If you ever wanted to know how to conduct an interview with anyone in the transgender community, Piers Morgan should not be the example.
This week, transgender advocate Janet Mock appeared on CNN alongside Morgan to talk about her new book, Redefining Realness, and her advocacy of transgendered individuals. Or so she thought.
Morgan’s questions departed sharply from that altogether, instead choosing to focus on Mock’s transition “from boy to woman,” although Mock had never identified as a man. In fact, the chyron read “Janet Mock: Was a boy until age 18.” Mock, however, identified as a girl in high school.
Morgan’s questions centered around Mock’s relationships with men and how she disclosed her transition to them — a move on his part that perpetuated the idea that trans-women trick straight men. The same idea that often results in the fear of individuals transitioning and sadly, is a catalyst for the violence geared towards them. He then posed this question to his audience: “How would you feel if you found out the woman you are dating was formerly a man?”
Mock spoke to Buzzfeed about her disappointment in the interview on Tuesday night:
“My book is not about Aaron or my relationship, but that’s the most sensational thing they want to pull out,” she said. “They’re not talking about my advocacy or anything like that, it’s just about this most sensationalized … meme of discussion of trans women’s lives: ‘We’re not real women, so therefore if we’re in relationships with men we’re deceiving them.’ So, it just feeds into those same kinds of myths and fears that they spread around, which leads to further violence of trans women’s bodies and identities.”
The on-screen line that she “was a boy until age 18” reflected “bad judgment” and “reductive thinking about gender,” she said.
“What they’re saying is, ‘Only until I got the surgery, then I was a woman,’” she said.
She continued:
“He’s trying to do info-tainment. He doesn’t really want to talk about trans issues, he wants to sensationalize my life and not really talk about the work that I do and what the purpose of me writing this book was about.”
She even tweeted about the botched interview, posing with transgender (and our favorite Orange Is The New Black star) Laverne Cox for a reaction picture after watching Morgan’s pre-taped interview:
Me + @Lavernecox‘s reaction after @piersmorganlive tried it with the “man” and “boy” tag lines. #redefiningrealness pic.twitter.com/38xq64Xjzq
— Janet Mock (@janetmock) February 5, 2014
And Morgan’s reaction? Well, it may just shock you.
I’ve never been subjected to the kind of nonsense that @janetmock and her supporters are accusing me of now…wish I’d never booked her.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 5, 2014
Very disappointed in @janetmock ‘s tweets tonight. Deliberately, and falsely, fuelling some sense of me being ‘transphobic’. Unpleasant.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 5, 2014
Oh, stop it. You ‘get it the f**k together’..seriously. > RT @janetmock “Was a boy until 18.” @PiersMorganLive get it the f*k together.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 5, 2014
As for all the enraged transgender supporters, look at how STUPID you’re being. I’m on your side, you dimwits. @janetmock
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 5, 2014
So.. I try and highlight @janetmock ‘s inspiring story and she & her supporters respond by trashing me. Really disgusting.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 5, 2014
And now she runs to @BuzzFeed to cry foul… I’ve been played in a disgustingly cynical manner. > http://t.co/hbXCeTM0XH …
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 5, 2014
I’ll deal with you tomorrow night on air @janetmock – never been treated in such a disgraceful manner. Be proud.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 5, 2014
Yes, that was Piers Morgan telling transgender supporters that he gave an accurate narrative of what it means to be transgender in America and they have no right to feel that he did otherwise.
Yes, that happened.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Mock agreed to appear on Morgan’s show to talk it out:
So @janetmock has agreed to come back on my show LIVE tonight and we can debate our little disagreement to America. CNN 9pmET.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 5, 2014
Hopefully Morgan can let go of some of that privilege and realize he doesn’t have the answers.
Hopefully.
SOURCE: Buzzfeed, CNN, Twitter | PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter, CNN