PHOTOS - 2014 Gala: The Root 100 Honors Influential African American Leaders, Community Organizers, Artists, Philanthropists

Facebook Suspends Two Transsexual Advocates for HRC Critical Comments Regarding Misrepresentation, Classism and Disempowerment

 

With a heavy heart I’m involuntarily saying goodbye to my Facebook friends and family. FB suspended me for 24 hours yesterday for standing up for New York’s transsexual and transgender communities by making a non-offensive and journalistically accurate comment about Human Rights Campaign’s close associate Michael Silverman, who is a non-trans white gay male who unbelievably is the director of NY’s largest trans-specific organization, TLDEF, although many qualified trans New Yorkers have expressed interest in the role. I simply expressed how the majority of the local trans* community is upset by this abuse of power of the LGB community feeling entitled to dictate to the trans community what our agenda should be. Alarmingly, another high profile transsexual advocate named Nikki Araguz (widow of fallen Texan firefighter, who then challenged state’s trans laws when they tried to deny her benefits) was also suspended last week for simply questioning HRC’s only trans board member, Meghan Stabler, for selling out the trans community for self-gain, access and financial perks.

I know reporting what happened will give my detractors another invalid reason to falsely “report” me, so I could either be suspended again, or as Facebook threatened me, I could be banned “permanently”. Therefore I wanted to say goodbye to all of you just in case the ol’ boys club of Gay, Inc. succeed in getting rid of what they see as the uncontrollable “angry, uppity, tra**y” who frequently forgets her place and refuses to be a token trans tom.

The powers that be club may take away my Facebook account just for speaking truth, however, unlike what the ill-willed Ursula did to Ariel the Little Mermaid, they will never succeed at taking away my voice, nor will I voluntarily give it away just to spend time in the dark castle.

Please save my email address so we can stay in touch: ashley.equality@gmail.com  

 Along with my email, please know you can contact me through my blog Trans Forming Media: www.transformingmedia.blogspot.com

 And I am still helping with Black Trans* Women’s Lives Matter: www.blacktranswomenslivesmatter.blogspot.com  

 I am disgusted that sinister forces would abuse the reporting process or misuse their insider relationships with Facebook staff to censor freedom of speech and disappointed that trans women’s advocacy could be forcibly assaulted and unjustly imprisoned. Most importantly, I’m saddened that all the friends and co-advocates that I stay in touch with here or have even met through Facebook could be severed from me in this platform. It's deeply personal. As a teenager my family disowned me for being a girl, which is why many of my activist friends are like my chosen family, they are the only family I have, and I love them. If Facebook bans me it will be a more lonely and hopeless world for me, and I will become more isolated from my community and friends. Facebook may have now morphed into an advertising circus for its corporate interests, but for many of us it’s about finding fellowship and kinfolk to come together. It’s about family. As I write this I am becoming very emotional because it’s very triggering to think that I could be excommunicated from my family – again.

 I truly appreciate having you all in my life and am thankful for your friendship and support all these many years, and hope we can stay in touch even if my enemies triumph in robbing me of the main platform that I organize with my community on. The transsexual and intersex communities, LGB allies and feminists have changed my life for the better. You all give me hope.

 Please say a prayer for the Facebook staff to find it in their hearts to stop suspending, banning and censoring transsexual and transgender people simply for speaking the truth. The thing is that the trans* community is relatively small in number and many of us have moments of feeling isolated and alone, which is why the Internet and social media is a vital part of both our personal lives and advocacy campaigns, as we find numbers, solidarity and strength online. And also pray that they reconsider the problematic “reporting process”, as non-trans people are constantly misusing it to silence trans people with dissenting views. Freedom of speech is a gift that is alarmingly becoming compromised in this country.

 Keep up the good work, and know that I am always available, even if ol’ boys club succeed at banishing me.

 Blessing, Besos and Big Hugs, Ashley

Beloved Washington DC Trans Advocate Ruby Corado Marries Longtime Boyfriend; DC Mayor Vincent Gray Gives Her Away

Ruby Corado and her new husband David Walker pose with DC Mayor Vincent Gray

 

On Saturday, October 18^th true love united as noted DC trans advocate Ruby Corado married her longtime boyfriend David Walker in a beautiful ceremony at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in DC. She was walked down the aisle by DC Mayor Vincent Gray, who has been a longtime supporter of the transsexual and transgender communities.

On Sunday she left a message on her Facebook wall:

 Dreams Do Come True!

 My whole life, I have been told that I was not supposed to love or be loved.

 I was not supposed to love myself because I was different( Trans, indigenous, dark haired, immigrant, HIV Positive, fat, short, you name it). I was made to believe that no one could love me back because I was different.

 Yesterday, life proved everyone wrong.

 I love myself more than ever because I am SOMEBODY. My husband showed the world that it is ok to love me even though I am different.

 My city's mayor Vince Gray walked me down the aisle and showed the world once again that he stands for love. My friends and Family showed me, that I am SOMEBODY, and they stand with me in sickness and in health until death do us part.

Today as I lay next to my husband, I want to tell my friends, clients, supporters, followers and the entire world that It is ok to be different and that no matter what anyone says, YOU ARE WORTHY OF LOVE AS MUCH AS I AM

Never stop dreaming; never stop believing because dreams do come true.

A Million Thanks To Everyone Who Shared This Special Moment in person or from a distance, I felt your love

Love For All, Ruby Corado-Walker

 

 

 

Out Actress Emily Rios On Why LGBT Actors Should Play LGBT Characters: "It's important. We should advocate for that because...we’re always going to respect those characters because we lived the life personally"

with out actress Emily Rios

Last night I was particularly excited to attend the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts Annual Gala because one of my favorite actresses, California native Emily Rios, was being honored. This summer she came out publically as lesbian

With the current controversy of Amazon’s new online TV show Transparent capitalizing off ‘transface’, where men humiliatingly play the roles of trans* woman characters, which further misgenders, others and dehumanizes our community, I thought I would interview Emily about the importance of LGBT actors having the opportunity to play LGBT characters, especially since her trailblazing character on FX’s ‘The Bridge’ is also a lesbian Latina.

Trans Forming Media:

“Why do you think it’s important for LGBT actors to play LGBT roles?”

Emily Rios:

“I think it’s important that we need to do it [openly LGBT actors playing LGBT characters on TV and in film] and the reason why we should advocate for that is because we come from a level of respect and we’re always going to respect those characters because we lived the life personally.

I would love that we won’t get typecast in that sense and only have to play those characters forever, but as far as us I feel like we shouldn’t stay closeted, you know, I feel we should come out and feel comfortable playing those roles because I feel those are the roles that are really going to set our careers forth because this is who we are and this is what we live in a daily basis.

 And really, when you come from a place with any character when you can relate on a personal level it showcases on TV and I feel the audience is always going to respect us more when we show respect to the character”

Rios’ acceptance speech:

#HappyBlackWoman: The New York Times Says, “Shonda Rimes and Ashley Love are ‘Angry’ Black Women Because They Pursue Social Change”

Last week The New York Times called media mogul Shonda Rimes an “angry black woman” and just three weeks ago The NY Times also called me “angry” and “aggressive”, simply because I, as a journalist and advocate, asked a question during a Q&A following Outfest's screening of Transparent (re: ‘trans face’ - where a male actor once again plays a trans* woman character).

 When Black women own their power, are assertive and question the patriarchy they are often called "angry black women", de-feminized (“aggressive”), demeaned and stigmatized (stigmatizing is a new clever form of censorship, as well as vilifying dissent).

Of course, both journalists that mischaracterized both Shonda and I are white women, and of a particular class. A couple of privileged white female journalists that apparently have no clue what Black women in the United States go through (and even more challenging, what Black and Latina trans* women go through) can attempt to vilify us simply for sharing real life experiences, asking tough questions and working to help other women of color, yet we will continue to advocate for change - because our work is not about crafting sensational articles so the NY Times can garner more hits and ad revenue, or writing disingenuous, one-sided PR fluff pieces for an Amazon online TV show, our work is to try to make the world a better place.

I'm happy, I'm free spirited, and I’m inspired, but if calling me an "angry black woman" makes you feel less uncomfortable with the truth I speak, then chances are you may be a "shallow, blind, fearful and classist non-Black woman".   - Jus’ sayin’…

 #UnapologeticBlackQueen #HappyBlackWoman

Today NeNe Leakes Exposes Self-proclaimed "Anti-Bullying Ambassador" Wendy Williams for Actually Being an Anti-BlackFemaleSolidarity Advocate: “You…constantly speak negative…and lie. You…spew...hate! When it comes to gossip you are the lowest of the low!”

#SomeoneHadToSayIt - Today NeNe Leakes called out Queen Mean Girl Wendy Williams for using her platform to ridicule and bully other African American women, among other communities.

However, because Williams raises money for GLAAD (former anti-defamation group gone disingenuous PR company), they now call her an "anti-bullying ambassador" (more accurately an anti-BlackFemaleSolidarity advocate), despite Wendy bullying other women, people of color, LGBT folks, etc, as well as previously outing gay entertainers when she was in radio, and her many transphobic comments which include misgendering women of transsexual history and mislabeling their heterosexual boyfriends as "gay men".

Nene had enough of Wendy hating on other Black women and called out Wendy's hypocrisy, jealousy and bullying on her blog: 

 "Wendy I am sure people think that I’ve done something to you, maybe we had a beef or I slept with your man but none of that is true! … But what you have chosen to do is constantly speak negative of me and lie on me!...What you need to do is stop spewing hate! When it comes to gossip you are the lowest of the low! I know you hate...I have a clothing line on HSN coming out in a few days... it must be hard for a black woman to support another black woman but you should try it sometime." (full quote in following link)

 I hope GLAAD doesn't allow Williams and her publicist to bribe them to be their "anti-bullying ambassador" again this year: http://www.glaad.org/blog/watch-spirit-day-ambassador-wendy-williams-turns-entire-audience-purple-spiritday

Nene Leakes full quote: http://www.ibtimes.com/nene-leakes-attacks-wendy-williams-dissing-her-over-birkin-bag-stop-spewing-hate-1635920

 

Michelle Demishevich Becomes Turkey’s First Transsexual TV Reporter! Next Stop: She’s Running For Public Office In 2015

Michelle Demishevich

 

 

Congrats to Michelle Demishevich for becoming Turkey's first transsexual female TV reporter!

 But times have not always been easy for Michelle. In 2012 she was a victim of male violence and transphobia, when during her walk home she was brutally attacked and assaulted.

Since her attack 50 trans women have been murdered in Turkey.

Last month justice prevailed for Michelle’s case when her assailant was jailed, marking a milestone victory for all transsexual people.

Although legislation doesn’t officially discriminate against transsexual people, the community asserts that violence, forced sexual exploitation, employment discrimination, burial discrimination and hate crime murders still plague their community.  

Yet times are evolving.

This summer the world witnessed Turkey make a gigantic splash when their LGBT Pride celebration was the largest to date in the Muslim world, inspiring much hope and a promise for change.

And Michelle is only getting started...

 While her TV reporting work and public advocacy continue to make positive strides towards helping her community, she recently announced that next year she will being running in the legislative elections!

Three cheers for Michelle Demishevich! We are behind you 100%!