Dear Families, Friends and Allies,

The San Diego Gay and Lesbian Times received negative feedback on their feature article published last week (linked below) which featured the Grant family. We were contacted by the family and by the publication for guidance and education in clearing up a misunderstanding which led to the article being less positive than the publication had intended.

TYFA executive director Kim Pearson and president Shannon Garcia hosted a conference call with the publisher and editor Monday, October 22nd. The dialogue revolved around sensitivity errors within the article and how they could be resolved. In less than 24 hours, the letter you see below was posted on the publication’s website.

Please join us in thanking the Gay and Lesbian Times for their journalistic integrity by emailing the editor at editor@uptownpub.com.

Together we can make a difference.

P.S. TYFA’s expression of gratitude appears at the end of this letter.

______________________________________________________

Editor’s note:
Posted Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007

Last week, the Gay & Lesbian Times published “Born in a bind: treating transgender children,” a feature story on treatment for transgender children. The Village Voice, the San Francisco Chronicle and The New York Times have also written stories about transgender children. The New York Times and The Associated Press even crafted guidelines for staff members who write about transgender people.

We received a number of complaints Thursday when the article was published. The primary complaint was this: the child in the story, an 11-year-old girl, was referred to as Daniel, a pseudonym. The male pseudonym was crafted to reflect the child’s biological sex, which is male. Subsequently, a male pronoun was used in reference to the child throughout the story.

There was a fundamental misunderstanding when the reporter spoke with the family. Celene Adams, the news and features editor for the GLT, read the opening paragraphs of the story to the child’s mother. She approved the use of the male pronoun in the first two paragraphs. Neither party clarified which pronoun would be used throughout the rest of the story. The name “Daniel” was approved by the child.

The misunderstanding led to a sensitivity error on our part. We have since reviewed the media policies on transgender issues of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA), the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), The New York Times and The Associated Press. We have also talked with Kim Pearson, the executive director of TransYouth Family Advocates (TYFA), and Shannon Garcia, president of TYFA.

Pearson and Garcia were very helpful, and directed us to many of the media resources we have consulted.

The Gay & Lesbian Times takes pride in its coverage of the GLBT community, and each of the members of the community. We will adopt the following policies for stories pertaining to transgender people from this point on. In the past, the guidelines have been followed, but there was no written policy in our house style manual, so, no concrete precedent was set for transgender coverage. Many of these policies are recognized by the NLGJA, GLAAD and respected news organizations.

1. When writing about a transgender person, we will use the name and personal pronouns that are consistent with the way the individual lives publicly.

2. We will use a transgender person’s chosen name. We will use a pronoun that reflects a transgender person’s biological gender pre-transition, and a pronoun that reflects their gender identity post-transition. We will never use quotation marks around the transgender person’s chosen name or the pronoun reflecting gender identity.

3. We will use the term transgender as an adjective (i.e. transgender person, transgender people) not a noun (i.e. transgenders).

Further, we will continue to dialogue with Pearson and Garcia on stories that relate to the transgender community. They have been very constructive in their criticism, and have been important to affecting this change. We will continue to work with all organizations and individuals that are constructive, professional and aim to find resolution when an error or issue appears.

Publisher Michael Portantino, I, and the Gay & Lesbian Times value accuracy and strive to meet ethical standards, and apologize for any pain the error caused the child or family.

______________________________________________________

Dear Joey and Michael,

On behalf of TYFA, Shannon Garcia and I thank you for your journalistic integrity and willingness to learn. We commend you for the expedience with which you handled the concerns of TYFA, the Grant family, the families and children we represent and ultimately the entire GLBT community. We applaud your efforts to present factual, respectful and accurate portrayals of the transgender experience. The new guidelines you established are well written and further proof of your commitment to building upon the high ethical standards your publication is known for.

It was a pleasure to work with you and we look forward to our continued collaboration.

Namaste,

Kim Pearson,
Executive Director
TransYouth Family Advocates
1-888-IMA-TYFA
www.imatyfa.org
kimp@imatyfa.org

“I’m an idealist without illusions”
                  –John F. Kennedy

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