*Sent to outlets starting on November 9th, 2024.*
Dear Editors,
My name is Kieran Andrew James Helbling, and I am a proud trans man living in Georgia and the co-founder of Trans Joy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering and uplifting the transgender community. I am submitting an essay titled “Journalism's Moral Failure: Trans Lives As Political Bargaining Chips” for your consideration.
In this piece, I highlight how media coverage frames the trans community as politically expendable, feeding harmful narratives that endanger lives and undermine human dignity. As trans people face unprecedented levels of violence, discrimination, and legislative attacks, the role of responsible journalism has never been more critical. This essay calls for the media to center trans voices and prioritize humanity over sensationalism in its reporting.
The piece draws on my lived experience and advocacy work, emphasizing the urgency of ethical, inclusive journalism during these turbulent times. I believe it aligns with The New York Times’ commitment to exploring critical social issues with nuance and integrity.
I am pasting the draft below. Please let me know if you require any edits or additional information. I am happy to collaborate to ensure this piece resonates with your readership.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
,
Kieran Andrew James Helbling
Co-founder and CEO, Trans Joy
Atlanta, GA
Journalism's Moral Failure: Trans Lives As Political Bargaining Chips
I am a proud trans man living in Georgia, and co-founder of a nonprofit called Trans Joy. Like so many other Americans, I have long turned to trusted news outlets for analysis, context, and connection. My faith in the media has been grounded in its ability to take complex, nuanced issues and present them in a way that informs and includes, often illuminating paths forward during times of uncertainty. It’s where I have sought a sense of community and trust.
But following the election, my faith in even my most trusted outlets has been deeply shaken.
I’ve seen an alarming trend - writers, hosts, guests, and commentators implying, if not outright stating, that the trans community is somehow a liability, a wedge to be sacrificed by politicians and political parties in the pursuit of broader political goals. I cannot begin to express how profoundly disappointing and outright dangerous this rhetoric is. When media outlets frame anti-trans sentiment as a topic worthy of “fair” debate or unbiased coverage, they become complicit in the weaponization of that rhetoric. Such framing isn’t neutral - it’s harmful, and it contributes directly to the erosion of human dignity and safety for trans people everywhere.
Even simply entertaining the notion that any marginalized group should be left behind for political gain is abhorrent. Particularly when that group is as small and vulnerable as the trans community. Over 1,200 anti-trans bills have been introduced since 2023. The community’s best hope for leadership that didn’t dream of eradicating us just suffered a devastating - and likely for the trans community, life-altering - defeat. And yet, as we fight for our literal survival, the media continues to dissect, pontificate, and profit from a 24/7 cycle of election forensics, with our community regularly at the center of these debates.
Trans issues are not “radical left” issues - they are issues of dignity, humanity, and equality. When the media allows these topics to be framed otherwise, it not only fuels the alarmism and fear mongering that incites violence against the community, but also undermines the very principles of democracy and inclusion it claims to work ceaselessly uphold. It is going to require serious intestinal fortitude for the media to prioritize integrity over profit, resisting the allure of sensationalism that sacrifices marginalized communities for fleeting engagement. What does it say about our society when the path to power comes at the cost of sacrificing its most vulnerable citizens? Because let me be clear: the continued facilitation of objectification and othering of the trans community costs actual human lives.
The media has a responsibility to all of its viewers, and indeed, the very soul of this nation - not just the wealthy. Not just to the powerful. Not just the majority. The chasing of dopamine hits that drive engagement and boost ratings should never come at the expense of integrity or humanity. The power of ethical journalism lies in its ability to expose truth, elevate marginalized voices, and resist the easy path of sensationalism.
So I say to the media as a whole: your complicity in framing the trans community and the humans within it as politically expendable is both a moral failure and a profound act of cynicism. If you cannot hold the line of decency and humanity, who will?
Responsible reporting means illuminating the humanity of our community. It means acknowledging the violence faced by trans individuals, the fear we carry every day, the anxiety surrounding basic human needs like using the bathroom or seeking housing. It means exposing the chronic underemployment, the barriers to accessing necessary medical care, and the economic precarity that leaves many trans people vulnerable. It means reporting on the profound mental toll of relentless political attacks, the pain of family estrangement, and the despair of living in a society where our bodies, identities, and our very existence is up for debate. It means showing the resilience, joy, and contributions of trans people despite systemic marginalization.
At the very least, trans voices need to be part of these conversations. We should see everyday trans people - those living the realities being debated - brought into the discourse. Our inclusion should not be optional but essential. Anything less is akin to assembling a panel comprised entirely of white commentators to question the lived experience of racism faced by Black citizens. It is unenterprising, deeply inappropriate, unethical, and, frankly, gross.
Below, I’ve included a link to a personal reflection I recently shared on social media, hoping it might remind those shaping media narratives that there are real lives affected by the choices you make every day. I am one person just trying to live my life, but my story is far from unique. All of my trans siblings are trying to do the same - just to exist, with dignity and humanity.
Sincerely,
Kieran Andrew James Helbling
Co-founder, Trans Joy
Atlanta, GA
About Trans Joy:
Trans Joy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating, empowering, and supporting the transgender community. Through events, grants, and community initiatives, we aim to spread joy and foster belonging. Join us in creating a world where trans joy thrives!
🌐 Website: trans-joy.com
📸 Instagram: @TransJoy
👍 Facebook: @TransJoy
🎙️ Podcast: Trans Joycast on Spotify
📺 YouTube: Trans Joycast
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