An open letter to CNN on Chelsea Manning

[ismnotwasm]

While trans identities can seem difficult to understand at first, it can actually be made quite simple. Mr. Tapper expressed to me that it may be confusing for CNN’s audience to comprehend an abrupt change from two years of news coverage as Bradley Manning to Chelsea Manning. There’s nothing disrespectful about being confused by a sudden name change. It may assist viewers’ understanding to refer to her as “Chelsea” and add the caveat “formerly known as Bradley Manning” while people continue to learn her new name. This proclamation and clarification will remove the necessity of continuing to refer to Chelsea as “he” and “him.”

Where further questions arrive, it can sometimes be helpful to imagine replacing words associated with gender with words associated with sexual orientation to determine whether a statement or policy would be offensive. For example: Mr. Tapper said that Lauren was “once a gay man.” Although gay people may have gone through a time in their lives where they formed heterosexual relationships before coming out, they are no less gay for having done so. Ellen DeGeneres went to prom with a boy, but it would be disrespectful to refer to her as once having been a straight woman.

The societal understanding is that there is so much pressure on gay people to be straight or keep it secret that it is difficult for them to understand their identities and be open about them immediately. The same is true for trans people. Chelsea has not changed. The only thing that has changed is that she is now presenting outwardly as the person she has always been within. Further, we prefer “trans” or “transgender” to be used as adjectives rather than nouns. “A gay” would be bad form, and so would “a trans.” “A lesbian” continues to be the only exception to this rule.
Waiting for Chelsea to achieve a legal name change and physical transition, including hormone treatment and possible surgery, is unnecessary and inhumane. The military currently refuses to treat transgender people with hormone replacement therapy and/or surgery. In any case, that line is arbitrary. There is good reason that trans people consider coming out to be the only step necessary to command respect of their genders.

At what point would her hormone replacement be considered sufficient? When a blood test showed her testosterone as sufficiently repressed? Or not until surgery? Only one in five trans women get sex reassignment surgery, and even fewer trans men – only one in 26. The surgery is prohibitively expensive and can lead to complications. At what point would she be considered to be presenting as a woman? When she wears make-up and dresses? And if I wear pants and no make-up, am I therefore presenting as a man? Would it then be acceptable to call me “he?” I hope you can understand that, under scrutiny, it becomes significantly more confusing to deny a trans person’s gender than to accept it.

http://freethoughtblogs.com/zinniajones/2013/08/an-open-letter-to-cnn-on-chelsea-manning/

[Zorra]

1. K&R nt

[Ms. Toad]

2. And one to NPR

I am writing because I was disappointed to read in yesterday’s article in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/23/business/media/he-she-news-media-are-encouraged-to-change.html) that NPR is disregarding Pfc. Chelsea Manning’s specific request to be referred to as Chelsea and use female pronouns.

. . .

Specifically, spokeswoman Anna Bross’s comment that “Until Bradley Manning’s desire to have his gender changed actually physically happens, we will be using male-related pronouns to identify him,” ignores the fact that since Manning has been sentenced to prison for the next 35 years, she has literally no control over whether or not she will be able to physically transition, for example by taking hormones or having surgery.

Further, not all trans* individuals have financial or logistical access to hormones or surgery — and not everyone wants them. It is absurd that NPR (or any other agency) would be able to set a benchmark that must be reached before respecting an individual’s gender identity. What if Manning was able to take hormones? How long would it take before she would be considered a woman? Would she still need surgery? What kind of surgery? These are not questions that anyone is qualified to answer except the person in question.

Trans Media Watch has produced a style guide for the media on how to respectfully represent trans* individuals. It is available here: http://www.transmediawatch.org/Documents/Media%20Style%20Guide.pdf

http://highfemmeshorthair.tumblr.com/post/59111346219/npr-manning

[enlightenment]

3. Wow.

Glad I missed the actual statement from Anna Bross. I too, will also be writing a letter. What a ridiculous decision for a supposedly intelligent media organization to take.