• ELIXHER
• On November 26, 2013

EBONY.com received some heat yesterday after an @EBONYMag tweet mischaracterized the headline and content of an article published on the site. ”[CONFESSIONS] “’My husband doesn’t know I was born a man,’” the tweet read. Despite erroneous reports, the actual title of the article was and had always been “My Husband Doesn’t Know I’m Trans.” The publication owned up to the social media mistake and apologized. An editor’s note was added to the article (see below) and editorial director Kierna Mayo references the incident in an open letter to her “trans family” which went up on the website today.

Yesterday, readers alerted trans advocates such as author Janet Mock who responded via Twitter. Mock and others publicly expressed that the article was not nuanced enough to address such a complicated issue and perpetuated dangerous misconceptions of trans women.

“Now, four years later, Carlos and I are happy and madly in love! It has been a roller coaster, but we couldn’t be happier. But it’s this happiness that is causing me such pain because Carlos feels that it is time to add to our happy family. He is excited to be a father and his face lights up at the very thought. So how do I break his heart? How do I tell him that all of our trying has been in vain because despite my best efforts to be [the] person I always felt I was, I’m still not who he thinks I am?” asks Reagan, the trans woman who shared her story on the website in an “as told to.”

EBONY.com, who has had a stellar record featuring balanced and responsible black LGBT content (ELIXHER founder Kimberley McLeod serves as a contributor), added the following editor’s note at the end of the piece, encouraging readers to submit their feedback and stories:

We strive to make EBONY.com a space that is respectful of and inclusive to people of all gender identities and sexual orientation. We did not publish this story to be salacious or to make light of a very difficult situation. We acknowledge the very real violence faced by trans people, particularly trans women of color, across the globe and seek to challenge the attitudes that enable such. We gave this particular trans woman the space to share her story on her own terms; however, we regret any harm or hurt that may have been caused by presenting this story without that context and we sincerely apologize. We will continue to work as an editorial team to ensure that we are supportive and affirming of the trans community and we will continue to be a space that is open to diverse voices from across the African Diaspora. We welcome your feedback and your stories: digitalpitches@ebony.com.

Kierna Mayo

In “To My Trans Family With Love,” editorial director Kierna Mayo recalls her journey from ignorance to consciousness about the trans community (Mayo was the author of Janet Mock’s Marie Claire “coming out” piece):

“Being an ally doesn’t mean that I (or anyone who believes that trans folk deserve all the rights, protections, opportunity, love, health and happiness that the rest of us enjoy) always get it right. It means I’m always willing to listen and learn-and perhaps as important, share what I know with those around me.”

Referencing yesterday’s “Confession” column, she continues:

“[W]e made a mistake yesterday on Twitter (we own that), and some would say also in the lack of deeper context in this as-told-to confessional about a [transgender] woman. We do hope that a loving trans community can forgive our failings and embrace our successes. As it is, I am and we are committed Allies. Big A.”

Read the entire letter here.