Fox Reporter Calls Transgender Woman A "Burly Man Wearing A Dress"

[Shana A]

Fox Reporter Calls Transgender Woman A "Burly Man Wearing A Dress"
Blog ››› June 5, 2013 12:07 PM EDT ››› CARLOS MAZA

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/06/05/fox-reporter-calls-transgender-woman-a-burly-ma/194352

No story about transgender people is too insignificant for Fox News reporter Todd Starnes to cover as a "culture war" horror story, especially if the story gives him the opportunity to use inaccurate and transphobic slurs in his reporting.

In a June 3 article for Fox News Radio, Starnes reported on a Nashville woman who complained after she encountered a transgender woman in a restaurant bathroom. The story included various quotes from the disgruntled woman's husband, inappropriately referring to the transgender woman as a man and commenting that her presence in the public restroom "poses a safety hazard":

    David Staton, whose wife had the disquieting run-in while eating out at Amerigo, a restaurant in the country music capital, has a simple solution.

    "There needs to be some sort of law that says if you are born a man with man-parts, you go to the men's bathroom," said Staton. "In a family restaurant, men should go to the men's room and women should go to the women's."

[Jennygirl]

Ughhhhhhh

[Naomi]

Wow... I don't know about the other girls here but I get upset with myself when I have to touch my genitals to pee so I'm pretty sure that I don't pose a threat to anyone in the bathroom. If anything it's intolerant people who pose a threat in bathrooms.

[Rachel85]

#facepalm

Edit: In fact, no, that doesn't cover it enough. It is plain scary what makes the news and how they cover stories. What is more disturbing is how it is more opinion than "news" these days, the less informed the opinions the higher the ratings.

Reminds me of...

Exactly! DEY DUK ER DERRRBS!

[big kim]

Transgender woman calls Fox reporter a wanker

[Jess42]

My opinion is that it was a couple of insignicant people that made themselves feel significant by making someone else feel insignificant. When are people gonna ever start living by the Golden Rule by treating others how they want to be treated. You know, do unto others how you want others to do unto you. Or the old saying about those that live in glass houses. I could go on but ya'll get the jist.

[Beth Andrea]

You can always count on Fox News to stir the pot, eh?

Sheesh!

They don't stir it, they puke in it.

imho

[Devlyn]

Not defending anyone in this, but if I understand he was quoting the couple, wasn't he?

[Naomi]

Not defending anyone in this, but if I understand he was quoting the couple, wasn't he?

He latter went on to make his own mess on twitter.

[Devlyn]

He latter went on to make his own mess on twitter.

Right, but for this it should say "Transphobic couple interviewed by FOX reporter",  shouldn't it?

[Naomi]

Right, but for this it should say "Transphobic couple interviewed by FOX reporter",  shouldn't it?

No, because he directly used the "man in a dress" quote as an insult on twitter and not as a quote.

[Devlyn]

No, because he directly used the "man in a dress" quote as an insult on twitter and not as a quote.

Thank you, I stand corrected on that. I made my initial post because it seemed this article was being misread. Hugs, Devlyn

[Naomi]

Thank you, I stand corrected on that. I made my initial post because it seemed this article was being misread. Hugs, Devlyn

<3

[vegie271]

Tennessee seems a hard sad hateful place to live and transition in, I could not manage it. I pass, but I am not sure I could keep my mouth shut if I saw that level of ignorance.

[Joanna Dark]

Right, but for this it should say "Transphobic couple interviewed by FOX reporter",  shouldn't it?

The news chose to cover it thus giving it prominence. Not everything deserves to be covered. In fact, you can get a sense of a reporter's or new channel's politics by seeing what they cover and what they don't cover. Remember this is in a state that is trying to pass a law making being trans a crime. Well at least if you go to the bathroom. YOU WILL BE JAILED. Yes, jailed. People can vote how they want but don't ve surprises when you have no rights and HRT is a thing of the past. It's happened before. Those who don't know their trans history are doomed to repeat it.

BTW, this wasn't aimed at you Devlyn. And you are right to a point. But Fix could have chose to not give transphobia airtime and that airtime gave it legitimacy. That's all. Hope I didn't offend anyone I certainly didn't mean to.

[Ltl89]

Anyone with any knowledge on media or journalism knows that fox news is a propaganda tank.  Sure, there are left wing equivalents, but that doesn't excuse this channel for it's lack of journalistic integrity any more than the others.  I'm tired of seeing anti lgbt rants on the station and have seen it enough times.  Don't think they didn't phrase the story in a particular way.  There was a purpose behind this.  They cater to an older demographic who is concerned about the degradation of American family values caused by the lgbt community.  Bill O'Riley acknowledging that gay marriage protesters have won is about the most sympathetic they have ever been.  I love how the reporter  calls us burly men in dresses on twitter without any hint that this is wrong.  Well, I guess that's nice loving family values for you (you know judging and hating others for being themselves).

[vegie271]

The news chose to cover it thus giving it prominence. Not everything deserves to be covered. In fact, you can get a sense of a reporter's or new channel's politics by seeing what they cover and what they don't cover. Remember this is in a state that is trying to pass a law making being trans a crime. Well at least if you go to the bathroom. YOU WILL BE JAILED. Yes, jailed. People can vote how they want but don't ve surprises when you have no rights and HRT is a thing of the past. It's happened before. Those who don't know their trans history are doomed to repeat it.

BTW, this wasn't aimed at you Devlyn. And you are right to a point. But Fix could have chose to not give transphobia airtime and that airtime gave it legitimacy. That's all. Hope I didn't offend anyone I certainly didn't mean to.

Just an opposing viewpoint here, transphobia needs to be reported, not just blasted out in the way did as a legitimate way of expressing themselves

but people need to be made to understand that it is what it is, hate and intolerance, if they are not told how are they ever going to learn?

[Ltl89]

Just an opposing viewpoint here, transphobia needs to be reported, not just blasted out in the way did as a legitimate way of expressing themselves

but people need to be made to understand that it is what it is, hate and intolerance, if they are not told how are they ever going to learn?

I agree that transphobia should be reported.  But the story itself shouldn't be framed in such a way where it seems to promote transphobia nor should the reporter continue to spread hateful rhetoric on his twitter feed.  There is a difference between reporting and spreading hateful propaganda. 

[cannedrabbit]

Well, I guess that's nice loving family values for you (you know judging and hating others for being themselves).

If those are family values, I guess my family is doing it wrong! 

[Kalista Drake]

I Just want to say that I agree with you!