Appalled at Insulting Pronoun Use

Dear Editor,
   Upon reading your newspaper I found an article titled "The Death of Ben Brownlee," [News, Jan. 30]. Being 24 years of age and transgendered myself, this article and story nailed me in the heart. As a young transgendered female I have faced constant harassment and discrimination alike since the age of 17-18 when I began to realize there was something "unique" about myself. For the whole senior year of my high school career, not one day went by that I wasn't called fag, joto, maricón, or homo. I was fortunate enough to have a strong heart and mind as well as help from a security guard, a vice principal, and a few teachers. And although this in itself was a miracle from the 2,500 student count of a 5A conservative school district in the little town of Edinburg, Texas, not much was prevented or even done in general. I pain for the life of Tesía Samara and for the mother that supported her. And even though I commend your newspaper for stepping up to bat to print and show the public the growing importance of this matter, I am also appalled at how even after you mention "Instead of calling him 'Tesía,' they'd call him 'Benny Boy,' which really hurt him, because he didn't see himself as a boy," you still manage to refer to him in male gender and call him "Ben." I find it hard to believe that a well-known and accredited newspaper that resides in the heart of the "Keep Austin Weird" community would quote so many advocates of LGBT and civil as well as equal rights groups and show the monstrosity of the lack of respect and equality of such an individual, then turn around and insult "her" nonetheless. We live in a society that feeds on the information and education you as the media generate. Why not hold that responsibility with high honor and portray not just the truth but in this case the correct and right picture?