TransGriot

2009 LITDOR Keynote Speech

2009-11-22T19:00:00.003-05:00

TransGriot Note: This is the text of the keynote speech I'm giving at this minute for the 2009 LITDOR Service in Centerpoint, LI, NY

Giving honor to God, my gracious LITDOR hosts, my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, members of this church congregation, my transgender brothers and sisters, friends and allies of our community.

I have been given the honor of delivering the keynote speech for the 2009 Long Island Transgender Day of Remembrance Service.

I thank you for the opportunity of joining the long list of prominent people in our community who have preceded me in having the chance to do so. Many of those people are ones who I admire, and it’s nice to be included in such lofty company.

I thank Eileen and all the wonderful LITDOR people that I’ve had the pleasure to meet today for extending the invitation. I thank you for doing the hard behind the scenes work, the phone conversations and numerous e-mail exchanges to ensure I would be standing proudly before you today on this not so happy occasion.

One of the things I thought about in the days leading up to my speech tonight and also pondered on the plane ride here is that this event is taking place on the anniversary of another senseless death, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

In his televised June 11, 1963 speech on civil rights, he used the words ‘a moral crisis’ to describe what was going on in the nation at the time..

Well, tonight, we are here to call attention to another moral crisis, the senseless loss of people to anti-transgender violence. Tonight we are going to talk about the 120 people that are no longer here on Planet Earth.

One of those people on the tragically long list we are memorializing this year is Lateisha Green, who was killed in Syracuse, NY six days before TDOR 2008.

We’re going to talk about the 120 senseless deaths that have not only taken away a brother, sister, aunt, uncle, son, daughter or cousin, it has deprived our various communities around the world of the contributions our lost brothers and sisters could have made to those societies.

We know in the trans community we have some amazing people in it who have as we say in my community the skills to pay the bills, assuming we’re ever allowed to show that we can do so.

Well never know if the people that were killed would have gone on to become leading educators, made that scientific breakthrough that advances life for all humanity, created art, become prominent social and political leaders in our various nations, or simply become parents raising a family

Well never know that because they have been violently taken away from us.

It also causes us to say to ourselves, “there but for the grace of God go I’

I know the question many of us are asking ourselves tonight and have been since we started this ongoing gender journey is. ‘Why?’

Why are people so resistant to us simply living our lives or feel so threatened by the existence of transgender people that they have the misguided belief that they can kill us?

Maybe it’s because the religious leaders who are supposed to help us sort out these moral crises are instead exacerbating the problem.

When you have the leader of the Roman Catholic Church make a Christmas Eve speech in which he states, “humanity needed to listen to the "language of creation" to understand the intended roles of man and woman and behavior beyond traditional heterosexual relations was a "destruction of God’s work"., it’s not surprising that there was an alarming spike of transgender deaths in Roman Catholic dominated countries such as Brazil, Honduras, and Guatemala.
When you have a moderate Islamic cleric such as Malaysia’s Mohamad Asri Zainul Abidin say in an interview transsexuals should be fined or jailed if counseling proves ineffective at deterring them from transition, then follow up that misguided comment up by stating, "We must try to reform them and give them advice. We must not allow them to stray. Imagine if this world were filled with transsexuals -- what would happen to the human race?" It’s not surprising that the result of such comments by Islamic clerics who share Abidin’s opinions is persecution and killing of transpeople in Muslim countries.
When you have fundamentalist Christians, our modern day Pharisees and Sagicees repeatedly violate the Ninth Commandment of ‘bearing false witness against thy neighbor’ because of their personal transphobia or as part of promoting their regressive right wing political agenda, is it any wonder that we have repeated violations of the Sixth Commandment in regards to transgender people?
In case you’re wondering what the Sixth Commandment states, it’s ‘thou shalt not kill.’
It is the words of these so-called religious leaders that are fueling the dastardly deeds of the people who are killing our trans brothers and sisters.
Well, time to school all the faith based haters out there. Increasing reams of medical evidence and recorded history point to the inescapable conclusion that transpeople are part of the divinely inspired mosaic of human life. The sooner y’all get that through your thick heads, the better life will be for all of us on Planet Earth.
Why is this still happening to transgender people? As I know all too well from my people’s tortured history in the Americas and across the African Diaspora, when you ‘other’ a people, promote lies and half truths about them, refuse to understand and learn about their issues, and deny their humanity, the end result is they begin to die at the hands of the people who are actively denying their humanity.
The funny thing about that is as the Forces of Intolerance continue their nefarious mission to dehumanize transpeople, we fight back even harder to ensure that we call them on it when it happens.
Now that I’ve given you the abridged version to the ‘why’ this is happening, it’s time to move on to our solemn task for this evening.
What we are gathered in this church for this evening is to remember the 120 people who lives have sadly been extinguished by anti-transgender violence.

120 people. It’s triple the number we memorialized in 2008.

120 people having candles being lit for them during this service to symbolize each one of the lives that was taken away from us far too soon.

120 people too many

For some of the people we memorialize, we won’t even get the opportunity of reading their names because they were either killed and dumped on the side of a road or for security reason the name of the deceased was not released in order to protect their living relatives.

120 people who died simply because somebody hated them for who they were.
I have to point out that one of the 120 people on this list that we memorialize this year is a cisgender man by the name of Michael Hunt.

He died for the same reason Pfc. Barry Winchell did ten years ago, because his killer didn’t like the fact he fell in love with a transwoman.

Michael Hunt fell in love with Taysia Elzy, and for that he paid with his life.

Dwight DeLee didn’t like the fact that Lateisha Green was daring to live her life openly and unabashedly about who she was. A gunshot outside a Syracuse house party fired from a rifle wielded by DeLee wounded her brother Mark and ended her life.

I’m a fan of the science fiction series Battlestar Galactica. I recently viewed the movie entitled The Plan in which Number Six says to Brother Cavil, in regards to the genocidal nuclear sneak attack launched by him and his fellow humanoid robots that destroyed the Twelve Colonies of Mankind and led them on a quest to find a new home on Earth, ‘you can’t declare war on love.’

That’s what I take away from these TDOR 2009 memorial services that took place all around the world on November 20 and here this evening.

We are saying to those who have declared war on transpeople, ‘You cannot declare war on love.’

There is the love our allies have shown for us this week. The love we have shown for each other and we mourn our losses and resolve to work even harder to make the TDOR obsolete. The love that we show for our fallen brothers and sisters.

Love is the most powerful force in the universe, and it ensures long after the outer shell of a body that housed our spirits becomes dust that goes back to the earth.
It the advantage we have over the Forces of Intolerance and all the other nattering nabobs of negativity who demonize and deny our shared humanity.

It is the love we have for our fallen transbrothers and transsisters that compels us to gather in this church today to mourn their losses, and ensure that we the living never forget the people who died.

JFK Assassination Anniversary

2009-11-22T12:00:00.002-05:00

Today is the sad anniversary of the November 22, 1963 assassination of our 35th President of the United Sates, John Fitzgerald Kennedy in Dallas.

Since I have relatives in Dallas, I have visited Dealey Plaza and the area where the assassination happened numerous times

While there are many quotes from JFK that I love, this one about liberalism is perfect answer to conservafools as to why I am a proud liberal.

And yes, I agree with people who state that we need to immediately take that word back from the conservaidiots.

If by a liberal they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people - their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties..if that is what they mean by a "liberal" then I am proud to be a liberal. John F. Kennedy, 35th president of the United States

Rest in peace, JFK. Our country would be a far better place today had you lived.

Leaving On A Jet Plane...To LI

2009-11-22T00:00:00.003-05:00

I'm getting my beauty sleep as you read this right now because in a few hours I'll be rolling out of bed for a long day of travel and eventually being the keynote speaker at tonight's LI Transgender Day Of Remembrance event in Centerpoint, NY.

Looking forward to finally meeting Eileen and all the wonderful folks in LI.

If you're in the New York area and can get there, I'd like to meet and greet some of you wonderful people as well.

See you tonight.

Number 24 Coogs Beat Down Memphis

2009-11-21T21:15:00.001-05:00

The Number 24 AP ranked University of Houston Cougars shook off their upset loss to Central Florida last week by beating down Memphis at the Rob 55-14.

It's only the second time since the 1991 season that my fave college football team has won nine games in a season, and they have a chance to hit ten wins next week when they play our crosstown rivals Rice.

Case Keenum made sure it was going to happen today. UH scored on eight of its first nine possessions as he went 29 for 39 for 405 yards and five touchdowns in the rout and broke David Klingler's school record for career touchdowns.

Keenum now has 94 TD's with only the game against our crosstown rival Rice remaining on their C-USA schedule

The Coogs also received some good news in addition to improving their season record to 5-2 in the C-USA West Division. Marshall knocked off the C-USA West Division leading SMU Mustangs 34-31 to drop them into a tie for the West Division lead with SMU.

The Cougars already have the tiebreaker over SMU thanks to the earlier 28-15 homecoming beatdown.

I'm not getting too happy yet. They have to take care of business next week against Rice before I can exhale and get happy about the prospects of my boys playing for the C-ISA title.

If they do that, they win the C-USA West Division Championship and they host the C-USA title game at the Rob.

IAAF-'No Discussion Of Caster Semenya's Case At The IAAF Council Meeting '

2009-11-21T01:40:00.002-05:00

Well, well, well. We were expecting some serious drama and fireworks at this session of the International Association of Athletics Federations, the world governing body for what we call track and field in the States.

The IAAF Council is meeting in Monaco as we speak. When the Caster Semenya drama first exploded into the world's consciousness in the wake of her historic 800m victory at the World Championships in Berlin, the IAAF indicated they would wait until November and this Council Meeting to make a decision concerning the South African teen's international athletic status.

Peep this press release from the IAAF dated November 18, 2009

The IAAF, the South African Ministry of Sport and Recreation and Caster Semenya’s representatives have been and still are in discussions with a view to resolving the issues surrounding Caster Semenya’s participation in Athletics.

The IAAF will not comment upon the medical aspects of Caster Semenya’s case. The medical testing of the athlete is still to be completed.

There will be no discussion of Caster Semenya’s case at the forthcoming IAAF Council Meeting to be held in Monaco on 20-21 November 2009. No further comment will be made
on this subject until further notice.

The South African Sports Ministry in a statement posted on its website stated that the International Association of Athletics Federations has agreed to allow the 18-year-old Semenya to keep her prize money.

"Because Caster has been found to be innocent ... she will then retain her gold medal," the ministry said.

"Whatever scientific tests were conducted legally within the IAAF regulations will be treated as a confidential matter between patient and doctor," the sports ministry said. "As such there will be no public announcement of what the panel of scientists has found. We urge all South Africans and other people to respect this professional ethical and moral way of doing things."

White that's good news, it has yet to be confirmed by the IAAF. In addition, no definitive decision has yet been made about whether Semenya remains eligible to compete as a woman.

So stay turned, there will be another chapter it seems to the ongoing spots soap opera.

Shut Up Fool! Awards-TDOR Memorial Edition

2009-11-20T12:00:00.001-05:00

Today is the 11th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. This is the day transpeople and our allies around the globe pause to remember and memorialize the 120 people we've lost to anti-transgender violence. This edition of the Shut Up Fool! Awards is dedicated to all of our fallen transpeople for this year.

Now to focus on our weekly exercise in exposing the fools in our midst.

This week it was no contest. Bill O'Reilly gets it.

When you utter the words "I don't care about the Constitution" with cameras rolling and you claim to be a law and order defender...

Well, y'all know the rank hypocrisy of Bill O'Reilly.

Bill O'Reilly, shut the HELL up, fool!

Makes Me Wanna Holler

2009-11-20T03:00:00.000-05:00

The last two days I've been participating in panel discussions, putting the finishing touches on a speech for a TDOR event Sunday on Long Island, writing a piece for the glaadBlog that just got published yesterday, and will be attending our local TDOR service tonight.

The classically timeless Marvin Gaye song 'Inner City Blues' that is playing in the background of this YouTube video is encapsulating some Of what I'm feeling today

The senseless loss of all these people simply because of who they are really does make me wanna holler.

Semenya's Athletic Fate In Hands Of IAAF Council

2009-11-19T21:30:00.001-05:00

Back on September 12, the IAAF released this press statement concerning the Caster Semenya case.

The IAAF has noted statements in recent media articles regarding the athlete Caster Semenya of South Africa.

We would like to emphasize that these should not be considered as official statements by the IAAF.

We can officially confirm that gender verification test results will be examined by a group of medical experts. NO decision on the case will be communicated until the IAAF has had the opportunity to complete this examination. We do not expect to make a final decision on this case before the next meeting of the IAAF Council which takes place in Monaco on November 20-21.

Please note that there will be no further comments from the IAAF on Caster Semenya until that time.

Well, it's that time.

The eyes of the world will be turned in Monaco's direction November 20-21 as the IAAF Council meets. One of the items on the agenda is determining Caster Semenya's competitive international athletic future.

Kind of ironic this meeting will be taking place at the same time trans people around the world will be observing Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremonies.

Here's hoping and praying I and the world will get to see this talented young runner continue her quest toward Olympic glory in 2012.

Retailers, Can You Wait Until After Thanksgiving Before Putting Up The Christmas Decorations?

2009-11-19T17:28:00.005-05:00

Last week I headed to the Dillard's in Mall St. Matthews to reload my Fashion Fair makeup and get some other items for my upcoming LI trip.

After breathing a sigh of relief that my Pure Brown foundation shade was in stock and successfully procuring it, since I was just down the street I decided to roll over to the other side of the Watterson Expressway and Oxmoor Center.

It's been a little over six months and ten dress sizes since I last saw some of my former Macy's coworkers. I was curious to know not only what was transpiring there but show off the Coke bottle shape as well.

I entered near the center of the mall and as I strolled through the central plaza heading toward the Macy's end I noticed Oxmoor Center maintenance personnel putting up the mall Christmas tree in the middle of the now shut off water fountain.

When I arrived at Macy's, I noticed some Christmas music was being mixed in with the other regular music selections. I also noticed the posters for the Christmas ad campaign were being put up as well.

One of the things that annoys me is the recent recurring trend of retailers trying to get a jump on their make or break sales season by putting Christmas decorations up before we've even gotten Thanksgiving, or in some cases Halloween out of the way. My local Walgreen's had their Christmas stuff up three days after Halloween was over.

I understand it's been a tough year retail wise. The recession has really hurt and taken out some small and large retailers in the process. Even iconic ones are feeling the pinch.

I understand why they're doing it. The retailers are trying to entice consumers into the stores.

But until we consumers get some raised credit limits and cash lining our purses and wallets, won't be much shopping done until we see sales that make it worth our while to spend our limited cash on or we absolutely, positively need that particular item you're selling.

I love the Christmas season as much as anybody, but damn, Thanksgiving hasn't happened yet. Thank God the radio stations at least hold off playing Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving, or I'd really be muttering 'bah, humbug' under my breath at regular intervals.

We're going to get assaulted with Christmas commercials, music, the sights and sounds of the season for a month. Can you least hold off starting that onslaught of Christmas commercial cheer until I've at least had time to digest my Thanksgiving dinner?

Never Forget The People Who Died

2009-11-19T12:00:00.002-05:00

Never forget the people who died.

That's what the TDOR is all about. To make sure we never forget the people we have lost to anti transgender violence.

We say people because we have folks on our list such as Willie Houston and Pfc. Barry Winchell who died because of ignorant perceptions as well. Barry died because he was dating Calpernia Addams and one of his fellow Fort Campbell soldiers had a problem with that. Willie died because the shooter's homophobia was triggered by him holding his fiancee's purse while she used the restroom.

But the bulk of the people on this sadly growing list are transpeople of color. Black and Latina people make up 70% of the Remembering our Dead list, and once again, the people we memorialize this year are disproportionately people of color.

12 of them resided in the United States, and are part of the 117 names worldwide we are sadly adding to this list.

As long as I'm living on Planet Earth and compile posts for TransGriot, it will be part of this blog's mission to ensure that I cover the TDOR and make sure our fallen transpeople are never forgotten.

Happy Birthday, Tami!

2009-11-19T00:08:00.004-05:00

Happy Anniversary of your 29th Birthday Tami!

Today is the birthday of another one of my favorite bloggers, and I couldn't let the occasion slide by with giving her a TransGriot shoutout.

If you've surfed by her home blog What Tami Said or checked out any of her guest posts here or in the other spots she guest blogs at such as Racialicious, you know that she not only is a wonderful and thought provoking writer, she definitely isn't afraid to tell it like it T-I-S is.

And she's cool people on top of that. One of these days I'm going to have to make that drive up I-65 north and hang out with my blogging sister for the day.

Until then Tami, have a very happy and stress free birthday, and may you have many more!

Today Was A Good Day...Sort Of

2009-11-18T19:15:00.012-05:00

Bounced out of the house in tastefully dressed full diva mode to head to the U of L Campus at the behest of my fave Women and Gender Studies professor Dr. Kaila Story.

It was for a panel discussion on transgender rights. In addition to the TransGriot, the other people comprising the panel were U of L's Director of LGBT Services Brian Buford, the Fairness Campaign's Chris Hartman, TECK's Yana Baker, Transformations founder Andrea Tucker and Holly Knight of Sienna

The panel was a 3 PM start in the Chao Auditorium and I arrived there at 2:25 PM. I had plenty of time to chill out, use the restroom, check face and get ready for the discussion that would take place.

After the intros by Dr. Story, we had a lively discussion about what jurisdictions covered trans people, delve into some TDOR history and talk about the shady tactics of the Forces of Intolerance in terms of using bathrooms as a scare tactic. It gave Brian a chance to talk about the gender neutral bathroom they have been rolling out on the U of L campus as well and Chris to talk about upcoming state legislative battles.

I got a chance to talk about the differences in transition for African Americans, in addition to point out a gender transition's zero to femininity nature.

Andrea talked about what it was like to be a U of L student and transition, while Holly brought us up to speed about what Sienna, our local gender group was up to and the new direction she was taking it in.

It was an hour and thirty minutes of positivity, and the good vibes only lasted until I got downtown from the U of L campus and on my bus headed home.

Ironically, during the panel discussion I'd talked about how I handled a transphobe several years ago on a TARC bus.

Well, when I stepped on my connecting bus at 4th and Broadway, three African-American kids, were sitting (where else?) in the back of the bus and started tripping.

Normally, Moni has zero tolerance for ignorance but I decided to channel my inner Gandhi and ignore the ignorant. The fools didn't take the hint and upped the ante of transphobic stupidity.

One of the nekulturny trio runs all the way to the front of the bus, whispers in the female driver's ear, then makes a point of grabbing the crotch of her saggin' pants while making a derogatory RuPaul reference.

It was on like Donkey Kong after that. I told her to quit talking about her daddy, which pissed off the youngling to the point she wanted to fight.

I advised her that would not be a wise move, especially in light of the fact I was already a foot taller than her before you add the other three inches from my black patent leather pumps.

The driver tossed all of the transphobic younglings off the bus. Seems as though these kids had been giving her drama all the way into downtown Louisville from wherever she'd picked them up.

With peace and quiet returned to the bus, I settled in for the ride determined not to let ignorant kids spoil my positive mood. A few minutes later my stop approached and the TARC driver said to me before I got off, "Girl, you look good!"

I returned the compliment and wished her a blessed day as I stepped off the bus, pulled my house keys out of my black Liz Claiborne purse and strutted the three blocks home in the fading twilight.

So yeah, today was a good day after all.

What Does Transgender Day Of Remembrance Mean To You?

2009-11-18T18:02:00.000-05:00

TransGriot Note: It figures that less than 12 hours after I wrote the TransGriot post talking about the glaadBLOG series of guest posts for the TDOR, mine pops up today.

So as I promised, here it is with a link back to the glaadBLOG as well. Thanks to GLAAD Fellow Amanda Morgan for honoring me with the opportunity to write it.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance exists so that we don’t get so consumed living our own lives, dealing with our own drama and fighting our own battles to live our lives that our fallen brothers and sisters fade from our consciousness. It’s a vehicle to help us remind the world that the people we mourn on this day were somebody’s son, daughter, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, cousin, or friend.

But what does the Transgender Day of Remembrance mean to me personally?

A Transgender Day of Remembrance is the time that this proud, African descended transwoman pauses from dealing with the hustle, bustle and drama of living my life to do as Dr. King so eloquently put it, some ‘hard, solid thinking’ about the transpeople whose lives were cut short due to anti-transgender violence.

I ponder the painful reality that a large segment of the people memorialized on the list are trans people of color. I lament the loss of the potential positive contributions to our societies these fallen transpeople have, would, could and should have been able to make to our various communities.

I remind myself as we add new names to this tragically expanding list to not forget Stephanie Thomas, Ukea Davis, Chanelle Pickett, Ebony Whitaker, Nakhia Williams and Kellie Telesford and scores of others. I keep in mind as I silently pray for them that the people who brutally murdered them either still haven’t been brought to justice or received the equivalent of a legal slap on the wrist for doing so.

It’s also the time I remind myself, there but for the grace of God go I.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a time I get to engage in coalition building activities and education efforts with our allies organized around this event. It’s when I get to see the trans people in my local community I may not interface with on a regular basis, but who will show up for a TDOR before going back to living their lives in the shadows.

It’s the time I refocus my energy to the task of continuing to remind people that trans people are part of the diverse mosaic of human life, and pray that the day soon arrives in which a trans person’s life matters as much as a cisgender* person’s life does.

Time To End Putting People's Civil Rights Up For A Majority Vote

2009-11-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

On the surface, allowing petition drives to force referendums and recall votes on unpopular decisions sounds like a great idea. When used wisely, it allows citizens to force votes on questionable governmental deals, horrible policies, overturn specious laws and sweetheart deals.

But unfortunately, far too often over the last twenty years the right wing has been using the referendum process to do preemptive strikes to curtail GLBT civil rights or overturn passed civil rights laws for marginalized groups it doesn't like.

If the abuse of referenda were as prevalent back in the day as it is now, Jim Crow segregation would still be around and women wouldn't be voting.

So what do we do about the situation? As I've said before, the best defense is a good offense. The right wingers aren't the only people who can propose referendum and ballot initiatives.

So I propose we get them to spend money fighting a progressive ballot initiative. It would contain language that would ban the practice of putting people's civil rights up for a majority vote.

You know something, why stop at a ballot initiative or state constitutional amendment? How about having it ensconced in the United States Constitution as well?

What it would do would kill any future attempts at putting amendments on the ballot that have the effect of the majority voting to take away civil rights granted to protect a minority group.

And conservafools, y'all can hate on the idea all you want, but 2050 is coming sooner than you think, and you know what they say about karma.

It's past time for a constitutional amendment that would ban the practice of putting people's civil rights up for a majority vote

Louisville Area TDOR Events

2009-11-18T04:00:00.000-05:00

TransGriot Note: Thanks to Tina Storm for compiling the schedule for the 2009 Louisville TDOR events. I will be leading the November 19 workshop luncheon and discussion.

Thanks once again to More Light and the Women’s Center at the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary for being our lead sponsor and gracious host since 2002.

November 10
Movie Night hosted at LPTS Women’s Center 7:00 PM
Normal
Starring Jessica Lang and Oscar nominated Tom Wilkinson

November 12
Transgender 101 Seminar hosted at the Women’s Center 5:00 PM
Speaker to be announced.

November 17
Movie Night hosted at LPTS Women’s Center 7:00 PM
Transamerica
Two Academy Award nominations Starring Felicity Huffman

November 18
Survivors Prayer Vigil hosted at the Metropolitan Community Church 6:00 PM Prayer Service for transgender murder survivors and the TG Community

November 19
Workshop Luncheon: Panel Discussion hosted at LPTS 12:30 PM
In the Winn Center McAtee A & B

November 19
Transgender Day Of Remembrance Exhibit, Performance and Reception hosted by the Office of LGBT Services in the University of Louisville's Cultural Center.
Events start at 5:30 PM. Performance starts at 6:30 PM with reception at 7:30 PM

November 20
Early Morning Meditation Service hosted at LPTS
8:00 AM in the Caldwell Chapel

November 20
TDOR Memorial Service with reception to follow at LPTS
8:00 PM in the Caldwell Chapel

November 21 - 29
Gallery Exhibit: Transgender Images/Transgender Lives, Rogilio 6:00 - 9:00 PM Pedro Photographic Artist, Mari Mujio Transgender Oral Historian;
At: Clare Hirn Studio, 552 East Market St., Louisville, KY

For directions and updated information please visit: www.siennatg.org or http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=167074236257&index=1

This year's TDOR events are sponsored by More Light and the Women’s Center at LPTS, Transformations, Sienna, Diversity Consultants, Metropolitan Community Church, office of LGBT Services at University of Louisville, and SoTheatrical.

glaadBLOG Guest Blogger Series On TDOR

2009-11-18T00:15:00.002-05:00

This week the glaadBLOG is posting a series of articles from various people about the Transgender Day of remembrance and what it mans to them.

And as you probably guessed, the TransGriot was asked to write a piece for that series which I'll post when it publishes on the day it publishes on their site.

It was a pleasure to do so and I thank GLAAD for the opportunity.

While you're waiting for my piece to show up on the glaadBLOG, here are the thoughts on what the TDOR means to Pauline Park and Stefanie Rivera.

I'll add the other links later as they come up.

UPDATE
Sassafras Lowrey
Ethan St. Pierre's Q and A interview

He's A Clown

2009-11-17T21:00:00.005-05:00

TransGriot Note: Been a while since I've been motivated to pen one of my infamous song rewrites.

This one is dedicated to our favorite 'ex-gay' preacher, Donnie McClurkin.

Since his self hating Bush butt kissing behind is so fond of using Scripture to beat up repeatedly on GLBT people, thought it was time to turn the tables.

So fire up those iPods and sing along, cause we about to have some church up on this blog!

He's A Clown
sung to the tune of 'We Fall Down' by Donnie McClurkin

He's a clown
Needs to shut up
He's a clown
Needs to shut up
He's a clown
Needs to shut up

His ex gay butt puts GLBT peeps down
That's jacked up Donnie
So shut up

He's hatin' on us again (6x)
his ex gay butt puts GLBT peeps down
So shut up

Transgender Rights Forum On U of L Campus Tomorrow

2009-11-17T18:05:00.006-05:00

TDOR Week tends to be a busy one for me with requests for my presence at various events escalating during that period. Word to the wise-for those of you who want me at your 2010 TDOR events, get to me early.

For those of you in the Louisville area, you'll get to see the TransGriot, Chris Hartman of the Fairness Campaign and other local GLBT leaders at a Transgender Rights forum tomorrow on the U of L campus.

It will take place in the Ekstrom Library's Chao Auditorium from 3:00-4:15 PM.

I'm honored to be taking part in this discussion and I'm looking forward to seeing some of you peeps tomorrow in what I expect will be an informative and interesting discussion.

And yes, I will be looking fly and in full diva mode for that discussion.

Why Do We Need Transgender Day Of Remembrance? Well…

2009-11-17T00:01:00.007-05:00

TransGriot Note: My latest post for Global Comment

If you’ve been perusing my home blog and other transgender-themed blogs across the Internet recently, you may have noticed the TDOR acronym pop up, and wondered what it means.

TDOR stands for the Transgender Day of Remembrance. For the last eleven years, every November 20 we memorialize and call attention to the people we’ve lost due to anti-transgender hatred and prejudice.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance began in the wake of the November 28, 1998 murder of African-American transwoman Rita Hester of Boston, MA. Rita’s murder was the impetus for San Francisco based activist Gwen Smith to begin the Remembering Our Dead web project and organize a vigil in San Francisco on the one year anniversary of Rita’s murder.

The 1999 San Francisco vigil quickly morphed into an event that was observed on November 20 in various locations around the world. This year in addition to TDOR events taking place in numerous locales across the United States and Canada, TDOR events will take place in Australia, England, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, The Philippines, The Netherlands, Norway, Scotland and Sweden.

The Remembering Our Dead Web Project not only compiles the names of people from around the world who have lost their lives to anti-transgender violence, it keeps statistics as well.

There are non-transgender people on the list such as Nashville’s Willie Houston. He was murdered in 2002, because the shooter considered him gay after seeing him hold his fiancé’s purse. This resulted in a verbal parking lot altercation near the General Jackson steamboat that tragically ended in death.

Pfc. Barry Winchell is another non transgender person on the list. In the early morning hours of July 5, 1999 the Fort Campbell, KY was killed because he was dating a trans woman, Calpernia Addams. That story is told in the movie “Soldier’s Girl.”

At this year’s TDOR ceremony we’ll be adding Michael Hunt’s name. He was murdered along with his transgender girlfriend, Taysia Elzy

The core part of any TDOR service is reading the list of names of people we lost from the time after we held the previous year’s event to the current one. As that list of names is read, a candle is lit in remembrance of that person.

Sadly, according to Ethan St. Pierre – who compiles the statistics and in 1995 lost his aunt Debra Forte to anti transgender violence – we will be lighting candles for 117 people. One of the other glaring statistics that Ethan points out is that 70% of the Remembering Our Dead list is made up of trans people of color, and that pattern sadly continues with the people we are memorializing for 2009.

Read the rest here.

Isis Makes 2009 Out 100 List

2009-11-16T19:00:00.000-05:00

Congrats to my sis Isis for making OUT magazine's Out 100 List. Been an interesting and groundbreaking year for little sis. She's represented us with class, dignity and style and is a sweetheart of a person as well.

You just love it when people like her get recognized for the positive things they do and Isis deserves all the accolades she gets.

Only wish that the outcome of America's Next Top Model Cycle 11 had turned out a little differently.

Sierra Broussard Reaches Settlement In Wisconsin Trans Discrimination Suit

2009-11-16T12:00:00.001-05:00

I mentioned Sierra Broussard's case in two posts a few months ago. Since the trial was scheduled to start tomorrow, I was curious to see what had transpired in the suit she filed since I last wrote about it.

This story from the Post-Crescent notes there has been a settlement reached in this case.

The 28 year old biracial transwoman appeared in Outagamie County Court on October 23 in her civil lawsuit against Concepts Unlimited Inc., which does business as the Park Central nightclub.

Broussard said she was twice denied entrance to the nightclub complex and said an employee told her if she "used either bathroom it would cause confusion for the other patrons," and that she should go to a club that caters to "her kind."

Broussard's attorney, Eric Pitsch of Appleton, said the agreement includes a judgment against Concepts Unlimited, but he is not allowed under the deal to discuss its specifics. He did state that the agreement was reached before an upcoming hearing about evidence. "I was preparing the case for trial," Pitsch said.

The judgment dismissed claims against Concepts Unlimited owners Charles A. and Lynn McCarrell, who were named in the original civil complaint.

"I feel more relief than anything," Broussard said. "I plan to take this one more step and use it as an educational tool, educate people on bias and let people know they can't discriminate."

I find it interesting that all this BS started because of the faux hysteria and concern whipped up by haters about what bathroom I or any transperson should use.

It's very simple.

If you're a transwoman, you use the women's restroom. If you're a transman, you use the men's one.

Now Wisconsin GL peeps, here's a question for you?

When are y'all gonna get around to coming back for the trans community and adding transpeople to the non-discrimination law you passed for yourselves and cut us out of back in 1982?

Hopefully, the civil suit settlement sends the message that discrimination against transpeople isn't cool.

But what will emphatically send that message is for the Wisconsin legislature to add transpeople to the existing anti-discrimination law.

STS-129 Mission Includes Two African-American Astronauts

2009-11-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

The TransGriot will be tuned in later today to watch the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis at 2:28 PM EST assuming there are no delays or problems.

STS-129's all male crew for this 11 day mission includes two African-American astronauts, Mission Specialists Leland Melvin and Robert Satcher, Jr. It is also Melvin and Satcher's first trips into space.

STS-129 also has experiments on board created by the minds at Texas Southern University, the HBCU in my hometown.

STS-129 is slated to be the 31st and final space shuttle crew rotation flight to or from the space station. In addition to transporting parts and a spare gyroscope to the International Space Station, it will include three spacewalks.

Atlantis will be returning station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth.

You space junkies like me will only have five more opportunities after today to watch a shuttle launch before they retire the shuttle fleet in 2010.

Bishop Yvette Flunder Speaks At 2009 Creating Change

2009-11-16T01:05:00.001-05:00

Thanks to my good friend Louis Mitchell, I became aware of Bishop Yvette Flunder and her 'radically inclusive' City of Refuge Church in San Francisco.

Here's the video for your viewing pleasure of her speech at the 2009 Creating Change conference in Oakland.

UH Still Ranked-Barely

2009-11-15T22:25:00.006-05:00

All these close last second victories for the Cardiac Cougars finally caught up with them this week against the University of Central Florida Knights. Case Keenum couldn't work his last minute magic and the Cougars fell 37-32 to an unranked UCF Knights squad.

This second loss of the season could be potentially fatal to their C-USA title hopes as the Coogs fell to 8-2 on the year and out of a tie for the C-USA West Division lead with SMU. The Mustangs now lead the C-USA West Division with a 5-1 record with two games to play against Marshall and Tulane.

The 4-2 Coogs have the tiebreaker over SMU, but must win their final two games at the Rob with Memphis and our crosstown rivals Rice and hope for an SMU loss in order to make it to and host the C-USA Championship game.

It was also painful to their national rankings. The Cougars fell to Number 24 from their previous ranking of Number 13 in the AP poll and probably killed any outside chance they had of making a BCS bowl.

My fave college football team has an outside chance at winning the C-USA title and allowing me the chance to see my boys in Memphis for the Liberty Bowl

But they're going to need help now to get there.

Continental Airlines Turns 75

2009-11-15T20:30:00.000-05:00

As many of you longtime TransGriot readers know, I worked for CAL for 14 years during Frank Lorenzo's, Hollis Harris' and Gordon Bethune's tenures with the airline.

My grandfather spent 35 years working for CAL until he passed away in 1984. I started working there three years later and was working there when I transitioned. It wasn't unusual for me to be sporting stuff from the 'Proud Bird with the Golden Tail' as a kid and I still have a lot of stuff with the CAL logo on it.

During my recent trip to Bryn Mawr I flew the Philadelphia bound legs on Continental. I was reminded when I perused my drink napkin that this was the airline's 75th anniversary year.

I changed planes in Cleveland (sorry IAH). During my Cleveland layover and on the flight to Philadelphia I thought about all the wonderful people I worked with at IAH and elsewhere in the CAL system. Some of them I'm still blessed to call my friends and some I've only recently reconnected with.

And yeah, I miss the airline industry. My former co-workers over the last few weeks have let me know how much they miss me as well.

Back in the 80's and 90's it was a fun job at times to have. But there were the moments when I had the dreaded ATC delays that had me staying at Intercontinental until 1 AM in the morning or later cleaning up the backlogged flights or handling passenger problems.

I was also proud of being part of the rebirth of Continental's proud legacy. The Proud Bird slipped badly during the contentious Lorenzo era and had become one of the worst airlines in the industry. I was happy to part of the effort in the 90's to make it one of the best

I still pay attention to developments at CAL and in the airline industry. I've noticed since I left it has been a challenging time for all airlines and I've had my moments in which I'd wondered about where my life would be now if I were still there.

That musing led me to write a novel manuscript I titled 'On The Wings Of Love' which is loosely based on my CAL days. One of these days I'll get around to writing about some of my airline adventures and getting that novel published.

But just wanted to take a moment to say congrats to all the CAL folks I know, have known and who are no longer here who kept the 'Proud Bird' flying for 75 years.