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.

Contact Your Senators About Hate Crimes Bill

Join the Final Push to Protect All People from Hate Crimes

From: Mara Keisling ncte@nctequality.org

We have good news: The Senate is likely to vote on the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, S.909, as early as next Wednesday, July 15. As you may remember, the companion bill, H.R.1913, already passed the House of Representatives this past April after NCTE's successful lobby day. With a final push, you can help to make this important bill become a law. This bill expands the coverage of existing hate crime laws to include crimes not only based on race, color, religion, and national origin, but also bias-motivated crimes based on the victim's actual pr perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability.

TAKE ACTION
Call your Senators on Wednesday. On Wednesday, July 15, call your senators toll free at 866-659-9641 between 9am and 5pm ET. It is vital that they hear from you since they will also be hearing from those who oppose this bill. Urge your Senator to vote in support of S.909, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Please take this important step to help address the violence faced by transgender people.
WHAT THE BILL SAYS
The Hate Crimes Prevention Act, S.909, would:
Extend existing federal protections to include "gender identity, sexual orientation, gender and disability"
Allow the Justice Department to assist in hate crime investigations at the local level when local law enforcement is unable or unwilling to fully address these crimes
Mandate that the FBI begin tracking hate crimes based on actual or perceived gender identity
Remove limitations that narrowly define hate crimes to violence committed while a person is accessing a federally protected activity, such as voting.The Hate Crimes Prevention Act is supported by nearly 300 civil rights, education, religious, and civic organizations. The bill is also endorsed by virtually every major law enforcement organization in the country-including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National District Attorneys Association, the National Sheriffs Association, the Police Executive Research Forum, and thirty-one state Attorneys General.
For more information:
Read the specifics about this legislation from the Library of Congress, go to their website and search by bill S.909

View our fact sheet about the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (the House version of this bill) and read additional information about hate crimes on our website
Thank you!Thank you for taking action on this vital issue as we work together to make our world safer for transgender people.

NCTE'S Mara Keisling Interviewed by Autumn Sandeen

National Center For Transgender Equality's Mara Keisling Interviewed by Autumn Sandeen

New media reporter and commentator Autumn Sandeen, (for National Center for Transgender Equality. The interview took place at the 4th Annual California Transgender more...Leadership Summit, held at the University of California, San Diego, on March 27th to 29th, 2009.The discussion covers Transgender Lobby Day (April 28th, 2008 in Washington, D.C.); how Mara is 28th from the top of the list of most "well paid" members of the LGBT related Non-Profit community; the upcoming 3rd Annual Transgender Religious Leaders Summit