Happy Wakanda Day!

The hate is still flowing from vanillacentric privileged folks mad that Black Panther is hitting the multiplexes today and probably by the end of this weekend will be the number one movie in America

You mad about that?   Stay mad.

White supremacists are tripping about this film to the point where they were plotting to jack with the film's scores on the Rotten Tomatoes website by inundating it with negative reviews.  Wouldn't be surprised in FOX Noise VP John Moody comes up with another racist op-ed attacking this movie.

Even Breitbart's shady azz, that never missed an opportunity to demonize trans people and the LGBTQ community, had the nerve to post a story asking where was the TBLGQ representation in this movie.   Your azzes were mute about the topic when it came to Star Wars and every other white dominated superhero movie, so stay mute about this one.

While they hate, Black Panther is selling out theaters and has become a cultural touchstone moment for Black America.

Happy Black History Month!   What was that noise Hollywood that movies with Black superheroes don't draw a great box office?   Blade ring a bell?

It's also nice seeing a superhero who looks like us and coincidentally happens to be royalty on top of it.  It is a joy to see a movie that is unapologetically immersed in our African culture.   It is also going to be so cool to see all the kick butt women who are part of this movie from Queen Mother Ramonda to Princess Shuri, the genius kid sister of T'Challa, to the Dora Milaje.

So no conservadevils, we will not allow you to steal our joy in Black Panther debuting now that Wakanda Day is finally here.

It's even more important for our kids to see themselves reflected on the silver screen   That's probably the major reason why you conservafools and vanillacentric privileged clueless peeps are hatin' on the film.. 

This is not 'just a movie' to Black America.  My friends who have already seen it are raving about it in their words being a love letter to Blackness, and it's making me even more determined to see it this weekend.

Well, y'all can be mad and stay mad as we in Black America and our allies and accomplices head to the multiplexes to see this long awaited  movie which will probably end up getting a sequel.

A sequel in which if they follow the Black Panther story, will end up with Princess Shuri becoming Queen of Wakanda and by extension, the next Black Panther. 

Moni's Talking Trans Issues At TSU

So how did I spend my Valentine's Day afternoon and early evening?  Discussing transgender issues to a class at Texas Southern University.

One of the things I've wanted to do for years is have more conversations about trans issues on HBCU campuses.  I was thrilled to get an invite from Dr Rockell Burton to do just that for her graduate level Gender and Communications class.   

It's just ironic it happened on Valentine's Day.

Three graduate level classes were combined to hear yours truly talk about trans issues from a Black perspective, and thanks to Dr Burton for the invitation so I could be on The Yard for it

One of the points I wanted to leave with the students in that class was that Black trans issues are Black community issues.   I also wanted to make the point that trans men are men, trans women are women, and our Black trans lives need to matter to the cis Black community because we are an intertwined part of the community..

Looking forward to the next time and next conversation we have

Happy Valentine's Day 2018

Happy Valentine's Day people!

For those of you who are happily married, engaged, or booed up on this day for lovers I'm not mad at you.  I'll just be buying my own chocolate instead of having someone get it for me. 

I've seen many of my family, friends and acquaintances fall in love, and in some cases gotten married.  I've even been the bridesmaid in one friend;s weeding back in 2004. Some of those relationships are ongoing, others fell by the wayside for various reasons.

While I have a lot of talents in various areas, there are some things that have been difficult for me to have happen for me in my life.  One of those difficult things for me is being in a sustained long term relationship.   Maybe it was because I missed the signs early or the right person still hasn't come into my life yet, but I'm still single.  I envy you peeps who are happily coupled, with or without a marriage license.

I knew when I transitioned in 1994 that one of the things that could possibly happen is I could possibly be spending the rest of my life by myself and never be in a committed relationship again because it's hard for a trans women, and especially Black trans women to find love.

More often than not in the early years of my transition I saw marriages contentiously break up because one partner transitioned.

But over the last few years I've been seeing it happen for more than a few trans people who are either hooked up with a cis partner or what has been happening more frequently here and around the world, two trans people marrying each other.  .I'm even seeing it happen more often of people staying together and living up to the 'till death do us part' portion of their wedding vows when one person transitions.

I was also blessed to have a ringside seat as Nikki Loyd found love with Will while simultaneously fighting for and winning her landmark Araguz v. Delgado case that cemented the right for Texas trans people to get legally married   It's been fun to see how their fab life has transpired since that court victory, because it's obvious when I'm spending quality time around them they are still madly in love with each other.

But love in Trans, Bi and SGL World is not necessarily heteronormative.  There are bi couples, same gender loving couple and even polyamorous ones.  Some of them have lasted for decades, some till death do us part, while others broke apart because of drama.

To borrow the words of the comedian J. Anthony Brown, 'same sex marriage, same relationship drama'.

One of the things I also want to ponder on this Valentine's Day is what is happening in the ranks of trans attracted men   These are the cis men who see trans women as viable long term relationship and lifetime partners, but in many cases have to come to grips first with the idea they are attracted to trans women. 

Once they get past that hurdle, they then have to get past the genitalia issue and deal with the attacks on their masculinity for daring to love a transgender woman be she pre-op, post-op or non operative.

But those conversations are going to have to be had and led by trans attracted men. 

As much as we trans women would like that set of 'they unapologetically love trans women' epiphanies to happen like yesterday, just as we trans people have had to give people time to come to grips with our trans evolutionary process, we must do the same for trans attracted men. 

Once the trans attracted men evolve, one of the things that must happen in the wake of that is they will need to come out of the shadows and unequivocally state that they love us, there's nothing wrong with that, and society can kiss their azzes if they don't like it.

And that might take a celebrity doing that to break that psychic door down or our younger generations making that happen.

When will that day happen?   Damned good question.   But it does need to happen soon because we need to expeditiously erase the stigma surrounding trans relationships involving cisgender people, because that stigma I believe is a factor driving some of the anti-trans intimate partner violence that can lead to our deaths.

So to all of you peeps who are booed up on this day or well on your way to jumping the broom into the land of matrimony, congratulations.    I'll be on the sideline cheering you on and hoping for all of you to have long, healthy and happy relationships, no matter what it looks like to the outside world or what genitalia is concealed in your underwear.

.Happy Valentine's Day people!

Jeanne Ives Peddles Transphobia In Illinois Gubernatorial Campaign Ad

Illinois state legislator Jeanne Ives  (R)  is a longtime foe of the Illinois TBLGQ community who is primary challenging Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R).

A lot of people in the Land of Lincoln are unhappy with her after she unleashed an attack ad aimed at Rauner that ended up offending many people in Illinois, and members of her own party. 

The misleading ad featured not only a bearded man in drag, but attacked the Women's March, the Chicago Teachers Union and Latinx immigrants

 
She tred to play of the ad as 'edgy' and 'informative'/  Yeah, that what you conservaBeckys always pivot to when you get caught peddling racist, transphobic and homophobic crap.



Illinois Republican Party chair Tim Schneider stated that Ives should pull the ad and immediately apologize to the Illinoisans who were negatively portrayed in a cowardly attempt to stoke division."

"There is no place in the Illinois Republican Party for rhetoric that attacks our fellow Illinoisans based on their race, gender or humanity,"Schneider said.   

Gov Rauner's campaign quickly called out the ad, stating "This TV ad has no place in Illinois.  It just shows how unelectable Representative Ives really is."

But in the wake of that ad, Ives campaign has received $2.5 million in donations from a conservative mehgadonor who funded Roy moore's failed campaign.   It has also raised her profile amongst those Illinois conservatives wishing to send Gov Rauner packing.

So stay tuned to see if this transphobe who also hated on gay marriage back in 2013 gets out of the Republican gubernatorial primary

TransGriot Houston Area Texas Primary Endorsements

Early voting for the Texas primary elections starts on Monday and runs until March 2, with the primary election itself on March 6.    To help you TransGriot Texas readers out, it's time for me to announce the folks that I am endorsing for various races in the Democratic primary

I went through the Big 4 endorsements, plus my own observations about some of the candidates to come up with this list.   May be adding to it over the next few days until the start of early voting.     

Governor- Lupe Valdez 
Lt Governor- Mike Collier

US Senate- Beto O'Rourke
US House District 2- Todd Litton 
US House District 7- Laura Moser 
US House District 10- Madeline K. Eden
US House District 14- Adrienne Bell
US House District 18- Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee 
US House District 22- Sri Preston Kulkami
US House District 29- Sen. Sylvia R. Garcia  
US House District 36- Dayna Steele

GLO Commissioner- Tex Morgan
State Board of Education #4  Lawrence Allen 

TX State Senate 15- Sen. John Whitmire
TX State Senate 17- Fran Watson 

TX House 27- Rep. Ron Reynolds
TX House 28- Megan Scoggins
TX House 29- Dylan Forbis
TX House 126-Natali Hurtado
TX House 133- Sandra G. Moore 
TX House 134- Allison Sawyer
TX House 138- Adam Milasincic
TX House 139- Randy Bates
TX House 142- No Endorsement
TX House 146- Rep. Shawn Nicole Thierry
TX House 147- Rep. Garnet Coleman

TX 14th Court of Appeal #3 - Jerry Zimmerer 

TX 14th Court of Appeals #8-  Margaret Meg' Poissant
55th Civil District Court- Latosha Lewis Payne 
113th Civil District Court- Rabeea Collier
185th Civil District Court- Jason Luong

188th Civil District Court - Scot 'Doll' Dollinger
234th Civil District Court - Lauren Reeder
269th Civil District Court- Shampa Mukerji
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 - James Horwitz
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

Other Texas Democratic Primary races I'm endorsing
US House District 27-Vanessa Edwards Foster 
TX House 62- Valerie Hefner    
TX House 75- Rep. Mary Gonzalez
TX House 94- Finnigan Jones   
TX House 123-  Rep. Diego Bernal

Texas Supreme Court Place #2- Steve Kirkland
116th Civil District Court- Tonya Parker
Williamson County Justice of the Peace Pct 4  Stacy Hackenberg

TransGriot Perv Watch- Kentucky Fried GOP Predator

As of this moment the GOP controlled Kentucky legislature is attempting to pass HB 326 an anti-trans bill once again aimed at school kids

But if they are looking for the real predators, the Kentucky Republican Party needs to look in their own ranks for them because the predators you're looking for are #StillNotTrans

But we have overwhelming evidence of republican Party officials or legislators doing kinky things in public bathrooms or doing the things they screech at others not to do.  .

The latest example of a GOP predator being busted for his crimes is in the state of Kentucky.

71 year old former Campbell County District Judge Timothy Nolan has pleaded guilty to numerous felony charges that included human trafficking of adults, promoting human trafficking of minors and unlawful transaction with minors.

He was indicted on 28 felony counts and two misdemeanor counts, but as part of a plea deal with Atty General Andy Beshear (D) Special Prosecutions Division, Nolan pleaded guilty to 21 counts against 19 victims for crimes that occurred between 2010 and 2017.

One of those crimes was coercing a child under age 18 to engage in commercial sexual activity

Nolan was an enthusiastic voice for the Tea Party on many local issues and a local campaigner for Donald Trump.  Nolan was elected to the Campbell County School Board in 2016

Prosecutors recommended sentences totaling 20 years plus a $100,000 fine   Nolan is being held in the Campbell County Detention center pending sentencing, which is scheduled to occur on March 29.

Joy Reid Shuts Down Another Conservafool

When are these conservafools going to learn not to step to Joy Reid with their 'alternative facts' because she will call them on it?

My media shero once again had to shut down an attempt by a conservative to spread disinformation on her show.   This time it was Amy Tarkanian, the former head of the Nevada Republican Party, trying desperately to spin and defend Trump from Reid calling out the pattern of being drawn to abusive Republican men and not calling them out on it.

As you probably guessed, Joy wasn't having it.   Reid challenged Tarkanian to come up with just one instance that Trump defended a woman who had accused a Republican male of sexual assault or abuse. 

And as you probably guessed, Tarkanian couldn't do it.   Enjoy the video

Meet The 1st Black Player Ever On The US Olympic Hockey Team

FOX Noise's John Moody may hate the diverse US Winter Olympic team, but I don't. 

One of the cool benefits of that team diversity is we have Black History being made by our 2018 winter Olympians in several events.   One of those events is hockey.

Because of a dispute with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) concerning several issues, the NHL refused to allow its players to participate in the Olympics this year.   That meant for the first time in three decades, the US team was going to be composed primarily of collegiate players.   One of the collegiate players who was selected to play on this men's Olympic hockey squad was Jordan Greenway of Canton, NY.

And with that selection, Greenway makes history.  When he steps on the ice at PyeongChang on February 14 the first African American ever to play on a USA Olympic hockey team.

“I dreamed of [it] as a kid, and I didn’t think it was going to happen before I graduated college, but I’m fortunate that it did, and I just couldn’t be more excited!” Greenway said in a CNN interview.

The 20 year old Greenway is also the tallest player on the team at 6 feet 5 inches and 238 pounds.  He was drafted by the NHL's Minnesota Wild in 2015, but decided to complete his college education at Boston University . Greenway also has a younger brother, JD who plays the sport.

“I’m the first African American to play hockey for the United States at the Olympics but hopefully I’m the first of many,” Greenway said. “Hopefully these kids go out, try something different, play hockey, and hopefully I see a lot more playing in the near future.”

I'll have even more incentive to not only watch the USA men's Olympic hockey team, but root for its success.   The last time a USA men's team won gold was when I was a high school senior at Lake Placid in 1980

Shut Up Fool Awards- Winter Olympic Fools Edition

The 2018 Winter Games kicked off this morning at 5 AM CST, but NBC is waiting until prime time later tonight to broadcast the Opening Ceremonies from PyeongChang, South Korea. 

In case you're wondering, PyeongChang is only 60 miles from the DMZ    Competition is already underway in several events and the Olympics will continue until February 25

So in honor of the Winter Games, the Shut Up Fool Awards for the duration will be in a gold, silver and bronze level fools format until the Olympic flame is extinguished .

So let the Games begin and let the fools be called out.

Our Bronze medalist fool is Education (Mis)Secretary Betsy DeVos, who is whining because she doesn't like all the criticism she gets and it's hurting her feelings..

Well boo boo kitty, when you spent years trying to kill public education and bashing teachers unions, you are going to get major pushback and derision for that.

Our Silver medalist fool is FOX Noise VP John Moody, who published a hideously racist and homophobic op-ed stating that Team USA will lose medals because the team is too Black and too gay.

Your white hood is showing, John.    Some of those non white and gay peeps you're hating on are contenders for medals.

Our Gold medalist fool is Alex Jones.   He spent too much time taking hallucinogenic drugs before his latest InfoWars show and spit out the ridiculous claim that the transgender movement is 'paving the way for cyborgs to infiltrate and destroy our society.

Really fool?   Whatever drugs you're doing, you need to put them down.   Caprica Six is not coming for you or your intelligence deficient sheeple.

And oh yeah,shut the hell up fool! / 

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. 
 .

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.