Moni's In The Middle Of OUT On The Hill 2015

Well people, if my Southwest flight landed on time at 11:25 AM EDT, I should be clear of DCA's baggage claim picking up my luggage and inside I-495 getting ready to head to the Beacon Hotel for that roundtable discussion that starts at 3:30 PM.

And yeah, y'all know I took the opportunity to get some sleep on that flight since I got up before sunrise, and Madame Night Owl is usually not fully functioning until 10 AM CDT.

But have to suck it upm rep H-town and handle my business on behalf of the community..

In addition to being off the charts excited about being in our nation's capital again for this 2015 edition of OUT on the Hill,  I'm also looking forward to spending some quality time with Joanna Cifredo, my Latina sister who is the creative genius at the Fire Breathing T-Girl blog.

And yes, looking forward to seeing 'errbody' else I know inside the beltway who manages to get to see me between now and my Sunday morning departure from DCA.

Something else that is going to happen is that free Slurpee I earned in Dallas is going to be destroyed.

I'm also arriving in Washington DC at a time when the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference is about to jump off at the massive Walter Washington Convention Center.  That's another opportunity to connect with peeps in my community and have them recognize that #BlackTransLivesMatter.

Back to the #OOTH 2015 business at hand.

You peeps in the DC area still have time to register and check out the happenings at OUT on the Hill and hang out with some amazing Black LGBTQ/SGL leaders and some award winning Texas based blogger nobody reads.  

And looking forward to telling y'all what's happening over the next few days.

Trial Postponed For Accused Murderer Of Ty Underwood

Right on the heels of the bad news we received out of Dallas in the Tovar case comes word from Smith County east of Dallas.

Jury selection in the trial of 21 year old Carlton Ray Champion, Jr has been postponed and the trial date continued until December.  

Champion was arrested January 29 on a parole violation in Gregg County, transferred to Smith County and charged with first degree murder in the killing of 24 year old Ty Underwood.

Underwood and Champion had been dating prior to her murder

Champion's defense attorney asked the judge for more time to prepare a defense in the murder case. and the request was granted.

We'll definitely be keeping an eye on this case as it develops to see if Ty gets justice, or like Kenney, Carlton Champion gets off for killing a trans woman.

Moni's Leaving On A Jet Plane: Destination DC

The Air Marshal is taking flight again for Washington DC for the third time in 2015.

The purpose of this latest DC trip is to attend the national Black Justice Coalition's 6th annual OUT on the Hill which is cranking up today with some invite only meetings and discussions.

Because I had to handle some business in Houston, couldn't free up my schedule enough to get here on Tuesday for the pre-conference networking event they had last night at the St. Gregory Hotel..

Well, stuff happens.   Something else that is happening is I'm getting up at 4 AM CDT so I can catch the 7;25 AM nonstop out of Hobby to DCA.  

What I hope will happen is that my flight to DCA will be on time so I can be at that 3:30 PM EDT round table meeting I'm scheduled for on time as well.   It's an invitation only roundtable discussion that I'm honored to be repping the 'T' for  that will feature a conversation on Black TBLGQ/SGL Women's Health and Wellness issues,

I,also have as part of my OUT on the Hill agenda besides being in reporter mode,  a Friday 12:30 PM EDT plenary session discussing the plight of trans women of color in the US.

There's also some good news-bad news I'm dealing with concerning my technology.  This will be the first trip in which I've gotten to test out the smartphone and the tablet I received as a late birthday present back in June.  Still trying to learn how to take photos and video on it, and will get plenty of opportunities to get proficient at doing so during this event.

The bad news is that the Asus laptop I received as a late Christmas present in 2013 that has served me well since #CC14 and through more than a few conferences, blogging and road trips has finally died on me, so I won't have a laptop to carry on this trip. 

I hate that because it had a 17 inch screen that was perfect for watching video and movies full screen and I liked the feel and the setup of the keyboard layout on it  once I got used to it.

I was planning on getting a new or gently used one anyway, but after having to move twice in the span of six weeks, it will have to wait until after I get  back from this conference..

But first, Moni's gotta get some beauty sleep for the long and busy day I'm going to have that gets cranked up in a few hours.

Clock's Ticking On The 2015 US Trans Survey

If you haven't taken the 2015 US Trans Survey, are living in the US, and you are trans, non binary or genderqueer, you have until midnight September 21 to do so.

Over 6500 people nationally took the 2008-2009 survey, and the data it produced as compiled in the 2011 Injustice At Every Turn report not only painted a stark picture of the state of the trans community at that time, there were enough trans people of color who took it so that the data could be broken down by ethnicity and states.

I use it from time to time in my blog posts, and it has also helped trans advocates, advocacy organizations, our allies and people in academia push for policy changes and laws that have benefited all trans persons in the US.

So if you haven't done do, I'm encouraging you to do so before the deadline.  I'm also encouraging as many trans people of color as possible to also take the US Trans Survey so that we have more solid data about what ails our communities and frankly, so our voices are heard loud and clear when the compilation report for this survey comes out.

The survey is available in English and Spanish, so surf on over to US Trans Survey.org to complete it before the upcoming September 21 deadline.

Not Feeling The MSNBC Ethnic Cleansing

'The dearth of CNN African-American and Latino anchors has led me to stop watching what I sarcastically call the 'Caucasian News Network' and go elsewhere to channels like MSNBC, for national and international news.  I'm not supporting a channel that won't hire or use pundits who look like me.'  
--TransGriot  May 13, 2013. CNN The Caucasian News Network

I wrote that in response to my pissivity over CNN rightward drift combined with their ethnic cleansing of many of the African-American and Latinx personalities and shows I loved to watch.

Now MSNBC has unfortunately decided to go down that ethnic cleansing road.

Over the last few months they have eliminated shows headed by non-white folks featuring Karen Finney, Joy Reid, Alex Wagner, Martin Bashir, and the  Rev Al Sharpton.

Jose Diaz-Balart's Rundown show was rumored to be headed for cancellation as well until a coalition of 40 Latinx organizations including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists loudly blasted the report and let MSNBC president Phil Griffin and NBC news head Andrew Lack know their displeasure concerning that proposed move. 

MSNBC has also eliminated the show of Ed Schultz, who is a unabashed left leaning voice of working class people.  Ronan Farrow's show is gone, and so is The Cycle, the ensemble show that featured the diverse crew of Krystal Ball, Abby Huntsman, Toure and Ari Melber.

They left Morning Joe on, and replaced the ethnically cleansed MSNBC talent  with Chuck (Yuck) Todd, Andrea Mitchell, Thomas Roberts and soon the disgraced Brian Williams.

Right now the only non-white people hosting MSNBC shows are Tamron Hall and Jose Diaz-Balart (for now) during the week and Melissa Harris-Perry on the weekends   That's unacceptable in an America that is increasingly becoming more non-white, and one that desperately needed MSNBC to be an intelligent counterweight to the nonstop right wing propaganda from FOX Noise.

 I also liked and needed to see someone from my community who can intelligently talk about events from my lived African-American perspective on the news channels I watch.

Andy Lack, if you are doing the MSNBC ethnic cleansing  to mimic FOX,Noise, that's the wrong programming play.  FOX Noise is number one in the ratings because that's the ONLY (alleged news) network conservafools tune into for their daily does of propaganda and their Two Minute Hate.    

If anything MSNBC, you should have dumped Morning Joe, the prison shows on the weekend and doubled down on liberal progressive programming and putting on air more pundits who look like America,  I refuse to watch Meet The Press because of Chuck Todd's obvious right wing bias when Sunday morning talk shows are already too heavily right wing biased in the first place.




Now you've  replaced Rev Al and Rd Schultz to put Todd on in the afternoon?  How much hallucinogenic drugs were y'all doing when y'all made this boneheaded decision?

I damned sure don't want to watch someone who thinks it isn't a journalist's job the educate the public with the truth when Republicans, (or any politician) lies.

Neither do I want to continue watching a network that mistakenly thinks the road to better ratings is paved with mimicking FOX Noise and eliminating non white show hosts..   As pissed off as  I am about MSNBC's ethnic cleansing, the only reason I'm still watching it  is because of your evening lineup featuring Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell and Chris Hayes and my cable package doesn't have Al Jazeera America.
But if this MSNBC ethnic cleansing continues, I'll be tuning in to the BBC and  lok at how much will adding Al Jazeera America will cost  since MSNBC no longer reflects what I expect to see, hear and
demand from a news network.   
, 

The Fight To Keep HERO- September 15

The fallout continues over the Gaslamp bar discrimination case as the owners put their attorney out there to handle the media firestorm that has erupted since the news broke of three African-American men facing the discrimination tactic of selective cover charges.

Had HERO been in effect, it would have fallen under public accommodations discrimination, and these gentlemen could have gone to the Houston Office of Inspector General and filed a HERO complaint

But since it has been messed with by SCOTX, their only alternative is to file an expensive federal lawsuit.   Texas does not have a statewide anti-discrimination law, and with the Republicans in control of the Lege and the governor's mansion, we aren't going to see one get passed any time soon.

And even if by some miracle the GOP controlled Texas Lege ;decided to pass one, guess which Texans wouldn't be covered in a GOP created law, much less would be useless in addressing discrimination

Something else that has popped up is this interesting Saikat Bhakra post that takes some Yelp data and asks the question what city has the most racist nightlife?

Sadly out of the top ten cities in Bhakra's post, Houston ranked number 5 in the 'Most Racist Nightlife' category.   That is not a good situation when you are trying to draw convention business to the GRB, building another 1000 room Marriott Marquis hotel on the northern end of Discovery Green in the Convention Center district to accommodate that business. competing with other large cites (that have HERO like NDO's) to attract major sporting events to our arenas and stadiums, and working hard to get people and corporations to relocate here.

That post seems to corroborate what many folks testified to was occurring in the four City Council hearings we had prior to getting HERO passed on May 28, 2014.

As a matter of fact, what triggered the push to get HERO passed was Judge Alexandra Smoots-Hogan and a Latino friend being denied entrance to a club on Washington Ave and her subsequent discovery along with Councilmember Ellen Cohen that Houston and the state of Texas had no local remedy to combat discrimination.

Why should you have to hire a lawyer to file an expensive and time consuming federal lawsuit to combat discrimination?   HERO provides a local remedy for discrimination issues that occur here.

A world class city doesn't enable or tolerate discrimination.   It works diligently to eradicate it.  

'Her Story' Trailer

Been hearing about this new media series project that Jen Richards and Angelica Ross are involved and starring in along with Laura Zak for the last few months.

Now we finally get to see the trailer for this web series with a targeted Fall 2015 debut..

It's called Her Story and features Jen and Angelica playing two Los Angeles trans women who have given up on love until two chance encounters giver them hope.

Richards plays Violet, the new girl in town who is drawn to Allie, a reporter who has approached her for an interview.  Ross plays Paige, a career driven girl like us attorney who meets James, the first cis man she has considered opening up to in years.

Can both women get past their own issues in order to take a chance on letting someone love them for the beautifully human people they are?





One of the things I and other trans people have been saying for years is that since Hollywood isn't doing the job, we need to have transpeople telling our own stories so it gets done properly.  

This is a concrete example of what I have been talking about, and so looking forward to seeing it.,

Janette Tovar Won't Receive Justice

Been hearing rumblings from my Dallas area trans family this might be happening in the Janette Tovar case,, and what has been feared by the Dallas trans community and Janette's cousin Marisa Anguiano has sadly come to pass.

It was confirmed by the Texas Observer that Janette's killer, Jason Kenney is getting ten years probation.

When he enters a Dallas County courtroom tomorrow, the 29 year old Kenney is expected to plead guilty to felony aggravated assault as part of a plea deal.   He has basically done two months of jail time for assaulting her in an October 2012 domestic dispute that turned violent.

Tovar and Kenney had been in a relationship for a year when Kenney slammed Tovar’s head into the concrete in the 830 block of West Davis Street, then continued to assault Tovar when they returned home to 918 W. 8th St. 

Tovar subsequently died of according to an autopsy performed by the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office of blunt force trauma to the head.

It's just another infuriating slap in the face to not only Janette Tovar's family and all who loved her, but the Dallas area trans community.  Janette Tovar's murderer is walking the streets.

It's also jacked up cases like this that help grease the skids for more anti-trans murders..

The Fight To Keep HERO-September 14

One of the things that has irritated me and many of the folks in Black LGBT Houston is not utilizing our voices, knowledge of our community and expertise to forcefully combat the loud and wrong Black * ministers the predominately white conservatives pushing this attack or HERO are using as human shields to give them the veneer of a 'diverse' coalition.

They are more like the 'useful fools' who will be discarded if the wingers are successful in getting HERO repealed.

But I refuse to lose a local remedy to address discrimination without a fight, and judging by the guest post I put up in my last HERO update, H-town discrimination is not only happening no thanks to the suspension of the law by GOP SCOTX meddling, but HERO is needed.

The folks diligently working to increase 'ejumacation' on what HERO really is are handling their business in our community, canvassing is continuing and we have dueling radio ads at this point.

But I'm still concerned about Houston Black media lazily buying the right wing spin and lies and not debunking it.  It doesn't help that KCOH-AM is now owned by HERO hatin' mayoral candidate Ben Hall.

And with faith based kneegrow ignorati like this christopimping lies about a law that covers 15 categories while trying to erase the Blackness of Houston Black trans, bi and SGL people, it has been an uphill battle.  

But it's one we MUST and are determined to win in Black TBLGQ/SGL Houston because we are keenly aware that  Proposition 1 is going to be won or lost in the Black community

I need to see more Houston Black politicians and local orgs like the NAACP and Urban League open their mouths and speak about their support of HERO instead of being on the cricket chirping silent down low about it.

That also includes any Black politician running for public office in this cycle.   My vote for you is contingent on where you unequivocally stand on the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.

Supporting human rights for all Houstonians is not something to be ashamed of, it's something you should be bursting with pride about, and in the same breath you should be forcefully calling out the people falling for the right wing okey doke  and preparing to vote against their own human rights based on a debunked lie.

Houston needs HERO.  Vote YES on proposition 1 to keep it

6th Annual NBJC OUT On The Hill Starts Wednesday

The 6th annual OUT on the Hill National Black LGBT Leadership Conference starts on Wednesday and runs through September 19, and I'm pleased to announce I will be in the OOTH house starting on Wednesday for the first time since 2012.

I get excited about this event because OUT on the Hill features Black trans, bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, same gender loving activists, thought leaders, elected officials, educators, elders and young professionals gathering in our nation's capital for a unique, informative and important convening.

OUT on the Hill brings together more than 100 Black LGBTQ/SGL stakeholders and partner organization that include the Human Rights Campaign, the Trans Persons Of Color Coalition, the National LGBTQ Task Force, AIDS United, National Coalition for LGBTQ Health, amfAR, and Planned Parenthood Foundation of America.

The National Black Justice Coalition with the support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation launched in 2014 its Black LGBT Health and Wellness Initiative to address the current health crisis, HIV and the disparity in culturally competent  health and wellness programs that target the Black LGBT population.   It also seeks to shift the conversation about African-American holistic health by including the Black LGBTQ/SGL community in those broader Black community health conversations.

NBJC through this initiative is seeking to strategically and innovatively bring voice and visibility to the health and wellness concerns of the Black SGL and TBLGQ community, raise awareness, decrease stigma and provide culturally competent and accessible resources and services.

The theme for this year's OUT on the Hill Conference is We Are Family: Building Stronger Roots Together. with a call to action addressing health care issues rooted in four summit tracks: health care, social justice, economics and spirituality.  

OUT on the Hill 2015 gets underway with a pre conference networking reception tomorrow at the St Gregory Hotel entitled At the Table: Black Voices In Policy & Advocacy that gives attendees the opportunity to hear updates about the 2020 National HIV/AIDS Strategy for members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.

Over the next few days there will be conversations that discuss policy issues impacting our community, briefings about the recently introduced in Congress LGBT Equality Act, several plenary session covering various topics including the bisexual and transgender sectors of our community, and the third annual State of the Black LGBTQ/SGL Community on Saturday  

If you'e seeking more information about Out on the Hill, press credentials or are just interested in attending the event, you can contact Isaiah Wilson at iwilson@nbjc.org or click on this link to peruse the #OOTH2015 schedule.

Hope to see y'all in DC.

Congratulations Landon!

I and your trans elders are proud of you members of the Trans Class of 2016, and know that over time, you will do amazing things that will continue to justify our faith in investing in your success.   
-TransGriot, August 22, 2015

Well, it didn't take long for a member of the Trans Class of 2016 to make some trans history.

Meet Landon Patterson.  The Oak Park High School senior found out during halftime of her school's September 12 homecoming game with William Chrisman High School that her classmates had chosen her as their school's homecoming queen.

"Just knowing that I did this and broke some barriers, I can't put it into words how I feel right now," Patterson Said in am interview. "I'm just excited and hope it's going to help others put there." .

Landon has dreamed about this moment of riding in the homecoming parade as the homecoming queen since her freshman year, but she doubted that her classmates would see her as female.

She transitioned during her junior year, was an active member of her school's show choir and Oak Park's cheerleading squad, and her classmates made it clear how they viewed Landon by voting her as their homecoming queen.

Her mom Debbie Hall;proudly rode next to her in the homecoming parade as she stated to local media she saw no other option but to support her child.

That's my child. You have to back your children. The haters out there, I just want to say, 'What would you say if it was your child?'" Hall said.

Congrats Landon!    Hope the rest of your senior year goes as wonderfully as your day being named your school's homecoming queen did. 

Sarah Thomas' First Regular Season NFL Game Was In H-town

Didn't find this out until this disastrous Texans home opening game was nearly over, but some NFL history was made in Houston today.

The NFL officiating crew working today's Chiefs-Texans game at NRG Stadium included Sarah Thomas, the first woman hired as a full time referee by the NFL

This was her first regular season game a a rookie NFL official, and Thomas was the line judge in this Chiefs-Texans game.  The line judge is responsible for spotting the offsides calls on the line of scrimmage.

She was better than three of her male counterparts who missed two pass interference calls Kansas City committed against the Texans along with another end zone downing call that nearly went against the Texans but they sorted it out.

You're doing a good job as an official when the commentators DON'T call your name, and she's also downplaying her trailblazing role as the NFL's first female full time official

Considering her journey to get to the NFL and the trailblazing things she accomplished as a collegiate official, won't be shocked if Thomas is making history as part of a Super Bowl officiating crew.

Love The New Trans Latina Coalition Logo

Y'all know I have much love for the Trans Latina Coalition, and have gotten to know many of their officers and members over the last two years since their founding by Bamby Salcedo.

They are the voice for trans Latina immigrants in the US, and they not only have been fierce advocates for their own community, but have done advocacy for the entire trans community by engaging in in our face protests that fearlessly speak truth to power.

I got a chance to look at their new logo, and I like it.

May the Trans Latina Coalition continue to provide fearless leadership for trans feminine people inside and outside of our community, and looking forward to the next  opportunity to spend some quality time with you.

Gonna Miss You Rev. Mike!

And recognize for eternity that you are God's beloved. You are loved without condition or doubt, without pause or regret. No matter what you face today or in the days ahead, Divine Love is always with you.
--Rev. Dr Michael Diaz

The Rev. Mike in question is the Rev. Dr. Michael Diaz, who for the last five years has been at Houston's Resurrection  MCC as its Director of Connections.

And over that five years,  he has been doing a wonderful job of not only tending to the needs of the Resurrection MCC community, but making those connections between the church and the city of Houston.

I got to meet and know him during last year's fight to pass HERO. When I lived in the Heights, I enjoyed seeing and hearing him during Resurrection services which was in walking distance of my old apartment.  He also helped connect me with Ana Andrea Molina and the members of the Organizacion Latina de Trans In Texas,our new Houston based Latina trans group

While we already knew that Rev. Mike had submitted a letter of resignation from Resurrection MCC last month, it still hasn't hit us until today that we're going to lose another progressive pastoral leader  from our Houston faith community.

But after those 9 and 11 AM sermons,, he's headed to Boston to further his education and embrace some new opportunities and challenges.  And while I'm going to be sad to see Rev. Mike go, I know that he's about to embark on a new journey of discovery, and I'm happy for him.

 But still gonna miss you Rev. Mike!