TMZ Draws Physical Comparisons Between Elena Kagan & Men

TMZ a gossip and entertainment news website is coming under criticism for attacking Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan based on her gender expression. First she was compared to "King of Queens" star Kevin James (I am highly certain there is no coincidence they selected that show). Today she was compared to transman Chaz Bono.

There has been speculation over Kagan's sexuality for some time now, some think it's a private matter, while others feel that public leaders should come out.

Regardless of how people feel about outing, and the importance of coming out, we can all agree that insulting someone based on their gender expression is unacceptable. This is as Bilerico puts it is an "open invitation to homophobia and transphobia" and that is exactly what the comments on the TMZ site by viewers express.

TMZ e-contact form for complaint.

Tackling Gender Binarism When it Comes to Gold Medal Runner

Gold medalist runner Caster Semenya of South Africa has come under intense scrutiny after exceeding her own time record and winning a gold medal . She has been accused of falsifying her identity and being charged with being born a male. The spotlight on her is misogynist and completely disregards the multitude of gender expressions. Semenya is being forced to undergo a long and difficult process known as sex-determination. She has been very depressed and even wanted to boycott her own award ceremony.

Velvet Park posted this video below of Dave Zirin, sports writer for The Nation who does an excellent job explaining how sexist, and transphobic this news item has become and tries to break down gender binarism by explaining that there are multitude of sexes and gender identities.



Photo courtesy of Erik van Leeuwen on Wikimedia Commons.

Word of the Gay: "Genderphobia"

"Genderphobia" is the fear and/or hatred of gender variant individuals. These can consist of a dislike for cross-dressers, transsexuals, or any degree of gender bending. The term is synonymous with transphobia.