5/4/13

Columbia Journalism Review Slams Plain Dealer and FOX over Trans Womans Cemia Acoff Articles

The CJR headline "How not to report on a transgender victim" is spot on. The Plain Dealer's articles if let uncontested would have drop kicked journalistic standards on reporting transgender issues back twenty years.

Fox8 certainly jumped on that band wagon quick.

Fox8 in this painful exercise of transphobia revictimized Ce Ce by using male pronouns and her birth name despite being fully aware she was a transgender woman who went by the name Cemia.



However, I will have to come to defense of the Plain Dealer on one count. CJR criticized the Plain Dealer for using a mug shot of Ce Ce. I used the same picture on the planetransgender post "Plain Dealer reports the Murder of a Transgender Woman as A "Brutal Slaying" of a Oddly Dressed Man" because at that moment there were none better of her. I posted her mug shot because I wanted her murderers caught. As bad as that picture was it was all I had. I have since updated that post with a better photo of her.

I'm not implying the Plain Dealer had good intentions posting those mug shots only that they may not have had any options ether. The Plain Dealer has not updated their picture.

The rest of the CJR critique is on target particularly these paragraphs about the last article:

The second story, “Brutal slaying marks the end of Clevelander’s fight for acceptance,” at first seems like it might be better. Except that story, too, starts by identifying her as Carl, which means her fight is far from over. This is ironic, because at the end of the story an italicized note says, “This story has been edited since originally posted to bring it within the style recommended by the Associated Press involving transgender people.” I don’t know what the original said, but I do know what the AP Stylebook says, which is this:

Transgender: Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth. If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.

Instead, the story drops all pronouns and refers to Cemia as Carl, which seems like a half-hearted effort to be consistent with the AP’s recommendations.

Thankfully these article will not be accepted as status Que. They were mean spirited, hateful, malicious attacks on transgender people. Thank you Columbia Journalism Review for making this clear.





5/3/13

Coroner Report: Trans Woman Kayla Moore Od'd while being restrained By Berkeley Police


Source Berkeleyside.com "Kayla Moore died because of “acute combined drug intoxication,” according to the Alameda County Coroner’s report released today. The coroner ruled the death accidental. The 41-year old Moore stopped breathing while being taken into police custody for mental evaluation on Feb. 12 at the Gaia Building on Allston Way. She was pronounced dead at 1:34 a.m. on Feb. 13 at Alta Bates Hospital."

"The autopsy of Moore revealed 0.74 mg/L of methamphetamine and 0.34 mg/L of codeine in a blood sample, levels the coroner described as “toxic.” Additionally, the coroner identified cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) and morbid obesity. Moore weighed 347 pounds."


Many believe her death could have been avoided and in reality wasn't accidental at all. Many believe the police were pressuring the Coroners office trying to influence or delay the report. If they were, they succeeded.

A Coroners report usually only takes weeks but in extraordinary cases can take up to 6 months. It depends on the circumstances surrounding the death. It took nearly four months to produce this report precipitating numerous protests, vigils and a militant march culminating with loud protestations at the May 1st Council meeting. Did Kayla's advocates speed up the Police in depth report and the coroners report that were released just two days latter? Or was that just coincidence?





The police could have at least reached out to Kayla's family in the interim. That simple action probably would have squelched the angriest of the voices and eased the family's minds.

Read more at Berkeleyside.com