Los Angeles Times sports journalist Mike Penner surprised many by announcing his transsexuality in an article in which he said goodbye to readers as a man and introduced his new identity, Chirstine. She has been a reporter for the newspaper for over 23 years and has now decided to take a vacation to complete the sex change process. “Today, I travel for a few weeks, and when I return, I will return in another incarnation, as Christine,” he wrote. “I'm a transgender sports reporter. It took over 40 years, a million tears and hundreds of hours of therapy for me to have the courage to write these words,” Chirstine explained. She further stated that she understands that transsexuality is a widely misunderstood medical condition, but it is a natural occurrence, “rare, but natural”. “Recent studies have shown that psychological factors such as hormonal and genetic fluctuations during pregnancy can significantly affect the way our brain works,” she highlighted. Christine talked about the moment her boss at the newspaper received the news and his reaction: “he looked around the office and said 'Well, no one can say we don't have diversity on our team'”. The newest sports journalist concluded the article by guaranteeing that she will continue to cover and enjoy sports. “I still love football, I will continue to watch football.”
