LA TIMES SPORTSWRITER ADMITS TO BEING TRANSSEXUAL: Longtime LOS ANGELES TIMES sportswriter Mike Penner has an announcement to make today.

You can call now call him “Christine“.

Penner announced in the newspaper Thursday that he is a transsexual and “is taking a few weeks’ vacation” to complete his gender reassignment therapy “and when I return, I will come back in yet another incarnation. … As Christine.”

Penner notes that he will continue his work at the paper and change his byline to “Christine Daniels“.

Much more interesting (at least to me) is the way the newspaper handled the story on its website. On the front page (above), Penner’s admission was the only sports-related story.

But in the sports section of the site, Penner’s piece was buried, with his column the fourth story down the sports page (below an Anaheim Ducks game recap?!).

UPDATE: As noted by Deadspin and SportsJournalists.com, Penner was married to fellow Times sportswriter Lisa Dillman. SbB has learned they are now getting a divorce (I know, not exactly a newsbreaker).