As Daily Kos covered on Wednesday, contributors, subscribers, and general readers of The New York Times were invited to sign an open letter calling upon the paper to do better by and for the trans community. This doesn’t mean turning into an overtly pro-trans rights outlet (though, boy, do I ever wish that were the case!) but simply doing better and more accurate coverage and hiring more openly trans writers and editors. The Times has come under fire again and again for publishing op-eds on trans rights that are heavily biased or missing important information or context… which, for the Times, is an especially glaring issue.
Why? Because The Times is quite literally referenced by lawmakers weighing these anti-trans bills we’ve continued to cover here, when it comes to access to health care and sports, among other issues. The Times has long cultivated its reputation for being non-partisan, based on facts, and without opinion bleeding into reporting. And yet when it comes to trans rights, the paper has continued to publish work that—compared to its otherwise strict guidelines—isn’t up to snuff, even with the mindset that it’s an op-ed.
The research is messy, folks in marginalized communities aren’t getting the same space on the page, and frankly, it’s not clear what they’re gaining if they’re not pushing an unofficial agenda. Rage clicks? Well, okay. But people’s lives are on the line here, literally.
So, bumping us back up to the latest news. The open letter got some major traction with signatories including authors, journalists, celebrities, and folks like little old me (proud NewsGuild member!) adding our names. The letter went viral on Wednesday. And on Thursday…. we have yet another hideously anti-trans piece in defense of J.K. Rowling written by op-ed columnist Pamela Paul. Yes, really.
There are many layers here, so let’s dig in below to get at Rowling’s history on trans issues (hint: not good!), as well as the Times’ coverage, and the very real violence against trans folks that should be central to these conversations.
RELATED: Hundreds of contributors are calling out The New York Times for its transphobia in an open letter
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