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