In the world of the politically correct, where Associated Press news-style gurus say a man who calls himself a woman is a woman and woman who calls herself a man is a man, it's easy to see how mistakes could happen.
As AP found this week when it had to delete a tweet promoting a gender story because it misgendered a transgender.
"We've deleted a Wednesday tweet about two transgender city council members elected in Minneapolis because it misidentified one of them as a woman. A replacement tweet is upcoming," the wire service said.
We've deleted a Wednesday tweet about two transgender City Council members elected in Minneapolis because it misidentified one of them as a woman. A replacement tweet is upcoming.
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 9, 2017
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So was a man mistakenly identified as a woman?
Or a woman who thinks she's a man "misidentified" as a woman?
"There wouldn't be so much danger of misgendering people if their stories weren't blown up nationally just because of their gender," commented a blogger on the Twitter news aggregator Twitchy.
"Take for example the Associated Press, which was anxious to promote a story on Minneapolis electing two black transgender city council members Tuesday."
The report continued, "The thing is, the AP can't explain why what it wrote initially is incorrect without breaking more of its own rules."
The sarcasm bloomed like a rose under the summer sun:
"Didn't they just commit a crime according to California state law."
"Will AP be going to jail in California then?"
"So, let me get this straight. Tweet pulled due to a man who thinks he's woman was called a woman instead of a man. Right?"
"This stuff makes my head hurt."
WCCO radio in Minneapolis reported on the "two transgender members."
Phillippe Cunningham, a "transgender man," was elected in Ward 4. And Andrea Jenkins "made history in Ward 8 … as the first transgender member of a major city council in the country."
The AP report from Kyle Potter explains Jenkins, a "56-year-old poet and historian," transitioned in her 30s. Since there's no further explanation, presumable the politically correct report reveals Jenkins was born a male and now claims to be female.
Likewise, describing Cunningham as a "transgender man" suggests Cunningham was born female and now claims to be male.
Possibly.
On Twitter, AP's correction prompted hundreds of reactions.
From Double Think Antidote: "God and biology determine gender, not the individual."
From Scott Grimes, "I thought this was an Onion tweet."
From Fiberton: "Transgender is a mental disorder. All you are doing is enabling their mental disability."
From That One Chic, "All the gender identity B.S. confuses you too huh?"
From Steven Legan: "whatever it wants to be, Minneapolis is falling apart. We are electing humans here based on color or by what parts they have cut off or added on or what color towel they have wrapped around their head. Recipe for a large disaster."
"From Dividend Master: "what does a former he turned into a she want to be known as? (not sure I want to know)."
From L. Butler, excusing the AP, "It's hard to keep track of 58 gender identities"
"And from Ken Smithmier, "Why not stop sexualizing your reporting and just give names?"
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