KUSI TV refuses to have me on because i'm transgender

[Hazumu]

by micha
Sunday Mar 29th, 2009 1:09 PM

I arrive on time, conservatively dressed with a long skirt, tights and a scarf up to my neck. We chat cordially in the break room first and then move to the green room. The publicist goes to talk to the anchor, and returns at 9:18AM to say "Micha I have some uncomfortable news. I'm so sorry, but because of how you're dressed, they can't have you on the show." She goes on to tell me how they want to cover the Second Life aspect of the story and not talk about transgender issues at all.

This is absolutely an act of gender based discrimination. Imagine if they had said "I'm sorry, but because you're a woman, we can't have you on. We just wanted to talk about Second Life." It is also very similar to them saying something like "I'm sorry, but because of the ay your face looks, we can't have you on. We don't want to talk about the fact that you're black, just about Second Life," if I was a person of color.