Will Houston LGBT History Be Made Tonight?

The Houston GLBT Political Caucus was founded in 1975 and calls itself the South's oldest LGBT political organization.  It is one in which if you lean liberal progressive in your politics, the Caucus endorsement is a highly sought after and fought over endorsement in local races.

The caucus endorsement is so highly prized there are people who are still upset they failed to get it.

The Caucus is also an organization that has had serve as its president former mayor Annise Parker and former Houston City Councilmember Sue Lovell among other storied names in our Houston LGBT community ranks.

At tonight's Houston GLBT Caucus meeting history may be made tonight as Maverick Welsh's term as Caucus president ends and his replacement is selected.

The person that people are considering as a leading candidate for the position is attorney Fran Watson.  Fran currently serves on the Caucus board, has had increasing visibility and a front line presence in H-town activist circles,  is involved in other Houston human rights issues including HERO, and is a thoughtful leader who would be amazing in that role.  If she's elected, she would become the first African-American woman to head the organization.    

We'll find out at 7 PM at the Caucus Meeting tonight at the Montrose Center if that history is made.


TransGriot Update:  Yep, it was.  Congrats, Fran!  

Note To KY Bigots: Don't Yell The N-Word At A Black Judge

We're barely six days into 2016 and we already have vanillacentric privileged white guys showing their asses and jockeying for SUF honors.

The latest example came in my old Louisville stomping grounds in Kentucky Circuit Court Judge Olu Stevens court..   He was elected to the 30th Judicial Court seat in Louisville in 2010 and was unopposed in his 2014 reelection campaign for an eight year term that doesn't expire until January 1, 2023.

Stevens is one of the few African-American judges in the commonwealth of Kentucky, and has had to deal with his share of racist commentary from people transiting his Louisville area courtroom.

He is also not 'scurred' to tell it like it T-I-S is either.   He chided one person for writing some problematic racist comments in a victim impact statement.  He has criticized all white juries for trials involving Black defendants in a Louisville that is 25% African-American.

And on Monday, the latest instance in which he has faced racism in his courtroom happened.

Adam Satterly was facing the legal music in front of Judge Stevens for violating the terms of his bond on multiple methamphetamine charges.  
As he was being taken into custody, Satterly uttered the audible to many observers in the courtroom comment of "punk azz n----r",

He was immediately brought back before Judge Stevens, and realizing he'd screwed up, tried to claim he was speaking to his brother.  Judge Stevens wasn't buying that excuse, held Satterly in contempt of court and gave him a 60 day sentence for it.   After Satterly apologized the next day to him in his courtroom, he commuted the sentence to time served.

And what did we learn here Kentucky bigots?  If you get in legal trouble and find yourself in front of a Black judge, it would be wise of you to keep your racist commentary to yourself..

Happy Trans New Year 2016!

This is the first full week of 2016, and after a year like the previous one in which it seems the word 'transgender' was on everyone's lips, what can we do to build on that progress, locally, nationally and globally?

We  have much work to do over the next 52 weeks.  Part of the work we have to do in the 2K16 is stating the obvious.  We must take our butts to the polls, vote for the folks who govern us at the city, county, state and federal levels in addition to the person who is going to succeed President Obama in the White House next January.

That 2016 presidential election by the way, is also one that will determine the makeup of the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary for the next 25 years, since the next president could appoint up to four SCOTUS justices and also federal judges to replace the ones hitting retiring age who were appointed by Reagan and GHW Bush

So yes trans peeps, get registered to vote, and exercise it on November 8 and in your state primary elections when they happen.  If you don't like the selection of candidates offered, then consider running  for office your damned self.

In 2016 we have no choice but to continue fighting for our human rights and our humanity since we have right wing legislators and activists, pissed off they lost on marriage last year, now seeking to demonize and criminalize the existence of trans people.   The Forces of Intolerance are also seeking to do reparative therapy on our trans kids and attack trans friendly school board policies.

Yes, the trans rights fight requires us to multitask.   As we seek to change laws and policies to protect our human rights, we also have to continue the ongoing education efforts that have the goal of expanding knowledge about who we are, dispelling myths, and making the world safe for trans kind.

One of the things we trans folks must be careful about is our safety.  I pray that we do not exceed the record 20 trans people we lost in the United States in 2015.

I am looking forward to seeing my trans fam at the different conventions we attend like Creating Change in Chicago, the Black Trans Advocacy Conference in Dallas,  the Philly Trans Health Conference, Southern Comfort and Fantasia Fair just to name a few and whatever events pop up like the Trans Wpmen of Color one did last year..

I hope I finally get the chance to go to the LGBT Pride Reception this year because this will be the last one that President Obama will preside over.

I hope to finally get an opportunity to meet some trans icons this year like Lauren Foster, Caroline Cossey, Tracey Jada O`Brien, Tracey Norman and Justina Williams just to name a few.  

Hey, just putting it out there. I can be a fangirl at times, and just getting the opportunity to listen to the wisdom and life experiences of these women would be awesome to this trans historian.  

We`ll see if it happens for me.  And yes, trans younglings, looking forward to meeting and talking to you peeps as well.

And finally, hope that the positive trans developments continue happening for our trans cousins around the world.  

If and when it does, you know in this tenth anniversary year for TransGriot, I`ll hopefully be on the scene to cover it.

 

And The 2015 NFL Prognostication Champion Is....

For the first time since 2012,  Moi!

Something else that's happened for the first time since 2012 is my Texans, after a 2-5 start and being written off for dead after the Dolphins spanked them 41-2, regrouped to go 7-2 down the stretch, win in Indianapolis for the first time in franchise history and take a surprise AFC South title.

Their reward is a playoff rematch at NRG Stadium against the same Kansas City Chiefs team that ruined their home opener 27-20.    Both teams are light years away from where they were back in September, and this time the game has higher stakes.

As or the prognosticarion contest, we started back on September 10 with Mike as the defending champ and attempting to become the first ever repeat champion.  He gave it a nice run, but 256 games and 17 weeks later it's Moni back on top.  

As for our final NFL week 17 results, we all tied at 9-7.



Week 17 Results                                        Final 2015 Season Record.
TransGriot      9-7                                        TransGriot       166-90
Mike               9-7                                        Mike               159-97
Eli                  9-7                                        Eli                   153-103

Happy Anniversary, 'So POPular!'

Looks like TransGriot isn't the only media platform celebrating an anniversary in 2016.

Janet Mock's MSNBCshift show So POPular turned one this year as well.  Every Friday at 10 AM Central time Janet and her guests discuss pop culture and the issues of the day and do it in a informative, fun and lively way.   Just wish they would dump the prison shows and put this one on the regular MSNBC lineup.

If you're interested in catching up on past episodes of So POPular, here's the link to it.

Congrats Janet!   Here's hoping for another successful season of shows for you  

It's H-town Inauguration Day!

Because the Houston City Charter mandates that all elective office terms start on January 2, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Controller Chris Brown and all the council members were sworn in during a small ceremony at City Hall Saturday in front of family, friends and supporters.

In addition to fulfilling the requirements of the city charter, it was also done that way so that the city wouldn't have to pay overtime for a inauguration event held on what is technically a holiday weekend.

The official inauguration event is taking place in a few hours starting at 9:30 AM at Jones Hall, and this time Mayor Turner, Controller Brown and all our returning and freshman councilmembers get to repeat taking the oath of office with the TV cameras from all our local stations running.

The event is free to the public, with the doors opening at 8:15 AM.  It will be televised and livestreamed for the benefit of everyone who can't make it to the ceremony.

If you decide not to take METRO to the downtown theater district area, parking will be free in the Theater Center garages.

I know I'm looking forward to seeing history unfold and hearing Mayor Turner's inaugural address.

'Liberal Media', Why Is This Not Domestic Terrorism?

On Saturday a group of armed anti-government terrorists seized a federal building on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, announced their intention to occupy it and kill anyone who tried to remove them from it, and called for other like minded terrorists to join them in southeast Oregon.

And what is the media reaction to this event?   Cricket chirping silence.

There has also been the laughable and credibility straining extremes that various media outlets like the AP and ABC News took to avoid calling the armed thugs terrorists or this a domestic terrorist incident.

The only reason it is even beginning to get any coverage at all is because people have been all over Twitter and  on social media calling out the blatant hypocrisy of the initial coverage along with the silence of the major networks about it.

Where you at ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX Noise?  Where's the video trucks?  The reporters?   Where are the armed po-po's, the National Guard and their tanks, tear gas and armored personnel carriers ready to take the building back and crush the resistance as we saw deployed against non-white unarmed protesters?

Still haven't heard the call for the Oregon National Guard or the local sheriffs to deal with this situation as was done in Ferguson and Baltimore.

And as you probably guessed, the Whiteness and White Supremacy Protection Brigade are rushing out to do their online defense of VanillaISIS and come up with every excuse to defend their actions of taking over a closed for the holidays federal building.

As a matter of fact, I suspected this would happen again after the 2014 Nevada standoff involving Cliven Bundy and friends, and the feds letting them walk in order to allegedly avoid bloodshed.

Guess when it comes to white lives, you'll do everything possible to do so. When it comes to non white peeps, we get no such considerations whether we're armed or unarmed.

Far from dissuading them from taking it to that level again, it has emboldened these vanillacentric privileged domestic terrorists to try it again.  This time law enforcement and the feds need to drop the hammer on these thugs so they never even think about seizing another federal or attempting another action like this again.    

But then again, the media and the conservative movement are desperate to cover up the fact that when it come to domestic terrorism in the United States, the face of it is an overwhelmingly white male conservative one.

We'll see how this latest incident plays out as the week progresses.

Trans Women, Stop Attacking The Men Who Love Us

I've also discussed the fact that girls like us need to do a better job of appreciating the men who do genuinely love us (and not in a fetishistic way).

If we trans women want to have stable, long lasting relationships that will result in them putting a ring on our fingers we've got to do our part to deal with our shame, guilt and fear issues and love ourselves so we can properly love somebody else.
And naw cis men, loving a girl like us doesn't make you gay.
-TransGriot, February 4, 2013 

My San Antonio based video blogging sis  Nicole Ramos told the truth about this issue.  So has my Houston based blogging homegirl Diamond Stylz. and now I want to build on what she said in terms of trans women and our relationships with men, be they cis or trans.

I also wish to build on the comments of Cheryl Courtney-Evans and what she had to say about the subject.

The ultimate goal in the romance game is to find someone who loves you for who you are and who wishes to spend the rest of their life with you.

What has got me thinking about it is not only Nicole's video blog post, but many of the previous videos I've posted on this blog from Troy, who discusses the fact that he unapologetically prefers trans women and some of the issues that crop up along the way on his YouTube Channel ..  

Troy has been the godfather of the movement to get trans attracted men to not only name and claim the fact they love us, but battle the shame and guilt issues in their ranks.

At the same time Troy has sought to point out to the rest of the world that loving a trans woman doesn't automatically devalue their masculinity.

I also need to point out there are trans men who are attracted to trams women, as the upcoming marriage of Precious Davis and Myles Brady this summer emphatically demonstrates.

What is bothering me is that far too often, I've observed that my trans sisters who are chasing pseudo cis privilege diss the cis and trans men who love us.  They fling the term 'chaser' like an epithet at the cis guys who love us and think of us as viable LTR partners.  They also dismiss the trans men who love and see us as people they wish to spend the rest of their lives with by shadily saying they want a 'real man' to woo them.

By doing that, you are devaluing your own femininity, and are saying at the same time you are unworthy of being loved.

Well, in the 2K16 and beyond my sisters, we need to reject that negative and destructive thinking because we trans women are worthy of being loved.

Let me say that again.  Trans women, you are worthy of being loved.  

Note to the cis women out there who like to throw shade at us, we don't have to 'trick' or 'deceive' a man to get his romantic attention.  Most of the time, they are stepping to us because they like what they see and like our personalities even better.

Speaking of stepping to us, just because a cis man loves a trans woman, it does not diminish or devalue his masculinity or make him gay.

Now my sisters. if a guy is only looking at us as his exotic fetishistic fantasy, call his ass out.  Also call out the guys who don't recognize your femininity.  The primary person you have to please in a relationship situation is yourself.  You do not have to accept a substandard relationship, one that disrespects your humanity or your femininity, or one that makes you unhappy because you want to prove to the outside world you are feminine enough to get a man.

Quality is what you need to be looking for, not quantity.  Waiting for the person who is best suited for you and makes you happy may take a while, but is worth it in the end.  

Why I Hate HB 901

As the New Year dawned in Texas, another example of idiotic Texas GOP governance took effect as the ammosexuals danced with glee.

The loophole ridden HB 901 took effect that allows the open carry of guns across the state, and is so convoluted it is practically unenforceable.  However, if a business doesn't want open carry handguns on their property, they must post a Section 30.07 sign alerting the gun toters of that fact.

As a TransGriot public service, here's a list of the Houston area establishments that will ban open carry of handguns compiled by Kyle Nielsen, Phaedra Cook and Darla Guillen.

There's also this graphic making the rounds of a card people can leave for business who are trying to straddle the fence between sane Texans and the ammosexuals.  

I know I'm not hanging around any place in which ammosexuals show up with guns and I don't know what their intent is, especially in light of the fact we had a 1991 mass shooting at a Luby's in Killeen. TX.  

I'm also careful when I drive because of the possibility of a road rage incident escalating into gun violence.  Got a reminder of it on New Year's Eve in Denton when 20 year old Sara Mutschlechner, a University of North Texas coed acting as a designated driver for her friends, was shot and later died in a road rage incident.

I also have another reason hate HB 901 and be nervous about its implementation after what recently happened at a Biloxi. MS Waffle House when an ammosexual with a short fuse shot and killed a waitress for telling him to put out his cigarette and all the anti-Black, anti-Muslim, anti-trans, and anti-Latino hatred being stirred up on the GOP presidential nomination trail.

Until all the uncertainty sowed by HB 901 is sorted out by the courts, may be doing a lot more drive through in restaurants that don't have Section 30.07 signs, or frankly, not taking my business there at all.

It's Now Mayor Sylvester Turner!

While the public inauguration won't happen until Monday, the Houston City Charter mandates that all elected offices start their terms on January 2.

So that means that our new mayor, controller and city council members were at a small City Hall ceremony today to take the oaths of office and officially be sworn in.

Sylvester Turner, after resigning from the state legislative seat yesterday he has held since 1988, took the oath of office to become our 62nd mayor.  

The public inauguration will take place at Jones Hall starting at 9:30 AM, and will be televised.  It's free, and the Jones Hall box office opens at 8:15 to pass out tickets for the historic ceremony.

I say historic because Mayor Turner, while being the second African-American elected to the Houston mayor's chair, is the first African-American native Houstonian to be elected mayor.  It also puts Houston on a small list of cities that has elected more than one African-American mayor

It was a long time coming for Mayor Turner and is well deserved.  It also keeps the streak alive of Houston mayor's chair being occupied by a Democrat for the last 30 years, which is why the Tea Klux Klan was meddling in our mayoral election business.

Once again, thank you to the Fort Bend County portion of Houston for ensuring their plan failed and we got this man sitting in the horseshoe.

And oh yeah, looking forward to watching the inauguration to see if Ben Hall's transphobic behind will show up..

2015 TransGriot NFL Picks- Week 17

Happy New Year NFL fans!   I'm taking the extra time to analyze this last regular season weekend of NFL games because all the games will be played tomorrow either at noon or 3 PM CST.

There's a lot on the line.  Division titles, playoff seedings, and even 2016 draft position for the teams that won't be playing additional January football.

And the 2015 NFL prognostication title is mine if I don't screw this final week of the season up.

One thing we know won't be happening is the Carolina Panthers playing for an unbeaten regular season after the Atlanta Falcons handed them their first loss.

The last week of the 2015 season is upon us.   Let's get to it.  

Week 16 Results                                          2015 Season Record.
TransGriot    10-6                                        TransGriot      157-83
Mike              7-9                                        Mike               150-90
Eli                 8-8                                         Eli                 144-96


NFL Week 17   (Home team in CAPS)

Sunday Noon
TEXANS over Jaguars
Steelers over BROWNS
Jets over BILLS
PATRIOTS over Dolphins
COLTS over Titans
BENGALS over Ravens
Washington over COWBOYS
FALCONS over Saints
Lions over BEARS
GIANTS over Eagles

Sunday Afternoon
Rams over 49ERS
BRONCOS over Chargers
CARDINALS over Seahawks
CHIEFS over Raiders
PANTHERS over Buccaneers

Sunday Night 
PACKERS over Vikings

Houston Black Trans Men, Time For Y'all To Step Up And Lead

A few days ago Dee Dee and I were discussing an e-mail she had received in which a local magazine was looking for Black trans masculine men to highlight in an upcoming issue that was going to discuss local LGBT leaders.

While there are several out Houston trans masculine leaders we thought of immediately such as Lou Weaver and Dr. Colt Keo-Meier, we were hard pressed between the two of us to come up with any unapologetically out H-town African-American trans men.  Of the two we came up in Tye West and Tajir Hawkins, Tye has moved away.

Besides myself and Dee Dee, there are others here in H-town like video blogger Diamond Stylz and Atlantis Capri.   While Dee Dee and I are probably the most recognizable H-town Black trans feminine faces because of the HERO fight and our frequent appearances at City Hall, collegiate and civic panel discussions and other events, what she, I and other Houston Black trans women are irritated about is the lack of visibility of Houston's Black trans men.

The education of the Houston Black community about trans issues can't be just the sole responsibility of me, Dee Dee and other Houston Black trans feminine people.  While I understand some of you brothers may not wish to get involved in politics, or wish to stay nondisclosed about your trans status, the bottom line is that the Republican Party and their assorted faith-based haters are coming for you and our entire community just like they tried and failed to do in the 2015 Texas Legislative session.

Don't think for a nanosecond if Rep. Debbie Riddle (R) and her Teabagging legislative buds get their way in 2017 and succeed in criminalizing Texas trans people's ability to live our lives, that by hiding y'all won't be negatively affected by that unjust legislation.

Just like us, you are currently affected by the HERO repeal that the suburban Forces of Intolerance and Texas GOP relentlessly demonized trans women to bamboozle 61% of Houston voters into voting against their own human rights and ours.

And we could have used your help my trans brothers in fighting that.

Just a warning my H-town trans brothers.  We are getting fed up with repeatedly and unapologetically putting our butts on the line for the human rights of our community while many of you hide in the shadows.

As the Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr once stated, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Well, we're at one of those moments of challenge and controversy.  Where do you Houston trans brothers stand?

Yes, there are things you Houston Black transmasculine peeps can do to support the efforts of your trans feminine sisters while remaining nondisclosed.   But the one thing your Black trans sisters really need you to do at some point is have one or several of you trans brothers who call Houston home to consistently step up and be the unapologetically visible Black trans masculine leaders we need inside Beltway 8 like Carter Brown and the men of BTMI are in their cities across the country.

It is past time for you, my Houston area Black trans brothers, to do your part in standing up for the human rights of all trans Houstonians. We need that to happen now more than ever, especially when the discussion cranks up again at Houston City Hall to pass HERO 2.0 in the near future.

If you fail to do so, I will tell y'all straight to your faces to STFU the next time I hear any complaints coming from a Houston based trans man, especially if he is a nondisclosed one. about how Black trans women get all the media attention and how 'nobody talks about their issues'.

The best way you ensure your voices are heard my brothers, is to be standing tall at the mike and talking about them.  But you can't do that from a closet.

It's nation time, Houston Black trans men.  Time for y'all to step up and answer the leadership call at this crucial point in our history.  Will you answer that call?  

RIP Natalie Cole

Another iconic singer from my childhood has gone.   Was shocked to hear that iconic singer Natalie Cole joined the ancestors last night at age 65 die to persistent health complications.

I remember when I first heard her breakout hit from her debut gold album Inseparable.  The Top Ten hit 'This Will Be' from that album was dominating my radio in May 1975 and I recall being surprised to hear that it was Nat King Cole's daughter singing it.  

She was born on February 6, 1950 in Los Angeles to musical royalty.  In addition to her father being one of the iconic singers of the post World War II era, her mother Maria sang with the Duke Ellington Orchestra.  She was singing on her father's Christmas album at age 6 and began performing at age 11.  But after her father's untimely death in 1965, she turned away from music and graduated with a degree in child psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1972.
 
Cole was soon after graduation singing in small clubs with her band Black Magic, but refused to do her father's material.  She was discovered by Chicago based music producers Marvin Yancy and Chuck Jackson who wrote many of her early songs.

Cole would become an instant star, winning the first two of her nine career Grammys in 1976, when she won the Best New Artist Grammy and another one for Best R&B Vocal Performance Female for 'This Will Be'.    Her subsequent albums Natalie (1976) and Unpredictable (1977) hit gold and platinum status respectively and she was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1979.




Serious drug addition problems derailed that early success to the point Cole entered rehab in 1983, but she reemerged in 1987 with the comeback album Everlasting.  The success of that album, with three number one singles, set her up for the monster 1991 success of Unforgettable..With Love. 

That album featured the technology assisted duet with her late father singing 'Unforgettable' that helped her sweep the three major Grammy categories in 1992 and sold seven million copies in the US.




She's had persistent health problems due to a kidney transplant and battling hepatitis C, and had canceled several December 2015 events due to illness.

But like her father, Natalie Cole will be an unforgettable music icon to me and all the people who loved her music, and may she rest in power and peace.

     

Shut Up Fool Awards- First Fool Of 2016 Edition

Happy New Year TransGriot Readers!   In addition to today being the 10th anniversary of my blog, it's also Friday, and that means it's time for me to select the first Shut Up Fool weekly winner for 2016.

Since this is an election year, I expect that my fools will runneth over, especially on the GOP nomination trail.

Some of you may still be suffering from New Year's Eve party hangovers, so I'll get straight to the SUF 'bidness' at hand.

Honorable mention number one is Katrina Pierson.   She's the teabaggin' spokesmodel for the Trump campaign who not only threatened to wear a fetus necklace the next time she's on camera after being called out for her not so fashion forward bullet one, it's come to light she was pushing the Agenda 21 conspiracy theory.

Honorable mention number two is a joint group award to the Louisville media and the St Matthews, police department for blowing up a December 26 incident at Mall St. Matthews into one that inflamed racial tension in the Louisville metro area.

Honorable mention number three is another joint one for two New Hampshire Republican legislators, Josh Moore and Al Baldasaro, who let their inner male chauvinist pig fly when they were criticized by NH Rep. Rep Amanda Bouldin (D) for their War on Women bill seeking to criminalize breastfeeding and started attacking her with misogynistic insults.

Once again, the only good GOP legislator at any level is an out of work one.   Remember that when you go to the polls in 2016.  

 Honorable mention number four is every kneegrow trying to defend Bill Cosby online after he was finally arrested for  sexual assault.

The first SUF winner of 2016 is a Texan, and nope, he's not ted Cruz or the other usual GOP suspects, it's TX Rep Jonathan Strickland.

Mr Watts former classmate is under fire for posting online that rape is non existent in marriage, and calling a commenter that disagreed with him a 'bratwurst loving homo'.

He told the Texas Observer that he 'severely regrets' the posts.   Yeah, right.  The only thing this Tea Klux Klan member regrets is getting caught.  

North Texas, do us a favor in 2016 and make this idiot an ex-Texas state rep.  

Rep Jonathan Strickland, shut up fool!

Happy 10th Blogiversary TransGriot!

It is finally New Year's Day in the US central time zone, and the first day of 2016 is not the only thing we are celebrating today.

January 1 also happens to be the day in 2006 that I started TransGriot the blog with this post.

I only wrote 124 posts in that inaugural yer because I still had at the time a monthly newspaper column I was focused on in addition of trying to figure out what direction I wanted to take the blog in, but eventually did so.

So after over 9000 posts, a GLAAD Media Awards nomination, winning a 2013 Esteem Award, a 2010 Black Weblog Award and 2011 finalist nomination along with a 2008 Weblog Award finalist nomination. TransGriot has grown beyond my wildest dreams and expectations.

I hope you'll also hit that TransGriot Tip Jar in the upper left hand corner and donate what you can to keep it going and ad free.

In this 10th anniversary year, which also happens to be one in which we will be choosing the next president, I suspect I'll be doing a lot of political posts this year along with whatever else needs to be discussed inside and outside of Trans World.

And if I'm blessed to do so, I will be covering a few conferences and events that I get the opportunity to attend.  So far I'm looking at possibly attending Creating Change 2016 in Chicago, the 2016 LGBT Media Journalists Convening in Baltimore, and the joint NABJ/NAHJ Conference in Washington DC.

And I can't wait for it to get started.

Happy blogiversary!

   

Happy New Year 2016!

Happy 2016 TransGriot readers!  I'm so glad to see 2015 in the rear view mirror because it was an up and down year for a lot of people, including myself.

Now that the date on the calendar and all our electronic devices says January 1, what am I looking forward to besides the Rio Olympics?

One thing I'm looking forward to is spending some quality time with some of the peeps I know in the community at various events here, in Texas and around the country.  

I hope to finally get to meet some people in 2016 I've been corresponding with on Facebook like Lauren Foster and Caroline Cossey.

I hope to see progress on trans human rights issues, and most importantly,on November 8 I hope to witness the Democratic nominee, whoever he or she is, get elected as the 46th president of the United States to replace one of the best in my lifetime in President Barack Obama.

And the two things I hope to see in 2016 is a sharp decrease in the number of blog posts I have to write about my trans sisters being murdered and a sharp increase in the number of trans positive posts I get to write over the next 366 days.

H-town Takeover Completed With 38-24 Peach Bowl Win

The H-town Takeover, as this 2015 UH Cougar season was dubbed, has so far been a smashing success in coach Tom Herman's first season.   The Coogs opened up 12-0, with the only blemish being a 20-17 loss in with all everything quarterback Greg Ward, Jr didn't play because of an injury.

They eventually captured the 2015 American Athletic Conference with a hard fought win over Navy, and claimed their first major bowl invite since the 1985 Cotton Bowl.

The H-town takeover was taking its show to the Georgia Dome in the ATL and their first ever Peach Bowl.  But their opponent in this first ever Peach Bowl trip was the 9th ranked Florida State Seminoles.

The Cougars took full advantage of being in the national spotlight by racing to a 21-3 halftime lead as the Seminole offense sputtered in the first half with four punts, a fumble and a intersection thanks to the stifling  Cougar defense as they bottled up FSU's Dalvin Cook .  

Florida State hadn't given up more than 25 points the entire year, and when they closed the gap to 24-17, the Cougars offense got it back in gear, scored 17 fourth quarter points to sprint to a 38-24 win to claim a signature Peach Bowl win and finish 13-1 for the second time in four years.  .  

The win over FSU was their first over a Top Ten program since 1979, and their third this season over a Power 5 conference school (Louisville (ACC), Vanderbilt (SEC) were the others).  

It should also do wonderful things for their recruiting, and will be interesting to see where they start off in the rankings in 2016.

So what you waiting for Big XII?  Do u and yourselves a favor and extend an invite to UH.