As James Pritzker becomes Jennifer, here’s what’s next

First published in Crain’s Chicago Business, August 27, 2013. Read the original here.

In a recent memo to her staff, Chicago CEO Jennifer Natalya Pritzker (formerly known as James) came out as transgender. In doing so, the retired Army lieutenant colonel joined a small group of high-profile transgender ex-military service members, which includes Army Private Chelsea Manning, Navy Seal Kristin Beck and Airborne Ranger Diane Schroer.

Earlier this year, Col. Pritzker’s Tawani Foundation gave $1.35 million to launch the Palm Center’s Transgender Military Service Initiative — the only previous public indication of the reclusive billionaire’s private identity. It’s not hard to understand her desire for privacy; transitioning genders is difficult enough without the world watching. Coming out is a deeply personal act that can be motivated by many factors, and every coming-out process is unique. However, here are some of the hurdles and joys Jennifer Pritzker is likely to face, drawn from the experiences of other courageous transgender public individuals.

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Posted on August 27, 2013 to Crain's
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The Crucifixion of Aaryn Gries

First published in The Daily Beast on August 25, 2013. Read the original (entitled “Real Racism: What Aaryn Gries Reveals about Reality TV”) here.

Aaryn Gries is a racist.

If you’ve watched CBS this summer, this isn’t new information about the twenty-two-year old Big Brother contestant. From saying that Korean-American houseguest Helen Kim should “go make some rice,” to flipping over the bed of African-American houseguest Candice Stewart, Gries has offended half the house—and country—with her sweet-faced, mean girl racism. Her actions have prompted CBS, for the first time ever, to publically address offensive statements made on the show (though they declined to comment for this article).

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Posted on August 25, 2013 to The Daily Beast
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HuffPost Live Discussion: Quist App Curates History of GLTBQs In America

Originally aired on HuffPost Live on August 6, 2013.

I was invited to be part of a discussion about queer history on HuffPost Live, convened by the creators of the queer history app, Quist. Watch the full segment below.

Posted on August 6, 2013 to HuffPost Live, Huffington Post
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How to Whitewash a Plague

First published in The New York Times, August 3, 2013. Read the original here.

THE New-York Historical Society’s current exhibition “AIDS in New York: The First Five Years” accomplishes a neat trick: it takes a black mark in New York City’s history — its homophobic, apathetic response to the early days of AIDS in the early 1980s — and transforms it into a moment of civic pride, when New Yorkers of all stripes came together to fight the disease. It’s a lovely story, if only it were true.

To judge from the opening animation — a short video titled “What is AIDS?” — this show is aimed at AIDS neophytes, and as an informational vehicle it succeeds. Many of the images and ephemera are powerful testaments. But such details sit against an apologist backdrop that sees the city through rose-tinted glasses.

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Posted on August 3, 2013 to New York Times
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TV’s Transformative Moment

First published in Newsweek, July 17, 2013. Read the original here.

Orange Is the New Black, Netflix’s original series that debuted on July 11, is no women’s prison TV show by way of Victoria’s Secret. Created by Jenji Kohan (the mind behind Weeds), the dramedy portrays with nuance its diverse cast of characters, from prisoners to lesbians of color, poor people, and even WASPs. And, most shockingly, a transgender woman of color—played by a transgender woman of color.

For the first time in TV history, a transgender character is at the forefront of a show and being portrayed by a black transgender woman. (Transgender is an umbrella term that also includes transsexuals.) Laverne Cox plays Sophia Burset, a former firefighter sent to prison for using credit cards stolen from the wreckage of fires she helped put out. In prison, she acts as a hairdresser, friend, and political conscience for the other prisoners, while also trying to ensure access to the female hormones she needs, and repairing her relationship with her wife and son. There has only ever been one other recurring, substantive transgender TV role held by a transgender actor: Dirty Sexy Money’s Carmelita, played by Candis Cayne, who is a staple in small transgender roles, including turns on Nip/Tuck, Drop Dead Diva, Necessary Roughness, and CSI: NY.
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Posted on August 2, 2013 to Newsweek
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Steve Grand’s ‘All-American Boy’ and the End of the Gay-Panic Defense.

First published in The Daily Beast, July 10, 2013. Read the original (with comments) here.

Just in time for July Fourth, Steve Grand—a singer-songwriter who hopes to become the first gay male country icon—released his debut video on YouTube. “All-American Boy” is a paean to everything country: bonfires, whisky, pickup trucks, the American flag, skinny-dipping, and trying to make out with your best friend as soon as the girls are gone. In just a week it’s already racked up nearly a half million views on YouTube. Not bad for a 23-year-old kid from Chicago with no label, no agent, and no management.

Grand has the voice to make it, not to mention the face and the abs (especially the abs). But is country music ready for him? Who knows? Artists like k.d. lang and Chely Wright have proven that the world is ready for lesbian country singers, at least in a limited capacity; after all, neither of them is (or aspires to be) Miley Cyrus or Carrie Underwood. A true gay country star in his prime still seems as far away as a gay leading man. But even if Grand is just a sexy flash in the pan, the video for “All-American Boy” is still noteworthy.
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Posted on August 2, 2013 to The Daily Beast
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