Jhozae Akai is a Black Transgender Woman on YouTube
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Saturday, December 3, 2022
Nikita Dragun
Nikita Nguyen (born January 31, 1996), known professionally as Nikita Dragun, is an American internet personality, YouTuber, make-up artist and model.
Nikita Nguyen was born on 31 January 1996 in Belgium and raised in Springfield, Virginia, United States.[6] She is of Vietnamese and Mexican descent. She began to transition to female while in college, choosing the name Nikita based on the television series.
Nguyen joined YouTube in February 2013. She stated, "I started to get little brand deals around that time… That was also when I decided to start taking Instagram and YouTube seriously." In 2015, by which time she was living in Los Angeles, she came out as transgender.[2] As of May 2023, she has 3.5 million subscribers on YouTube, 9 million followers on Instagram, and 14.5 million followers on TikTok.
In response to comments by L Brands chief marketing officer Ed Razek that trans women should not be included in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show because "the show is a fantasy", Nguyen tweeted a video of herself modeling lingerie. In the tweet, Nguyen argues that trans women were indeed able to convey fantasy.
In March 2019, she announced a make-up line, Dragun Beauty. Aside from the mainstream market, the cosmetic line is also targeted towards the transgender community. All products are vegan and cruelty-free, this is cited as a reason why Nikita decided to launch her brand independently.[6] In June 2019, Nguyen was interviewed about her make-up brand on the LGBT radio network Channel Q, where she credited her journey as a trans woman building her brand as the inspiration behind Dragun Beauty and its products.
In September 2019, it was announced Nikita would be starring in her own docuseries on Snapchat, "Nikita Unfiltered". The series follows Nguyen as she searches for love, "a different path" in her career, and navigates fame as a trans woman. The series premiered on March 21, 2020
Melody Maia Monet
Melody Maia Monet is a New York native who lives and works in Orlando, Florida. She is an actor, writer, singer, and YouTube video creator, all of which are informed by her transition from male to female in her early 40s.
Maia has constructed a social media brand centered on life, love, and lesbianism by the friendly post-operative queer transgender woman next door. Her creative drive is to make content for people who are transgender or are just curious about transgender people. She answers those questions you've always wanted to know about trans people, but are afraid to ask. Her YouTube channel https://YouTube.com/melodymaia to date has garnered over a million views and 12 thousand subscribers.
Her short film "Transgender Whiplash," winner of the Viewers Choice Award at the 2018 Cosmic Film Festival, employs elements of magical realism to dramatize the disorienting speed of her transition. Along the way, it highlights what Maia has learned about the lived experiences of men and women.
Club Q Shooting
Translator
On November 19–20, 2022, a mass shooting occurred at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. Five people were killed, and 25 others were injured, 19 of them by gunfire. The accused, 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, was also injured and taken to a local hospital.[6][7][8][9] Aldrich was charged and remanded in custody.
Background
Club Q is located at the 3430 block of North Academy Boulevard and opened in 2002. It was for a time the only LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs, Colorado's second-most populous city with a population of just under 500,000.[10] A 2021 article by Denver-based magazine 5280 noted the club to be a place "where LGBTQ folks [went] for drag performances, dance parties, and drinks."[10][11] The shooting occurred on the eve of the Transgender Day of Remembrance.[12]
Since 2019, Colorado has had a red flag law that allows citizens or law enforcement to petition a court to order the removal of firearms from a potentially dangerous person. Of the 19 states and the District of Columbia with red flag laws, Colorado has among the lowest per capita rates of invocation of the law. In opposition to the Colorado statute, more than half of the state's 64 counties declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries, including El Paso County where the shooting occurred.[13][14][15][16] According to the Los Angeles Blade, "It is El Paso County Sheriff's Office's explicit policy not to petition for an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) or Temporary Risk Protection Order (TRPO) to remove firearms from at-risk people".[17][18]
Shooting
According to the police chief, the shooting began when the shooter entered Club Q while a dance party was being held. Wielding an AR-15 style rifle, carrying multiple magazines of ammunition, and wearing body armor,[2][3][4][19] the shooter immediately began firing at employees and patrons while moving further into the building. Many survivors at first mistook the gunfire for being a part of the music, until the shots continued and occupants saw the muzzle flashes.[20] Multiple people sheltered behind the bar and in dressing rooms, while others stayed low to the ground.[21]
Minutes into the shooting, a club patron, identified as U.S. Army veteran Richard M. Fierro, charged across the room and tackled the shooter to the ground, causing the rifle to fall out of reach. Fierro then grabbed a handgun from the shooter's hand and used it to hit the shooter repeatedly in the head. Fierro was assisted by two other patrons he recruited, including Thomas James, who moved the rifle away to safety,[22] and a trans woman who used her high heels to stomp on the shooter, and who helped disable and hold the shooter down until the authorities arrived.[9][23][24] Fierro estimated the shooter's weight at 300 pounds.[23][25]
Police received an initial call for service regarding the shooting at 11:56 p.m. on November 19, with the first officer being dispatched a minute later. The first responding officer arrived in the area at 12:00 midnight and arrested a suspect two minutes later. A total of thirty-nine patrol officers from all four divisions of the Colorado Springs Police Department, along with thirty-four firefighters and eleven ambulances, responded to the scene.[1][9] The suspect was in custody within about five minutes after the first 9-1-1 call.[20] After the shooting stopped, many were at first reluctant to leave from hiding spots as they were unsure if the shooter was reloading or had been stopped.[21] Fierro, who had been covered in blood, was placed in police custody in a squad car for over an hour before he was cleared of suspicion and released.[23]
The injured were transported to three hospitals: seven to Penrose Hospital, ten to Memorial Hospital Central, and two to Memorial Hospital North. Some ambulances, with most of them AMR, had to transport up to three patients at a time, and a few police cruisers had to transport victims as well.[1]
Victims
Fatalities
Daniel Davis Aston, 28
Kelly Loving, 40
Ashley Paugh, 35
Derrick Rump, 38
Raymond Green Vance, 22
Five people were killed, and twenty-five others were injured in the shooting, of whom nineteen were by gunfire. One of the deceased victims, Daniel Aston, was bar supervisor and a frequent performer at the nightclub.[26][27] Another fatality, Raymond Vance, was the boyfriend of Fierro's daughter.[22]
During the press conference, the chief of the Colorado Springs Police Department made a point to say the department respected all community members and that they would be identifying the deceased by the names they and their loved ones used. He then read the names of the deceased victims and included their pronouns.[28]
Aftermath
A vigil was held on November 20 with standing room only at the All Souls Unitarian Church, which was also attended by several members of the City Council.[20] Additional memorials and events were held throughout the week, which promoted spaces for people to gather and donate.[29] Donation drives were set up shortly after the shooting from both local organizations and GoFundMe fundraisers for the victims and their families.[30]
On November 24, Colorado Springs evangelical ministry Focus on the Family was targeted with a graffiti message, reading: "Their blood is on your hands. Five lives taken." The Focus on the Family organization actively advocates for people to "leave homosexuality" and follow Christ.[disputed – discuss][31][32][33] According to The Independent, the conservative ministry "has lobbied against LGBT+ rights and characterised LGBT+ identities as 'a particularly evil lie of Satan'". The Human Rights Campaign has said that they "promote many dangerous ideas, practices and programs that cause real harm to LGBT+ people and their families", while the Southern Poverty Law Center considers the ministry to be a lobbying group that is central to the anti-gay movement of the religious right.[33]
Accused
The accused was identified as Anderson Lee Aldrich, a 22-year-old resident of Colorado Springs.[34] Aldrich was born Nicholas Franklin Brink on May 20, 2000, in San Diego, California, to Aaron Brink, a former pornographic film actor and mixed martial arts fighter, and Laura Voepel, the daughter of Randy Voepel, an outgoing member of the California State Assembly and a former mayor of Santee, California.[35][36][37][38] Voepel and Brink separated and divorced one year after Aldrich's birth; while Voepel went on to receive custody over Aldrich, her tumultuous life – which included multiple arrests and mental health evaluations – resulted in Aldrich being cared for by Voepel's mother who eventually became Aldrich's legal guardian.[39][40][41]
Aldrich grew up in northern San Antonio, Texas, and is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though has not been involved in church services for at least a decade.[42][43][44] Records indicate that Aldrich was a target of online bullying that involved homophobic taunts while in middle school.[37][45][46] Aldrich changed names on April 28, 2016, shortly before turning 16, citing a desire to remove associations with Aaron Brink, who by that point had multiple criminal convictions.[37][41]
Aldrich's attorneys have said in court documents that their client identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, preferring to be addressed as Mx. Aldrich.[47][48] Neighbors allege Aldrich to have made hateful comments towards the LGBTQ community in the past, including frequent usage of homophobic slurs.[49][50] Aldrich never mentioned being non-binary prior to the shooting and was referred to with masculine pronouns by the family members.[51][46] Experts in online extremism have voiced the possibility that Aldrich's proclaimed self-identification could be disingenuous; while the Center for Countering Digital Hate has advised using they/them pronouns for Aldrich, and to balance this with an acknowledgement of the suspect's past actions and impact on the LGBTQ community.[52]
Prior incidents
On June 18, 2021, Aldrich's maternal grandparents revealed their plans to shift to Florida. Angered at the development, Aldrich complained about losing access to the material stored in the basement which was intended for "conduct[ing] a mass shooting and bombing". Aldrich held the grandparents hostage, and threatened to murder them.[53] Eventually, Aldrich let them go, shifted to Voepel's house, and holed up there.[53] During an hour-long standoff with Colorado SWAT, an armed Aldrich live-streamed from inside and threatened to blow up the house. Neighboring homes had to be evacuated.[54][55] Upon surrendering, a tub filled with explosive grade material — including ammonium nitrate and tannerite — was recovered alongside handguns, ballistic vests, and gas masks; Aldrich was jailed and charged with multiple counts of kidnapping and felony menacing.[53][56] Aldrich entered into a not guilty plea and was released on bail, a fortnight later.[53] The case made negligible progress with Voepel and the grandparents refusing to accept any subpoena, under technical grounds, to avoid testifying against Aldrich.[56] In July 2022, the case was dismissed, and records were sealed a month later.[53][56]
Twice before the 2021 incident Aldrich had been reported to Colorado Police for "escalating homicidal behavior."[53] On June 17, 2021, Aldrich's grand-aunt contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report Aldrich was planning to kill Christians and government employees, after Aldrich's grandfather had reported being threatened by Aldrich; however, the family did not press charges with local police.[46][57] There is no record that law enforcement authorities or Aldrich's relatives attempted to trigger the Colorado red flag law, which might have allowed for the seizure of any weapons and ammunition that Aldrich possessed.[13]
Aldrich and Laura Voepel had conflicts with passengers and crew during a July 2022 flight from California to Colorado. They were accused of harassing others while aboard the plane, and insulting some with racial slurs. After deplaning, Aldrich was filmed saying to another passenger: "I wish I can shoot all of you" and "You keep following me and I'm going to fuck you up."[58]
Social media activity
Aldrich had allegedly created a "free speech" website that hosted violent and racist content — including a video that advocated for killing civilians to "cleanse society" — as of the night of the shooting. A second site that was identified as a "brother website" on its homepage, had hosted footage of the 2022 Buffalo shooting and, on the night of the Club Q shooting, came to display four other videos, including one which apparently showed Aldrich's face reflected in a vehicle's rear view mirror.[59][60]
Legal proceedings
After the shooting, Aldrich was charged with ten felony counts: five counts of murder, and five counts of committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury. An El Paso County judge authorized the sealing of Aldrich's prior arrest records, saying the public release of the documents could "jeopardize the ongoing investigation."[61] Aldrich appeared via video from the El Paso County jail on November 23 for a hearing in which Aldrich was advised of the arrest charges and of bond conditions, although Aldrich is being held without bond. Aldrich is currently being represented by a public defender.[62]
On December 6, Aldrich was charged with 305 criminal counts, which included first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, assault of the first and second degree, and hate crimes. District Attorney Michael Allen said it was "probably the most charges that we’ve ever filed in a single case, on a murder case like this in the state of Colorado". A preliminary hearing was scheduled for February 22, 2023. Lawyers for the prosecution and defense asked for the hearing to be rescheduled to May.[63] On December 8, a judge ordered the unsealing of court documents pertaining to Aldrich's June 2021 arrest.[56][64]
On January 13, 2023, Aldrich was charged with new felony offenses for attempted murder and hate crimes. The additional twelve charges raised the total number of criminal counts to 317.[65][66]
Responses
The shooting was condemned by certain politicians in the immediate aftermath. President Joe Biden said, "While no motive in this attack is yet clear, we know that the LGBTQI+ community has been subjected to horrific hate violence in recent years."[67] Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that anti-LGBT political discourse is partially to blame for the shooting.[68] The El Paso County government said "We are deeply saddened by the senseless shooting that occurred early this morning in Colorado Springs at Club Q" and sent condolences to support victim's families.[69]
Colorado's red flag law and its application were scrutinized by advocates of gun violence prevention, politicians, and others.[13][15][16][70][71] Governor Jared Polis, the nation's first openly gay governor, said "We are eternally grateful for the brave individuals who blocked the [shooter] likely saving lives in the process"[12] and called for an examination of the application of Colorado's red flag law by Colorado's sheriffs.[72][73] Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said law enforcement should take advantage of the law under appropriate circumstances, while cautioning against jumping to conclusions about the application of the law to this shooting.[13][15] Colorado state representative Tom Sullivan, whose son was killed in the 2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting and sponsor of the state's red flag law said the prior incident should have alerted the community.[13][55][71] Jeffrey Swanson, a professor at Duke University School of Medicine who studies red flag laws, said Colorado's law could have been invoked.[13][70]
LGBTQ groups have widely memorialized the victims, and linked the mass shooting to recent rhetoric.[74][75][76] Club Q said on social media that it was "devastated by the senseless attack on our community" and that it offered condolences to the victims and their families.[12] The co-owners of Club Q attributed the shooting to a different kind of anti-LGBTQ hatred,[77] inflamed by some Republican politicians and right-wing influencers[78][79] and rooted in the demonization of drag queens as "groomers".[77][80][81] Democrats have also been criticized by some for historically not doing enough to counteract anti-trans narratives, and generally being reluctant to proactively defend the transgender community.[80]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement condemning the shooting. The statement read, in part, "The senseless act of violence in Colorado Springs is of great sadness and concern to us. We are greatly troubled by any violence in our communities and condemn most especially violent acts that are the result of intolerance ..."[82]
In their responses to the shooting, several far-right pundits have promoted an LGBT grooming conspiracy theory,[83][84][85][86] as well as perpetuating moral panic.[87][88][89][90] Conservative media personality Tucker Carlson displayed a banner on his Fox News program Tucker Carlson Tonight that read "Stop Sexualizing Kids" while later hosting a guest who said that mass shootings would keep happening "until we end this evil agenda that is attacking children".[91] YouTube commentator Tim Pool responded by criticizing the venue's drag show performances, saying, "We shouldn't tolerate pedophiles grooming kids. Club Q had a grooming event";[92] while right-wing commentators Matt Walsh, Candace Owens, Chaya Raichik, and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene all continued to publish content targeting LGBTQ people, some of which focused specifically on the Colorado area.[93][91][94][84]
After issuing a statement in which she offered her prayers to those affected by the shooting and called for the lawless violence to end, Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) was accused of hypocrisy based on her history of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.[95] Her past comments have included false grooming narratives and the litter boxes in schools hoax.[75][96] She has been criticized for blocking gun control laws.[97][98]
Jenna Ellis, a former lawyer for Donald Trump, was criticized for saying that the five people killed during the shooting were "now reaping the consequences of ... eternal damnation" because she claimed that there was "no evidence" the victims were Christian.[99][100][101]
Far-right provocateurs, including Jack Posobiec, questioned Richard Fierro's presence at the drag show, while others on the far-right called Fierro a "groomer" and a "faggot" simply because he and his family were at Club Q.[102][103] Analysis published by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue has estimated that online usage of the terms 'pedophile' and 'groomer' increased sharply in the days following the shooting, as part of far-right and neo-Nazi celebration of, and apologia for, the massacre.[101] The Department of Homeland Security also reported in a bulletin published on 30 November that online extremists praised the actions of the shooter.[104] A significant rise in homophobic and transphobic posts following the shooting has been tracked by LGBT advocates both in far-right forums such as Gab and in more mainstream social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
On December 14, 2022, several survivors of the mass shooting presented their testimony to the United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform. The witnesses placed blame for the attack on hateful rhetoric, calling it the direct cause of the massacre, and also warned of the dangers of hate speech, saying that it is damaging even in the absence of explicit calls for violence. At the hearing, Club Q owner Matthew Haynes pushed back at Republican politicians, saying "I know that we, our Club Q community, are in the thoughts and prayers of so many of you. Unfortunately these thoughts and prayers alone are not saving lives. They're not changing the rhetoric of hate." Haynes also read aloud examples from some of the hundreds of the hateful messages received following the shooting, including one that said "the shooter was doing God's work". Survivor James Slaugh said that LGBTQ issues should not be politicized, and urged respect for basic human rights: "Outside of these spaces, we are continually being dehumanized, marginalized and targeted. The fear-based and hateful rhetoric surrounding the LGBTQ+ community, especially around trans individuals and drag performers, leads to violence."[79][106]
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Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Amy Schneider wins 'Jeopardy!' Tournament of Champions
Amy Schneider, a writer from Oakland, Calif., has won the 2022 “Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions,” it was revealed on Monday. She was the first openly trans contestant to quality for the tournament, and now she’s the first to win the grand prize of $250,000.
“I feel amazing,” Schneider said after the win was announced. “Earlier in the finals, I had this sudden moment of seeing myself and being like, ‘I’m on stage in the Tournament of Champions finals,’ and that was crazy. And I won! It’s a great feeling.”
The final episode of the tournament aired Monday evening and saw Schneider go head-to-head with fellow semi-finalists Andrew He and Sam Buttrey. By the end of the final game, Schneider walked away with the $250,000 prize, while He and Buttrey took second and third place, respectively.
“Any of the three of us really could have won if a very small number of things had gone differently,” Schneider said. “I’m glad we got a really fair chance to test our skills against each other.”
The Final Jeopardy category was “plays,” and the clue read as follows: “The Jan. 12, 1864 Washington evening star reported on a performance of this ‘dashing comedy’ to ‘a full and delighted house.'”
Schneider bet $13,000 on her response, and guessed correctly with the answer “What is ‘Our American Cousin?'” The hefty gamble secured her victory with a final score of $28,600. He finished with $17,001 and Buttrey lost it all on an incorrect response.
Prior to her appearance on this year’s “Tournament of Champions,” Schneider had a winning streak of 40 consecutive games during her 2021 “Jeopardy!” debut in Season 38 — a lofty record only surpassed by current host Ken Jennings, who had a 74-game win streak as a contestant.
Saturday, November 12, 2022
Friday, October 28, 2022
Man Wearing Dresses
Jacob Tobia in 2019
He Black Dress
Gregory Lamont, Transvestite
https://dressesask.com/males-wearing-dresses-different-occasions/
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Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Kat Blaque
Kat Blaque is an American YouTuber and activist. Blaque was born in Lynwood, California and raised in Walnut, California. She is adopted. In middle school, Blaque began to question her gender identity and started to identify as genderqueer. She began identifying as a trans woman in college. Blaque graduated
AJ Clementine
AJ Clementine is a transgender fashion model and content creator from Australia who is best known for sharing her videos about her transition from male to female on her different social platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, where she has amassed a sound fanbase.
Samantha Lux
YouTube personality who is famous for her self-titled channel. She has risen to massive popularity there for documenting her journey transitioning from male to female as a transgender vlogger.
Before Fame
She began her YouTube channel in March 2011. She officially began her transgender journey in 2015.
Trivia
She has amassed more than 600,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel. She has also earned more than 90,000 Instagram followers to her sxmxnthxlux account.
Family Life
When she was a child, she used to follow her mother and sister around when they did their hair and makeup.
Associated With
She posted a photo of herself with YouTube star Cameron Russo to Instagram in March of 2019.
Casey Blake
Youtuber, Casey Blake is a transgender activist who shares transgender stories in hopes to help support, educate and normalize being trans.
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Saturday, September 24, 2022
Man get Vaginoplasty
Men want to get vaginoplasty Surgery to have a Neo Vagina.
NulloNow from Fetlife vaginoplasty
New Jorney on Twitter posting he vaginoplsty he is three month post
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DragonsDenAD
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Friday, July 22, 2022
Lia Thomas Woman of Year
The University of Pennsylvania nominated swimmer Lia Thomas – who has become the face of the debate on transgender women in sports – for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
The Ivy League swimmer was nominated as a Division I athlete for Swimming and Diving, according to the NCAA website. The award is meant to honor the “academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions,” according to the website.
In March, Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title after finishing first in the women’s 500-yard freestyle event and recording the fastest time of the NCAA season. With that victory, she became the first transgender athlete to win a D-I title in any sport.
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 19: University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas reacts after swimming the 100 Freestyle prelims at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 19th, 2022 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas says 'trans women are not a threat to women's sports'
Thomas, who previously swam for Penn’s men’s team, brought renewed attention to the debate on trans women’s participation in sports and the balance between inclusion and fair play during a time when states across the US are passing laws aiming to curb the rights of transgender people.
She first launched into the public eye with a stunning performance at the Zippy Invitational in Ohio in December, when she set NCAA season-best times in the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle races. And she won the 100-yard, 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle races at the Ivy League women’s championships in February.
In a May interview with ABC, the swimmer talked about feeling depressed early in college, before her transition. She began hormone replacement therapy in 2019 and, following NCAA protocols, took a year off swimming before joining the UPenn women’s team in 2020.
Penn's Lia Thomas prepares to swim in a qualifying heat of the 500 yard freestyle event at the Ivy League Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at Harvard University, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, in Cambridge, Mass. Thomas, who is transitioning to female, is swimming for the University of Pennsylvania women's team. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)
How an Ivy League swimmer became the face of the debate on transgender women in sports
“I knew there would be scrutiny against me if I competed as a woman. I was prepared for that,” she said in the interview. “But I also don’t need anybody’s permission to be myself and to do the sport that I love.”
Thomas said “there are a lot of factors that go into a race,” but the biggest difference now is that she is happy, adding that trans women are “not a threat to women’s sports.”
The Woman of the Year selection panel will pick 30 honorees, from which they will then announce nine finalists — three from each NCAA division, according to the organization’s website. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will then review those finalists before deciding on a 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year, according to the site.
The Woman of the Year will be named at the NCAA Convention.
Monday, July 18, 2022
Ashley
Ashley (pictured right) calls herself "a good girl gone bad" who got caught up in making a quick buck (forgery and credit card fraud got her 25 years in Arkansas, with a chance at parole after four years). Ashley tells about what happened to her when the rumor spread around the prison that she had a vagina. Rather than getting her protection, the warden called her into his office and made her strip and put on a display for him. That was just the beginning of her problems.
Thursday, July 14, 2022
Friday, June 24, 2022
Amanda Simpson
Amanda Renae Simpson (born March 26, 1961) is an American pilot, businesswoman and politician. She serves as vice-president for Research and Technology at Airbus Americas[1] and was the former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Operational Energy.[2][a] Previously Simpson was the executive director of the U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives[4][b] leading the Army's efforts to implement large-scale renewable energy projects. Her first posting in the Army was as the special assistant to the Army Acquisition Executive. In that role she was a principal advisor to the United States assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology[6] on all matters relating to Army acquisition, procurement, research & development and logistics. Upon her appointment to the position of senior technical advisor in the Bureau of Industry and Security in 2010, she became the first openly transgender woman political appointee of any presidential administration. Simpson worked in the United States Department of Defense. She is Jewish.
Simpson was born in Chicago as the oldest of four siblings. Simpson received her Bachelor of Science in physics from Harvey Mudd College in 1983, her Master of Science in engineering from California State University, Northridge, in 1988 on a Hughes Aircraft Fellowship, and her MBA from the University of Arizona in 2001 on a Raytheon Fellowship. Simpson participated in the Bates Aeronautics Program while a student at Harvey Mudd College. She earned her single engine land private pilot's license in 1981, a commercial pilot's license with instrument privileges in 1983, and became a certified flight instructor – airplane in 1988 and an instrument instructor in 1989. In 1988 she added a multi-engine class rating to her commercial license to qualify for transfer to Hughes Missile Systems as a project test engineer and pilot. Simpson upgraded to an airline transport pilot (ATP) license in 1994 after adding multi-engine to her flight instructor ratings in 1991. In 1997 she added single-engine sea (float planes and flying boats) to her ATP license. In 2005 she became one of only a few licensed pilots flying FAA-certified unmanned aircraft in the national airspace system. In 1989 she co-founded Processional Pilot Training, a fixed based operation at the Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena Airport (KBUR) focused on flight instruction (private through airline transport) taught by professional flight instructors. She relinquished her ownership share of that business when she relocated to Tucson, Arizona, in 1994.
Simpson was a mission director and project pilot for captive flight test activities beginning in 1988 before taking over as director of flight operations in 1993 for the Integration, Test and Analysis Laboratory at Hughes Missile Systems. As a systems test pilot she flew the T-39 Sabreliner and Douglas A-3 Skywarrior in support of missile seeker technology development for Hughes Aircraft[11] and Raytheon Missile Systems. In addition she flew numerous large transport category aircraft, light multi-engine and single engine aircraft modified for missile flight test purposes. As of 2009, she has flown over 60 makes and models of aircraft and has accumulated 3000 flight hours.
Aerospace career
While an undergraduate, Simpson spent her summers working as a student engineer in the customer service organization on the DC-8/DC-9/DC-10 electrical systems at the Douglas Aircraft facility in Long Beach, and on the AH-64 Apache Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Systems at Hughes Helicopter Company in Marina Del Rey. Simpson was hired by Hughes Electron Dynamics Division in Torrance, California, in 1983 as an engineer and program manager. She was responsible for engineering and manufacturing of the Gridded Traveling Wave Tube and Continuous Wave Illuminator for the AWG-9/APG-71 radar systems. In 1988 she transferred to the Hughes Missile Systems Company in Canoga Park, where she became the lead and director of flight operations for the captive flight test activities. She moved those operations to Tucson, where she consolidated the Hughes activities with the missile test operations of General Dynamics, and later Raytheon, as part of corporate mergers. Simpson designed and oversaw construction of an 80,000 sq. ft. dedicated flight test facility at the Tucson International Airport. Simpson moved into project management in 1999, overseeing the daily operations of small Raytheon, Texas Instruments Defense Systems & Electronics Group, and Standard Missile Company projects that had been relocated to Tucson as part of the corporate merger. Simpson occupied several systems engineer, systems architect, and systems integrator roles in between 2002 and 2006 on projects diverse as the Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft, the Joint Airborne Weapons System (JAWS; later renamed the Beechcraft AT-6B) and a variety of advanced technology development and demonstration projects at Raytheon. Simpson also contributed to the development and/or testing of numerous operation missile systems including Maverick, AMRAAM, Standard, Phalanx, TOW, RAM, JAGM, ACM, HARM, JSOW, MALD, ESSM, SilentEyes, Sidewinder, Sparrow, Paveway and Tomahawk.
She departed from Raytheon in 2010, at which point she was a deputy director and senior program manager, leading teams developing advanced technology in the Advanced Missiles and Unmanned Systems product line.
Completing her public service with the Defense Department, she joined Airbus Americas in 2018 as the vice president for research and technology. In this role, she is responsible for coordinating technology development, research activities, and innovation for Airbus in the Western Hemisphere. She also heads Airbus' sustainability and clean fuels initiatives in the United States.
She has served on the Board of Directors of the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing, Advanced Thermal Batteries, Inc., and is the chairperson of the Airbus Institute for Engineering Research at the University of Southern California.
Simpson served as a commissioner on the City of Tucson Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Commission from 2001 until 2008, representing Councilwoman Carol West. Simpson was a candidate for representative of District 26 in the Arizona House of Representatives in 2004. She won the Democratic primary with over 57% of the vote, but was unsuccessful in the general election where she finished third, receiving 20% in the best two of four contest. In the 2004 election, Simpson was elected precinct committeeperson, and was chosen as a state committeeperson by the Democratic Party of Legislative District 26 in 2006. She was also elected to the Executive Board and held the office of district treasurer in 2008. She continued to hold those posts until her resignation upon accepting a post in President Obama's administration in 2009. In 2005, Simpson was one of the founders of the Democrats of Oro Valley Club. She was also the first vice chair of the Arizona Democratic Party LGBT caucus. At the Arizona Democratic State Convention in 2008, Simpson was elected as an Arizona delegate for Hillary Clinton to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
In late 2009, Simpson accepted an appointment by the Obama administration, where she served in the Department of Commerce as the senior technical adviser to the Bureau of Industry and Security. In July 2011, Simpson was reposted to the Pentagon as the special assistance to the assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA/ALT). In July 2013, Simpson was detailed to the Army Energy Initiatives Task Force, where she served as the deputy executive director[18] until January 2014, when she was named the executive director by the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy & Environment (ASA-IEE). In October 2014, the Army Energy Initiatives Task Force became the U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives. In September 2015, Simpson was sworn in as the first deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Operational Energy. This position was the result of the merging of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy, Plans and Programs with the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment to create the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment in late 2014. Simpson served until the end of the Obama administration as she was asked to resign along with nearly all appointees. She departed the Pentagon on January 19, 2017.
Simpson has served on the boards of the Wingspan Community Center, the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, the Arizona Human Rights Fund, the National Center for Transgender Equality, Out and Equal Workplace Advocates, and the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. While an employee at Raytheon, she served on the boards of the Raytheon Women's Network; Raytheon Global Women's Network; the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies Alliance; and the Raytheon Diversity Council. Simpson is an associate fellow with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and served on its Systems Engineering Technical Committee from 2007 to 2009. She is a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and serves on the board of directors of the Washington, D.C., branch.
Cruel and Unusual 2006
Five transgender women share their prison experiences. Interviews with attorneys, doctors, and other experts are also included.
Dainna Cicotello
Dainna was a long time local and national activist for trans rights and was an amazing speaker and trainer. She was also a wife, mother, veteran, friend.
In the 80s and 90s Dainna was one of a handful of people who created the modern definition of the word “transgender”. She was not afraid to speak out against inequality locally and nationally and in 2002 appeared on the Montelle Williams show with her daughter, Laurie, where they talked about the relationship between daughter and parent as Dainna transitioned in 1985 from male to female.
Dainna would often share about being a legally married same-sex couple long before same-sex marriage became law because she and her wife, Mary, remained married after Dainna’s transition. They renewed their wedding vows on their 46th anniversary! From Dainna’s research, they were the first couple in America to stay married through the transition of one partner. Their marriage paved the way to marriage equality in Colorado and Hawai’i.
One of my fondest memories of Dainna was when, during SPED trainings, she would facilitate the Folding Arms experiential exercise, which creates in participants a physically aching experience of what it is like to hide a part of oneself. The way she facilitated this training was so impactful, and she did it with such empathy and feeling. Dainna died in 2018 at the age of 70 after leaving a legacy of activism, truth-telling and change-making.
Being an ally to the trans community is one way I honor Dainna, her family, and my SPED colleagues. You are missed and loved Dainna. Rest in Peace my friend.
Yolanda Valentin
Yolanda, a trans woman of color, says she started taking female hormones at the age of 12. She has never known her father, and her mother is a recovering drug addict. She had to drop out of school in the sixth grade and had to resort to prostitution in order to survive.
Anna Connelly
In this film we meet a trans woman, Anna Connelly, who is denied female hormones and psychological counseling for her gender dysphoria while in prison. Anna suffers from physical withdrawal and depression and she eventually castrated herself, yet she still was denied the treatment she needs. Legislation needs to be passed that requires prisons to provide psychological and medical resources to transgender inmates so that tragic events, such as those that Anna Connelly suffered, can be prevented.
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