mention number two goes to Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin (R) who demonstrated for the whole world her lack of basic civics and government knowledge when she couldn't even name her own branch of government .

Honorable mention number three is Texas governor (yuck) Greg Abbott (R) who instead of calling out the loons in his party, doubled down on it and deployed the Texas State Guard to 'guard against a military takeover of Texas by the feds' as the Jade Helm military exercise gets underway.

Is it 2018 yet?

Honorable mention number four is the Greater Mount Moriah Primitive Baptist Church in Tampa, FL, who sent a $1000 collection letter to a single mother with kids to collect tithes and fees they claim she owes in order to remain a member in good standing on church matters..

WTF?  I'm so sick of these wannabe Rev. Ike pastors

Honorable mention number five is  James David Manning of the ATLAH hate church in New York who is ranting about 'sodomite demons'.


.
Miss Thang, just come out of the closet,  go on a date with Donnie McClurkin, get your freak on and leave us in reality based world the hell alone.   You spend more time obsessing about gay sex than any out gay man I have ever known.

Honorable mention number six is Tony Perkins, who hated on the news that in the next six months American  transpeople will get to openly serve our country.

Well Tony, it may be news to you, but 15,000 trans people are already serving our country.  Why can't patriotic US trans people do the same thing that trans people in 16 nations can do and have done for over a decade in some cases?


This  week's Shut Up Fool winner is Airway Heights, WA mayor Patrick Rushing.

He must be a Republican, because the bigot went to that beyond tired conflation of the POTUS and FLOTUS to simians in a post on his Facebook page..

While he gave a  (as usual) halfazzed non apology apology, the Airway Heights City Council wasn't impressed and asked for his resignation.   He also defiantly said according yo KHQ-TV he wasn't resigning from the mayor's chair because to do so would be an admission :'that he is a racist.'

Well duh, if the pointed hood fits, you're a racist shyt.   You need to have several seats at Century Link Field.    But you probably won't do that until after your next monthly cross burning.

And FYI for you Patrick, gorillas also can look like this one.

Patrick Rushing, shut up racist fool

Netroots Nation 2015 Starts Today!

The 2015 edition of Netroots Nation starts today and it is coming to you from Phoenix, AZ. starting today until July 19.   And nope, I won't be there to cover all the exciting things that are going to transpire at the Phoenix Convention Center and the various hotels.

As badly as I would have liked to have been there, just didn't work out for me to be able to come for the first time since the 2012 event in Providence, RI.

But like every one else that couldn't go for various reasons, I'll check out the #NN15 hashtag on Twitter to see what people are saying about the largest progressive conference in the country. 

There's also the Netroots Nation website in which I and others who couldn't be there in person this year will be able to check out some of the seminars and speeches being webcast.

For those of you who did make it to Phoenix or are headed that way, y'all have fun, get your learn on and I hopefully see y'all at Netroots Nation 2016 in a locale to be determined later.

President Obama's 2015 NAACP Convention Speech

While the Latino community leaders were gathering in Kansas City for the National Council of La Raza Convention, at the same time in Philadelphia the NAACP was meeting July 11-15 for its 106th national convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

And yep NCLR Conference delegates, as you and I suspected, there were no sightings of GOP presidential candidates at the NAACP convention either.

One of the speakers for that just concluded convention in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection was none other than President Barack Obama.

He spoke to the assembled delegates on Tuesday, and here's the text and the video of his speech.