I don’t read the New York Post on principle, so I wouldn’t have known about their recent transphobic reporting of what actually was a victory for a young Latina if it weren’t for Jack over at Angry Brown Butch.

An important victory was recently won in the struggle for trans rights, specifically around health care. Judge Sheldon Rand of the Manhattan Family Court found, for the second time, that the City of New York is obligated to pay for the sexual reassignment surgery of Mariah Lopez, a young trans woman of color who was denied this important and necessary medical care while in the care of the NYC foster system. The City is constitutionally required to provide adequate medical coverage for all children in its care, and SRS is a medically approved procedure, one that is often necessary for trans people. In the decision, Judge Rand wrote: “Mariah L. should be treated in order that she may go on with her life and be in a body which blends with the gender with which she identifies.”*

The blatantly right wing NYC newspaper chose to cover the story using tired stereotypes and slurs.

But the two pieces that they’ve run on this story – an “article” entitled “Free To Be He-She” and the even worse editorial, “Justice Isn’t That Blind” – are really just awful and enraging. Not only are the articles thoroughly transphobic, but the editorial also falsely paints her as a “sociopath” due to her criminal record, completely ignoring her history of activism and community service and the fact that she and other trans women of color are targeted and abused by the NYPD.

This is why Jack and others are calling for people to write letters to the Post. There is even a handy template of a letter over at Angry Brown Butch so you don’t even have to write. Just copy and paste!

NYC and it’s official entities, especially the New York City Police Department have a bad record in terms of how they work with the Latino GBLT community. Take for example the case of JoLea Lamot, not to mention the constant harassment and criminalization of young people of color that happens on the regular on the city streets at night

Via / Angry Brown Butch

Image Via / Amnesty International