The sad news about irreverent but incredibly charming talk show host Jerry Springer and his untimely passing has everyone reminiscing on just what a great man he was. Case in point – there’s a viral video going around showing Springer talking about the importance of supporting transgender people, and it’s from 1993. Suffice to say, Springer was way ahead of his time.
The clip is from one of Springer’s “Final Thought” segments that would air at the end of the show. He would use the time to talk about important issues of the day or share his views on cultural or current events. In this monologue, he clearly and thoughtfully laid out the case for loving everyone, regardless of their body or beliefs.
The clip starts out with Springer asking questions. “What if despite the appendages to my body, in my mind I felt like and believed I was really a woman? Should a body part dictate who I am, what I am?”
These are pertinent questions today but incredibly cutting-edge for the early ’90s. Remember, this is before the internet. There was TV and cable, and that was it. No one was really talking about this stuff in a serious way — not to the mass media anyway.
Here’s where he makes a pretty good point about being a trans person. Say what you will about Springer, the man knew how to put together a cogent argument.
“If a baby’s born with a defective heart, liver, or blind or without a limb, we embrace the infant – love him or her. Hold a telethon and do whatever it takes to bring comfort. We don’t say, ‘Too bad, that’s what God intended — let’s not correct the problem,’ and hate the kid for trying to fix the defect.”
Here’s where he drives it home. “Then why do we get so upset if the defect relates to gender?” If someone has a body part that doesn’t reflect who they are, he said, then “why can’t they fix that? … Maybe the point here is not to judge a person until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes. Even if they are high-heeled.”
It was this kind of attitude that led Springer to have guests of all varieties of life on his show. It didn’t matter, he didn’t discriminate. He saw the value in everyone. On the surface, his show seemed to just be one big circus. But underneath was a man who truly cared about his fellow beings, and wanted acceptance for all.
R.I.P. Springer. You were a great man, and we were lucky to have you.