Mike Penner Announces His Transsexuality

Figured I'd touch on it...L.A. Times sports journalist Mike Penner revealed his transsexuality. From his Times column:

Today I leave for a few weeks' vacation, and when I return, I
will come back in yet another incarnation.

As Christine.

I am a transsexual sportswriter. It has taken more than 40
years, a million tears and hundreds of hours of soul-wrenching therapy for me to
work up the courage to type those words. I realize many readers and colleagues
and friends will be shocked to read them.

That's OK. I understand that I am not the only one in
transition as I move from Mike to Christine. Everyone who knows me and my work
will be transitioning as well. That will take time. And that's all right. To
borrow a piece of well-worn sports parlance, we will take it one day at a
time.

Transsexualism is a complicated and widely misunderstood
medical condition. It is a natural occurrence — unusual, no question, but
natural.Recent studies have shown that such physiological factors as genetics
and hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy can significantly affect how our
brains are "wired" at birth.

As extensive therapy and testing have confirmed, my brain was
wired female.

Furthermore:

So now we all will take a short break between bylines. "Mike
Penner" is out, "Christine Daniels" soon will be taking its place.

Shocking, to say the least. Penner is brave for what he's doing, but Awful Announcing had a legitimate question. Why does he get to change his last name as well? Shouldn't it be Christine Penner? And if he was going to change any part of his name, he should have just changed it to Fred Penner. That way, he could have his own Place, where he could crawl through a log, play his guitar and sing to children.



I've officially added nothing to this issue...