I have seen some misreporting by LGBT activists over the last few days which I felt I should point out, stemming from the fact that people are typing “LGBT” without thinking. Please consider when reporting on things that a win for LGB folk does not necessarily help Trans people.

The first instance of a non-T “LGBT win” is the real of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The changes will not, according to any source or discussion I can find, allow Trans people to serve in the US Miltary. The text of the motion merely “provides for repeal of the current Department of Defense (DOD) policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces“. Transsexuality is handled as a medical problem, with Army Regulation 40-501 Standards of medical fitness (PDF link) for example lumping together “personality disorders, disorders of impulse control not elsewhere classified, transvestism, voyeurism, other paraphilias, or factitious disorders, psychosexual conditions, transsexual, gender identity disorder to include major abnormalities or defects of the genitalia such as change of sex or a current attempt to change sex, hermaphroditism, pseudohermaphroditism, or pure gonadal dysgenesis or dysfunctional residuals from surgical correction of these conditions“. It’s nice that they think Trans issues should be listed alongside personality disorders.

The second is the UN vote on extrajudicial executions. Again, this has been reported as being an LGBT win but the text of the amendment only refers to homosexuality. Disappointingly, the UNs own reports about the debate mention delegates talking about LGBT when debating the amendment.  The full transscripts are not available so I can not tell if this is misreporting by the UN staff, unclear translation on non-English speeches or misinformed delegates. Either way, it’s disappointing to see this from the UN.

So, if you are involved in LGBT politics, activism or reporting, please watch what you type. It is not always appropriate to say something is an LGBT win. Saying something is when it is not is a form of erasure, as if we should be happy for the rest of the LGB commuity gaining rights and recognition we do not have.