Beware the "Stunt Queen" so-called Ally!

by Cheryl Courtney-Evans
posted Dec. 4, 2012

"abitchforjustice": It's ironic that even after I wrote the piece "Paying REAL Homage to Our Transgender Fallen", for the Transgender Day Of Remembrance (TDOR), where I urged all of us to "call our allies to account" for claiming the title 'ally', I found myself an object of the con job of a so-called ally in the person of a "gay church member". 

As the Executive Director of a transgender support/advocacy organization here in Atlanta, GA. (TILTT, Inc.), I am often approached regarding transgender-focused events and activities; the following is my facebook posting on our "TILTT, Inc." facebook group page, detailing the results of my enthusiasm for TDOR and my trans community, coupled with the devious mind of someone who claims "ally" while wearing the 'cloth of the church'...

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• Cheryl Courtney-Evans

  I am posting this in the "TILTT, Inc." group, because this situation had the potential to affect the reputation of not only my name, but that of TILTT, Inc., which was connected to the event in question. I have waited for communication from responsible parties for a week now with no luck, so I feel obligated to publish this here...
  
  In the last week, I have had a number of phone calls, questioning my lack of participation/absence in "Transgender Weekend Celebration 2012" that was supposedly co-sponsored by the Shepard's Table Covenant Church and TILTT, Inc. (and after their initial contact with me, the Juxteposed Center for Transformation). I feel it necessary to issue an apology to any and all persons that participated or attended due to my request, as well as Ms. Imani Evans of the Little Five Points Community Center...this includes Shauna Pleas, Necaela Penn, Alicia Minister, Simaya Charlize Fogle, and Kelcy Calhoun...also Cole Thaler and Pat Hussain. I was in the midst of being manipulated/duped by someone that I'd never had any dealings with before and didn't realize the extent of the lie.
  
  I don't know if it was because I saw Russell Patterson as the significant other of someone that I greatly admired/respected, Rev. Elliott Somerville (and therefore a 'church person' to be trusted/believed), or I (as always) was so ready to take part in an event that was positive and trans focused, or as a non-profit, perhaps I was eager to participate in an event that supposedly would garner some funds for TILTT, Inc. At any rate, when he contacted me by phone approximately 2 weeks prior to the event with the idea of the "Transgender Weekend Celebration 2012" (in honor of TDOR), I was eager to be a part of it.
  
  What followed was a meeting with Russell Patterson, Rahkel Henry and Simoria Hall (if my memory serves me correctly, that was the young lady's name). This meeting went well, with plans going forward for the weekend. Mr. Patterson outlined the possible use of a hotel downtown for space for the event, until I mentioned my history with using the Little Five Points Community Center, whereby he then jumped at that, saying, "See if you can reserve space for the 'Purple Event Dinner on Saturday'...I need to save money; I've only got the caterer partially paid...this is all coming out of my pocket..." [this should have been a red flag]. (After I'd made those arrangements, when he asked that I "add another room for the 'panel discussion on Friday'...", there should have been another red flag.) At our second meeting the following week, when he urged us to "get whatever pre-event donations we could, from whatever organization(s) we were affiliated with, I've still got to pay the caterer the rest of the money...", I should have asked for more transparency with regard to the monies budgeted for this event, but I was steadily trying to give Mr. Patterson the benefit of the doubt. When we went to the Little Five Points Center to look at the spaces we'd be using, I made it clear as we signed papers for the reservations, that TILTT, Inc. did not have deposit/rental money for this effort, and he assured me [and the young lady handling the reservations] that the Shepard's Table Covenant Church would pay them.
  
  All other meetings to plan for the event were handled via conference calls, and I was made to believe that it was "on schedule" and would take place, with the first night (the panel discussion) to happen that Friday. That Friday, the panel discussion was attended by 17 people, and 12 OF THEM WERE TRANSGENDERS; so why was a text sent out by Mr. Patterson that "we had an AMAZING TURNOUT (and someone told me that he'd said there was 'standing room only')...". I should have known he was not a truthful person...of course some of that could be put down to "promoting" the second night...
  
  The "bloom was off the rose" with regard to my enthusiasm for this event by the time I got a text from Mr. Patterson Saturday morning, urging us "Please don't forget that we need everyone (committee members and honorees included) to make at least a 10 dollar donation at the door. This is the only way we can cover expenses..." . "WAIT A MINUTE," I'm saying to myself, "As a planning committee member AND 'honoree', he's expected me to bring $10????" Needless to say I was insulted...not only had I warned him about trying to charge for "transgender events" (we generally don't get as great an attendance as we'd like, let alone charging them), to which he assured me, "no one will be turned away; it's a 'donation'...", but word from a reliable source was told to me that PEOPLE WERE TURNED AWAY IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE $10. As an "honoree", I felt that I could stay home, pat myself on the back and save the ten dollars! So that's what I did, but not without texting Mr. Patterson and letting him know that I could not afford this admission [that's what it was; NOT a donation]; he did not respond to this text. [The bottom line is this: IF one does not have a budget for an event, one should either scale it down or cancel it...obviously, there was no money budgeted for this event.]
  
  I got a voicemail from Rev. Elliott Somerville later that evening that he'd "heard some things 'in the community' that he wanted to discuss with me...", but at the time I was too angry to speak with anyone...I called him the next day (and several times since) to no avail [he's still not returned my calls].
  
  The following Monday morning (Nov. 19th), as I was boarding the plane to leave town (I was actually in the passenger transfer sleeve about to go through the door to take my seat), I received a call from Ms. Imani Evans, of the Little Five Points Community Center, telling me that not only had their space been left "a mess", but that Mr. Patterson's promise to come by and pay the deposit/rental for that space had not been kept! She reminded me that she'd "gone as far as she had with him not paying, because of OUR 'history'..." I FELT HORRIBLE about this, because I've always conducted MY (and TILTT, Inc.'s) business with integrity. Now both were being put in jeopardy.
  
  Not to mention that I'd already received a call or two that the Saturday "dinner/recognition" event (that I missed) was not such..."a few cupcakes and slices of cake [both presumably from Publix deli] and some bottles of water"; WHAT happened to the caterer that we had been continually told about??? To all who attended because of my recommendation, I TRULY apologize.
  
  And WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ANY MONEY COLLECTED AT THE DOOR? As of Friday (Nov. 30), Ms. Evans says that the Little Five Points Community Center has still not been paid (she says Mr. Patterson told her by phone that he'd be in on the 29th, but did not show; sounds like another case of "the check's in the mail" to me). And as far as TILTT, Inc. "having a share of money 'donated' at the door", WE HAVE NOT SEEN A DIME OF IT.
  
  So in conclusion, as I apologize to friends of TILTT, Inc. for any disappointment you may have suffered from the "Transgender Weekend Celebration 2012", I also warn you to BEWARE of stunt queens, even if they come dressed in the cloth of "the church"!

  
  
  *NOTE: And this is a comment left by one unfortunate transgender attendee to the event:
  
   We were all duped Cheryl and you have nothing to
  
  apologize for. They made Tierre go to the atm across the
  
  street to get $20 before they would let us in. They stopped
  
  it the middle to take donations at the back and at the end
  
  they asked people to donate again. They only had light
  
  refreshments, they started 1 1/2 hr late, and they had a
  
  very insulting drag impersonator mock award recepients,
  
  and mess up the bio's on purpose. They said that money
  
  was going to go to our community but when I questioned
  
  could give NO answer to how monies would be divided I
  
  was TOO through, and now that I know these "men of
  
  God" took the money and ran, while damaging our
  
  communities rep in the process. I am completed, done
  
  finished and over with participating in ANY of their events
  
  again. Oh and they didnt even give out awards because
  
  they said award recepients had to attend sunday service to
  
  receive their awards....yes shenanigans....don't apologize
  
  for ANYTHING, them liars, showed they true face with this
  
  one. I SAID IT and I MEANT EVERY WORD!
  
  **NOTE 2: In case it's escaped anyone's notice, THESE
  
  PEOPLE DID THE "CHURCH THANG" OF PASSING THE
  
  COLLECTION PLATE (TWICE), SO WHERE'S THE
  
  MONEY, AND WHY WAS THE SPACE NOT PAID FOR??
  
  The bottom line is, we must BEWARE the "stunt queen"
  
  so-called ally!
  

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