Mike Prebil doesn’t seem to get my last column. I didn’t criticize a Los Angeles Times story for mentioning “gory” details regarding sex-reassignment surgery. I criticized the piece for mentioning a trans person’s personal medical history – particularly when that person was not even the subject of the story. I have never suggested that mainstream society shouldn’t learn about trans issues. Instead, my point was that people should consider how trans people feel when they get asked very personal questions about their medical histories. It’s not the responsibility of individual trans people to answer violating questions about their personal lives for the sake of “educating” mainstream society. There are other ways to learn about specific procedures. I’m sure most people who read The Daily can learn more online than they ever wanted to know from places dedicated to that purpose. My column is not one of those places, however. I critique society from a trans perspective; I don’t educate people about details regarding medical treatments. Because of these distortions, I’m not sure that Prebil even understands my argument – or my column in general.
Frankly, I find his commentary on The Daily in general reflects a belief that the paper should be “mainstream” – missing the entire point of The Daily. The Daily is an anti-oppressive newspaper with a clear statement of principles. The public editor shouldn’t be criticizing The Daily for not being “mainstream” – they should hold The Daily up to its principles and to high standards of journalistic ethics. Right now, The Daily is giving a platform to someone who is not fulfilling the role of a public editor, who opposes the paper’s politics, and who hasn’t even accurately represented Daily pieces. This isn’t productive for anyone. Mike Prebil needs to do his job or abandon ship.
Quinn Albaugh
U3 Political Science
Daily columnist