9/15/12

Mara Keisling, Anderson Cooper's Spot On, You're Just Wrong!

Mara Keisling of the NCTE broke bad on Anderson Coopers interview with Mandi a trans person who claimed her transsexualism resulted from the side affects of Propecia.

Cooper: "Look I have friends who are transgender(ed) and they all tell me these feelings don't come out of a bottle." to which Mandi replies 'ah yeah".

Cooper delves deeper trying to ascertain when his guest first realized her transsexualism and Mandi replied she knew first when she questioned her sexuality as a youth to which Cooper pointed out "gender and sexuality are two different things.



Mara offered a private 'appology' to Mandi McKee who posted it to Facebook calling for Keisling to make a public appology.

Mandi, I am so sorry that you interpret NCTE's recent activity around Anderson Live as being an attack on you personally. We were very careful not to even use your name or to say anything about you. Our complaint was with Anderson and his producers doing a show that they knew was just using trans people as a sensational ratings chaser. After watching the show, I am convinced all the more that they were willing to use you and transgender people to stir up emotions and ignorance about trans people.

Every trans person has a different story and NCTE is very serious about respecting that and even empowering many different stories. And you are welcome to conduct your search for meaning anyway you want. You are welcome to identify as trans or not. But it is not okay for a public personality like Anderson Cooper with a respected public forum like Anderson Live to risk spreading misinformation that could actually hurt trans people.

And I know how hard it is to decide whether or not to transition. I have felt the crushing and deflating depression and anxiety. You can't even know how much I personally wish you the best as you are going through that. It can be really hard, I know.

But our number one job at NCTE is to end the societal ignorance that really is the underlying cause of that depression and anxiety and marginalization. Framing the show the way they did and using you the way they did, was not good for ending that ignorance and we rightly spoke out.

Be well,
Mara
Ah, yeah the premise of the interview was slightly absurd but....

I think we can all agree hypersensitivity to discussions of gender diversity inhibit media from further exploration which ultimately sets us back into obscurity.

Mara Keisling, Anderson Cooper was spot on debunking that misconception, you are guilty of being a sensationalist media hound.

2 comments:

planet trans said...

I take propecia even though I was told it would not have the effects I desired because of my extremely low testosterone level but it has worked very well.
And I was aware of the side effects prior to taking it and have personally noticed no lowering of libido but...since I have been on HRT since 07 I can't set a baseline for that.
Do I think propecia could possibly trigger a dormant realization of transsexualism?
Perhaps.

Anonymous said...

Mara was right on target. Do you think for a second that Anderson Cooper would give a forum on his show for someone claiming that Propecia made them gay? Of course not. They used this poor confused person like a Jerry Springer Show purely for sensationalism and to get ratings. Shameful.