Happy Fifth Anniversary TransGriot!

Five years ago at midnight on January 1, 2006 I wrote and published my first post on TransGriot.    At that time I hadn't really figured out my mission was, how frequently I was going to update it, or even found my blogging and writing voice, but I eventually wrote 124 posts that year.

It wasn't until a year later that I put the hit counter on the blog and discovered that I was getting 400 hits a day from people around the world who were reading it.

TransGriot has evolved into a blog in which my mission is to talk about trans issues from an African American perspective, give voice to my African descended cousins across the African diaspora, document our history, serve as a platform for me to vent about the issues of the day inside and outside the TBILG community, and showcase at times my creative writing skills.  

And along the way I've been nominated for and won a few blog awards because y'all like me..


As of today I average about 3000 hits per day, just came off a year in which I wrote over 1200 posts, surpassed the 1.5 million hit mark, the 2500 and 3000 post marks, finally won a Black Weblog Award and I'm closing in on 2 million hits.  But I couldn't or wouldn't have this success without you loyal readers who surf over here to read my posts in the first place.

Thank you for being a major component to the blog's success and from contributing from time to time to help keep this place surviving and thriving, suggesting post ideas, and helping me to build a highly respected blog not just in the Transosphere, but across the blogosphere as well.

Looking forward to more great things this year and in the future.
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Recharging The Batteries Day

I'm having one of those days where I'm experiencing   a little bit of writer's block and just need to clear my head. 

Considering I've had four consecutive months in which I've written over 100 TransGriot posts and I'm on track to do it again, it's probably understandable why I'm feeling that way. 

Usually when writer's block strikes for me, I step away from the computer for a while and that cures the problem.   You can bet that before these 24 hours are up I'll be inspired to write something about the issues of the day.  

I have six posts that are in various stages of completion, but I just felt weren't at the quality level for a TransGriot post I demand of myself.   So I'll do what I always do in that situation.

I'll set them side and look at them again in a few hours.   By that time somebody will write something somewhere either on Facebook or Twitter that will either piss me off or make me say 'what in Hades were you thinking?'   I may also get one of those 'aha' moments after engaging in hard, solid thinking that makes perfect sense,.fits into the theme of the post I was compiling and allow me to complete.it.

Thanks for your patience and will have some fresh content up ASAP.

Women Of Color Bloggers

How did I miss this one? This Nordette Adams BlogHer article was posted February 27, 2010 and talks about a decade of Women of Color bloggers.

Guess who gets mentioned as a blogger that people consider influential or they simply like. My blogging homegirl Renee and Womanist Musings is mentioned, along with Latoya Peterson's Racialicious (where I've had some guest posts pop up from time to time), Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend, Tami of What Tami Said, Twanna Hines of Funky Brown Chick, and Gina McCauley of What About Our Daughters

Wow.

It's a blessing and an honor that I was mentioned with some pretty lofty blogging company. It lets me know that the long hours and hard work I put into making this blog informative and entertaining for you to read has gotten your attention even if I question that at times.

But what is more gratifying and important to me is that it has the respect of my readers and my blogging peers.

2010 Canadian Weblog Awards

This is one I'm not eligible for since I'm on the south side of the 49th parallel, but a certain Canadian homegirl of mine and a few other Canadian blogging pals are.

But the best part about it is that you don't have to be a Canadian citizen to nominate good Canuck blogs you read or stumble across that are the bomb.

They even have a category for expat Canadians as well.

It's the 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards, and the nomination period started on January 1 and runs until October 31.

Why so long a nomination period? Well, the goal of the Regina, Saskatchewan based CWA's is to promote the Canadian blogosphere and Canadian bloggers.

It's also a juried competition rather than one based on popular vote like many of our blog awards are in the States.

After whittling down all the nominees, the Top Ten finalists will be announced in December 1, with the three winners in each category being announced on January 1, 2011.

Once again, you'll have until October 31 to nominate your favorite Canadian bloggers like I'm already busy doing.

Good luck, eh!

2010 Black Weblog Awards Nomination Deadline Is Tomorrow

The 2010 Black Weblog Awards nomination period closes tomorrow July 25, so there's still time to nominate TransGriot for Best LGBT Blog (hint, hint)

You can also show our Canadian homegirl Renee of Womanist Musings some love for the Best International Blog category along with other Blackosphere bloggers who do a wonderful job tellin' it like it T-I-S is.

Yeah, I'm proud of the fact I was the first trans blogger period to become a finalist in the Best LGBT category of the Weblog Awards. But bloggers of color rarely get nominated, much less win these overall blog awards, which was why it was a big fracking deal when I got nominated in 2008.

But for the most part, if we want to show some love and recognition to our best bloggers, we have to do it our damned selves because sadly, nobody else will.



I didn't start TransGriot with the idea of garnering piles of awards. I did so because I was tired of the accomplishments and the voices of African descended transpeople being ignored and whitewashed out of trans and GLBT history.

TransGriot exists because I have a lot to say about many issues besides just trans ones, and I have a voice that needs to be heard.

So if you haven't done so already, surf on over the the 2010 Black Weblog Awards website and take a moment to nominate your favorite chocolate flavored bloggers in the categories you think they deserve to win.

The finalists will be announced on August 1, so once you nominate them, come back to the site and vote for the blogs you nominated as well.

2010 Blogging While Brown Conference

The third annual Blogging While Brown Conference stars today and runs through tomorrow at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington DC.

This conference for bloggers of color started in 2008 and its purpose according to the website is to facilitate conversations that lead to collaboration and innovation among bloggers of color, African American bloggers in particular.

Emphasis is placed on stimulating interaction between the attendees. All conference activities and events are aimed at fostering a shared experience which forms the basis of new relationships or strengthens relationships already in existence. Those relationships then form the basis of collaborations. Technology is important. The relationship between the attendees is more important.

For the most part, the Afrosphere has some blogs and bloggers who have gotten attention, but not to the extent our white counterparts do.

This conference is our way to nurture the growth of the Afrosphere, meet each other face to face, and explore ways to forge working relationships amongst each other.

This is one I would love to attend, but haven't been able to do so for various reasons.

Well, maybe next year.

Best of luck and hope this third edition of the Blogging While Brown Conference is just as successful as the previous editions.

1 Million Visitors!

Been anxiously awaiting passing this significant blogging milestone all day and it has finally happened.

At 3:55 PM EST today I had the honor and pleasure of the 1 millionth visitor surf over to my humble blog since I installed the hit counter on January 17, 2007.

Thanks to all of you loyal TransGriot readers who take the time out of your busy day around the world to surf by my cyberhome and check it out.

Some of you have told a friend or multiple friends about TransGriot, and that's all good in the cyberhood as well.

Some of you even drop comments from time to time as well and I thank you for it while others have hit the donate button on the sidebar and show their love and respect for what I do that way.

But I couldn't end this milestone post without saying this.

If it weren't for you wonderful people visiting on a regular basis, I'd be just another blog in the cyber wilderness.

Thank you, and now it's on to the next milestone

Getting Close To 1 Million Visitors!

Another day, another TransGriot milestone.

I passed 1 million hits a long time ago since I started the blog on January 1, 2006 but I didn't install the hit counter on TransGriot until January 17, 2007.

It is rapidly approaching the day when I hit 1 million visitors since I installed the counter, and for that I'm exceedingly proud. I remember the days when I was just happy to get 100 visitors a day to TransGriot. Now I get over 1800-2000 hits a day.

I'm approaching the 2500 post milestone and have written almost 1000 this year alone. My blog accomplished the goal of being a BBR Top 25 one and I hope to get a repeat nomination for Best GLBT blog when the 2009 version of the Weblog awards kick off again.

But I couldn't do all of this without my loyal TransGriot readers. It does me no good to pontificate on various issues here and put together quality posts if people don't read them or tell friends where they read them.

Obviously there are some folks who like my posts so much they try to steal them and pass it off as their work. Know that Moni don't play that.

If you want to showcase my work on your blog, just ask me via e-mail, link back to this blog and give me credit as the creator of it.

I've also been blessed to get opportunities to come speak to you as well on various college campuses and hope to see more of you in 2010 and the future.

Thank you, and now it's on to the next milestone.

1.5 million visitors, here I come.

2000 Posts!

You are looking at another TransGriot milestone.

This post is the 2000th one I have composed for this blog since I started it on January 1, 2006.

Wow, guess I had a lot to say about trans issues and many others from an African flavored perspective, huh?

It's awe inspiring to note that I get people all over the planet who take the time out of their busy days to surf over here to TransGriot and read what I have to say about trans and other issues in the world surrounding me.

I have been blessed with new friends since the start of this blog. I've seen my writing quoted by people, linked to by influential newspapers and even seen some of the catchphrases I came up like conservafool starting to appear elsewhere in the blogosphere and beyond.

I'm even starting to get awards for it.

But as I shoot for post 2500 and beyond, the basic mission of TransGriot hasn't changed.

That mission, dear readers, is to educate, inform and entertain you at the same time.

Thank you TransGriot readers for your support and coming along for the ride.

Quit Trying To Muzzle Me

One of the things I constantly battle as a African descended person trying to tell my stories or speak my mind about issues is vanilla flavored privilege filled folks deploying an array of silencing techniques.

They attempt to shut down or divert the conversation from whatever points I was attempting to make.

Just because what I or any other POC has to say makes you uncomfortable or does not neatly line up with your worldview doesn't make it wrong.

It also doesn't give you the right to attempt to shout it down.

I'm not 'racist' when I call out whiteness, the insidious way it operates in our society, instances of white peeps behaving badly or vanilla flavored privileged peeps saying stuff that is, let's say it, racist.

Speaking of racist, that stunt when you post epithet filled comments while hiding behind anonymous screen names is so nekulturny.

If your pointed sheet wearing behind is bold enough to say it, be bold enough to claim it.

I love it when you call on the mythical Black 'friend' who just happens to have a viewpoint that is diametrically opposed to mine and lines up neatly with yours.

Um, that's the oldest trick in the book, and doesn't fly because conservative Black peeps are currently about 2% of our voting population.

The likelihood that you know a Black person that just happens to have a viewpoint that neatly lines up with yours is about the same odds as the LA Clippers winning back-to-back NBA championships.

Oh yeah, don't try the fake comments trick either. You know, the one where you claim you're Black, biracial, a 'minority' (dead giveaway) _______________ (fill in the blank).

But you post a talking points filled commentary that sounds like you got it from Rush Limbaugh or WingNutDaily, express thoughts that put you in the Clarence Thomas or Condoleezza Rice sellout club or stick in links that go directly to right wing websites.

Writing styles are as individual as fingerprints. There are certain historical, racial, cultural and gender nuances that you vanilla flavored poseurs don't get or miss that will always get you race (and gender) perpetrators busted.

You can personally attack me by calling me, 'angry', 'emotional' or whatever euphemism du jour you're using at that moment, but it still doesn't change the fact that the crap happened and I'm calling it out.

So you can chill with your weak attempts to use various silencing techniques to muzzle me. I'm still going to call your BS out when I see it and when it happens.

If you want a meaningful dialogue on various issues, it can't be a one way conversation. Just as you wish for me to listen to what you have to say, I need, deserve and demand the same respect.