Only Eight Weeks To The Black Panther Debut!

February 18, 2018 is going to be the day in which me and a a lot of African American moviegoers head to our local multiplexes to watch a movie featuring an African descended superhero in
Black Panther.   

Ever since the X-Men movies started hitting the screens, Black moviegoers have been wondering when the one featuring T'Challa, the king of Wakanda would be made, how it would be done and who would play the title role.

Chadwick Boseman eventually got the role, and the Black Panther movie has been eagerly awaited and anticipated ever since it waa announced it had been greenlighted for production. 

With every released trailer, the buzz already developing in Black America concerning this film continues to build..

And we are now eight weeks from its debut.

Going to be interesting to see if people do cosplay in honor of its debut, but I'm already hearing about people planning viewing parties or people planning to go in groups with friends on that February 18 day. 

TransGriot 2017 NFL Picks- Week 15

Arrgh, Already down one game because I forgot to post my Week 15 picks after going 5--11 last week.  Guess this trainwreck of a Texans season combined with other drama is catching up with me.

I had a three game lead going into this week, but this is the second time this season I've failed to pick a game, and if it costs me my threepeat, I will be extremely upset about it

We also have two Saturday NFL games now that the regular college football season is over

So lets get to this week's NFL picks.   Team I'm picking to win in bold print with home team in CAPS.   Mike's picks can be viewed here.

Week 14 Results                                                                2017 NFL Season 
TransGriot   5-11                                                                 TransGriot  128-80
Mike            8-8                                                                  Mike           128-80


Thursday Night Game 
Broncos vs COLTS (25-13 Broncos)

Saturday Games
LIONS over Bears
CHIEFS over Chargers 

Sunday Early Games
Eagles over GIANTS
VIKINGS over Bengals
Ravens over BROWNS
JAGUARS over Texans
PANTHERS over Packers
WASHINGTON over Cardinals
SAINTS over Jets
BILLS over Dolphins

Sunday Afternoon Games
Rams over SEAHAWKS
Titans over 49ERS
Patriots over STEELERS

Sunday Night Game
Cowboys over RAIDERS

Monday Night Game 
Falcons over BUCCANEERS

Happy Birthday Kortney!

Definitely had to take a moment to give a TransGriot shout out to another one of the trailblazing trans brothers in our midst that I have mad love and respect for in Dr. Kortney Ziegler. 

Kortney was recently named to the 40 under 40 list of people making a name for themselves in various fields in the East Bay, and has also been named to the Root 100.

Kourtney is the director of the award winning documentary Still Black: A Portrait Of Black Transmen, and in 2013 created Trans* H4CK, that creates tech applications to solve real world problems in the trans community



 
Now he and Tiffany Mikell are the creative minds behind an app called Appolition, which allows people to use their spare change to help bail Black people out of jail. 

So when he says he's on his way to becoming a multimillionaire, I believe him based on his past track record. 

Happy birthday Kortney!   May you have many more and keep on doing amazing things for our communty.. 

Shut Up Fool Awards- Ten Days Until Christmas Edition

We're now just ten days away from Christmas Day, and I already received one of my Christmas presents early in Doug Jones being the senator elect from Alabama.

It's also Friday, and time to handle my usual Friday blog business of calling this week's fool out. 

Just an FYI, surf by TransGriot on New Year's Eve to find out who the 2017 Shut Up Fool of the Year will be.   Yeah, I could give it to 2015-16 SUF of the Year winner Donald Trump for the third straight year, but I need to give it to someone else, and you can nominate deserving fools who should receive this distinguished award until December 25.

It's Friday so without further delay or jibber jabber it time to get to this week's Shut Up Fool Award weekly winner. 

Honorable mention number one is FCC Azzhole Chairman Ajit Pai, who along with two other Republicans voted to repeal Net Neutrality, then mocked people to which this subject is near and dear to their hearts in a video  .



Honorable mention number two is Kevin Swanson, who blamed Roy Moore's loos on Alabama voters reluctant to give up their porn 

Any excuse will do when you right wing white evilgelicals lose, huh?

Honorable mention number three is Stacey Dash.  After spending all of last year being paid by FOX Noise to diss Black people until her azz got fired in January, now dash is trying to get her Black card back by appearing in a movie produced by her cousin Damon, a fact that   


Honorable mention number four is our old friend and kneegrow sellout Jesse Lee Peterson, who had the nerve to let pass through his lips on his radio show that Alabama Black folks 'don't believe in God' because they overwhelmingly voted for Doug Jones. 

Just an FYI Jesse:  95% of Alabama Black evangelicals voted for Jones.

Conservakneegrow please!   You spent too much time on that Alabama plantation as a child and are definitely in the NOT WOKE category.  Have a whole section of seats at the LA Coliseum for saying something that gobsmackingly stupid. 

Honorable mention number five is Roy Moore, for not only being a sore lose for refusing to concede to Jones, but blaming TBLGQ people everybody but his pedophile racist self for his loss. 

This week's winner in a close race is Omarosa Manigault Newman

Omarosa resigned got fired from her cushy six figure White House job cooning it up for Trump to the gleeful cheers of Black America.   

She went on Good Morning America and made the mistake of trying to pick a fight with Robin Roberts, who has whipped cancer's azz twice and definitely ain't 'scurred;' of you. 

She also tried to tell the lie that she was only trying to help the Black Community by joining the Trump misadministration.   Tramp the only Black person you helped with that move was yourself.

Also what 'Black Woman Civil War' are you talking about Boo Boo Kitty?   98% of Black women aren't Republicans, and don't like your behind as Angela Rye gleefully demonstrated.  . 

Neither did they sell out our community like you did. 

So sit your azz down and shut the hell up , fool 

Happy Milestone Birthday, Dainna

One of the first people I met when I was beginning my journey toward getting involved at a national level in trans advocacy work was a Colorado resident by the name of Dainna Cicotello.

I met this veteran and trans elder during the 1999 Southern Comfort Conference I attended, and got reacquainted with her during the 2000 SCC event and the 2000 IFGE Conference, but her work in the community in the late 1980's early 1990's predates my encounters with her.   

I also met her amazing daughter Laurie during that 2000 IFGE Conference in Washington DC, and we still are friends to this day.   During the 2015 Creating Change event that was held in Denver, one of the Denver area peeps I got the opportunity to have dinner with were the Ciccotellos.   They were also present at Fantasia Fair when I received the Virginia Prince from that organization . 

Dainna attended the Houston based ICTLEP conferences, taught seminars on various subjects, and was part of the working group that sought as a goal to create a precise definition under the transgender umbrella that would satisfy the constituent groups at the time.

Dainna has taught Trans 101 for many organizations and colleges in the Denver area, and was one of my trans advocacy mentors.

She's had a rough couple of years in terms of losing her longtime spouse after 47 years together, and as I write this is currently hospitalized.    She's proven to be a tough cookie with remarkable bounceback powers in addition to being a wonderful human being.

Today is Dainna's milestone 70th birthday, and I wanted to take a moment to wish her a very happy birthday and express the hope that she celebrates many more of them in the near future..

Number 24- Rest In Power Brandi Seals

Still haven't hit Christmas Day yet and my sisters are still dying due to anti-trans violence. The latest trans person to die in 2017 not only is in my home state, but my hometown of Houston

26 year old Brandi Seals was found dead in front of a SE Houston home under construction at Brandon and Red Bud Streets in the Sunnyside neighborhood early Wednesday morning at approximately 6:00 AM.   One person reported hearing six gunshots before Brandi's body was discovered.

As you probably guessed, FOX 26's John Donnelly  horribly botched the reporting in this story.  The initial reporting was so horrible he neglected to get Brandi's age, or say in the story where her body was found. 

A mere blogger found that out doing the basic 101 level reporting Donnelly failed to do.

But Donnelly sure had no trouble misgendering Brandi or shadily injecting prostitution into it .

I also had a serious problem with the HPD detective Fil Waters referring to Brandi on air as 'a man dressed in women's clothes'   Brandi is not a 'he' or a 'man dressed in women's clothes', she is a transgender woman.

Brandi is the 24th trans person killed in the US in 2017 . She was also the 18th Black trans person (17 trans feminine) killed in 2017 and the fourth trans person in Texas this year. 

And once again in a patter that continues to infuriate and disgust me, she was under age 30.

As of yet, speaking of HPD they have no leads in finding Brandi's killer, so if you do have any information that will lead to the expeditious arrest, prosecution and incarceration of her killer, you can call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477)

Two vigils are being planned.   One is being organized by Dee Dee Watters at  the Sunnyside location where Brandi died starting at 7 PM tonight.   Another will take place at City Hall at 5 PM Friday 

Rest in Power and peace Brandi.   We will not rest until the person who killed you is apprehended, prosecuted and is rotting away in a TDC jail cell. 

Omarosa, You're Fired!

This week's news just keeps getting better.

In the wake of the massive rebuke of Roy Moore by Alabama Black voters that led to the historic election of Doug Jones to the US Senate, now comes the news broken by April Ryan from inside I-495 that the Trump Misadministration's kneegroid spokesellout Omarosa Manigault Newman has been kicked to the WH  curb.

Y'all know how much I love CNN pundit and commentator Angela Rye, and she of course gleefully had fun with the news.



And now it's time for me, like Angela Rye, to be gleefully petty to a community sellout whose Black card is under review.

#ByeOmarosa

I love it when sellouts to our community get the karmic kick in their ample posteriors they deserve, and I'm also pleased as a taxpayer we are no longer paying $180,000 of our tax dollars for her to do nothing but provide melanin for Trump Administration photo ops.

And now, to end this post, let's let 45 sum it up

Trans Americans Will Be Allowed To Enlist on January 1

Despite Trump and his white supremacist fundie allies desires to mess with our ability to serve our country, on January 1, 2018 the Pentagon will allow any qualified transgender American to enlist in the US Armed Forces. 

You will have to have been on hormones for 18 months to do so.

Trans people serve  in our armed forces at a higher rate than our cis counterparts, and there are currently over 15,500 active duty trans people serving our country in various capacities. 

There are several lawsuits pending to squash the Trump transgender service ban he announced via Twitter back in July.   Two US district federal court judges have already ruled against the ban and shut down a last ditch attempt by the Trump administration to keep transgender Americans from enlisting as the cases wind their way through the federal judiciary.

Pentagon spokesperson Maj. David Eastburn stated that the enlistment of trans American citizens would commence on January 1 and would continue even as the cases are litigated in the federal court system.

So if you're a trans person who meets the qualifications for service in our armed forces and wish to do, then you can head to your nearest recruiting center to start the process.

Sweet Win In Alabama!

'I'm betting on Black Alabamians shocking the world despite every GOP attempt to suppress their votes and hopefully carrying Doug Jones to victory.'
-TransGriot,  December 12, 2017


Told y'all.  Congrats to US Senator-elect Doug Jones   You can never go wrong betting on the Black vote, and especially Black women voters.  When properly motivated and turned out, they are the most reliable voting bloc in the liberal-progressive coalition and power Democratic election wins. 

They proved it in Virginia last month and now in Alabama.   Black women voted at a 98% clip for Jones, and Black men in the state were just behind them at 92%   

And where were white women?   Voting for the GOP pedophile at a 65% clip

So let me say this louder for the fauxgressives in the back who seem to be confused about who is the undisputed base voter of the Democratic Party that will lead us to 2018 victory.

It is undeniably Black women.   So time to get in formation in 2018 and let Black women lead you to victory in 2018 and beyond

So when are you Democratic Party going to invest in maximizing turnout of Black voters, ending voter suppression, and stop wasting your time on lukewarm independents who ain't loyal to you?

Anyway, that's a subject for another post, but tonight is one for celebrating this huge win and witnessing the first Democrat to be elected as a US senator repping Alabama in 25 years.

Here's Senator-elect Doug Jones' victory speech

Moral Gut Check Election Day In Alabama

Well Alabama, once again, just as it was during the Civil Rights Movement, the eyes of the nation and the world are upon you. 

This time it is a morality check moment for your state.   Will you elect an ignorant pedophile to the US Senate in Roy Moore, or will you elect  Doug Jones, a man who sent to jail the people who bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church and is more moral than the person who claims he is?

Even the Log Cabin Sellouts Republicans, who never miss an opportunity to sell the LGBTQ community for their tax cuts, considered Roy Moore too reprehensible to support and ran an ad attacking him.

Alabama native Condoleezza Rice has also put country over party, calling for her fellow Alabamians to 'reject bigotry, sexism  and intolerance.'

Alabama Black community, it's nation time.   Will you step up, show up in massive numbers at the polls and show off to the world the awesome power of the Black vote that Alabama Republicans fear so much they have desperately tried to suppress it?

I know Daroneshia Duncan and my homegirls in Magic City are planning to bumrush the polls today.   How about the rest of you Alabama Black SGL and cis community?  Make the rest of Black America proud.

If you're registered to vote in Alabama, you have until 7 PM CST to cast those critically important votes. If it hits 7 PM and you're still in line to vote, don't leave. Stay until you get to vote.Do what you need to do to handle your election business because the Alabama Republicans will use every dirty suppression trick to keep you from voting.

They have a long history of voter suppression and are a major reason why the Voting Rights Act was passed in the first place back in 1965.

I'm betting on Black Alabamians shocking the world despite every GOP attempt to suppress their votes and hopefully carrying Doug Jones to victory.

We' and the world will know in a few hours which road you took.   Did you elect the Democrat with integrity to represent you in the US Senate or the Satan's helper Republican?

Dylan and Finn Make Their Texas Lege Races Official

Today is the last day you can file to run for office for the upcoming Texas primary elections in March 2018.  Over the weekend people were either signing their paperwork to run for office or starting to hold events to get their name out there in advance of the primaries

In the wake of many Texas trans people (myself included) being majorly pissed off about the Republican legislative attack on us that we stopped in the 2017 regular and Special Oppression Session, it has motivated many of us to either seriously think about running for office or actually do so.

Finn Jones and Dylan Forbis are two of the Texas trans people who are running for the Texas Legislature in the 2018 cycle.   Dylan and Finn have made it official in signing their paperwork and paying the filing fees in order to officially run for office.

As a reminder ,Jones is running in HD 94 in north Texas against incumber Republican Tony.Tinderholt, and on this end of I-45 Forbis is running in HD 29 against Republican incumbent Ed Thompson.

Forbis has a contested Democratic HB 29 primary to navigate before he can take on Thompson and as of yet haven't found out if Jones has the same situation

But the most important thing is that both men are running for office, and with support from the voter of those respective districts, they will win and #TransformPolitics in Texas. 

49th Annual NAACP Image Awards Voting

The 49th Annual NAACP Image Awards are happening on the Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr 's birthday (January 15). 

So what are the NAACP Image Awards?  Noting the fact that the major award shows far too frequently don't recognize the talents of our people, the NAACP founded this annual event in 1967 to honor outstanding people of color in the film, television,  music and literature.

The NAACP Image Awards were first televised on FOX in 1994, and the first live telecast also happened on FOX in 2007 for its 38th annual edition.    It has happened every year except in 1978 and 1995, but since then has become an eagerly attended and anticipated event . 

This year's edition of the NAACP Image Awards are adding a new feature in 2018.  For the first time, the general public can cast votes for this year's nominees

If you are interested in weighing in on who will walk away with awards next month you need to get busy.  The deadline to cast your votes for you think should win the various NAACP Image Awards categories is December 15.

Here's the link to do so, and once you do, tune into TV One on MLK's birthday at 9 PM/8 PM CST to watch this year's edition of the NAACP Image Awards.

What's Nikki Araguz Loyd Up To? Running Nectar

You know that some of my archived posts track the progress of Nikki Araguz Loyd's landmark marriage case that overturned Littleton v Prange and established the marriage rights for trans Texans

Since that Araguz v. Delgado case successfully concluded, she has been busy selling her husband William Loyd's amazing artwork, being a mom, doing some trans advocacy work of interest to her and most recently the PTA president , 

Nikki is now flexing her entrepreneurial talents in running Nectar.

So what's Nectar?   It's a cafe that serve delicious waffles, baked goods, nitrogen infused cold brew coffee and nitrogen infused ice cream in the Humble- FM 1960 area.

Nectar features a full traditional coffee bar including nitro cold brew on tap, nitro ice cream as well as nitro infused sweet and savory treats whimsically referred to as dragon's breath. The center of the café is a full waffle bar including their signature gluten free Nectar waffle reminiscent of a Brazilian cheese bread,  They also serve traditional waffles topped with items like BBQ beef, air fried chicken and for you adventurous foodies, escargot.

The nitrogen infused ice cream comes in 45 flavors and looking forward to checking it out along with some of the other offerings on Nectar's menu.   Nectar's interior is also decorated with William Loyd's  amazing artwork

Nectar's Grand Opening happened back on December 2, and so far the unique to the area family friendly cafe is receiving positive reviews..

Nectar is located at 7576 FM 1960 E in Humble, TX.   Will and Nikki would love to have you stop by and check out what they have to offer. .

Shut Up Fool Awards- Houston Snow 2017 Edition

At least once every decade, the Houston area will have one day in which we get some snowfall.   It's not as rare as you think.  It has snowed 35 times in Houston since the all time record Houston blizzard of 1895 in which we received the still record 20 inches of snow

Yes, we get snow in Houston from time to time.   Sometimes it's just a light dusting, while other times it can be several inches like it was during my first Houston snowfall event in January 1973.  Sometimes it's just in the northern suburbs, and other times it encompasses the entire area.

The 'burbs got the measurable snow this time, while in my southside neighborhood we got a light dusting.   The flakes started coming down around 10 PM last night but weren't sticking.   I awoke to snow covered roofs and cars before the rapidly warming temps melted it.  We hit 49 degrees (9 C) for a high temp today but the clear skies guarantee we will hit the freezing mark or close to it again tonight.

So let's segue to our usual Friday business of calling out fools, who are sadly more frequent that Houston snowfall.   Tim for this week's edition of the TransGriot Shut Up Fool Awards.

Honorable mention number one is the Guiding Light Church in Birmingham, AL for coonery above and beyond the call of duty that earns them an Uncle Ruckus Award .  These kneegrows invited Roy Moore, an enemy of our people, to speak at their church.

Y'all need your Black Cards revoked for this.

Honorable mention number two goes to Tomi Lahren, who learned that of you mess with Beyonce, you'll get stung by the Beyhive.

Honorable mention number three to Time Magazine for decalring the #MeToo movement the Persons of the Year, but instead of having the creator of it Tarana Burke on the cover put Taylor Swift's fauxgressive azz on it.

Honorable mention number four is former Colorado GOP chairman Steve Curtis, who got busted actually doing what they accuse Democratic voters of doing in every election cycle. 

He got busted for and convicted of forgery and election fraud. 

This week's Shut Up Fool Award winner is the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune for their idiotic swastika cake analogy in this editorial  to justify discrimination against TBLGQ Americans

Really people? 

Y'all need to stop with the repeated attempt in white run media trying to put positive spin on the ridiculous concept of allowing fundies to discriminate against people they don't like. 

Because if in your minds it's okay for fudies to discriminate against TBLGQ people, then it will okay for the nation of Islam to discriminate against you for being in their eyes and in their religious beliefs 'white devils'

Chicago Tribune editorial board, shut up fools!

TransGriot 2017 NFL Picks-Week 14

So happy to see Case Keenum blowing up as an NFL quarterback.   Just wish he was doing it in a Houston Texans uniform.   The Vikings are on such a roll with him as the quarterback that even though Teddy Bridgewater is healthy, he's been sitting on the bench as Case's backup.

Anyway, went 9-7 in Week 13 because I forgot to make a pick in the Vikings-Falcons game, and didn't catch it until after the game was over.    Under the rules of our prognostication contest, that's an automatic loss if we don't pick a team in a game 15 minutes before its kickoff or forget to include it in that week's picks.

Fortunately Mike got that game wrong, but he still took the week with an 11-5 record.

You know I'll be paying attention this week after that mistake.   Fortunately I have a lead, but if this costs me the threepeat, I'll be kicking myself over it until next September.

Teams I'm picking to win will be in bold print with the home team in CAPS.  Mike's picks can be perused here via this link.

Week 13 Results                                                           2017 Season Record 
TransGriot    9-7                                                           TransGriot  123-69
Mike           11-5                                                           Mike           119-72

Thursday Night Game
Saints over FALCONS

Sunday Early Games
TEXANS over 49ers
Packers over BROWNS
Lions over BUCCANEERS
Raiders over CHIEFS
Vikings over PANTHERS
BILLS over Colts
BENGALS over Bears
COWBOYS over Giants

Sunday Afternoon Games
Titans over CARDINALS
Jets over BRONCOS
Washington over CHARGERS
Seahawks over JAGUARS
RAMS over Eagles

Sunday Night Game
STEELERS over Ravens

Monday Night Game                                                 
Patriots over DOLPHINS     

Lupe Valdez Is Running For Texas Governor!

We finally have a major Texas Democratic Party player running for governor in 2018!  That person is former Dallas County sheriff Lupe Valdez.

She's the former sheriff because she resigned a position that she's held since 2004 to run for the governor's chair.   She'll continue to serve as the Dallas County sheriff until the Dallas County Commissioners meet to select her replacement on December 19.

It's a crowded field on the Democratic side to see who will take on the incumbent governor  Greg Abbott.    She also a trailblazer as the first openly gay Latina sheriff in the United States.

Will be interesting to see how this campaign shakes out.

I'm also looking forward to voting for her when the primary election happens in March.

Jose Altuve and JJ Watt Named SI Sportspersons Of The Year

The SI Sportsperson of the Year has been chosen by Sports Illustrated since the magazine's 1954 founding to 'honor the person or team whose performance most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement'.

Even though Sports Illustrated is a US based publication, non American athletes are also eligible to win that year award.  There have also been several years in which multiple athletes have won the award.

This wear we finally had athletes who represent two Houston sports teams win the SI Sportsperson of the Year award in Jose Altuve and JJ Watt. 

We all are aware of the awesomeness of the Houston Texans all world defensive lineman, but he also has a heart as big as the over 600 square miles of Houston.

As H-town was reeling in the wake of Hurricane Harvey's devastation, Watt raised $37 million for relief efforts here. 

Altuve is not only a humanitarian who devotes time to several causes here in the Houston area, also led the Houston Astros to their first ever World Series title in a memorable playoff run for this team.  Altuve also captured the American League MVP along the way   

It has been an amazing sports year in Houston with the Astros title, the Dynamo making it to the MLS Western Conference finals and the Rockets getting off to a strong start in the 2017-18 NBA season.   Altuve and Watt winning the SI Sportsperson of the Year just adds an exclamation point to it.

Lina Hidalgo- People's State of the County Speech

Despite Harris County going undeniably blue in the 2016 election cycle, we unfortunately have a 4-1 Republican majority on the Harris County Commissioners Court.

County Judge Ed Emmett, knowing that he is up for reelection in a few months  in a county that is increasingly Democratic and pissed off at GOP controlled Austin and Washington DC, has been trying to play the 'I'm a moderate Republican' card.  She's dhowed up at this year's Transgender Unity Banquet.

But where was his azz when we needed a Republican to speak up about the unjust SB 6?  HERO?  SB 4?   He was fundraising for the same reprehensible Texas Republicans he's now trying to riverdance away from .   

It's one of the reasons I would love to see Lina Hidalgo #FireEdEmmett and become the next Harris County Judge.

Since Emmett recently gave a state of Harris County speech, I'm giving Lina Hidalgo some time on my blog for you to hear her commentary about the county and her opponent.

Two Texas Transmen Are Running For Office!

We have had since the 80's several trans women run for office in various parts of Texas.   Jenifer Rene Pool made history in the 2016 cycle by becoming the first out Texas trans person to win a party primary in the Lone Star State.

We even have a trans woman in Jess Herbst who serves is the mayor of New Hope, TX in the DFW metro area.

With the breakthrough electoral wins of Danica Roem to the VA state legislature and Andrea Jenkins and Phillipe Cunningham to the Minneapolis City Council, in light of the Republican led legislative attacks upon our community, we have had more trans people deciding to step up and run for public office.

And if yo're wondering about moi, I'm thinking about it.

The GOP majority in the Texas House is maintained in large part because many of those Republican legislators are running unopposed in their House.  In order to change that dynamic, we are going to need good people to run for office as Democrats.   

The Texas GOP War on Transpeople in the last regular and Special Oppression Session has motivated two trans men to step up in different parts of the state to run for state legislative seats during the 2018 election cycle.

And yeah, I know both of these amazing men  I wish them the best of luck in #TransformingDemocracy and our state legislature.

In the Houston metro area, Dylan Wilde Forbis has stepped up to run against incumbent Republican state rep Ed Thompson in District 29 in the Pearland area.

On the other end of I-45 Finnigan 'Finn' Jones is taking on District 94 Republican incumbent Tony Tinderholt in the Arlington area.   Tinderholt is a proud member of the far right Texas Freedom Caucus.   

With the primaries happening in March, Forbis and Jones are ramping up their campaigns to raise funds, introduce themselves to the voters in their respective districts and with enough support, win and make Texas electoral history.

If you live in their districts, they can use not only your help, be it financial, as a campaign volunteer and most importantly, your votes.   If you don't, they can always use contributions to their campaigns to fund what they need to do to emerge victorious on Election Day./

Good luck to you Dylan and Finn    Here's hoping I'm calling you Representative Forbis and Representative Jones in November. 

Upcoming 2017 International LGBTQ Leaders Conference

This is a conference I would love to attend but not looking like I'll be able to be there this year

It's the International LGBTQ Leaders Cobference sponsored by the Victory Institute.  It has been held every year since 1984 when it started with a gathering of a dozen openly gay elected officials discussing the unique challenges of serving as an elected official while openly gay.



As the number of LGBT elected officials has grown to over 1000 around the planet, so has the popularity and importance of the conference.   Last year's event in Washington DC saw over 500 participants from around the world attend, with 141 of them being TBLGQ elected officials.

40 of those TBLGQ elected officials went into a closed door session at the beginning of the 2016 conference to strategize about the unexpected election of Trump to the presidency and what their response should be to it.

The 2017 edition of the conference is back in Washington DC at the Washington Hilton from December 6-9 with the theme of 'Representation Is Power'. 

Some of the speakers for this year's event include Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) , former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, Ca Senator Ricardo Lara, Long Beach, CA mayor  Robert Garcia. Guatemalan Congressmember Sandra Moran, and Peruvian Congressmember Alberto de Belaunde . 

Over the three days of the LGBTQ Leaders Conference attendees will engage in skills building, networking, plenaries and breakout sessions designed to help TBLGQ leaders harness and wield that power for the benefit of their constituents and our community.

And hopefully one day I'll get to be in the house for that event.