[Commentary] [USA] NCTE Condemns Sensationalist Trans Segment on “Anderson Live”

[Stephanie Stevens]

National Center For Transgender Equality (NCTE), DC, USA


NCTE Condemns Sensationalist Trans Segment on “Anderson Live”

September 12, 2012

Posted by transgenderequality


Tomorrow, Anderson Live will feature an exclusive interview with a
person who claims an anti-baldness drug made them transgender. In
response to the show’s decision to air the segment, National Center
for Transgender Equality Executive Director Mara Keisling said:

“All of us here at the National Center for Transgender Equality
are surprised, saddened and disappointed that a respected show like
Anderson Live would give credence to this type of sensationalism and
misinformation. This segment is just another case of sensationalizing
an already marginalized population plain and simple.”

Tweet this to keep Anderson honest about trans lives:

I share @TransEquality’s disappointment in @anderson for
sensationalizing #trans lives. http://act.ly/62x #lgbt RT to
#KeepAndersonHonest

The segment, as described on the Anderson Live website
<http://www.andersoncooper.com/episodes/howie-mandel-co-host-man-claims-hair-loss-treatment-made-him-transgender/>
, says “Mandi, who was born male, speaks out for the first time,
claiming that a hair loss treatment caused him to become transgender.
Mandi is joined by her ex-wife, Michelle, who opens up about how
Mandi’s identity transformation has affected their son.”

Keisling added, “In the past, Anderson Cooper and his team have earned
a great deal of respect from trans people for their coverage of our
issues. Tomorrow, they’ll throw all of that away. Worst of all, they
seem set on misinforming the public about the causality of trans
identity.”

Anderson Cooper’s other show, AC360 on CNN, airs a segment called
“Keeping Them Honest,” in which he addresses hypocrisy among public
figures and elected officials on, among other things, critical
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. NCTE urges transgender
advocates and allies to keep Anderson Cooper honest about how this
segment does real harm to real trans people.

“Anderson Cooper knows better than this. Anderson’s team is better
than this,” said Keisling.


http://transgenderequality.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/ncte-condemns-sensationalist-trans-segment-on-anderson-live/