Yes, she's strange and different...but not THAT different.

14 May 2007

Are we getting somewhere?

Recently, it seems that "transgender" has become the latest "newsworthy" thing ... or at least the thing that the media believes will attract eyeballs. Last week (I think it was last week), ABC broadcast Barbara Walters interviewing transgender kids and their families. This week, MSNBC.com and Newsweek are firing back with (Rethinking) Gender by Debra Rosenberg. In addition, the website has links to pictures and 7 other articles including several individual interviews with high(er) profile people who have transitioned. Then there's Entertainment Tonight's highbrow take on the subject: Alexis Arquette's Transgender Summit. This 4-parter started on ET last Friday and continues on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

So, now that we're the "next big thing", are we getting anywhere? I don't know. The Newsweek article talks of the House passing ENDA with its gender identity protections (such as they are), but fails to mention The/A Commander Guy's threat to veto it. No one has talked - in the MSM, anyway - about the ties between transgender folks and same-sex marriage equality. Are we really making progress or are we just the latest weirdos to be exploited to sell advertising?

  • On 5/14/2007 11:18 AM, Blogger Howard said…

    Knowing America? The latter.

    It's going to take something catastrophic for this country to get off its collective ass and start worrying about things that are truly important to us as a whole and let their silly, outdated thoughts about themselves go.

    It's unfortunate.

     
  • On 5/15/2007 6:30 AM, Blogger DeniseUMLaw said…

    Right now, we are the latter. It is the way things work. But, I'm OK with that. We NEED the exposure that isn't trying to make fun of us or call us freaks. More people are at least now aware of trans people and I believe that's a good thing. The mere fact that there is a national discourse on violence against our community is mind boggling. I've been lobbying for the hate crimes bill and t-inclusive ENDA for more than 10 years. I don't think we'll get them, but the nation is talking about them. This is a good thing. It's not enough -- don't get me wrong -- but it's a start that I had begun to fear I'd never see.

    On another note, I wanted to share with you that my mom died this past Friday (funeral on Mother's Day). She enjoyed your blog and she loved you because you were always such a steadfast friend of mine. Drop over to my blog, please, and post a good bye to her.

     

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