TransGriot Shut Up Fool Awards- Last Fool Of 2018 Edition

This year is rapidly drawing to a close in a little over 72 hours, but it is ending on a high note for me.

I got to spend a awesome Christmas Day with my mom, sister and niece.  Received for Christmas a new leather wallet I sorely needed along with a few gift cards that will be put to proper use over the next few weeks.

And when the New Year rings in at midnight Central standard time, it'll not only be my blog's 13th anniversary, but my home county will get even bluer.

We'll also find out who becomes this year's TransGriot Shut Up Fool of the Year.

But before we say sayonara  to 2018, got some TransGriot blog business to handle on the last full week of this year.   Gotta call out this week''s final TransGriot Shut Up Fool winner.

As usual, the fools runneth over this week, but I have to give it to Martina Navratilova this week

She been outspoken about LGBTQ rights for over 40 years, but Martina inexplicably let loose an ignorant comment about trans athletes that right wingers and the TERF's gleefully ran with and Trans World immediately called her out about.

“You can’t just proclaim yourself a female and be able to compete against women,” Navratilova tweeted. “There must be some standards, and having a penis and competing as a woman would not fit that standard.”

She deleted the transphobic tweet, but only after Renee Richards called her azz out on it along with other current trans athletes.    Navratilova then started playing the white women's tears card whining about being 'bullied and attacked'.

Naw boo boo kitty, you said the transphobic shyt, so have the ovaries to take the criticism that comes with saying loud and wrong facts free anti-trans commentary.

And oh yeah, did I forget to mention that Renee Richards was not only Martina's coach for more than a minute, the period Renee was coaching Martina is when she started dominating the sport in the 1980's, became the world's number one player and won two of her seven Wimbledon singles crowns.

And yet, Martina still threw her and trans feminine athletes under the human rights bus.

Martina Navratilova, shut up fool.

Serena Wins The AP Female Athlete of the Year For 5th Time!

She nearly died  after giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia on September 1 ,2017, and had to have four surgeries for life threatening blood clots.

But there she was in May, standing majestically in a black catsuit at the French Open and playing in her first Grand Slam tournament since she won the 2017 Australian Open in her usual dominating fashion while 24 weeks pregnant. 

She made it through three rounds at Roland Garros before she had to withdraw due to a pectoral muscle injury.   Williams made it to the Wimbledon and US Open finals but fell just short of capturing her 24th Grand Slam title.

Along the way she continues to exposes the ugly underbelly of racism and misogynoir that keeps getting aimed at her by the champagne swilling tennis powers that be.

And that racist BS is why I'm ride or die for Serena and big sis Venus.

While she hasn't passed that homophobic twit Margaret Court yet for all time Grand Slam wins, at age 37, what Serena did do in this un-Serena like year on the court is remarkable in itself.   She returned to playing near championship level tennis mere months after having a child, which was miraculous in itself.

Superhero and #BlackGirlMagic personified.

Williams was named the AP Female Athlete of the year for the fifth time . 

World champion gymnast and Houston homegirl Simone Biles, who had a historic year herself,  finished second.  Notre Dame basketballer Arike Ogunbowale, who hit game winning shots in the 2018 NCAA tournament semis over mighty UConn and in the national championship game over Mississippi State to help the Fighting Irish win its second a national championship,was third in the voting.   Snowboarder Chloe Kim and swimmer Katie Ledecky, the 2017 winner, completed the top five vote getters.

Williams is one  win away from tying the legendary Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who won the award six times.   She previously won the AP Female Athlete of the Year Award in 2002, 2009, 2013 and 2015 in large part for absolute domination of her tennis competition.

This award was more for persevering through a personally challenging year for her.

Hope she returns to tennis dominance in 2019, starting at the Australian Open in a few weeks. 

Munroe Bergdorf's 'A Qween's Speech' Discusses TBLGQ Issues In The UK

Every Christmas Queen Elizabeth II gives across The Pond what is called 'The Queen's Speech' on television that's similar to our State of the Union one that happens in January.

The more formal name for it is the Royal Christmas Message, and it started with King George V in 1932.   It is now broadcast on radio and television in Britain and across the Commonwealth.  In the US, you can see it on C-SPAN because they usually broadcast it or if you live in a US state along the Canadian border since the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) also televises it..

In the nearly 66 years that Queen Elizabeth II has sat on the British throne, she has not said one word or syllable concerning TBLGQ rights issues in the UK.

Trans advocate Munroe Bergdorf, frustrated by another speech in which the Queen failed to mention her British TBLGQ subjects, took to social media to give her own alternative one called 'A Qween's Speech'

She also made it clear she wasn't trying to deliberately pick a fight with the Queen.

“I’m not trying to cause beef with the Queen, but it’s very frustrating to see institutions of high influence glaze over the issues and sprinkle sugar on things when things aren’t going very well. Bergdorf said."  
"To not even mention racism, sexually transmitted diseases, gender-based discrimination, or the rise in hate crimes since Brexit invalidates the experiences of so many people," she added.

Bergdorf started by talking about education.  “Let’s start with education, please think of the children. Take a moment to think about the young ones who still don’t see any representation or relatable role models in history, on television, or in classrooms."

She also talked about some of the progress being made, and laid out ways in which Britain can improve when it comes to TBLGQ rights issues.
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Here's the video of Bergdorf's speech.

 

Merry Christmas 2018!

Merry Christmas TransGriot readers!

Hopefully wherever you are in the world you had if you're west of the International Date Line or are now in the early morning hours of it, having a wonderful day.

I'm planning to hang out with some of my blood family today and give my mom her Christmas gift.
The other thing I'm planning to do is to call some of my chosen family a little later in the evening.

Hopeful I'll get another present later tonight when the MegaMillions $325 million dollar jackpot winner gets announced.  Already received one on November 6 in a bluer Harris County.

It's looking like it's going to be a slow news day, so unless Orange Foolius does something monumentally stupid I will mock him for, I'm planning on stepping away from social media for the day and either catching up on some Netflix fave shows or movies that pique my interest or firing up Cities Skylines for a while.

Catch y'all on Wednesday.

The Finalists For 2018 TransGriot Shut Up Fool Of The Year Are...

Longtime TransGriot readers know that on New Year's Eve, I select a TransGriot Shut Up Fool of the Year.

I've been doing this since 2009.   The inaugural winner of it was then RNC chair Michael Steele. 

Here's the list of people who have won the TransGriot Shut Up Fool of the Year since.
2010- Sarah Palin
2011- Herman Cain
2012- Mitt Romney
2013-  Ted Cruz
2014-  Louie Gohmert
2015-  Donald Trump
2016-  Donald Trump

The 2017 winner was Texas Lt Governor Dan Patrick.

As you can see only one person has ever been a repeat winner, and it would have been a threepeat if not for Potty Dan.

So who is in the running to take the 2018 Shut Up Fool of the Year prize?   There's a lot of nominees, so let's get to them.

Kellyanne Conway, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Kanye West, Kirstjen Nielsen, Betsy DeVos, Ben Carson, Paul Ryan, Bernie Sanders, a group award for the TERF's, Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson, Robert Jeffress,  Omarosa, Katrina Pierson, Paris Dennard, Lindsey Graham,  Mitch McConnell,  Brett Kavanaugh,  Steve Bannon, Jeannine Pirro and Tomi Lahren, 


Who will win this year's award?  Surf on over to TransGriot on New Year's Eve to find out.

Apollo 8 50th Anniversary

Fifty years ago today the Apollo 8 mission was launched just four days before Christmas.

1968 had been a rough, tumultuous year.  We'd lost the Rev Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy to assassins bullets.  Riots had broken out in several US cities.  Czechoslovakia got invaded by the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact to put an end to the Prague Spring.
The Vietnam War was raging, and the protests against it were ramping up.  Nixon was now the president-elect after LBJ declined to run for another term.

Despite all the national and international drama, NASA was still working to make President Kennedy's challenge to the country to land a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth before the end of the decade happen.

And this mission was critical to making the other goal happen with the clock inexorably ticking toward the end of the 1960's.

After launching on December 20 with astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders onboard   was one packed with historical firsts.   The first to leave Earth and set out for another celestial body.  Most importantly in that Cold War space race period, the first manned mission to orbit the moon. 

It arrived at the moon to start its ten orbits of the moon on Christmas Eve.   And then the got the sight and the photo of a lifetime, the famous shot of Earth rising above the moon.

They also sent a message from lunar orbit to the people back on Earth breathlessly watching the mission.



Seven months later, the mission that President Kennedy had set the nation on course to complete would be accomplished with Apollo 11 landing on the moon that July.

TransGriot 2018 NFL Picks - Week 16

The upset bug was in full effect during NFL Week 15, and I came with a losing record for the week as a result.  One of those upsets was the New England Patriots losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers to hand the Texans the number two AFC playoff seed. 

Merry early Christmas!  Thank you Steelers!

Now all my hometown ballers have to do to keep it is win their last two games against the defending NFL champion Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars or the Patriots continue to feel the holiday spirit and lose one more game.

But you got to start scoring touchdowns in the red zone instead of kicking field goals.   Make the defense's life easier. 

Speaking of making life easier, I've got to do better than a sub .500 week.   That probably cost me a shot at the 2018 NFL prognostication title with Mr. Watts.

Can't do anything about it now but regroup.   Let's get to it. 

Y'all know the drill.  Team I'm picking to win will be in bold print with the home team in CAPS.  Mike's Week 16 picks will be here at this link. 

Week 15 Results                                    2018 NFL Season Results
TransGriot  6-10                                     TransGriot     137-83-2
Mike             8-8                                     Mike              141-81-2


Saturday NFL Games
TITANS over Washington
CHARGERS over Ravens

Sunday Early Games
Texans over EAGLES
COWBOYS over Buccaneers
Vikings over LIONS
Falcons over PANTHERS
COLTS over Giants
BROWNS over Bengals
PATRIOTS over Bills
Packers over JETS
DOLPHINS over Jaguars

Sunday Afternoon Games
Bears over 49ERS
Rams over CARDINALS
SAINTS over Steelers

Sunday Night Game
Chiefs over SEAHAWKS

Monday Night Game 
Broncos over RAIDERS


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TransGriot Shut Up Fool Awards- The Shortest Day Of The Year Edition

For those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, today is the shortest day of the year and the first day of the winter solstice.

It's the moment in which planet Earth's axis is farthest away from the Sun.  For peeps in the Southern hemisphere, that day happens in June.

This 2018 solstice is going to be extra special because it not only will be followed tomorrow by a full moon and depending on your local conditions, a meteor shower/.

Translation: It's going to get dark early tonight and it will be the longest night of the year..   After today, the days will gradually start lengthening by a few minutes every day until June.

We only have one more Friday after this one to choose Shut Up Fool winners in 2018.   I'll also choose my 2018 TransGriot Shut Up Fool of the Year on New Year's Eve.

The 2018 finalists will be revealed on Christmas Eve.

So let's get to this week's fool    Despite a long list of peeps I could have chose like Sucker Tucker Carlson, Ann Coulter,  Dolt 45,  Speaker Paul Ryan, and Franklin Graham for starters, this week's winner is Katrina Pierson.

Trying to deflect from this toxic waste dump of a POTUS and probably auditioning to replace Sarah Suckabee Sanders as press secretary propaganda minister, Pierson tweeted on Thursday that 'John McCain still refuses to answer questions about his role' in the dossier alleging many damning ties between Trump and the Russians written by former MI6 spy Christopher Steele. 

Um, girlfriend.  Did you forget that Sen John McCain DIED almost four months ago on August 25?

The Net didn't, and they are relentlessly mocking her clueless behind for it.

Since it's obvious your clueless conservabehind missed it, here's Meghan McCain's eulogy for her late father.




And one other thing.  Katrina Pierson, shut up fool!
   

Rooting For Fort Bend Marshall

My high school alma mater was messed with by HISD to the point that it no longer has high school athletics on campus.  But I'm still a high school football fan, just not to the level I was when my beloved Jones Falcons were in the hunt for Texas high school football glory.   

Yesterday started the Texas high school football championship weekend here in the Lone Star State.  It's a smorgasbord of Texas high school football, with twelve title games from Class A (six man) to Class 6A being played at one location over the next four days. with all the games being broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest.

It also makes it easier for all the collegiate recruiters to check out players they either have signed during the NCAA early signing period or spot one they may not have noticed previously that is a late football bloomer.

The championship games location are rotated between Houston, Dallas and San Antonio because all three cities have domed stadiums, This year and in 2019, all the games will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington 

In Texas high school football and basketball, the top four teams in each district make the playoffs.  Two teams are placed in the Division I playoff bracket, and the other two in the Division II bracket based in enrollment.

I'm always rooting for Houston area teams that make it to the title game in their class, and this year is no different.

The highly anticipated Class 6A Division I game on Saturday night has undefeated Galena Park North Shore (15-0) who rolled over perennial powerhouse Katy in their usual clash at NRG Stadium and also beat them in the regular season.   The Mustangs try to complete their perfect season against unbeaten DFW area homeboys Duncanville (14-0), who beat top 5 nationally ranked Allen in their march to the finals. 

In the Class 6A Division II game Saturday afternoon Beaumont West Brook (13-2) will take on unbeaten perennial East Texas high school powerhouse Longview (15-0).

In the Class 6A Division I game it's a clash of the unbeaten old versus the new kids on the playoff block.   The Highland Park Scots, the team with the most wins in Texas high school football history, that has played in some legendary games still talked about among Texas high school football fans, and is the alma mater of Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford, takes on Alvin Shadow Creek. 

The Sharks are playing their first year of varsity football, and are trying to attempt the feat their district mates Manvel failed to accomplish by winning a state championship in their first year of play.

The game I'll definitely be watching is taking place on Friday night in Class 5A Division II.
Unbeaten Fort Bend Marshall (15-0), who made a deep playoff run last year but fell short, tries to capture its first state title against (15-0) Aledo.  The Bearcats were upset in the state title game last year against College Station, and are looking to avenge that loss at Marshall's expense.

Aledo has more than few UIL championship trophies in their school trophy case, having won six state football titles in the last nine years.

Marshall is not only trying to complete an unbeaten season, they are trying to do so while grieving the loss of  their senior teammate Drew Conley days before their semifinal playoff game.

Conley was murdered by his uncle, and five days later the Buffs pulled out an emotional game against Corpus Christi Calallen last week 19-17 to punch their ticket to the Jerrydome.

The other reasons I'm rooting for Marshall is the school is named for the eminent Supreme Court justice, and their school colors are the same black, gold and white my Falcons wore.

The Buffs were recently visited by Houston Texans DB Tyrann Mathieu for a motivational speech.

We'll see if it worked for the Buffs tomorrow night at 7 PM.   Go Buffs!  Do it for Drew.  Bring that Class 5A Division II title back to the Houston area!.

TransGriot Update:  They hung with them for a quarter, but Aledo unfortunately beat Marshall 55-19 

Is NHL Hockey Finally Coming To Houston?

Another one of the things people don't know about me besides Renee Martin is that I am a serious hockey fan.   I learned how to ice skate before I attempted to learn how to roller skate. 

My teen self not only witnessed the first game of the Houston Aeros in the Sam Houston Coliseum as they beat the Chicago Cougars, I was a passionate fan of the team   The two time World Hockey Association Avco Cup champions had Gordie Howe and his sons Mark and Marty Howe on the squad. 

Unfortunately, financial instability helped kill this team.  They went through three ownership groups despite being a successful team on the ice.  The Aeros were not admitted into the NHL, and were disbanded when the two leagues merged in 1978 and the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, the New England Whalers and the Edmonton Oilers were absorbed.

The Aeros 2.0 started playing as an International Hockey League expansion team at Compaq Center in 1994 and when the IHL folded in 2001, joined the American Hockey League.  That same year they also became affiliated of the NHL's Minnesota Wild and moved to Toyota Center to play their games in 2003. . 

Despite being ranked in the top 5 in AHL attendance and winning titles in both the IHL and AHL, the Minnesota Wild, who owned the team, decided to move them to Des Moines, Iowa in 2013..

Because Houston is the third largest city in the country and the largest TV market without an NHL franchise, we have repeatedly been teased and tortured with the NHL either considering expanding here or NHL teams having problems in other markets considering relocation to H-town, only to go somewhere else.

The Dallas Stars would also like that to happen so that we can start an instate NHL rivalry .

While the WHA Aeros were collapsing due to fiscal issues, the original NHL Colorado Rockies were considering moving to Houston.  They eventually became the New Jersey Devils in 1982.

The other NHL team that considered relocating to Houston but eventually set up somewhere else includes the Edmonton Oilers.  Back in the mid 1990's, then Oilers owner Peter Pocklington was battling with the city of Edmonton to get a better deal, and threatened to sell the team to then Rockets owner Les Alexander and move the Oilers to Houston.  That drama was happening about the same time that Bud Adams was threatening to move the NFL Oilers to Nashville.

That sale of the NHL Oilers didn't happen, and it probably led to why Les messed with Houston's chances to get an NHL team in the 1997 round of NHL expansion that eventually went to Nashville.   
And now, Seattle is getting the NHL's 32nd franchise to start play in 2020 once the renovations to bring Key Arena to NHL standards are completed.

With getting a team through NHL expansion being dashed once again, it appears that if Houston is going to get an NHL team. it's going to be through relocation.   We have an NHL ready arena in the Toyota Center and a diverse hockey loving fanbase ready to embrace our own NHL team instead of flying or driving to Dallas to see NHL hockey.

We have rumors that the Arizona Coyotes and possibly the Calgary Flames may be eyeballing a possible move to Houston. 

Both teams have arena issues, and more fuel was added to the rumors when the NHL Board of Governors voted to move the Arizona Coyotes into the NHL's Central Division, the same one that the Dallas Stars (and Calgary Flames) happen to play in. 

As to whether it will happen, not getting excited about until the announcement is made an NHL team is moving here and will playing its games in downtown Houston..

But I do have a suggestion if it happens for the team's nickname if it does. .   

Fort Bend ISD Naming School For Malala

Fort Bend County to the southwest of Houston is one of the suburban areas, like Montgomery County to our north that has experienced explosive population growth since the 1980's.  The Fort Bend Independent School District has been on what seems to be an almost nonstop building program to keep up with it.

Even better, it turned blue because of that explosive growth in the 2018 midterm elections

A new elementary school, the 51st in the FBISD, is currently being built in the Aliana community in the northwest part of the district.   After asking the FBISD community to submit a name for the new school scheduled to open in January 2020, a committee comprised of FBISD teachers, parents, students, community advocates, staff and an FBISD board member went through the nearly 100 names submitted to choose the name of the new school.

The school will be named Malala Yousafzai Elementary School, and it is one as a TK I am definitely in agreement with.   The Nobel laureate has been a tireless advocate for public education.

“Fort Bend ISD is proud to name Malala Yousafzai Elementary in honor of a true advocate for education. Our FBISD Profile of a Graduate outlines the skills and attributes graduates should possess upon graduation from our schools. Through her compassion for others and servant leadership, Yousafzai is an embodiment of these characteristics, which we are trying to instill in our students. We look forward to hearing of the many successes of the school and its students in the future,” said Dr. Charles Dupre, FBISD Superintendent of Schools.
The name for the new school was approved during the December 17 FBISD board meeting

Malala and her father are currently on a trip to Australia, and when they heard the news, were quite pleased with it.

This is such great and encouraging news," said Malala's father Ziauddin Yousafzai.  "I'm very thankful for this.  It's an opportunity for young students to get inspiration."

"Malala's name is known globally and now, for a school to be associated with Malala's name, it just shows that the spirit of education is being wholeheartedly promoted," he added..

As for Malala's thoughts about the FBISD action, she conveyed through her father that she was "quite glad" and 'grateful to the Sugar Land community for helping spread her message of education for girls.

She garnered international attention at age 15 for surviving an Taliban attack on her while traveling home from school.   A year later in 2013 she delivered a highly publicized United Nations speech that urged world leaders to make education a priority.    Yousafzai became the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014

The attendance zone boundaries for Yousafzai Elementary are currently being determined by the district.

As for whether the Yousafzai's will be in the Lone Star State when the school is dedicated, Ziauddin Yousafzai said, "I cannot make any promises right now, but should we receive an invitation and are in Texas or nearby, we would definitely love to attend and meet these amazing people.

Um, FBISD, y'all might want to get on that ASAP.

Lesbian Publications Take A Stand Against Transphobia

Been noting the anti-trans rhetoric being published and posted in large part without concern for our trans lives or rebuttals from the trans people that it negatively impacts. 

It was nice to see several publications geared toward the lesbian community uniting to sign on to a statement  entitled 'Not In Our Name' condemning the media driven transphobia.

It's also in reaction to the transphobic content  and tweets being posted on AfterEllen, a lesbian site that was recently bought out and since its management change has become a cesspool of TERFism. 

Representatives of DIVA, Curve, Autostraddle, LOTL, Tagg and Lez Spread The Word have so far signed the statement.
*** 

Following further vitriolic attacks on trans people in our media, the world’s leading publications for lesbians are coming together to send an unapologetic message of support and solidarity to the trans community.

DIVA, Curve, Autostraddle, LOTL, Tagg and Lez Spread The Word believe that trans women are women and that trans people belong in our community. We do not think supporting trans women erases our lesbian identities; rather we are enriched by trans friends and lovers, parents, children, colleagues and siblings.

‘We do not think supporting trans women erases our lesbian identities; rather we are enriched by trans friends and lovers, parents, children, colleagues and siblings.’

We strongly condemn writers and editors who seek to foster division and hate within the LGBTQI community with trans misogynistic content, and who believe “lesbian” is an identity for them alone to define. We condemn male-owned media companies who profit from the traffic generated by these controversies. 

We also strongly condemn the current narrative peddled by some feminists, painting trans people as bullies and aggressors – one which reinforces transphobia and which must be challenged so that feminism can move forward.

We are really concerned about the message these so-called lesbian publications are sending to trans women and to young lesbians – including trans lesbians – and we want to make in clear this is not in our name.

 As the leading publications for queer women, we believe it is our responsibility to call out scaremongering conspiracy theories leveled at the trans community, and make it clear that DIVA, Curve, Autostraddle, LOTL, Tagg and Lez Spread The Word will always be safe spaces for the trans community.  

 Forty years ago, to be a lesbian was to be questioned and persecuted. Today things are better for cis lesbians but there are still places where to be a lesbian is impossible.

 So it is for trans men and women, as well as non-binary people, many of whom identify as lesbian, bisexual, gay or queer. We know something of these struggles. And just as they and other allies have supported us, so we must support those among us who are trans, or risk ending up on the wrong side of history.

 The sooner we stop focusing on what divides us and instead focus on our commonalities, the stronger we will be to confront the other injustices imposed on us.

We won’t be divided.

Signed…

Carrie Lyell

Editor, DIVA magazine

Linda Riley

Publisher, DIVA magazine

Riese Bernard

Co-founder and editor-in-chief, Autostraddle

Merryn Johns, 

Editor, Curve 

Silke Bader

Publisher, Curve and LOTL

Eboné F. Bell

Editor-in-chief, Tagg Magazine

Florence Gagnon

Founder and publisher, Lez Spread The Word

I hope more sign on to the statement.in the coming day so that we in the trans community unequivocally know who stands with us.

Proud Of You, Angela!

"What an honor a pride to be part of the history of @missuniverse.  This is for you, for those who have no visibility, no voice, because we all deserve a world of respect, inclusion and freedom.  And today I am here, proudly representing my nation, all women and human rights."
-Angela Ponce 

While she wrote those words on her Instagram page in Spanish, they were clearly understood all over the world.
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The eyes on much of the world were turned to Bangkok and the 2018 Miss Universe Pageant to see if Angela Ponce could become the first ever trans feminine Miss Universe.

And yeah, admit it. Some of you were tearing up like I was when she made that solo walk on the Miss Universe stage last night to a standing ovation. .

Heavy favorite Catriona Gray of the Philippines was one of the last two women standing onstage at Miss World two years ago and didn't win.    The 24 year old had a much happier result this time, becoming the fourth Filipina to capture the crown 

While Ponce didn't make it to the Top 20 semifinalists, can't say enough how proud I am, trans feminine kids, and trans women around the world are that a girl like us was repping her country and us in the world's premiere beauty pageant.

Yes, elements of you hate on trans feminine women for irrational reasons.   Elements of you also hate on beauty pageants for a lot of reasons. 

For the trans feminine people who compete in them, pageants are a way to have who we are and have always known ourselves to be affirmed to the entire world.

Many trans feminine pageant contestants have been standing a lot taller this week knowing that a girl like us achieved a dream many of them had to one day compete in a premiere pageant like Miss Universe.

Trans women around the world were also standing a little taller as well.

Angela Ponce shook off the haters and represented us with class and dignity from the moment she won Miss Spain in June to competing in Miss Universe.   And while we didn't get to see trans history made on that Bangkok stage last night. it's just a matter of time before some trans girl walks away from a future Miss Universe pageant with the crown.

And note to the willfully ignorant haters out there, trans women are women. 

Ponce said in the runup to the pageant, "I don't need to win, I just need to be here."

But by just being in this year's Miss Universe competition and being on stage, you won in so many ways not only for yourself, but an entire community.   It also by you being on stage expands the horizons for what trans feminine kids can dare to dream about and accomplish. 

Ms. Ponce blazed a trail and set a standard that a future trans Miss Universe winner must acknowledge when she does win that title