Metropolitan Community Churches Supports Protesters of "Ticked Off Tra**ies With Knives"

The MCC's of the DFW bought this full page of the Dallas Voices June 4th print edition so their unedited message of love and support for transgender people would be heard loud and clear.

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Dear Dallas Voice Readers:

The recent release of Ticked-Off Tra**ies With Knives (TO*WK) has sparked both critical acclaim and public outcry. This movie positions itself in the Transgender narrative and is highlighted in local Dallas-Fort Worth LGBT community venues. We the Metropolitan Community Churches that make up the Dallas-Fort Worth “Would Jesus Discriminate? WhyWouldWe.org” Campaign; wish to state our position of support to our Transgender Sisters and Brothers.

MCC churches have been in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area over 40 years. Since our beginning, MCC churches have been at the vanguard of civil and human rights movements and addressing the important issues of racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, and other forms of oppression. We are called as Christians to stand in solidarity with those that are marginalized and oppressed, and to be partners with those for change.

From the MCC Statement of Purpose: “At MCC, we believe that Jesus led the way in acts of compassion and acts of justice. Because we have been a people in the margins of society, we understand fully the grace that God has extended to us. We seek to distance ourselves from exclusion and draw ourselves closer to including all those who are marginalized in any way. We stand boldly with those who resist the structures of exclusion, as Jesus did, and work to insure freedom for all people. In the margins, we are blessed.”

Transgender people and the transgender experience lack adequate representation in legitimate cinema. Therefore, the potential for negative stereotyping damage is exponentially multiplied in that:
“The film, its title and its marketing misrepresent the lives of transgender women and use grotesque, exploitative depictions of violence against transgender women in ways that make light of the horrific brutality they all too often face.” (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Call to Action, March 25, 2010)

We know there is power in our words, either to heal or harm. The names we call ourselves and allow others to call us can be either inspiring or devastating. “Tranny” is a pejorative word. The cavalier usage of insulting and derogatory words in media (movie titles and newspapers included) is unacceptable.

We understand that Q Cinema (Fort Worth’s GLBT Film Festival) will be featuring this film during their festival. We understand that there will also be positive and pro-trans films and shorts featured the same weekend, including the documentary "Would Jesus Discriminate?” featuring some of our local MCC churches.

Before and during the screening of TO*WK, we choose to stand with those that will participate in an Informational Rally/ Protest. We respect Q Cinema and Mr. Luna’s rights to feature this movie, we also respect that many (even some from our churches) may choose to watch it. The Director and Q Cinema have invited us and others with opposition to this movie to sit on an educational panel Sunday Afternoon. We appreciate and accept that extension of hospitality.

We encourage those that choose to view the film, to use their God-given conscience and in the future endeavor to understand and support the transgender community and other marginalized peoples in more positive engagements. Please understand that it is only fictional entertainment and not a complete and true narrative of transgender people and the real violence they too often face.

Truth and TO$WK Scorching Sunday Edition: No place to Hide.

Our intense methods employed to protest of TO$WK demanded the full attention of the morally responsible theater goers, made others angry and sent a few scurrying away in fear like mice from a feline telling of truth and humanity.


The ghosts of the sidewalk, now impressed permanently into the souls of Q Cinema patrons held memorized in the blistering sun, unmoving, while learning of the horrors of their demise. "They are OUR sisters" I heard myself and others repeating "who were used by Luna as a cheap advertising ploy to promote his unrepentant reprehensible grab for cash."

We drew the outlines of our murdered sisters there to instill a sense of reverence and reality to those patrons who questioned us about them....

It was extremly effective as most all of the patrons had no idea we are getting murdered at a rate of over two per week and the way to$wk's violent images further endangers us by empowering those who may have otherwise not acted on impulses to harm us. It was extremly effective in opening a direct pathway to peoples hearts as we explained why we objected to this movie.

I am fully aware that we will never advance in equality without our LGB community, I love them and value them. I pray with our community weekly and they supported us in this protest because we are there sisters and brothers. This was not a attack on the gay and lesbian people, but a statement protesting Israel Luna's movie.

We will not be silent in the face of tyranny. There are people all across our county who see this as a campaign for human dignity and women's well being.

TO$WK will be protested and educated about where ever it goes by a ever widening swath of society led and inspired by some of the most passionate human rights campaigners, transpeeps!


kelli anne Busey
June 7, 2010

Transgender Blogger Monica Roberts reacts to TO*WK Using Angie Zapata's memory as a cheap advertising ploy

Monica Roberts, pictured left, who authors the award winning blog TransGriot wrote about Angie Zapata's mother Maria Zapata's Comments On TO*WK

Protesting Educating and Opening Hearts at Q Cinema TO$WK Saturday Edition

Today, we transgender advocates and allies, sisters and brothers gathered together at Q Cinema in Fort Worth. It was HOT but our message was even hotter. We were there protest and Educate about "Ticked Off Tra**nies With Knives"

We needed to help the patrons of Q Cinema to understand how damaging this movie is to the transgender community and instill in them a intimate experience in 30 seconds of being in close emotional contact with a transgender person.

We wanted to make this experience real and for the moments before they entered the building one that they would always remember as the most powerful, meaningful moment when asked by anyone, well how was it? (comments heard often from patrons "They said there would be awful protesters outside but you people are so nice")

Many were so unbelievable sensitive and receptive to our concerns when after the protest, the police commented to me on how peaceful the protesters were I told her "It was peaceful thanks to the patrons, they were so nice."

This held true for most, save the few transgender woman that entered the building. I was abused by some with divisive name calling and even one telling me to "SHUT UP"!

That energized me like a thousand volt shock sending me parading again down the side walk laughing because every protest I have ever participated I was never told to "SHUT UP". Well ladies I didn't and will not acquiescent to your demand.

Future protesters of TO$WK. Contact your local police department and ask them to define the laws that govern public gatherings.

In Fort Worth Texas you do not need a permit and you are within your rights to protest as long as you stay on public property and do not impede the public or block entrances or exists to buildings. Vital to know!

When we arrived in front of the building a Q Cinema attendant officially tried to tell us where we could protest at, which was a building down from the front of there building.

After he finished, I looked him in the eye and told him "Thanks for your input but we will be protesting directly anywhere we want to as long as we do not violate any laws mentioned above. He became extremly agitated and told us he was going to call the police.

Imagine his response when he saw me drawing ghost outlines with chalk on the sidewalks! He was livid and told me to stop, that I was defacing public property, was going to get arrested, well I kept on drawing.

The police just looked on and the little man scurried back inside his building.

After the protest and Q Cinema was only able to fill 3/4 of their seats a theater representative invited everyone to see the movie FREE OF CHARGE! I was not present at for that invitation probably by design because it was made in a attempt to subvert and humiliate should everyone accept.

NOT ONE SOUL ACCEPTED. They told him if it comes on TV I still would not watch this horrendous movie.

We owned the day. The message is ours. The protest was a fantastic success.

We will be back Sunday,

Fort Worth Weekly Article on Our Protest of TO$WK and my response

Friday Jimmy Fowler of the Fort Worth Weekly fwweekly.com published this article. Below it is my response.

"Dallas director Israel Luna’s “transploitation” thriller Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives seems to attract attention wherever it goes – and usually not the positive kind. Ticked-Off is receiving its Southwest premiere at Q Cinema this weekend. An activist group called Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies has announced two protests (7pm Saturday June 5 and 4:30pm Sunday June 6) at the Rose Marine Theater, where Q holds its screenings. DTAA spokesperson Kelli Busey said in a statement:

“Humor can be used to challenge and subvert, but this movie fails on both counts. In a society where trans people struggle to be accepted and have their lives viewed as equally valuable, this film does them no service at all. Instead, it perpetuates harmful and negative stereotypes.”

"I haven’t seen Ticked-Off, though I’m a fan of the lurid and the ironic if they’re done well. But just as Q has every right to screen the movie, so do Advocates and Allies have the right to express their concerns with (peaceful) protests. That’s what keeps free expression alive and healthy in America."

My response....

Jimmy Fowler,

You are the only journalist in North Texas to this point, with enough integrity to report fairly on transgender concerns which otherwise would remain unheard because of conflicts of interests with the Dallas Voice's gay readership and sponsors. Thank you!

The Dallas Transgender Advocates are protesting at the Q Cinema presentation of "Ticked Off Tra**nies with knives, but the Sundays protest time has been changed to 2:30pm.

I would like to comment on a couple of things on your article.

Please blur out at least a couple of letters in the word "Tra**ies" in the future. That is a concession we have won from Luna and many in our community are asking everyone, including myself to adhere to that standard in the future.

It is unfair to categorize the Transgender Advocates and Allies as "ticked off'.

The DTAA is comprised of an incrediably diverse group representing nearly every continent on earth. Many of our members are people of different faiths who do not allow anger to be the guide post to advocacy.

We are not seeking to infringe on anyone's right to freedom of speech.

We will be seeking to educate Q Cinema patrons who are predominantly gay, about the damaging effect that this movie has on transgender people.

There is a misconception among the Gay community. Many feel that because the the inclusion of the T in the acronym LGB gay people have a innate knowledge of and the authority to speak on behalf of the transgender community.

That is simply not true and this misconception manifested itself most recently in this gay film makers mistaken beleive that this movie would actually 'empower' transgender people.

Does TO$WK enable trans people? Nothing could be further from the truth or reality.

The truth is transgender people have been murdered at a rate of over 2 people week for a total of 160 deaths, just for our gender expression, since Luna first introduced in January of 2009 TO$WK under a firestorm of condemnation from the worlds transgender community.

The truth is that the murdered transgender woman that Luna originally used as a advertising ploy in the trailer, Angie Zapata's mother Maria, recently spoke out in horror after learning Israel Luna had used her daughters legacy to promote TO$WK.

The truth is there are thousands more mothers of murdered transgender people who will be enraged after they learn Israel Luna has invoked the memories of there dear departed to sell this horrendous movie.

In fact TO$WK only serves to empower Luna's and his film crew's financial well being.

TO$WK sensationalizes in gratuitous grotesquely sexually suggestive images that the act of murdering transgender woman is the ultimate thrill, thereby enabling those who harbor hatred towards transgender people to act on those impulses which will result in even more transgender woman and men being memorialized and grieved over at the next Transgender Day of Remembrance.

This, my dear Jimmy, is why people of conscious from the Metropolitan Community Church's of north Texas will be standing with there transgender congregants in protest.

This why many gay and straight people who are not religiously active will be standing with us.

I do pray for our gay communities enlightenment that they will cease enabling the murderous behaviour TO$WK portrays by not attending TO$WK.

I do pray that Israel Luna's conscious will demand of him to place the concerns for transgender lives over this shameful grab for fame and wealth and that he removes this movie from distribution.

I hope you will be reporting at our protest Jimmy,

Kelli anne Busey
founder/organizer
Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies
Author
planetransgender

Angie Zapata's Mother Speaks Out Against "TICKED OFF TRA**IES WITH KNIVES"

Maria Zapata, whose slain daughter Angie’s image was used in the
film’s initial trailer, also spoke out in opposition to the film.

"This week we found out that there was a film that used Angie’s name and the circumstances around her murder as a way to promote what is supposed to be a funny film. There is nothing funny about Angie’s murder and we are deeply offended that someone would use Angie’s name and memory to promote the film, Ticked-Off Tra**ies With Knives.” Glaad Blog

In case you are not aware of the importance of Angie Zapata life. Angie, beloved daughter and friend to all, was slain in 2008 by a man who later claimed he did so because he was 'surprised' that Angie's genitalia did not match her gender expression.

Allen Andrade's murder trial of Anjie captured the worlds attention because he became the first to fail to escape justice when his "Transpanic" defense was thrown out and his sentencing was more appropriate for someone committing violence against a transgender person under Colorado's new hate crime laws.

But Angie's life and death became much more to the transgender community. Her family was embraced by the worlds loving peoples straight and LGBTQ alike, as a symbol of hope. Her death became a symbolic turning point we felt was "A end to hate."

Israel Luna decimated her memory by including her name in the movie "Ticked off trannies with Knives". Luna was successful in igniting a transgender firestorm and the subsequent media attention must have warmed Luna's heart, to a point.

Israel Luna was not prepared for the unabated rage from the transgender community, unmollified by his half hearted and delinquent attempts to remove Angie's name and his refusal to disassociate transgender people from TO$WK as later film festivals the pejorative "trannie" is used with no letters blurred despite promises Luna made otherwise.

The damage had been done. Israel Luna has left a scar on our souls as "TO$WK" retains a prologue dedicating this movie to "those who do not fit in" a refrence to transgender people.

Israel Luna has placed this movie as a tribute, a testimony in the memory of our transgender slain, which to the transgender community is blasphemous.

TO$WK slanders of our community, it cheapens transgender womanhood in it's indulgence of those who delight in violence against woman, gay misogynistic men and heterosexual transphobes by the millions, in gratuitous and disgusting portrays of transgender woman as sex craved, morally deficient and expendable targets of violence.

We transgender people who live in north Texas, the birth place of TO$WK and home to gay misogyny will protest on June 5th and 6th at Q Cinema, Fort Worth and fully intend on showing ourselves as we truly are.

Kelli anne Busey
June 3, 2010