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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, A remarkable life dedicated to the rights of |
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| 6 | 7 | | transgender people drew to a close with the death of Monica Katrice |
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| 7 | 8 | | Roberts of Houston on October 5, 2020, at the age of 58; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Monica Roberts was born in Houston on May 4, 1962, to |
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| 9 | 10 | | Mable and Rick Roberts; a 1980 graduate of Jesse H. Jones High |
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| 10 | 11 | | School, she went on to earn her bachelor's degree from the |
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| 11 | 12 | | University of Houston; early in her career, she lived in |
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| 12 | 13 | | Louisville, Kentucky, and worked a variety of jobs before returning |
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| 13 | 14 | | to Houston; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, In 2004, Ms. Roberts began writing a newspaper |
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| 15 | 16 | | column called TransGriot, and in 2006, she moved the column to the |
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| 16 | 17 | | Internet, where it became a pioneering and influential blog, |
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| 17 | 18 | | telling the stories of the transgender community at a time when they |
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| 18 | 19 | | were ignored, dismissed, and misrepresented by mainstream media; |
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| 19 | 20 | | the blog chronicled the lives and history of Black transpeople and |
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| 20 | 21 | | reported on violence faced by the trans community, especially trans |
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| 21 | 22 | | women of color; she also fought the misgendering of trans murder |
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| 22 | 23 | | victims in police and news reports, and she regularly wrote for |
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| 23 | 24 | | Ebony.com, HuffPost, The Advocate, and other publications; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, In addition to her work as a journalist, Ms. Roberts |
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| 25 | 26 | | cofounded the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition in 1999 and |
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| 26 | 27 | | served as the coalition's lobby chair from 1999 to 2002, and she |
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| 27 | 28 | | served on the board of the Fairness Campaign in Louisville and |
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| 28 | 29 | | organized the Transsistahs-Transbrothas Conference in that city |
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| 29 | 30 | | for two consecutive years; for two decades, she also regularly |
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| 30 | 31 | | advocated at the Texas Capitol in Austin for the rights of LGBTQIA+ |
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| 31 | 32 | | people; and |
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| 32 | 33 | | WHEREAS, TransGriot was honored as outstanding blog at the |
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| 33 | 34 | | GLAAD Media Awards in 2018 and 2021, and Ms. Roberts was the first |
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| 34 | 35 | | Texas African American to win the IFGE Trinity Award and the first |
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| 35 | 36 | | openly trans African American to receive the Virginia Prince |
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| 36 | 37 | | Transgender Pioneer Award from Fantasia Fair; her many other awards |
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| 37 | 38 | | included a 2016 Special Recognition Award from GLAAD, the Robert |
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| 38 | 39 | | Coles Call of Service Award from the Phillips Brooks House |
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| 39 | 40 | | Association, the John Walzel Equality Award from the Human Rights |
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| 40 | 41 | | Campaign, and the Susan J. Hyde Award for Longevity in the Movement |
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| 41 | 42 | | from the National LGBTQ Task Force; and |
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| 42 | 43 | | WHEREAS, A pioneering Black trans woman of great vision, |
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| 43 | 44 | | determination, and courage, Monica Roberts was a heroic champion |
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| 44 | 45 | | for her community, and those she has left behind will forever find |
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| 45 | 46 | | inspiration in all that she achieved; now, therefore, be it |
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| 46 | 47 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 47 | 48 | | Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory |
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| 48 | 49 | | of Monica Katrice Roberts and extend heartfelt sympathy to the |
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| 49 | 50 | | members of her family: to her mother, Mable Roberts; to her |
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| 50 | 51 | | siblings, Kevin, Kecia, and Latoya Roberts; to her dear friend, Dee |
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| 51 | 52 | | Dee Watters; and to her other relatives and many friends and |
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| 52 | 53 | | admirers across the Lone Star State and beyond; and, be it further |
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| 53 | 54 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 54 | 55 | | prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 55 | 56 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Monica |
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| 56 | 57 | | Roberts. |
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