“We Have to Stand Out to Blend In”: Ordinary Transgender People Speak About Being Subjects of News Stories

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis interview-based study focuses on the experiences of ordinary transgender people in US news. Fifteen transgender people were interviewed about how they felt about their interactions with journalists, the resulting representations, and being cast as an exemplar—a representative of the trans community. Interviewees were overall satisfied with their interactions with journalists, and pleased with the resulting coverage, though they took issue with some aspects of both. Journalists sometimes asked insensitive questions or tried to pressure subjects to fit into stereotypical roles. Misgendering (the use of incorrect names and pronouns) was rare and mostly indirect, but suggests a need to reexamine reporting conventions. Subjects said the risks of being identified publicly as trans, and the challenges of representing such a diverse community were worth the opportunity to raise awareness about trans lives for other trans individuals and the general public. Ultimately, they felt a responsibility to make themselves visible in the short term to advocate for the rights of transgender people in the long term.