2015 Williams Watch-Four Sets To History!

The US Open women's semifinals that were supposed to be played yesterday got rained out, so they were rescheduled for today and will be set up as a single daytime session.

It will start at 10 AM CDT with the match between number two seeded Simona Halep of Romania and one of the two Italian women left in the draw in Flavia Pannetta.

They are playing for their first trip to the US Open final.

Immediately following that match will be the highly anticipated one between the tournament number one seed Serena Williams and Italy's Roberta Vinci.  As you TransGriot readers know, Little Sis is just four sets and two match wins away from completing the first calendar year Grand Slam since 1988 and capturing her 22nd career grand slam title.

Serena is 4-0 against Vinci, but as NFL analyst Herman Edwards has famously said, "That's why you play the games."  But you have to believe that based on her performance against Big Sis Wednesday night, if Serena is playing at her  A++ level, they may as well start engraving the trophy with her name on it now.

We'll see in a few hours how this shakes out.

The Fight To Keep HERO-September 11

Another question for you HERO haters.

You have been beating the bathroom issue into the ground because you refuse to have a rational discussion about the merits of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance because you know you'll lose if that happens.

That's why we've had, helped by the collusion of lazy Houston media stenographers (they don't deserve to be called journalists) an overdose since last year of right wing fear and smear anti-HERO tactics centered on the potty.

So as tired as I and Houston Trans World is (and trans peeps around the country) of the debunked bathroom issue and you cis people's obsession over what genitalia is between our legs, I'm going to post on it for the last time in this run to the November 3 election.

I keep hearing this line being thrown out by the HERO haters about people needing to use the bathroom based on their genitalia.  But the reality these days is that genitalia does not equal to gender identity or outward gender presentation.

So here goes with my question: Do you HERO haters wish to require that people use the bathroom based on their genitalia?  

You may wish to think long and hard about this question before you answer it.

If your answer is yes, then you would be forcing trans masculine guys like Sgt. Shane Ortega to go to the bathroom with your wives, nieces and daughters.

So the next time you start insultingly calling trans women 'men,' because you willfully refuse to accept their lived experiences and their lives, better consider the fact that trans masculine people exist, and in your zeal to keep 'men out of the women's restrooms', you'll be karmically setting up the exact scenario you've been using to demonize trans feminine people with and scaremonger about in this HERO debate.

And we'll be laughing our azzes off about it.

Trans people have been using the restrooms that correspond to our gender presentation for five decades without incident.

So no, we are not going to meekly accept or be forced by the tyranny of the majority to potentially be placed in dangerous situations for us to use a restroom that doesn't correspond to our outward appearance based on a right wing lie.

We are tired of being dehumanized by people who have no clue about what we deal with, refuse to educate themselves about trans people, or sit in smug faux faith based judgment of our lives

Bottom line is we need to poop and pee just like everyone else on Planet Earth. . If you're looking to stop those predators you're so concerned about, start in your own homes, neighborhoods or churches

And besides, a law already exists to punish peeps who enter restrooms to commit crimes.  It's Section 28.20 in the Houston City Code of Ordinances and it's still very much in effect.  You commit a crime in a Houston bathroom, you're still going to jail and getting prosecuted for it.

Our HERO opponents have yet to (and will not be able to) produce any police report from now and over the last five decades that backs up the lie they have been gleefully spreading about trans people for the last year

We are the prey, not the predator. We have had 19 transwomen killed in 2015 because of anti-trans violence in the US this year.  Trans people face 26% unemployment.because of the anti-trans hatred stirred up by FOX Noise, sellout kneegrow ministers, conservative activists and the GOP.

If transpeople like Sgt Shane Ortega and the 15,000 others in our armed forces are good enough to fight and die in America's military, then we are good enough to have our human rights respected and protected.

We are tired of being harassed by non-trans people based on a debunked right wing spin line when we poop and pee.   We go to the bathroom for the same reasons you do, to handle a natural bodily function, and you need to Houston media stop lying about it.  .  

Trans people are part of the diverse mosaic of human life on Planet Earth, and we're tired of waiting on you cis peeps to recognize that.

That's why I and every reality based Houston area trans person who is registered to vote and our allies will be voting YES on Proposition 1 to keep the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.

2015 TransGriot NFL Picks-Week 1

It's my favorite time of the year TransGriot sport fans, and the 2015 NFL season will be kicking off  with the first Thursday night game of the year in hours.

And my Texans open up their what we hope will be a playoff season on Sunday at NRG Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs.

As usual, myself, Mike and Eli will be battling it out for regular season NFL prognostication glory.  Mike as defending champion is trying to do something that no one has done in the history of this TransGriot prognostication contest that started in 2011: repeat as champ

Week One is always a crapshoot.  With all the changes, vets moving to new teams via trades or free agency, season ending injuries, training camp injuries and rookies who made the final rosters, it's hard to predict until about the fourth week with certainty which NFL teams will be pretenders and which ones will be contenders.

As to which teams I'm predicting will be in the Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco, I like New England and Seattle.   Well see how accurate that prediction is in February.

Rules of the contest.  We're just picking the team we think will win, no spread.  Person with best record at end of regular season will be crowned champ.  Picks need to be up no later than 10 minutes before the kickoff of the week's scheduled Thursday game.

And yeah Mr. Watts, I want my NFL prognostication title back.   The road to 2015 glory starts today.

Final 2014 Standings
TransGriot     170-85-1
Eli                  162-93-1
*Mike            177-78-1

NFL Week One
Thursday Night 
Patriots over Steelers

Sunday Noon
Colts over Bills
Browns over Jets
Panthers over Jaguars
Packers over Bears
Texans over Chiefs
Dolphins over Washington
Seahawks over Rams

Sunday Afternoon
Saints over Cardinals
Chargers over Lions
Broncos over Ravens
Bengals over Raiders
Buccaneers over Titans

Sunday Night
Cowboys over Giants

Monday Night
Eagles over Falcons
49ers over Vikings

The Fight To Keep HERO-September 10

One day closer to November 3 and the 2015 Houston city and mayoral elections that will determine the fate of Proposition 1, AKA HERO

Mayoral candidate Ben Hall and his merry band of faux 'christian' HERO haters have ramped up their attacks on the ordinance, with Hall hosting an event at Northbrook MS in which he flat out lied about the ordinance and tried to claim the Fort Worth ordinance was better.   Yeah, figures he and his friends would like that one since it threw trans people under the civil rights bus there.  

The HERO haters have also been throwing out the talking point that the HERO is 'poorly written' and needs to be redone so that we can 'make it better.' That's bigot speak for 'we want to erase the Houston TBLG community out of it and protect our special right to discriminate'.


Funny, the Greater Houston Partnership likes it as is, can read it, and is urging a YES vote on Proposition 1.   The ordinance is also written so clearly that even a conservafool like Sarah Palin can understand it.

And what sayeth Moni to those kneegrows bearing false witness against the Houston trans community and colluding with white conservafool pastors to pimp anti-trans hate in the Houston Black community we reside in?

'Our fate as Black TBLGQ people in this country is inextricably tied to the rest of Black America, and Black folks wishing to divide the Black SGL and non-SGL communities would do well to remember that'--TransGriot March 25, 2015

Back to the HERO update.  

Transphobic ignorance has been raging unchecked in the Black community due to the HERO hatin' ministers colluding with White conservative pastors, fanning the hellfire flames of transphobic bigotry.

But we HERO supporters have been pushing back hard against the ignorance.  There was Cristan Williams masterfully pushing back against the debunked trans predator bathroom lie that has been nauseatingly repeated since 2014.

Fran Watson took on the HERO haters on Majic 102's Sunday Morning Live show. It is one of the most listened to FM stations in Black Houston, and so far it has been on the wrong side of this debate.  Didn't get any better yesterday when Majic 102 featured sexual harasser, hypocrite pastor and city council candidate Kendall Baker, who is running against Councilmember Richard Nguyen.

Kudos to Fran for going into the belly of the HERO hatin' beast yesterday when she went to Ben Hall owned KCOH-AM to confront Hall and the HERO ignorati.

Noel Freeman was recently on a KTRK-TV 13 public affairs program and demolished the bathroom predator lie.



Take notes people, this is what needs to be said about it for the rest of the HERO defense campaign and anywhere else in the country this issue comes up.

To give you an example of the bigoted ignorance we Houston Black TBLG people are encountering (and need IMMEDIATE help confronting Houston Unites), this is a snippet of an online conversation advocate Ashton Woods had with a faux faith based HERO hater (part of the anti-LGBT COGIC denomination) on a Facebook discussion thread I was also heavily active on yesterday.


I had fun dropping 20 megatons of HERO knowledge on willfully ignorant people in that thread as well..

And FYI, this is what trans people do in the bathroom.

Ashton also has an interesting post on his Strength In Numbers blog that documents who we're fighting against in this battle to keep HERO.

Ashton is also putting together a press conference that will take place at 5:30 PM CDT tomorrow (September 11) at Miller Outdoor Theater in Hermann Park.  It will give the Houston TBLG communities of color a chance to speak about why HERO is needed and necessary,

One of the other things I'm not liking in addition to the lack of trans, bi and SGL voices of color in this Houston Unites campaign defending the HERO is the silence of the local NAACP, the local Houston Urban League chapter, and the silence of far too many Black legislators at all levels of government in terms of confronting the ignorance around HERO.

Y'all need to speak up, be courageous drum majors and majorettes for justice and clearly outline where you stand on HERO before early voting starts next month.

If you support HERO, better name it and claim it.   That also goes for you peeps running for council as well.

Will pop the popcorn and see which Houston mayoral candidates during the mayoral debate tonight on ABC-13 and Univision stand up for HERO.

I already know the ones who hate it.

Tamara Adrian Running For Venezuelan National Assembly

While the first South American, first in the Western Hemisphere and fourth trans person worldwide elected to their national legislature won't happen in this election cycle unless there's somebody running I'm not aware of yet,  it's only a matter of time before it does.    
-TransGriot, June 15, 2013

I've documented the attempts in several South American nations of out trans women unsuccessfully trying to run for and win office in their national legislatures in Colombia, Chile and Ecuador.

Another trans woman is about to attempt to make that history in Venezuela.

Last month attorney and trans advocate Tamara Adrian made history when she registered as a opposition bloc Voluntad Popular candidate in the upcoming December 6 parliamentary election.   The opposition bloc is comprised of many of the most vocal critics of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and in addition to Adrian is putting up two gay candidates for election.

Adrian is the first out trans person in Venezuela to run for national office. Rummie Quintero, another Venezuelan trans advocate, was  trying to run as a ruling Socialist party candidate along with two gay ones, but didn't get selected to be a Patriotic Axis bloc candidate.

Unfortunately due to the ID issues that plague transpeople worldwide to various degrees, combined with a Venezuelan law that forbids people born in masculine bodies from legally becoming female or taking a female name, Adrian had to register for this election under her dead name. .

The Venezuelan Electoral; Council stated in June that 40% of the candidates running for national office in this election be female, and it's still unclear whether Adrian will be allowed to run as a woman despite having transitioned in 2002

She still is jumping into this race to advance TBLG rights in her nation.  She asserts that the predominately Roman Catholic Venezuela, along with fellow South American nations Guyana, Suriname, Peru and  Paraguay have done little to extend rights to their BTLG citizens.

"We're going to fight so that everyone gets respect," said Ms. Adrian, amid a tussle of candidates and cheering supporters at the gates of an elections authority office in Caracas

We'll find out on December 6 if Ms. Adrian makes history and becomes the first out trans person in the Western Hemisphere, first in Venezuela and fourth worldwide to hold a seat in her national legislature.

I know I'll be rooting for her to do just that.
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Janet and Laverne Make The 2015 Root 100 List!

They both made the list last year, but it's a year later and the 2015 edition of  The Root 100 List has been released with Janet Mock and Laverne Cox's names on it.

The Root 100 List celebrates those peeps 25-45 who are forging a new direction in social justice, politics, entertainment, business the arts, science and sports.  While this list has many well known names on it, The Root 100 List also seeks to recognize people whose accomplishments have yet to be recognized on a national level.

Janet is at number 31 this year and Laverne occupies the number 43 spot,  but once again it is a huge accomplishment for Black girls like us to be acknowledged for their work to not only advocate for our human rights as trans people, but uplift the Black community at the same time.  
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They are also concrete examples of what I'm talking about when I say in my posts imploring the Black cis community to stop hating on Black trans people that we too are part of the kente cloth fabric of Black America.

And when the nomination process for 2016 starts, I'd like to see some of our trans brothers in that 25-45 range get nominated and hopefully make the list along with other trans sisters in that 25-45 age group

That's next year's project trans fam, but until then, congratulations Janet and Laverne for making this years The Root 100 list.

WH Trans Petition Is Going To Fail

We are hours away from the September 10 deadline to gather 100,000 signatures for a petition calling for the federal government to formally investigate the cause of the violence leading to trans murders

And I'm sad to say it's not going to even get 10,000 signatures before midnight approaches.  As of this moment it is just over 6,000 signatures.

Thanks to those of you who did take the time to sign it over the last month.

Guess you've shown us in POC Trans World that the only trans lives that matter are white ones, and that's a problematic message that you've just sent to the trans communities of color.

Fayetteville, AR Passes Trans Inclusive Rights Law!

Good news coming out of Fayetteville, AR last night.

In the reverse of what happened last December no thanks to the Duggars, the citizens of that city passed Ordinance 5781!

“Today the people of Fayetteville voted for acceptance over fear and showed that cities can ensure religious freedom while protecting the rights of each and every citizen,"  the Northwest Arkansas Center for Equality said in a statement. "People from all walks of life chose to lead Fayetteville and Arkansas toward a more inclusive future. History will remember this as a proud moment when businesses, religious leaders and everyday citizens worked together to unite our community, grow our economy and finally move Fayetteville forward.

Wooo Pig Sooie!   According to the final but unofficial results from the Washington County Election Commission, the vote was  7,666 in favor,  6,860 against  with 29% of  the electorate voting in this special election.

And unlike last time, the Duggars noses weren't in Fayetteville human rights business since they have their own problems they have to deal with besides hating on trans people .

Hope we in Houston can report similar good news in November

2015 Williams Watch-Serena To The Semis!

For the 14th time in a Grand Slam tournament, the first time at the US Open since 2008, and the 27th time in their careers   But this prime time quarterfinal match had high stakes with a semifinal berth on the line.

Serena's pursuit of her fourth consecutive US Open singles title and the first calendar year Grand Slam since 1988 was on the line,  Venus was working on trying to win her third US Open title and her first since 2001 when she beat Little Sis in the final to get it.

The match started with both sisters hitting hard, hitting winners and staying on serve until Serena gets the break she needed to go up 4-3 and close out the first set in 33 minutes.

Then it was Big Sis's turn to up her game as Serena suffered through a stretch of bad play that allowed Venus to close out the second set and even the match.

Then Serena as she has done all season reset, kicked her game up to A++ level and quickly reeled off three straight wins to seize control of the decisive third set and close out this emotional win with her 12th ace of the match to punch her ticket to the semifinals.

6-2, 1-6, 6-3  Five match wins down, two to go.

Her semifinal victim opponent will be Italy's Roberta Vinci who has been on the short end of her matches with Serena, having lost to her four times/

Don't think Thursday will be any different, but that's why you play the game..

TransGriot Update:  The Thursday women's semifinal matches got rained out, so they were rescheduled for Friday.

The Fight To Keep HERO-September 8

We're now past Labor Day, which is the traditional start for campaign activity in a Houston civic election, but because of HERO, has ramped up a little early in this 2015 cycle.

The canvassing continues for HERO supporters, with 100 people showing up Saturday to do phone banking, block walking and simply telling the truth about the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.

The HERO ordinance just to remind people covers 15 categories against discrimination in employment, housing and business services on the basis of 15 different characteristics, including sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity and pregnancy.  

But the HERO haters continue to push the debunked bathroom predator lie in their desperate effort to hoodwink and bamboozle people into voting against a human rights ordinance that covers them.

The Houston Unites campaign to defend HERO is on the J-O-B, with Fran Watson appearing on KCOH-AM, a local Black radio station owned by HERO hater and mayoral candidate Ben Hall this morning to debate the ordinance.

But Hall isn't giving up on his efforts to lie about the HERO.   He's planning a Demonize the HERO 
 event tonight at Northbrook Middle School in the Spring Branch ISD ( a district that doesn't have an anti-bullying or non-discrimination policy covering sexual orientation and gender identity BTW) at 7:00 PM CDT.

DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS DISCUSSION. 

Join me as I explain the details of one the most important issues in this election. I'll discuss why you should vote NO to the "Houston Equal Rights Ordinance” (HERO), also known as the “Bathroom Ordinance”. 

This ordinance will be identified on the November 3 ballot as Proposition 1 a/k/a Prop 1. 

Prop 1 does not actually provide equal rights to everyone. I'll explain why the ordinance doesn't protect Houstonians and how it's actually very unsafe. I'll explain why it puts your family, your businesses and your freedom at risk. And I'll also debunk the ludicrous rumor that anyone against this ordinance is "anti-LGBT" and approves of discrimination. 

The event is hosted by Kempwood North Civic Association, and takes place in the THEATER of Northbrook Middle School, 3030 Rosefield, Houston TX 77080. (The Theater is at the south end of the school, on your right as you face the school office.) 

Come ask questions about the ordinance during the Q&A session. This issue affects you!

It isn't a ludicrous rumor Mr Hall, it's a fact that if you're against the HERO ordinance knowing that until it was passed, Houston had NO local remedy to combat discrimination (and neither does the state of Texas,),,you ARE an anti-LGBT oppressor and hater, especially if your only reason for doing so is a debunked transphobic lie.
And you as an attorney Mr.Hall, should be ashamed of yourself for peddling disinformation and lies.
Just in case y'all angelic troublemakers wish to raise some hell and bring some truth to the auditorium, Northbrook Middle School is located at 3030 Rosefield St. in H-town.

Charlie Rose Gender Identity Show

This was an interesting Charlie Rose show in which gender identity in the brain was discussed.

The show featured guy like us Dr Ben Barres, who happens to be the chair of the neurobiology chair at Stanford University, Dr Norman Spack of Boston Children's Hospital, Catherine Dulak of Harvard University, Erick Kandel, Melissa Hines of the University of Cambridge. and Janet Hyde of the University of Wisconsin.


Here's the video of it.

Lauren Foster's 'Just Another Girl' Website Goes Live Tomorrow

Lauren Foster has led a very interesting life since she transitioned in her native South Africa in her teens.  She worked (and still does) as a print and runway fashion model walking runways in Europe, South America and the USA.

 If her name is familiar to you trans younglings, she was on television on the Real Housewives Of Miami, had a five page VOGUE spread, starred in three art films directed by Joseph Lally, launched the GLAAD Miami Leadership Council with Omar Sharif, Jr and Marysol Patton and is currently writing her memoir entitled Just Another Girl.

And launching tomorrow is a revolutionary one stop shop website with the same name, that I was graciously given a preview of by Lauren entitled justanothergirl.org

The website not only has links to Lauren's personal story, but information concerning facial feminization and SRS surgeons, trans specific legal information, and beauty tips. Basically it's like GOOP for #GirlsLikeUs

"The goal was to set up a website with no graphic content that young people could access and show to their parents as part of their Trans 101 educational process," said Lauren to me in a recent conversation we had about the launch.

Well, she succeeded in that goal, and you'll get to see it when the site launches tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to reading her memoir when she's completed it.

Happy Labor Day 2015

It's Labor Day in the US and Canada, which happens to be the considered in the US the unofficial end of the summer season.

But the actual purpose of Labor Day is to celebrate workers and the labor movement.   The current 40 day work week, Saturdays and Sundays off (for some folks) , the minimum wage, overtime, OSHA workplace regulations, collective bargaining, sick leave, child labor laws, retirement security,  and other worker friendly policies that helped build the middle class.

But ever since Ronald Reagan came into office, unions have been demonized and attacked by the Republicans, with negative effects to the American middle class.

A strong labor movement translates into livable wages for you  along with a safer workplace and civil rights advancement.

So as you soak up the rays on the beach, chow down at that barbecue and return from wherever you traveled to on this long weekend. ponder the fact that many of the things we American workers take for granted were union made.

Happy Labor Day people!

Gatorade Commercial With Prophetic Young Serena Statement

An interesting Gatorade commercial  has been airing in which a young Serena Williams is being interviewed by a reporter who asks her an interesting question

"If you were a tennis player, who would you want to be like?"

The commercial when shows video from different points of her amazing career before it cuts back to young Serena giving her answer to the reporter's question.

Check out the video...

2015 Williams Watch- Which Sister Made It To The US Open Quarterfinals?

Today Venus and Serena were on the Arthur Ashe Stadium courts playing their fourth round US Open matches with quarterfinal berths at stake.

Which sister made it to the quarterfinals?   Both of them.

23rd seeded Venus got this Sunday afternoon of tennis at Arthur Ashe Stadium off to a great start with a dominating performance against Estonian qualifier Anett Kontaveit, who was playing in her first US Open and got to the fourth round after beating Madison Brengle in three sets

Big Sis took only 50 minutes to efficiently punch her ticket to the quarters with a 6-2, 6-1 straight set victory over Kontaveit and set up her first trip to the US Open quarters since 2010.

The question then became who would Venus play in that quarterfinal?

Serena took the Arthur Ashe court moments later for what was expected to be by tennis pundits the tougher match of the afternoon against 19th seeded Madison Keys.  

Serena faced and beat Keys earlier this year in the Australian Open semifinals, and wasn't playing with the tennis youngling.   Little Sis was on her A++ game from the outset, but the 20 year old Keys was hanging with her booming serve for booming serve and shot for shot as both stayed on serve .

Serena got a critical service break thanks to Keys double faults and unforced errors to put her up 5-3 and allow her to close the first set on her racquet.

The second set was just as close, with both players staying on serve and amazing shots being hit until once again Keys got broken to put Little Sis up 4-3. Serena held serve to push the lead up to 5-3, and when Keys needed to come up with the clutch serve to save match point,  she double faulted to hand little Sis a 6-3, 6-3 straight set victory that took only 68 minutes to complete.

Four down, only three more match wins to tennis history    But that next match will be against her big sister.

At 7 PM EDT on Tuesday night, we should have a sold out Arthur Ashe Stadium and a huge television audience watching the first US Open quarterfinal between the Williams Sisters at Flushing Meadow since 2008 with huge stakes for both sisters.

Venus is playing for her third US Open title, Serena for the first calendar year Grand Slam since 1998.  Which sister will prevail?.


 

Positively Trans Survey Home Stretch

If you are a trans or non gender conforming person who is HIV+ or know someone who is a trans or NGCP person who is HIV+ , please take a moment if you haven't done so already to either take the first ever Positively Trans Survey yourself or encourage that person to do so.

The survey is anonymous, available in English and Spanish, takes 20 minutes to complete and seeks to hear about the experiences of HIV+ NGCP and trans people with the health and legal systems in the US.
 

In addition to help getting a clearer picture of the HIV?AIDS landscape as it applies to trans and non gender conforming people, if you take the survey you can also enter a drawing for one of eight VISA gift cards ranging from $25 to $100 dollars.   .

You can click on this link to take the survey,

The things I hope happen as a result of this Positively Trans Survey is not only do we get a clearer picture and more solid info about HIV +  trans and non gender conforming people, it becomes the catalyst to help drive policy changes that will help our trans and NGCP HIV+ community community from the local to the federal level. .

But if you haven't taken the time to do so, please do so ASAP.

Catholic Church Attacks Trans People Again

One of the things I've been more than pissed off about is the ongoing pattern since 2003 of anti-trans rhetoric coming out of the mouths of Pope Francis and his predecessor along with anti-trans policies.

Once again the Catholic Church has opened their mouth and let something transphobic come out of it.

It started in Spain back in July when 21 year old transman Alex Salinas asked his parish priest if he could be his nephew;s godfather.   The priest according to Salinas initially agreed to the request but changed his mind when Bishop Rafael Zornoza of Cadiz y Ceuta challenged the decision.

Salinas is recognized by the Spanish government as a male, but the Catholic Church refuses to do so and offered him the position of  'spiritual godfather', which is a position the Catholic Church designates for people they deem ineligible for the godparents role.

Never mind the fact that Salinas has been faithfully attending mass at his parish.

After the critical backlash that ruling generated in Spain, Bishop Zornoza quickly deferred to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that enforces Catholic teaching to render a final verdict on the subject.

That verdict recently came from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and it reeked of transphobic bigotry.

It concluded that “transsexual behavior itself reveals, in a public manner, an attitude opposite to the moral imperative of solving the problem of sexual identity according to the truth of one’s own sexuality.” 

“It is clear that this person does not meet the requirement of carrying out a life conforming to the faith and the position of godfather,” the statement read. It later added, “Discrimination is not to be seen in this, but only recognition of an objective lack of the requisites that by their own nature are necessary to take over the ecclesial responsibility of being a godparent.”

Salinas blasted the Vatican's transphobic ruling in a Facebook post, and has left the Catholic Church on top of it,    His sister has also decided not to baptize his nephew in the wake of their rejection of her trans brother.

The poisonous anti-trans legacy of Paul McHugh is bearing bitter fruit not only for the international trans community, but will continue to cost the Catholic Church trans and cis followers that believe that trans people are just as human as any cis person .   .


   

2015 Williams Watch- On To The US Open Fourth Round

The Williams Sisters so far successful business trip to Flushing Meadow for the US Open continued into the third round, but this time the sisters days were reversed.   While 23rd seeded Venus breezed to a straight set 6-3, 6-4 win against Switzerland's Belinda Bencic, the evening session for number one seeded Serena didn't quite go as planned for her against fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

Let's talk about Big Sis for a moment.   She advanced to the fourth round of the US Open for the first time since 2010 by knocking off the 12th seeded Bencic.   She will play qualifier Anett Kontaveit of Estonia who knocked off American Madison Brengle in three sets to get to the fourth round.


Serena's run to tennis history and the US Open fourpeat ran into trouble in her match with Mattek-Sands.  While she came out flat in the first set, spraying 14 unforced errors to just one for her opponent, Mattek-Sands was on her A game to the point that Serena dropped her first set at the US Open to another American since 2005.

Last American to take a first set from Serena at the US Open?   Her big sister Venus.  

But Serena dropping the first set in a Grand Slam has been a recurring theme this year, but she has managed to summon that refuse to lose will, up the level of her game and escape with the win eight times.

But Mattek-Sands kept up the pressure, coming within two games of springing the upset for the ages before Serena found the A++ tennis level that many people can't match and won eight straight games to take the match 3-6.7-5, 6-0.

Serena's next opponent will be Madison Keys, who she vanquished in the Australian Open semis earlier this year.   Keys got past Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets to earn another shot at the world's number one player.  

Should Serena and Venus get past their fourth round opposition on Sunday, they will face each other in the US Open quarterfinals.

Nikki Araguz Loyd Gets Another Legal Win At SCOTX!

It's another great day for Nikki Araguz Loyd in a Texas courtroom as the Texas Supreme Court in Austin ruled in her favor in her ongoing case to reinstate her marriage to her late husband Thomas Araguz III.

In the last update, she had a big win at the Texas 13th Appeal Court level in Corpus Christi that not only reversed Judge Randy Clapp's (R) unjust order that invalidated her marriage, but struck a what may be fatal blow to the Littleton v Prange case.

It also sent the case back to Judge Clapp's court where we hope the arc of the moral and legal universe will continue bending toward justice for her and the Texas trans community.

The case was appealed to the all GOP dominated Texas Supreme Court by the Delgado legal team, and in a ruling that came back today that was a wonderful surprise for her and the Texas trans community , the SCOTX without comment denied hearing their petition.

Translation, the ruling of the Texas 13th Court of Appeals stands.

Of course, when I talked to an obviously happy Nikki Araguz Loyd about her latest legal win, she said, "I'm elated that the Texas Supreme Court saw fit to do the right thing in my case.   It gets us past another major  hurdle and one step closer to the Lone Star State recognizing the transitioned gender identity of trans people."

I hope and pray that is the case as well.