Happy Trans National Holiday 2015!

Today is Halloween, and for those of you who aren't getting rained on like we are in Houston right now, hope you will have a wonderful time taking to kids out to trick or treat, or at that costume party you're planning to attend later tonight.

And don't wear Blackface.   While I'm at it, don't wear yellowface, redface or think that you can put on a non white persons cultural traditions like some sort of costume.  Just say no and use that brain to come up with another idea for a Halloween costume.

Now that I've gotten that TransGriot public service announcement out of the way, Happy Trans National Holiday!

Halloween has been the night in which our people held elaborate drag balls in Chicago and New York that drew thousands on the South Side and the old Roseland Ballroom.

But it was also the night that we trans folks were free to if just for one day, be the everyday men and women we wanted to permanently be the other 364 days of the year.

I know that was the way I looked at it on those Halloween nights before I moved into my own place.  I'd head to a trusted friends apartment where I had my femme clothing stashed, take the time to gleefully get in femme mode and go to Studio 13 in Montrose as an everyday sister just getting off work.

And it's interesting to note that once transition happened for me and became a reality, Halloween wasn't a day I planned with the efficiency of the D-Day invasion, but became just another day on the calendar.

So for trans people and those contemplating transition, Halloween has a different meaning than it does for cis people.  It's only after we become our true selves that we transpeeps even begin to think about it in terms of 'what costume do I wear'?

Happy Trans National Holiday people!

Shut Up Fool Awards- Looking For Human Rights HEROes Edition

We are in the last day of early voting for our Houston municipal election and stuff is getting real as we approach November 3.  You have until 7 PM  to get to your favorite polling place and vote in the mayoral election and for Prop 1.  

And yes since today is Friday, time to call out some fools.

Honorable mention number one is a group award for all you Houston folks who believed the anti-HERO bathroom predator lie and voted NO in the early voting phase on Prop 1.

Honorable mention number two is another group award for all the GOP presidential candidates on stage for the GOP debate in Boulder, CO.

Honorable mention number three is our unelected Harris County Republican sheriff Ron Hickman, who came out of the closet about his opposition to HERO, claiming it was 'confusing and divisive', but wasn't in the chair for a day when he demoted a lesbian sheriff with 30 years of experience, ended the LGBT liaison program, and attacked the #BlackLivesMatter movement in a problematic press conference in the wake of the shooting of Deputy Darren Goforth,

Honorable mention number four is anyone who wears Blackface for Halloween.

Honorable mention number five is Rep Mo Brooks (R-AL) , who opposes immigration because 'it changes the voter pool'.

And makes it more likely that bigots like him get bounced out of office.

Honorable mention number six is Ben Fields, the ex-Richland County SC resource officer who body slammed and dragged across the floor a Black female student.

Hope you get the assault charges that need to follow up this incident, but we'll see if justice is served in this heinous incident..

This week's Shut Up Fool award is a joint one that goes to Raven-Symone and Don Lemon who continue to cause us to wonder whether both their Black cards need to be revoked.

Raven made another cringe worthy statement on The View in regards to the SC student being violently dragged across that Spring Valley High School classroom.

Don Lemon tried to justify the officer's actions, which led CNN legal correspondent Sunny Hostin to put his ass on blast.



The sad part is both these kneegrows have sizable media platforms, and they continually make jacked up WTF statements

Raven-Symone and Don Lemon, shut up fools.

The Fight To Keep HERO-October 30

Today is the last day of early voting in H-town for the upcoming mayoral election and voting YES for Prop 1 and the ads are flying.   Another pro-Prop 1 ad rolled out this week as an anti-HERO ad featuring Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick hit the airwaves.



We have had in the runup to Election Day some political heavyweights comment on the HERO vote in President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

“While the Administration generally does not take a formal position on specific proposals or initiatives, the President and Vice President have been strong supporters of state and local efforts to protect Americans from being discriminated against based on who they are and who they love. We’re confident that the citizens of Houston will vote in favor of fairness and equality.

”Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also weighed in on the HERO fight..



Hollywood has chimed in as well.  Native Texans Matt Bomer and Eva Longoria have also tweeted their support of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.

Eva Longoria ‏@EvaLongoria  Oct 27

I’m proud to join @HRC in support of #HERO in Texas. Join me in the fight #YesonProp1 http://www.whosay.com/l/piRbaPV  pic.twitter.com/AJqq5LSQiE 

We have had actress Sally Field, who has Texas family roots and is an award winning women's rights advocate, weigh in on the HERO at an event Wednesday night, and repeated her commentary Thursday morning at an event for women legislators at the Alley Theater.

News coverage on the local and national level about this fight continues.  The Houston Chronicle in another editorial called out Lt Governor Dan Patrick for outright lying about the ordinance.

But I'm still concerned along with the Houston Black LGBT community this late swell of positive endorsements may be too little, too late.   Polling has tightened up in the last few days, and you know I've expressed my dissatisfaction with the way the campaign to defend HERO was run.  I've been concerned about the failure to utterly crush the bathroom lie.and its lack of outreach to the Houston Black community and POC trans community of color in the face of an opposition side that will use fear and smear attacks on trans people as their only tactic.

And the HERO haters have been immensely helped by the lazy reporting of Fox 26,

You have until 7 PM to take advantage of early voting, otherwise you'll have to wait until November 3 to make your voice heard on this issue.

Alexandra Billings On 'How To Get Away With Murder' Tonight

Another TransGriot Must See Trans TV alert for you.

For those of you who are fans of the ABC-TV show How To Get Away With Murder, in tonight's episode of it, we'll have longtime girl like us actress Alexandra Billings making an appearance on it

She is excited about appearing on this top rated ABC drama, and I'm jut as excited to see her performance tonight to see if she does indeed get away with murder.

How To Get Away With Murder comes on at 9 PM CDT on you local ABC station, and hope you'll tune in.

Break a leg, Alexandra!

British Trans Woman May Not Be Getting Locked Up With The Cis Boys

One of the problems we have had when trans women have been incarcerated for law violations is that far too many prisons operate based on the genitalia you possess and not gender presentation

For trans women, that is a problem that leads to them being mistreated by guards and inmates alike and walking targets for sexual assault. Combine that with a documentation issue, and you have a recipe for disaster

26 year old British trans woman Tara Hudson was harshly sentenced by magistrates in Bath to 12 weeks in the all male Bristol prison after admitting to headbutting a bar manager.   Never mind the fact that she has been on hormones, lived as Tara for six years, had reconstructive surgery, and been declared by her medical doctor as a woman.   But because she doesn't have a Gender Recognition Certificate, a document that confers legal recognition of her gender and it time consuming and expensive to get, she is facing having to do time in a prison in which according to an inspection report, levels of violence have risen since the last inspection and not enough was done to protect vulnerable prisoners.

And we can visualize the hell that would ensure for her if she was thrown into that situation.

After 122,000 people around the world signed a Change.org petition asking for Hudson to be moved to a women's prison, that request is not only being considered, but her case is being reviewed.

Her mother is hoping that the sentence will be reduced so that she can spend it at home on an electronic monitoring tag.

But Hudson should have never been put in this dangerous situation in the first place. It's time for Britain to listen to its trans citizens and consider changes in the 2004 Gender Recognition Act hat would allow self declaration of gender identity without the bureaucratic hoops and fiscal burdens that come with the current policy.

TransGriot Update:  Hudson will be transferred to a women's prison to serve her sentence. 

2015 TransGriot NFL Picks-Week 8

Been a week of drama for my fave NFL team.   First owner Bob McNair asked for his $10,000 check back that he gave to the anti-HERO forces, then they got their behinds kicked by the Miami Dolphins for the first time ever in franchise history.  JJ Watt missed that game with a back injury, and Ryan Mallett missed the team charter flight and was subsequently cut from the team..

They resigned TJ Yates, who after Matt Schaub got hurt led them to their first playoff berth, and to the AFC Divisional round of the playoffs to back up Brian Hoyer.

Bob McNair says the season isn't over, but if they drop this game to the Tennessee Traitors it probably is, even as weak as the AFC South has been.

We are now at the halfway point of the 2015 NFL season, and still have time to make my prognostication championship dreams happen.  But got to do better and that starts now.

14 more games with one more international one from London.

Teams on their bye week in Week 8 are Buffalo, Jacksonville, Philadelphia and Washington.

Week 7 Results                                         2015 Season Record.
TransGriot   8-6                                         TransGriot       67-38
Mike            9-5                                         Mike                70-35
Eli                8-6                                         Eli                    62-43


NFL Week 8 (Home team in CAPS)

Thursday Night
PATRIOTS over Dolphins

Sunday Noon
CHIEFS over Lions (from London)
RAVENS over Chargers
Cardinals over BROWNS
Vikings over BEARS
Bengals over STEELERS
TEXANS over Titans
Giants over SAINTS
RAMS over 49ers
FALCONS over Buccaneers

Sunday Afternoon
Jets over RAIDERS
Seahawks over COWBOYS

Sunday Night
Packers over BRONCOS

Monday Night
PANTHERS over Colts

California Trans Teen Becomes Cheerleader

One of the things that really makes me proud to see as a trans elder is seeing our trans youngling not only getting to live their lives as their true selves at earlier ages, but getting to live their dreams at the same time.

Meet Anry Fuentes, who is not only transitioning during her senior year at Denair High School in Turlock, CA,, but is also living her dream to be a cheerleader.

“I was really good friends with this girl named Selena and she was a cheerleader with Denair Youth Football, so I would just go and watch her cheer for the football players and go to her practices,” said Fuentes.

“I was like, ‘wait, I want to be a cheerleader too!’” she laughed.

That childhood dream to become a cheerleader fueled by her friendship with Selena became a reality for her.  She has not only received support from cheerleader coach Robin Hilton, but her fellow cheerleaders and classmates.

Fuentes noted in her interview with the Turlock Journal that although her transition has had some bumpy moments, she has excelled in school and earned the Stanislaus County Seal of Multilingual Proficiency for her Spanish and English fluency.

“I’m not sugarcoating it, it was tough. But my life is given to me once and I’m going to make the most of it,” said Fuentes. “Everybody goes through that stage where they think ‘I’m never going to get out of this.’

“No—you are going to get out of it. I am living proof. I didn’t give up,” continued Fuentes.

The Fight To Keep HERO- October 29

We are in the second week of early voting which will conclude on Friday, so if you haven't gotten your early vote on, please do so today or Friday.  After that date you will have to do it at your regular polling place on Tuesday November 3.

And yes, I have voted FOR Prop 1 and the candidates for mayor and council who support the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.

Lot of things happening since my last update post.   One of the big business groups in town, the Greater Houston Partnership has come out in favor of HERO and urged a YES vote on it.



And that meme leading off this post?    Yep, it's sad but true.  The reason we don't have a non- discrimination ordinance with local remedies for discrimination today is because back in 1984 when the sexual orientation only one was passed, the ordinance haters like Steven Hotze, Dave Wilson and others teamed up with the Klan to 'scurr' people into voting against their own human rights.  And yes, attacks on the trans community (crossdressing men in your kids schools) were used in that odious 1985 campaign.

Now Hotze, Wilson and the new jack HERO haters like Dave Welch, Steve Riggle have shrewdly used kneegrow sellouts like Ben Hall, Rev F.N. Williams and Rev Max Miller to act as human shields for them to make their hate coalition look 'more diverse' and inject anti- trans hate in my community.

And I'm NOT happy about that .along with the ongoing efforts of these sellout kneegrow ministers and a failing for the second time mayoral candidate to hoodwink and bamboozle Black Houstonians into voting against their human rights.

As I've been saying since August, the HERO battle would be won or lost in the Black community, and I've expressed my concerns that NOT enough has been done by Houston Unites to kill the bathroom predator lie being spread in Black neighborhoods.

The gentleman on the left is Houston civil rights icon Rev. William Lawson.  He led the coalition that helped desegregate Houston's downtown lunch counters, secured Black employment for the construction of the Astrodome and subsequent African-American employment when it opened in 1965.  

And as the Houston African-American News pointed out, he supports HERO

Today from 6-8 PM a phone bank geared toward the Houston African-American community will take place at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston jointly sponsored by African Americans For HERO and Houston Unites. Address is 5200 Fannin Street, and you can either bring your laptop and cellphone or  just show up.

The NAACP and Houston Urban League (better late than never) are finally getting radio ads on the air urging my community vote YES on Prop 1.  But is it in time?

And as I've pointed out, this fight has the attention of Texas and the world.  Articles in the New York Times, the Texas Tribune and other media outlets.

Out of town media, just a note.  HERO is a human rights ordinance,   It is not a 'bathroom bill' or an 'LGBT ordinance'.  Get it right that it covers 15 categories.

Here are 5 quick things you need to know about the HERO.

And something they should have been doing from the start in terms of debunking the bathroom lie..



In other news Texans owner Bob McNair woke the hell up and asked the HERO haters to return his $10K contribution to them.   Guess the NFL or someone whispered in his ear this was a bad PR move and much of his fan base supports the HERO.

Don't be like Bob on Election Day and wake up on November 4 feeling stupid because you fell for the right wing okey-doke and lies.  Vote YES on Prop 1.
 

Trans Woman Wins Holland's Next Top Model

We watched Isis King attempt to do so on the American version of the show that is ceasing production after 12 years,.but in the Netherlands it's still on the air and a trans woman has broken through to become the first out trans feminine winner of Holland's Next Top Model.

20 year old Loiza Lammers initially decided to not disclose her trans status at first, but as the rumors started flying and she secured her spot on the show, she announced she was trans and subsequently began to dominate the competition.

While there have been trans contestants on the other international versions of Top Model who have attempted to win those versions in their nations and failed, Lammers has broken through and along the way to the win became an icon to the Dutch TBLG community..



She won a modeling contract with Touche Models, and hopefully this is the first step to a long and successful career for her.
.

'Her Story' Premieres At New York LGBT Film Festival

Was happy to hear about the premiere of Her Story, which features two people I have mad love for in Jen Richards and Angelica Ross.   It is a web series that features not only trans people in front of the camera playing nuanced trans characters, but a trans person directing it in Sydney Freeland

Gee, trans actors playing trans people.   What a refreshing concept.   And something Hollywood has needed to do for a long time.

Her Story debuted to a packed house at New York's LGBT Film Festival Monday night, and the NewFest crowd was treated to a post screening panel with Angelica, Jen and Laura Zak moderated by Laverne Cox.



If you haven't seen the trailer for Her Story, here it is.



So looking forward to seeing it when it is released to the rest of the world.

I Won't Allow You To Trample On My Human Rights Or My Dignity

I had a high school classmate of mine make a transphobic comment on her Facebook page that I called her out about early Sunday morning while I was in Massachusetts.  

While I was traveling back to Texas she deleted the comments and blocked me from her page which is her right to do.  I then exercised my First Amendment free speech rights to call her behind out about the transphobic comments on my Facebook page, and wrote an open letter to her trying to explain what was wrong with what she wrote. and why it is hurtful to trans people.

After I did so, she ,her daughter and two other people swarmed my Facebook page and unleashed transphobic attacks at moi while trying to hide behind the Bible and claiming I had 'attacked her'

Naw boo boo kitty.  If I had attacked you, you and the whole world would have known about it.  

But the bottom line is this FB mess gave people an opportunity to see just how embedded anti-trans attitudes are in the Houston Black community, and how much transphobic ignorance is being sowed by these ministers in I hope will be another failed effort to overturn HERO on November 3.

It has also shown me that multiple clear the air town halls between Black cis women and Black trans women will be necessary post Prop 1 in the wake of all the anti-trans rhetoric pimped by the Baptist Ministers Assn. of Houston and Vicinity that has filtered down to the flock level.

But I also need to send a message to Black Houston since you're refusing to have Black trans representatives on air to rebut the ignorance being spread in Houston television media and on Majic 102 and KCOH-AM.

It's past time for Houston's Black trans folks to start calling out our Black community oppressors instead of silently sitting there letting them spew anti-trans rhetoric in the blogosphere and elsewhere with impunity.  I am sick of transphobes unleashing anti-trans hatred, and when you call them out on their nekulturny behavior, try to hide behind the Bible, accuse you of 'attacking them' or trot out that trifling 'agree to disagree' line

There is no 'agreeing to disagree'' when your loud and wrong attitudes are being used to demonize and oppress a community or take human rights away.

And if it means I'm going to be the only one standing up to Ben Hall, Majic 102, KCOH-AM and the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston and Vicinity to do it, then yeah, I'm going to go there and be the sword and shield for our community in conjunction with our allies that aren't liking the rampant transphobia being unleashed in H-town either.

You are going to be called out for it, and if you don't like me or any other transperson you attack that way calling your behind out and holding up the mirror on your transphobic azzes, I give zero phucks about it.

If I'm not scared to call out politicians, HRC and a long list of people for their transphobic BS, what makes you think you're immune?

There are times when being polite doesn't work, and you have to call a trifling mofo out, especially when that trifling mofo is attempting to trample on your human rights and your dignity.

New rule for the 2K10.  I wonk allow you or anyone inside or outside of the Black community to tranple on my human rights or my dignity. 

Nikki's Trans Marriage End Game In Sight

Ever since the story broke back in 2010 that the widow of fallen firefighter Thomas Araguz III was a girl like us, I've been following it as the mother and ex-wife of Araguz tried to use the odious Littleton v Prange case as a way to do a money grab and stick it to Nikki at the same time.

Unfortunately in their zeal to hate on her, the ripple effect consequences were that the ability of Texas trans people to get married in the Lone Star State and have it recognized by the state were placed in jeopardy and riding on the results of this high stakes Araguz vs Delgado case.

I say high stakes because no matter which way it went, it would either set a precedent that would advance the human rights of Texas trans people or set them back.

Along the way, I've gotten to know her after our first meeting back in August 2010, and have admired her for sticking up for herself and her human rights.

After six years, a court loss at the district court level, getting remarried and two legal wins at the appeals court and Texas Supreme Court level combined with the Obergefell SCOTUS marriage ruling that made the issues Delgado sued on moot,

On Friday the 13th Texas Court of Appeals affirmed their 2014 ruling that reversed the one invalidating her marriage of Judge Randy Clapp in Wharton and sent it with a mandate back to his court,

"It's the most beautiful twist of karma. The judge to so viciously ruled against me now has to reverse his own ruling," said Araguz Loyd in an interview Monday. "It's never been about money. It was not about money when I married my husband. It certainly was not about money when I buried him."

Now it's just a matter of Nikki waiting for the final legal acts to play out in this long delayed and hard fought win for not only her, but all Texas trans people.

Got My Houston Vote On!

The second week of early voting started yesterday. and you know I wanted to make certain that I got to weigh in on this 2015 mayoral and Houston civic election because I was voter suppressed out of the 2013 one.

But it's now 2015, and with Texas driver's license in hand that doesn't expire until 2020 and current orange voter registration card in hand, I sauntered into my fave early voting location with Dee Dee Watters and cast my ballot for who I think should be sitting in The Horseshoe and those comfortable leather chairs in January running our city.

And yeah, there's some human rights ordinance you may have heard about called HERO that I voted on as well.

After we both handled our election business, Dee Dee and I decided to have some fun doing some Trans 101 'ejumacation' for the assembled poll workers handing out push cards, including one wearing a Women for Hall shirt.   We may have flipped some minds and hearts in the process, and if they haven't voted yet, changed some NO votes on HERO to YES ones.

Speaking of voting, if you haven't done so yet, need to get to an early voting center before Friday.  After that date, you will have to wait until November 3 to make your electoral voice heard.

Open Letter To My Cis Feminine HS Classmate Colleen

Dear Colleen,
I'm writing this open letter to you since you blocked me for rebutting this transphobic comment you unleashed on your personal Facebook page on Sunday night.

if you were not born a woman, you don't belong in a women's bathroom. i could care less what you identify as

So yeah, not gonna lie, that comment hurt.  It was also hurtful to see many of the cis women that I like, am proud of and admire on one level or another in The Class With Class cosign your transphobia.   But what pissed my unapologetically Black trans behind off was when you exercised your right since it was your page to delete my responses to it.

Fortunately as an internationally recognized award winning trans human rights advocate and writer, I have a big award winning platform I can use to turn this transphobic Facebook lemon of a comment into teachable moment lemonade you denied me the opportunity to do on your page Sunday morning.

I'm also reading your comment several days after becoming the first African-American trans person and the second Texan to be honored by my community with the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award and several hours before I took three bumpy flights back home to Texas.   I was anxious to get back in the fight to keep the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance I fought hard last year along with other Houstonians to pass and cast my YES vote in favor of Prop 1.

I also read your microaggressive comment after spending an amazing and empowering week here in Provincetown. MA enveloped in love and gratitude by Fantasia Fair attendees, townspeople and others for being my awesome self along with the repeated thanks for being a human rights warrior

Colleen, as you stated in your subsequent e-mail to me this morning, you have every right to express yourself on your Facebook page. You most certainly do.  I also have the reciprocal right and the duty to call your behind out on it and not let the foul stench of transphobic bigotry in my Houston Black community ranks go unchallenged because that has been happening far too much lately.

Black trans people exist in Houston and everywhere else on this planet, we aren't going back in the closet to make you feel better about yourselves and neither are we going to quietly whimper and cry in the corner as our humanity is attacked.

Just in case you and the preachers in the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston and Vicinity didn't notice or keep trying to ignore, I'm Black.  I did not lose my Black Like Me card when I transitioned, nor will I allow you or anyone else to police my femininity simply because you were fortunate enough to have your body and brain line up when you were born two months before me in 1962.

First off, I and my trans sisters have to poop and pee just like any other human beings on the planet. and have been doing so in bathrooms marked female for over 50 years    I and my trans sisters are not 'men' as you disrespectfully put it and increasing medical research will confirm for you that the organ that determines your gender identity and how you express it is between the ears, not your legs,

Medical science and increasing research is also pointing out that gender is not the rigid binary system it was assumed and taught when we were in school, but is a non-binary spectrum.

And if you don't like the fact I will be going to the bathroom marked 'female' at any future JJ class event I have the time to attend and pay my hard earned money to do so, too bad.   BTW, there are trans men who happen to possess the same genitalia you do, but damned sure aren't women.

The bathroom predator meme you and Ben Hall have recited has been widely debunked in Texas and elsewhere , and if any person goes into a bathroom for the purposes of committing a criminal act, they will be prosecuted for it.  The keeping of HERO will not change that as HPD Chief McClellan pointed out.
 
This bathroom predator meme is also derived from the same talking points used by the GOP oppressors you're siding with they aimed at our parents and grandparents to justify Jim Crow segregation.

The sad part Colleen, is that you are a prime example in just how successful the anti-HERO peeps were in getting transphobic attitudes implanted in elements of the cis Black community it will take us years to root out.

And just to make one more point, I don't live as you commented in our private conversation a 'trans life.'   I live a life period that is a much better quality one than when I was miserably walking the halls of JJ and sitting in my Vanguard classes in a body that didn't match the person inside.

It is a life in which I have been to the White House five times. It is a life in which I get to talk to college students here and across the country. It is a life in which I can pick up the phone and call Janet Mock, Laverne Cox, Dr Kortney Ryan Ziegler, Geena Rocero and countless others just to say hello.  It is a life in which Jazz Jennings and her amazing family and the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement are a small sample of the people I have been fortunate to meet in the 21 years and counting I have been me.

It is a life in which my cis and trans friends live around the world, I get to attend conferences, do panel discussions and talk to the attendees as I was doing last week during Fantasia Fair in Massachusetts.

It is a life in which I not only get blessed to make history, it is also one in which I practice the principles of my Christian faith rooted in Kingian love and Black liberation theology to fight and call out oppression wherever and whenever it pops up.

And I'm just not fighting for trans specific human rights issues.  I was speaking out at those hearings at Jones and HISD headquarters when they tried to close JJ.  I spoke at a Trayvon Martin rally on the Houston city hall steps in the wake of his 2013 murder.

And I was there in all three City Council hearings of pro and anti- HERO testimony enduring 10 plus hour days to get a human rights law that protects all Houstonians passed.   It is a law that provides ALL Houstonians in 15 categories a local remedy against discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations we all need that you wish to vote against because of a HERO opposition lie.

As for being blocked from your Facebook page, no big deal to me when I have other people who love, care about and respect the person I am now add me to theirs.

But what I do hope and pray happens for you is evolution and reevaluation of your current anti-trans position.

You don't have to like me.  You don't even have to speak to me ever again in life. Your loss.  You and other misguided folks can exercise your right to vote against the HERO and think you're sticking it to Mayor Parker, the Houston LGBT community, and me.

But before you do that, some food for thought.  54% of the complaints filed with the Houston OIG tasked with investigating HERO complaints before it was unjustly suspended by SCOTX were for RACIAL discrimination, followed by 17% for GENDER discrimination.

And the very people spreading the anti-trans lie at the behest of their Republican masters like Kendall Baker are guilty of sexual harassment or worse.  But those are the ignorant cis masculine folks you are listening to when you have a classmate who actually lives at this very moment as a trans feminine woman, has unapologetically done so for 21 years and who does seminars and panel discussions on these issues.

As the testimony of Judge Alexandra Smoots-Hogan and Dan Scarbrough points out, discrimination is still happening in H-town, and you would be voting to kill the HERO and against your own human rights based on a monstrous lie.

God bless you Colleen, and may you have ever increasing blessings in your life.

Your Classmate,
Monica
 

Heading Back To Texas From Fantasia Fair 41

After a wonderful and historic week here in Provincetown for my first ever Fantasia Fair, it's time for me to go back home with the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award in my luggage.

It has been wonderful getting to see old friends in our community and our movement, and meet new ones as I knocked a series of firsts off my trans bucket list.

It was my first time visiting Provincetown and the first time I have had the opportunity to attend Fantasia Fair.   I had fun, got an opportunity to explore the town a bit.  Even got to see three seasons while I was up here.

But while it was enjoyable, and I hope I can make a trip to a future Fantasia Fair, my life in H-town awaits along with a date at a early voting polling location to ensure that Prop 1, AKA HERO passes.

If you haven't early voted yet H-town people, get to stepping to your nearest early voting polling location.  You have until this Friday to do so.

Thanks to the Fantasia Fair staff, volunteers, people of Provincetown and attendees that rolled out the red carpet for me and everyone else at FF41 during this week that went way too fast.

As for the question I got repeatedly asked about whether or not I would be at FF42 next October?   Depends on my 2016 schedule.

It`s been real P-town, but time for me to get some sleep and get my devices charged up for the long travel day back to a soggy Lone Star State.

But I do head back home with some positive memories and a few more additions to my Facebook page.

Fantasia Fair Day 6

It's Saturday, and after an entertaining Fantasia Fair Follies that drew a standing room only crowd, raised money to build an HIV-AIDS memorial in Provincetown, and another late night out at Club Purgatory and Roomers, the last day of the 41st annual edition of the Fantasia Fair (for me anyway) has on the schedule for today a keynote speech from attorney Dr. Jillian Weiss.

It will be nice to see her again, and she had a big legal win with H-town roots in the Leyth Jamal case.   Saks settled after aiming transphobic discrimination at Ms. Jamal while hiding behind their perfect HRC Corporate Equality Index score to do so.

We are also going to make another attempt at taking that group photo at the base of the Pilgrim Tower

Later tonight will be the awards banquet, and a final opportunity to dress to the nines and break bread with old and new friends.

Hard to believe this FF41 week has gone by so fast, but it most certainly has.

Shut Up Fool Awards-Chillin' At Fantasia Fair 41 Edition

As you TransGriot readers may already be aware of, I've been here in Provincetown, MA for the last few days attending my first ever Fantasia Fair Conference.

This is the 41st annual edition of the longest running trans themed conference in the United States, and I have been having a blast getting to see old friends, meet new ones and just having a great time up here in addition to handing some keynote business on Tuesday when I was honored with the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award.

But while I've been up here in New England experiencing Fantasia Fair,  the world beyond Cape Cod and P-town keeps on turning, and fools kept doing what they do

And as I do every Friday, I gots to call them out.

Honorable mention number one is Donald Trump for the usual crimes against common sense.

Honorable mention number two is Ben Carson who is now the front runner in the GOP POTUS field in Iowa.

Honorable mention number three is TX Lt Governor Dan Patrick for meddling in Houston human rights business and hypocritically attacking the HERO while knowing the same laaw exists in Austin, Dallas, Ft. Worth, San Antonio and El Paso.

Honorable mention number four is Jeb Bush for disrespecting a DREAMer at a recent campaign event.

This week's Shut Up Fool winner is a group award for every Republican member of the House Benghazi Select Committee.   They kept former secretary of state Hillary Clinton on the witness stand for 11 hours yesterday in a political witch hunt that had the goal of ruining her 2016 presidential campaign, but may have backfired to the point where they may have handed her the Oval Office.

As she sat there hour after hour looking presidential, they looked like the mean spirited political buffoons playing to their base they were as the Democratic members of it took shots at not only the entire event like Rep Elijah Cummings, but other Democratic members had her back.

GOP Benghazi Select Committee members, have several sections of seats at FedEx Field and shut up fools.

Fantasia Fair Day 5

Moni is still hanging around at the 2015 edition of Fantasia Fair, and the reality is sinking in that this wonderful week in Provincetown is rapidly coming to a close.

It`s Friday, and on the schedule for today is a keynote on a subject near and dear to my heart in trans history being delivered by Dr. Aaron Devor of the University of Victoria, which has a growing transgeder history collection I am anxious to see one day and hear about in this speech.

Other highlights for today include seminars on effective lobbying, one on The Biopsychology of Transsexualism by Dr Thomas Bevan, and the Fantasia Fair Follies at 8 PM followed by late night dancing at Club Purgatory starting at 10 PM

And yeah, yeah, I know what today is TransGriot readers.   The Shut Up Fool Awards post will be up on schedule.

2015 TransGriot NFL Picks-Week 7

I'm up here in P-town deep in the heart of Patriots country for Fantasia Fair, and the NFL season is almost near the midseason point. Yeah, the Patriot fans are talking trash since their team is unbeaten and calling this season `The Tom Brady Revenge Tour`

But we all remember what happened the last time the Patriots were chasing perfection don't we?

Week 6 was one in which I didn't listen to my football intuition and paid dearly for it.  I changed two of my picks in the Lions-Bears and Seahawks-Panthers games and ended up with two losses, an 8-6 record, and now trail Mike by two games as a result.

Arrgh.  I need to not repeat that error this week.  I must get back to having double digit wins to stay in contact with Mike and not let him get a massive lead to insulate him against my tendency to have late season runs.

Another 14 games with the Bears, Bengals, Broncos and Packers watching everybody else play.



Week 6 Results                                         2015 Season Record.
TransGriot    8-6                                       TransGriot        59-32
Mike             9-5                                       Mike                 61-30
Eli                8-6                                        Eli                     54-37

NFL Week 7  (Home team in CAPS)

Thursday Night
Seahawks over 49ERS

Sunday Noon
Bills over JAGUARS (from London)
RAMS over Browns
LIONS over Vikings
Texans over DOLPHINS
COLTS over Saints
STEELERS over Chiefs
PATRIOTS over Jets
Buccaneers over WASHINGTON
Falcons over TITANS

Sunday Afternoon
CHARGERS over Raiders
GIANTS over Cowboys

Sunday Night
PANTHERS over Eagles

Monday Night
CARDINALS over Ravens

Fantasia Fair Day 4

The amazing week at the longest running trans conference in the US is past the halfway point, and what's on the schedule for today?.

I get to watch someone else give a keynote in the person of Dr. Marisa Richmond.

Group photo is also happening today unless it rains, and I`m also planning on being present for two panel discussions by Denise Norris and Lezli Whitehead.

Denise will have a 10 AM panel entitled ~Toward A gender Authentic Future` That I will be interested inhearing her thoughts about.  

Lezli, who I discovered last night as we walked back from the fashion show at the Crown & Anchor was staying upstairs at the same Dyer`s Barn guest house I am residing in on the ground floor, has an interesting 3 PM/ one I will be attending entitled `Gnder Clear- Communication, Movement & Voice.

At 7 Pm Cody Suzuki will be hosting a Spoken word and Trans Poetry Slam at the Cown & Anchor to close out Thursday.