Beliefs

Headline Promotes Prejudice

Letter to the Editors, Rev. Brian Kopke, November 20, 1998

Not for Publication
My mother's opinions have always carried the day in my sense of ethics. She was sensible, flexible and most of all, intolerant of intolerance. This morning she leapt from the recesses to the forefront of my consciousness when I read the headline, "Transvestite Arrested in Robbery Rampage," section B, page 1. I decided to sit on her passion for a moment while I read the article to look for clear and incontrovertible evidence that cross dressing played a part in the robberies. Then the mention of ‘transvestite' in the headline would be regrettable but understandable.

The article does not indicate that cross dressing was a factor in hiding the identity of the alleged robber in any of the robberies. What is clear in the article is that the writer and the police and a bystander have unresolved confused feelings about transvestites. So be it. Many people do.

Now, here is my mom speaking . . . We do not identify "white male heterosexuals who do not cross dress" by that category when we write stories about them. In this case, identifying a person as a transvestite in the headline unnecessarily encourages prejudice toward transvestites. While many people may not understand them and may have strange feelings around them, we do not ever need to encourage the prejudice. It is unfair to anyone who happens to be in that category. My guess is that every transvestite in the city who sees that headline feels terrible, attacked again when they have done nothing.

I know you have to sell newspapers. But I wonder why, from time to time, all media must cross the lines, harm the dignity of innocent individuals, and lower the standards of their own integrity. It just does not seem right.

This is more of a lament than anything. Most of the time you do a good job. Perhaps I am just a bit cranky this morning. Thanks for listening to me and my mom.