Inauguration Blog: After The Cold Rush

Well, Inauguration Week has come and gone. This was truly one of the more historic weeks in our nation’s recent history, and I feel truly blessed to have been a part of this past week as well as this entire past year from the primaries forward.

There wasn’t much going on the day after Inauguration – in fact, all I did was go to the front of the White House where a couple dozen of us gathered to serenade the first family on their first full day. I also discovered that what I’d presumed was always the “front” of the White House – the side facing the Ellipse and the Washington Monument – turns out to be the back! I’d always wondered why Pennsylvania Ave. ran in back of the White House if that’s where the address was … well now I know, it doesn’t! I was always in the back of it! Needless to say, I unfortunately arrived a little bit late for our serenade.

As the press had stated about the inauguration, this was to be an unprecedented level of attendance. So far I’ve yet to hear any estimates on the crowd, but the show lived up to the billing. It may have been so well attended that they either over-ticketed the event, or perhaps someone figured out a way to counterfeit tickets for one of the front-of-the-pond staging areas. Another of our Trans bloggers – Donna Rose – was to have been sitting in one of those prime spots in the Purple Section on the other side of the pond from we Silver Section folks. While I had a central vantage point, the distance made the details obviously a bit hard to distinguish. I was looking forward to a closer shot from Donna’s vantage point.

As it turns out, Donna and her pal Rachel – as well as literally thousands of others with Purple tickets – were turned away from the gate. Something apparently went badly wrong as the Purple Section was full, clearly visible from our section – but these thousands of Purple ticketholders were never to see a bit of the ceremonies (save for whomever may have watched on someone else’s TV or video elsewhere). It apparently made national news and has it’s own scandal tag: Purplegate. Donna’s got an extensive recount of her experience and links to others on her blog (http://donnarose.com/MyBlog/?p=275)

That is disturbingly heartbreaking. As Donna noted, there were people who’d flown in from the U.K., one man from Minnesota who had worked the campaign and had sold his snowmobile (essentially a waterbike made for snow) in order to pay for the trip, and thousands of others including relatives and employees of Congress members who had looked forward to this day – only to be denied opportunity to even see a minute of it! It would’ve infuriated me as I’m sure it did for them!

Now I feel crappy having complained about our minor delays, confusion and re-routings. Having heard about how hotly demanded the tickets were to this event – especially being nothing more than a mere delegate – I was truly honored to be invited even to our Silver standing area. It wasn’t until today that I’d realized exactly how fortunate.

It’s almost surreal looking back at how I initially had hopes for John Edwards until the first few primaries and his quick departure, and how I’d immediately switched to Barack Obama (knowing as a Trans person that Clinton wouldn’t be there for us) but swore off getting involved in campaigning as I did the previous two presidential cycles. Then a short six weeks later when the precinct chair who’d taken over for me (a lesbian devoted to Hillary) tried to sublimely pull a fast one by keeping primary info from me, and Oxycontin-head Rush Limbaugh began exhorting conservatives to cross party lines and vote for Clinton in order to bloody up the Democratic primaries, I enlisted myself in the Obama campaign just as I’d promised myself not to do!

Little did I know at the time that I was going to be leading my precinct and our charge into Texas’ State Convention, nor did I even fathom going back to the Democratic National Convention in Denver nor working the campaign in Ohio, much, much less seeing the inauguration in person. Yet somehow I find myself here.

Unfortunately, even though I knew a number of folks from Houston were coming up, the only one I saw while here was Roland Garcia (as I’d gone to a party he’d invited me to). And I never made connections with any of the other Trans Community members making it up here for the event – nor did I manage to connect with Diego when I went up to the Hill on Friday.

However, I never felt alone. There were always plenty of folks to talk to, even when I was just biding time grabbing a quick snack in the House / Longworth Cafeteria as I chatted with a woman who’d just moved up from California, a former staffer of Sen. Heinz of Pennsylvania, who was actually putting out paper and trying to land another position as staff in one of the offices here. It surprised me as she was casually dressed, but then the entire week seemed more casual than usual on the Hill, even in the House and Senate offices.

As cold as it was during the inaugural festivities, it was a gorgeous day on Friday – very mild, low 50’s. It’s a shame we couldn’t have had that kind of weather earlier on, but what a way to end the week! Maybe it was just the fact that there were other “holdovers” like me who were in town post-Inauguration. Maybe it’s just a different environment due to the absence of the typical flint-eyed corporate domination that’s flavored Capitol Hill these past eight years. Either way, it’s a much more inviting place these days for all.

We’ve returned to the days where Capitol Hill is once again “the People’s House.”

“Come on-a my house, my house, I'm gonna give a you
Apple a plum and apricot-a too, eh….” — Come On To My House, Rosemary Clooney

Inauguration Videos: Presidential Parade

The Presidential Parade along Pennsylvania Ave. as taken from the big screen in Rep. Anthony Weiner's office on election day.


The Presidential Parade showing the President and First Lady stepping out of the limo and walking along the parade route on Pennsylvania Ave, and headed over towards the White House. (As taken from the big screen in Rep. Anthony Weiner's office on election day.)

Inauguration Videos: The Inaugural Presidential Speech

Part I of President Obama's Speech at Inauguration -- beginning: my fellow citizens ....


Part II of President Obama's Speech at Inauguration -- the discussion that all are free, all are equal and all have the right to happiness ....


Part I of President Obama's Speech at Inauguration -- end: ... God bless the United States of America

Text of the President's Inaugural Speech:

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

I thank President Bush for his service to our nation as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.

The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.

It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.

Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died in places Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed.

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.

The state of our economy calls for action: bold and swift. And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth.

We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.

We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its costs.

We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long, no longer apply.

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.

Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.

And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.

But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.

The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.

Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.

Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake.

And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.

They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use. Our security emanates from the justness of our cause; the force of our example; the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We'll begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard- earned peace in Afghanistan.

With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

We will not apologize for our way of life nor will we waver in its defense.

And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, "Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.

And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.

And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

And yet, at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.

It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break; the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.

It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old.

These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.

What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence: the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall. And why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day in remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.

In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river.

The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood.

At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words; with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Inauguration Videos: The National Anthem & Swearing In

Aretha Franklin sings "Our Country 'Tis Of Thee"


Joe Biden is sworn in as Vice President of the United States by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens


Barack Obama is sworn in as President of the United States by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts

Inauguration Blog: Change Of An Era

Leaving the place I stayed on the morning of Inauguration was surreal for this Houstonian. Gaithersburg looked like it had suffered a powdered-sugar explosion. Everything was covered in a generous dose of white, with homes and their Christmas Tree pruned junipers or pines looking like holiday card scenes. In a word, the cold was biting!

Clearly everyone appeared in an excited mood. I rode down with a group of folks from Chicago: Theo the fireman and Anthony and Francis Davis who live four blocks from where Obama used to reside in Hyde Park. We discussed numerous things: They had questions on how many could get in on one ticket (it was one per ticket per the instructions I had), they showed me their invitation packet which was better than mine – containing a program, to keepsake printed photos on stock paper with signatures of both the new Prez and Vice Prez, and also where we needed to go to get out entry to our viewing section.

“My fellow citizens, I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you’ve bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors…. Every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms…. That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood.” — President Barack Obama on his Inaugural Speech.

That last subject proved to be a task! On our invitations, we were instructed to exit the Metro off of the Blue or Orange line on the south side of the Mall. As we were coming in from the northwest on the Red line, it meant a switch at Metro Center. Upon exit at Metro Center, we were turned away from the Blue and Orange embarking areas for unknown reason, and instructed to go one stop further to Judiciary Square, exit on the north side, and walk through a tunnel to the far side south of the Mall. It was a healthy hike, and clearly some of the folks in cane and hobbling with limps were having a tough time of it.

Especially considering the sudden change in pedestrian traffic flow from the Metro, there was no signage indicating direction and far too few (and obviously overwhelmed) foot cops or guides to ask for direction.

The coordination of the crowd and traffic control seemed, at best, unusual if not downright unfully hatched. Having the supposedly “closed” street in front of the only gate areas for Inaugural viewing repetitively blocked while police cars and transporting police riot squad horse trailers and officers seemed unnecessary and strangely timed immediately before the event’s commencement. Another oddity was having squad cars, buses or chauffeured vehicles traveling down streets blocked off for pedestrians who were already shoulder-to-shoulder on their way to the entrance gates. Other points where the crowds were held back to wait for clearing of the lines across the street, or even restricting pedestrian traffic in the cross streets, was done only piecemeal on an arbitrary manner. Some of these decisions made no real sense.


The introductions seemed to take quite some time, but then, I’m a newbie at this inaugural stuff! Nevertheless the crowd warmed up with the Carters and Clintons took the stage. Everyone was cordial throughout all introductions until the Cheneys and George & Laura Bush were introduced. It was most especially loud when W hit the stage, when a number of us flipped off our now ex-President, then spontaneously broke into a unanimous rendition of “Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye!”

“I just flipped off President George!
I'm going to Disneyland!” — Dizz Knee Land, Dada

During the performance by Yitzhak Perlman and Yo Yo Ma, a group of seagulls and pigeons flew in synch with the music, creating tempo patterns that caused many in the crowd to comment on the seemingly purposeful air dance they did to the string composition.

Clearly the crowd erupted when the Bidens and the Obamas were introduced. And all the fashion-watchers took note of the gorgeous golden dress ensemble that the First Lady Michelle Obama wore. She was, as always, tastefully dressed. Most of the presentation went without a hitch, with one exception – Chief Justice John Roberts apparently screwed up the oath when administering it to our newest President! Pres. Obama uttered the first word, smiled and hesitated … and the Chief Justice repeated the oath again, correctly this time! Imagine the braying from the Limbaughs and Coulters of the world if it would’ve been a liberal Justice screwing up an oath for their hero, George W. Bush!

There was also one other minor screw-up when it was noted that power has changed hands in the U.S. forty-four times. In actuality, it was forty-three – the first one was not inheriting it from any predecessor, thus no “transfer” of power.

Our 44th President gave another excellent speech. It wasn’t his greatest, but very much up to the high standards he himself has set for this office – and a very welcomed change from his predecessor. There is something about this president that leaves everyone with a sense of confidence that our country is now in firm, frank and conscientious command. We now have a national figurehead who will claim responsibility as opposed to the finger-pointing dodgers of the past eight years.


“Part of what we want to do is to open up the White House and remind people this is the people's house." — President-Elect Barack Obama in a Dec. 7, 2008 interview on Meet the Press

Despite my leaving slightly early, the nearest Metro stop south of the Capitol Mall was apparently closed due to over-capacity crowds. As a result, a crowd of what seemed near ten thousand waited for well over an hour with no real movement toward the subway entrance. One woman ended up passing out due to diabetic shock, and just trying to get an ambulance down that street (which was a sea of shoulder-to-shoulder people) was a chore!

As a result, many folks (along with me) gave up on Metro and decided to go to the Rayburn House Office Building to warm up. Getting out of that sea of humanity at the Metro proved to be the toughest trick and took close to half an hour to make it half a block! Nevertheless, I did finally push through and made it to the House – to wait in another line for screening! After another colder half hour wait (there was no wall-to-wall body heat in that line), I finally made it in to warm up. Numerous committee offices were holding receptions, so I dropped in on a couple. I never could tell who was sponsoring them, but it didn’t seem to be closed or restricted to anyone!


After a couple cups of coffee and loads of cheese and crackers (my first meal of the day!) I went to the one Open House I’d confirmed for: Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York. He’s one of the Transgender community’s staunchest allies in the House, and was the most vocal in berating Rep. Barney Frank and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) for their ditching of “gender identity or expression” in 2007’s Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Rep. Weiner was one of seven courageous House members who voted against ENDA – not because of their being prejudiced conservatives, but because of the principle of leaving some of us excluded from “equality.” As a result, all seven of those members ruined their perfect 100% score on human rights from the very same “Human Rights” Campaign (and all seven were re-elected despite HRC’s punitive bigotry). I got a chance to give the Rep a huge Texas hug, and thank him for his defiant support for us – and managed to grab a quick photo too! Anyone out in far eastern Queens or Brooklyn around the JFK area needs to get involved and help this guy on any of his efforts or campaigns – he’s a lion for our community!

On the way home I sat next to a woman who I believe was lesbian (I didn’t ask). It turns out she was from Atlanta but had coincidentally come to Houston to work the primaries for the Obama Campaign. The reason she came to us instead of Ohio was that she wanted to work a primary state that had a caucus. Ironically enough, it wasn’t until this year that I learned that what Texas did to elect a third of our delegates was a caucus (we just called them precinct conventions and I presumed every state had them!) We chatted a bit about her experiences in Houston (apparently in State Rep Cohen’s district in the West U / Med Center area), and I related mine from Dayton, O-H … I-O. (Yes, I still remember … and thanks to Mark Foster for teaching our Houston bus that!)

“They come from the cities and they come from the smaller towns ….
Well, they said goodbye to their families, said goodbye to their friends,
With their pipedreams in their heads and very little money in their hands.
Some are black and some are white, ain't too proud to sleep on your floor tonight.” — R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A., John Cougar Mellencamp

Unlike many of the others, I ended up home at a decent hour. In this economy, there’s no way I could afford any inaugural balls. Sure, they probably would have been nice with the glitz and glamour. And I’m sure they were also important parts of what will likely be cherished memories of the entire weekend. But for me, beyond the affordability, it seemed a bit too ostentatious for me to justify. We’re inheriting the Bush economy and will be in the throes of this for some time, with plenty of economic pain to go around for the majority of the country – and also the globe. We must learn to stop spending money on things, and mine starts with that. So I feel very pleased I’ve managed this overly long weekend on a relative shoestring, thanks to deflated gasoline prices and the help of good friends!

President Barack Obama has set history of global magnitude just in his election alone. He also gives every indication he will continue this high standard in his acts.

Ultimately, working the campaigns, attending the convention, blockwalking in Houston and in Ohio and now attending the inauguration, this was actively being a part of history instead of watching from the sidelines. It’s part of how history is made and how change occurs: physically involving yourself even in the small, seemingly inconsequential things that collectively, when added all together, create this singular event in our lifetime. It’s a memory we’ll be able to relive throughout our entire lives, and maybe passed for generations to come.

It’s also an inspiration to those of us whose hopes and dreams died years ago, that maybe by working hard and persevering, we can finally see a day when success is no longer the sole property of the opportunistically connected or the entitled class. It seemed all but impossible on paper, but “Yes We Can” became “Yes We Did.” While I don’t have hope, maybe I can make change nevertheless!

For those of us who worked this entire effort and participated in this, we’ll always share being a small piece of history, and helping begin this process of change. We’ve truly helped create change. We’ve truly helped begin a new era in America and the world.

“On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.… We remain a young nation. But in the words of scripture the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit, to choose our better history, to carry forward our precious gift: that noble idea passed on from generation to generation, that God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.” — President Barack Obama on his Inaugural Speech.

Inauguration Blog: The Eve Of History

Not much to report today as it was mostly balls and receptions. I'd intended to attend a few different events, but settled instead for just the one I went to initially. I suppose a good portion of this had to do with my issues with the weather. For those up north, it's not such a big deal, but for my little Houston self, seeing snow like we had in Maryland was a mental buzz-kill. I tried to put it out of mind as much as possible, but it was only partially successful.

Nevertheless, I did make it out to one soiree held at Greenberg Traurig's headquarters. A friend of mine from Houston who's both an attorney there, and also very active in Democratic circles sent an invitation to the Obama delegation from Texas. It was a very tony event with many of DC's movers and shakers, as well as folks from around the country. Being a firm that does professional corporate lobbying, I felt somewhat at home (even though my background is more social and volunteer).

A couple of ladies I'd met from DC's connected class - Margy and Karen - remarked that this particular party was well-known and written up in Honolulu's Star-Bulletin as one of the 'go-to' events during Inauguration time. I could believe it: the food was sumptuous, the band was good and of course the open bars were stocked with top shelf fare. Even in this notable private event, I still managed to get in a little bit of Trans 101 for a couple folks who'd asked, including an Indian-American couple from San Diego who were very sweet and intrigued at discovering this.
The party was so good, I didn't go to the other three that were taking place shortly after.

Diego Sanchez, Donna Rose and I were tentatively scheduled to get together and figure out something to do tonight, but to no avail. Diego worked late, and ended up taking in a movie after work. Meanwhile when I spoke with Donna, she was stuck in Virginia at one of the Metro stops in what sounded to be an enormously long line. After hanging out until nearly 9PM, I decided instead to call it an early night (as I'd forgotten to bring cash anyway). Hopefully Donna made it in to town and found something to do.

Tomorrow will be the big day, and I need a bit of rest after last night! My only concern is if we end up with snow tomorrow as well. The area in Maryland where I'm staying still looks like a winter wonderland, complete with Christmas Tree looking shrubs covered in postcard snow. It's nice to look at remotely, when you don't have to get out in it. Being in the stuff makes it a wholly different experience.

With any luck, focusing on the moment will remove thoughts of the cold!

Inauguration Blog: The Opening Act

"I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.” — Martin Luther King Jr. from the “I Have A Dream” speech.

How many ways can you say cold? Well, I won’t bother trying to get flowery with my “speeching” – it was damn cold – at least for me with my thin South Texas blood! Yes I braved the weather and the phenomenal crowds to attend “We Are One” – the official opening performance of the Inaugural Period – in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
It was the perfect location for it (albeit, for me, a constant reminder of the temps as I was parked right next to a frozen reflecting pond!) Despite the temperature, the crowds were jovial and really into the moment. One of the big themes of the show and indeed the entire Obama Campaign was to not just think of yourself, but remember that we all must pitch in and help each other while we “make a more perfect union.”
This was demonstrated by the folks I plopped next to, a couple originally from St. Paul, MN (although the husband works in DC now), who were there – like the rest of the crowd – bundled up like Eskimos against the elements, while I stood without the scarves and gloves and hats that seemed to be the fashion. The woman next to me took pity and lent me her thick pop-top glove / mittens to warm my frozen hands up (there was nothing I could do about my feet!)

Of course since I didn’t wear gloves most of the day, I had fingers free to snap photos of the gay couple standing next to me (who liked my “Un-Equal T-shirt!”) as well as others around me – including a group from Dayton, Ohio (who made the O-H … I-O with their hands, YMCA dance style)! After the picture, I told them I was part of the Obama Bus (Freedom Riders II?) who helped turned their town and county blue there in conservative southwest Ohio! I had fun connecting with Dayton folk again!
The concert was phenomenal: Bruce Springsteen opening up, with performances by Shakira, Usher & Stevie Wonder doing Stevie’s “Higher Ground”, John Legend & James Taylor (singing Taylor’s “Shower the People (with Love)”, Bettye Lavette & Jon BonJovi doing a duet, Sheryl Crow, Will.I.Am & Herbie Hancock, Jon Cougar Mellencamp doing his “Pink Houses,” and many other musical acts. The stand outs besides Mellencamp’s and Usher’s was a three-song performance by Garth Brooks(!) who had the entire crowd singing “American Pie” and the Isley Brothers’ “Shout,” and a performance by U2 of their “Pride” (honoring MLK’s life) and “City of Blinding Light,” which I believe is new – possibly written especially for this occasion. I loved the final lyrics of the song: “blessings are not just for those who kneel … luckily!”
Of course the speakers themselves were wide ranging and entertaining, beginning with Bishop Gene Robinson’s invocation (it was good to see Rev. Gene give again!), Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah, and even more comically lighter versions of most serious material: George Lopez, Jamie Foxx, Steve Carell, Cal Penn. Tom Hanks did a very stirring insight into the presidency of Abraham Lincoln in his monologue, with an unplifting orchestral backing of an Aaron Copland composition.
Walking out a little before the show ended I was stunned to see every inch of ground between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument packed with people! Even kids hanging in trees a half mile away, just to catch a glimpse of a Jumbotron of the performance – the sight of it all astonished me! Was this some kind of record for a gathering on the mall? It seemed to me to easily surpass six-figures in attendance!
“We Are One” was a performance for the ages! For one, I’m glad I made it – frigidity and all!

“I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.” — Martin Luther King Jr. from the “I Have A Dream” speech.

After the concert, I got chance to touch base with an old friend living in DC – Jeffrey Braveheart. We hooked up as the crowds broke up, and headed uptown to find a bar to hoist a beer and have a toast – fitting end to an exciting day!

Afterwards, I rushed my butt back up to the far suburbs, changed into more appropriate evening wear, and went to the Warehouse Arts Complex across from the new Convention Center. They had an event – Obamarama – that was a series of performances in the theatre in back. It was an old-fashioned vaudeville and burlesque show, replete with women in pasties! Actually, it was done very tastefully as in the old 20’s era of strip-tease, replete with the ostrich feather fans and period costume. It was great fun as the MC’s and performers keep the crowd giggling and even participating in some of the action. At first I felt a bit unusually dressed with my beret, fishnets and more of a French look, but the crowd was also in various “fun dress,” including one man looking like he’d stepped out of a 40’s era Jimmy Cagney movie, another in a fez, and still another dressed as Abe Lincoln! (Hell, I even play wrestled with Honest Abe – go figure!)
After drinking perhaps a bit too much of their mulled wine, I discovered the Metro was not running late on Sunday night! Yeeps! Catching a cab in downtown DC at almost 1AM is a very difficult process, and many of the cabbies refuse to take you outside of the district! I finally found one that did, and the trip cost a hefty $60, but I was safe back home. Lesson learned: verify the last runs of the DC Metro subways before leaving!
Well, today is MLK day, and I plan to watch the “I Have A Dream” speech on CNN later. Another note – startling for me, although pretty to see from inside warm environs – is that we were snowed on last night! Houston people are not snow people. I’ll see how I manage to get around today, but I’m not sitting on the ground like yesterday! Inauguration is going to be a challenge, I see.
"Yikes! Snow! This wasn't in the forecast! How did I get into this?!?"

Either way, I’m here and enjoying being a part of this collective bit of history! Before I forget, Happy MLK Day everyone!

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"” — Martin Luther King Jr.

Inauguration Blog: The Arrival!

This is the beginning of short blogs (as I get time!) during an obviously frenzied weekend! Yes, I’m here in Washington (well, suburban Maryland) for the Presidential Inauguration! It was a relatively snap decision: I got a ticket reservation notice a week ago last Wednesday, made the decision and – here I am! Managed the drive in two days – arrived last night (albeit during DC rush hour on the Beltway – yeesh!)

That said, I’m doing this on the barest of shoestrings possible, keeping in note my unemployed status! No flying – I drove (thank God for the cheaper gasoline prices!) Plus I stayed with some good friends: Shelly in Atlanta, and Janet & Cookie while I’m up here in DC! Otherwise, there’s no way I could’ve done the motels, much less attempting car sleeping due to the sub-freezing temps!

And I do mean sub-freezing – like in the teens and low twenties! I thought Texas was bad! It does make a difference that I get a break from the cold staying with my friends as they use heat, plus the car heater on the drive up! It’s not bothering me the way it does when cold in Houston and it seems (to me) that the entire world is in a deep freeze! Plus the cold is much drier here, so it doesn’t knife through me the way the cold will in Texas oftentimes.

While here, I’ve been trying to get my schedule coordinated as more of the events have now been put up on websites, etc. There’s a lot of things to wade through, and most of them have three-figure or even four-figure (eek!) door fees! With America being in the throes of Bush’s “Economic Recovery” (or ‘Mental Recession’ or ‘Depression ‘ or whatever folks want to call it), there’s no way a tranny like me, with nothing but temp jobs, is affording that!

Nevertheless, there’s at least a couple small ticket items, and even the National Council for AIDS throwing a reception that’s free or GLAAD’s free event at a local bar here, so being resourceful and searching allows you to find some opportunities away from the chi chi, high visibility spots.

Ultimately, being here for this Inauguration is history! It sounds clichéd, but it’s true this time. America elected it’s first African-American as President, we’re also in the most difficult times since the Great Depression.

Additionally – out trans people were officially invited to the Inaugural Event! That’s a first at any Democratic Inauguration, though Kathryn McGuire attended the 1989 Inauguration of President George H. W. Bush – and even went to one of the Inaugural Balls! Of course this was immediately after she’d begun her transition, and she got the invitation under the presumption she was still her male (and very conservative) old self!

It’s also the largest inauguration ever, and is drawing folks from around the nation and the world! Even with the frigid temperatures, people are braving the elements to be there and make future memories to be retold for many years to come. If nothing else, Obama has had at least one small part in unblocking a bit of the economic freeze and get folks out, traveling, spending a little at least. He’s a one man industry!

Most of today has been getting settled in, computer set up and watching CNN News of the Presidential Whistlestop. It’s been amazing watching the crowds out in this frigid weather, standing and waiting for hours for a glimpse of the new President. One can see it being obviously special for the African American community – but there were a number of non-black folks of all race standing out amongst them as well, waiting for that glimpse in that same deep freeze! Everyone wants to watch even a piece of this history as the Obama family and the Biden family traveled by train from Pennsylvania and arrived in Washington this evening!

The one thing that strikes me is how different this election and Inauguration are. The feeling is electric. There is so much about this anticipation and the admiration for the incoming President that reminds me and my friends Janet & Cookie of America’s Camelot – the John F. Kennedy presidency.

Even beyond the crowd response and the clamor, just the look of the family coming in: very young and attractive, an athletic husband and a tastefully stylish wife with young kids coming into the White House. It really struck me watching a bit of the news coverage where the Obamas were chatting casually about things like Ms. Obama looking forward to the inauguration speech, and an easy, almost high-school type of good-natured teasing of each other and a few laughs. Even a lot of the messaging from both Barack and Michelle are reflective of (if not copycatting) the Kennedy couple.

We’re here this week to witness one thing: a chance to truly usher in an exciting change in America at the very least. While the jury is out for now, we may also be watching the beginning of one of the greatest presidencies in our nation’s history. We individuals who walked the blocks, knocked the doors, were delegates, contributors, phone bankers, hosts or hostesses for out-of-state campaign volunteers or simply voters for what may have been the first time ever, we’re not individually historic. But our participation in this process, and for those of us fortunate ones watching the ceremony in person, we get to say we were a small piece of this historic moment.

We can point to helping create change! Yes we did!

“When we dream alone it is only a dream, but when many dream together it is the beginning of a new reality.” — Austrian architect, Friedensreich Hundertwasser

Civil Rights Don’t Exist For USA's Transgender Citizens

Picture yourself as a transgender person, going out dressed as your new gender, when “nature calls.” Then picture yourself going to the restroom, only to by stopped and informed you cannot use any restrooms there. You can’t use the women’s and you can’t use the men – they have no facilities for people like you to use. Most folks would think this was something that occurred only during the Jim Crow era with “whites only” facilities. It happens as recent as yesterday, January 8, 2009, for transgenders in suburban Houston.

Fleshing out this story, it wasn’t in just any old public haunt either. This was in the County Courthouse in a county adjacent to Houston. A county where the person in question was ordered to come in for a court hearing regarding her divorce. The deputy who stopped her – addressing her as ma’am (as she was presenting!) – instructed her not to use either men’s or women’s restrooms, that there was no restroom to use, and that this was by order of the judge presiding over her divorce case. She said her attorney confirmed that was indeed the judge’s request.

A week from today I’ll be arriving in Washington with the intent of watching my first Inauguration in person. It’s heady times as a number of us in the Democratic transgender delegation will be the first trans people attending an inauguration for a Democratic President, Barack Obama. We aren’t the first, as one of Houston’s Republican transwomen, Charles / Kathryn McGuire, attended George Bush’s inauguration in 1988. But in many ways, we in the trans community have come a long way.

“Each person must live their life as a model for others.” — civil rights icon, Rosa Parks

This inauguration itself is historic in that we are finally electing our first non-white male to the White House over forty-four years after the Civil Rights Act eliminated America’s shame of no service or no facilities available for people of color. It seems quaint and remote remembering a time when such blatant discrimination was open and allowable.

The Civil Rights Act was long overdue, especially if one were to follow the true spirit of the preamble to the Constitution. It was proven that there was a demonstrated, systematic discrimination of a class of people, there was demonstrated economic hardship as a result and there was a demonstrated lack of this class empowered or elected to office, preventing any direct advocacy to rectify this disparity. Now codified, America’s finally made good on the promise “you can grow up to be President someday.”

Progress … but to this very day it’s legal to fire someone in this country for being gay or lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. Now most of these companies in these states will point to the fact that they don’t discriminate and have hired and even promoted gay and lesbian employees. Most states will point to an out gay or lesbian elected official. But when discussions of this progress occur, transgenders suddenly become invisible and unheard in the discussion.

“Vote for me and I’ll set you free!
Rap on, brother. Rap on!” — Ball Of Confusion, the Temptations

Trans people, even in 2009, are overwhelmingly unemployed and under-employed, or disproportionately “disemployed” from previous employers once their status is discovered, even if they were in positions of authority (as was the case with Largo, Florida’s longtime city manager, Susan Stanton).

Even in the most enlightened environ for GLBT people, San Francisco, only 4% of transgenders responding to a study earned the median income of $61,200 or above, while 59% earned less than $15,333. The only other category in the U.S. that has a lesser per capita income that trans people would be Native Americans (and don’t get me started on that as I’m a “breed”.)

Trans people are typically considered to be nothing more than the prevalent stereotype for male-to-female trans people: streetwalking prostitutes. Accordingly, the court system is anything but kind to out gays and lesbians, much less transgenders. Unlike other classes, though, trans people are incarcerated with people of our birth gender, meaning a female-appearing male in with other male prisoners. A study in California observed that 59% of transgenders in prison were frequently raped and beaten by male inmates, and often were punished with being thrown in “the hole” if they raised the issue with guards.

How many states can point to having an out transgender person as an elected official? Two: Missouri and a just-elected mayor in Oregon. The first out trans person ever was just hired a couple weeks ago to work on Capitol Hill in Rep. Barney Frank’s office. We have no state officials, no federal officials, and no way to access and directly appeal our issues.

With George W. Bush’s Real ID Act coming to fruition, even the issue of obtaining identification becomes dicey, affecting our drivers licensing and passports – and increasingly, states requiring photo ID for voting. We already experience Social Security Administration sending letters to employers to amend their employment records to reflect transitioned transsexuals birth gender, not the one which they publicly represent. The potential for being disallowed voting in all of this chills me to the bone. May there come a time when we may be turned away from the polls because of mismatched gender identification?

“I knew that I could vote and that that wasn't a privilege; it was my right. Every time I tried I was shot, killed or jailed, beaten or economically deprived.” — activist & Black Panther, Stokley Carmichael

I’ve been in an Applebee’s in College Park, MD where they wouldn’t serve us, and made it distinctly clear (as we waited for over an hour) that we were the only table that wouldn’t be served. I’ve watched a trans man and person of color (and leader of NTAC) blatantly passed over when they came to our table to take our orders. There have only incurred two instances where I was refused usage of the women’s restroom – one in a lesbian bar, the other in a straight bar. The latter instance, I went into the men’s restroom (not wanting the Houston police officer to arrest me) and almost immediately upon entering was accosted by a man who was clearly inebriated and grabbed me by the elbow – I left the bar immediately and never went back.

I’ve been directly let go from jobs due to my transitioning and transgender status. I’ve been pulled over by police early in my transtion, before my ID was corrected to my current gender, and had the officers interrogate me over “where I was working tonight” – i.e. where I was “hooking.”

I’ve heard well the epithets (even a couple from gay men during this election cycle as I was campaigning for Obama instead of Hillary), though the most graphic ones came from straight men, including a couple who were black. And yes, I’ve felt the boot of the more physical manifestations of discrimination.

It’s a historic time in our country, and I’ll also join in the revelry of beginning of physically demonstrating the promise of Civil Rights as we see President Barack Obama take the helm. In my opinion, it can’t come soon enough. Hope as a word lost meaning for me many years ago, but Change means a lot. And change we must!

Yet I also must keep in mind transgenders will continue seeing systemic discrimination from the courts to the workplace, our lack of employment (as I’m experience now) will keep us economically at a severe disadvantage, and the prospects of having a Trans person in Congress currently do not exist. That said, without a sufficient voice to make this issue known, this is a situation we’ll be living with for some time as there are many, many priorities inherited by this president that will preclude even the most remote chance of extending civil rights for Trans America. That hasn’t changed, and we must find a way to work around it until the day that occurs. Like the Isley Brothers sang many years ago, “we’ve got work to do!”

For now, if a judge decrees it, we do not have the right to use any restroom in public. If we violate the law, we should not expect favorable treatment in courts or in jails after. Even without violating a law ourselves, we most frequently can expect not to be equally protected by those same laws. Economically, we can expect not to see “equal” for many years to come, nor the subsequent entré into politics or power.

Civil rights are being realized by many and being taken for granted as fact. But for us in the Trans community, those rights still don’t exist.

“There is a higher law than the law of government. That's the law of conscience.” — activist & Black Panther, Stokley Carmichael

“I favor the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and it must be enforced at gunpoint if necessary.” — former Pres. Ronald Reagan

A Trans Political Reflection And Goodbye To 2008

The New Year is upon us and it’s time for both reflection and looking ahead. It’s been a truly uplifting and historic year for us. We worked on and witnessed America elect its first non-white male President ever, Barack Obama! For the transgender community, we actually had a very active hand in participating in and seeing this come to fruition!

“Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?” — Auld Lang Syne, Robert Burns

A number of our community’s leadership participated in the Obama Transgender Steering Committee, including names like Pauline Park, Donna Rose, Donna Cartwright and Marti Abernathey (Marti of course became the first trans delegate from Indiana – and for Obama). Even on the LGBT Advisory Committee post-election, we had a prominent, well-respected trans leader, Marsha Botzer, involved and likely a big part of what eventually became the announced Executive Order on federal hiring by the upcoming Administration: the first *ever* to explicitly prevent discrimination based on gender identity or expression!

The Obama campaign even drew me back into the game. From working the precincts and the Montrose bar run with locals and even out-of-state trans folks like Washington state’s Rebekah Lee (who made the trip down for the campaign) and having to chair a near-riot crowd of nearly 400 at our precinct convention to elect our precinct’s delegates, to our senate district fight, to our state convention fight. Eventually the struggle won me a surprise return trip to Denver and the Democratic National Convention as an Obama delegate, and participating in our largest ever transgender delegation: six delegates and two committee members in all! One of the committee members, Diego Sanchez of Boston MA, set history by being the first trans person elected to the DNC Platform Committee – an important first! Both delegate Laura Calvo from Portland OR, and trans attorney Shannon Minter of NCLR were chosen to sit in the special “inner circle” during the final night of the Democratic Convention – again firsts!

Even the Houston GLBT Political Caucus got into the act! In a stunning surprise to many, the transgender-led, and trans majority screening committee defied the Houston Stonewall Democrats and two of Houston’s most out elected lesbian officials in endorsing Obama! Even without my input, Houston’s trans leaders knew the difference between Hillary Clinton’s incrementalism and Obama’s history of supporting inclusive legislation.

Even after my layoff on Halloween, it provided me opportunity to take a bus trip from Houston to Dayton, Ohio to work a critical area in red-meat southwest Ohio – the very city which was home to one of the notable 2004 controversies regarding vote counts done in partisan fashion behind closed doors with no observers allowed. The “busload” from Houston was notorious throughout Dayton – even the other volunteers had heard about us – and we took a tough trip and energy-draining schedule and made change we could believe in! After Pennsylvania was called for Obama, the television pundits all stated whichever of the battleground states went first – Florida, Virginia, North Carolina or Ohio – that state would put Obama over the top.

Ohio was the first state of those battlegrounds that went Obama – and the roar was deafening! Even more uproarious was when they broke down Ohio by counties and they showed that our turf, Montgomery County, went blue – the only county in southwest Ohio that went blue! We helped create change!

“We two have run about the slopes and picked the daisies fine;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot since auld lang syne.” — Auld Lang Syne, Robert Burns

We also finally saw a notable and collective trend shift in the transgender community, away from being “tempered and measured” and working “collaboratively” with “our (so called) allies” in the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). It was just over a year ago that Meredith Bacon, Board Chair of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) sent out a letter to a number of trans leaders vowing that they “would not be working with HRC in the foreseeable future,” and even shocking many with the tenor of the letter in blatantly calling it an “elite” movement geared toward white gay males. Later, a couple more NCTE board members, Donna Cartwright and Steve Glassman, wrote a similar letter pulling back a bit from Bacon’s tone, but still reiterating not working with HRC in the foreseeable future.

These, along with the eventual departures from HRC’s Business Council of longtime members Donna Rose and Jamison Green cemented in the collective community what had been seen and spoken of only by the old-line activists circa the Bill Clinton era: HRC was not to be trusted. While the old-line “heretics” among us are still marginalized and stifled by the “HRC-hater” neophytes, it’s at least a comfort to know the sentiments on HRC are uniform throughout most all the trans community.

Sadly, it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re more unified. Ironically, it’s now more fractured (ah, the magic of HRC!) Now it’s the original old-line “HRC-Haters” who won’t show deference to the neophyte “HRC-Haters” who resent both the old-line heretics and the newer HRC Moths who can’t resist, nor stand to be away from the limelight! But the upside is that the numbers (at least for the time being) that blast HRC for being their natural selves is much louder and larger.

During the course of the 110th congressional session, another first – the historic Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act with trans inclusive language passed the House and Senate, only to get bottled up after it was attached to the Iraq War funding bill. Meanwhile the ignominious ENDA stripped of its original trans-inclusive language, also passed the House. Both Barney Frank and HRC pulled a fast one, coming up with a snap poll of some type (no details nor data were ever presented) that showed 70% of the gay and lesbian community supported passing the non-inclusive ENDA rather than waiting for an inclusive bill.

After the ENDA debacle, Ol’ Barn’ (at the urging of Rep. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin) worked with Rep. Rob Andrews of NJ to convene a transgender panel testimony on employment before a Congressional Sub-Committee. Diane Schroer, Sabrina Marcus Taraboletti, and again Shannon Minter and Diego Sanchez set history in participating in the panel.

On more contrary notes, 31 trans people were memorialized at this year’s Day of Remembrance, with Memphis TN becoming the newest trans violence hotspot.

Worse, HRC continued sniffing around and nibbling at the edges on co-opting hate murders of transgenders (with an eye ever towards the fundraising potential for themselves). Not only were there reports around individuals like Angie Zapata in Colorado, but even plans to co-sponsor one plan to hold a “post vigil party” following Day of Remembrance at a night club to benefit a gay youth center, but even a prominent member of HRC staff calling and attempting to insert HRC into the Day of Remembrance planning for next year! They smell green in that red, see the trans community is not taking advantage of the opportunity, and have an eight-figure annual budget that will never be enough.

Worse still, even a couple other LGBT groups are beginning to sniff around the event as well. Everyone needs money, except apparently transgenders or trans groups in their opinion! Funds have become tight these days.

“We two have paddled in the stream from morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared since auld lang syne.” — Auld Lang Syne, Robert Burns

Indeed, the financial collapse has had an effect on many of us as well as the rest of the nation. With this collapse (which I didn’t find out about until days later due to no electricity after Hurricane Ike), many in America are losing jobs and losing homes. As a result, donations to all charities have dwindled to a sprinkle in a sun-baked drought.

This is taking an especially difficult toll on the trans community. Homelessness is becoming more common and as trans people all know, finding shelter as transgenders is virtually impossible save for a few isolated locales. A week before Christmas, longtime homeless trans-advocate and perennial mayoral candidate Jennifer Gale of Austin died of exposure while sleeping on a park bench in front of a local church on a freezing night. With jobs evaporating, federal, state and local budgets being slashed to the bone and even the bone itself being whittled down drastically, the forecast for this being addressed is bleak at best.

Another ominous bit of news is the Bush Administration’s seeming scorched earth campaign on other issues besides the bankrupting of the economy. They weren’t able to kill of Social Security, but they have been doing what they can on other policy changes away from Congress such as allowing relaxation of restrictions on corporate pollution in the oceans and near national park land for instance.

On the trans community front, though, the health connotations are rather harrowing. News came out during the DNC in Denver that the Health and Human Services (HHS) Dept. had enacted a “Provider Conscience” policy for federally-funded hospitals and health care facilities. It sounds innocuous, but it means that if a hospital or health professional feels treating an individual is against their moral conscience, they don’t have to treat them. As Asst. Sec. of Health Joxel Garcia put it, “health care providers shouldn’t have to check their conscience at the hospital door.” For women, it means more than abortions, but birth control (even in case of rape or incest) may be denied legally if the provider feels it’s against their morals. For trans people, it means any trans hormone replacement therapy or cosmetic surgery may be denied if the treating physician feels it offends his beliefs. (www.hhs.gov/news/press/2008pres/08/20080821a.html)

Think of the implications if, say, a Southern Baptist decides someone with full-blown AIDS was deserving of it and denied treatment. It could be conceivable for a hospital owned by Christian Scientists to deny medication to someone suffering from post-traumatic shock after an accident, or even a doctor converted to Jehovah’s Witness who refuses to prescribe anything more than prayer for a patient suffering from flesh-eating bacteria. Regardless of Hippocratic Oath, this provides legal cover now for health providers to deny treatment. It’s conceivable that some physicians could choose to not violate their conscience by providing medical care to another race, or deny medical care to others of a religion different (and thus heretical) to their own beliefs. This is a real game-changer on a number of levels, especially for those living in smaller cities and towns where health care choices are limited.

This takes effect two days before Inauguration Day.
But on a final upbeat note, our first out transgender, Diego Sanchez, has been hired to work as a congressional staffer on Capitol Hill. After many decades and hundreds (if not thousands) of gay and lesbian staffers even up to the highest levels on the Hill, the first trans person has finally broken through that seemingly plexiglass ceiling and landed employment with a member of congress. The only downside: it’s in Rep. Barney Frank’s office. Knowing Ol’ Barn’ as we do, we’re certain there’s “strategery” (as Bush-baby would say it) afoot in his selection.

Nevertheless, Diego has again set history – hearty congratulations on that! And for those of us who have been lobbying Congress (as have I) for over the past decade plus, actually having a trans person in one of the offices there on Capitol Hill is a welcome sight indeed.

Here’s hoping for a productive 2009!

“And surely you’ll buy your pint cup! And surely I’ll buy mine!
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne.” — Auld Lang Syne, Robert Burns

"We Hate The U.S.A.!"

“’Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.” — I’m Proud To Be An American, Lee Greenwood

I figured that title would get your attention. It’s the actual title of the new CD compiled and sent out to all the Republican National Committee (RNC) members by Chip Saltsman – I’m not making this up. The 41 song CD entitled “We Hate The USA!” by conservative satirist Paul Shanklin, a personal friend of Saltsman, was intended as an enticement for voting for Saltsman as chair of the RNC.

Most controversial for the press has been the inclusion of a song called “Barack The Magic Negro.” It drew the expected protests from Democrats, and also some of Republican leadership. Said RNC Chair, Mike Duncan, who is seeking reelection to his post and move the party to attracting more minority voters: “I am shocked and appalled that anyone would think this is appropriate as it clearly does not move us in the right direction.”

Funny thing is, it appears to be helping Saltsman’s campaign. A number of RNC members are standing firm with him on his CD choice.

“When I found out what this was about I had to ask, ‘Boy, what’s the big deal here?’ because there wasn’t any.” said Mark Ellis, the chairman of the Maine Republican Party.

Alabama Republican Committeeman Paul Reynolds said the fact the Saltsman sent him a CD with the song on it “didn’t bother me one bit. Chip probably could have thought it through a bit more, but he was doing everyone a favor by giving us a gift.”

“No big deal” … it was “a gift.” Even if they wanted to disregard the racial implications in the Barack song, they really want to send out to their membership a CD entitled “We Hate The USA”? So this is what it’s come down to for the GOP, now?

Keep in mind these are the same GOP folks that focused intently on the comment “putting lipstick on a pig” by then candidate Obama on the campaign trail. The same GOP who said “words have meaning.” Also the same GOP who, during time of war, were quick to cast doubt on people’s patriotism if there was anything even remotely close to being less than fully supportive of the President or the United States in all its endeavors. Literally, people who made such off-handed comments earlier in the Bush presidency were called in for visits with the Secret Service or had FBI pay a visit to their homes, regardless of how sardonic or unserious the intent was.

Has that all been forgotten?

Now it’s all right for these same folks to make jokes about hating the United States? It’s frivolous to focus attention on a political party who once epitomized hyper-patriotism, and whose candidates now support such insouciant commentary about their homeland?

And that says nothing about the too-blatant-to-be-overlooked dual standards. Can you say “hypocrisy?”

In this time of war (remember guys, we still have two ongoing wars and even a new hotspot on the horizon with Gaza and Israel going at it!), and in this time of dire economic straits the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Great Depression, this CD sent to the RNC members is the message they want to send out to the party and the rest of the nation? I guess these times just aren’t serious enough to merit a serious level of attention from the GOP. They have no problem with their message, supporting the gift of “We Hate The USA!” CD.

Then good for you and Godspeed you Grand Old Party. Party on Garth …

One parting thought: the Patriot Act that was enacted by George W. Bush and Dick Cheney … that’s still in effect. Remember all the stuff in there about taking commentary against our country and our president seriously? All the people who were brought in and questioned to see whether they were benign threats or something more serious? I’m sure many of them just thought they were joking too ….

Party on Wayne ….

“And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.” — I’m Proud To Be An American, Lee Greenwood