No Joke-NY Media Fails To Read AP Stylebook

You know, how hard is it for media people to grasp this concept?

transgender-Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.

If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.

Once again, the media fails in a story involving a transwoman, and this time it happens in our country's so-called media capital.

And it's not like you media peeps don't get enough practice in getting stories on trans people right. Every two days somewhere on the planet a transperson is murdered. Every now and then transpeople make the news for something other than being a murder victim, and you still frack the pronouns up.

Amanda Gonzalez-Andujar was a 29-year old trans woman who was found stabbed to death in her Queens, NY apartment. Her apartment had been ransacked and much of her possessions destroyed. A man she recently began dating is suspected of committing the crime.

And guess how the New York Times and other NY newspapers initially identified Ms. Gonzalez-Andujar? By using her old name and calling her a 'man'.

They've corrected the stories, but it's still infuriating to have to say the same crap over and over about a concept that elementary school kids get.

Kristina, Read Your AP Stylebook

Kristina DeLeon is another reporter that needs to learn the difference between a transman and a transwoman.

I know WOAI-TV should have copies of the AP Stylebook around the station, but let me take a moment to school you on the basics of how to properly report about transpeople.



A transgender man or transman is a person born in a FEMALE body like yours who transitions to male.

A transgender woman or transwoman is a person born male but who transitions to female

Transmen are referred to with male pronouns, transwomen with female pronouns irregardless of genital status.

Such a simple concept, but people constantly screw it up.

Damn, Hometown Media -Read Your Fracking AP Stylebook!

51 year old transwoman Myra Chanel Ical was found dead in the 4300 block of Garrott near Richmond Avenue back on January 10 at 2 PM CST.

But you wouldn't know that based on the way Houston Chronicle reporter Dale Lezon wrote the story.

As per longstanding TransGriot policy, I'm going to do the media's work for them and write the story to conform with AP Stylebook guidelines for reporting on Trans individuals.


****

Police are trying to determine why a transgender woman was killed and left half-naked in a field known to police as a hangout for prostitutes and drug users near the Montrose area.

Myra Chanel Ical, 51, of Houston was found dead in the 4300 block of Garrott about 2 p.m. Jan. 10, police said.

She had numerous bruises and defensive wounds, as if she had struggled against her attacker. She was partially clothed.

Police said that the area where Ical's body was discovered is a well-known spot where homeless people camp and is frequented by prostitutes and drug users.

Investigators said they have no motive and no suspects in the death.

Ical was last seen wearing a black blouse, blue jeans and a black sweater.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Houston Police Department Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

dale.lezon@chron.com


****

Now Dale, was that so fracking hard to do?

On another note, for those of you in H-town there will be a candlelight vigil memorial service January 25 at the spot where Myra was found at 6 PM CST.

GLAAD Ain't Happy About Letterman's Amanda Simpson Skit...And Neither Am I

Damn, can a transwoman, or transpeople in general get through the first full week of the New Year and new decade without being disrespected?

Sadly, the answer is no.

We have a moment in which the entire trans community is bursting with pride at one of our own getting an historic federal appointment by the president, only to have tabloid newspapers and comedians turn it into a fracking joke.

GLAAD has already highlighted some problematic coverage of the news by the reliably transphobic New York Post, and now David Letterman piles on with this skit from last night's show.



The 'cis man gets physically ill at presence of transwoman' is unfortunately a lame and depressingly far too common meme in the entertainment world.

It has manifested itself in films such as Bachelor Party, The Crying Game and Ace Ventura Pet Detective.



Guess I should be counting my blessings that Late Night bandleader Paul Shaffer didn't fire up the band and play 'The Crying Game' song to go with it.

And before y'all start typing the 'damn it's just a joke, lighten up' BS in the comments, I have a sense of humor as people who know me will tell you. I know the difference between a good joke and one that goes a bit too far and is hurtful to the persons and the community that was the punchline of said joke.

The Letterman Amanda Simpson skit crossed that line last night. It mined a tired meme for the sake of a laugh.

And the 'cis man gets ill at sight of transwoman' sight gag needs to die

Oh Hell Naw! PETA Disses The Queen Of Soul

I have zero respect for PETA, and their latest stunt is guaranteed to send me in the direction of my friendly neighborhood KFC to chow down on some Original Recipe.

While PETA's mission is noteworthy in terms of advocating against cruelty to animals, their tactics are reprehensible.

Renee at Womanist Musings called out PETA in a recent post for their propensity to use every 'ism' in the book to promote their agenda.

She highlights as an example in her post PETA dissing Aretha Franklin last year for wearing fur.

PETA has a bad habit of attacking African American celebs for wearing fur

Beyonce was ambushed outside a New York restaurant in 2006.

Mary J. Blige flat out warned them in 2007,“Those PETA people don’t want to mess with me, they don’t want to throw paint on my coat because it’s not just going to be throwing paint. It’s going to be Mary in the news the next day, you know what I mean? What gives them the right to destroy someone’s coat because their opinion is that you shouldn’t wear animals? Understand what I’m saying?”

Amen, sis. If you threw paint on a fur coat I spent my hard earned money on, you'll be surgically extracting my pumps from your colon after I was done going medieval with you.

The more PETA engages in behavior that pisses people off, the more they drive away people that might be sympathetic to their cause.