Number 4- Rest in Power and Peace Celine Walker

Not long after I learned about the murder  of Tonya Harvey in Buffalo, because of the misgendering of her by law enforcement and Jacksonville, FL media, I'm just now discovering thanks to reader Kayla Gore about the murder of the fourth trans person we have lost to anti-trans violence in 2018 and the second we have lost this week in 36 year old Celine Walker.

Walker, who was from Brandon, FL , was found shot to death in a room at the Extended Stay America on Skinner Lake Drive near St John Town Center.   The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office was called to the location after Walker's body was found at 8 PM EST Sunday.

The reason the media has misgendered her is because it started with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, who is claiming they have a policy that does not refer to victims as transgender. 

Well Jacksonville Sheriff's Department, y'all need to deal with the reality that trans people exists, because it was not only disrespectful to refer to Celine as a man, not stating from the outset that a transgender female was murdered (see how easy that was Jacksonville Sheriff's Office) has delayed your investigation

Many of us in the trans community who know her don't know, don't want to know or don't care to know a trans person's dead name.  If you tell us what your name is, we respect that. 

And her Black trans life mattered

Police and JSD investigators did canvass the hotel and the area talking to find out if they heard or saw anything that will help bring Celine's killer to justice.  If you have any information about this case, you are urged to call Crimestopper  at 866-845-TIPS (8477)

As of yet no word about a memorial service for Celine, but when I find out I'll pass that info to you as soon as I receive it.

Rest in power and peace, Celine.  Everyone who loved you will not rest until the person who killed you is brought to justice.

Number 3- Rest In Power and Peace Tonya Harvey

We have now had the third trans person murdered in 2018, and we go to Buffalo, NY to talk about the latest trans person we have lost far too soon.

Thanks to TransGriot reader Marissa Webber, I was informed that 35 year old Tonya Harvey was fatally shot Tuesday evening just before 5:30 PM EST in the 100 block of Shepard Street near Pullman Place. 

And as you probably guessed, the Buffalo News misgendered her before correcting the story.

Webber said about her friend, "She transitioned in high school before there was the level of support currently in society and in the media today." "Tonya knew in her heart who she was. She was confident enough and loved herself enough to be who she was regardless of the hate she would receive in the world and by her peers in school," Webber continued.  

Harvey, who was also known as Kita to her friends, died at the scene.  She was not only the first confirmed murder in the city of Buffalo for 2018. she is unfortunately the first confirmed African American trans woman killed this year.

And in the ongoing pattern that continues to concern and infuriate me when it comes to these trans murders, she was under age 40.

Police have not released any further details as of yet concerning this case, but a spokeswoman for the Erie County District Attorney's office stated that the Harvey case is being investigated as a possible hate crime. 

As of yet there are no suspects, but if you have any information concerning this case you are urged to call either the Buffalo Police Department or Buffalo Crimestoppers at 716- 867-6161

As of this writing, no news about a memorial service. The Pride Center of Western New York also stated they would be working with community partners to help the community and all who loved Tonya grieve.

As soon as I receive that information I'll pass that along as expeditiously as possible.

Rest in power and peace, Tonya.   Your trans family and all who loved will will not rest until the person who killed you is captured and justice is expeditiously served.

Andrea Marra and Melissa Sklarz Running For Office In New York State!

The list of trans people,running for office in 2018 to #TransformPolitics continues to grow.

Have two more names to add to that list and both are longtime advocates and friends of mine in New York state running for legislative office there.

Andrea Marra is running for a New York State senate seat in Senate District 13 against the incumbent DINO senator Jose Peralta.   Peralta is colluding with the NY Senate Republicans so they can keep control of the Senate and block progressive legislation coming out of the Democratically controlled state Assembly. 

Senate District 13 covers the neighborhoods of Queens, Jackson Heights and  Astoria in New York City.

One of the bills that is caught up in that legislative drama is GENDA.   That transgender rights bill has passed multiple times by large margins out of the Assembly, but has yet to get a hearing, much less a vote in the Republican controlled Senate in large part because of the sellout group of Democrats who caucus with the Republicans.

Should Andrea's run for the SD 13 seat be successful, it would not only put a Democrat back in the Senate 13 seat, it would also put the party one step closer to finally getting control of the NY Senate in a predominately Democratic state and breaking the GOP senate logjam preventing progressive legislation from getting passed and signed into law by Gov.Andrew Cuomo (D).

Andrea said this about her race on her Facebook page.

It’s time to dish on what I’ve been working on for months. With already 210 contributions raising nearly $50,000 in just 30 days, I’m running for state senate to tackle the affordability crisis affecting New Yorkers from all walks of life. An affordable New York enabled my parents to succeed and I am running to ensure that other working and middle class people are offered that same kind of opportunity.

I’m running against the incumbent Jose Peralta who walked away from the Democratic conference and now shares power with the Republicans. Enabling the party of Trump is clearly not the answer, yet Peralta is proud of his new affiliation. He even accepted $20,000 from Richard LeFrak, a close friend and major donor to Trump. Now more than ever, we need a strong and progressive state government to safeguard all New Yorkers from the real harm coming out of the White House. And I am excited to work hard and earn the privilege of serving my local community.

In the coming weeks and months, I look forward to meeting more of my neighbors and listen to their concerns where 167 languages are spoken and difference of all kinds is valued. Let’s transform New York, together.#Marra2018 #SD13 #QNS #WatchMeWork

Marra would also be making history if she's successful.   If she wins she'd be the first out Asian American elected to the NY Senate and the second Asian descended trans person elected to public office anywhere in the United States. 

Kim Coco Iwamoto, who was elected to the Hawaii State Board of Education in 2006 and is currently running in the Democratic primary to become Hawaii's lieutenant governor, was the first Asian trans person to make that electoral history. 

Marra would also be the first out trans person of any ethnic background elected to the New York state legislature.

The other person attempting to make electoral history is another longtime New York based trans advocate in Melissa Sklarz.

Melissa is no stranger to making history.  In 2016 she became one of the first trans person in New York state who was named and cast a vote as an Electoral College presidential elector 

Sklarz is running for the 30th State Assembly district seat that is also in Queens.   The 30th Assembly District covers Woodside, Maspeth, and parts of Middle Village, Astoria, Sunnyside and Long Island City.

She's also challenging an incumbent in Assemblyman Brian Barnwell who defeated a 9 time incumbent in the Democratic primary in 2016.

So needless to say Melissa is going to have a tough race and this is what she had to say about it from her Facebook page.  .

"My dream is finally coming true. I am excited to announce my run for the New York State Assembly’s 30th Assembly District in Queens (Woodside, Maspeth, and parts of Middle Village, Astoria, and Sunnyside). This is the first of many announcements to come about this campaign. This race will not be easy, and I will need your help."

After the 2016 election, I realized that now, more than ever, my years of experience in Albany and NYC advocating for equality will be put to good use representing the voters in my district. With our transportation network in crisis, the Trump budget assault on New Yorkers, and women still lacking proper representation in all sectors, I will make sure all voices are heard in Albany. 

Please donate whatever you can and share with your networks. I look forward to working with you and for you! #Melissa2018https://secure.actblue.com/donate/melissa-2018-1

Should Sklarz win this race, she would be making trans history again by becoming the first out trans person elected to the New York General Assembly.

Run Andrea and Melissa Run!   Good luck to both of you in this 2018 election year that is becoming more interesting by the day. 

Hope those of you living in New York will help them both out and help them with their campaigns either with your cash, your volunteer time and more importantly, your votes.   

This is your chance trans New Yorkers, to elect someone to the legislature to represent you, and hope you take advantage of it.

National Geographic 'Gender Revolution' Cover Wins ASME Reader's Choice Award

Some good news to report for transkind.

Since 2006, the American Society of Magazine Editors holds an annual Best Cover contest to determine the best magazine covers of the previous year.

The Cover of the Year was the New Yorker magazine's 'Blowhard' cover, depicting a Trump-like figure powering a sailboat by blowing into a Klansman's hood.
The New Yorker had an exceptionally good year, placing four covers in the contest's Top 10.
The 12th annual ASME Best Cover contest was contested in ten categories, and in this year's edition of it 128 magazines took part, submitting 261 covers for the ten contested categories.  Online voting via Facebook started on January 2 and lasted four weeks as more than 100 editors, art directors and photo directors judged the contest.
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In the Best News and Politics cover category the January 2017 National Geographic cover for the 'Gender Revolution' issue featuring our trans kid Avery as the cover girl won the category.

But unfortunately the Nat Geo cover was edged out for the People's Choice Award for cover of the year, losing out to the Entertainment Weekly 'Let's Hear It For The Red White And Ru (yuck)  cover.

Congrats to Avery and National Geographic for the win in its category.

Falcon Heavy Test Launch Successful

Space X has been busy since 2010 trying to not only develop a reusable rocket called the Falcon 9, but a heavy launch vehicle for commercial space purposes.   They also want it to be able to be used for manned and military launch missions, to launch commercial and military satellites, space probes and supply missions for the International Space Station.

The US hasn't had a space vehicle of its own since the retirement of the space shuttles in 2011, and a super heavy lift rocket since the Saturn V was retired in 1973.  NASA's successor to the Saturn V called the Space Launch System or SLS is under development .

That's why the Elon Musk financed Falcon Heavy project has had people's attention.  It has also had the attention of NASA, the military, international space agencies and other commercial space rivals.,
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The Space X Falcon Heavy is the world largest rocket, hence the delays in its development to srt out engineering challenges and aerodynamic problems that have cropped up.

Yesterday the Falcon Heavy test flight, carrying Elon's Musk's Tesla roadster and a mannequin in the drivers seat as a payload, successfully launched from the historic Pad 39A from which the Apollo 11 mission was launched

   

The only glitches in th launch were the reusable center tank not landing on the drone ship and the cruising burn lasting a little longer than planned and putting the rocket on a trajectory toward the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

But for the most part the lest launch was a success.    W'll have to see what happens next. 
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What's Phillipe Doing On The Minneapolis City Council?

When I wrote the post about Councilmember Andrea Jenkins being elected Minneapolis City Council vice president, I was also researching what Ward 4 Councilman Phillipe Cunningham was doing and what committees he was serving on in order to put it in a standalone post.

Just a reminder we have two awesome Black trans folks serving on the Minneapolis City Council as freshman council members, and they aren't the average freshman councilmembers.

Phillipe served as a senior policy advisor to Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges from 2015 until he resigned to successfully run for the Ward 4 seat

I also wanted my trans brother to get his moment in the TransGriot sun since he earned his place in this history books as well.    Phillipe also made history by becoming the first Black transmasculine person ever elected to office in the US in any capacity.   He also beat a 20 year incumbent and the former Minneapolis council president who had a three to one fundraising advantage in doing so

Phillipe is serving as the chair of the Health, Environment Civil Rights and Engagement Committee, the vice chair of the Committee of the Whole,  and vice chair of the Race Equity Subcommittee  (Andrea is chair), and is a member of the Ways and Means, and Public Safety and Emergency Management Committees.

And he's also meeting with his Ward 4 constituents 

So as you can see, Phillipe is definitely earning his paycheck, and then some. 

Texas Bullet Train Preferred Houston Station Location Named

"One of my international bucket list things I want to do is ride one of the bullet trains in either Japan, China or France.  Hopefully before I leave this planet I will see that type of high speed intercity rail service operating here in the United States."-TransGriot, March 9, 2014

Well, looks like I may see and get to ride a bullet train in my lifetime, and right here in my home state if things keep progressing with the 240 mile (386 km) Texas Central Railway bullet train line getting closer to actually being built.

If built, the normally four hour drive by car between Houston and Dallas would be cut to a fast 200 mph 90 minute train ride, with departures every 30 minutes.

The preferred Dallas station location was already announced a month ago as a 60 acre site near the intersections of Interstates 30 and 35E  just southwest of downtown Dallas. 

The Brazos Valley stop in eastern Grimes County will be built in Roans Prairie, a town of 50 people halfway between College Station and Huntsville.

Texas Central Railway announced the preferred location for the  Houston station yesterday, and it's on the site of the nearly deserted Northwest Mall near the intersection of Loop 610 and US 290.

“Houston continues to grow. Growing the smart way includes providing a wider choice of transportation options that goes well beyond more private vehicles and more roads. The Texas Bullet Train project fits the transportation paradigm shift I have called for, and now with the selection of a preferred location for the Houston station, we are one big step closer to boarding for an exciting trip to the Brazos Valley and on to Dallas,” — Mayor Sylvester Turner

The Northwest Mall site was chosen because it would cause minimum disruption of the nearby neighborhoods, easy access to the railroad right of way, access to existing road networks currently under construction and access to METRO's nearby Northwest Transit Center


Public comment is happening at various sites along the length of the rail corridor, with how you feel about the train split along urban and rural lines.  In Houston and Dallas there is widespread support in both cities for the project, but vehement opposition to it in the rural areas that the elevated trains will pass through on the way to Dallas and Houston

We'll see if the construction on this train actually gets cranked up next year.   If it does, I'm one step closer to crossing a bucket list thing I've wanted to do in terms of riding a bullet train off my list.

And the best part is I won't have to leave Texas to do it.

Andrea Jenkins Elected Minneapolis City Council Vice President!

Time to drop another Black history nugget on y'all.

As many of you know we had two Black trans persons in Andrea Jenkins and Phillipe Cunningham be elected to the Minneapolis City Council.   One of the first things that was done in the wake of the January 9 inauguration of the Council was holding an organizational meeting to determine who the new council president and vice president would be, the committee chairs, and the committee assignments for all thirteen councilmembers.

The council president one is a big deal because that person determines who chairs the twelve standing Minneapolis council committees and the membership of them.  It was during that organizational meeting that Jenkins was elected vice president of the council

Andrea is not your average freshman council member.  She is well prepared for the council vice president position, having served for 12 years as a policy aide for two Ward 8 council members in Robert Lilligren and Elizabeth Glidden, who both served as council vice president. 

Andrea is also chairing two of the council's permanent committees.

Sharon Sayles-Belton, another Ward 8 council member, served as the president of the council before being elected Minneapolis mayor in 1993. 

Andrea is also keeping a Ward 8 council leadership tradition going, and major props to her for doing so.

If You're A Black TBLGQ Person, We KNOW TBLGQ Rights Aren't Safe

"Should the self destructive white privilege fueled racist tendencies of white voters prevail on Tuesday, we will be stuck with people who hate us having offices in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the Justice Department gleefully making policy backed by the federal government that rolls back all the human rights games we have made since Stonewall. ".   
-TransGriot, November 4, 2016 

In the wake of the disastrous 2016 election, one of my Black lesbian homegirls told me a story about a conversation she'd had with two white gay men at her job who were gleefully bragging about voting for Trump. 

"He's going to shake this PC crap up," one of them said while the other recited Trump's demonstrably false narrative about the country being 'terrible' under President Obama.

My homegirl then calmly reminded both of the gay Trump supporters they had just voted for the guy who would take away gay marriage.   Upon hearing that comment, their previously gleeful expressions turned to shock and horror. 

"He can't do that, can he?" one of them asked her in a concerned tone.

"He most certainly can, now that you voted for the guy who will put an anti marriage equality justice on the Supreme Court, and has Mike Pence as his vice president egging him on to do it,"
 said my friend

I'm recalling that now year old conversation because I thought about it as I read the Washington Post story by Colleen Curry in which she talked about the epiphany she had that gay rights weren't safe.

Well, if you had talked to any member of the Black, Latinx or Asian TBLGQ community prior to or since the 2016 election, we could have told you that our community's human rights aren't safe based on our people's long tortured human rights history in the US and our people having to constantly fight tooth and nail just to have our humanity and human rights recognized.

As a matter of fact, just four days before the 2016 election I wrote a post that stated in blunt terms that the humanity and human rights of trans people were on the ballot.

There was a clear choice in this 2016 presidential election in terms of who needed to be in the White House if we wanted as a community continued progress on TBLGQ rights issues  But far too many people in this community were more committed to hatin' on Hillary than electing her to become POTUS so that we could have continued our TBLGQ human rights progress.

My people's history is full of stories like the Reconstruction, in which we made fantastic human rights progress after emancipation only to have it wiped out because of an at times violent conservative backlash that erased those gains before the turn of the 20th Century and saw the birth of Jim Crow Segregation.

The Civil Rights Movement of the 50's and 60's (sometimes called the Second Reconstruction by historians) led to African Americans making fantastic human rights gains during that period only to have them steady chipped away or rolled back by conservative Republicans hostile to any progress for Black Americans

Anyone with a grasp of American history and who was paying political attention over the last several decades could have seen this same pattern coming in terms of TBLGQ rights.    Black women, and especially Black trans women saw this coming which is why we were voting at a 94% clip for Clinton and the Democrats to avoid this disaster.

Rights that you gain by executive order and court cases aren't safe and can be easily reversed.   The only way to make them permanent or harder to roll back is to pass them legislatively  To pass them legislatively, you have to have either TBLGQ legislators or allies doing so.

Elections matter.   As long as the Trump misadministration and people hostile to us are in charge in Washington and our state capitols, TBLGQ human rights will always be under attack and we must fight tooth and nail to ensure there's no slippage in our human rights coverage. .

Good to know that some of you in TBLGQ World are finally waking up to that reality

Last Day To Register To Vote For Texas Primary Elections

If you wish to vote in the upcoming Texas primary elections either during the early voting period that runs from February 20-March 2 or on March 6,  better bust a move because today is the last day to register to vote

And yes, you will need the new yellow voter registration card in order to do so.

You'll need to head to your county courthouse or get that voter registration card in the mail and postmarked today in order to be eligible to vote in the primary.

If you need to check to see if your voter registration is valid, you can check the Vote Texas website

But you must handle your election business today in order to be eligible to vote for the primary, otherwise you'll have to wait until the general election November 6 to make your voice heard.

Ebony Morgan's Killer Found Guilty

Justice has been served in the Ebony Morgan case.

23 year old Kenneth Kelley. Jr pled guilty to second degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a felony in the July 2 murder of Morgan in Lynchburg, VA. 

Kelley fled the Lynchburg area and headed to Baltimore after fatally shooting Morgan, and was found at his mother's house a few days later.

He accepted a plea deal, and was sentenced to 40 years for the murder and 3 years fo the firearm charge.  23 years of the sentence was suspended by the judge for good behavior. 

According to Lynchburg Commonwealth's Attorney Bethany Harrison, Kelley will be spending the next 20 years in state prison for the crime.

Morgan's mother told a local news station that the sentence gives her some closure and she can sleep at night.

And another on of the people who took one of our sister's lives will be going to jail for it, even if it isn't as long as we as a community would like it to happen.

2017-18 NFL Playoffs- Super Bowl LII

After the games of Championship Sunday were contested, I split the picks, getting the AFC one right (boo hiss) and getting the NFC one wrong to stay underwater record wise at 4-6 for these playoffs

Now the big game is upon us at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, and we now have the team everyone loves to hate in the Trump loving New England Cheatriots Patriots taking on a Philadelphia Eagles team playing for their first NFL championship since 1960.

The NFC champion Eagles are probably playing the theme from the Rocky movie in their locker room because they are underdogs in this game but thy are used to it.   

They have been the underdog in both their NFC playoff games despite their 13-3 record and their number one seed because they lost their staring QB Carson Wentz in Week 14. 

And yes, the other thing I love about the Eagles is they are 'woke'.   They have been taking part in the 'Take A Knee' protests, and have led efforts in Pennsylvania to push criminal justice reform along with other charitable and community social justice issues.

They are facing a Patriots team that is not only seeking their sixth NFL title, they haven't lost since the Miami Dolphins upset them 27-20 at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 14

And as we know, they are 45's and white supremacists favorite NFL team.

So let me get to my Super Bowl pick.   While I am rooting for the Eagles to win their first title since 1960, my NFL prognosticator head says I'll unfortunately have to watch the disgusting spectacle of Tom Brady hoisting the Lombardi trophy again

Patriots to win Super Bowl LII

Houston Victory Fund Campaign Training Happening This Weekend

One of the important political things that is also going on in Houston this weekend that I was bummed I couldn't take part in was the Victory Institute Candidate training that started February 1 and will end today.

The Victory Institute is the training arm of the Victory Fund now headed by my former mayor Annise Parker, who is the first elected official to every head the group.   The campaign training is a nonpartisan intensive multi day course offered by the Victory Institute, and the first one for 2018 happened in my Houston backyard.

Personal circumstances kept me from participating in it, but some of my trans family is here from different parts of Texas and the country taking part in it so that they can go forth from here and do their part to #TransformPolitics.

But I do want to take part in one of these training in the near future.

So if you're wondering whether Del. Danica Roem in Virginia or Councilmembers Andrea Jenkins and Phillipe Cunningham in Minneapolis aare one hit trans political wonders, nope they aren't

The trans community is serious about being the chefs of our political destiny and not being on the right wing political menu.

2018 GLBT Caucus Endorsement Meeting

As a proud member of the Houston GLBT Caucus, spent the day at the 2018 Houston GLBT Caucus Endorsement Meeting that started at 11 AM CSI and ended at 5 PM.

It was a packed house at St Stephen's Episcopal Church for much of the day as candidates were there to compete for one of the Houston Big Four political endorsements for liberal-progressive candidates. 

It was contentious at times, and some results i questioned along with others in the room,  but in the end the Caucus  endorsement process worked.

Congrats to the folks who received their endorsement! .

Democratic Primary

U.S. Senator - Beto O’Rourke
U.S. Congressional District #2 - Todd Litton
U.S. Congressional District #7 - No endorsement
U.S. Congressional District #10 - Madeline K. Eden
U.S. Congressional District #14 - Adrienne Bell
U.S. Congressional District #18 - Sheila Jackson Lee
U.S. Congressional District #22 - Sri Preston Kulkarni
U.S. Congressional District #29 - Sylvia R. Garcia
U.S. Congressional District #36 - Dayna Steele
Governor - Andrew White
Lieutenant Governor - Mike Collier
GLO Commissioner - Tex Morgan
State Board of Education #4 - Steven A. Chambers
TX State Senate #15 - John Whitmire
TX State Senate #17 - Fran Watson
TX State House #27 - Ron Reynolds
TX State House #28 - Meghan Scoggins
TX State House #29 - Dylan Forbis
TX State House #126 - Natali Hurtado
TX State House #133 - Sandra G. Moore
TX State House #134 - Allison Sawyer
TX State House #138 - Adam Milasincic
TX State House #139 - Randy Bates
TX State House #142 - Harold V. Dutton Jr.
TX State House #146 - Shawn Nicole Thierry
TX State House #147 - Garnet Coleman
TX 14th Court of Appeals, #3 - Jerry Zimmerer
TX 14th Court of Appeals, #8 - Margaret “Meg” Poissant
55th Civil District Court - Paul Simon
113th Civil District Court - Rabeea Collier
185th Civil District Court - Jason Luong
188th Civil District Court - Scot “Dolli” Dollinger
234th Civil District Court - Lauren Reeder
269th Civil District Court - Cory Sepolio
281st Civil District Court - George Arnold
246th Family District Court - Angela Graves-Harrington
280th Family District Court - Barbara J. Stalder
309th Family District Court - Linda Marie Dunson
313th Family District Court - Natalia Oakes
County Criminal Court #2 - Harold J. Landreneau
County Criminal Court #5 - David M. Fleischer
County Criminal Court #7 - Andrew A. Wright
County Criminal Court #11 - Gus Saper
County Criminal Court #12 - Juan J. Aguirre
County Criminal Court #13 - Raul Rodriguez
County Criminal Court #15 - Kris Ougrah
County Probate Court #2 - Jim L. Peacock
County Probate Court #4 - Michael Galligan
County Civil Court at Law #2 - Jim Kovach
Harris County District Clerk - Marilyn Burgess
Harris County Clerk - Diane Trautman
County Treasurer - Dylan Osborne
Harris County Commissioner #2 - Adrian Garcia
Harris County Commissioner #4 - Penny Shaw
Harris County Justice of the Peace Pr 3, #2 - Don Coffey
Harris County Justice of the Peace Pr 7, #2 - Audrie Lawton
County School Trustee At Large #3 - Elvonte Patton
County School Trustee Pos 6, Pct 1 - Danyahel (Danny) Norris

Republican Primary

U.S. Senator - Mary Miller

Now go handle your business and vote for them in the upcoming Texas primary elections February 20-March 2 (Early Voting) or on March 6  (Election Day) 

TransGriot Named One Of 8 Houston Women To Watch On Social Media

It's pop my collar time

Wasn't expecting this honor to happen for me, but I and TransGriot was named by Houstonia magazine as one of the 8 Houston Women To Watch on Social Media. 

I do have 14K earned followers on my Twitter feed, and my 12 year old blog has had over 6.5million people surf to it since I started it in 2006. 

Thank you TransGriot readers for doing so for all these years, for sharing my posts and for making me the go to blog when it comes to Texas political commentary.

I don't mind calling crap out on national stuff either, but that's another post for another time, and I definitely don't have a problem calling it as I see it inside and outside my community. 

Thanks Houstonia magazine for the honor, and to my new readers, who surfed by as a result of that article, welcome to my cyberhome. 

Being A Black Trans Leader Means I Have To Call Crap Out

Been checking out the reaction of white feminists to Rose McGowan's anti-trans outburst, and the first thing I have to say about it is directed at McGowan herself.

No Rose,  I was born on Planet Earth in this solar system.  I don't agree with a world that thinks it has a right to demonize and dismiss trans women and their issues because it doesn't neatly fit with your white feminist agenda. 

And to the white trans women (and others) rushing to try to defend her and trying to call the trans woman out for confronting her (and I wouldn't be surprised if that trans woman in question was Black) what I have to say to you is this:   

Well behaved trans women don't make history or advance policy agendas.  Sometimes you just have to call bull feces out when you see it.   It is also an intrinsic part of our leadership style as Black people to do precisely that, even if it makes friend, foe or frenemy uncomfortable.

It is not a 'cult of intersectionality' as one white trans woman described it on my FB page, and to say that means you really don't have even a 101 level of understanding what Dr. Kimberle Crenshaw was talking about when she was discussing intersectionality in the first place.

Black trans folks, no matter where we are across the African Diaspora, have always had to stand up, call crap out, speak truth to power and follow that truth telling up with concerted, committed action to back it up.   And if I or any Black trans person is going to properly lead and represent our Black trans community, we have to be willing to put ourselves in the situation as this trans person did of calling problematic folks out, even if that action is considered unpopular at that moment in time.

If you think Moni is selling you woof tickets about the principles of Black leadership part, this is what the late Dr. Ronald Walters had to say about it.

Dr. Walters defined the task of Black leadership as providing the vision, resources, tactics, and strategies that facilitate the achievement of the objectives of Black people.

Those goals according to Walters are freedom, integration, equality, liberation, or defined in the terms of specific public policies. It is a role that often requires and results in you as a Black leader disturbing the peace when you speak truth to power.

It also makes some people uncomfortable and causes controversy at times as well.

Speaking truth to power also disturbs the status quo.  It makes people uncomfortable who think that being confrontational is 'disturbing the peace'.  They mistakenly think that being nice, non threatening and non confrontational in the face of oppression will get of the policy change and social justice advancement we seek.

Nope, respectability politics will not make that happen. Demanding what you wish and taking coordinated action to make it happen will.   Black trans people don't care that the calling out crap part of our Black leadership mission tradition is making you uncomfortable.

If it is making you uncomfortable, you need to ask yourself why, and deal with it.
Because Black trans people, myself included, are not going to stop calling out injustice or crap within our movement when we see it.

Shut Up Fool Awards- Groundhog Day 2018 Edition

Well, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so that means we'll have six more weeks of winter weather, according to the superstition.   

But sadly one thing I know we'll have more than a six week supply of is fools, and I'm here to do my weekly duty of calling them out .

Honorable mention number one is all you folks mad about the upcoming Black Panther movie to the point you were plotting to sabotage its ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.

Really?  Y'all that mad about a movie focused on a Black superhero?

Honorable mention number two is Eric Trump.  Uday Trump parted his lips and let something stupid fly out by claiming that Democrats that didn't clap for his father's propaganda speech 'hate Jesus'

I know you are drinking the white fundie Kool-Aid an thinking your father is God, but those of us in reality based America aren't fooled by the fact you pops is the worst POTUS of our lifetime.

Go pray on that.

Honorable mention number three is Donald Trump Jr.  Qusay Trump tried to step to Joy Reid on Twitter and found out he was woefully unprepared to debate her. 

Honorable mention number four is Tomi Lahren for her problematic comments she aimed at Rep Joe Kennedy III. that Bigot Barbie later apologized for them

This week's Shut Up Fool winner is Rose McGowan for her anti-trans rant she unleashed at Andi Dier after she was questioned at her book signing event about some previous anti-trans statement.

Girlfriend, I was born on Planet Earth, and I'm tired of you fauxminists commenting on mine and other trans people's live when you obviously don't know crap about, then having a white women's tears ladent hissy fit when you get called on your BS.

Have several seats and shut up fool!

Why Y'all Still Mad About The Black Panther Movie?

So hate on haters.   Come Black History Month 2018, I and other Black Panther fans will be going to and having a lot of fun at the local multiplex watching a superhero that looks like us.-TransGriot, 'Why Y'all Mad About The Black Panther  Movie?  June 16, 2017 

As the February 16 premiere date of this looks like a blockbuster movie gets closer, the white folks hating on this movie are not only still tripping, but are revealing their pointed hoods in the process.

Word has gotten out that a group of 2000 people who claim they are fans of the DC Comics universe have such off the charts frothing at the mouth hatred for Black Panther they are planning to go on the Rotten Tomatoes website once the movie opens to deliberately give it low marks on the site and plant nasty and disparaging reviews 

Haters gotta hate.   BTW, here's the link to Rotten Tomatoes.com for you to combat the caucasity and defend the movie.

But I have to ask the same question I did back in June.   Why are you white folks so bothered about a movie that features an intelligent African descended superhero from a technologically advanced African nation? 

Never mind, I answered my own question once again. 

Black Panther is shattering presale records.   It's on track for a possible $120 million opening weekend, and there's no doubt once it hits the multiplexes and dominates whatever movie competition dares to debut that weekend there probably will be a Black Panther sequel movie.

So y'all be mad and stay mad about that.


TransGriot Note:  The Wired and C-SPAN images created by Darian Robbins