Tweet
What is it to come out as a transgender youth? What is it to come out as a lesbian youth? CNN’s Don Lemon interviewed a couple of LGBT young women about the HRC speech by President Obamba:
As far as I can tell, Katie Hill — speaking from Tulsa, Oklahoma — is the only trans person that the cable news networks spoke to this past weekend regarding either the President’s speech to the HRC or about coverage of the National Equality March.
She did pretty damn well. I know I’m proud of Ms. Hill in her role as a trans community spokesperson.
But seriously, could the cable news networks find no other trans people to interview than a transyouth from Tulsa? Not one from DC?
The T (transgender) of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community was nearly completely erased from the media coverage this past weekend. This is one of two posts I’ll have (hopefully) have up regarding cable news coverage this past weekend.
11 Comments
Trying to find trans spokespeople is pretty difficult, though… because of stealth and/or privacy concerns. I can imagine most trans youth would have parents who would advise their kids not to go on TV, not to draw attention because of how it would affect them at school. Also, most times that media do a piece like this, they contact the local LGBT centres, and depending on the community, sometimes the local trans people don’t hang out there at all.
It doesn’t make it right, it’s just why it happens.
What I think is significant is when media picks up that trans people have unique aspects and want to ask questions about that.
One of the official speakers at the National Equality March……was an Asian-Pacific-Islander trans woman.
Trans people were there, and they were findable. They just, for the most part, weren’t found by cable news.
It’s so important to build up awareness for all in our community…And I’m glad to see Katie Hill show the courage to go on national TV to do it. I hope this encourages more trans youth to come out. This nation is still such a brutal place for trans people.
I’ve got a standing offer, faxed, emailed, and hand delivered to all local and national news outlets.
As a local leader of the Phoenix trans community, I’m always available for such.
It’s not a lack of them, its a lack of willingness to contact them.
I assume you mean Kim Coco IwamotoShe’s an elected state official (from Hawaii). If the ‘news’ networks didn’t find her, its because they didn’t want to.
Yep.Kim Coco Iwamoto, as well as Babs Siperstein, were both at the NEM Rally podium — there was trans visibility there, and they could have been tapped.
We shouldSet up a database of the agencies contacted so they can’t claim they know no one.
I’m sure many of us have tried to break through the ‘we don’t know of any’ excuse.
That’s a pretty darn good idea, lolHere I’m only one of two dozen different folks from several different groups — and certainly not the only one they know about.
I have three standing rules: I don’t do makeup shots; I never, ever, give out my old name; I need 30 minutes notice.
That’s it. And those rules pretty much apply to everything in my life, lol.
There’s no excuse for it.
If anyone get’s such going, let me know.
As a Tulsan I’m a bit biasedBut does it really matter where the person is located? Most everyone who went to DC came from somewhere else.
As far as Tulsa is concerned, we have a very active LGBT community. Along with the sixth largest LGBT community center in the world, http://www.okeq.org/ we have a separate entity focused on LGBT youth. http://www.openarmsproject.org/ OKEQ has a strong outreach to Trans/IS/gender variant folk (I’m part of the Gender Outreach group).
I won’t even go into the issue of Oklahoma being the home of some first-class homo haters.
Kudos to both Ms. Teuful and Ms. Hill.
Dena
P.S. We even get haters from out of state. Part of Fred Phelps clan is in town tonight picketing the performance of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later.
Talking about erasure….When was the last time you saw an Intersexed person commenting on an issue?
How about… approximately…. never?
I promise you if my test comes back IS……I will be out and active as intersexed.