“LA Times” Writer Christine Daniels, nee Mike Penner Dead, Suicide Suspected
11/29/09-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
It is not something uncommon among the transgender community to hear of the suicide of one of our own. Being a transperson is never easy, and the pressures and stresses to return to the old identity which had dominated our lives before the change are often immense. It has not been released as to the exact cause of death for Christine Daniels, who wrote for the LA Times under both her new name and her birth name of Mike Penner. It is also not clear why she went back to her old identity after beginning to transition at the age of fifty.
As a sports writer, it is quite possible that Ms Daniels faced more discrimination than most women would with regards to sporting world. Many male sports figures, who can be quite homophobic, are often upset at the idea of women sports reporters, and a transwoman would find the environment even worse to work in. Remaining in the same career and in the same business after transition can be quite daunting as well. There may be other issues regarding the transition. Not all people who transition do so with adequate guidance, or end up feeling as if they need to give up much of their own identity in order to do so.
Ms Daniels was open about her transition, and wrote a column for the LA Times regarding it. She did start female hormones, and did, eventually, choose to write under her old identity of Mike Penner. Her last column ran on 15 November under that name.
The news about this being a suicide comes from her coworkers, and not from the coroner’s office. Transitioning is fraught with dangers, especially blood clots, so it is always possible that Ms Daniels did not commit suicide; however, her coworkers would be in a better position to know if she was extremely depressed going into the Thanksgiving Holidays, and if she was likely to commit suicide.
Despite a move towards transsexuality being classified as a medical condition, there are many who advocate for a continued presence of therapy within transition. The emotional tole of transitioning can be extremely high, and a sympathetic therapist is all but a must for that.
Funeral arrangements have yet to be made.
Photo via Huffington Post, as is the story as can be read here.
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I am really saddened to hear this news. What woould it take for society to let go of judgment so as not to exacerbate what is already a difficult transition/decision/adjustment etc. Thanks for reporting this and for bringing the issues to light.
You are welcome. I was annoyed by much of the reporting being done in that they did not go into a lot of the potential of why this could happen.
Mike stopped any medical parts of transitioning (hormones, etc), and after month of therapy, resumed his life as a man. His work didn’t involve actual locker-room reporting, and hadn’t for years, so it’s not likely that he faced much grief on the job (he didn’t work at the LAT offices, either). It’s impossible to guess what was going on with him, emotionally, and that’s why the LAT didn’t speculate. That’s fine for blogs, but not newspapers.
Belinda,
The fact that they did not include what you just informed me about did not help with my response to this tragedy. Had I known what had happened, what I wrote about could have been far different. Thank you for telling me what happened, but for them to not explain this means that I was left with a lot of unanswered questions.
Of course, you mention speculation not being alright for a newspaper, I might point out that, until the coroner reports what happened, they are speculating that this is suicide. It could be something else entirely. They may have a strong understanding that this was probably suicide, but to report it as suicide as an absolute is speculation. For all we know, it could be homicide, it could be death by misadventure.
I am sorry, but it would have been better if the LA Times had fully covered the story, including the decision by Mike to return to living as a man. As it stands, what they presented is a story that leaves a lot to be questioned.
Agreed thank goodness for us bloggers – this certainly helps to have a forum where people can colloborate aspects of what they know in this fashion. I am sure more will unfold. Either way its very sad.