Trans* Targeting Edition [What You Need To Know]
Filed By E. Winter Tashlin | January 14, 2013 10:00 AM
http://www.bilerico.com/2013/01/trans_targeting_edition_what_you_need_to_know.phpI've commented before on a growing trend within the American conservative movement of targeting trans* people for hate and ridicule, perhaps born out of the fact that open hatred of LGB people in this country is becoming less and less popular, while acceptance of trans* people lags sadly behind.
Today I can easily point to two particularly illustrative and egregious examples of this disturbing pattern, both from the conservative bellwether Fox News.
The first, which eloquently displays their bigoted bias is found in the form of the image at found at right. That's a picture of Robin Williams in the titular role of Mrs. Doubfire, in which he plays a man who cross-dresses in order to deceive his estranged ex-wife into allowing him to watch their children. The article said photo is illustrating is a reprint of a pretty reasonable piece about a topic I covered on Friday: Oregon requiring insurance companies to pay for certain elements of trans* related healthcare. Interestingly the article it was sourced from doesn't contain the ridiculous and offensive picture, and doesn't seem particularly sensational in itself.
The second involved Fox News hosts Bill O'Reilly and Megyn Kelly mocking and mis-gendering Michelle Kosilek, the trans* inmate in Massachusetts who successfully sued the state for coverage of trans* specific medical care.
This twisted de-humanizing treatment of trans* people and issues cannot be allowed to stand. There's a perception within the trans* demographic that says lesbian, gay, and bisexual people are content to ignore anti-trans* bigotry and discrimination as long as it doesn't directly impact their ability to get marriage licenses and new minivans.
