The coverage of transgender issues on the national stage continues. Newsweek's cover page this week is entitled "The Riddle of Gender," and there are several articles on the topic. The cover shows a baby with a shirt that is both pink and blue, with the text: "Aside from the obvious, what makes us male or female? The new visibility of transgender Americans is shedding light on the ancient riddle of identity." On the website, the teaser states: "More Americans are taking their private struggles with their identity into the public realm. How those who believe they were born with the wrong bodies are forcing us to re-examine what it means to be male and female."
I liked the articles, though generally they fail to make the distinction between transgender and transsexual, and the resources section at the end is thin, failing to mention several major sources of information. Nor do they mention the political gains that have been made, or ENDA. It's interesting to see who a mass market publication chooses to write about as the face of transgender America - white MTFs. The picture gallery included, however, does feature diversity, so that's good. Here's the table of contents:
Rethinking Gender: What Makes Us Male or Female?
A NASCAR Racer On Her Sex Change
Alexis Arquette on the Politics of Gender Change
Journalist Christine Daniels On Her New Life
Q&A: A Prudential VP on Her Transition
Live Talk: Rethinking Gender
Resources for Gender and Transgender Issues
The articles are available on MSNBC.
