Transsexual targeted by British Tabloid Press . . . again!

[Shana A]

By CARA LEE
VIRGINIA WHEELER
and ANTHONY FRANCE

[URL deleted]

A TRANSSEXUAL [person] was arrested for allegedly keeping her children in cages and posting clips on the internet of them eating DOG FOOD.

[This person] forced her four young kids into "unacceptable acts in the name of film-making", it is claimed.

[This person] - said by locals to dress "like the prostitute played by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman" - was nicked on suspicion of child cruelty after complaints by social services.

[HelenW]

I received the following email from the person targeted by the Sun in the article that was mentioned above.

Dear Susans,

I am writing to request that you take down and remove all comments relating to me on the blog entry on your web site at the following page:

[Link referencing this thread deleted]

You will note that The Sun has removed the story and all references from their site. The story is not factual and is damaging to myself, my wife of 15 years, and my 4 children, whom my wife and I are the biological parents.

The High Court of England heard matters on Friday and is concerned that the tabloid fiction of the story will hinder genuine proceedings. There are no charges against me, and statements to social services and police from all parties to date, including my children, have made clear that no events described in the article occurred.

It is unfair on my children, who have been identified through this attempt to damage my reputation, to have to suffer as a result of your page existing.

It is my intention to seek orders and damages for libelous without further notice should the page not be taken down within 24 hours. I hope that this won't be necessary as to date everyone else has cooperated with requests.

You should advise me by return email that the page has been taken down and that there are no other copies online within your control.

Thank you for your cooperation. You are welcome to contact me if you wish to discuss any further details.

Yours Sincerely
[name redacted]

I have removed all of the identifiers in the email and the original post to prevent any further harm to the victim of this journalistic smear.  I would like to keep this thread open for comment, however, regarding the continued transphobic and trans-misogynist attacks on our community by the British tabloid press, such as the Sun and the Daily Mail.

American laws on slander and libel are heavily limited by the First Amendment yet the British tabloid press get away with a great deal of that sort of thing even though their laws are much stricter in that area.  I'm curious as to how they get away with what they do and how our community can effectively fight against the harm that these papers do with their hatefully sensationalistic reporting ("reporting" being used in the loosest way).  What are your thoughts?

hugs & smiles
Emelye

[spacial]

What this family have gone through is completely unacceptable.

Sadly, while our libel laws appear to be strict, they are only available to the very wealthy.

For the rest of us, we must resort to a press regulator who rarely rules against the press.

Child abuse is a favourite of the tabloids. Innocent people have been murdered by gangs as a result.

I hope you will write back to this person expressing our support.

[Shana A]

Emelye,

Thanks for the update on this story!

My sincere best wishes to this person and her family as they go on with their lives!

Z

[HelenW]

This person reads Susan's and is aware of everyone's support.  I'm sure she is grateful.

Absent any kind of legal remedy in the UK against the tabloids for people who are not wealthy, what other kinds of responses can be formulated?  Letter writing campaigns?  Boycotts?  Perhaps a TV news story about the real harm such hateful articles cause would go a long way.  Throwing up your hands and thinking there's nothing that can be done allows them to continue their campaign of hate against trans people.

What kind of reaction do the BLTG organizations make when the tabloids go off like this?  Does the UK have an organization equivalent to GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)?

hugs & smiles
Emelye

[Dryad]

Ooh, the Sun again.
I hate those people. Honestly, I do, and I think they should actually be destroyed. Freedom of speech is not freedom of slander, and not freedom of ogling, either. Freedom of speech allows you to speak your thoughts; it does not allow you to make up stories about real people, or to express the desire to oppress, discriminate, or in any other way inhibit the freedom of other people.
I wish people would get that through their skulls..

I'm very sorry for you, [Person]. I really hope you won't run into any more trouble because of it. *hugs*

[Janet_Girl]

I would like to see publications like the Sun, sued into oblivion.

Best of luck and hugs to the family, [Person].