If you're saying to yourself, 'weren't you just in Austin last week?', you would be correct. I was there for a quick in an out trip to speak during an Equality Texas press conference on the south steps of the Texas Capitol.
And yeah, got my Slurpee before I headed back to H-town.
This time I'm heading back to Austin to take part in the Trans Education Network of Texas (TENT) trans lobby day that is also cosponsored with the Texas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
This lobby day is happening nearly 20 years to the day I made my first ever Texas lege trans lobby trip in 1999 organized by TGAIN, the forerunner org of TENT.
Same Pink Dome, but a different Texas legislative configuration. Even Austin is way larger population wise than when I first started coming to lobby the Lege.
We have a long list of good bills to support, but are also concerned about the bad ones like SB 15, that would kill already passed non discrimination ordinances in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Plano, Carrollton and El Paso and prevent cities from enacting those laws
We also for the first time have an official Texas LGBTQ Legislative Caucus this session, and looking forward to talking to the members of it in addition to my own state rep and state senator.
My behind is already in bed as you read this because I have a 7:35 AM Megabus departure from downtown Houston to get to our state capitol, and the alarm is set for 5 AM CST
I sure hope the route we're going to take to Austin is via I-10 west to TX 71 because I despise going there via US 290.
Despite our schizophrenic weather lately, the bluebonnets are starting to bloom along TX 71 as well
My ETA there is 10:40 AM, so hope we get there on time. Once I get there, I'll have the opportunity to catch up with what the Texas Lege is doing and on Thursday see my Texas trans fam from across the Lone Star State.
If you live for an opportunity to support an organization that supports our community and piss off the evilgelicals at the same time, a quick and easy way to do both is to find your local Girl Scout troop selling cookies in your area and buy few boxes.
The evilgelicals have been hating on the Girl Scouts since 2013 because unlike the Boy Scouts, the conservative movement was never able to get control of the org and inject their conservahate into it.
They also hate the Girl Scouts for being unapologetic supporters of human rights, and really have been going off the deep end about Girl Scout troops admitting trans feminine scouts into their ranks .
Their doomed to fail conservaboycott means there's more cookies for those of us who love them and who also want to support an organization that supports our community..
If you're wondering how and where you can get your fix of Thin Mints, Shortbreads, and all the other delicious flavors of Girl Scout cookies available, here's the link to the Girl Scout Cookie Finder.
So yep, it's Girl Scout Cookie Time! So buy some boxes of cookies, support the Girl Scouts, and piss off the evilgelicals at the same time.
When you support the TBLGQ community, we will not only reciprocate, but it will benefit your bottom line.
The evilgelicals and right wing peeps have been boycotting Target for their supported TBLGQ policies and stances, and it looks like that boycott has spectacularly failed.
Sales at Target stores grew 5% in 2018. Its digital sales grew an astounding 31% and the topped it off with an outstanding Christmas season to cap their best year performance wise since 2005..
Target's stock has also risen to $75 a share.
I also believe in supporting people who support my community. When I needed stuff for my new apartment last July, I got the majority of it from Target.
So what can we learn from this? If you peddle transphobia and homophobia, it affects your bottom line. When you embrace your TBLGQ customers, you will be rewarded with loyalty from that customer base.
'The anti-Black, pro-Asian and pro Miss Tiffany showgirl bias has got to end in order for the Miss International Queen trans pageant to have international credibility with people around the world who are thinking about competing in it.'
-TransGriot, March 2, 2018
Since 2004 the Thailand based Miss International Queen pageant has billed itself as the most prestigious transgender beauty pageant on the planet. It has grown to that status in large part because until recently, trans women were barred from participating in the major pageants systems like Miss World and Miss Universe.
The 2019 edition of the Miss International Queen pageant will be crowning its newest queen in Pattaya on March 8 (March 7 our time).
It also has a dubious distinction that smacks of anti-Blackness.. In the decade plus history of the MIQ pageant, it has NEVER crowned a Black winner.
Two have been first runner up (2011, Miss SaHHara, 2015, Valesca Dominik Ferraz). Stasha Sanchez finished as a second runner up in 2010.
There are peeps, myself included, who still believe Miss SaHHara was robbed of the 2011 MIQ title. The Thai contestant, Sirapassorn Atthayakorn horribly botched her final interview, but STILL shockingly won.
Then again it shouldn't have been a shock, since she like all four Thai MIQ queens, she won the Miss Tiffany's pageant. Tiffany's Cabaret in Pattaya is the host venue for that Thai trans only Miss Tiffany's pageant that produces the Thai rep to MIQ and the Miss International Queen one.
This history of shady MIQ anti-Blackness and favoritism for Miss Tiffany Cabaret showgirls has discouraged many Black trans contestants from even plunking down their hard earned money for entry fees and attempting to make that long trip to Thailand to attempt to snatch that crown.
That shady treatment of Black MIQ contestants is a major reason why I stopped writing posts about this pageant as well.
This year Jazell Barbie Royale is the lone African descended contestant in this 2019 Miss International Queen event. She captured the 2016 Miss Continental title, and is attempting to break that negative MIQ cycle, rep the USA and make some history as its first ever Black winner.
If she does so, she would also become the first American winner since 2005 when Mimi Marks took the MIQ crown.
Wishing you the best of luck, Jazell.
We'll see if Jazell does so, or is just the latest Black contestant to fall victim to the anti-Blackness permeating the Miss International Queen pageant system.
Looks like the controversial comments of CMO Ed Razek have hurt Victoria's Secret's business.
Its parent company L Brands announced Wednesday that 53 locations across North America are being closed because of declining sales and store performance. The fourth quarter 2018 sales were only $1,849,300 versus the fourth quarter 2017 sales of $2.038, 300 dollars.
The 2019 store closure numbers are triple their average. According to Bloomberg, the average is about 15 store closures per year, and 20 were closed in 2018.
Vickie's was having problems before Razek exacerbated the problems by opening his mouth and letting something transphobic come out of it.
That triggered a call for a boycott of the lingerie retailer by the trans community that looks like it is being joined by our allies.
In addition to the problems with Victoria's Secret's sales revenue, the viewership number for the 2018 edition of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show have also taken a nosedive.
Only 3.27 million viewers tuned in last year, which are the worst numbers ever for the show ever since it started its broadcast run. For comparison, in 2017 there were 4.98 million people who tuned in to watch the show.
However, it wasn't all bad business news for Vickie's Secret. Their online sales went up 8% .
Wonder if Razek and company are considering adding a few trans and full figured models to the 2019 televised show in the wake of these numbers? I know a few trans models who would love to rip your runway, but you'll need to call them before they get booked for fall New York Fashion Week
It's once again another concrete example of bigotry being bad for business.
"To all of the young people who think that they have to choose between going to church or honoring who they are as a person - their sexual orientation or their gender expression - you don't have to. There are many churches who will welcome you with open arms. I as a Christian will welcome you with open arms." -CO state Rep. Leslie Herod
I met this amazing woman several years ago through my interactions with the National Black Justice Coalition, and was pleased and proud when she was elected to the Colorado House back in the 2016 election cycle.
Herod also made some history when she did so as the first out Black lesbian legislator in Colorado history.
She's now in her second term as the rep for HD-8, and if you aren't aware of it, Rep Leslie Herod (D-Denver) is all that and five bags of chips. Don't be surprised if you see her in a higher office someday
She took to the House floor to school some folks trying to use religious to fearmonger on HB19-1032, a comprehensive human sexuality education bill.
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