Today’s International Day Against Transphobia & This Is What Daily Mail Posted
On the 17 May, we celebrate and take a day to consider the remaining homophobia, transphobia and biphobia that millions of LGBTIQA people experience every day. The results of this varies depending on what part of the world one happens to be born – ranging from poor mental health, restricted civil rights to prison sentences and even death.
Today is not the day to further perpetuate language used to dehumanise and stigmatise these people, namely the transgender community.
The Daily Mail – a publication synonomous with its insensitive headlines – posted this morning regarding the tragic death of transgender internet celebrity Sexy Pancake. Here’s the disgraceful post below:
Transvestite named Sexy Pancake dies from cancer caused by strapping down his penis https://t.co/EDvVPYl3DU pic.twitter.com/H5j6dECn1h
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) May 16, 2016
The publication uses the word ‘transvestite’ in the headline and throughout the article, a label considered offensive to a large majority of the transgender community. The piece also makes reference to the now deceased celeb having “his manhood removed”- employing even more disrespectful language.
To top it all off, an image of Sexy Pancake in hospital (presumably on her deathbed) is also included in the article.
was the second picture necessary? Have some respect for a dying person!
— Louis (@louis_0007) May 16, 2016
then perhaps you would show his family some respect by withdrawing this ignorant excuse for journalism
— marypg keating (@marypgkeating) May 16, 2016
The Twitter responses are a depressing sight, with internet trolls actually celebrating and finding humour in the death of Sexy Pancake.
It’s pretty revolting stuff on a day we should be assessing and improving our treatment of the LGBTIQA community. With utter crap like this, Daily Mail aren’t just contributing to the discrimination but are a larger part of the problem.