Today is Transgender Day of Visibility. It is an annual holiday celebrating our
transgender brothers and sisters and bringing attention to the continued
discrimination against the transgender community worldwide.
In honor of this day, I would like to pay homage to some of
the wonderful members of the transgender community that I am very fortunate
enough to call friends. These amazing
people are doing great things in the city of Houston and their reach is
worldwide. These are some names you
definitely need to know.
Monica Roberts
One of my favorite angelic troublemakers, Monica is the
founder of TransGriot, an internationally renowned blog dedicated to showcasing
the diaspora of transgender people, and more specifically transgender people of color. Monica was one of the
first people to publicly champion the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) and
spoke numerous times in favor of the Ordinance before the Houston City
Council. A fixture and fearless activist
of the transgender community, you can find Monica all around the world
educating people about the transgender experience, the contributions of
transgender people of color, and making sure that the voice of all the
communities that she represents are being heard. Be sure to visit: www.transgriot.blogspot.com
Dee Dee Watters
“Whatever do you need” can often be heard from Dee Dee
Watters, and if she can help, she is always willing. For the past eight years, Dee Dee has
organized a Christmas Toy Drive to benefit children who live in Third and Fifth
Ward. She is the current CEO of Transgender Women of Color United for Change, a
group that seeks to better the lives of Houston transgender women of
color. She is also the CEO of the First
Amendment Volunteer Group. She is an
active member and leader within Progressive Open Door Christian Center. She organized the Transgender Day of
Resources and Healthy Living last year which provided numerous free services to
the transgender community. I admire her
spirit, her commitment to people, and how she lets everyone know that they
should just simply come as they are and live in their truth.
Tye West
An extremely talented poet and activist, Tye West is one of
the leaders of Black Transmen, Inc., the first national nonprofit organization
focused on empowering African American transmen. You can find Tye speaking
around the city and around the nation about the experiences of Black transmen
and advocating for their equality and inclusion. Always greeting you with his
infectious smile and positivity, Tye, uses the power of the pen and the power
of words to inspire others to action.
Atlantis Capri
Talk about one of the Mothers of all Mothers, Atlantis Capri
is the founder and Mother of the House of Capri, here in Houston. For almost 20
years, Atlantis has been giving us life when she performs in the clubs, but she
also saves lives through her support and advocacy within the LGBTQ community in
Houston. She is committed to ending
discrimination and stigmas against members of the transgender community and
those living with HIV/AIDS. With Atlantis you are always going to get the
direct, honest truth, with no sugar coating.
One of the best examples of what it truly means to be a Mother.
Dr. Colt Keo-Meier
One of the smartest people I know and my fellow Rice Owl,
Dr. Colt Keo-Meier is a licensed psychologist practicing in Houston,
Texas. He specializes in working with
sexual and gender minorities, their families, and individuals questioning their
sexual identity and/or gender identity.
His work has been published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical
Psychology, the Journal of LGBT Youth, and several other publications and
books. He uses his knowledge and
education to positively impact our society at the micro and macro level.
Nikki Araguz Loyd
A fabulous fighter for freedom for all is definitely a title
that fits Nikki Araguz Loyd. After her
husband Captain Thomas Araguz III, died while fighting a fire, his family sued
Nikki for his death benefits. They claimed that Nikki and Thomas’s marriage was
not legal because Nikki is transgender.
In February 2014, the 13th Court of Appeals ruled in favor of
Nikki and recognized her marriage to Thomas.
This past February, when a group of us went down to the Harris County
Clerk’s Office, the office refused to recognize the marriage between Nikki and
her husband, William Loyd. She continues
to fight for the recognition of not just her marriage but for fully inclusive
marriage equality! Be sure to check out her website and docu-series: http://nikkiaraguz.com/
Lou Weaver
I first met Lou when he was one of the four co-chairs of the
National LGBTQ Task Force: Creating Change
Conference here in Houston. He is the
Diversity and Community Relations Co-Chair for the Houston chapter of the Human
Rights Campaign. He has been very active in educating and advocating for the
Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO).
Lou can be found trying to build bridges across communities to where we
can see our commonalities and help each attain our common goals.
I am inspired by all of you and I consider it an honor to
know of all of you.
We must recognize and honor the contributions of our transgender brothers and sisters and contribute to their fight as well. Their
discrimination is our discrimination.
Please take the time to recognize and honor the people in
your life.
Yours always,
The B.G.M
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