The ISS Will Finally Get A Black Astronaut On It!

NASA has launched 14 African Americans into space through it history.   Thanks to the movie Hidden Figures, we now know that African-American women played a prominent role in America's first manned space mission.

But NASA hasn't sent an African American astronaut to the International Space Station,  and that is thankfully about to change.

On Wednesday NASA announced that Dr. Jeanette J. Epps would become the first African American to board and stay on the ISS.   She will join fellow astronaut Andrew Feustel as a flight engineer on Expedition 56 to the ISS that will launch in May 2018 ,and will stay onboard for Expedition 57

Epps has a PhD in aerospace engineering, and has been a NASA astronaut since 2009

The Syracuse, NY native will become when that May 2018 launch happens the 13th woman to spend time on the ISS and only the fourth African American woman to fly in space.

She's currently training for that historic mission, and looking forward to seeing it happen.  .

Meryl Streep's 2017 Golden Globes Speech

“This instinct to humiliate, when it’s modeled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life, because it kinda gives permission for other people to do the same thing.  Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.”
-Meryl Streep

I took a nap earlier this afternoon, and guess I needed the rest because I only just woke up thirty minutes ago.   That meant I missed the Golden Globe Awards and the amazing speech Meryl Streep made while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award

Since the conservafools are complaining about it and her eviscerating Trump in it, that means she plucked some conservanerves. Good. because these times call for unapologetic truth tellers.

Here's the speech if you missed it.

Black Trans Advocacy Statement Concerning SB 6

TransGriot Note:  One of the Texas organizations condemning SB 6, the Transgender Oppression Act is the Dallas based Black Trans Advocacy, the umbrella org for Black Trans Women, Inc, Black Transmen, Inc, the Black Trans Advocacy Conference, and the Black Trans International Pageantry System.

Here is a statement from BTA about the introduction by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R) and Sen Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) of SB 6.  

***

January 6, 2017

Black Trans Advocacy, Black Transwomen, Inc, Black Transmen, Inc and the Black Trans International Pageantry System are angered but not surprised as Texas based organizations by the decision of Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Sen. Lois Kolkhorst to continue the Republican Party's attack on Texas trans people and specifically Texas trans women.

In case you've forgotten Lt Governor Patrick,  our state motto is 'Friendship', not Hatred

The introduction yesterday of the unjust, immoral and unconstitutional SB6  is nothing more than a frontal assault on the humanity and human rights of Texas trans people.  We are also concerned about the negative effects a passed SB 6 would have on trans Texans and visitors who come to the Lone Star State to enjoy our hospitality and attend our Dallas based Black Trans Advocacy Conference that is now in its sixth year.

Texas trans people are spouses, family members, children, business owners, taxpayers and your neighbors who would also feel the negative repercussions of any boycott of the Lone Star State  that would occur if SB 6 were unfortunately passed.   That boycott  would do irreparable harm to our state's economy and condemn the Lone Star State to face the same international rebuke and scorn as a human rights oppressor that North Carolina is facing.

We urge our lieutenant governor and Sen Kolkhorst to withdraw this reprehensible bill.  We insist as Texas residents and voters that you spend this 85th Texas Legislative session focusing on the issues of importance to our state. Attacking the humanity of Texas trans people is an unnecessary political distraction, and frankly is nothing more than legislative bigotry and oppression.

If you persist in pushing transphobic legislative bigotry upon our community, you, Sen Kolkhorst and the Texas Republican Party will own the responsibility of lost Texas jobs and billions of dollars in lost business revenue.

More importantly, you and your party will bear the responsibility for the harm done to the lives of the transgender Texans that we proudly and unapologetically serve.

How Many Transphobic Hate Sermons Were Preached This Morning?

We have had two trans people of color killed in Mississippi and South Dakota in the first full week of 2017 along with anti-trans legislation being introduced by Republican controlled legislatures in several states including my home state of Texas.

The Roman Catholic Church has hated on us since 2003 and Pope Francis along with is predecessor Pope Benedict have repeatedly made hateful statements about trans people   The Southern Baptist Church has made it clear since 2014 they hate the trans community, and so has the Republican Party and the conservative movement in terms of being gleeful oppressors of the trans community.  The TERF's (trans exterminationist radical 'feminists' ) have enthusiastically hated on us since the early 70's.

Even the Ku Klux Klan is joining World War T.   It's a culture war we didn't ask for, but we have no choice but to fight for our humanity and human rights against this Axis of Transphobic Evil and win it.

It should be obvious to anyone paying attention that the humanity of trans people is under attack. It made me wonder before I went to sleep last night while pondering the ongoing rebukes of Kim Burrell for her anti-gay hate speech she spewed from the pulpit at her northside Houston church she tried to claim was a sermon, how many anti-trans hate sermons would be preached from pulpits this morning?

If that number is above one, it's still one too many.   And yeah, if you open that Bible you barely read to the Ten Commandments, it says you should not be bearing false witness against thy neighbor.

Thy neighbor includes your transgender neighbor.   Far too much false witnessing happening when it comes to the trans community from our willfully ignorant opposition, and especially those of you who claim you are Christians but are really serving someone else.  

Before you Satan's Helpers attempt to step to me and start talking about 'what the Bible says' about transpeople or quoting Pope Francis or other faith based hatemongers, here's some words from Jesus himself in Matthew 19:12 about eunuchs.

For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. 

Eunuchs by the way, are the equivalent of today's trans people/   Trans people are part of the diverse mosaic of human life, and we inhabit every continent on Earth save for Antarctica.   It wouldn't surprise me to hear about a girl or guy like us actually being at one of those research stations at the frozen bottom of the world.

Translation:  We're transgender humans. We inhabit every nation,   We're amazing, talented people We aren't going anywhere, and our humanity and human rights are not up for political or theological debate.

Many of us are also part of various faith traditions including Christianity.  Deal with it.

Just so we're clear on this last point, faux faith based transphobic bigots, transphobia wrapped in bigotry is still transphobia and will be resisted with every fiber of our beings.  Your attempts in 2017 of Bible belting us will be rebuked and called out by me, my community and our allies.

It is my hope and prayer that the majority of sermons preached today here in Houston, across the state of Texas, the nation and the world were more like Rev. Denise Junious' sermon.she shared with the congregation at Resurrection MCC today and not the transphobic variety



There are far more pastors like Rev Junious, Rev. Lura Groen, Bishop Yvette Flunder and countless others around the nation and the world who get it that loving thy neighbor includes your TBLGQ neighbors as well.

For those of you who choose hating TBLGQ people over loving them, your religion is nothing but as the Rev.Dr. Martin Luther King ,Jr stated, a 'dry as dust religion'.  

Any religion which professes to be concerned with the souls of men and is not concerned with the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social conditions that cripple them, is a dry-as-dust religion. 

Meditate on that, and y'all have a blessed day.

6.5 Million Hits!

As of 11:37 PM CST on January 7, I had the 6.5 millionth visitor surf by and peruse my blog in its 11th year of unapologetic truth telling.

It was helped along by my post discussing the SB 6 press conference unexpectedly going viral and sadly, two memorial posts for our first two trans murder victims of 2017.

I also find it apropos that it happened mere days after I passed my January 1 blogiversary.

Once again, I thank you longtime and new TransGriot readers who surf by and read the current and archived posts I have here. 2017 is probably going to be a busy year for me personally and writing wise, and I thank everyone for their kind words and letting me know how much this blog means to them.

On to the next milestone of 7 million hits!

Rest In Power and Peace Jamie Lee

We haven't finished our first week of 2017, and we have now lost two trans people in the United States to anti-trans violence.

The latest trans person to unfortunately be killed in 2017 is 28 year old Jamie Lee Wounded Arrow of Sioux Falls, SD.   A neighbor smelled a strong odor coming from a nearby apartment at 8th Street and N. Cleveland Avenue on the east side of Sioux Falls Friday night.

When police arrived at that location, they discovered the body of Wounded Arrow.  It is presumed she was murdered on New Year's Day.

Jamie was new to the Sioux Falls area, and grew up on the Pine Ridge reservation. She was a proud Oglala Lakota trans woman working at a local call center and an active member of Sioux Falls Two-Spirit and Allies.

The Sioux Falls PD is considering her death a homicide, and they are looking for any information that will help them solve this case.

There will be a prayer service for Jamie Lee tonight at 6 PM tonight at the Cleveland Heights Apartments.

Rest in power and peace Jamie   We won't rest until the person who killed you is brought to justice.

2016-17 NFL Playoffs- Wildcard Weekend

After celebrating my TransGriot NFL Prognostication repeat title, now it's time to keep those championship prognostication muscles exercised and giving something else to write about besides Orange Julius by focusing on the NFL Playoffs and finding out who will be playing at NRG Stadium on February 5 in Super Bowl LI.

It's Wildcard Weekend!  Let the games begin.

Saturday Games

AFC Wildcard Game
#5 Oakland Raiders (12-4) vs. #4 Houston Texans (9-7). on ABC/ESPN

The Saturday early game features my hometown NFL ballers and back to back AFC South champs playing in a rematch at NRG Stadium of their controversial Week 11 game against the Raiders in Mexico City.

The game at Estadio Azteca was dominated by the Texans and their defense for most of the night but it was Derek Carr and the Raiders who pulled out the 27-20 win in the fourth quarter with the help of two momentum changing bad calls that erased a Deandre Hopkins 60 yard TD catch and a first down by Akeem hunt on a potential go ahead scoring drive.

The Raiders ar in the NFL playoffs after a 13 year absence, and were cruising to a potential number one seed in the AFC playoffs until Derek Carr suffered a season ending leg injury against the Colts and losing to the Broncos dropped them to the 5th seed.

So Carr after a MVP type season won't be here and Tony Corrente (thank God) won't be the ref.

Brock Osweiler, after being benched in Week 16 favor of Tom Savage, gets the start after Savage suffered a concussion in the season ending 24-17 loss to the Tennessee Traitors.   He knows if he doesn't get it done, he'll be warming the bench in 2017.

Note to Brock.  No turnovers, and throw the damned ball to Deandre Hopkins early and often.  Throw it to number 10 and you help the Texans win.

This will come down to the defenses for both squads,  The Texans D finished the season ranked number one in the league without JJ Watt in the lineup because number one pick Jadeveon Clowney had a Pro Bowl season and stayed healthy.   Lamar Miller will also be back after sitting out the last two weeks of the season, and if Osweiler doesn't turn the ball over, that may be enough for the Texans to get past the Raiders in this wild card game.

And yeah, the Texans are determined to not stink up NRG Stadium like they did in last year's NFL Wildcard round.  Texans to win a close game.

NFC Wildcard Game
#3 Seattle Seahawks (10-5-1) vs #6 Detroit Lions (9-7)  on NBC

This is another one of those Saturday games that could go either way and features quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford   This also the only NFL Wildcard Weekend playoff matchup that isn't a rematch of a regular season game

This one is basically going to come down to location, location, location and they are playing this one outdoors in Seattle.  The NFC West champs also have the better defense.  The Lions were only 4-3 down the stretch, but those three losses were to NFC playoff teams Dallas, New York and Green Bay.  
But you can't discount Stafford and his ability to engineer late game comebacks.  The Lions however haven't won a playoff game since 1963, haven't won an outdoor game all year and the Seahawks are trying to make it to the Super Bowl for the third time in four seasons.

Don't think the Lions will win today either at CenturyLink Field.   Seahawks for the win.

Sunday Games

AFC Wildcard Game
#3 Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) vs #6 Miami Dolphins (10-6)  on CBS

This is an intriguing matchup at Heinz Field between the red hot AFC North champion Steelers and the Dolphins. The Steelers have won seven straight games to close out the season and went 7-2 after their bye week.  

The Dolphins have also been on a 7-2 tear since their bye week, and are in the playoffs for the first time in eight years.  They also beat the Steelers 30-15 during their Week 6 clash at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, so that may give them a little confidence going into this game..

But this is a different Steelers team, and it's playoff time.  This game looks like on paper it could be a tight one, but when in doubt, go with the hot team   I'm picking the Steelers.

NFC Wildcard Game 
#4 Green Bay Packers (10-6 ) vs #5 New York Giants (11-5)  on FOX

The Sunday night late game features another regular season rematch.  The NFC North champion Packers had to run the table after a 4-6 start just to make it to the playoffs, and that's exactly what they did.

But the New York Giants have a habit of walking into Lambeau Field and ruining Packer playoff dreams   The Giants also beat the Packets 23-16 during a Week 5 clash at Lambeau Field.

But it's January, and the Packers are not even close to being that 4-6 team the Giants beat back in October.   Will the Giants ruin Green Bay's playoff dreams this year?  

We'll see, but going with the Packers to win this game  .

Which Girl Do You Send To The Boys Bathroom?

For those of you who believe the lies of Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Sen Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) SB 6 is needed and necessary to 'protect our children'.

Yeah yeah, we've heard that GOP  talking point lie before.

Since y'all wanna talk about children, take a look at the photo at the top of this page.   All of these are girls between 6 and 8 years of age.   At least one of them is trans feminine.   Can you spot her?

And here's my question.   Which one of these girls do you send to the men's room or the boys bathroom to be harassed or worse?

Which one would you send to the boy's bathroom Lt Governor Patrick and Sen. Kolkhorst?

The immoral and unjust SB 6, the Transgender Oppression Act must die!

TransGriot Update:  Call Lt Governor Dan Patrick's office at 512-463-0001 to let him know you oppose this unjust and immoral SB 6 bill.     Sen. Lois Kolkhorst's Austin office is 512-463-0118  Let her know (politely please) that you oppose SB 6.

Nike 'Unlimited Courage' Commercial Featuring Chris Mosier

Chris Mosier is a trans masculine triathlete who made history in 2015 when he qualified for the USA duathlon team for the 2016 World Championships.

Chris has also been one of the folks fighting for policies that will allow trans people to compete in sports on the local , national and international arena, and founded TransAthlete.com, which is a comprehensive website focused on trans inclusion in athletics.

Nike recently aired a commercial featuring Mosier entitled 'Unlimited Courage'

Rest In Power and Peace Mesha!

We haven't even finished the first week of 2017 and I already have the sad duty of reporting that we have lost our first trans person of 2017 to anti-trans violence.

41 year old Mesha Caldwell was found shot  to death on Heindl Road near Old Yazoo Road in Madison County, just outside the Canton, Mississippi city limits yesterday. .

And as you probably guessed, the initial news reports misgendered Caldwell.  who worked as a beautician and hairstylist.

"I had a bad dream all week. I knew something was going to happen. I just didn't know it was going to be Mesha," said the victim's mother, Shirley Caldwell
The Madison County Sheriff's Department is investigating the case, which has been ruled as a homicide.  As of yet there are no persons of interest or suspects in this murder..

If I hear of any dates, times or location for a memorial service, I'll post it as soon as I receive that information.   I'll also be keeping track of any developments in this case until justice is served.

Rest in power and peace Mesha!   We won't rest until the person who took your life is brought to justice.

TransGriot Note: A candlelight vigil for Mesha is being held Friday night at 6:30 PM at Smith Park in Jackson 

SB6, The Texas Transgender Oppression Act Being Introduced Today

It has been said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.  

The 85th Texas Legislative session starts January 10.  Since Texas Republicans are all about repeating failed conservative policies and expecting a different result, why is it not a surprise to me that Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick wants to clone North Carolina's Hate Bill 2 and bring it to the Lone Star State?.

In a few hours that political bully Patrick will hide behind TX state Senator Lois Kolkhorst's skirts at a 1 PM CST press conference announcing that he is filing SB 6, the Women's Privacy and Business Protection Act  Transgender Oppression Act, an unjust copy of the odious HB 2 that cost North Carolina over $600 million in lost business and Gov Pat McCrory his job.

The Texas Association of Business is on record as firmly opposed to SB 6, and has estimated that if it passes, it will cost Texas businesses $8 billion dollars in lost revenue, numbers that Patrick and his like minded GOP legislative oppressors are cavalierly dismissing.

Here in Houston, a Flush SB6 press conference is being held at City Hall starting at 1 PM in which we will begin the fight to kill this unjust and immoral bill.

It's on Dan Patrick and Lois Kokhorst.

TransGriot Update:  Not that he's introduced Hate Bill 6,  Patrick is asking the public to call his office and gauge support for it.   Call his office at 512-463-0001 and let him know that you oppose SB6    And nope, you don't have to be a Texas resident to do that.  

Alexandra Billings In Upcoming Performance Of 'I'm Still Here, Still'

For those of you in southern California, you'll have something to look forward to coming on January 26 in an upcoming Alexandra Billings cabaret performance.

'I'm Still Here, Still'  is a autobiographical show organized by the USC School of Dramatic Arts about moving forward while finding stillness based on the life of trailblazing actress Alexandra Billings.

It is the triumphant life story of a little boy from Inglewood who through a dark pathway of shame and self-hatred found the trans woman she was born to be and recognized her as the truest light and the most profound gift. It is a story of humor and pathos, of ease and stillness. It is a tale that insists: even in the greatest chaos, there can be beautiful peace. And it is stacked with show tunes and sequins—as is Alexandra Billings’s life. Still.

Billings has been acting since 1968, performing in hundreds of plays and musicals throughout the United States.  She became in 2005 the first out trans actress to play a transgender character on television and currently plays Davina on the show Transparent .  She has also appeared on the ABC television shows How To Get Away With Murder and Grey's Anatomy   A PBS documentary about her life entitled Schoolboy to Schoolgirl was nominated for an Emmy.

So if you want to check out Alexandra's cabaret show, won';t cost you any money, but you will have to RSVP for the performance starting on January 10 at 9:00 AM PST.

The show will take place starting at 7 PM  at the Bing Theater on the USC campus..  Address is 3500 Watt Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089.   The performance will be followed up by a Q&A session with Alexandra Billings.

Break a leg Alexandra, and I hope the theater is not only sold out, but the show is an unqualified success.

Kim Burrell And Homophobic Houston Black Church Folk, Leave TBLGQ Hatred Behind In 2016

Needed to take a few days to compose my thoughts about Kim Burrell serving Satan and letting loose that hateful anti-gay rant she tried to pass off as a sermon recently.

And I'm sad to say that Burrell is from my hometown.    But what I do need to say about it is something that has been on my mind since the HERO repeal.

I'm tired of so called kneegrow little c  'christians' peddling this anti-trans and anti-gay hatred they copied from white fundamentalists that is causing dissension and discord in our community.  

It is also this faux faith based ignorance that led you Houston kneegrow church folk to allow yourselves in 2015 to be hoodwinked and bamboozled into voting against a human rights ordinance in HERO that protected you at the behest of your ministers who were puppets for white fundies and the Texas and Harris County Republican Party..

Kim Burrell ain't the only person in the Houston city limits using their pulpit to preach anti-gay hate. She just got caught doing so and is being deservedly called out for it.   There are also Black masculine ministers who do so every Sunday who need to be called on the carpet for it as well

This also isn't just a H-town problem, it's one I'm sadly seeing being repeated in sellout Black churches across the country and across the African Diaspora.   But I'm directing my anger about it at my H-town homies and homettes first.

At a time in which we have an anti-Black presidential administration about to take over the White House on January 20, the Black trans, bi, SGL and straight communities do not need this crap happening right now.   We need to be more united than ever before.

You know you're a bunch of shady hypocrites for doing so because you know damned well you couldn't get through a Sunday service without your gay choir director or the trans women singing in the church choir.  Neither would you look presentable for the cameras Ms. Burrell without that army of TBLGQ folks who style your hair, do your nails and makeup and coordinate your clothing.

We also know for a fact that some of the people we lost in the Black community to AIDS also happened to be gospel singers like yourself.

If you faux faith based kneegrow 'christians' feel the need in 2017 to wrap your homophobic and transphobic bigotry in Scripture, don't be surprised when I and other Black folks inside and outside our community swiftly call your faux faith based behinds out on you violation of the Ten Commandments and other various books of the Bible you hypocritically profess to believe in.

I'm looking at you Rev. Max Miller and the Baptist Ministers Assn of Houston and Vicinity.   Don't think Moni, Black TBLGQ Houston or our allies forgot about all that anti-trans hate y'all pimped from your pulpits on behalf of the Harris County GOP and white fundamentalists like Dave Welch who threw y'all sellout butts under the bus when Election Day 2015 passed and HERO got repealed.

That's why TBLGQ hatred aimed at Black TBLGQ folks by Black so called Christians needs to stay behind in 2016 and will not be tolerated or excused by those of us in Black TBLGQ world in the 2K17.

The 115th Congress Starts Today

Well people,  today starts the first day of the 115th Congress which will be unfortunately like the last one, GOP controlled,.  It will also after 12:01 PM EST on January 20  have (yuck) Donald Trump in the White House and Mike Pence as the VP and Senate President

Here are the ugly numbers

In the US House, there will be 241 GOP members versus 194 Democrats    The GOP majority lost seven seats in the 2016 election.   Paul Ryan (R-WI) is still the Speaker of the House and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is still the House Minority Leader.

It's ironically the most racially diverse in US history.  There will be 49 African American congressmembers, up from the 46 that served in the 114th Congress.  There will be 38 Latinx congressmembers, an increase from the 31 who served in the last Congress.  15 congress members will be Asian American, also an increase from the 11 that served in the last Congress  

And as usual, the vast majority of those congress members of color will be Democrats.

In the US Senate, its 52 Republicans, 46 Democrats with two independents Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont caucusing with the Democrats to make it a 52-48 GOP majority.

Once again the GOP lost two senate seats in the 2016 election, but not the seven needed for the Democrats to regain control of that chamber.

Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is still (boo hiss) the Senate Majority Leader, and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) takes over for the retired Harry Reid as the Senate Minority Leader.

There will be a record 21 women serving as US senators.  The bright spots for the Democrats is that this senate class has three history making freshman senators in it.  

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) became the first ever Latina US senator when she was sworn in today to replace the retiring Sen. Harry Reid.  She is also the first Latinx senator ever elected of Mexican American heritage.   The others have all been Cuban-Americans.

Sen Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) who knocked off incumbent Republican Sen Mark Kirk, moves from the US House and becomes the second Asian American female senator elected after Mazie Hirono (D-HI), who was elected in 2012.

When Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) was sworn in as Cali's junior senator, she became not only the second African-American female senator (Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois was the first), but also the first ever of South Indian heritage.

And for those of yall in Black Greek world wondering which Divine Nine org she belongs to, Sen Harris is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

So hold on to your human rights, the GOP controlled 115th Congress is in session.  

Is it November 6, 2018 yet?

The 2016 TransGriot NFL Prognostication Champion Is...

Moi!

Mike Watts won Week 17  with an 11-5 record, but I accomplished my goal of becoming the first ever repeat champion in the TransGriot NFL Prognostication Contest.   The best part about it was for the first time ever, I went through the entire NFL season without a losing week

So yep, gonna pop my collar for a minute, revel in my back to back NFL prognostication supremacy and go for the threepeat when the 2017 season kicks off.

Here's also hoping that Eli can come off of injured reserve, conquer his health challenge  and join the fun with us 2017

NFL Week 17 Results                                                Final 2016 NFL Season Results
TransGriot   10-6                                                       *TransGriot   170-84-2
Mike             11-5                                                         Mike           163-91-2
Eli                ---                                                             Eli                --

Trans Community Things To Look Forward To In 2017

We are in Day 1 of the 365 that will make up 2017, and since we are in the afterglow (or getting over hangovers) from the New Year's Eve celebrations.

2016 is starting to fade into the historical rearview mirror, and it was as we all know a presidential election year in which the result wasn't one that we liberal progressives would have liked.

We are also not looking forward to seeing when a certain reprehensible orange tanned idiot get inaugurated on January 20.

There's also the upcoming April SCOTUS arguments in the Grimm vs Gloucester County case that will either turn out to be a huge win for transkind or a SCOTUS case negatively affecting out humanity and human rights like the odious 1857 Dred Scott v Sandford one for years to come..

But there are things in Trans World that we will get to look forward to that are positive.  For starters, the emergence of trans people of color that started two years ago will continue.

We'll also continue to see our trans kids get positive media coverage to the consternation of the right wing haters and their ignorati.

Personally in a matter of days I will have the 6.5 millionth visitor peruse my as of today 11 year old blog    In addition to seeing Amiyah Scott make television history on our television screens on the FOX show Star, we'll finally get to see Laverne Cox playing trans feminine attorney Cameron Wirth on the CBS legal drama Doubt on February 15.

We'll also have conferences like the Black Trans Advocacy one in Dallas April 24-30 and Philly Trans Health Conference  now taking place September 7-9 instead of its traditional early June date.

And as always, there will be stuff that happens in Trans World we didn't expect that will,be a pleasant surprise for us over the next 365 days.

2017 is here.  We just have to deal with it and all the challenges and opportunities it brings with it as they occur. .

Happy New Year 2017 And Happy Blogiversary TransGriot!

At this moment I'm ringing in the New Year at a party being hosted by Nikki Araguz Loyd, so I wanted to make sure I took a moment to wish you TransGriot readers around the world a very Happy New Year.  

It's actually the first time in several years that I've done something on New Year's Eve besides chill at home and wait for ABC's New Year's Rocking Eve to come on TV and watch the ball drop from Times Square.   Hasn't really been the same for me since Dick Clark died anyway, so needed to do something to get out of the New Year's Eve rut I've lapsed into, and thanks Nikki for providing the opportunity and the event to do so. ..

January 1 is also the blogiversary for TransGriot.   11 years ago today my first post went up on this electronic platform at 12 midnight EST.    It was based in Louisville at the time, and not only focused on my life in Da Ville, it was also focused on giving Black transpeople a voice in the blogosphere in addition to talking about and recording our history.

Today my award winning blog is now based in my hometown of Houston, and this is just one of over 10,000 posts I and my guest bloggers have written for you to peruse.

I'm also rapidly approaching the 6.5 million hit milestone that I'll achieve sometime during the first two weeks of 2017..   I'll also have something I didn't have when I started this blog thanks to Koncept Kit, a logo.

With an incoming administration that doesn't like the media or the truth, telling it like it T-I-S is even more important now and vital for the next four years.   It's also important to speak truth to power to the people in our TBLGQ community and the other communities I intersect with.

So celebrate the fact that we've survived the 366 day trip on this space rock, and then after the last song has been played and the fireworks have faded, it'll be time to wake up and get to work.

And it'll be time for me to start my second decade of telling it like it T-I-S is on this unapologetically Black blog that has evolved to be a media voice for an entire community.

TransGriot 2016 NFL Picks- Week 17

This is the last week of the 2016 NFL season, and since there was no Thursday night game, I'm taking the extra days to think long and hard about these final picks of the season for the sixteen games that will happen on New Year's Day.

Short of a disaster, I'm probably going to accomplish my goal of winning back to back NFL prognostication titles.        

Speaking of champions, my fave NFL squad despite losing JJ Watt and still having quarterback issues on offense, persevered to win their fourth AFC South Division title in six years after beating the Cincinnati Bengals (again) 12-10 thanks to former Texan kicker Randy Bullock missing a game winning field goal.

And thank you to the Jacksonville Jaguars for beating the crap out of the Tennessee Traitors 38-17 so that my Texans could have the opportunity to clinch at home.   Now they have the opportunity to do something they have never done in franchise history when they go to Nashville to play the Traitors tomorrow:  Go 6-0 in the division .  

I''m also looking to something I've never done in all my years of NFL prognostication and go through an entire season without a losing week.

Last week Mike and I tied once again  I correctly picked ,the Saints-Bucs game and he got the Bills-Dolphins one right  

So let's get this last week of picks done and see if I can do it.  16 games, teams I'm picking in bold print and home teams in CAPS.    Mike's picks can be viewed via this link.

NFL Week 16 Results                                   2016 NFL Season Results
TransGriot 10-6                                             TransGriot    160-78-2
Mike          10-6                                             Mike             152-87-2
Eli              --                                                  Eli

New Year's Day Early Games
Texans over TITANS
Ravens over BENGALS
Panthers over BUCCANEERS
STEELERS over Browns
Cowboys over EAGLES
Bills over JETS
VIKINGS over Bears
COLTS over Jaguars
Patriots over DOLPHINS

New Year's Day Afternoon Games
Chiefs over CHARGERS
Cardinals over RAMS
Raiders over BRONCOS
Giants over WASHINGTON
Seahawks over 49ERS
FALCONS over Saints

New Year's Day Night Game
Packers over LIONS

The 2016 Shut Up Fool Of The Year is...

Well, needed to get this post out before yours truly and all you loyal TransGriot readers head out the door to hit those New Year's Eve parties to usher in a not so eagerly anticipated arrival of 2017.

Before I announce who this year's winner of the TransGriot Shut Up Fool of the Year award is, and you TransGriot readers have probably guessed who this person is, let me remind everyone who the past winners of this award were.

The inaugural winner of the Shut Up Fool of the Year Award in 2009 was then RNC chair Michael Steele   He was followed by Sarah Palin in 2010, Herman Cain snagged the honor over some stiff competition in 2011 followed by runaway 2012 winner Mitt Romney.

In 2013 the junior senator from Alberta, Ted Cruz made a late run to snag the 2013 Shut Up Fool of The Year honors.

In 2014 the Shut Up Fool of the Year award stayed in Texas with Rep Louie Gohmert getting it over some stiff competition

And in 2015, it was Donald Trump in a landslide.


I've never had a repeat winner of the TransGriot Shut Up Fool Of Year award,  but there's always a first time for everything.   And that was despite stiff competition from Ben Carson, Rudy Giuliani, Chris Christie, Omarosa Manigault, Katrina Pierson, Jeffrey Lord, Joe Scarborough, Jeanine Pirro, the NC GOP, Texas Lt Gov Dan Patrick and Kellyanne Conway making a late run for SUF of the Year glory..  

The 2016 Shut Up Fool of the Year is for the second straight year, Donald Trump.

Sucks that I and other reality based Americans are going to have the disgusting spectacle of him on our TV and other events for the next four year as the POTUS.

Congrats on becoming the first ever repeat winner of this illustrious award, and oh yeah, Shut Up Fool