Saturday, March 31, 2012

RIP Alexis Rivera

Another powerful trans activist has passed away.  Los Angeles area activist Alexis Rivera died March 28 at age 34 due to compilations from HIV.   She was loved by all who got to know her on the West Coast and became an amazing advocate for our community.  

For those of you on the Left Coast who wish to pay your respects to her, a memorial service for Alexis Rivera will be held at Fiesta Hall in Plummer Park on Sunday, April 1 at 12:15 PM PDT.   Location is 7377 Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood, CA.    Viewing will be Monday, April 2 from 1-3 PM PDT at Abbott Abbott and Hast Mortuary.

A memorial service for Alexis will be held for her in San Francisco on April 7 at the SF LGBT Center for 3-5:30 PM PDT.  Location of the center is 1800 Market Street  

She worked for the Transgender Law Center and here's video of Alexis speaking at a 2007 gender conference.    Rest in peace sis.  You will be missed by your activist peers and all who loved you.



Am I Suspicious?

Interesting video.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Shut Up Fool Awards- Black Transmen Conference Edition

A historic event is taking place this weekend in Dallas as the first annual Black Transmen Conference  kicked off March 29.  The keynote speaker is Minister Louis Mitchell and I know my transbrothers and their guests and supporters are experiencing a wonderful and empowering weekend.

It's Friday, so that means I get to attend to my usual business of selecting the fool, fools or group of fools who have so richly deserved and earned this week's Shut Up Fool Award.

We had many nominees for it this week in terms of the Republican Party, Fox Noise, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) , Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Rep Eric Cantor (R-VA), Rep Louie Gohmert (R-TX),  Joe Oliver, Geraldo Rivera, Robert Zimmerman, Tavis Smiley, Dr Cornel West and Michelle Malkin.

Honorable mention goes to Stephanie Eisner, the 'cartoonist' at The Daily Texan, the student newspaper at the University of Texas for her racist take on the Trayvon Martin case.

But our winner this week is Tea Klux Klan favorite Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL).   He hit a new low when he disrespected former Rep Tammy Duckworth who is running for Congress again after serving in the Obama administration

Walsh told Politico in a recent interview, "What else has she done? Female, wounded veteran ... ehhh."

In addition to serving in the Obama Administration as the Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs in the Veterans Administration from 2009-2011 Duckworth served our country as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in Iraq in 2004, and lost her legs and part of the use of her right arm. She was awarded the Purple Heart for her combat injuries and is still active as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Illinois National Guard while you were busy being a deadbeat dad and piling up a six figure child support debt.

She's a better American than you will ever be and will make a wonderful congressmember for the Illinois 8th District.

Rep. Joe Walsh, shut up fool!