A Californian's Thoughts On Sen. Kamala Harris' Candidacy

I've been getting sick of hearing the borderline racist at times vitriol being aimed at Sen Kamala Harris and the BS 'Kamala is a cop' line.   I'm leaning toward supporting her in large part because I've been keeping an eye on her political ascent since 2010 and I'm tired of the anti-Kamala rhetoric.

Is her record perfect?  Nope.  Neither are the other 20 people running for the Democratic nomination either,

One of Harris' constituents, Viktor Kerney wrote this on his Facebook page explaining why he enthusiastically supports her 2020 candidacy for president.

 ***

So, someone asked me why I ride hard for Kamala Harris, especially since was a prosecutor. Well, I don’t see being a prosecutor a bad thing. I think people have to realize that a prosecutor is not a simple job, like working at Target. It takes someone who can make tough decisions and look at things through a critical lens. But here are my reasons.

Kamala has fought for people of color during her time as DA and AG in California. She’s worked on initiatives to get people back on track after being incarcerated, making sure the children had a proper education and opportunities to succeed. Yes, the truancy policy was not ideal, but with the research about children missing school and later becoming incarcerated, she had to do something.

Kamala is comfortable making tough decisions. I want a president who can make these decisions with proper caution.

Kamala’s policies for America helps middle-class workers as well as Black people. I’ve seen people say what is her Black agenda. It is my belief that the Black agenda is healthcare, jobs, education, shortening the pay gap and the ability to have home security.

She has a strong list of successful receipts through her time in office and a high approval from President Obama himself.

Kamala has fought the big banks, predators, corporations in the world to make life easier for her constituents.

She understands hard work and does not shy away from big tasks.

She understood that being a prosecutor will bring negative views about who she is. However she used her experience to improve criminal reform.

While there are many rumors about her record, the facts state that she has been successful. I encourage people to read her records from California.gov versus some blog post from these descendant of slaves (ADOS) or her rivals’ fan base.

She has taken on men like Trump and not afraid to call them out and hold them accountable. That’s what I want in a president and I think she can do it.

Congrats Judge Watson!

Y'all know I have much love and admiration for my trailblazing Houston activist sis Fran Watson.

She's an attorney and former head of the Houston GLBT Caucus.   She was also the first Black woman to head the Caucus.  ,

Fran has run for the Texas state senate,  is one of only three Black women to be elected as a Houston Pride grand marshal, and volunteers her time to many worthy causes and organizations in the Houston area.

Earlier today the Houston City Council unanimously voted to approve Fran's nomination for a two year term as a municipal judge.

Congratulation Judge Watson!   This is a well deserved, and glad you will get to serve our fellow Houstonians from our municipal court bench.  I have no doubts that you will do a fantastic job in this new position

2019 Williams Watch - Serena Makes It To The 'Williams'-don Final

I call 'The Championships' as they are referred to across The Pond 'Williams'-don because both Serena and Venus have basically turned the All England Club into their personal tennis playground..

The 2019 edition of Wimbledon started with Venus exiting the tournament in the first round after being upset by 15 year old American qualifier Cori 'Coco' Gauff 4-6,4-6 in straight sets.    Gauff electrified the tennis world by making a run all the way to the fourth round before being eliminated by Romania's Simona Halep.

That wasn't the end of  Venus' time in London.   She decided to play mixed doubles with fellow American Frances Tlafoe while Serena an Andy Murray of Great Britain played together.

Venus and Tlafoe made it to the second round of the mixed doubles tourney while Serena and Murray lasted until the third round,

11th seeded Serena had no problems with the qualifier she faced in Italy's Giulia Gatto-Monticone, dispacting her in straight sets 6-2,7-5.   That sent her into a second round match with another qualifier in Slovenia's Kaja Juvan

Juvan served notice that this wasn't going to be like Serena's first round match.    She took the first set, but Little Sis regrouped and took the next to to punch her ticket to the third round after her 2-6, 6-2. 6-4  win. 

Her third round opponent was Germany's Julia Gorges.   Williams rolled to a 6-3, 6-4 straight set win over the 18th seeded Gorges to set up her fourth round match with Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro.

Williams handled her tennis business and sent the 30th seeded Suarez Navarro packing after a 6-2, 6-2 straight set win to punch her ticket to the quarterfinals

After Serena won the first set of this quarterfinal, Alison Riske flipped the tennis script and forced a winner take all third set.   Little Sis would not be denied, and took this match 6-4, 4-6, 6-3,

Serana faced Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic in the semis, and wasted no time pinning a 6-1 6-2 straight set 59 minute tennis beatdown on Strycova to punch her ticket to her 11th Wimbledon finals appearance.

She will take on seventh seeded Simona Halep, who is playing in her first ever Wimbledon final.   She has also won just once against Little Sis in ten meetings, but thinks she's ready for the challenge.

If Serena wins on Saturday, she will capture not only her eighth Wimbledon title, but will tie that unrepentant homophobe Margaret Court with her 24th Grand Slam title win.

Good luck Serena!    Handle your tennis business

Moni's Headed To Netroots Nation 2019!

Once again I'm hopping on a jet plane to the East Coast, and unlike the secret World Pride trip, this time I can tell y'all what my destination is. 

I'm headed back to Philadelphia for the first time since Creating Change 2017 to check out the 2019 edition of Netroots Nation.   If my flight left on time at 11:00 AM CDT the Air Marshal is already winging her way to the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection.

Even better, I'm doing so on a nonstop flight.

The reason I'm leaving H-town today is because I'm participating in the Netroots Connect LGBTQ Pre-Conference event that's happening tomorrow starting at 8 AM EDT. 

One of the reasons I love Netroots Nation is because it's not just a TBLGQ  conference.  While we do have a community specific pre-conference event and an LGBTQ caucus, Netroots Netroots is predominately a progressive political one I've been attending and participating in since 2012.

That 2012 one was held in Providence, RI and I was there to participate in the first ever all-trans panel on the subject of trans bloggers doing so for social justice and trans visibility.

It would be 2016 before I got to attend another one in St Louis, MO and start my streak of consecutive Netroots Nation events.   It was also memorable for me because I walked away from it as the 2016 Netroots Nation Pundit Cup champion

Netroots is also one in which I get to hang out with and see many of my peeps who are involved in progressive politics at the local, state and national level and meet new ones.. 

I also get a chance to get my learn on, and see some of our up and coming progressive political peeps.   I met Stacey Abrams during the 2017 one in the ATL, and wasn't surprised when she made the Georgia governor's race so close Brian Kemp had to do what Republicans do and cheat to beat her.   I also passed the Pundit Cup championship torch to 2017 champion Tenaja Jordan, who was the third straight Black woman to win it.

In NOLA last year I got to meet Del. Danica Roem and see my old friend and Colorado House member Leslie Herod.    Won't be surprised if Leslie ends up in the Colorado governor's mansion or Congress soon.

And even though I've been to Philadelphia now six times in this decade, I actually haven't done much sightseeing in the city beyond checking out Dewey's Lunch Counter during the LGBTQ Media Convening.   That one happened because it was right across the street from the host hotel.

Sadly, it closed in 2017 and was demolished for a new hotel.

Philly also has 7-Elevens.   But Wawa definitely gives them a run for their money. 

On that note, I'm so ready to see what transpires at this year's edition of Netroots Nation    Since the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination has begun, there will be a presidential forum during this year's event that will take place on Saturday from 3-6 PM

Also looking forward to spending some quality time with my Philly trans fam when I'm not at the convention center.

Here's I come again Philly!  Break out the cheesesteaks.

MJ Rodriguez and Billy Porter Sing 'Home' At Trevor Live

One of the things we've learned form season one of POSE is just how talented MJ Rodriguez is.

Hopefully after this year's season, she'll get some Emmy Award consideration and maybe even snatch a trophy this time.

But one of the revelations about Rodriguez is that girlfriend can 'sang'.   The 'Love Is The Message' episode in which she and Tony award winner Billy Porter, who plays Pray Tell,  sang the song 'Home' from The Wiz in a room full of AIDS patients had me shedding tears by the time it was over.

Here they are again with Our Lady J at piano singing it again at the Trevor Foundation's TrevorLive event in Los Angeles back in December 2018.

Enjoy

 

Soldier Accepts His Trans Daughter Video

Every now and then you get to see a video that tugs on your heart and reminds you what you are fighting for. 

I constantly say in any interview I do that the trans rights work I'm getting recognized for is about the kids behind me and leaving a better world for them.

This video short illustrates that better world I and other trans advocates are working to make a reality.   This video is about a teen trans girl who has a father in the military and transitions while he is deployed. 

You'll have to watch it and see what happens when he finds out his child has transitioned while he's away. 

USA Women Are The Four Time FIFA World Champs

Looks like Dolt 45 has a decision to make after the USA women handled their soccer business and completed their run to back to back titles for the first time in program history by defeating the Netherlands 2-0.

This was Team USA's fourth FIFA world championship, and they left no doubts about the fact they are the world's best team despite a stiff challenge from the Netherlands, the reigning European champions who were playing in their first FIFA women's World Cup final. 

The Netherlands was riding the hot goalkeeping of eventual Golden Glove winner Sari van Veenendaal, who kept the USA scoreless until  Alex Morgan drew a penalty in the 61 minute that led to Megan Rapinoe's sixth goal of the tournament.   That snapped van Veennedaal's scoreless streak at 314 minutes, and seven minutes later Rose Lavelle sent a scorching shot from 18 yards out past van Veenendaal to make it 2-0 and start the party in Lyon for te American fans there and back in the USA. 

Rapinoe not only captured the Golden Boot  award for the tournament's top scorer, she also snached the Golden Ball (MVP) trophy as the tournament's best player. 

Take that Donald Trump!

The Netherlands along with England and Sweden did walk away from this tournament knowing that they have qualified for the 2020 Olympics..    Sweden also won the Third Place game 2-1 against England.

But all hail the queens of the FIFA soccer pitch.    Will they threepeat in 2023?   We'll have to wait to find out the answer to this question.

The Meaning Of July 4 For Black Trans Americans

One of my favorite Frederick Douglass speeches is one he gave on July 5, 1852, entitled The Meaning of July 4 for the Negro. That speech pointed out the glaring hypocrisy of America celebrating Independence Day while enslaving millions of African-descended people. Since the 4th is upon us, I decided to write this column in the style of Frederick Douglass’  famous speech, but apply it to what is happening with black trans Americans here in Texas and elsewhere in this country.

***

My fellow Americans.

Once again, we pause to celebrate another birthday of the nation we love. July 4 is also the day when the Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 brave men who put their lives on the line for the principles they believed in.

But there is a group of Americans for which this day that many of you celebrate seems hollow. In this dark time, our transgender siblings are not feeling the national love or pride in this nation. In fact, we feel there is nothing to celebrate on this day when we have already lost 11 people to anti-trans violence this year.

Say their names. Dana Martin, Ashanti Carmon, Jazzaline Ware, Muhlaysia Booker, Michelle Washington, Claire Legato, Paris Cameron, Chynal Lindsey, Chanel Scurlock,  Zoe Spears and Brooklyn Lindsey. Their Black trans lives have joined the ancestors far too soon because of the anti-trans hate speech and rhetoric coming from the Oval Office, evilgelical church pulpits, and the mouths of right-wing media pundits.

Black trans Americans are dismayed and angered by the silence of both our politicians we helped to elect and our legacy organizations like the NAACP concerning the genocidal levels of violence being aimed at us.

Why should a Black trans American be proud of this nation when they are demonized for being African-American and transgender? Why should we feel proud of a nation that gleefully denies us the ability to earn a decent living by making it easier to prevent us from getting a job?

Why should we be proud of a nation that seeks to deny us medical care or get housing? Why should we be proud of a nation that seeks to pass dehumanizing modern-day Jim Crow laws regulating where we poop and pee?

Why should we be proud of a nation that won’t allow us to serve in its military because a bunch of evilgelical bigots are advising the historically unqualified person currently occupying the White House to keep us from serving?

Why should we be proud of a nation that has rolled back President Obama’s positive policies and executive orders that were designed to help our community?

You claim to respect the rule of law, the Constitution, and the Bible, but ignore all of those things when it suits you to do so for conservative political advantage.

I already know what you MAGAts are going to say: If you don’t like America, leave it.

I will do no such thing. I love this country more than your Fox News-watching behinds ever will. I will not leave, because my ancestors shed four centuries’ worth of blood for us to be here in this moment, living better lives than they could have imagined for themselves. I love this country enough to fight for its soul and make it better than it was when I arrived on the planet.


I am not leaving because it would dishonor the memories of all the trans people we have lost to anti-trans violence. It is for their sakes that I must fight with every fiber of my being to create an America that recognizes the fact that the “We the People”  in our Constitution unequivocally includes Black transgender Americans.


Our nation is increasingly accepting the fact that Black trans people not only exist, but the violence being aimed at us must stop. Our people are also increasingly coming to the realization that Black trans women are women, Black trans men are men, we are an intertwined part of the Black American family, and we have much to contribute to make the Black community better.


We Black trans people exist, and are proud of all the intersections that are housed in our Black trans bodies. If some of you in Black Cis World don’t like that, get over it, because we are beyond caring what your loud and ignorant opinion is about that.


You will give us the respect that we are due. We aren’t going away, or back into the closet. We Black trans Americans are going to work to the best of our ability to make a better world for the trans kids coming behind us.



And if that work to make a better world for our trans kids creates a better world for ourselves in the process, then we will consider that as a blessing.

And when that day finally becomes a reality, that will be a July 4 worth celebrating.
This article appears in the July 2019 edition of OutSmart magazine 

Love You, Renee Martin

It's Canada Day, but this particular one is filling me with sadness.

As many of you longtime TransGriot readers know, one of the people I have much love for north of the border is my homegirl Renee Martin, the founding editor of the blog Womanist Musings.

She's also a talented writer and eloquent speaker who has had many articles published by The Guardian and at Global Comment.     

She is also a co-founder of the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association    This was her speech at the local Women's March a few months ago.



This was her speaking to the St Catharines City Council on February 11



Renee and I have been friends for over a decade.   In addition to our long phone conversations, we have had fun tweaking each other over the US-Canada women's hockey rivalry.

When those Canada-USA clashes happened during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Sochi, and Pyeongchang, the level of our good natured trash talking intensified. 

Renee and I have had long conversations on everything from US and Canadian politics to Blackness  to fashion.  I used to chuckle when she would refer to Alberta as 'that wretched province', Stephen Harper as 'The Sweater Vest', or my beloved Texas as 'Baja Alberta'.

Renee would also have me laughing as she'd tell me stories about her life as the only estrogen based human lifeform in a home with her husband, two sons and her beloved dog Sookie.

I hadn't had the opportunity to talk to her on the phone as much as I used to because as y'all are well aware of, my life has gotten much busier, and the last time I had a long meaningful phone call with her was back in March.

I also noticed that she hadn't been posting as much on Facebook lately, and on June 27 she let me and all who love her know why.

Renee let us know in a Facebook post that she'd been ill the last few months, and was recently diagnosed with an inoperable liver cancer.    She has been given by her doctors a short time to live, and is currently in hospice care. 

Tried to call her today, but she was having a rough day, and I'll attempt again sometime this week. 

I have had people in my life who I have lost to cancer.  There are also people I know in my life who have kicked cancer's azz.   But this time its one of my sister girls who is fighting it, and unfortunately cancer is winning.

While Renee asked us in that post to not feel bad for her, I just can't help it some days when I think about her situation.  I cried when I heard the news, and just writing this post has me wiping away tears right now.   

She has been a blessing in my life, and I'm going to miss her when she joins the ancestors.   I'm also going to be sad about the fact I never got to meet her in person.  

Love you Renee, and thanks for the decade of friendship, thought provoking conversation and laughs.

See you on the other side. 

TransGriot Update: Renee passed away July 8, just short of her 45th birthday on July 11

Houston Pride Parade Today!

Well people, today is the big day!

I was named back in April as one of the four honorary grand marshals for the Houston Pride pride taking place later tonight. 

I'm part of historic group of grand marshals for the Houston event.   Harrison Homer Guy was elected as our first ever Black male grand marshal.   Judge Shannon Baldwin, one of the 17 sisters elected to Harris County judicial benches last year, became the third Black woman elected as a grand marshal.

Houston GLBT Caucus president Mike Webb was elected as our first ever non-binary grand marshal, and Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen, a longtime friend and supporter of the Houston TBLGQ community,  was elected as our ally grand marshal. 

The four honorary grand marshal spots are all Houston trans women to commemorate the fact this is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion that kicked off the TBLGQ rights movement.

The four honorary marshals have also been actively involved in the community and the trans rights struggle on multiple levels for years.

In addition to a certain blogger y'all know, the other trans Houstonians named as honorary marshals are Atlantis Narcisse, the founder of Save Our Sisters United, Black Transwomen Inc, President and entrepreneur Dee Dee Watters and OLTT executive director Ana Andrea Molina.

The parade once again will be downtown and televised, , so looking forward to waving at y'all from the front this year.

Happy Juneteenth 2019!

Happy Juneteenth, people!    Today is the day back in 1865 that Union Major General Gordon Granger read General Order Number 3 that freed all slaves in Texas.

That day has been celebrated by Texas Black people ever since, and was made an official state holiday in 1980.    Black Texans as they moved around the country took the Juneteenth traditions with them, and the day is increasingly celebrated in many states, with Pennsylvania the latest to do so. 

Here's Rep Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) to discuss Juneteenth and the effort to get long overdue reparations for African Americans.    Rep Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) has filed HR 40 to jump start the process of making that happen.

 

POSE Renewed By FX For A Third Season!

The Emmy nomination voting opened on June 10, and don't be surprised if you see some folks from POSE snatching trophies when the Emmy Awards are finally broadcast to add to the GLAAD Media Award they received. .

POSE received a double dose of good news as it starts its second season.  It's Season 2 debut episode 'Acting Up'  not only got more viewers and higher ratings than last year's opening, it was announced by FX that POSE has been already renewed for a third season

We also are blessed with two more episodes in POSE season 2 for a total of 10.   It's also #MustSeeTransTV with the five major trans characters and trans actors playing them.

What that third season will look like we'll find out later, but season 2's opening with its time jump to 1990 has already ensured it will exceed the bar it set in Season 1.

Congrats to the cast of POSE, and hope that this year's season leads to some well deserved awards for your performances 

Jessica Zyrie Featured In The 'Absolut Acceptance' Ad

Y'all know how much I love my sis Jessica Zyrie.   In addition to her ripping Fashion Week runways, we are fortunate to have her here in the Houston area doing her thing to advocate for our community.

Jessica recently shot a commercial for Absolut Vodka released just in time for Pride Month and Father's Day.  The commercial also featured her amazing dad who I got to meet on my birthday trip  last month. 

I'm going to need to hit Wayne's Wings again the next time I find myself in the Alamo City.

Anyway, here's the commercial, entitled Absolut Acceptance

 

Number 10- Rest In Power and Peace Zoe Spears

These posts are coming so fast an furiously these days it's taking me time to just get caught up writing them.

We head back to the Washington DC area, specifically the same Fairmount Heights, MD suburb where Ashanti Carmon was killed to report on the latest trans woman taken from us way too soon.

23 year old Washington DC resident Zoe Spears was found shot to death from a gunshot wound just after midnight EDT in June 13.  Spears was declared dead at the scene by first responders, and her body was found less than half a mile from where Carmon's was found.

Spears is now the tenth American trans woman we have lost to anti-trans violence.   All the known American trans deaths so far in 2019 have been African American.   She is also the seventh under age 30 to die this year.

No word yet if there is a person of interest in this case.

As of yet no word concerning a memorial service or funeral planned, and I will pass that info along when I receive it. 

Rest in power and peace, Zoe.. 

Not Feeling Your Transphobia, Black Gay Men

As if we didn't have enough transphobia coming from the federal government, the TERF's, evilgelicals,  elements of the white gay and lesbian community, and elements of the Black community, we also have Black gay men coming out of the closet with their toxic transphobia.

A few years ago I attended a drag show one steamy Saturday night in the Montrose gayborhood at a club now called Barcode.  I was bored, didn't see anyone I knew, and decided to head home and walk the few blocks back toward Westheimer Rd to the nearest bus stop and start the trip back home. 

I cut through the shared parking lot for JR's and the then open South Beach clubs in order to shorten the walk to Westheimer Rd.    While doing so I passed an interracial white and Black gay man who made the loud and wrong assumption I was a sex worker, with the Black one saying it loud enough for me to hear it.

I stopped, glared at both of them, read them for good measure and cussed them out one more time before I flipped them the finger before resuming my journey back to my bus stop.

In my 21 years of activism, I have had many Black gay men in my corner like Ashton Woods, Brandon Mack, Venton Hill-Jones, and Harrison Homer Guy just to name a few.  These men have unapologetically had my back and been major supporters in what I do activism wise.

These righteous gay Black men have also called their gay brothers out when they tried to aim transphobic shade or outright disrespect toward me and my trans sisters, and I love and appreciate them for defending our honor. 

Unfortunately, it seems that  righteous Black gay male accomplices are the exception lately and not the rule.  We have far too many of them letting their transphobic flag fly on social media, and Black trans women are beyond sick and tired of it.

Craig Brooks has gotten widespread acclaim for calmly handling a workplace racism situation in which he was called the n-word despite being majorly pissed off about it.

But Brooks couldn't be bothered to extend the same respect he demanded for himself when it came to Black  trans women.   It was discovered that his social media feed was a cesspool of transphobic hate.

And he's not the only one.   Far too often we see Black gay men making derogatory comments about trans women as the people in their feeds like and share them.

Even famous Black gay men like RuPaul have made repeated transphobic comments, and it's one of the major reasons why I refuse to support Drag Race.

I have to ask the question why some of you Black gay males engage in this behavior.  You jealous?  You mad and ashamed because you don't live unapologetically in your truth the way Black trans women do?   You trying to curry favor with the evilgelicals?   You just want to bully trans women? 

Let a trans sister know what the reason is so she can avoid your treacherous azz. 

You will get read for filth by us in the 2K19 if you're caught engaging in that nekulturny behavior because I will say it again, Black trans women are sick and tired of your crap. and being disrespected by people who are supposed to be our ride or die accomplices.

You throwing 'that's a man' shade at us from you spot in the SGL community will no longer be tolerated.  If you're mad because I called your azzes out on this problematic behavior, and are claiming you'll no longer be allies to the trans community because I did so, then sashay away because you were never trans allies to begin with.

That rainbow toxic transphobia contributes to the climate in the Black community that gets Black trans women killed.   You Black gay males who gleefully engaging in spreading that transphobia in our SGL community need to cease and desist with that.
 

Macy's Galleria Pride Fashion Show

Some positive news out of my home state in terms of Macy's Galleria celebrating Pride Month by hosting a fashion show inside the store yesterday from 6-8 PM CDT.

This wasn't just any store fashion show.  The participating models were all local Houston area trans people, and one of the show's organizers and commentators was none other than Jessica Zyrie, who knows a few things about ripping runways.

She was joined in the commentator duties by wardrobe stylist Ashley Kahn as the models showed off in season fashion looks that were inspired by Pride month.   The show also included a DJ spinning tunes, a photo booth, makeup tutorials and complementary swag.

Note to my critics.   Hey it ain't always about me.  I'm a firm believer in there is room for everyone in this trans community to shine, and I practice what I preach. 

I was good with the fact that I got to see the spotlight shined yesterday on our younger Houston area trans peeps . I also got to watch a positive event for our community in a month we sorely needed it.

Just wish the show had been a little longer, but the people in attendance who saw this first ever event won't forget it along with the customers and employees who were in the store at the time it happened.

And hope it happens again next year.

Edward Thomas' Attorney Disrespects Muhlaysia Booker

Our crappy pride month continues with more info coming out of Dallas concerning the legal fallout from the videotaped April 12 assault on Muhlaysia Booker that landed Edward Thomas in the Dallas County Jail.

Thomas is being defended by attorney Andrew W. Wilkerson, who is big mad that his client is facing twenty years in a TDC facility for the videotaped hate assault on our departed sister.

This is the transphobic shyt he had to say on his Facebook page about it:

I’ll say this again, our condolences to the family of Pierre Booker. He was a human being, he was a person that was loved dearly by his family. He did not deserve to die. No one deserves to die. But our client had absolutely nothing to do with his death.

But this is ridiculous. The State is offering Edward Thomas twenty years for that fight in back Royal Crest Apartments a couple months ago. The State is offering twenty years for a fist fight, between two men, with no weaponsinvolved. Let that sink in. There was no knife, no gun, no brass knuckles, and nothing was picked up off the ground and used during the physical altercation. Furthermore, this was no hate crime, period. People who were there know that this all arose from an altercation after Pierre Booker rear ended Thomas’s friends vehicle and refused to exchange insurance information or rectify the situation in anyway. Are you surprised that the news didn’t tell you these details?? Don’t be😑.

No disrespect to anyone’s life style at all. It’s your decision. But when the law recognizes gender it’s based off one’s anatomy or biological make up if you will. So when dealing with the law you must realize that ones sexual preference/orientation has no bearing on his or her gender, a persons gender is based on his/her biological hardware or, plainly said, if a person has a penis, the law views him as a male and if a person has a vagina the law views her as a female. Ridiculously obvious to say, I know, but some of you facebookers seem to have the law a tad bit confused.

So, now that we’ve cleared that up, to offer a man twenty years for a fist fight with another man is unconscionable and shows no regard for his life or his future. Say what you want, but that ain’t justice, not even close. A man can literally wave a gun in another person’s face and not receive twenty years in prison, come on now. Call a spade a spade, this is beyond ridiculous

First off,  Miss Wilkerson, what you said is this jacked up post is not only loud and wrong, but your ignorant and scientifically illiterate rhetoric is why we have a major problem in Black America with anti-trans violence being visited upon trans individuals in Texas and elsewhere in the United States.

It was also straight up disrespectful to the memory of Ms Booker, her family, and all the people in the Dallas area who loved her.

Gender is between your ears, not your legs, and that is the overwhelming consensus of the scientific community and folks who have been doing the research for decades when it comes to transsexuality and gender identity.

Let me repeat it for you one more time so your willfully clueless azz gets it.  The genitalia between your legs is not the sole determinant of your gender identity.

Your client in a fit of transphobic and toxic Black masculinity, stuck his nose in somebody else's business and beat down a trans woman for $200.   He also by doing so, triggered the series of events that resulted in Muhlaysia Booker's death a month later.   

And can you accurately account for your client's whereabouts after he was released from the Dallas County Jail on bail days before Ms Booker was killed?

When your client beat a trans woman unconscious on that April 12 day to the point that several cis women had to step in and physically remove her from your client's flying fists as he uttered homophobic slurs, yeah Miss Attorney Thang, that's not a mere fight.   That's a hate crime that your waste of DNA client deserves jail time for.

One other thing.   Trans people live lives, not a lifestyle.  So miss me with that 'no disrespect' line because your entire comment was dripping with it and transphobic ignorance.   Calling a trans woman a man is the height of disrespect.

You need Jesus and some serious education about trans issues.  .You are also a disgrace to the proud tradition of attorneys from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law.

Now what's the phone number and the URL for the State Bar of Texas?

30th Anniversary of the Crushing of the Tiananmen Square Demonstrations

'It's a reminder to those of us who live in democracies that as much as we gripe about the imperfect nature of the governments we live under, these freedoms are hard won and require eternal vigilance to keep.' 
-TransGriot  June 4, 2009 

Back in May 1989 the world watched as student led demonstrations calling for greater democracy and an end to government corruption occupied Beijing's Tiananmen Square as the world watched.

Then late in the evening on June 3 and into the early morning hours of June 4 the plug was pulled on the international television network's live feeds. moments later PLA troops rolled into the square with trucks and tanks firing their weapons to brutally end the protests .

Estimates of the dead ranged from 200 to 1000 people as China was universally condemned for what happened.  It also produced this iconic photo of a lone Chinese man stepping in front of a tank column before being taken away by police to a still unknown fate.

It's now been 30 years since that fateful evening that impacted modern Chinese history.  Despite their Chinese government's diligent efforts to scrub it or suppress any knowledge that it happened inside the country , those of us outside of China ensure that the memory of what happened in 1989 never dies.

And we must keep the memory of what happened alive for future generations so that those persons who died in Tiananmen Square didn't do so in vain.

     

Number 7 Rest In Power Chynal Lindsey

I and the Texas trans community still haven't had time to regroup after laying Muhlaysia Booker to rest, and now a mere 24 hours after Dallas Pride happens, we are now having to say the name of another of our trans siblings gone far too soon in her young life.

We go back to Dallas for the second trans person they have had murdered there in 2019, the second in the state of Texas, and the seventh in the United States.

Meet 26 year old Chynal Lindsey.   She was born in Chicago, but lived here in the Lone Star State.  Her body was found in the White Rock Lake reservoir on June 1.

As I mentioned, she is the seventh trans person we have lost in the US to anti-trans violence.  All seven have been African American.   Five of the seven are under age 30.

As of yet,  haven't heard if there is going to be a memorial vigil or detail about funeral arrangements.  Dallas Police has called in the FBI on this case per reporting from David Taffet to determine whether or not this is part of a string of serial killings of trans women in the Dallas area.. 

Something else I haven't heard is the words 'Black trans lives matter' coming from the mouths of the Texas NAACP, which is headquartered in Dallas.

Rest in power and peace , Chynal.  We won't rest until the person who took your live is brought to justice.

     

Michelle Washington Celebration Of Life Service Tomorrow

For those of you in the Philadelphia metro area who wish to attend the celebration of life services of Michelle 'Tameka' Washington, here's the info.   

They will take place at Batchelor Brothers Funeral Home., located at 7112 North Broad Street in Philadelphia.   The viewing will start at 12 noon EDT, followed by the service starting at 1 PM EDT.

The Repast/Reception will begin at 2:30 PM EDT and is scheduled to run until 4:30 PM.   It will take place at Hot Pot Cuisine.    The address is 4234 Germantown Ave in Philadelphia.   

Hope you peeps in the Philly area are able to attend and honor our gone too soon sibling.