The Don't Mess With Texas anti litter campaign tagline has not only become an iconic part of Texas culture after 25 years, the tagline has become a battle cry for the entire state.The Texas born and bred TransGriot is about to adapt it for another group of proud Texans, those of us who are trans.
Yep, it's time for us to loudly proclaim Don't Mess With Trans Texans!
There are four Texans on the list of IFGE Trinity Award winners with hopefully more to come. Before the Southern Comfort Conference became the largest trans themed conference in the US, there was the Linda and Cynthia Phillips organized Texas T-Party that grew to become the must go to trans convention of the late 80's and early 90's. Texans such as Phyllis Frye, Sarah DePalma, Tere Prasse and the late Dee McKellar were early and still iconic leaders locally, in the state and nationally.
Trans Texans like Toni Mayes not only fought early battles that set the stage to emancipate our community such as Mayes' 1975 suit to stop HPD harassment of her, Phyllis Frye lobbied in 1980 to torpedo Houston's anti crossdressing law that HPD was using to harass Toni, Phyllis and others in the community..
Trans Texans were part of the team that helped organize NTAC in 1999. We impacted and shaped trans law with the formation of ICTLEP and holding that ground breaking trans themed law conference in Houston in the mid 90's. And Phyllis even became a associate municipal judge..
Even some of the legal cases we talk about in the community such as Littleton v. Prange, Kantaras v. Kantaras, Lopez vs. River Oaks Imaging and the ongoing Delgado vs Araguz one have a Texas twang to them.
We had our larger than life people such as Kathryn McGuire who was part of the Houston social scene while educating people about our issues. . And when its time for thought provoking commentary, education, needing to get something done, providing visionary leadership or have someone bluntly tell you you're all hat and no cattle, call up Cristan Williams, Kat Rose, Vanessa Edwards Foster, Jo Tittsworth or some award winning African descended trans blogger from Houston.
Even our transmen are stepping up and providing the leadership our community needs as well as the folks who weren't born in Texas, but got down here as fast as they could..
I also have to take a moment to light a candle in remembrance of the 25 trans Texans who have tragically ended up on the Remembering our Dead list. We shall never forget you.
Yep, we trans Texans are a diverse bunch proud of the history we've complied (and still are writing), love our state and are fighting tooth and nail to ensure that our civil rights inside and outside the Lone Star State aren't trampled on by anyone inside or outside our community.
So no, don't mess with trans Texans!