RESOLVED!: KARE11 (NBC Affiliate Minneapolis) incredibly offensive pronoun

[Dana Lane]

Folks, there have been several successes in getting things changed so please help if you have the time.

http://transgenderhate.blogspot.com/2011/01/kare11-nbc-affiliate-minneapolis.html

MINNEAPOLIS -- A Blaine man was charged Friday with second degree murder for the violent death of the boyfriend he met on line.

Bates, who lived as a transgender female, was discovered dead in his apartment January 11 after someone became concerned about his welfare. Officers found him laying on the ground with numerous injuries.

[Domitia]

I tried writing a response but nothing comes to describe the author (of the news article).

Disrespectful is the least of it; especially for reporting.

[Jessica B]

     Very disrespectful, at a minimum ignorant.  Media is one of the most potent tools in producing change in a society and it is dis-hearting to see ours conducting its self in such a manner.

      -Violet

[Dana Lane]

Thank you for participating! Every little bit of this offensive trans related media we can educate can possibly make life a little better for our future.

[Janet_Girl]

I sent a complain to the station.

[Flan]

also sent a complaint
although I would rather watch fox 9 or abc (5) for news, wcco and kare 11 generally suck at reporting

[Flan]

KSTP also just screwed up the story >.<
http://kstp.com/news/stories/S1936474.shtml?cat=1

http://kstp.com/form/mailStory.html?storyID=1936474

fire away

[ClaireA]

I guess I'm switching to Fox 9. BTW, there was a vigil for Krissy Bates tonight - I wonder if/how those stations covered it.

[Dana Lane]

I guess I'm switching to Fox 9. BTW, there was a vigil for Krissy Bates tonight - I wonder if/how those stations covered it.

I haven't seen any improper articles yet. If anyone comes across any let me know.

[lisagurl]

It is factual reporting. If the transgender is not a transsexual that legally changed their name and gender I find no problem with the way they reported it.  If they reported none facts for the purpose to be politically correct they would be doing an injustice to facts and open to legal problems.

[glendagladwitch]

It is factual reporting. If the transgender is not a transsexual that legally changed their name and gender I find no problem with the way they reported it.  If they reported none facts for the purpose to be politically correct they would be doing an injustice to facts and open to legal problems.

What you suggest doing, and what the article does, goes against the guidelines set down for journalists by the Associated Press.  See http://www.transgenderlaw.org/press.htm

For you to say it would be factually incorrect for them to refer to a transgender MTF person using female pronouns betrays your own prejudices.

[tekla]

goes against the guidelines set down for journalists by the Associated Press

Only people writing for the AP are required to use those guidelines, and even then, they are guides, not rules.

[glendagladwitch]

goes against the guidelines set down for journalists by the Associated Press

Only people writing for the AP are required to use those guidelines, and even then, they are guides, not rules.

"The Bible of the newspaper industry." -- American Bookseller

[tekla]

The Bible of....

Perfect comparison, so it's pretty much used in a highly selective manner, and then, only when convenient.

[glendagladwitch]

And those journalists who transgress it's proscriptions are going to the hell of yesterday's news.

[lisagurl]

For you to say it would be factually incorrect for them to refer to a transgender MTF person using female pronouns betrays your own prejudices.

If a person is not legally changed their sex or their name the Media has a responsibility to report the legal name and sex. In that light the pronouns should match. If you are going to transition you need to be diligent and honest with yourself and the public of who you are. Transition is not for the faint hearted or the lazy. It takes much hard work and effort. Anything less is not transition and leads me to believe that they are not serious. It reflects on the whole transsexual population that we have unworthy people in our ranks. It gives a very poor image to the public and even worse when the community supports people that are breaking the law.

I am not prejudice but I do discriminate between good and bad.

[glendagladwitch]

If a person is not legally changed their sex or their name the Media has a responsibility to report the legal name and sex. In that light the pronouns should match. If you are going to transition you need to be diligent and honest with yourself and the public of who you are. Transition is not for the faint hearted or the lazy. It takes much hard work and effort. Anything less is not transition and leads me to believe that they are not serious. It reflects on the whole transsexual population that we have unworthy people in our ranks. It gives a very poor image to the public and even worse when the community supports people that are breaking the law.

Do you think a pre-op transitioner in RLT whose state of birth will not change her legal sex without surgery should tell people she's a man and ask them to refer to her with masculine pronouns?  What about FTMs?  Most of them never get bottom surgery becasue of the expense.  It sure sounds like you are saying only those who fully surgically transition deserve to be viewed as members of the transition sex, and others are not legitimate.

I am not prejudice but I do discriminate between good and bad.

"Good" and "bad" are labels people put on things to try and create prejudice without justification.  Why not say "harmful" and "harmless," except that's not what you really mean.

[tekla]

It sure sounds like you are saying only those who fully surgically transition deserve to be viewed as members of the transition sex, and others are not legitimate.

It would be nice to have a bright line somewhere between 'because I said so' and 'finished with everything.'  Most legal distinctions are based on at least some form of surgery that is non-reversible.

are going to the hell
They are already in the Twin Cities, major media market it is not, more like a trip to nowhere.

[glendagladwitch]

It would be nice to have a bright line somewhere between 'because I said so' and 'finished with everything.' 

"Because I said so" IS the bright line.  And the self-identification is the only vote that counts.

[ClaireA]

...and then, cooler heads prevailed, we all got along, and then found $5.

Good news - Kare11's follow-up story is much better:
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=902827

Still, it's a terrible tragedy that something like this happened.