The Associated Press on Monday posted, then deleted, a tweet linking to a story about transgender woman Caitlyn Jenner.
“Bruce Jenner makes his debut as a transgender woman in a va-va-voom cover for the July issue of Vanity Fair,” the tweet read.
The @AP and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Tweet pic.twitter.com/dvNgGPh1Bs
— Evan Neubauer (@EvanNeubauer) June 1, 2015
The tweet prompted instant backlash on social media:
@AP I think you should try this article again
— k (@maniceratops) June 1, 2015
@AP Come on, guys. Get updated. She transitioned. You don't call women "him" or "he." #callmecaitlyn
— VBT (@naughtygaygent) June 1, 2015
Her name is Caitlyn, @AP. It's literally right there on the cover. https://t.co/9oXHdmTX9m
— Meagan Tomorrow (@itsmeagan) June 1, 2015
@AP oh come on her name is on the fucking cover
— Alex Hern (@alexhern) June 1, 2015
The AP’s revised tweet eschews the male pronoun:
Bruce Jenner makes debut as a transgender woman in a va-va-voom cover for the July issue of Vanity Fair: http://t.co/YZ9m8Vg7go
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 1, 2015
The Associated Press stylebook dictates that news organizations use the pronoun preferred by the individual being described:
Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.
In an April interview with Diane Sawyer, Jenner asked to be referred to using male pronouns. Vanity Fair’s story uses female pronouns to describe Caitlyn Jenner, an indicator of her pronoun preference.
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