The Language of Gender

Meg Omecene

mo403411@ohio.edu

@megomecene

Society has come a long way in working on accepting those who lead a different lifestyle from the norm. The Pope just admonished Catholics for being so hung up on the gay rights issue, more athletes are coming out than ever, and perhaps the most successful talk show host in daytime TV is a proud lesbian. 

However, people still do not know how to talk about transgendered individuals. A recent incident in Pennsylvania showed just how badly the media are trained to handle such delicate situations.

The reporter does not use gender pronouns. The reporter is forced to use the subject's name over and over; it is evident that he does not know how to handle a situation with which he is not usually faced. 

However, as gender issues are becoming more widely talked about, it is only emphasizing how little people know how to talk about them to the masses. 

I think what that while there will be a cultural revolution regarding the language of acceptance, I think there needs to be a standard set, and then the media needs trained in it. When children with special needs were integrated into normal public schools, teachers were not just expected to know how to teach them. In a similar fashion, journalists should not be expected to know how to approach such a delicate subject.

 
In the case mentioned above, since the the boy is listed on his drivers license as being male, I do not think there should even be a question on how to refer to him. Legally, he is seen as a male in the eyes of the state, so why should he not be referred to as a male in the media?

However, in cases such as this one, lines like “When 11-year-old Wren Kauffman goes back to school this week, he won’t be hiding the fact that he’s actually a girl,” cheapen what could be a very moving and strong piece considerably. But how should a reporter deal with a subject who identifies as one gender, but does not live as that gender?

Wren Kauffman (above) is sparking the conversation about mesia 

Like The New York Times article says, the gender of a person should be the most clear for the readers. It does not make sense for an article about whether or not someone should run as a homecoming king or queen to use opposite pronouns. 

According to Suzanne Dietzel, Women’s and Gender Studies professor at Ohio University, it is proper to refer to someone as the gender with which they identify. 

However, while news has been slow moving about promoting acceptance of transgendered individuals, televisions shows have been active in trying to promote acceptance. In the Netflix hit "Orange in the New Black," a transgendered woman's struggle to receive her hormones humanizes news stories like this one:

(Video courtesy NBC)

The news is behind in this field, but by covering these issues, a culture of acceptability will be promoted.

There are no stupid questions

Alexandra Newman
an077811@ohio.edu

As an advocate for human rights, I think that everyone needs to be considerate of what people identify as, whether that be gender, sexuality or anything else. In the case of Bradley Manning, or as she is known now as Chelsea Manning, I think the media needs to be respectful of her choices.

Although it may be true that she does not really identify as a woman and is just doing this to be in a woman’s prison instead of a men’s prison, it is imperative that we recognize the bigger picture here.

A blog post on the Human Rights Campaign website does a good job of summing up the whole situation. It makes a point to say, “What should not be lost is that there are transgender service members and veterans who serve and have served this nation with honor, distinction and great sacrifice.”

Just because society as a whole can’t figure out how to accept the LGBTQA community (even Pvt. Manning’s Wikipedia page is confused), doesn’t mean that our journalists should be just as ignorant. Equality starts by recognizing every one is different and was raised a little bit different. The media needs to compensate for this by being fair.

It is our duty as news gatherers and presenters to be fair to what people want/feel/are. We can’t be fair, one of those concrete ethical rules, by not respecting the trans community.

Photo courtesy of people.com.

Something else I would like to point out is that transgendered and transsexual are two different things. Transsexual is after you get the surgery to become a male or female and transgendered is “all in your head” and how you present yourself on the outside.  I have noticed that people use these interchangeably and that is not fair.

When the pregnant man came into the news a couple years ago people freaked out. They couldn’t just accept that this person was born with female reproductive parts and just doesn’t physically look like a female and that they identify as a man.

Something else I would like to point out is that not everyone fits into the gender binary. Some people don’t identify as a man or woman. When this occurs people freak out because they just simply don’t know what to do or how to act around these people. You should act the same around all people, because all people have feelings.

If you don’t know which pronoun to use with someone, use a gender-neutral pronoun like “they” or just ask them. In school they tell you to ask questions when you don’t know something; the same applies to the real world.

Now back to Chelsea Manning. She specifically sent out a letter asking to be called “she,” and I don’t think it gets much more simple than that. It is easy to be confused when this person has been in the news so much as “Bradley Manning”, but if we want to be fair to this person, no matter what they have done criminally, we have to respect their wishes.

If we were doing our jobs right at journalists and human beings then there would be no question in regard to what to call this or any person. Just ask what they prefer to be called. Even better yet, if they TELL YOU what they want to be called, your job is 100 times easier!