Courtney O’Donnell: Readers’ Top 12 Transgender Stories of 2012

Courtney O’Donnell as “Lexie Cannes”

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT – [I wrote this for The Huffington Post] During 2012 I wrote approximately 400 articles for The Guerrilla Angel Report, the vast majority of them transgender-related.

[Read this article at The Huffington Post site here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtney-odonnell/transgender-stories-2012_b_2361282.html

The following are the 12 most read stories of the year:

12. Miss Universe Pageant Generates Loads of Positive PR for Trans People: Trans beauty contestant Jenna Talackova brought more positive public attention and good will for trans people than any other individual. I wrote about half a dozen stories related to this topic during the year, and the most recent one is still being shared and may end up as #7 or #8 overall.

11. Transgender Student Banned, Then Later Unbanned After Showing Headmaster UK's Equality Act: Trans student Ashlyn Parram is only 16 years old, but she surpasses her teachers at the Giles Academy in Boston, Lincolnshire, when it comes to knowing the UK's law on sex discrimination.

10. Catholic School Tells Trans Student His Name Will Not Be Recognized: The Archdiocese of Indianapolis told a transgender student at Cathedral High School that they would not use his new male name.

9. ESPN Radio Hosts Unleash Horrifying Anti-Transgender Rant On Player: Hosts Steve Czaban and Andy Pollin were suspended following their transphobic remarks on the air about transgender college basketball player Gabrielle Ludwig.

8. Brooklyn Trans Woman Dies in Suspicious Apartment Fire: Well-known NYC performer Lorena Escalera was the only person who failed to escape a burning building.

7. Mexican Transgender Leader Agnes Torres Tortured, Killed: Arrests have been made in Torres' brutal death in Mexico.

6. Artist Who Drew Covers for 'The Phantom' Comic Books Is Now Openly Transgender: The comic book phenomenon is nothing to sneeze at, and Lindsay Walker is a role model for trans artists everywhere.

5. Trans? Boys? Girls? Andrej Pejic Is Not Telling. Good for Andrej I Say!: Andrej Pejic is a highly popular, androgynous, high-fashion model, posing as either female or male, depending on the needs of the client.

4. Don't Donate to Anti-Transgender Salvation Army This Holiday Season: There are other trans-friendly charities more deserving of your dollars.

3. Judge Tells Trans Person's Neighbor to Pay Up for Years of Harassment and Hate Comments: South African magistrate M J Thobela told Wilna van Staden that her behavior toward her trans neighbor amounted to unfair discrimination and hate speech.

2. Rapist Acquitted in Sweden Because Intended Female Victim Turned Out to Be Transgender: A higher court in Sweden eventually overruled this lower court ruling, and the rapist was fined and sent to prison.

1. First Openly Transgender Mayor in the U.S., Stu Rasmussen, Re-elected to Fifth Term: Silverton, Ore., voters reelected Mayor Rasmussen for a fifth term. Rasmussen previously gained national attention in 2008 as the U.S.'s first trans mayor.

Thanks for reading, and your comments are always welcome!

via Courtney O'Donnell: Readers' Top 12 Transgender Stories of 2012.

Courtney O’Donnell as “Lexie Cannes”

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Amazon.com: Lexie Cannes: Courtney O'Donnell: Movies & TV

The Guerrilla Angel Report is associated with Wipe Out Transphobia:
http://www.wipeouttransphobia.com/

Filed under: Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, 2012, Agnes Torres, Andrej Pejic, Andy Pollin, Ashlyn Parram, Gabrielle Ludwig, guerrilla angel report, Jenna Talackova, lindsay walker, Lorena Escalera, Salvation Army, Steve Czaban, Stu Rasmussen, Swedish Court, Transgender Issues, Wilna van Staden

While trans model Andrej Pejic rocks high fashion world, a bigger story lies under the surface

Andrej Pejic (Photo: andrejpejicmodel.com)

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — Transgender model Andrej Pejic is being reported as the first transgender model on the cover of a high fashion magazine. Of course, with all the sources being tabloids, we’ll take this with a grain of salt as there may have been others.

However, Pejic is on the cover of the most recent issue of Elle Magazine, Serbia. This in itself is a major accomplishment for any trans person, worthy of recognition — especially how they’ll bring positive PR to the trans community. Like beauty contestant Jenna Talackova, Pejic has the potential to bring about changes in the way society thinks about us in the way we couldn’t possibly pay to have done.

While I’m leaving the details of Pejic’s magazine spread to the fashion magazine and tabloids, I am going to point out the even bigger story here: Pejic is blurring the difference between gender to the point where society’s norms about gender are shattered further. Pejic appears as either male or female (or neither, for that matter) depending on the needs of the client. Indeed, in the Elle spread, Pejic poses both as a male and a female. This certainly will give many a reader pause on their thinking of all things gender. The seeds have been planted. One day, gender won’t matter.

While we’re fighting a slow uphill battle to show the fallacy of two gender thinking with medical professionals, politicians and in the courts, Pejic and others having high public attention are positioned to win the hearts and minds of many in society who may not be persuaded otherwise.

While I’m not sure where the tipping point is where trans equality becomes an unstoppable force, but we ought to milk every opportunity to get there sooner by embracing things some may find distasteful — like high fashion and beauty pageants.

More about Pejic and additional photos:
http://lexiecannes.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/trans-boys-girls-andrej-pelic-is-not-telling-good-for-andrej-i-say/

Andrej poses as male or female depending on the needs of the client (Photo on right: Hema)

Andrej Pejic shows why gender isn’t so black and white, isn’t it? It never was.

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You’re welcome to share this entire article!
Follow this topic on Lexie Cannes’ Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/lexiecannes

Support this site, get the transgender-themed feature film “Lexie Cannes“ DVD here:

Amazon.com: Lexie Cannes: Courtney O'Donnell: Movies & TV

The Guerrilla Angel Report is associated with Wipe Out Transphobia:
http://www.wipeouttransphobia.com/

Filed under: Media, Positive PR, Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, Andrej Pejic, elle, high fashion, Jenna Talackova, model, serbia

Trans? Boys? Girls? Andrej Pejic is not telling. Good for Andrej I say!

Androgynous high fashion model Andrej Pejic

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — Andrej Pejic is highly popular androgynous high fashion model — posing as either a female or male, depending on the needs of the client.  A stunning feat, but I especially like how Pejic throws many in society for a loop, upsetting norms for gender.

See, Pejic isn’t talking. While born a male and having trans-leanings while growing up,  Pejic isn’t saying much else. Sex reassignment surgery? No comment. Prefer men or women? “Love has no boundaries” is the answer.

This is exactly how it should be — there is no reason for anyone to know your gender preference or sexual orientation — even if you’re the hottest model at the moment. While some trans and LGB groups are claiming Pejic as one of their own, for all we know, Pejic may be perfectly happy with a male body and a preference for girls.

Regardless of whatever Pejic decides to do (or not do), I’m happy that Pejic has brought chaos to those with ancient thinking on gender — perhaps for some maybe they’ll figure out things are not so black and white after all.

More about Pejic and the fashion industry: Model’s gender-bending visage transfixes fashion industry and passers-by, but can it last? – The Washington Post.

Andrej Pejic (photo:idononline.com)

Andrej Pejic

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You’re welcome to share this entire article!
Follow this topic and others on Lexie Cannes’ Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/lexiecannes

Get the transgender-themed feature film “Lexie Cannes“ here:

http://www.LexieCannes.com

Filed under: Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, Andrej Pejic, androgynous, fashion industry, gender preference, high fashion, model, sex reassignment surgery, trans model, transsexual