Date: Mon, 9 Sep 1996 14:59:35 GMT
Subject: NY Times Prints Groundbreaking Story on TransActivism
From: riki@nyc.pipeline.com (Riki Anne Wilchins)

CONTACT: Riki Anne Wilchins,  
         (212) 645-1753, 
         Riki@Pipeline.Com 
 
NY Times Prints Groundbreaking  
Story on TransActivism 
============================== 
 
       [New York City - Sept 8, 1996] IN  
A MOVE which caught many in the queer  
and straight press by surprise, today  
the New York Times printed a  
groundbreaking story on the emergence of  
transactivism as a national movement. 
 
        The piece, penned by Times  
writer Carey Goldberg, detailed the  
growth of the Transexual Menace and  
GenderPAC in their fight against gender  
oppression.  It featured a wide variety  
of movement figures, including Nancy  
Nangeroni, Dana Priesing, Jamison Green,  
Susan Stryker, Dr. Barbara Warren,  
Alison Laing, Kerry Lobel (NGLTF), and  
Riki Anne Wilchins.   
 
     Headlines "Shunning 'He' and 'She,'  
They Fight for Respect," the article set  
the tone by opening with the planned  
September 16th Memorial Vigil for  
murdered transexual Deborah Forte,  
illustrating the emergence of  
transactivism through National Gender  
Lobbying Day, the growth of the Menace,  
and GenderPAC's Congressional lobbying  
efforts.   
 
       Ms. Goldberg, who works for the  
Times' LA office, managed to sound  
authoritative, balanced, but sympathetic  
all at once.  She spent weeks  
interviewing transpeople and collecting  
a wealth of background notes and  
material in preparation for the article.  
The story appeared across the US on the  
front page of the "Nation" section of  
the Sunday Times.  
      
       In one of those unplanned but  
completely fortunate coincidences, the  
Times article hit the streets just as 5  
members of GenderPAC were at the annual  
conference of the National Lesbian & Gay  
Journalists Association (NLGJA) in  
Miami, FL, feverishly pitching writers  
on gender activism stories and handing  
out newly-minted GenderPAC presskits.  
Donning black Menace T-shirts, they  
printed up hundreds of copies of the  
article, and made certain every NLGJA  
participant had a least *one* copy to  
read on their way home. 
 
       Said an unnamed Menace  
spokestran: "The importance of this  
story goes far beyond the content.  An  
article on front page of the Nation  
section of the Times is a huge step  
towards legitimizing gender activism as  
valid news rather than the customary 
"Geraldo-ization" of our lives.  We  
hope the media take note, and begin  
giving our national movement the  
serious journalistic attention it has  
earned.   
 
      In the thoroughly professional way  
she covered this story, Ms. Goldberg has  
done this community and the cause of  
gender activism a tremendous service." 
 
[Copyrighted piece follows.] 
 
               ### 
 
 
 
Shunning 'He' and 'She,'  
They Fight for Respect 
 
By CAREY GOLDBERG 
 
c Copyright 1996 The New York Times 
 
[Deleted article.  filemanager@qrd.org]