Ready For Our ABC Nightline Closeup

Dee Dee, Diamond Stylz and I recently taped on July 22 an ABC Nightline episode in which we talked about the violence affecting Black trans women in Texas and around the country.

The initial part of it was taped while we were in Dallas for our recent BTAC Leadership Institute, and the rest was done when we returned back to Houston.

We were also doing so in the wake of the loss of Denali Stuckey at the time we taped it.  We're now up to 20 trans women lost to anti trans violence with three months left in this year.

As y'all know, anti-trans violence aimed at the Black trans community is a serious issue.   It's past time that we were blessed to have an in-depth discussion about it with the people that it negatively affects on national television.   

It was also nice to be having that discussion with my H-town homegirls and fellow BTWI board members.

Was alerted that the show will finally air tonight.   Looking forward to seeing how this segment turned out    As for when  ABC News Nightline airs, it comes on at 11:35 PM CDT.

Hope that when you watch it, it will be an informative show and that those of you who see it will get something out of it.  .

2019 TransGriot NFL Picks -Week 5

We have now gone through a quarter of the 2019 NFL season with the calendar page turning to October.   Week 4 was good to me because I won my second week of this year's prognostication contest despite all the upsets.

I didn't see the Texans- Panthers game because I was in downtown Houston attending the GLBT Caucus Equality Brunch.   Glad I was because I probably would have been throwing things at my TV.   Can y'all fire Bill O'Brien and get us a new coach?

The Cowboys lost to the Saints, so anything that shuts up the Harris County Dallas Cowchip fans is all good for me.

Who Dat?  Who Dat?  Who dat thought they were gonna beat dem Saints?

Enough messing with these Cowchip fans, time to get to this week's picks.  Another 15 games since the Lions and Dolphins are on their bye week     As usual, my picks will be in bold red print with the home team in all CAPS.    Mike's Week 5 picks can be found at this link.

Week 4 Results                            NFL Season Results
TransGriot  9-6                             TransGriot   39-23-1
Mike           8-7                              Mike           38-24-1

Thursday Night Game
SEAHAWKS over Rams

Sunday Early Games 
TEXANS over Falcons
Jaguars over PANTHERS
Patriots over WASHINGTON
TITANS over Bills
Ravens over STEELERS
BENGALS over Cardinals
SAINTS over Buccaneers
Vikings over GIANTS
Bears over RAIDERS
EAGLES over Jets

Sunday Afternoon Games
CHARGERS over Broncos
Packers over COWBOYS

Sunday Night Game
CHIEFS over Colts

Monday Night Game
49ERS over Browns

MJ Off Broadway

Y'all know I absolutely love MJ Rodriguez from POSE, and if you've watched seasons one and two of the show we've discovered that she has an amazing singing voice. 

Now that we're anxiously awaiting Season 3 of POSE,  until they start filming it Rodriquez is keeping herself busy with other acting projects like playing Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors
That Pasadena Playhouse production of the musical play started on September 25, and also stars George Salazar.  It's running through October 20 for you Cali folks who wish to see it. 

MJ and George Salazar were on CBS' The Late Late Show With James Corden performing the Suddenly Seymour song from the play, and here's the video from it to brighten your day

Amber Guyger Guilty!

To be honest, I didn't think I would be writing these words in relation to that case, but that's what happened.  A cop who killed an unarmed Black person in their own home finally will be held accountable for it.

And the coolest part of this whole story is it happened in my home state.

The white women's tears she cried on the witness stand didn't work, as the jury made of of 5 Black peeps, 5 Latinx peeps and 2 whites returned a unanimous verdict convicting her of entering 26 year old Botham Jean's Dallas apartment on September 6, 2018 and killing him.

Can't do the happy dance just yet.  Trial is still in the punishment phase, and the racist texts the former Dallas PD officer unleashed have come out     She is facing 5-99 years in a TDC cell, so to me justice won't be truly served unless she's doing as close to 99 years as possible.

We'll find out soon how much time she got.

But the people I feel for are the Jean family, who have lost someone they can never get back 


TransGriot Update:   And how much time did she get?  10 effing years?   Really?  People, and especially POC's have gotten more time for selling drugs or robbing a bank.

What Happened To Trans-Fusion Radio?

Last Friday night there was supposed to be a Trans-Fusion Radio show on the subject of the trans prefix and whether it was necessary to identify ourselves as such or just use 'woman' to ID ourselves.

For the record, I think we should unapologetically ID ourselves as trans women, but that's another post.

When 7 PM CDT hit I was in my Dallas hotel room tuned in and eagerly expecting to hear the voices of my Dallas based sisters Mieko Love, Leshay Weeks and R. Pocahontas Duvall Crowe.   

But what I and everyone who tuned into Power214.com that evening got was silence, and when I called the show's number it just rang without being picked up.

When I called Mieko Saturday morning to find out what happened to that Friday's show, I was angered to find out that since mine and Dee Dee Watters' visit to the Power214.com studios back in April during the BTAC conference, they have not been treated with the respect they were due as one of the more popular shows on that Dallas based broadcast platform.

In fact Trans-Fusion Radio has become so popular beyond the Dallas- Ft. Worth area, the other Power 214 platform shows noticed and expressed their desires to do collaborative shows with the Trans-Fusion Radio team, according to Love.   

But they were receiving no love from the station's cisgender Black male owner, who was getting squeamish about the increasing popularity of the show and bristling from comments he was hearing from the Dallas Black community that Power214.com was 'the t****y network'.

The owner revealed that alleged community critique in conversations with the Trans-Fusion team,  then in the wake of the conversation started showing up late to produce Trans-Fusion Radio. 
Even though it was his tardiness that would delay the start of their show, he wouldn't make up for his late arrival by extending their paid for two hour time block into the next show . 

When the Power214.com studios moved to a new building at the intersections of Alpha and Preston Roads in far north Dallas, the owner asked if they were coming along, but said it in such a way that gave the Trans-Fusion team the impression he wouldn't be disappointed if they didn't.

Power214.com also has a online magazine that does feature interviews with the podcasters to promote their shows.   In the time that Trans-Fusion Radio has been part of that station, they have never had a feature article done on them.

So being fed up with the shady treatment they were getting for their t-bills, the Trans-Fusion team started looking for a new broadcast studio home just in case caca hit the fan and the Power214.com owner went full transphobe and cancelled the show.

The final straw was the Dallas Morning News article written by award winning journalist Lauren McGaughy to discuss the epidemic of anti-trans violence in Texas that seems to be centered on the DFW area.   McGaughy interviewed the Trans Fusion team for the story and wanted to take some photos of the Trans Fusion team at work in the studio for Friday's show.

Most rational business owners would jump at the chance to get free media publicity about their business.  But the transphobic station owner started tripping, probably because of who was getting the publicity and why. and the Trans Fusion team had enough of his crap.

Trans-Fusion Radio is moving to a new home, and as soon as they have done so, they will let everyone who loves their show know what night and time it will be broadcasting from their new platform.   I also hope that there is a way they can file a complaint against Power214.com under the Dallas non discrimination ordinance that covers anti-trans discrimination

And I hope that Trans-Fusion Radio is broadcasting sooner rather than later, because the DFW area, Texas and the world needs to hear their voices.

Happy 95th Birthday President Carter!

Today is the 95th birthday of President Jimmy Carter, who served as our POTUS during my high school years and was the first one I was able to vote for when I hit voting age in 1980

We would also be a much better nation had he gotten that second term.

As of today, he is now our oldest living former president. This is a man who has been a person who role models his Christian values better than all the evilgelicals who claim their are but are more like Pharisees and Sadducees.   He left the Southern Baptist Convention and said this in his letter explaining why:

"I have seen an increasing inclination on the part of Southern Baptist Convention leaders to be more rigid on what is a Southern Baptist and exclusionary of accommodating those who differ from them. In the last couple of years, this tendency of the Southern Baptist Convention leadership to ordain their creed on others has become more onerous for me and more difficult for me to accept."

During his presidency he broker a peace deal between Israel and Egypt that still lasts to the present day and led to Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat jointly winning the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize.
The Department of Energy and Department of Education were established, the treaty was signed with panama to end US control of the Panama Canal in 1999, full diplomatic relations were restored with China, and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve was established.

He also had to deal with the Iranian hostage crisis and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that led to the US led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.

Although he only served one term, he has post presidency continued to be a clear and consistent voice for human rights.  He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his dedication to international democracy building, conflict resolution, and development programs.

Carter has also won three Grammys for Best Spoken Word Album.  He has  monitored elections around the world, builds homes for Habitat for Humanity, and has continued to be a great role model of what Christian love in action looks like.

For those of you in the ATL, the Carter Center will have a 95 cent admission price in honor of his birthday.  you can also leave a birthday message here

'Trans In Texas' Documentary Wins an Emmy!

I noted that Kai Shappley has her bag packed to go on a quick trip to New York, but didn't know what the trip was for.

The trip for my adopted niece was for the Short Doc Emmy Awards, and the Trans In Texas documentary in which Kai had a major role in won a Short Doc Emmy.

This was the moment they announced the winner.   I couldn't be happier for Kai and the team that put it together., 

Short Doc_Emmy Acceptance Speech: 2019 from Daresha Kyi on Vimeo.


Congrats

Miss Chile Universe Has A Trans Contestant!

When Erin Grinde Tunheim's attempt to win Miss Norway Universe resulted in her finishing as the third runner up in this pageant, with the number of Miss Universe national pageants quickly dwindling, I believed that the international trans community had run out of chances to have another trans beauty walk a Miss Universe pageant stage in 2019.

I wasn't aware until yesterday that we had another trans woman qualify for her national pageant, and this time it wasn't in Europe.

The person who would attempt to make that history was in Chile, and she is 26 year old model Gera Saint Garriga.   She won the Miss Santiago title, which punched her ticket to the national pageant held in Punta Arenas that had her competing against 17 other women from across the nation.

Saint Garriga was motivated to do so after seeing Angela Ponce win Miss Spain Universe and compete in last year's Miss Universe in Bangkok.    She is proud to not only be the first out trans person person in her nation to qualify for a national Miss Universe pageant, but the first out trans person to do so in South America, Latin America and the Western Hemisphere.

While she made it as one of the five finalists, the Miss Universe Chile crown went to 19 year old Geraldine Gonzalez, who will be Chile's representative at Miss Universe. 

Saint Garriga finished third

2019 TransGriot NFL Picks- Week 4

Week 3 ended up with me winning the week due to me getting the Texans game right.

Antonio Brown probably is done for this season as he was cut by the Cheatriots Patriots after another sexual assault allegation triggered an NFL investigation.   Look for him to be back playing only if he gets cleared by the league.

Back to the Texans.   For the first time this season they actually played better football in the second half, and they needed it against the LA Chargers.  The defense also stepped up big late to propel them to another victory. 

Jadaveon who? 

Time to get back to work making these picks.   Only 15 games this week because the Jets and 49ers are on their bye week watching everybody else play.   My picks will be in bold red print with the home team in CAPS.    Mike's Week 4 picks will be here at this link.

Week 3 Results                               NFL Season Results 
TransGriot 11-5                              TransGriot   30-17-1
Mike          10-6                              Mike            30-17-1


Thursday Night Game
PACKERS over Eagles

Sunday Early Games
TEXANS over Panthers
Titans over FALCONS
GIANTS over Washington
Chargers over DOLPHINS
COLTS over Raiders
Chiefs over LIONS
RAVENS over Browns
Patriots over BILLS

Sunday Afternoon Games
RAMS over Buccaneers
Seahawks over CARDINALS
BEARS over Vikings
Jaguars over BRONCOS

Sunday Night Game
Cowboys over SAINTS

Monday Night Game 
STEELERS over Bengals

Suspect Arrested In Shooting Of Dallas Trans Woman

A suspect has been arrested in the shooting of 35 year old trans woman Daniela Calderon.

According to reporting from the Dallas Voice, Dallas police arrested 29 year old Domingo Ramirez-Cayente and charged him with aggravated assault in the shooting that took place on September 20 in the 11000 block of Dennis Road.

According to the arrest warrant, Calderon was walking along Dennis Road when Ramirez-Cayente pulled up alongside her in his red Chevy truck and yelled anti-trans and anti-gay slurs at her.  Calderon walked away from the truck and toward a nearby DART bus stop so she could leave the location.

Ramirez-Cayente then pulled up to the bus stop as she was waiting there and shot Calderon several times with a handgun.

Calderon was taken to a nearby hospital where she underwent surgery for her injuries, and spoke to investigators in September 22..   Ramirez-Cayente's truck was captured by nearby security video cameras and was eventually identified by detectives on September 24. 

Ramirez-Cayente was arrested on traffic warrants, and while being interviewed by detectives at DPD headquarters admitted to shooting Calderon.     .

Ramirez-Cayente is still in the Dallas County jail as of this writing on charges of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and three minor traffic violations.   His bond on the assault charge was set at $25,000.

Once again, this is another concrete example of what I I'm talking about when I say anti-trans hate thoughts + anti-trans hate speech = anti-trans hate violence and murder.

I'm thankful that Rony Calderon didn't become the fourth Texas trans person to be lost to anti-trans violence this year.   I also wish her speedy healing and recovery from her injuries.

May the Dallas County DA handle their business and throw this waste of DNA under the jail for what he tried to do.     

TransGriot Update:  Stunned and angered to learn that Ramirez-Cayente was released on bail. 

Matt Bevin Dipping Into The GOP Transphobic Playbook

Matt Bevin (R) is polling at historic lows for a Kentucky governor, and is trailing Kentucky Democratic AG Andy Beshear in the governor's race that will be decided in a few weeks.

So what does the GOP do when they have no governmental accomplishments to run on and their candidate is majorly unpopular? 

Deploy the transphobia.

The SuperPAC campaign Fore American Principles deployed the ad aimed at Beshear which features a male actor running a race against female athletes.



Bevin's campaign predictably had no comment about the transphobic ad, but Chris Hartman, the ED of the Kentucky Fairness Campaign definitely did. 

"'Ads like this coming out of Washington DC think tanks, that have no grounding in reality, are the types of things that ruin our elections," said Hartman.  

"I hope, I believe that the people of Kentucky will prove that this type of political fear-mongering out of Washington DC, just doesn't work here, back home, where we deal with things on a local level," Hartman added.

The Beshear campaign issued a statement that also tore Bevin a new anus over the transphobic ad. 

"This is a shameful and false attack from a shady group that will lead to bullying of our kids. Andy opposes discrimination. Matt Bevin is an unhinged failure who is hurting our students by seeking to tear down public education. He even blamed teachers, without evidence, for the sexual abuse of children.”

Is November 5 here yet so my Kentucky peeps can fire Matt Bevin? 

Rep John Lewis Calls For Trump Impeachment

You longtime TransGriot readers know I have much love and the utmost respect for civil rights movement icon Rep.John Lewis (D-GA).

Earlier today he took to the US House floor to give a five minute speech calling for Dolt 45 to b impeached.

Here's that speech if you didn't get a chance to see it .

 

The M.O.B. Strikes Again!

We are blessed to have some amazing college bands in the Houston area like TSU's Ocean of Soul, Prairie View A&M's Marching Storm, and UH's Spirit of Houston.

But none of them can match the legendary irreverence of Rice University's Marching Owl Band, or 'The MOB' as they are affectionately known.

The MOB doesn't wear traditional band uniforms or march onto the field.  They scatter into formations in their pinstriped three piece suits and fedora hats.   They also live for irreverently poking fun at their game day rivals, politics, life on the Rice campus and themselves.

While those MOB shows can be good natured at times, there are other times the MOB drew ire from their targets because they struck a nerve.   One memorable MOB show involved them during a November 17, 1973 game at Rice Stadium poking fun at cherished Texas A&M Aggie traditions. 

The MOB Nazi goose stepped onto the field, mocked the Aggie War Hymn and the Corps of Cadets, and formed a fire hydrant while playing 'Oh Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone' to mock the Aggie mascot Reveille



The Aggies were not amused, and losing the game to Rice didn't help matters    The pissed off Aggie fans formed a mob of their own that trapped the embattled band in the stadium tunnel for several hours after the game.   HPD had to come in to disperse the crowd as the band escaped the Aggie wrath in empty food trucks

In 2007, the MOB mocked the legal woes of the Texas Longhorns by playing the theme from Dragnet as three band members dressed as Longhorn players were chased by other band members carrying cardboard police cars.

In 2011, days before Texas A&M announced they were leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, during the Owls season opener against Texas in Austin, they formed the words '$EC' during their halftime show.

In  2016, when Baylor last made the trip to Houston to play the Owls, the MOB not only formed the roman numeral IX to refer to Title IX and the sexual assault scandal engulfing the school at the time, they formed a star and played 'Hit the Road Jack' to allude to the firing of former Baylor president Ken Starr

They whacked UT again this season when they spelled out '2.89', which is the cumulative GPA of the Texas Longhorn football team.   



The MOB struck again last Saturday as they hosted Baylor at Rice Stadium.    They took a jab at Baylor for denying a charter for an on campus LGBTQ group.  They formed the word 'Pride' and played the Village People's YMCA as students ran onto the field carrying the various TBLGQ community group pride flags.

Aw yeah.   Going to have to check out a Rice home game before the season is over to see what the MOB does next.

 

Landmark TBLGQ Discrimination SCOTUS Cases To Be Argued Next Month

If you're wondering why Laverne Cox as she walked the Emmy red carpet with ACLU staff attorney Chase Strangio was carrying a rainbow clutch purse with the October 8 date on it, the words Title VII' and 'Supreme Court' on it, I'm about to tell you why.

When the calendar page flips to October, on the first Monday of the month (October 7), the 2019-2020 Supreme Court session will start.    After they take their traditional photo, the next day on October 8, the justices will hear arguments in three landmark TBLGQ workplace discrimination cases that will have a profound impact on all TBLGQ persons in the United States Those landmark cases will determine whether TBLGQ Americans are covered under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Two of the three cases, Zarda v. Altitude Express and Bostock vs Clayton County Georgia have been consolidated, and will determine whether anti-gay discrimination is a form of sex discrimination.  The late Donald Zarda filed suit against Altitude Express after the skydiver was terminated by them in 2010 for being gay.   Zarda died as the result of a base jumping accident in Switzerland, and his family elected to continue the case.

Gerald Bostock filed suit against Clayton County after he was terminated from his job by Clayton County in 2013 after it reveled to coworkers he’d joined a gay softball league.

Harris Funeral Homes v EEOC is a trans specific case that will determine whether anti-trans discrimination is a form of sex discrimination.   Aimee Stephens was fired by the funeral home in 2014 after informing her employer she was beginning transition
The Sixth Circuit already has positive case law backing up trans workers in previous discrimination cases that conclude anti-trans discrimination is a form of sex discrimination .  The funeral home and the Trump Administration are trying to argue otherwise.
The ACLU is arguing the Zarda and Harris SCOTUS cases, while an Atlanta area legal firm is arguing the Bostock SCOTUS case.
While all these cases are being argued on the basis of whether Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act applies to anti-TBLGQ discrimination, these cases will affect all federal laws banning discrimination on the basis of sex including Title X of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Fair Housing Act. 

The Trump Administration and the (in)Justice Department are arguing to make it legal to fire LGBTQ workers. If that happens, it won't be just TBLGQ people who are negatively affected by such an unjust ruling. If you are a cis hetero person perceived to be LGBTQ, you could also be fired as well. While I'm hoping that five justices will reject that BS argument, with Kavanaugh and Gorsuch on the Court, it's possible we'll have an adverse 5-4 ruling. Then again we could get one that goes the other way

We won't know for certain until the June end of the SCOTUS 2019-2020 term At that time we will either be celebrating a landmark win, or a legal setback that will add years to our battle for TBLGQ human rights coverage.

I'm hoping and praying it's a landmark win.

We Are Not Being Sensitive, You're Being Obtuse .

TransGriot Note:  I like to from time to time signal boost commentary from other thought leaders in the community  in this space.   I liked this one from my Chicago based sis Channyn Parker, and believe that it is a message y'all needed to see, read and hear. 

Guest Post by Channyn Lynne Parker

I don’t really know where to begin, except to say for those of you who champion, defend, and continue to support trans women, thank you.

Honestly, I don’t think any trans person here expects a cis-person to understand what it’s like to have a body that expresses itself incongruently to one’s internal reality. However, what you can understand is the importance and recognition of our humanity.

None of us are blind to the fact there are fractures, rifts and subgrouping within our community along feigned notions of superiority.   But know this, there would be no community unless we trans women had not stood up first.

I hear the word “sensitive” being thrown around a lot, as if to gaslight us into believing that we  somehow are at fault for not recognizing the humor you find in our pain.

I wouldn’t be so quick to call a trans woman sensitive.  Remember, due to our daily existence, we trans women in fact have very tough skins.   What you are witnessing however, is heartbreak.

You can’t be sensitive while screaming in the face of a politician, to give you your right to be legally wed.

You can’t be sensitive while holding the hands of your dying, and burying your dead, and still muster up the strength to stand in the front lines demanding an end to the epidemic.

You can’t be sensitive when sitting in front of the young man who is hungry and tired with no place to go, and all you have to offer him is a little bit of comfort and something warm to fill his belly.

So, if to call us “sensitive” is your way of averting the need for or somehow directing at us a coded non-apology apology, it’s an apology that we do not accept.

We trans women were the wet nurses to this movement when “Gay Rights” was in its infancy. So again, what you’re your seeing and hearing from us is not sensitivity, it is a mother's grief. It is a daughter's abandonment, and a sister's rejection from her very own sons and brothers.

I feel no need to tarry any further as I have made myself abundantly clear with this soliloquy.

Again, I love you all with a love that is divinely mandated, and that love, is the love of respect.

2019 TransGriot NFL Picks -Week 3

We're in the third week of this young NFL season, and veteran quarterbacks are dropping due to injuries.   Still too early to tell which teams appear to be Super Bowl contenders, but it's becoming apparent that the Miami Dolphins after being outscored 102-10 in their first two games may be on their way to the number one pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

After the Texans lost a game at the buzzer in NOLA last week, they somewhat redeemed themselves by stopping a late Jaguars two point conversion attempt at the goal line to preserve a 13-12 nail biter.

I was above .500 last week, but now trailing by a game in the prognostication contest no thanks to the Bengals loss to the 49ers.

See y'all in London, Jags.   Question is will Jalen Ramsey be making that trip across The Pond with them?

Let's get to this week's picks.   Another 16 games to get through since nobody has a bye week yet
My picks will be in bold red print with HOME team in CAPS.  Mike's picks will be at this link.

Week 2 Results                                               2019 Season Record
TransGriot   9-7                                              TransGriot   19-12-1
Mike          10-6                                              Mike            20-11-1

Thursday Night Game
Titans over JAGUARS

Sunday Early Games
BILLS over Bengals
EAGLES over Lions
PATRIOTS over Jets
VIKINGS over Raiders
CHIEFS over Ravens
Falcons over COLTS
PACKERS over Broncos
COWBOYS over Broncos

Sunday Afternoon Games
BUCCANEERS over Giants
CARDINALS over Panthers
49ERS over Steelers
SEAHAWKS over Saints
Texans over CHARGERS

Sunday Night Game
Rams over BROWNS

Monday Night Game
Bears over WASHINGTON

Marsha's Plate Hits 100th Show Milestone

My multi-talented sis Diamond Stylz is a trailblazer in many areas of the media.   She was a YouTube video blogger for over a decade until they shadily deleted her channel. 

When she was in high school, she was the plaintiff for a successful trans rights lawsuit, then became the first out trans student to attend Jackson State University.    Being in that somewhat hostile environment helped her hone her activist skills.  She's also a singer and songwriter. 

She recently wrote an article that was published in ESSENCE magazine, and for several years now she has a podcast called Marsha's Plate that she hosts with Mia Mix and Zee that focuses on Black trans community issues, pop culture and other subjects.

I've had the honor of doing one of their shows since the podcast is based here in Houston, and hope I get the chance to do another one in the near future.

The big news is that Marsha's Plate is now celebrating its 100th show, and it's a must listen to one in which one of the topics they discussed is Andre Mizrahi's jacked up transphobic rant.

Congratulations to the Marsha's Plate team for hitting this milestone!