ABSTRACT
On 26 April 2007, Mike Penner told readers he was transsexual.1 In a highly personal column, ‘Old Mike, New Christine’, the veteran Los Angeles Times (USA) sportswriter explained that for over four decades he had struggled with internal feelings of femininity. After extensive therapy, Penner wrote, he had finally decided to transition to a different gender. After a few weeks of vacation he would return to the paper as a woman – as Christine Daniels. Penner’s column became one of the most viewed stories on the Los Angeles Times website that year (Rainey 2007). His declaration not only posted over 800 responses, but also became an event deemed worthy of coverage in and of itself. Journalists immediately analysed the piece and diverse opinions reverberated throughout newspapers, newscasts and radio shows. Three months later, Daniels’ first byline appeared. She assumed her former beats and additionally wrote a blog for the paper’s website, ‘Woman in Progress: Christine Daniels on Life Changes Big and Small’, posting both sports-related and transgender-informed writings. Yet, after eight months as a transgender spokesperson, Daniels disappeared. Without explanation, Penner’s name returned and the blog vanished.2 Although the Los Angeles Times did not offer details on Penner’s return and he refused to comment, his re-emergence again proved newsworthy. While the byline appeared consistently, Penner rarely appeared in public. On 27 November 2009, he committed suicide (Thursby 2009).
