LA Times writer Mike Penner dead at 52

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Times sports writer Mike Penner, who revealed two years ago that he was transgender and changing his name to Christine Daniels, has died. He was 52.

The Associated Press reported that Penner was pronounced dead Nov. 27 at a hospital. Los Angeles County coroner’s Lt. Brian Elias said officials didn’t immediately issue an official cause of death.

In an article published Nov. 28, the Times said Penner was believed to have committed suicide. Penner last year resumed using the name Mike Penner and was a Times columnist at the time of his death.

The Associated Press reported that Times Editor Russ Stanton said Penner “respected our readers a great deal, enough to share with them his very personal journey.”

Penner revealed that journey April 26, 2007, when he wrote an article for the Times titled “Old Mike, New Christine,” in which he noted he would soon become Christine Daniels.

“I am a transsexual sports writer,” Penner wrote. “It has taken more than 40 years, a million tears and hundreds of hours of soul-wrenching therapy for me to work up the courage to type those words.”