Penner began her journalism career at the
Anaheim Bulletin as a writer and sports editor. Penner lived and wrote as Christine Daniels for more than a year, continuing to document his own experience with gender transition in the
LA Times' blog "Woman in Progress." Daniels' writing became a source of hope for people across the country with gender-identity issues. Shortly after her 50th birthday, Penner/Daniels went to a studio of photographer Robert Maxwell for a Vanity Fair piece. Transgender friends stated Maxwell had tried to sex Penner/Daniels up and pushed Penner/Daniels to pose provocatively. Traumatized, Penner/Daniels wrote a letter asking Vanity Fair to kill the piece. Penner moved in later that summer with transgender friend Amy LaCoe. LaCoe counseled Penner before her transition to Daniels and was conflicted by Penner transitioning back. Penner tore up several notebooks she kept on transgender therapy, donated her clothes and jewelry, and ceased attempts to feminize herself. He then ordered friends to call her Mike again. Though it broke her heart, LaCoe didn't judge and helped her friend with the process. Penner repeatedly told friends her return to a male lifestyle was a last-ditch effort to reunite with Dillman, though she knew the odds were slim. Before coming out publicly, having to return to her male persona when leaving safe trans-affirming spaces would leave her incredibly distressed. Friends had noticed Penner was quiet and kept to herself previously as a man, but showed more joy and energy as Christine. Identifying as Mike again, Penner was "sullen, visibly depressed, and quiet." Later in 2008, Penner went to
Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) and privately confessed to the Rev. Neil Thomas: "Don't you ever believe that I've given up being Christine." Rev. Thomas later stated, "I knew exactly what he meant. Everything about his body, everything about his fabric, everything that made him human was still screaming, that had been screaming for 40 years, that got to the point of Mike transitioning to Christine." Penner "hoped returning to Mike could possibly lead to reconciliation with Lisa," Rev. Thomas added. Penner "loved Lisa. There was no doubt about it." Penner's brother John also told LaCoe "he had never seen his brother happier than in the heyday of his life as Christine." Diana, a friend who Penner had met in a transgender support group said "Christine died of a broken heart. She wasn't confused about whether she was meant to be a woman. Any other reading of the situation is disrespectful to her memory." Penner was a member of the
Times' sports staff at the time of her death. ==Personal life==