Open door
The readers' editor on the right pronouns and respect for transgendered people
o Chris Elliott
o The Guardian, Monday 8 November 2010
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/08/pronouns-transgendered-peopleProgress has been a little slower than it should be. Eleven years ago Ian Mayes, then readers' editor, wrote about the Guardian's coverage of an employment tribunal involving a transgendered person. A marine surveyor told his employer that he intended to adopt a female gender role. She was sacked, and a claim for unfair dismissal followed. The coverage of her case was based – as was Mikki Nicholson's championship win – on an agency story that was transmitted to the Guardian using the male pronoun for the marine engineer throughout, although the agency reporter had originally used the female pronoun for all but the first reference. Mayes apologised.
We should have moved on. The Guardian's style guide currently has no entry for transgendered people. To have one would clearly help journalists who may not understand the different terms referring to members of the broad transgendered community. The Trans Media Watch website provides journalists with guidance that I would broadly summarise as: where possible ask people how they wish their gender to be defined. If you can't ask them, use pronouns that most closely match their presentation.
