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Netflix's Tiger King Doc Misgendered Its Transgender Cast Member
Saff, the employee who's arm was mauled off by a tiger on camera, is transgender.
It's safe to say that Netflix's Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madnesshas taken the world by storm, and new details about the eclectic group of characters featured in the wild docu-series keep emerging every day.
The show follows the story of Joe Exotic, an eccentric big cat and private zoo owner who was sent to prison in 2019 for ordering a hitman to murder rival animal rights activist Carole Baskin. The docu-series has one twist and turn after another, keeping the audience on our toes with insane stories, shocking on-camera admissions and reveals, and jaw-dropping footage of the violent world of Big Cat care, including the tiger mauling of one loveable employee named Saff.
But according to Robert Moor, a reporter who created a podcast centering on Joe Exotic years before Netflix came along, Saff is actually a transgender man who uses he/him pronouns and was misgendered by the coworkers in the documentary, media in the Oklahoma area, and even Joe Exotic himself.
"A useful piece of info for anyone discussing the show," Moor began on Twitter. "Saff, the person who got mauled by the tiger, told me repeatedly that he is trans, prefers to be called Saff (not 'Kelci'), and uses he/him pronouns. So please do likewise."
In another tweet, Moor added, "It’s tricky, because all of the news broadcasts at the time, and most of the people at the zoo, use the wrong pronouns for Saff. (Joe was particularly bad about this.)"
\u201c8. (Not really \u201ctrivia,\u201d but a useful piece of info for anyone discussing the show): Saff, the person who got mauled by the tiger, told me repeatedly that he is trans, prefers to be called Saff (not \u201cKelci\u201d), and uses he/him pronouns. So please do likewise.\u201d— \ud835\udc11\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc1b\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc2b\ud835\udc2d \ud835\udc0c\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc2b (@\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc1b\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc2b\ud835\udc2d \ud835\udc0c\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc2b) 1584822190
Moor's illuminating thread is full of other bizarre tidbits about Joe Exoctic, including a string of arsons that seemed to target anyone who'd burned him, a bisexual strip club named "Tigers and Dreams" that almost was, and damning evidence from Joe's trial that might change the minds of people who think he was set up.
Click below to scroll through the thread:
\u201cTo anyone currently bingeing #tigerking on Netflix:\n\nI spent four years working on a podcast and a long magazine story about Joe and Carole. I spent a week living at the zoo. I\u2019ve spoken with almost everyone you\u2019re seeing in the doc, and I attended the trial. Ask me anything!\u201d— \ud835\udc11\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc1b\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc2b\ud835\udc2d \ud835\udc0c\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc2b (@\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc1b\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc2b\ud835\udc2d \ud835\udc0c\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc2b) 1584822190
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
