A dilemma
Waaaaaaaaay back in 1999, I started writing for TGForum. In that very first column, (as I’m sure you recall, because you print out all of my writings and keep them in a binder, until the day I write a book.), I came out against the practice of outing.
(If you don’t immediately recall the article, fact check me here.) I’m against outing. And as an extension, I’m against public speculation.
But, now, I’m torn. There are two actors in the public eye right now who may be transgendered. Or, they may not be. I kinda feel like if I even mention who they are, and cite examples of their transgendered roles, (And oh yes, they’ve done drag on screen and stage.), I may inadvertantly out them.
But, if I don’t bring their performances to your attention, (and they are transgendered.), am I robbing the community of positive role models?
And if they aren’t TG, does pointing out their drag feed the rumor mill and hurt their careers, or just demonstrate their versatility?
What to do, what to do?
Category: All TGForum Posts, Transgender Opinion
About the Author (Author Profile)
Ronnie Rho has been writing for Transgender Forum since May of 1999. One of these days, she'll get it right. She's been described as the "world's most famous recluse," but only by people who don't know her very well. She is unmarried, and lives in Cincinnati.Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
If their performances are something of interest to our community go ahead and tell.
If they are transgendered outing them on this forum is probably not going to dao any damage.
I for one would not discuss any transgendered issues in the public eye.
Robin
A few years ago the editor of another tg nesletter asked the following question: “My question this week is: Is it true that (a well known, manly Hollywood actor, now deceased) was a crossdresser? Not only have I heard it in the TG circle but one of my daughter’s teachers heard it as well. Does anyone have any viable proof of this?….How about any other celebrity who is a CD?? Do you know of any? Please don’t say (famous basketball player). I meant real people. Please feel free to send in your thoughts about this and facts are always appreciated.”
I deleted the names for reasons you may understand after reading the rest of this article. However, I took the editor at her word and felt free to send in my thoughts. I know that rumors abound about famous people, from magazine publishing gazillionaires, to mayors of large cities, to the heads of police forces. But I also know that transvestites and cross-dressers usually prefer their privacy. That goes for the famous as well as the ordinary among us.
Isn’t it bad enough when the tabloids try to expose the secret lives of public people? How bad is it when the editor of an electronic journal aimed at a private audience (most who have assumed names for the very purpose of protecting their privacy) seeks to expose one of the icons of the Hollywood western movies? (and no, it wasn’t John Wayne) And at the same time she solicits the ‘dirt’ on others. That was too much for me.
I privately wrote to the editor with what I thought was a mild rebuke and reminder that we TV’s are private people:
“Shame on you for trying to find out if certain celebrities are cross-dressers, I wrote. “Even the rich and famous (and deceased like the actor in question) have a right to their privacy and cross-dressing is such a private activity.”
Two days later I received a not so mild reply.
“Oh please you are blowing this way out. What did you think that I would make a public announcement? Good bye to you.”
No I didn’t think she would make a public pronouncement but her newsletter was going to potentially hundreds or thousands of people who would communicate with thousands of others. The ‘outing’ would soon make its way around the cyber universe and in to the real world.
That was the last time I heard from her or received her newsletter. For me, the idea of ‘feeling free to express our thoughts’ ended quickly.
Life goes on and I can’t say that I have missed the newsletter. But there are several principles involved here, are there not? Should one be cut off from a newsletter simply because one criticizes the editor? Should that editor be attempting to solicit information as to the gender preference and proclivities of well-known persons? Do we think ‘outing’ a famous person is somehow going to legitimize our ‘hobby’ in the eyes of others? Is a newsletter sent to several hundred like-minded people really a private circulation? Is the editor correct in saying I should know that she wasn’t going to broadcast the information to the world?
If the actor in question had been an anonymous banker from Montana, very few people in the world would have cared to know that he liked to wear lingerie to bed. However, if he were like most of us, he still wouldn’t have wanted anyone at all to know of his habit. We in the community generally know to protect the privacy of each other. Should it be different for a well-known person? Should the actor be considered fair game for exposure just because he was a household name? If his exposure were to be limited to the transgender community is that somehow less invasive of his privacy?
A famous humanitarian once wrote that a society should be judged by how well it treats its lesser citizens. Perhaps one of the benchmarks of our transgender community should be how well we respect the privacy of our greater citizens.
I can’t believe that nobody has a comment to make on this.