The Road to BTAC2019 Day 1: Through My Eyes (Part 2)
Greeting me at the train station in downtown Dallas was Vanessa, a middle-aged transwoman in pumps who is a retired international banker and, as it turned out, a former pro football player (I'll explain that later). She was accompanied by her friend and fellow transwoman, Amber. Those two at first didn't know who exactly I was--especially since I changed my Facebook photo to support the trans military who were basically getting the pink slip, thanks to the U.S. Government-so I walked up to them, introduced myself and we shook hands. They later helped me retrieve my luggage from the train and put them inside Vanessa's Mitsubishi Outlander ("...sing me a song from a lass that is gone..." If you watched the Starz hit drama of the same name, you'd know the song by now).
The two got to show me around Dallas, including the Sixth Floor Depository, where Lee Harvey Oswald shot President John F. Kennedy, and the adjacent memorial directly across the street. Vanessa was telling me about Dallas' constant growth, how it's somewhat a libreal town, (even though she's a conservative), showing me the "gayborhood" near downtown, with its ever-so-present rainbow pride flags a-flying and of course, the American Airlines center,where both the Stars and Mavericks call home. Then I saw just how bustling of a town Dallas is....HOLY SHIT!!! I've driven in and through Chicago traffic like it was nothing. The I see Dallas' traffic and my ass got so lost in the shuffle, with the Texas Turnpike, the LBJ Highway, and freeways commemorating George H.W. & George W. Bush. And these two actually believed that I coud be happier residing here. A large LGBTQ community, a plethera of shops, bars and entertainment; employment opportunities aplenty around the DFW metroplex. However, relocating doesn't always mean happiness. There's almost as many people living in the Dallas area than greater Chicagoland. Like in Chi-Town, I don't think I would ever get used to all that traffic congestion.
Following the chance to finally check into my hotel room, where my temporary roommate Rebecca from Connecticut, had already checked in before my arrival. Looking up at the scenery I see one of my facebook friends in the flesh: Taliyah Cassidine,who is not only a parking attendant in Atlanta, but a former Miss Black Trans International pageant winner. I come up the center elevator near my 3rd floor room and we embraced in a hug, something that was done to show love for one another.
Vanessa & Amber took me out for a bite, since by that time I hadn't eaten anything since that thyme-flavored chicken dinner in St. Louis the night before. We drove about the suburbs and countless turnpikes until I noticed a Chinese buffet restaurant called the Great Wall. I told them about the buffets back in Rockford were nothing like this, however, she did like the name "Golden Chopsticks", which is a popular Chinese buffet back home. We spent a long time talking about our lives while enjoying the egg rolls and crab ragoon and several unsweetened iced teas. It was then where Vanessa showed me several pictures from her phone. She explained that long before she transitioned, she was a former offensive tackle. She wasn't a starter, but on the practice squad of the Cowboys and Saints I was mightily impressed. After she was released, she got into the investment banking field until her retirement. She's seen the world repeatedly and would rather visit the Caribbean and call it home.
They got me back to the hotel, where we'd keep in touch, offering to give me a lift to the train station Sunday afternoon for the long trip home. Meanwhile, the opening orientation of BTAC was going on toward it's conclusion upon my arrival. It was there I saw some more familiar faces via social media, aka facebook. Each person that recognized me was enbraced with a hug. Renae, Marie, and yes, even Janice, my original drag mom, all got hugs. Even Jade, a dear friend, saw me and went Hug City. She's one of those people who were execptionally glad that I finally made it to Dallas for BTAC. I told Jade, "I made it. I finally made it."
I got to meet some of the other folks that arrived that day, and like the others, were embraced with hugs. Then I met Esperanza Brown, Espy for short. I got to meet her for the first time...I swear she bear-hugged me like a roll of Charmin...tight! Guessing she had alot of love to pass around. speaking of bears, there were some teddy bears with the BTAC, BTMI and BTWI logos on them. Let's just say I wasn't going home empty-handed. I wound up buying two of them, plus some necklaces and rings that expand for comfort around my fingers. There's a bear with BTMX, for those gender non-conforming folks, too.
That evening, there was an interfaith service, not just a welcoming of black trans folks, but a family. I came downstairs in my white shirt and leggings when I saw two influential black transwomen as the elevator opened...longtime trans activist Monica Roberts, founder/creator of the TransGriot blogpage, and Dee Dee Watters, with her ever-so-noticable claw-like fingernails. You KNOW I wasn't coing to Dallas with bare-ass nails! I had to come show off mine before heading to the service. Dee Dee, who is as fierce as a motivator can be, commented after seeing my nails, "YASSSSS!!" She loves her nails, trust me!
Espy and her husband, Carter, who was the subject of a Human Rights Campaign after he was wrongfully terminated from his job after the Powers That Be discovered he was a woman at birth, started this even some eight years ago here in Dallas as a way to help inspire and grow the spirit inside of black trans people. Of course, with this my first time here, I've been trying to make an attempt to absorb the stories from other trans folks so I can possibly learn from them. We all got Kinte cloths and warm hugs. However, there was actually a point in ther service I wanted to let you know...Jade mentioned something about what are our stories, or instincts about our lives that we'd like to work on while attending BTAC. You'd never know how close I came to losing it at that moment. Yet I stayed in my seat, keeping my mouth shut. I wanted to introduce myself to the crowd, yet as always I stayed in my "shell of shyness".
We had dinner afterwards (I never liked salads, I swear), but NO DAMN DESSERT!! Add to that a torrential downpour that lasted a while really dampered my spirits a bit. So, I still haven't as yet purchased a tub of that coveted Blue Bell Ice Cream, though a CVS is nearby. Don't look at me. I didn't bring the rain!!
The two got to show me around Dallas, including the Sixth Floor Depository, where Lee Harvey Oswald shot President John F. Kennedy, and the adjacent memorial directly across the street. Vanessa was telling me about Dallas' constant growth, how it's somewhat a libreal town, (even though she's a conservative), showing me the "gayborhood" near downtown, with its ever-so-present rainbow pride flags a-flying and of course, the American Airlines center,where both the Stars and Mavericks call home. Then I saw just how bustling of a town Dallas is....HOLY SHIT!!! I've driven in and through Chicago traffic like it was nothing. The I see Dallas' traffic and my ass got so lost in the shuffle, with the Texas Turnpike, the LBJ Highway, and freeways commemorating George H.W. & George W. Bush. And these two actually believed that I coud be happier residing here. A large LGBTQ community, a plethera of shops, bars and entertainment; employment opportunities aplenty around the DFW metroplex. However, relocating doesn't always mean happiness. There's almost as many people living in the Dallas area than greater Chicagoland. Like in Chi-Town, I don't think I would ever get used to all that traffic congestion.
Following the chance to finally check into my hotel room, where my temporary roommate Rebecca from Connecticut, had already checked in before my arrival. Looking up at the scenery I see one of my facebook friends in the flesh: Taliyah Cassidine,who is not only a parking attendant in Atlanta, but a former Miss Black Trans International pageant winner. I come up the center elevator near my 3rd floor room and we embraced in a hug, something that was done to show love for one another.
Vanessa & Amber took me out for a bite, since by that time I hadn't eaten anything since that thyme-flavored chicken dinner in St. Louis the night before. We drove about the suburbs and countless turnpikes until I noticed a Chinese buffet restaurant called the Great Wall. I told them about the buffets back in Rockford were nothing like this, however, she did like the name "Golden Chopsticks", which is a popular Chinese buffet back home. We spent a long time talking about our lives while enjoying the egg rolls and crab ragoon and several unsweetened iced teas. It was then where Vanessa showed me several pictures from her phone. She explained that long before she transitioned, she was a former offensive tackle. She wasn't a starter, but on the practice squad of the Cowboys and Saints I was mightily impressed. After she was released, she got into the investment banking field until her retirement. She's seen the world repeatedly and would rather visit the Caribbean and call it home.
They got me back to the hotel, where we'd keep in touch, offering to give me a lift to the train station Sunday afternoon for the long trip home. Meanwhile, the opening orientation of BTAC was going on toward it's conclusion upon my arrival. It was there I saw some more familiar faces via social media, aka facebook. Each person that recognized me was enbraced with a hug. Renae, Marie, and yes, even Janice, my original drag mom, all got hugs. Even Jade, a dear friend, saw me and went Hug City. She's one of those people who were execptionally glad that I finally made it to Dallas for BTAC. I told Jade, "I made it. I finally made it."
I got to meet some of the other folks that arrived that day, and like the others, were embraced with hugs. Then I met Esperanza Brown, Espy for short. I got to meet her for the first time...I swear she bear-hugged me like a roll of Charmin...tight! Guessing she had alot of love to pass around. speaking of bears, there were some teddy bears with the BTAC, BTMI and BTWI logos on them. Let's just say I wasn't going home empty-handed. I wound up buying two of them, plus some necklaces and rings that expand for comfort around my fingers. There's a bear with BTMX, for those gender non-conforming folks, too.
That evening, there was an interfaith service, not just a welcoming of black trans folks, but a family. I came downstairs in my white shirt and leggings when I saw two influential black transwomen as the elevator opened...longtime trans activist Monica Roberts, founder/creator of the TransGriot blogpage, and Dee Dee Watters, with her ever-so-noticable claw-like fingernails. You KNOW I wasn't coing to Dallas with bare-ass nails! I had to come show off mine before heading to the service. Dee Dee, who is as fierce as a motivator can be, commented after seeing my nails, "YASSSSS!!" She loves her nails, trust me!
Espy and her husband, Carter, who was the subject of a Human Rights Campaign after he was wrongfully terminated from his job after the Powers That Be discovered he was a woman at birth, started this even some eight years ago here in Dallas as a way to help inspire and grow the spirit inside of black trans people. Of course, with this my first time here, I've been trying to make an attempt to absorb the stories from other trans folks so I can possibly learn from them. We all got Kinte cloths and warm hugs. However, there was actually a point in ther service I wanted to let you know...Jade mentioned something about what are our stories, or instincts about our lives that we'd like to work on while attending BTAC. You'd never know how close I came to losing it at that moment. Yet I stayed in my seat, keeping my mouth shut. I wanted to introduce myself to the crowd, yet as always I stayed in my "shell of shyness".
We had dinner afterwards (I never liked salads, I swear), but NO DAMN DESSERT!! Add to that a torrential downpour that lasted a while really dampered my spirits a bit. So, I still haven't as yet purchased a tub of that coveted Blue Bell Ice Cream, though a CVS is nearby. Don't look at me. I didn't bring the rain!!
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