Pride Houston, We Have A Problem

An anonymous source presented me with this information and I am now presenting it to you. Today Teresa Carpenter, one of four board members (Frankie Quijano - Pres., Paul Pettie & Jeremy Fain) of Pride Houston sent in her resignation letter (you can read the PDF below) citing issues within the organization as her reason for leaving. It should be noted that the source would not reveal why they sent this story to me and that I hope Teresa finds peace after being subjected to the experience she had. She stated that "There are issues that need to be addressed within this organization that can no longer be swept under the rug as they have been in the past."

***As you know, the LGBT community has had its issues with Pride Houston as recent as the Juneteenth Fiasco. For more on that, scroll to the bottom of this post.***

These are the issues that she outlines via the leaked letter:

• "As far as the bylaws go, you are out of compliance with two specific laws according to the State of Texas and Texas Business Organization Code under which all Non-Profits are governed by. As the CEO of Pride Houston, Inc. for the past 13 years, you should be very much aware of these laws and it is my personal belief that you are. These are State laws and they override anything that are written within our bylaws... 

• A Board of Directors MUST have a President and a Secretary (Sec. 22.231). The term of an officer cannot exceed three years (Sec. 22.232). In the absence of a provision authorizing a specified term, the officers must be appointed or elected annually (Sec. 22.232). 

• Also, according to Section 2, the Non-Profit (the CEO) should be transparent with its financial records at all times, to its donors, board, and members (which we have none).

• I know that our former treasurer asked you several times for copies of the contracts that were signed for this year’s Celebration so that he could give you a more educated guess as to our financial status. His emails went unanswered. Per our Pride Houston, Inc. bylaws, “The Chief Executive Officer may execute any deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts, or other instruments, that the Board of Directors has authorized to be executed.” I know there are probably several dozen contracts that were executed for this year’s Celebration without the Board of Directors approval or knowledge."

"I simply cannot be part of an organization which conducts itself with such little regard for legal requirements and obligations, fiscal accountability, and the pitiful relationship that Pride Houston and you specifically have with the volunteers, sponsors, and the community at large."

• I also know that there were decisions made in regard to vendors that were financially irresponsible that should have been addressed with the board prior to being made. 

• An example of this would be the change in vendors less than 24 hours prior to the Rock the Runway event. The vendor change resulted in costing the organization about the same amount of money as the original vendor would have to begin with, and there seems to be no logical explanation for the change in vendors. 

• Another example was the change in vendors for the Kidszone at Festival. Even though money was saved, the apparatuses were inappropriate for young children to play on. A mechanical bull and a rock wall are not appropriate for young children. The intent was to entertain children under the age of 10, and we were way off base. Our volunteer who was the committee chair for that area submitted an appropriate vendor and bid only to be met with resistance by yourself and you changed her entire scope without consulting her. These types of “power plays” make volunteers feel that the time that they spent putting together plans, bids, and ideas were worthless and whether or not our organization is one that they would like to work for in the future.

"The power of this organization should never lie with just one or two people, it should be a much broader range of individuals. It should also have a much wider landscape and demographic which has been missing for a long time. May I remind you, the CEO, that as with any Non-Profit Organization, the CEO/President works at the pleasure of the Board of Directors, not the other way around. The CEO answers to the Board, the Board does not answer to the CEO, and that is not how this organization runs itself. The CEO of Pride Houston, Inc. is far too involved in the everyday decision making of the organization while excluding the Board on many levels. This should never be done, as it is the Board who should be making the most major decisions and not the CEO."

• Next, I would like to address is your lack of leadership from the inside out. Individuals who are on the outside see a calm, and organized group of people who all work together as a team. On the inside there is a totally different story. You demean and belittle those who want nothing more than to work for the better of the organization. 

• For example; On June 26th, the day of the Pride Celebration, U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee took issue with the fact that she was placed towards the back of the parade. Your logic in this was that she had not turned in her check until the Thursday before celebration. No matter when she turned in her check should not have mattered. First and most important, she is a security risk and should have been toward the front of the parade with the other high profile entries such as Mayor Turner and Representative Green. She is also a United States Congresswoman, who deserves the recognition of the office she holds, no matter what personal issues are harbored. Let me be clear once again, I did not give anyone permission for their contingency to move that day, but had I know what was going on, I probably would have, and I think the rest of the board would have agreed with my assessment of the situation. 

• March 28th, I sent you an email stating that I had sent you multiple messages on Facebook regarding Pride questions (those messages had spanned over a week) and that I was about to leave town for 10 days on a pre-planned family vacation. I finally resorted to sending you an email which you responded to on April 6th explaining to me that you sit on each and every Pride committee. You made it a point to tell me that you “work full time, were going to school full time, consulted full time, and volunteer for Pride full time and that you do not have the luxury of ample free time during the day/week as others might have.” {¹}

• Another example that comes to mind; on March 7th I emailed you and asked for a contact at the Houston Dynamo/Dash to request tickets for a giveaway for Eden, and I did not hear back from you until March 30th {²}. At that time you told me you were working on Pride in the Park and that you would have tickets but you would keep me informed. My next email to you dated June 1st went unanswered. A 23 day turnaround time for an answer to a question from another Board member is unacceptable. 

• Another example of this would be the relationship with Walgreens. After the General Manager of the Montrose Store contacted the Montrose Center out of sheer frustration after trying for several weeks to get in touch with you or Mr. Sheffield to ask a simple question, he was given my number. I happened to know the answer to his question, but per your instructions, did not answer his question. You had always told us, the Board of Directors, that you were the only one that was to speak to sponsors. So, I did the best I could to keep him calm, by driving all the way to his store in Montrose and speaking to him directly, face to face, and ensuring him that I would have someone get in contact with him soon. Not only did this happen once, but it happened six (6) times between May 26th and June 18th. As you are very well aware, Walgreens is a $10,000 sponsor. Then on the day of the event, I was giving a tour to our Honorary Grand Marshal and was stopped outside the Walgreens tent and was asked why a $10,000 sponsor would be placed where they were (off the side of the main festival by the Public Library, where they were hardly seen). It was made very clear to me by the District Manager that they would be meeting and would consider dropping their sponsorship.

"Now is the time to take action, to make Pride Houston, Inc. the standard for LGBTQI organizations in the Houston area. Now is the time to make the Board of Directors truly diverse. It is time to have Lesbians, Transgender, African American, Bisexual, Allies, and other demographics represented to help make decisions that are truly inclusive of all. After the Juneteenth “issue” in 2015, there was to be a “Diversity Committee” and when I tried to put one together at the first volunteer meetings in September and October of 2015, I was told to “hold off” on building that committee and that it would be addressed at a later date. That never happened."

TRANSLATION: Frankie Quijano you need to resign!

Source: OutSmart

1. State law mandates the organization has a president and a secretary. He has refused to allow a secretary to be elected citing one was not needed.
2. Frankie Quijano has never presented nor prepared a budget for the fiscal year for the Board of Directors.
3. Pride Houston bylaws state that Frankie Quijano is allowed to enter into contracts with the permission of the Pride board. The Pride board must see the contracts and approve the contracts. The Pride board has never seen a contract. 
4. Frankie Quijano does not allow the Pride board to have any contact with any sponsor.
5. Frankie Quijano does not allow the Pride board to make any statements to the media. That is his sole responsibility. 
6. Frankie Quijano does not allow the Pride board to be involved with the everyday workings of the Pride Celebration committees because he says the Pride board cannot be trusted not to interfere with their work. 
7. Frankie Quijano makes it very difficult to work with Pride as he is constantly making remarks such as "that person doesn't bring anything valuable to this organization." 
8. Frankie Quijano has little to no regard for the Lesbian, Transgender, African American, or Ally communities. Gay men are all that is needed.

Background:

Pride Houston took a series of controversial steps in 2014 that entailed the move all Pride related festivities to downtown Houston and then a date change from the usual weekend that coincides with the Stonewall anniversary to the weekend of the annual Juneteenth celebration.

There had always been a plan of action to address the issue of having this event on the same weekend as Juneteenth and when time permitted I and a group of other  Houston Black LGBT leaders and allies with multiple ties to mainstream African American community organizations set up meeting with the PRIDE Houston board members.  We held that meeting with three Pride Houston board members at the Houston Urban League downtown headquarters on October 22 to discuss the ramifications of  why the selection of June 20 date was unacceptable.

We, as a group came up with a statement that we found to be appropriate to hand to the board members as well as read out loud during the meeting: 

"As Black LGBT and allied leaders and activists, we strongly and collectively oppose the June 20, 2015 date  of the Houston  LGBT Pride Celebration.  We urge Pride Houston to move the celebration to June 27, 2015.

Holding the Pride celebration on June 20 is a mistake for several reasons, but the top two reasons are 1) it directly interferes with Juneteenth, the oldest known nationally recognized celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the US and 2) it undermines the meaning of the Pride celebration, which at its core commemorates the Stonewall riots, the catalyst for the LGBT movement we know today. The effect of not moving the June 20th date will be disastrous, as it will erode the relationship built among the LGBT community and communities of color, specifically the Black community.

The erosion of these relationships will be detrimental to the Houston LGBT community with respect to the fight to keep the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance. Opponents of the ordinance have vilified it since its inception stating in hateful terms that the ordinance is an underhanded means to grant more rights to LGBT persons while denying others. Because leaders from the mainstream black community feel they were not consulted, they were inclined to believe this false rhetoric of the HERO opposition. It took many long nights from LGBT and allied leaders to correct that misinformation. By holding the Pride celebration the same weekend of the Juneteenth celebration, communities of color will likely be inclined again to believe the misinformation, thereby unraveling community trust and HERO support.

Politics aside, maintaining the June 20 date excludes the Black LGBT community.   At the very least, Black LGBT persons are put in a situation where they have to choose whether to celebrate Pride or Juneteenth with the corresponding communities. Far too often, people who live an intersected life must choose which part of their identity fits the occasion. During the Pride celebration, people, including those who live at those intersections, are able to bring their whole selves to the celebration. Why? Because the LGBT community contains all races, abilities, and identities. Moving the date to June 27the maintains the tradition of inclusiveness, something the LGBT community is continuously striving to attain.

Practically speaking, moving the date now will not cause any confusion and doing so quietly will prevent community uprisings.  At this time, the June 27th date is free, which means the process to change it should be simple.. However, not changing the date will definitely cause more problems than necessary.

So again, we urge you to move the Pride celebration back to the last Saturday of June, specifically June 27, 2015."

About two and a half weeks after this meeting we got this:

"November 11, 2014

Re: Request to move the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration

To Whom It May Concern:

The Board of Directors for Pride Houston® have discussed in length the recent request to move the
Houston LGBT Pride Celebration® from Saturday, June 20, 2015 to the following week on Saturday, June
27, 2015 by a group of local individuals that are unassociated with any one (1) local group. With a 6-2
vote the Board of Directors have decided to continue with the current date of Saturday, June 20, 2015
for the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration.
There have been previous instances where the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration has fallen on the third
weekend in June around the 20th of the month and similar requests were not made during those
instances. Furthermore, a substantial amount has already been invested into the Houston LGBT Pride
Celebration for its current date that would un-recoupable which can be crucial for any non-profit
organization.
As was recently confirmed by the Mayor’s office of Special events, currently on June 20, 2015 the only
parade listed is set to begin at 10:00 AM CST and end around 11:00 AM CST. With the Houston LGBT
Pride Celebration beginning its parade beginning at 8:30 PM CST it would show minimal impact on that
parade.

Pride Houston is willing to work with any organization that could be producing a parade on the same
date so that both can be equally marketed and supported by the Houston community.
Pride Houston also hosts public production meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of every month where our
volunteers discuss logistics, its events and of course the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration. This has been
an ongoing tradition for over 15 years and would be an excellent opportunity for those not associated
with the organization to observe, provide external insight, brainstorm new ideas and even volunteer for
the organization. For more information on these meetings please email volunteer@pridehouston.org.

Sincerely,

Frankie Quijano
President and Chief Executive Officer
Pride Houston, Inc.
fquijano@pridehouston.org
The march on the steps of City Hall against Anita Bryan in 1977 is widely known as Houston's “Stonewall
Movement”, so the legacy that began in downtown will continue on in downtown Houston in 2015."

Then this happened after the uproar got huge:

"It is with great pleasure that Pride Houston announces that the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration has been moved to June 27, 2015 in respect of the historic Juneteenth holiday. Pride Houston understands and celebrates the importance of the equality of all humanity and the significance that Juneteenth means to African Americans. Specifically we understand that although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863, it was not until two and a half years later on June 19, 1865 that African Americans in Texas learned of their freedom from slavery. That fact is why Juneteenth weekend is so important and why we chose to move our date.

It is important to note that Pride parades celebrate the 1969 Stonewall Riots when the LGBT community and its allies stood up against police raids and brutality in the LGBT community. This awareness puts us in a unique position to see the parallel struggles of our communities especially in this time when racial profiling of African American men and boys such a relevant topic in America today.

In a time when the civil rights of historically disadvantaged people are under attack it is imperative that the LGBT and African American communities maintain a coalition against hate, racism and homophobia. It is to that end Pride Houston has also created a Cultural Diversity Task Force to celebrate the cultural uniqueness of the various members of the LGBT community to be incorporated into actual the Pride Weekend festivities.

So please mark your calendars for June 27, 2015 to celebrate the Houston LGBT Pride Celebration in downtown Houston. Also, remember the weekend of June 19, 2015 to celebrate Juneteenth. We will be at both and we hope you will too.

Board of Directors:

Cristina Martinez, Frankie Quijano, Jason Gallegos, Javier Ramirez, Joey Guerra, Karen Mory, Paul Pettie and Rob Higdon."

Help Me Get To The Democratic National Convention

As you all know I attended the Texas Democratic Convention in San Antonio, TX, I had some good and interesting experiences. I can say that I have been officially selected to be an At - Large Delegate to the DNC in Philly from 7/24 to 7/29! The cost to attend the DNC is not very affordable due to strong the requirement that delegates to stay at an appointed hotel, and costs for a room start at $469 per night, plus tax and fees, with the hotel requiring a five night minimum. Staying at the appointed hotel guarantees getting past security and/or receiving credentials. I am asking for generous donations to help me attend the DNC and continue being part of the process to create change. Details about what I have and need are listed below this graphic which serves as verification that I am an official delegate.

Fundraising Goal: $4,000.00

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

$4,000 has been raised, with a remaining goal: $0

Here is what I already have covered:

• Flights have been secured.

• Hotel room from 7/24 to 7/29 at a cost of $489 + $76 tax = $565 per night ($2825 for five nights. Covered

• Transit, food and convention related costs...

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Brother Deric Muhammad, An Open Letter From Karisha Shaw

Previously, I wrote this open letter: 

http://ashtonpwoods.strengthinnumbershouston.com/2016/06/deric-muhammad-houston-forward-times.html and now my sister from another mother has something that she needs to say.

Brother Deric Muhammad,

I recently read your article in Forward Times and have some concerns.

I am concerned that it is unhealthy for you, as my brother, to carry some guilt that the whole Black LGBTQIA community is some sense of failure on your part as a man. We are vast and that is a big weight to carry. I also am concerned about your reasoning. You said you weren't homophobic, but have failed to truly love the community you say you are defending.

I am first, Black. We have broken bread and organized as a part of a dynamic and diverse group of Black and Brown minds for the betterment of our community. I have marched beside you and supported your events and promoted them even in my absence. And then to call me (and so many others) a problem that needs to be fixed, is painful. And then to go a step further and say, "We stand with you Orlando." Sadly, your previous commentary clearly shows you don't.

I have a few things I would like to ask you to challenge in your mind as a man who says he loves his community. Consider that your community is a beautiful collective of varied identities that do not need your permission to be. Consider that if we say we are "for" someone, that means for them in their entire self. Whether you agree or disagree w them on certain things, degrading their very existence is not a vote for true love or solidarity.

The misogyny that I even was aware of when the news of Sandra Bland was fresh, still baffles me. Someone said, "Sandra Bland was not some 'trap queen,' she was an educated woman." This was the only reason to come to her defense? Please excuse me, but what the fuck kind of love is that? This type of talk is what killed her. This type of talk is what killed 49 innocent victims of murder that you claim to be standing in solidarity with. From the same tongue, you dishonored me as the queen, you have called me on greeting upon greeting.

The failure you talked of is a senseless need to blame someone for a problem that isn't theirs. To go a step further, it is not a problem to anyone but those who live in a world of guilt. Black men are not to blame for queers. Queers were kings and queens at the dawn of time. Queers have been Roman emperors, leaders of the Civil Rights movement and educators.

This is where the failure is:
To raise your child in a beautiful Muslim home. To reach her the value of herself and her beauty. To send her into the world with all the knowledge you could possibly imagine to prepare her for a future. She returns home to tell you that she is in love and brings you the person she is in love with, and you doubt her. You tell her she is wrong and blame yourself for failing her somehow and as a result of your guilt, you push her away and ruin years of love and wisdom simply because you cannot give her permission anymore to choose.

My partner was raised in a home of loving Muslim parents. We pray together. Celebrate together. Cry and laugh together, but we do so in secret of her father knowing who she really is. Why? Because in all of that love, there is still fear. Fear that he will disown her and leave her with no fatherly guidance. Perfect love should send away all fear.

So, tell me. Is the failure that you've not been a good guide or is it that you don't know how to truly love your community for all that it is? I personally believe you have been a wonderful father to your children, but to your community, you have to truly learn to love us....ALL OF US.

Sincerely,

Karisha Shaw

P.S. My Black father is proud of me and cannot wait to walk me down the aisle, if I so choose to let him walk me down.

From Houston, With Love #StandWithOrlando

Sunday morning (6/12/16) I woke up to news that devastated myself and the world. Pulse a popular LGBT establishment in Orlando became the scene of a horrific mass shooting. A gunman, Omar Mateen opened fire on patrons with an automatic weapon and glock, killing 49 people and injuring 53 more before being shot dead by police. I was so saddened like many others were, but I want(ed) to fight and take a stand. So I tearfully organized an event at Hermann Park here in Houston called #StandWithOrlando vigil and since I am an active member of the Queer led #BlackLivesMatter movement, the Houston chapter sponsored the event along with Turn Texas Blue. The event was intended to be a healing space, not one where electeds and other prominent folks could speak, one where the community could lift up our own voices and say in unison that we will not take it anymore. Below are the names of the heroes we lost and pictures from the Sunday vigil:

*To donate: https://www.gofundme.com/pulsevictimsfund

The Heroes We Lost 

Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old

Amanda Alvear, 25 years old

Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26 years old

Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33 years old

Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old

Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old

Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28 years old

Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25 years old

Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old

Cory James Connell, 21 years old

Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old

Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old

Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31 years old

Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old

Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old

Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 years old

Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old

Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old

Frank Hernandez, 27 years old

Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old

Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40 years old

Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old

Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old

Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25 years old

Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old

Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old

Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49 years old

Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25 years old

Kimberly Morris, 37 years old

Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old

Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 years old

Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25 years old

Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old

Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old

Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old

Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old

Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27 years old

Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 years old

Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old

Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24 years old

Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old

Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old

Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old

Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24 years old

Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37 years old

Luis S. Vielma, 22 years old

Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 years old

Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old

Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old

WE STAND UNITED WITH YOU ORLANDO

The Campaign For Hate

I along with several others warned that the fight for the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance was bigger than Houston. We debated about why Trans folks deserve rights, basic rights to humanity being denied by bigotry. I Chronicled the almost two year saga (HERE & HERE) right here on this blog, and apparently it isn't over. For a quick refresher, I introduced the main group behind the coalition of bigotry that fought against SGL, LGBT, and especially Trans rights. That group is/was called the Campaign For Houston PAC and they had a lot to say (pictured to the right).

Over the last 36 hours the Campaign For Houston has morphed into a larger hate group. With the backing of Steven Hotze and organization Conservative Republicans of Texas that he heads, we now have the The Campaign for USA to contend with. They have purchased a 2 million dollar ad buy using the infamous commercial they released leading up to The 2015 ballot referendum to repeal HERO. The commercial is now being used against Target in response to an announcement this Spring that they would allow trans people to use restrooms and dressing rooms according to their gender identity in its stores.

The Campaign for USA website makes all kinds of erroneous assertions about bathrooms, about Transpersons, and asserts that "Just because a man feels like and thinks he is a women, does not make him a woman, any more than thinking he is a dog, would make him a dog..." Below is a PDF of the full website just in case you don't want that nasty little URL in your internet history.

They have made a plea:

"The Campaign for USA is made up of concerned citizens who say “NO MEN IN WOMEN’S BATHROOMS.” We are parents, grandparents and family members who do not want our daughters, granddaughters, sisters or mothers forced to share bathrooms in public facilities with perverted men, who claim to be women. We oppose the LGBT political movement’s goal to pervert our society and our children. 

What are we asking you to do? Help send a message to the executives at Target and to all the big corporations who have caved in to the LGBT political movement’s demands. Click here to sign our petition, agreeing to boycott Target stores all across America until Target reverses this dangerous policy. Since a nation­wide boycott was announced on April 19, 2016, Target’s stock price has dropped over 20% and the market value of Target has decreased over $11 billion. The only thing businesses understand is their pocket book. Let’s continue to send the message, “NO MEN IN WOMEN’S BATHROOMS,” by boycotting Target stores."

Here is the petition:

"The whole concept of “transgender” of course is absurd and irrational. Those who practice this behavior or enable it have adopted perverted thinking. Men do not belong in women’s bathrooms or dressing rooms. This is a dangerous policy that attracts sexual predators, 96% of whom are males, and places girls and women in harm’s way..."

The press release:

"The goal of the LGBT is to destroy all Biblical moral absolutes and create sexual anarchy in society. The LGBT political movement wants it mandated that this wicked lifestyle be taught to children in school, starting in Kindergarten, and that children be encouraged to experiment with homosexual and transvestite behavior. The goal is to break down the children’s consciences, so that they can more easily be recruited into the homosexual lifestyle."

As late as yesterday local Houston ABC affiliate KTRK/ABC13 reported that starting on Monday, June 13 that:

"...you may notice some familiar ads running on TV. 

A local conservative group, Campaign For USA, has tweaked a controversial commercial that ran a year ago during the contentious Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) battle. The black and white ad features a little girl walking into a bathroom stall and implies that she's being followed.

This commercial begins with a narrator's voice: "Target has a new bathroom policy. What does it mean to you?"

The group behind the ad believes the ad worked to defeat HERO can work again.

"We're not going to let this go. We're going to continue to fight this battle until Target changes their policy or goes out of business," said Jared Woodfill, president of Campaign for USA.

The spot will run across all of Texas for three months. Expect to also see the campaign making a push on social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook. There's an online petition circulating to join the boycott as well.

The whole effort will cost $2 million dollars.

"It makes me feel uncomfortable in my city," said Jenifer Pool.

Pool does not want to see the ad return. As a transgender woman, she's felt that bull's eye on her back for 20 years.

"I guess my question is, if they are going to boycott Target, what about Exxon? What about the other major corporations that make up our city?" Pool said.

"Target is the one who has gotten all the attention right now," Woodfill said.

Woodfill says his group plans to take on more organizations in the future.

Target has not yet responded to a request for comment."

For their complete story on the matter, CLICK HERE...

"Men who dress up like women and want to use women’s bathrooms, showers and locker rooms are sexual deviants and perverts. The LGBT homosexual political movement wants to force society, under the penalty of law, to accept, affirm as normal, and celebrate the perverted homosexual lifestyle and the deviant behavior of men who claim to be women..."

In all that we do, we must fight against hate and bigotry like this. We must never let our guard down! 

“It is our duty to fight for our freedom.

It is our duty to win.

We must love each other and support each other.

We have nothing to lose but our chains.” 

― Assata Shakur

Deric Muhammad & Houston Forward Times You ARE Homophobic

Today a friend sent me an op-ed called Teen Lesbianism: Our Failure To Protect Our Daughters. When I saw who wrote it, Deric Muhammad, I was livid. Before I go in, read for yourself below:

"Teen lesbianism in the Black community has become rampant. It has become the “elephant in the room” that nobody wants to acknowledge. Ignored or not, the elephant is getting bigger and bigger. It is not uncommon to see school-aged girls sporting sagging jeans, wave caps, fade haircuts and “mean-mug” facial expressions. While the uniform does not necessitate lesbianism, the girl in the short skirt whose hand she is holding usually does."

In this op - ed Deric starts off like any other loving father protective of his children, daughters to be specific. He speaks of how fathers dread "the day when his daughter comes home and says, “Daddy, I have a boyfriend.” This is understandable, if I had son or daughter in my life, damn skippy I would be protective! I would love my child and humanity in general regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. So when I read this piece full of misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, gender policing, and patriarchy I was floored. If you are really loving of your child, you wouldn't consider it a "new nightmare that too many are having to endure when their daughters come home and boldly declare, “Daddy, I have a girlfriend.”

This assertion that lesbianism, teen lesbianism has become rampant is based your lack of acceptance of what has always existed within the BLACK community, QUEERS! You actually are the one who won't acknowledge the so called "elephant in the room," the one that has existed before your were a twinkle in your father's eye. WE are not some new phenomenon, WE EXIST, and do I need to remind you that much of the movement for our rights have been led by QUEERS? Here you come, a man who my GAY, BLACK ass has broken bread with, using this vitriol. Let make one thing clear for you and the Forward Times, you need to stop with this RESPECTABILITY crap.

"I recently, saw a couple with their young child at Houston’s Hermann Park having what appeared to be a family outing. The child called out “Daddy, look at me”. When daddy turned around, I realized that “daddy” was a not a male, but rather a female. I said to myself, that little baby girl is on her way to sure confusion."

After making the above Transphobic (among other descriptors I could use) statement, you try to clean it up by prefacing that you are "officially stating that I am not a homophobic." You ask not to "be mislabeled" while this whole piece doing just that to Black Queers. The problem that we need to face squarely is that you need to learn that the world has more than religion and heterosexuality. You are right, we will never create solutions wisely with your uneducated and bigoted way of thinking. The truth is that we as Black men have not failed our women miserably. Black women are not ours, they are not things, Black women are individuals with their own minds and freedom to be who they are. Your assertion implies that women are moldable into what men need them to be. You are dead wrong. White supremacy and the current system of things are what has affected us mentally, spiritually (if you have that belief), psychologically and our emotional condition has not "deteriorated the hopes of some Black women so badly that being with a woman as opposed to man has become appealing," as to infer that there was a choice available. Homosexuality exists. Bisexuality exists. We exist!

The number of sisters are exercising that "option" isn't as unprecedented nor is it an actual option, doing drugs is an option and lifestyle choice, our identities are not. The mistreatment of the Black female  women has always disgusted some of our sisters to that they have always turned to one another for comfort, consolation and companionship. This is called friendship and for you to sexualize nonsexual relationships in order to prove you moot point, now this is fragile masculinity at its best. Don't conflate friendship to what has always existed, not as a lifestyle, not a choice for teenage girls engaged in this lifestyle at expressing themselves at such an early age.

"It is a scientific, biological and social fact that “opposites attract”. You don’t have to teach a female to be attracted to the male species; her God-given nature dictates that attraction. When the natural inclination toward the opposite sex is reversed, there is a reason for that reversal. Often when a young girl is sexually molested by a man, sometimes her own father, this leaves her with an innate hatred for men in general."

Here is a question, what quack scientist told you that baseless lie, THE MAJORITY of men and women, cis and trans did not have molestation play a factor in their sexual orientation or gender identity. We naturally, those of us who are real about our orientation have always known, there was no choice. Your assertions are just as violent and abusive as the red herring description of a "young girl grows up witnessing her mother, whom she loves, suffer extreme abuse from a husband or a boyfriend. She sees and feels the pain of women that she loves and vows to never allow a man to violate her in that way." So no, it is not that "little sister" deciding to to take a course, it is called someone living her truth without the presumption that she is "a victim or a witness of rape, molestation and extreme abuse." Like you said, "It is important that you do not improperly judge her if you would like to help her." There is no reason to suspect a cause or effect for a natural state of being, not condition. THERE IS NOTHING TO ADDRESS with us, but you need to be addressed. Badly.

Since you are such a firm believer that if one wants to solve a problem, one must get to the root of it. Lets agree that so called teen Lesbianism is not necessarily the problem and that it isn't just the result of the deterioration of the social fabric of society.  Let's say that it is more than a by-product of a sex-crazed world, let's be real and say that it is people who think like you. Let us recognize the mentality of the white man that you have and are subconsciously pushing on to Black Queers. The only thing destroying the Black male is you and others who think like you with a collective willingness to be co-conspirators in your own demise. So focused on " your women" as tools of procreation to bore man children and women to keep the cycle of subjugation of said women in play. This whole mentality is clearly that of a colonized mind. This is hotep to another level and yes, it is the direct result of the culture that degrades women as tools of pleasure and influences our young boys to treat our young girls like things and not like queens. Your piece does this very thing.

"My impetus for writing this short message of concern is to try and create a dialogue among us about how our baby girls are hurting. Many mothers and grandmothers are heartbroken by this epidemic and don’t know what to do. The first thing that we must do is get out of denial."

The only thing we need to do is love, provide, and protect our children from dangers and that may even include ourselves. The real denial is that your child could be queer and that you are more concerned about what you want and how you may look to others. The only epidemic is refusal to educate one's self about the dangers that persist in the world and stop demonizing a group of people who want to live and love. There is no way to stop your child from recognizing their sexual orientation, except for the fact that you will make them hide it while they are imprisoned by your misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, gender policing, and patriarchy. If you call this love, then you have to pay closer attention yourself not to people who mean no harm.

Rape and molestation does not cause homosexuality, but it will do you some good to pay attention to those closest to you if you want to know who the rapists and molesters are. By the way they (rapists and molesters) are usually the dear brothers who are preachers of the gospel who you are calling on not be afraid to address "this" on Sunday morning. The time has come that the people that Deric and Forward Times are talking about (me and you) to stop tithing to bigots that preach hate toward us (if you are the religious type) and go where you can be uplifted. There is nothing to fear but the heaviness of a bigot spewing lies under the guise of empowering us to save our people. We must use education and critical thought in the place of dogma to touch the hearts of our youth and encourage them to be their true selves.