NOTE: Since this post was first published, a number of readers have expressed their outrage over the original headline, “Now It Can Be Revealed. Barack Obama‘s Nanny Is a Tranny Ho!”,
The original headline was intended to be a satire of the Daily Mail, the British tabloid that initially reported the story, and the kind of sensationalistic and disrespectful language it often employs. (The original piece refers to Evie, strangely, as a “gay transgender man.”)
After reading the responses, though, I realize that the satire may not have come across clearly. Acceptable terminology is something the LGBT community continues to debate (even the term “LGBT” is contentious) and what is parody to one person can be a hurtful insult to another. So, in the interest of clarity, I’ve rewritten the headline.
The body of the story itself, I believe, was always respectful to Edie and her plight. —DA
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
England’s towering icon of journalistic integrity, the Daily Mail, has unearthed the latest scandal about President Obama’s origins: His onetime nanny is a trans woman who later turned to prostitution.
Barack Obama’s former nanny has been revealed as a gay transgender [woman] who made the future president laugh by trying on his mother’s lipstick.
“Evie” cared for the boy she called Barry when his mother Ann Dunham moved to the Indonesian capital of Jakarta in the late 1960s.
Openly gay, she would leave the house dressed in full drag – but was very careful that Barack never saw her.
In 1969, two years after Obama’s family moved to Indonesia, Evie met Ann Dunham at a party in 1969 and began caring for 8-year-old Barack. But after the family left Jakarta in the early 1970s, Evie was unable to get work as a domestic and turned to sex work. Beatings and raids became an everyday part of her life but, after Evie discovered the swollen dead body of a fellow working girl, she decided to live as a man:
“I knew in my heart I was a woman, but I didn’t want to die like that. So I decided to just accept it. I’ve been living like this, a man, ever since.”
Her story has been verified by residents of Menteng, the neighborhood Obama grew up in.
Sadly, the paper reports she now lives in a “hovel” in east Jakarta, where she earns pennies as a laundress. Apparently Evie didn’t know her former charge was elected President of the United States until some time after the election, when she saw a photo of the family on TV.
“Now when people call me scum,” she says, “I can just say: ‘But I was the nanny for the President of the United States!”
The worst part of this sad saga is we’re sure the Republicans will declare this poor woman was the ringleader of some international communist conspiracy dedicated to indoctrinating young Obama during naptime.
Melissa
A “TRANNY HO”? REALLY, guys?
mel p
Yeah. Exactly what I thought when I read that. CLASSY, and completely typical of the contempt this site has for transgender folk.
Amy Dentata
Throwing around the t-slur, equating a trans woman to a “gay man”, and calling her gender-appropriate clothing “drag”? Could you fail any harder at this?
Jaime Dunaway
Wow, y’all are stooping even lower than usual with that title. Way to mock the life of a trans woman that’s had to do whatever she could just to survive in her country.
hamoboy
In queerty’s defense (only slightly), she is a khatoey, a social category from a culture almost completely unlike Western Industrial culture. First, second and thrid hand news articles are probably all shoving this individual into boxes they can understand (including some not very bright trans activists) rather than letting him tell his/her story.
Patrick Boggs
It’s bad enough that we have straight people bashing us, I am looking at you Kirk Cameron. But to have this kind of hate coming from one of our own? This is enough. I have had it with this site. Done. Never to return.
Adam
at the risk of being redundant, i’m going to have to join the rest of the readers in sounding off on my disapproval of how this article was handled. Insensitive, disrespectful, and minimal empathy. Doesn’t it ultimately serve the queer community best if we talk about all people with respect and compassion?
rhenaiya
For the headline, I’d like to just say “Tranny” is a slur and I expect better from this site.
GREG
I have now removed your site from my RSS reader. Your headline is vulgar, disrespectful, and hurtful.
Saywhatnow?
I would like to ask Queerty to redeem themselves and let Dan Avery go as one of there writers. I’m also posting this article on Facebook… only to let other friends know what kind of transphobic garbage your site is allowing to be posted. I can’t come back to Queerty without some kind of apology to the trans community. This headline is absolutely disgusting!!!
Sid
Someone could write an article whose headline called Queerty a site for “cocksucking fags”. It would not be untrue, but it would be exceptionally insensitive and inappropriate. That’s what Queerty just did to this poor former nanny. Queerty, you know better than that.
CBRad
Oh…stop your lofty criticism, folks. It’s Queerty being Queerty. And all of you saying you’ll never come back- you will.
Eric Auerbach
“Tranny ho” sounds endearing. I’d totally hang out with a tranny ho.
Rachel
I’m also a little shocked at the title… :/ Fuck hate…
Charlie in Charge
Wait what? Not only do you use the much contested word “Tranny” to describe a woman you seem (from the tone of the article) to respect but you add “ho.” Not ok.
fk u
fuck this blog….boycot
DenverBarbie
Just playing the Devil’s Advocate here- might all of you consider that this is not mocking trans* people, but is instead jabbing at the language and bigotry of those on the right (including, of course, The Daily Mail)? I’ve certainly heard words that are the equivalent of “ho” thrown around by a particular conservative radio talk show host recently, and I wouldn’t be too surprised to hear “tranny” mumbled by Tea Party leaders (the hostility towards LGBT people is already more hurtful than any slur). Queerty is only insulting those who would try to turn this story into something salacious.
Eric Auerbach
@Charlie in Charge: I get the “tranny” part, I guess, but what’s wrong with “ho”? A trans woman can totally be a ho. Believe me.
maki
wow ANOTHER GAY MAN or whoever made this article title who segregates TRANSSEXUALS and give us this slur and actually called us a HO…..seriously…..we never called u a FAGGOT……why call us this….we TRANNY u call is more productive and more brave than u are…this queen is nothing but a mess….why are u even writing an article….go on grindr where ur good at…..or better yet watch brent corrigan and pierre fitch all day…if ur workin for equality……girl u better do ur transsexual 101 im tired of all this gay queens straight acting segregating transsexuals like we dont exist!
maki
do u think we are happy that we are not given any job… PROPER JOB….u think we are happy that our own community segregates us….u think wer happy living our lives in segregation and misconceptions that we are either freaks or prostitutes….u really think we are happy that many trans woman are forced to work on streets because we are discriminated even before they see us….or when we look very passable as a woman and they see our male papers we get rejected even if we are qualified on our job….u think we are happy that many other ts are still beaten coz of using the females bathroom-…..i read queerty coz of being updated for gay news and what i can do to the LGBT COMMUNITY….not get mocked and insulted by a QUEEN WHO WRITES THIS ARTICLE THAT SEEMS TO HAVE A BLUE BALLS AT THE MOMENT COZ NO ONE WANNA HOOK HIS OLD ASS UP ON GRINDR
maki
@Eric Auerbach: really???? yah better be a ho then sumone like u are who just sleeps with anyone with a dong….even if its a horse….QUEEN
R.A.
I suppose to be politically correct, the title could have read “Obama’s Nanny Was a Transgendered Sex-Worker,” but that really doesn’t convey the Republican Party’s contempt for the LGBT community and our President’s race – which is the point.
maki
@Saywhatnow?: also would post this article and spread how hatefull this writer is against transgendered people….ITS LGBT QUEEN NOT LGB!!!
Eric Auerbach
@maki: So there are no promiscuous trans women? Guess I learned something today.
JayKay
God damn, normally it takes a post from me to inspire this much liberal butthurt.
R.A.
The AP article is beautifully written.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-03-05/obama-transgender-nanny/53372092/1
Dan Avery- Drug Addled Faggot
@JayKay: Shut up faggot.
Dr. Dick
Ok, I’m really hard to offend, and I can even understand you guys mocking the extreme titles of UK tabloids, but even I find this a little much. You had to know that you would hurt more feelings than inspire chuckles, Dan. And while ALL of my (mtf) trans friends use the term “tranny”, this might be one we should keep to ourselves, when it is deemed appropriate by the context of the speaker/listener situation. A similar issue I see is the use of the term-of-endearment “nigga” by those not of black descent. I’m black, and lots of my non-black friends who grew up in hiphop culture say “nigga” all the time, because there is an understanding, a subcultural codeword NOT considered “PC” by mainstream culture. Just my 1 cent
Mr. Robertson
@DanAvery Transphobic QUEEN: Yeah, Maki. That seems like a completely levelheaded response. I will definitely take your opinions seriously from now on.
wc1
Why don’t y’all take ‘tranny” back like us queers did with “queer”?
DanAvery Transphobic QUEEN
@wc1: well thats u accepting that not us!!!
Mykell
Queerty: Has a clear agenda. That transphobic one.
Jakey
Ugh, the Daily Fail should be banned from ever doing a story about a transgendered person ever again. They’re always disgusting and revel in ignorance anyway, but something about this subject really brings out the worst in them. Scare quotes around her name because it’s a lady’s name? Check. Confused slurry of contradictory terms describing her? Check. Mock-amazed sideshow barker phrases like “…who believes she is really a woman” redundantly inserted whenever possible? Check. Using the word “drag” to describe someone dressing in clothing appropriate for their actual gender? Check.
And I agree, Queerty, this headline sucks. What were you thinking.
hoho
It’s time to take the T out of LBGT. I’ve never understood why it was there anyway. Unless a trans person is attracted to someone of the same sex they’re straight. We have nothing in common otherwise.
It would probably be best for everyone if we just parted ways, that way trans people can get the kind of advocates they think represent them best with out getting intertwined with all the LBG business.
LandStander
Wow, what is up with the title of this article? That could have been worded much better…
Also, “Barack” is missing a “c” in this articles url…..
Jay
A “tranny ho,” really Queerty?
Jaime
@hoho
Agreed. 100%.
DanAvery Transphobic QUEEN02
http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/03/queerty-racism-and-transphobia-on.html read that the blog is for this TRANSPHOBIC POST OF U B****
LittleKiwi
apologies to the trans communities for the insensitivity from the collection of semi-closeted insecure gay wimps who mock you in a pathetic attempt to justify their own cowardly lives.
truly.
i’ll stand with my trans brothers and sisters in solidarity and pride.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJom6vyRtQc&feature=related
CBRad
You know….all of you folks supposedly offended by the “tranny ho” headline of Queerty should just boycot this site. And….really…don’t come back. There are other blogs.
Misty
thats sad to see, and I’m glad to see comments speaking out against it. I just wish more of the same was done with racism.
DanAvery Transphobic QUEEN02
@LittleKiwi: thank u….amazing video i put on my facebook page
kathy
@hamoboy:
Speaking of not to bright, she might be katoey if she came from Thailand – not Indonesia.
Dan? Really? In the same week Limbaugh is being called out on his offensive nonsense? Does this shop want to lose it’s few advertisers?
Not the brightest move for someone who desires employment in any community related entity. But I do look forward to your explanationof this in your next job interview.
Cathy Brennan
This headline is embarrassin and not nice.
Cathy Brennan
Also, boys. Please stop being misogynistic. My vagina thanks you!
Camille Hopkins
WTF! What a disrespectful headline. You gay boys are still acting like bunch immature teens again. Grow up and learn to frame a new story with a little decency. Or am I asking too much?
Crash2Parties
@DenverBarbie: So, Queerty is actually mocking Dan Savage?
Indi Edwards
this is gay media, you are seriously out of line.G THANKS GAY MEDIA
this is so yuk, it should be pulled and you should be sacked.
what an asshole
Indi Edwards
second read, this is just so offensive, unforgivable.
Indi Edwards
how do you FLAG an article?
Indi Edwards
@Saywhatnow?: agreed, I am going viral with this.
Indi Edwards
@fk u: BOYCOTT
Brooke Sullivan
Your pathetic attempt to get more clicks has worked at the cost of transwoman. Usually a easy thing for someone with no personal ethics to do is slander a minority, just to have people re read a short bigotted article from a supposedly supportive community. Enough with anyone who is not trans saying we should take back the “T” word, it is offensive degrading word. It is only reinforcing stereotypes with throwing ho aftee it…maybe a good journalist would have covered why so many transwoman are in sex work due to the inablilty to find employment, or safe employment( I am not one of those girls). Or how 68% of our own american trans population is unemployeed if they are out. How 41% of the youth in the trans poplation are homeless because of effects of nationwide discrimination, that people like you are fueling with headlines like yours. Try respecting everyone if you are a person with the power to reach many people with your words….
zoebuggie
That headline could not have been an accident, no one in the media can be that ignorant.
Prejudice is Prejudice is Prejudice. BOYCOTT.
paula-transwarrior
It’s alright girls.. we can just boycott them and ignore their site.. after all, they are justr a bunch of dirty perverted child predator dirty aids fuckers ain’t they/
Christin Milloy
This headline is totally unacceptable. Queer media should be held to a higher standard than MSM, this is just shameful – a total disgrace.
Christin Scarlett Milloy
Indi X Edwards Roughsedge
@paula-transwarrior: lol
Zythyra
Time to fire your sensationalistic headline writer, Queerty! Unless you actually like offending your trans readers…
Amber Anne Powell
I am a proud trans woman. Queerty is a nothing place, inhabited by gay cowarsds. But, they do not represent the views of all gay men, Dan Avery is one of them. Very brave to insult people when they have no ability to retaliate. Interesting to read Queerty’s comment policy – no personal attacks – but they allow very personal attacks so long as it is one of their treasured and protected own. Sad, I have never even read a queerty post before and I will never bother again.
Stephen Ira
This is shameful. It reminds me of the way fourteen-year-old boys who’ve just come out into conservative communities try to play the queer catty minstrel and throw their comrades under the bus by using slurs like “tranny,” except that this was presumably written by adults.
Change it. You are humiliating yourselves in public.
Mo
Disgusting. If you’re going to throw “tranny” around in your articles, go ahead and take the “T” out of your blog description so trans people KNOW y’all are not allies. Transphobic language has no place here.
Justyn Levesque
I am sick to DEATH of gay transphobia. What gives you the right?
Ira Gray
There’s this huge divide between the LGB and T communities where “gay” safe spaces are not also safe for trans* people. The trans* allies in the community are often shocked by this, but it’s true. The majority of cissexism I ever face comes from the LGB community. The headline of this article uniquely marginalizes trans women. The T word is still a slur in common use. It’s not for the writers of Queerty to reclaim at all. In terms of agenda, it’s clear to me that the agenda is that of rich, white, cisgender, gay men, AKA the notorious gay agenda which continuously excludes trans* people, genderbenders, people of color, etc. The only thing that is even remotely positive about this article is the display of solidarity for trans women and other CAMAB trans* folks.
Devin Hellfire
This is ridiculous! HOW does it benefit the GLBTQ Community by writing this obscenely offensive article slamming the president, the nanny and the trans community? How ignorant are you?
Amber Anne Powell
Well, this is the thing. Gay media, in general, holds itself to lower standards than the mainstream outlets. After all, the poor persecuted gay men have such a hard time of things. Which of course gives them the right to say or do anything they please. Does anyone think CBC or CBS would use the words “tranny ho”? The truth that we dont often talk about is that the worst transphobia comes consistently from the community of gay men. It is most persistent and open amongst that group of people. Perhaps these gay cave men who whine and cry about their hard little lives should do some soul searching. Perhaps they dont get treated very well because they dont deserve it. Perhaps they are penis-centric, mysoginistic, transphobic, haters, not all by any means, but perhpas it is common and accepted. Perhaps when they go to their gay bars, gay meetings and each others gay homes things arent so gay at all.
Amber Anne Powell
Perhaps this will add to the discussion. This is from a site for intersex people. Written by an intersex person. Pretty much how transsexuals feel.
Sadly, such alienation and rejection is not confined to the heterosexual community. Many queer identifying Intersexed people have reported instances of rejection and alienation within their Queer communities, and therefore have subsequently chosen to conceal their Intersex states because of these disempowering encounters. Such people sought acceptance, solidarity, community and support from the various groups within their Queer Communities, but have only found loneliness and rejection. Unfortunately, it seems that unless a queer identifying Intersexed person either conforms to certain gay stereo-typed ideals, or they present themselves as some kind of mythical exotic hermaphrodite or androgynous stage performing Diva, today much of the resistance to Intersex acceptance seems to be coming from the Queer Community itself. And because we are unable to satisfy the fantasies and conform to these unrealistic ideals, we are therefore rendered invisible and silenced in the very community which should be giving us a voice
taylor
This kind of language is not funny or acceptable. Way to keep that T silent, guys. I hate it when it’s the. Lgb community pulling garbage like this. It’s really vile.
Alexander T. Fabulous
No, the worst part of this sad saga is your shaming sex workers and ignorant use of a SLUR in your headline. Both of my Republican, conservative Christian parents know better than to call anyone a tr*nny OR a ho. Call yourselves Queer? You don’t even know what Queer is. Apparently the gay agenda mentioned in your website’s header is to assimilate into mainstream heteronormative culture and join them in oppressing those of us who are ~too~ Queer.
Indi X Edwards Roughsedge
@Devin Hellfire: obviously on a level i cant understand???
Indi X Edwards Roughsedge
so wtf are you doing QUEERTY nothing? You know if you had done nothing to start with. We wouldn’t be here. But hey dont let us deter you from your business of the day.
Seriously pull the butt plugs out of your ears and start addressing this issue.
Kitchen Wych
This is an incredibly transphobic article. How can you claim to speak for queer issues when you’re pushing an agenda of misinformation and hatred towards our trans/intersexed sisters and brothers? And how about sex-workers? Ho?? Really? I can’t wait to hear how you describe men and women of colour. That you would confuse gender identity with sexual orientation is laughable. This article is more offensive than the ones written by the christian right. If that’s what you’re going for, awesome job.
Sincerely, one very pissed off Pagan Dyke.
Amber Anne Powell
Dear Kithen Wych
Thank-you for your post. I generally feel disliked by those who identify as you do. It is nice to know, that my personal prejudices need challenging and reading your post really made me feel happy. Please encourage others to get this offensive post deleted. Its not right.
Indi X Edwards Roughsedge
see this what the gay community does when there is a drama that doesnt effect them. They stick their god damned heads in the sand because they think in time we will go away. NEWS FLASH QUEERTY, YOU NEED TO DEAL WITH IT.
We have a little army of hactivists and they are getting bored.
hactivists, bored, you do the math.
Fix it or “they” will do it for you.
Stephanie
I personally demand an apology. I am disgusted with the LGB communities who fight for equal right for all; accept transsexual.What happened to lgbT? After rising from oppression (by the way, I think the trans community was involved in the fight), the LGB groups decide they are better off without us and discard us, such as they were at one time. Talking about a bunch of hypocritical termites. I would rather refrain from hostile comments but it just intrigues me on how you can dismiss the very people who also fought for equality. What is your problem? I would say this is an all time low, but you guys have been segregating us for some time. Maybe, just maybe… I should take what I know and petition against your rights. Strip you of rights that I also, helped you obtain. The truth is, LGB groups don’t understand transsexuals either. You used us to help fight your battle for equality, the you kicked us to the curb. Why? Someone give me a plausable reason why other than hipocracy. Disgusted. Absolutely disgusted. I’m finished helping people who down grade me and dismiss me. Luckily enough, I blend into society quite well, I pay taxes and I contribute the the well being of society, just as you (or so you say, this ad doesn’t depict that). Some are not so lucky and need help with equality. Show a little more respect for ALL your brothers and sisters. Be a man. Be a Woman. Be Real. Stop the hipocracy, stop the hate, stop the denial. STOP STOP STOP!
Indi X Edwards Roughsedge
astoundingly horrible fucked gay men run queerty
they are not good people they are fucked
they feed the HATE MACHINE and re enforce the VIOLENCE that trans people FACE DAILY.
PETITION NOW
Indi X Edwards Roughsedge
I will collect all these awesome replies and the notable absence of any explanation or apology.
TIME TO TAKE OUT THE FILTH ->QUEERTY
Indi X Edwards Roughsedge
so how do you want to construct this petition, we can make it go viral thats no problem. How do we want to present this petition? Should we call for sacking and an apology? Should we just stomp them, like they stomp us?
Either way this isnt acceptable and there is always a price and accountability.
Its too late to reply QUEERTY, this has already started.
lets not suffer fools any-more, lets take these fools out.
Indi X Edwards Roughsedge
what we want: Our Demands are simple.
DAN AVERY <- sack him, we wont negotiate on this first demand.
an apology and a promise by QUEERTY to show journalistic responsibly and accountability when reporting on "our" community.
we wont negotiate on this second demand
a full apology article by the editor of Queerty
actually none of this is negotiable. Negotiable is for people who come to the table.
Amber Anne Powell
@Indi – yes to everything you said. Queerty it seems, wont even post my comments.
Amber Anne Powell
I just visited Mr. Avrry’s personal web site. What a vile person he is. The queer equivalent of Rush Limbaugh. Truly ignorant. This is coped from his blog – what he says about himself:
“Here’s what I’m most proud of: when my future mother-in-law asked Norm to tell her something about me he said, “I’ve known Dan for over twenty years and he’s never once lied to me.””
You see Dan, telling the truth is a good quality. What you didnt understand is that your future mother-in-law was saying, nicely, that you are a foul mouthed ignorant jerk. That she is actually ashamed of you. If you knew anything about women you would get it.
Scarlet
This is absolutely disgusting and deplorable. As a trans woman who is still living in the closet and coming to grips with the years I’ve wasted trying to be something I’m not, this article only further shows me the hardships that I will face as a person for simply being me.
Just today, I was hesitant to leave my home in clothes that I identify with because of fear of reactions that STRAIGHT, close-minded, intolerant, assholes might have towards me. Now, I return home to find this from the community of people that I am SUPPOSED to identify with?
I am a human being. I deserve to exist in peace as long as I don’t harm others. Why is this such a difficult concept for humanity to understand?
Who cares whether I THINK I’m woman or not? What harm does thinking or knowing do to anyone if those thoughts or knowledge doesn’t affect others?
Your article has made me hate my closet even more. Despise the lies that I’m forced to cover myself with everyday when I get up and leave my home. I feel such pain and sadness knowing that someone on the edge may read this and lose all hope. Feeling that even the group of people with which they are supposed to have support from does not understand or even respect them.
I hope when you close your eyes to go to sleep at night, you see the guns pointed at the heads of all those who have lost hope. The nooses that dangle waiting for the necks of those that live in the closet that will know become their final resting place. The bottles of pills and knives sitting on dressers next to the boys/girls/men/women who only want to be themselves.
Sleep tight.
Tricia Black
This is not journalism it is a blatant example of the type of transphobia which one would expect from FOX news or some such not a website which claims to be LGBT. It is disgusting and unacceptable and you should retract this article or amend it so that it does not completely alienate and insult the trans community. If you are what you say you are “Free of an Agenda” then you will also issue an public apology to the trans community and refrain from slandering Transfolk in all future reporting. Didn’t your mother ever teach you “if you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all”. Is it really worth insulting and maligning the trans community to write an article like this? Shame on you.
Meri Justus
WTF!!!!!!!
why does it even matter who his nanny was way back then????
this is just plain stupidity!!!!!!!!
indi.anna
https://www.change.org/petitions/tell-queerty-to-stop-transphobic-reporting-now
indi.anna
http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-transphobic-misogynist-articles
apparently there is 2 petitions, wow. What about that.
done both
Kristin A
DenverBarbie I have to agree with you… the title seems to be purely satirizing the awful treatmeant of (us) trans people by UK and indeed anywhere’s tabloids.
Alex
Tasteless, stupid, insensitive and privileged crap.
Remember folks! You too can be just like the white middle class straights at the top of the privilege ladder by bashing anyone below you! It’s easy! Just pick any minority group below you and bash away! You’ve *earned* that right! You suffered enough bigotry for years, now it’s *your* turn to dish it out! Go for it! Don’t listen to those folks that say “we’re all in this together!” They’re just being boring old fuddy duddies with no sense of humour! Bigotry is FUN when you’re dishing it out! Come on! Now that you’ve achieved some social leverage USE IT like you’ve always wanted!
JohnnyFox
Pretty terrible journalism all round on the part of the Daily Mail AND Qweerty – but if I have my trans facts in order, ‘Evie’ decided to live life as a man, but is now reportedly working as a ‘laundress’. ‘Laundryman’, surely? Unless he has reverted to female?
indi.anna
Thankyou Dan and QUEERTY for doing the right thing. Maybe a public apology is in order just to set things into a positive light.
Also the other article with kayne West please.
Scarlet
I’m happy to see that this title was changed. Sensationalism is great when it isn’t in the form of degradation of others. Thank you for doing the right thing.
Antstorm
Disgusting I work hard for gay rights , so do others, and then a blog no better than trash tabloids stoops to this level Shame Shame Shame , hang your heads in disgust !