GAY. Bakla. Bading. Badinger Z. Zombading. Lesbians. Lesbos. Tunggis. Tunggril. Transgender. Transexual. Tranny. Trans.
Homosexuals, or what some people refer to as the “third sex,” are the only sex that has the most terms (pejorative or otherwise) and subsets to describe their gender preference or state of transition. (In contrast, how many words are out there for heterosexual males and females?)
And so when Jennifer Laude was found dead last October 11, and journalists had to write about her, they didn’t know how or what exactly to call her.
One popular broadsheet used “transgender” in its headline: “Police hunt down foreigner for slay of transgender in Olongapo.” (The piece was actually buried in the paper’s nation pages until the word was out that a US Marine might have done the dastardly deed. The news was then moved to the front page.) But it begs the question, transgender what?
Its tabloid counterpart was even less specific,
though, not less blaring: “US Marine suspek sa pagpatay sa bading.”
Despite calling her a transgender, she was called by her birth name: “Jeffrey Laude.” As this hideous crime story developed in the next few days, her name became appended with “alias Jennifer.” Then some online news sites put her name in quotation marks: “Jennifer.”
Even the pronouns were not clear—he, she. Ano ba talaga? Confused, a media colleague asked his Facebook friends, “Why identify the victim as transgender and not as either male or female? (And which gender is he/she really?)”
At first I thought his question rather incredulous, but as I mulled it over—heck this was probably the first time the word “transgender” made it into local headlines—perhaps, it needed to be asked.
According to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) media reference guide, transgender is “an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth…. Many transgender people are prescribed hormones by their doctors to change their bodies. Some undergo surgery, as well. But not all transgender people can or will take those steps, and a transgender identity is not dependent upon medical procedures” (tinyurl.com/6u7k67c).
GLAAD also stresses that transgender is used as an adjective, not as a noun; only GMA News’s web site got that one right: “Transgender woman found dead in Olongapo; foreign companion a suspect.”
Often, we in the media refer to the Associated Press (AP) as our default reference for writing style, grammar check, headline writing, etc.
So as per the AP Stylebook, when referring to transgender persons, the media should “use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth. If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.” In other words, Jennifer is a “she” despite still being anatomically male.
I guess what this all boils down to is respect for the victim and for the life she lived. She preferred to live her life as a female, and so she should be recognized as such.
And what about the comments about Jennifer’s death? “E kasi tinago n’ya na bading s’ya. [She hid the fact that she was a transgender woman],” as if her head deserved to be shoved into the toilet bowl, then strangled/drowned (the reports aren’t really clear on this one) to death.
I find comments like these ridiculous; they imply that some cosmic karma befell her, just because she preferred to have sex with men. Unfortunately, we don’t really know what happened in the four corners of that motel room where Jennifer and US Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton had an apparent tryst on the night she ended up dead.
And it’s distressing that in this day and age, there are still some fundamentalist religions or rightwing politicians that endorse public stoning for homosexuals. These are the same people who probably think AIDS was a scourge from God to cleanse the world of gays. (In truth, most of AIDS sufferers in the Philippines today are heterosexual males and females.)
As a human race, we need to evolve to a higher level of understanding of our surroundings and of other people. We cannot hold on to the ways of the past that keep us in strife with other people, races, religions and cultures.
Each of us has right to live according to what we are and whom we choose to love.
*****
H&M is one of those brands I discovered when I was in London ages ago. I bought some, ahem, undies and a few shirts, and I remember feeling very frustrated that I didn’t have any more time to go around the store due to an appointment.
What struck me about the brand was the price—there was a sale going on that day—and the quality of the fabrics they used that made my purchases really quite a steal. The designs were basic with touches of flair or detail that made the shirts, for example, appealing.
So if I happen to be traveling to some foreign city with an H&M store, for sure, I’ll be there shopping. Not surprisingly, I was one of those people truly excited to hear that it would finally open in Manila.
Thanks to Annie Ringor of the public relations company Bridges, I got invited to the VIP party on October 15 that marked the opening of H&M’s flagship store at the Mega Fashion Hall of SM Megamall. It was such a riot! There were ladies filling their shopping bags to the brim, just pulling items from the racks of clothing like it was the last day in the world to shop.
After taking a few sips of a drink handed to me, and having some of the finger food being passed around, I proceeded to prowl each of the three floors of the brightly lit store, to hunt for good deals. (I quickly decided that eating and drinking were futile, as I needed both hands to feel the fabrics of the items I was interested in.)
I espied Tessie Sy-Coson, vice chairman of the SM Investments Corp., going around, and stopping at each floor to quietly observe the goings on at the store. (How true that her daughter was actually denied entry into the store because she didn’t have the invite with her? Yep, security was that strict that night.)
And it is one amazing store, which was laid out with a lot of thought and care going into it. Sports attire was in one corner, all the shoes in another part of the store, and all the black clothes hanging neatly in another area. I ended up lining up twice for my purchases—long story—with some great finds (a dress, a long-sleeved shirt, a dress and other kichie-kichie stuff for my godchildren—I shop early for Christmas of course). I’ll probably be back soon, so I could shop with less anxiety—hahaha.
So, welcome to Manila, H&M. Hope to see you in Quezon City real soon.