Mike Penner
1957–2009
On April 26, 2007, Los Angeles Times readers were jolted by an essay in the paper’s sports section titled “Old Mike, New Christine.” The author, veteran sportswriter Mike Penner, announced that when he returned from a few weeks’ vacation, it would be as a woman named Christine Daniels. “It has taken more than 40 years, a million tears, and hundreds of hours of soul-wrenching therapy for me to work up the courage to type those words,” he announced. While some readers criticized Penner, many supported him, and his decision drew national attention to transgender issues.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Penner grew up in Inglewood, Calif., and graduated from Cal State Fullerton, said the Los Angeles Times. He joined the Times in 1983, covering “the Olympics, the Angels, World Cup soccer, tennis, sports media, and a variety of other assignments.” All the while, he harbored a secret. “From the age of 4 or 5, I expressed to cousins that I would like to be a girl,” Penner recalled. “For 20 years, I was closeted. I would dress once a month, twice a month.” In 2007, when he came out to his boss, sports editor Randy Harvey, Harvey replied, “Well, no one can ever say we don’t have diversity on this staff.”
Penner began writing as Christine Daniels that May, said the Associated Press. Besides his regular column, he wrote a blog called “Woman in Transition.” Though he briefly became a celebrity in transgender circles, Penner revealed few details about his decision. “At the time of his announcement he was married, and he declined to discuss his family situation. He said he was undergoing female hormone treatments, but declined to say whether he planned to undergo a sex-change operation.” Eventually, Penner stopped writing his blog and in October 2008 resumed writing under his old name.
Although the Los Angeles County coroner’s office has not yet determined an official cause of death, colleagues said it was an apparent suicide.
-
Savages: a tragi-comedy set in a 'quirky handcrafted world'The Week Recommends This new animated film by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Claude Barras is undeniably political, but it has a hopeful message
-
Why 'faceless bots' are interviewing job huntersIn The Spotlight Artificial intelligence is taking over a crucial part of recruitment
-
Who will win the battle for the soul of the Green Party?An ideological divide is taking root among the environmentalists
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dadIn the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
Brian Wilson: the troubled genius who powered the Beach BoysFeature The musical giant passed away at 82
-
Sly Stone: The funk-rock visionary who became an addict and recluseFeature Stone, an eccentric whose songs of uplift were tempered by darker themes of struggle and disillusionment, had a fall as steep as his rise
-
Mario Vargas Llosa: The novelist who lectured Latin AmericaFeature The Peruvian novelist wove tales of political corruption and moral compromise
-
Dame Maggie Smith: an intensely private national treasureIn the Spotlight Her mother told her she didn't have the looks to be an actor, but Smith went on to win awards and capture hearts
-
James Earl Jones: classically trained actor who gave a voice to Darth VaderIn the Spotlight One of the most respected actors of his generation, Jones overcame a childhood stutter to become a 'towering' presence on stage and screen
-
Michael Mosley obituary: television doctor whose work changed thousands of livesIn the Spotlight TV doctor was known for his popularisation of the 5:2 diet and his cheerful willingness to use himself as a guinea pig
-
Morgan Spurlock: the filmmaker who shone a spotlight on McDonald'sIn the Spotlight Spurlock rose to fame for his controversial documentary Super Size Me
