It's A Texas Thang, Y'all Wouldn't Understand

One of the things that constantly surprises people who have observed our right wing fools in action over the last two decades is why any TBLG person would want to live in the Lone Star State?

I'm a fourth generation Texan on my father's side of the family and a third generation one on my mother's side of the family. I love the 268,820 square miles (696,200 square kilometers for my international readers) of south central US territory it covers just as much or even more than the average Faux News watching right winger without a clue.

It's fashionable in liberal progressive circles to beat up on Texas and Texans in general because many are still angry about the George W. Bush mispresidency and the eight long years of conservadamage it wrought on our country.

I must point out that not all of Texas' 24.7 million residents lock step agree with the Texas GOP, the conservafool controlled State Board of Indoctrination or its racist, homophobic and transphobic agenda, much less cast precious ballots for it. We've seen firsthand the damage that unchecked 'proven conservative leadership' can do.

I will point out that many of you liberals who call yourselves Greens enabled Dubya by casting enough votes for Ralph Nader in 2000 to get Dubya close enough to be selected by the Supremes, even after we progressive Texans warned you what would happen if Junior made it to the White House instead of then Vice President Al Gore.

But I digress.

Is Texas perfect? Not by a long shot. It can be and should be better that it is right now. Because we love this state, its culture, its traditions and all of the things we hold dear as denizens of the second largest state in the Union, we think it's worth fighting for.

The legacies of liberal-progressive Texans such as Governor Ann Richards, Billie Carr, Rep. Barbara Jordan, Rep. Mickey Leland, Molly Ivins, Sen. Ralph Yarborough, Sen. Lloyd Bentsen and present and future Texas liberals compel us to fight for the heart and soul of the Lone Star State. It's increasing share of the Electoral College vote and restoring fairness and equality for all Texans demands that we do.

And yes, the fact that its population is already trending majority-minority doesn't hurt either in turning it back to the progressive direction it was historically run on until the GOP got total control in 1995.

While it isn't turning soon enough for you peeps along I-5, I-95 and inside I-495, it took us a while to get into this mess, and it has been a long hard slog back.

That means we GLBT Texas who want to see progressive change inside our borders have to stay and openly fight tooth and nail for it, not cut and run to a so called coastal gay mecca that in some cases can be worse than the so called red state we left behind.

Besides, I can't get Blue Bell ice cream, Frenchy's chicken, Shipley's Donuts or Whataburgers in southern California or the Northeast corridor.

May I point out to you Texas bashers GLBT division that my hometown is now ably run by Mayor Annise D. Parker. There are three living IFGE Trinity Award winners that reside inside its borders and some of the early trans community leadership was epicentered in Houston.

One of the early must go to trans events was the Texas T Party in the San Antonio area. Phyllis and ICTLEP used to host an annual trans law conference in the mid 90's in Houston. The Austin and Dallas-Ft Worth areas are battling to see which metropolis is the most gay friendly and have passed GLBT protective ordinances.

But Houston trumps them both with the first openly gay mayor elected to a major Texas city and a US Top 5 population city.

Just thought I'd rub that in.

But having The Intolerant Enemy in our faces 24/7/365 (366 in a leap year) keeps us focused. We don't have time for the internecine warfare that roils other GLBT communities. You also have to get creative in terms of coming up with airtight arguments that will sway even a conservative leaning pol to vote for your civil rights.

But just like you GLBT peeps on the coasts love the areas you live in, we BTLG Texans love our state as well. The diversity of its population and its culture. The urban sophistication of Dallas, Austin and Houston. San Antonio and El Paso's blends of culture. The state fair in Dallas. Football in the fall, be it high school, college or pro.

Did I mention the barbecue and pecan pie?

Well, it's a Texas thang, y'all wouldn't understand.

Trans People Are Part Of The Diverse Mosaic Of Life 7

Repeat after me: Trans people are part of the diverse mosaic of life, and we are beautiful.

Transpeople are part of the diverse mosaic of life and we are beautiful.



Diana Taylor at an ACLU-NJ press conference



Fredrikka Maxwell in her Sunday diva mode



Brittany Novotny on the campaign trail




New Orleans bounce rappers Katey Red with Big Freedia




Andreas Krieger with his competition medals



Romy Haag at a Berlin event

Still Working On My 'A' Game

No matter how good they say you are, always keep working on your game.

That's a quote from Michael Jordan's 1999 NAACP Image Award acceptance speech, and it segues nicely into the topic of this post.

I have people in the community who think I'm all that and three bags of chips. Some consider me as one of the better activists on the national scene. Some international trans activists I admire have shocked me by saying to me that I'm their role model.

I have people who believe TransGriot is worthy of being considered an 'A' list blog, tell me I'm an excellent writer and a role model to many people inside and outside the TBLG community.

When I hear all those accolades, it would be easy for me to get 'big head syndrome' and start believing the hype.

Fortunately I have a saber wielding friend along with Ursa Maritimus Louisvillius and a host of other people in my friendship and sistahfriend circles who ensure I don't.

I also keep Michael Jordan's quote in mind to keep working on my 'A' game.

I am and continue to work towards being the best sister I can be. I'm constantly assessing my femme presentation, know what works for me hair, clothing, makeup and color wise and what doesn't. I'm looking for clothes and shoes that stylishly fit the image I wish to project to the world. I observe, watch and emulate the positive women I admire and take note of how they interact with the world around them.

Besides, the Phenomenal Transwoman ain't coming out of the house looking tore up from the floor up.

I'm constantly working on perfecting my writing skills. While I've become known for my non-fiction writing, I'm not too bad at fiction writing either. My dream is to publish one of my novel manuscripts one day.

As educator Marva Collins once stated, 'Readers are leaders'. So I do spend time on and off line reading as much current events material I can get my hands on, and perusing stuff that piques my intellectual curiosity.

I am a Trinity Award winner. That is the second highest honor that the United States trans community gives to a member of it or an ally. I see it as meaning that I have to step it up another level since I received that award for things I'd done prior to 2006.

I not only expect a higher standard of excellence for myself, I carry the perception sometimes that people expect greater things from me than the average trans activist starting out.

But I welcome that challenge.

If I say or commit to doing something, it's done. I'm doing a speech, it's going to be on point, well written and fitting to the occasion. When I do a presentation, I come armed with the most up to date information on the topic I can find prior to my on campus arrival and my PowerPoint presentations are regularly updated.

I am going to be in professional diva mode when I get there because I may be the lone African-American in the room or the first professional African descended trans person that particular individual, the group or the organization I'm speaking in front of has encountered.

Because the numbers of out African American trans activists are few in number, we have the additional considerations of having to represent our people and conduct ourselves in a morally upright and highly ethical manner.

Translation: I have to represent. Those may be 'old school' values to some people, but it's the way I strive to conduct my life.

So yes, in order to continue evolving into the finer specimen of womanhood that trans author Sharon Davis talked about, I definitely have to keep working on my 'A' game.

And by continuing to do so, in the long run it makes me a better person as well.