Dave Wilson Runs For HCC Board, But Can't Spell

You longtime TransGriot readers have read my rants about Dave Wilson, who is a longtime transphobe and homophobe who has been responsible for helping spike two attempts at Houston passing inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances in 1985 and 2015.

When he's not busy trying to get transphobic BS inserted into the Houston City Charter, Wilson has been keeping himself busy doing his hatemongering as a member of the Houston Community College board. 

Saying in that misspelled flyer that he has 'uncompromising integrity' is a crock, being that he passed himself off as Black to narrowly win the HCC District II seat by 24 votes and knock off a 24 year African American incumbent board trustee in the process. 

He has been censured and reprimanded by his fellow board members for his antics.  When Rhonda Skillern Jones stepped up to challenge him for his HCC District II seat, he resigned, then filed to run in the HCC District I seat race against attorney Monica Flores Richart.

Needless to say I want his azz (and so does everyone at HCC) gone, and it's a major reason why I not only endorsed Monica Flores Richart in this race, I hope she is successful in taking his reprehensible behind out.    I love watching trans oppressors like Wilson get beaten at the ballot box.

I also found it interesting that a candidate trying to get back on the board of a community college, pays so little attention to his campaign material that he let a spelling error slide by.

What is it about transphobes and their propensity for spelling errors? .

But here's hoping that we're calling Monica Flores Richart 'trustee-elect' at the end of the night

TransGriot Update:  Monica Flores Richart is in a runoff against that hatemonger
 .

2019 H-Town Election Day!

It has been four years since we last had a municipal election, and that 2015 Houston municipal one was a painful and conflicting emotion inducing one for many of us in the Houston TBLGQ community.

While we were pleased to see Sylvester Turner survive and advance to a December runoff against Bill King to determine who would succeed term limited Mayor Annise Parker, what we weren't happy about was our HERO nondiscrimination ordinance being recalled after a shady and transphobic GOP fueled campaign and human rights malpractice by the Houston Unites coalition defending the ordinance.

The proposition that did pass in 2015 was one that changed the terms for the mayor, city council and controller to ta maximum of two four year terms instead of the previous maximum of three two year terms.

We're finally here and it's Election Day in H-town!  We have many candidates running for City Council and several challenging Mayor Turner's reelection bid, and one blast from the GOP past in Orlando Sanchez.    He's back, and this time he's challenging Controller Chris Brown.

A Republican has not sat in the Houston mayor's chair at The Horseshoe in over 40 years and the Harris County GOP is big mad about it.  The blue tsunami last year that swept them out of power in the county courthouse, county government and Harris County Commissioners Court only added to their pissivity and desperation to get any kind of representation in the soon to be third largest city and third largest county in the nation.

Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM CST, and in a new twist, if you're a Harris County resident, you can vote at any of 750 polling locations inside the county.

Blue Elections have positive consequences.

If you're still wondering who to vote for, here are my 2019 TransGriot municipal endorsements to help you make up your mind. 

But if you didn't take the time to take advantage of early voting, please take the opportunity to do so today, because voting is 100% more effective than complaining on the Internet that these politicians aren't doing anything. .

20th Anniversary of TDOR Approaching

When November 20 hits, as many of you longtime readers are aware of, it will be the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR).   It is the day San Francisco based trans advocate Gwen Smith created in 1999 to memorialize the people we have lost to anti trans violence and remember the murder of Rita Hester, who had been killed in the Boston area just a year prior to the event.

The first TDOR events were held in Boston and San Francisco in 1999, and quickly became an international event observed by trans people around the globe.

As my national visibility as an advocate heightened, I started getting requests to speak at TDOR event outside of Louisville, where i lived from 2001-2010, and Houston. 

My first was being the keynote speaker for the inaugural TDOR event at the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (LPTS) in Louisville. KY in 2002, and the very next year ended up at the LPTS delivering the 2003 TDOR keynote address. 

On the 10th anniversary of TDOR in 2009, I spoke at a TDOR event in Long Island, New York, and for the 20th, will probably be here in Houston speaking at another after being in Milwaukee for theirs last year and Tucson's in 2016.

We are now approaching the 20th anniversary of that original TDOR event, and it's sad to say that Rita Hester's killer still hasn't been brought to justice.   We are also looking at TDOR memorial lists that are overwhelmingly made up of trans women of color, and in the US, overwhelmingly Black trans women under age 30.

Internationally, they are disproportionately made up of trans women from Latin America and Brazil.

TDOR itself has in some places morphed to become part of a Trans Awareness Week that includes panels and other events before the TDOR itself.   In San Francisco, it is now part of Trans Awareness Month, and San Francisco City Hall was lit up in the trans pride flag color in recognition of it.

So who will we be honoring on November 20?   This is the list of names of people we have lost in 2019 so far, and I pray it doesn't get any longer between now and December 31.

It's also been a particularly rough year in Texas, where we've lost four people, two in Dallas, and two Houston, to anti-trans murders

***

Dana Martin, 31, Montgomery, AL
Ashanti Carmon, 27, Fairmount Heights, MD
Jazzaline Ware,  34, Memphis, TN
Muhlaysia Booker, 22, Dallas, TX
Michelle Washington, 40, Philadelphia, PA
Claire Legato, 21, Cleveland, OH
Paris Cameron, 20, Detroit, MI
Chynal Lindsey, 26, Dallas, TX
Chanel Scurlock, 23, Lumberton, NC
Zoe Spears, 23, Fairmount Heights, MD
Brooklyn Lindsey, 32, Kansas City, MO
Denali Berries Stuckey,  29, North Charleston, SC
Marquis Kiki Fantroy, 21, Miami, FL
Pebbles LaDime Doe, 24, Allendale, SC
Jordan Cofer, 22, Dayton, OH
Tracy Single Williams, 22, Houston TX
Bailey Reeves, 17, Baltimore, MD
Bee Love Slater,  23, Clewiston, FL
Ja'Leyah Jamar Berryman,  30, Kansas City, MO
Elisha Stanley, 46, Pittsburgh, PA
Itali Marlowe, 29, Houston, TX
Brianna BB Hill,  30, Kansas City, MO 

Stats Breakdown  

Female- 21  

Male-  1

Age 

0-19 -   1  

20-29 - 14 

30-39 - 5 

40-49 - 2 

50-59 - 0

Race-Ethnicity

White- 1 

Black- 21 

Latinx-0

Asian-Pacific Islander-0 

Rest in power to all the people we lost in 2019.   While some o the people who took you lives are in jail awaiting trial, there are others to which, like in Rita Hester's case, a person of interest or suspect hasn't been apprehended yet. 

We won't rest in this community until this happens, and those wastes of DNA are punished and rotting for their rest of their miserable lives in jail cells. 

Another thing we won't rest until we accomplish this task is to create a world that is safe enough for trans people to inhabit.  We would like as a community for the TDOR become unnecessary to plan or for us to have to gather every November 20 to observe this memorial event in which we must mourn and remember our dead.

But sadly, we as a society aren't there yet.

Sen Harris Iowa Dem Liberty and Justice Event Speech

“To win, we are going to need a nominee on that stage, with Donald Trump, who has the ability to go toe to toe with Donald Trump –and Iowa, you are looking at her,” she said. “I have spent my career as a prosecutor. I’ve only had one client in my entire life, and that has been the people. Unlike other people, unlike others, I have never represented a corporation. I have never represented a special interest.”-Sen Kamala Harris 

Since it's now glaringly obvious the media won't cover Sen. Kamala Harris' campaign and are doing everything possible to erase, demonize and marginalize her so other mediocre white males can win the Democratic nomination, ,I'm going to do my part between now and the start of the primaries to post news about the Harris campaign because I'm tired of the BS.

Sen. Harris has redeployed campaign resources from New Hampshire and is going all in for the Iowa  Democratic Party caucuses that happen in 90 days on February 3.

While the media was trying to pump up Pete Buttigieg and a post heart attack dropping like a rock Bernie Sanders,  Sen Harris was making a rousing speech at the Iowa Democratic Party's Liberty and Justice Event on Friday night in Des Moines. 

Didn't hear about it?   Well, here's the speech. 

 

Fall Back 2019

Well people, as of 2 AM right now we are now back to observing standard time in the US for the next few months.  So enjoy getting that extra hour of sleep back you lost back in March.

If you haven't done so already, it's time (pun intended) to set those clocks back one hour because if you don't, you'll be an hour early for everything you do today.

And oh yeah, just to make you aware of it, Daylight Savings Time returns in the US on March 8, 2020.

Today Starts Blade Runner Month

  If you are a fan of the 1982 sci-fi movie Blade Runner, you know that the opening scene of the movie sets it in Los Angeles in November 2019.

As of today, that movie is no longer one that in the future since we have now hit November 1, 2019.

It is interesting to seethe hits and misses on a lot of this they projected in the movie.   Pan Am Airlines is long gone, we don't have any off world colonies yet or flying cars.

Neither do we have Nexus 6 replicants walking around, but robotics scientists around the globe are trying to get there.. 

I own the DVD of that movie and the sequel, so at some point this weekend I'll probably five up the DVD player and some popcorn and watch i.t

2019 TransGriot NFL Picks- Week 9

The Texans are playing in London for the first time ever in franchise hisory, but our opponent is a familiar one in our AFC South divisional rivals the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jalen Ramsey is no longer patrolling the Jags secondary after being traded to the LA Rams.  But we're also missing a defensive stud in future Hall of Famer JJ Watt, who is out for the rest of the season due to a torn pectoral muscle.

We still have Deshaun Watson at QB.   If only the offensive line would jell and start protecting him.   That's still going to be an interesting game for you peeps across The Pond to watch.

I had a great Week 8, going 13-2 for my best week of the season so far.   Unfortunately Mike matched me on his picks after the Bears boneheaded stunt and missed game winning field goal cost me a win.

I'd already picked up a game when the Tennessee Traitors beat the Buccaneers.

Let's get to the Week 9 picks.   Four teams, the Falcons, Bengals, Rams and Saints are on their bye week, so only 14 games to pick.   Mike's picks will be at this link, and mine as usual will be in bold red print with the HOME team in caps.

Week 8 Results                                     2019 NFL Season Record
TransGriot  13-2                                   TransGriot  79-41-1
Mike           13-2                                    Mike          74-46-1

Thursday Night Game
49ers over CARDINALS

London Game
Texans over JAGUARS

Sunday Early Games
EAGLES over Bears
Colts over STEELERS
Jets over DOLPHINS
Vikings over CHIEFS
PANTHERS over Titans
BILLS over Washington

Sunday Afternoon Games
SEAHAWKS over Buccaneers
Lions over RAIDERS
Packers over CHARGERS
Browns over BRONCOS

Sunday Night Game
Patriots over RAVENS

Monday Night Game
Cowboys over GIANTS

Popeye's Chicken Sandwich Returns November 3

Popeye's introduced a new chicken sandwich back on August 12,  and people stood in line for it at its restaurants around the US.  Peeps bought it in such numbers that the chain sold out of them before the end of the month and created a social media firestorm in the process.. 

I was upset that I didn't get to try one before they sold out in large part because the lines were too long at the Popeye's locations near me.

I join America in celebrating the news that the Popeye's chicken sandwich is coming back on November 3 as a permanent addition to the Popeye's menu.

That's going to make Bigot Fil A big mad, since they are hostile to TBLGQ rights and with their profits gleefully fund many of those TBLGQ hate organizations. 

Those of us on the liberal progressive side of the political spectrum are also beyond tired of  FOX Noise and conservafool politicians trolling us with bigot chicken sandwiches and Chick Fil A food. 

Popeye's is seen by us as a viable and tasty TBLGQ bigotry free alternative to Chick Fil A's problematic product.   Even better, the Popeye's sandwich will be available on Sundays.

That point was made in the video Popeye's released heralding the return of its chicken sandwich.

So am I and everyone else who didn't get a chance to sample it the first time around.

Miss France Universe Open To Trans Contestants

The Miss Universe Pageant system has been open to trans contestants since 2013, but only one trans person, Spain's Angela Ponce, has won her national pageant and made it to the Miss Universe pageant stage.

Since Canada's Jenna Talackova attempt to make it to Miss Universe, other trans women from around the world have entered their national Miss Universe qualifying pageants in Belgium, Mongolia, Puerto Rico, Norway and most recently Chile but failed to capture crowns. 

There are some notable Miss Universe pageant nation holdouts such as Venezuela, Mexico and surprisingly Thailand and the Philippines.   Those two nations obstinate refusal to do so is even more puzzling considering they are home to major trans beauty pageants.

Another one of those surprising to me holdout nations was France.  The Miss France pageant is a popular television event that draws 7.4 million viewers every December.  It also has a long history of iconic trans women who called France home during the 50's and 60's

Jacqueline-Charlotte 'Coccinelle' Dufresnoy and Marie-Pier Ysser performed in Paris' legendary Madame Arthur and Le Carousel transgender cabarets along with Britain's April Ashley and later Caroline Cossey.

Dufresnoy not only turned down a lucrative offer to join Bob Hope's touring troupe, she blazed human rights trails  for French trans people until her death in 2006.

The national director of the French pageant, Sylvie Tellier, recently conducted an interview with the local  Le Parisien newspaper.   She confirmed that contestants between 18-25 will no longer have to be AFAB (assigned female at birth) people, and the rules have been changed to reflect this change.

Teller was a former Miss France herself who won the crown in 2002.   She has been director since 2007, but believes France is not ready for a trans woman to wear the Miss France crown.   She also thinks a trans woman would have little chance of winning the crown.

Au contraire Madame Tellier.   Never underestimate what a trans woman can or cannot do.  I hope that somewhere in France right now is the trans woman who will make that history and make you eat crow in the process.     

Equality Texas 30th Anniversary Celebration On November 16

Equality Texas was founded 30 years ago in 1989 as a statewide advocacy group for TBLGQ Texans.
And like HRC, I was one of its harshest critics, especially after the 1999 and 2001 Texas legislative sessions when trans folks were cut out of the James Byrd Hate Crimes Act.

While it has had a problematic history incorporating the trans community in that mission during its first decade of operation, the organization has evolved to become one of the Texas trans community's staunchest allies in the fight against the TBLGQ oppression  that the TXGOP tries on a regular basis to impose on us.

Equality Texas is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and in another of of those interesting full circle moments that life and two decades of advocacy can bring you, I'm going to be honored by an org i once criticized.

On November 16 I get to make another trip to Austin, but this one doesn't involve me going to the Pink Dome to visit with state legislators.  The next scheduled Texas legislative session doesn't happen until January 2021 unless Gov Abbott calls a special session between now and then

This eight trip to the ATX this year will this time be for me to attend the EQTX anniversary event.

While there I'll receive from them a Transgender Activist Award for the work I've done at the state level.  The event will be held at the AT&T Conference Center's Zlotnik Family Ballroom, and starts at 6 PM CST.   

And looks like I'll need to write another speech.   

Looking forward to seeing my ATX fam at that event and hopefully spend some quality time with other peeps I know there before I have to head back to Houston.

Flip Trump Off At A Ball Game

It's time for another song rewrite, and since baseball fever has gripped H-town, this one is going to have a baseball flavored twang to it. 

Y'all know that Dear Orange Misleader got dissed at Nationals Park on Sunday night during Game 6 of the World Series,  and the conservasnowflakes are big mad about it.  So I'm about to add to their pissivity with this rewrite of the baseball classic song 'Take Me Out To The Ballgame'

Y'all know what to do.  Find your fave music program and sing along with Moni's remixed lyrics

Flip Trump Off At A Ball Game 
(sung to the tune of Take Me Out To The Ballgame) 

Flip Trump off at a ball game
Flip Trump off as a crowd
Boo him and start chanting #LockHimUp
We don't like him 'cause he is a schmuck 

So it's root root root for impeachment
If he stays in, it's a shame
For it's one, two, three crimes you're out
In the U. S. A.

Impeach the mofo...er play ball!

ESSENCE Woke 100 List Has Trans Feminine Representation On It

ESSENCE is the iconic Black women's magazine in our community, and over the last few years I have noted them making an increasing effort to include Black trans women in their stories.

The ESSENCE Woke 100 is a list of women of color who are examples of being change agents and power players.   It is now in its third year of publication, and The Essence Woke 100 encompasses women in politics, social justice, sports and entertainment who are inspirations to people around the globe. 

The 2019 edition included some trans women on this list. 

The trans women who were named on this 2019 list are OUT magazine editor Raquel Willis, actors Dominique Jackson, Angelica Ross, MJ Rodriguez and Indya Moore, and activist/media personality Ashlee Marie Preston.

Congrats to all of you ladies for being named to this prestigious list and thanks for everything you do to rep and uplift our entire community.

This is also another example of Black trans people being an undeniable part of the kente cloth fabric of our community. 

Nats Fans Give Trump A Not So Warm World Series Welcome

While I was already having a very enjoyable evening watching my beloved Astros take a 3-2 lead in the 2019 World Series after beating the Nationals 7-1, the game was even more enjoyable because of Dolt 45 getting dissed by Washington Nationals fans

Trump and his GOP posse decided to show up for Game 5 of the World Series.  As his smirking orange mug was shown on the Nationals Park jumbotron screen, loud lusty sustained boos arose from the sellout crowd along with chants of 'Lock Him Up!'

Think this is fake news?    Here's the video receipts.



In addition to the beautiful sight of Nats fans exercising their First Amendment rights to demonstrate their disgust for him, Veterans for Impeachment displayed a blue sign in view of the behind the plate camera. 

A red  Impeach Trump banner was also unfurled during the game from the right field upper deck.

Nope Dolt 45, this was not your carefully curated MAGA rally crowds or the supine GOP pols kissing your orange behind.  There are the overwhelming majority of Americans who despise you with every fiber of their being.

These are the real Americans who let you know last night they aren't happy about you occupying the Oval Office, and you can't dismiss it as inside I-495 peeps.

They reflect the feeling of a sizable majority of Americans who will eagerly demonstrate at the ballot box in 13 months jst how much we want you to be a one term POTUS.

Dear Transphobic People-Y'all Really Showing Y'all Azz

Dear Transphobic People,
You are really showing your azzes this week, and it has been especially acute around two issues.

First let's talk about the massive freakout you're having because the Always brand of menstrual pads simply took the Venus female symbol off the packaging in a nod to the fact that women aren't the only beings on the planet who have vaginas.

For over 35 years, Always has championed girls and women, and we will continue to do so. We’re also committed to diversity and inclusion, and are on a continual journey to understand the needs of all of our consumers. We routinely assess our products, packaging and designs, taking into account consumer feedback to ensure we are meeting the needs of everyone who uses our products. 

After hearing from many people, we recognized that not everyone who has a period and needs to use a pad, identifies as female. To ensure that anyone who needs to use a period product feels comfortable with Always, we’re adjusting our pad wrapper design as part of our next round of product changes. As a global brand, our design updates will be adapted by multiple markets at various dates beginning in January/February 2020.

Yeah, I get it there's a whole cultural aspect around periods and menstruation.   It's associated with femininity and signals that a girl is becoming a woman

It may be news to you, but trans masculine people and gender non conforming who were AFAB still have them even after they take testosterone to masculinize their bodies and make them congruent to the people they are. 

Taking the symbol off the packaging is something that shouldn't be a big deal to you cispeeps, but it is a huge one for trans masculine and gender non conforming people who are going through periods.

Taking the symbol off those wrappers will make it less awkward for trans masculine peeps who have to not only purchase pads during that time, but disposing the wrappers. 

It was a simple, deeply appreciated gesture by Proctor & Gamble , but cue the predominately white TERFs losing what's left of their collective minds to assert that 'the transgender lobby bullied P&G into doing it'

What opiods are you TERFs on?   You TERFs, and especially you off the chains British ones, will seize on any opportunity to spit anti-trans venom at trans women.

First, eff y'all for that.  Second, why are y'all going apoplectic about packaging on a period pad?  Glad y'all assume we have that kind of power. 

Trust and believe that when it comes to trans community lobbying priorities, getting Proctor & Gamble to change the packaging on an Always  period pad was not high on the Top Five priority list, especially for Black trans folks who are disproportionately catching the brunt of the anti-trans violence being stirred up by you hateful harpies and your Republican allies.

The other good thing about this Always pads mess is that it is revealing who the transphobic fauxgressives and our allies and supporters really are

And yeah gay menz, we see y'all once again taking the opportunity to throw transphobic shade, and your ignorant behinds will be called out and dealt with when the time is right.

Now let's move to my beloved home state of Texas.    A Dallas area mother, Dr Anne Georgulas,  sued her problematic ex-husband Jeffrey Younger for full custody of their twins.   

The divorce has been contentious.  Georgulas and Younger had their marriage annulled in 2015 after the court found that Jeffrey Younger had lied multiple times to Georgulas about his income, education, marital status and military service.

Add to this mix that one of the AMAB twins,  Luna Younger, has identified as a girl since age 3, has clearly expressed a feminine gender identity, and has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria but daddy is trying to force the child to live as male.

The court wisely awarded full custody to Dr Georgulas, but the conservafools have decided to seize on this case and blow it up as a way to attack the Texas trans community. 

'The evilgelicals and far right wing transphobes as usual have been anything but Christ-like in their response to this.   They are firing up the Right Wing Outrage Machine, viciously attacking Dr Georgulas,  have posted fake one star reviews about her pediatric medical practice, and are trying to paint this as the 'transgender lobby run amok'.

Gov. Greg Abbott (R), indicted AG Ken Paxton (R) and Sen Ted Cruz (R), never missing a chance to attack the Texas trans community, have stuck their noses in this family's business and outed the child.

Rep Steve Toth (R-The Woodlands) has pledged to author a bill that would declare  transitioning of a minor child 'as child abuse', and Rep Matt Krause (R-Fort Worth) wants to introduce a bill banning the use of puberty blockers in children.

“We’ve already seen what happens when the state politicizes transgender children: Real harm can be done,” said Angela Hale, the acting CEO of Equality Texas.  “Politicians have no business delving into people’s private lives and attempting to harm children.”
I'm going to say it in terms that you TXGOP transphobes and cognitively challenged voters can clearly understand

Don't mess with Texas trans children.   We will fight you every step of the way along with the Mama and Papa Bears, the medical community, and our allies to ensure that you lose this fight just like you did twice when it came to the unjust SB 6 bill.

These revolting TXGOP developments make it clear what one of our political missions will be for Texas trans peeps in 2020.

We not only must defend Texas trans kids and their parents, it makes it even more imperative that we flip those nine seats and get control of the Texas House in the 2020 election cycle, starting with Matt Krause's and Steve Toth's transphobic azzes.