Saturday, November 28, 2009

A Cautionary Tale...Revisited

Back in March, I wrote about some who have rushed into transition and then had regrets. In that article, I mentioned Mike Penner, the Los Angeles Times sportswriter who made headlines in 2007 when he announced that he was transitioning to become a woman and would now be known as Christine Daniels. In October of 2008 he changed back to being Mike. Today, it has been reported that he was found dead in his home, and that the suspected cause was suicide.

Of course, unless more information is provided, there is no way of knowing what might have led him to take his life. It may have had nothing to do with his attempted transition, or it may have had everything to do with it. But I have to wonder...did all those TG activists who were so quick to embrace him when he was making a very public transition abandon him when he changed his mind?

"Autumn" Sandeen made this comment on his blog at Pam's House Blend:

Mike, when he lived as Christine, was someone I considered a peer and a friend. I feel the loss of my friend Mike tremendously.

Now, I don't want to read too much into this, but it does make me wonder. He was considered a friend and peer when he was "Christine," but was he just forgotten when he went back to being Mike?

I've had friends who realized that transition was a mistake. I didn't stop being their friend because they realized they needed to return to their old life. If they still wanted support, I was there for them. I wonder if Mike had a different experience. Perhaps those who saw him as a peer, and even as a friend, were suddenly afraid to associate with him.And it is sad that he will go to his grave, labeled the "transsexual sports writer." He should have been allowed to put that behind him if that was his choice. Might that have contributed to his death? Might a wrong choice have been hung around his neck like an albatross?

Whatever the cause, his death is a tragedy. And again, should be a cautionary tale for all.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Some of your answers might be there.
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=7701

From the comments section.....
""I lost my friend not because of detransitioning...

...I lost my friend because my friend just stopped talking to me about a year ago.

I still want to be Mike's friend -- we'll see what happens.

-----
~~Autumn~~""



There is more here is the search page.

http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Christine+Daniels&btnG=Search&domains=www.pamshouseblend.com&sitesearch=www.pamshouseblend.com

People do this when they detransition they get away, usually far away from those whom they once called friend.

Gordan Babcock comes to mind. He had a religious experience and went back to being Gordon and severed all ties with the TeeGee.

The ultimate folly is when a man thinks he can become a woman. Women are borne not made.

We don't know why Penner chose to end his life, it's sad we don't know why he decided to transition in the first place.

Anonymous said...

One other thing;

Notice how the Tee-Gees have jumped on Penner's death and jumped to the conclusions that;
He did commit suicide,
when there has been no toxicology results released.
They further believe Penner committed suicide because he had to detransition.

It's always about the Tee-Gees.

Just Jennifer said...

I have been following this story in the gender fascist media for several days. I finally had to post a second article as a response to all the crap that is being spewed. Suffice to say, we are in agreement about what has gone on.

Anonymous said...

I saw your new article, I shall read it and let it soak in before making a comment.