May 5 2011
Adam Bass, GLAAD's Senior Media Strategist

Telling Brandon Teena's Story Accurately

http://glaadblog.org/2011/05/05/telling-brandon-teenas-story-accurately/

When Brandon Teena was murdered on December 31, 1993, very few images of transgender people had be seen in the mainstream media.  Brandon's story helped to change that.  The GLAAD Award Winning Documentary "The Brandon Teena Story" as well as the Oscar and GLAAD Award Winning film "Boys Don't Cry" not only told Brandon's story, but also helped to introduce transgender people, their struggles and lives to people everywhere.

In the first days after Brandon's murder, it might have been expected that local media might fail to recognize Brandon's gender identity and expression.  However, it's been over 17 years, and the world has changed.  It's time that the Omaha World-Herald catches up.

The problem here is that a group wants the media to discuss appelate activity in a form more related to revisionist history.  The reality is that the offense was documented with a victim known as the name appearing on the birth record and, to my understanding, the death certificate.  The appellate courts will not seek to use revisionist history when providing a synopsis of the case in any Opinion that renders and it makes no sense for the media to do so either. 

Political correctness needs to have boundaries.  Revisionist history has no place in the courtroom or in the media discussing what transpired in the courtroom.  It is a very different situation than when one is simply writing about how a person lived their life.  Legal pleadings are what they are and take into account what was entered into evidence at trial or pled after the fact with the Courts...