The Mirror

Student Newspaper Nixes ‘Tranny’ Even In Dan Savage Quote

Betsy Rothstein Gossip blogger
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Look, if the word “Tranny” is good enough for Ru Paul and Law & Order: SVU‘s Ice-T, it’s certainly worthy of being in The Chicago Maroon, the student newspaper of the University of Chicago.

A recent visit from sex advice columnist Dan Savage and Institute of Politics Fellow Ana Marie Cox has prompted more than 1,000 students, many from the LGBTQ community, to sign a petition calling on the Institute to apologize for their use of the word “tranny.”

The event was an off-the-record talk featuring Savage.

In The Chicago Maroon, they explain what he said using only the letter “t” for the word “tranny” and “t–– ies” by Cox. 

Meanwhile, the story allows a young man who attended to go by the name “Hex.” No last name, mind you. Just “Hex.” Since when do newspapers allow people to invent names for themselves?

“Hex,” by the way, also prefers to go by the pronoun “it” as opposed to “he” or “she” — something the student newspaper also allows.

According to the Institute, Savage in no way directed “tranny” toward any of the students. In fact, he was “discussing how hurtful words can be repurposed and used to empower.”

When “Hex” asked Savage and Cox to instead use the term “T-Slur” (yes, seriously), Savage declined and named a whole slew of slurs.

In the aftermath, Cox said she was glad to have brought Savage there to speak. “His candidness and willingness to engage in taboo topics are among the reasons he has been able to make such a difference in so many lives,” she told  the newspaper.

A human being is not an “it.” Nor is it inappropriate to factually quote what someone says on most occasions. Tranny is just not up there with c–ksucker, motherf–ker or n—-r. Not yet, anyway. Even the NYT uses the “n word” written out in full form in certain instances like this one.

From The Chicago Maroon story:

“The incident occurred when, according to several sources, Savage and Cox began discussing his personal history as a gay man. According to a first-year student and member of the LGBTQ community who asked to be identified as Hex, Savage used the slur t—– as an example in an anecdote about reclaiming words. Cox then added, ‘I used to make jokes about t—-ies,’ audience members recounted.”