Brody's Notes... National Center for Transgender Equality Blasts Anderson Live Segment Labels It "Dangerous"

Anderson Cooper interview features dangerous and sensationalist claims about Trans people says Transgender equality rights group

Mara Keisling

By Brody Levesque | WASHINGTON -- In a segment scheduled to air Thursday, September 13, Anderson Live, hosted by openly gay veteran CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper will feature an exclusive interview with a person who claims an anti-baldness drug made them transgender.

In the publicity blurb on the show's website for the segment, the show's producers wrote:

"It's a story you'll see only on "Anderson Live": Mandi, who was born male, speaks out for the first time, claiming that a hair loss treatment caused him to become transgender. Mandi is joined by her ex-wife, Michele, who opens up about how Mandi's identity transformation has affected their son. How is this even possible? We will explore the latest research on Finasteride, the common compound found in most medical treatments used to treat male pattern baldness."

In response to the show's decision to air the segment, National Center for Transgender Equality Executive Director Mara Keisling said:

"All of us here at the National Center for Transgender Equality are surprised, saddened and disappointed that a respected show like Anderson Live would give credence to this type of sensationalism and misinformation. This segment is just another case of sensationalizing an already marginalized population plain and simple."

Keisling added, "In the past, Anderson Cooper and his team have earned a great deal of respect from trans people for their coverage of our issues. Tomorrow, they'll throw all of that away. Worst of all, they seem set on misinforming the public about the causality of trans identity."

In a phone call Wednesday evening with LGBTQNation, Keisling said that the NCTE had reached out to the show's producers and asked that the segment not be run, but according to her, the producers said that the segment would proceed as scheduled.
Cooper's other show, AC360 on CNN, airs a segment called "Keeping Them Honest," in which he addresses hypocrisy among public figures and elected officials on, among other things, critical lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.

Keisling is urging transgender advocates and allies to keep the journalist honest "about how this segment does real harm to real trans people."

"Anderson Cooper knows better than this. Anderson's team is better than this," she said.