Mike Penner/Christine Daniels, sports columnist, dead

[phobun]

Dead from reported suicide.
Had publically announced transition in the LA Times sports column with new byline under new name in April 2007, then had quietly gone back to living as Mike last year in October.
I wonder if there was family estrangement pressures during the holidays?
The holidays can be a hard time for transgendered people.
Very sad

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/11/veteran-times-sportswriter-mike-penner-dead.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Daniels

[SarahG]

I can't say I am surprised, waiting that long must create a lot more baggage- then there was that reverting after a very public coming out which probably didn't help things. It's like, all the stuff that usually happens when someone suddenly starts to transition at that age (alienating friends & family), doing so publicly (alienating who knows how many thousands of readers & colleagues), and then reverting (not regaining anyone who was alienating while alienating who knows how many trans people who would not want to be associated with celebrity who recanted on being trans).

Maybe now the people who were talking shit about her situation two years ago will think twice about doing stuff like that again in the future. But the realist in me knows the odds of THAT happening.

[phobun]

I can't say I am surprised, waiting that long must create a lot more baggage- then there was that reverting after a very public coming out which probably didn't help things. It's like, all the stuff that usually happens when someone suddenly starts to transition at that age (alienating friends & family), doing so publicly (alienating who knows how many thousands of readers & colleagues), and then reverting (not regaining anyone who was alienating while alienating who knows how many trans people who would not want to be associated with celebrity who recanted on being trans).

Maybe now the people who were talking shit about her situation two years ago will think twice about doing stuff like that again in the future. But the realist in me knows the odds of THAT happening.
A lot of those self-righteous idiots who were talking shit probably now take satisfaction in the suicide, because they'll use it to confirm for themselves that the victim was either crazy or a sinner. They'll find a way to rationalize that they were correct all along, so that they can feel justified in how they mistreated the person.

[BrendaQG]

Mike Penner's suicide is a real tragedy. Let us all take a moment to thank God we came up and out when and where we did. It is still not "easy" to be trans, but back in the day it was practically illegal. Many still came out, but not like now. The God I believe in can even forgive suicide. I pray that will be the case.


I can't say I am surprised, waiting that long must create a lot more baggage- then there was that reverting after a very public coming out which probably didn't help things. It's like, all the stuff that usually happens when someone suddenly starts to transition at that age (alienating friends & family), doing so publicly (alienating who knows how many thousands of readers & colleagues), and then reverting (not regaining anyone who was alienating while alienating who knows how many trans people who would not want to be associated with celebrity who recanted on being trans).

Maybe now the people who were talking shit about her situation two years ago will think twice about doing stuff like that again in the future. But the realist in me knows the odds of THAT happening.

Who was talking shit? All I heard was how Mike/Christine was such a brave soul. All I heard was how Penner/Daniels was a hero for the transgender community. Ballyhooed on high for her courage and for acting as a positive role model. (Unlike those of us here I suppose.) Let's tell it like it is. For as tragic as suicide always is. Penner likely had a rosy, fantastic idea of what life as a transgender woman was like.

Then life in general probably started to suck. Add to that the general hostility many have to mental health care in general and here we have it.