For trans women killed by Oakland fire, struggle for respect continues in death

[stephaniec]

For trans women killed by Oakland fire, struggle for respect continues in death

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/06/oakland-fire-ghost-ship-transgender-victims-them-are-us-too

The Guardian/By Sam Levin in San Francisco

Tuesday 6 December 2016 16.59 EST

"Instead of grieving for her friends, Scout Wolfcave has spent the last two days phoning news reporters and begging them not to disrespect the transgender women who died by calling them "men" in their reports and refusing to use their proper names.
Feral Pines, Cash Askew and Em B were victims of the devastating fire on Friday night at an Oakland warehouse, known as the Ghost Ship, where at least 36 people died, many of them young artists, musicians and activists."

[zamber74]

I swear people can be so insensitive, it is like they actually get a kick out of desecrating the dead, it speaks volumes regarding society in general.   Whatever happened to respect the dead?  I guess that just does not fit into their little world.. grrrr!

[Devlyn]

I am saddened by the loss of life in this incident. However, I was afraid I was going to see something like this in the article:

"Wolfcave, an Oregon-based trans woman and close friend of Pines, said that when the police and the media incorrectly use "he" pronouns for the women and refer to them by the names on their legal documents, it is deeply hurtful to the trans community."

Folks, if your identification says male, no one is being disrespectful calling you male. Preferred names mean nothing. Where would we be if the police and authorities started ignoring the documents and referring to people by whatever name, gender, or ethnicity came into their head first?

If you want to be identified as something other than what is currently on your legal documents, it is your responsibility to get them changed.

Hugs, Devlyn

[Michelle_P]

Folks, if your identification says male, no one is being disrespectful calling you male. Preferred names mean nothing. Where would we be if the police and authorities started ignoring the documents and referring to people by whatever name, gender, or ethnicity came into their head first?

If you want to be identified as something other than what is currently on your legal documents, it is your responsibility to get them changed.

Hugs, Devlyn

Yeah, unfortunately, the dead can't speak up with their preferred pronouns and gender identity.  All the coroner can go by is what official ID can be recovered from the deceased, whether by personal effects, fingerprints, or dental records.

Off-topic, but changing ID in California is pretty straightforward, and not even terribly expensive if you have some patience and can follow instructions carefully.  The Transgender Law Center in Oakland has a very detailed step-by-step brochure describing how to do this:

http://transgenderlawcenter.org/issues/id/id-please

It tells you exactly what forms are needed and what steps to take to change your name, gender marker, or both.  A number of my friends have followed this successfully, and I'm right in the middle of it now.

Once your ID is correct, you won't be misgendered by the coroner.  Heck, you can even get a new birth certificate that doesn't hint at your past, and pee in the right bathroom in North Carolina legally.



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