Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Amanda Simpson: Pitfalls of Some Media Coverage and Problematic Reporting

Obama’s Appointment of Transgender Advisor Signals Progress in Policy but Highlights Pitfalls of Some Media Coverage

January 5, 2010 by Anna Wipfler, GLAAD's Transgender Advocacy Fellow

President Obama has appointed Amanda Simpson as Senior Technical Advisor to the Department of Commerce, making her the first openly transgender presidential appointee in the U.S. As national news coverage of her nomination increases, we are seeing reports that run the gamut from full and fair descriptions of her life and work, to defamatory headlines promoting sensationalized conceptions of transgender people.

According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, where Simpson has served as a board member for the past three years, she brings 30 years of experience working in the aerospace and defense industry, most recently serving as Deputy Director in Advanced Technology Development at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona.

In NCTE’s press release Simpson said:

”I’m truly honored to have received this appointment and am eager and excited about this opportunity that is before me. And at the same time, as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others.”

Autumn Sandeen provides a thorough commentary on Simpson’s appointment in her blog on Pam’s House Blend.

ABC News.com published a brief but fair article emphasizing that “it was her merits, not gender identity, that got her the Commerce job.”

ABC quoted Simpson discussing the obstacles she may face as she takes on her new position, “I’d rather not be the first, but someone has to be first, or among the first. I think I’m experienced and very well qualified to deal with anything that might show up because I’ve broken barriers at lots of other places, and I always win people over with who I am and what I can do.”

In contrast to this respectful coverage, other media outlets including the New York Post, and to some degree, the New York Daily News, resorted to problematic headlines. The Post identified Simpson as “sex-change gal,” and The Daily News unnecessarily publicized her assigned name alongside her chosen name in reporting her appointment. Both outlets also used the problematic phrase, “sex change,” and The Post used the defamatory term, “tranny,” in a photo caption. These articles highlight the vital need to continue educating reporters about how to improve their coverage of transgender-related news topics. In 2008, The American Journalism Review published this overview of the common pitfalls of reporting in this area and how the landscape will hopefully continue to change for the better.

We encourage readers to contact the Post and the Daily News and voice concerns about their coverage of this story:

New York Post Executive Editor: Jesse Angelo, jangelo@nypost.com
New York Daily News: voicers@edit.nydailynews.com.

Please include this link to GLAAD’s Transgender Terminology Guide in your email. Please also ensure that your emails are civil and respectful and do not engage in any kind of name-calling or abusive behavior.

GLAAD will continue our outreach to these news outlets about their problematic coverage

“Late Show with David Letterman” Contributes to Problematic Reporting on Amanda Simpson

January 6, 2010 by Anna Wipfler, GLAAD's Transgender Advocacy Fellow

Yesterday we reported on President Obama’s appointment of Amanda Simpson as a senior technical advisor at the Commerce Department and some of the problematic news coverage about her becoming one of the first openly transgender presidential appointees.

Unfortunately, as coverage of her landmark appointment continues, so does the disrespectful treatment in the media. During last night’s “Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS, David Letterman announced Simpson’s appointment and reported that she is a transgender woman. He also showed a photo of her. The show’s announcer Alan Kalter then reacted to the news with disgust and mock horror, saying, “What? Amanda used to be a dude? My God!” He then hurried off stage to hearty laughter from the audience, apparently to go collect himself after the shock of this discovery.

Using this type of reaction to the discovery of a person’s transgender identity for comic effect appears to be a current trend in entertainment media. We’ve recently criticized similar instances of such defamation on FOX’s “The Cleveland Show.” Depicting people reacting in horror to transgender individuals is a dangerous stereotype for popular media to perpetuate because it contributes to the societal conception of transgender people as abnormal and deceptive, which all-too-often results in anti-transgender violence and/or discrimination when played out in reality.

We are reaching out to CBS “Late Show with David Letterman” with our concerns about this transphobic joke. Please send your concerns to CBS at:http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.php

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Comments and Responses

Ammo Girl commented on "Being Transgender Is Not A Mental Illness": I actually do have a Psych Degree...It is is in fact a mental illness/disorder... They need therapy and in some instances medications... I am sorry....Transgender (not gay, bi or lesbian)...TRANSGENDER IS a mental disorder.

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JoanieH121506 replied to Ammo Girl's comment on "Being Transgender Is Not A Mental Illness": It would seem that you are more of a Christian Fundamentalist than a psychologist as you are ignoring the 97% to 98% success rate that transitional medicine is accomplishing with defined standards of care, using known therapeutic agents and achieving expected results with one of the highest success rates known to modern medicine.

You are also ignoring several researches ...
...I am also wondering why you are ignoring the fact that the American Psychological Association considers repairative therapies to be far more harmful than beneficial?...
...I see in you more of the religious than I do of the educated, scientific-minded. JMHO

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Monica Roberts replied to Ammo Girl's comment on "Being Transgender Is Not A Mental Illness": being gay was once in the DSM as a 'mental illness' as well until it was taken out in the 1970's. It's just a matter of time before it happens for trans people as well

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Carolyn replied to Ammo Girl's comment on "Being Transgender Is Not A Mental Illness": It wasn't so very many years ago that being female was considered a mental disorder. Take a look at the root meaning of hysteria or read Freud trying to figure out women. While there are clearly real mental illnesses, there is also the terrible tendency to think that anyone who is different from "me" is nuts. Professionals who look for pathologies usually find them.

Dana LaRocca commented on "Maryland Transgender Folks: Here Comes The Annapol...": I don’t think that Delegate Pena-Melnyk or other sponsors of the bill intended leave us behind. They capitulated under Equality Maryland’s big lie that they represent the Mayland trans community.
The national organizations are running the show and the stage play is about marriage. . We don’t get straight answers because direction comes from HRC, Freedom to Marry, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, not from the people at Equality Maryland. Internally they have agreed, or have been told by the board, not to discuss the level of national involvement. Without discussing that they can’t give an answer as to why this bill was downgraded.
Does Equality Maryland have a plan or a timetable for pursuing public accommodations protections? No.

JoanieH121506 has left a new comment on your post "Transgender Community Has No Room For Any Internal...":

Good article with some very succinct points. The hardest hit segment of the BT are those of color when it comes to the vast majority of discrimination. I have known those of African descent and many of Asian/Latino descent - and even some whites of older years - who seem to have hit brick walls at every turn when it comes to meeting their needs - and I am not talking about things like TV's, cars or iPODS. I'm speaking to the level of "where is my next meal coming from/" or "where am I going to sleep tonight?". It also does not make one feel too warm and fuzzy having to live in environments where there are constant threats of violence.

JoanieH121506 commented on "Transgender positive news from the US Department o...": This is mind boggling! Someone in the U.S. government showing some good sense? Good job!
...Now we need to work a bit more on access to those medical procedures that both the American Psychological Association and the American Medical Association, under Standards Of Care, currently maintained by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, consider to be medically necessary...

Stacie,
It is our pleasure and passion to do anything to help support anyone and any organization that provides services and support to the Hampton Roads, VA Transgender community as well as our siblings in the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Hetero community.
Keep up the fine work you do. We support you!
De

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Stacie commented on "TLC - Hampton Roads, VA Transgender Clinic Reopens...": Thanks so much for supporting TLC Clinic. We are anxious for services to start again and we look forward to working with our new counselor, Mary Aab. Thanks for everyone's patience during these last couple months!
Stacie

Joanne, Thank you for sharing your opinions and your feelings. They are always valued.
The only way things will ever change is through positive dialog.
Again, Thanks for speaking your voice, my friend!

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JoanieH121506 commented on "Transgender Activist E.m. Equality Speaks The Trut...": Now if people in positions of power were to adopt this perspective, it might actually begin to have some positive effects. However, when leaders like Barney Frank start pandering to the conservative right by bringing up groundless matters, preying upon the fears of the "moral majority" and Christian rightists, this seems to make the entire matter seem moot - especially for the lesser demographics within the TG umbrella. If this is to work at all, it needs to be implemented at all levels - and most importantly from the top of the power pyramid down. Right now, I am in the position of believing the gist of what the article professes, yet at the same time, I have decades of experience that prevent me from feeling anything other than a feeling of discouragement in this area. After all actions and experience mean a lot more than words - especially when action ignores history and truth...

...To quote Joni Mitchell; "They won't give peace a chance. This was just a dream that some of us had."

Jamiegottagun commented on "Thailand's Distorted View Of Transgender People": Thai's probably aren't as accepting as they've been made out to be: check.
Few things in this world are as they have been made out to be.
However, you endanger your own credibility when you make such sweeping statements as you did in your introduction of this story, but provide only the opinion of one movie director, quoted in one story.
And to trash an entire philosophy, Buddhism, based on the actions of a few, is hardly fair, or can be taken as serious news reporting.
If you want to run, what tries to appear to be a transgender news service, then to be taken seriously, you might want to start learning about acceptable practices and ethics in journalism.

Estraven commented on "Is The Repeal Of "DADT" Important To Transgender A...": Thank you so much for being inclusive, and using the word bisexual, as DADT itself does. Just as trans people have been marginalized, so have bisexuals, and it is a little known fact that the language of DADT included bisexuals, and bisexuals were dismissed under DADT. As Cliff Arnesen, President of New England GLBT Vets, who was discharged in 1967 for being bisexual and has been fighting for inclusion of queers in the military ever since, says "You don't get half a discharge for being bisexual."
As there is a natural alliance between the bi and trans communities, we feel that the fight for queer rights will not be finished until EVERYONE has a place at the table.

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Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Amanda Simpson: Pitfalls of Some Media Coverage and Problematic Reporting

Obama’s Appointment of Transgender Advisor Signals Progress in Policy but Highlights Pitfalls of Some Media Coverage

Obama’s Appointment of Transgender Advisor Signals Progress in Policy but Highlights Pitfalls of Some Media Coverage

“Late Show with David Letterman” Contributes to Problematic Reporting on Amanda Simpson

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