First off, let me say that I think Caitlyn Jenner's story is groundbreaking and will undoubtedly help the transgender community in more ways than one. It takes a lot of courage to disregard whatever the media-dominated culture surrounding Caitlyn is saying and instead choose to embrace oneself for who they really feel that they are. I firmly believe that no one can tell anyone else what to think or how to think. Gender identity is an individual's choice, not society's.
At the same time, I'm worried for Caitlyn Jenner's reception once her story fully debuts and whether or not the hope she will inspire is false hope. Let me explain.
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When I first saw the Caitlyn Jenner pictures I was only days removed from seeing a substantial part of her famous interview; at the time, she still identified as Bruce. Only days later would I come across images from Vanity Fair's impending feature on the woman. As much as I had hoped to watch "the interview" in a timely fashion once it was first aired I simply didn't afford myself the time to do so. I can say the same for many State of the Union addresses I planned on watching live but missed. Same goes for plenty of NBA games to be quite honest. I just haven't had the time as working full time while completing a masters degree program made keeping up with the world difficult at times.
Regardless, I was completely and utterly shocked when I first saw images of Caitlyn Jenner...in a good way. I was happy for her. Living inside the shell of a man named Bruce must have been difficult...unfortunately there's no other word besides "difficult" I can think of to even try and encapsulate what Caitlyn must have felt, trapped in a man's body for so long. All I know is I'm sure "difficult" doesn't even begin to describe the feeling.
Not only was I happy for Caitlyn but I was also happy for the transgender community and its supporters. No matter what, Caitlyn will likely become a figure to rally. If not, I'm sure she'll at least help shape public perception on what it means to identify as transitioning, transgender, or more plainly as a gender different from what society dictates. Bear in mind, this is being written with only a semester's focus on the transgender community thanks to my higher ed program. I'm not as informed as I'd like to be but I consider myself more informed than most.
I have a lot of respect for someone who strives to be who they want to be. We live in a time where that's not trendy. Some think it's better to buy clothes from the same store as your friends, wear the same shoes, read the same books rather than to be yourself. It's crazy to think how nonconforming it is to be an individual these days. In this respect, Caitlyn is pushing progress forth.
"Transgender" is an idea new to most simply because people think gender identity is static. It's not. Remember, society hasn't always been inviting of individuals that go against what we deem "normal"(ex. Miley Cyrus, Dennis Rodman, etc.). I read a great article from 2011 written by Kelly A. Carter for one of my higher education classes on the issue of working towards acceptance of transgender individuals on college campuses. Unfortunately I cannot seem to find my copy of the article but what I was able to access were my notes.
Carter suggests that many people have only formed opinions on transgender individuals after taking in what's on the movie screen; specifically, she references the use of Robin William's faux-transgender character in “Mrs. Doubtfire” and "Buffalo Bill" from "The Silence of the Lambs" (n.d.). In neither case are these individuals representative of transgender individuals in society, the former character being for comedy and the latter for horror and suspense. These personas are hardly realistic yet it's really all the media-consuming public has had to go on. In this regard, Caitlyn Jenner essentially represents a "win" for the transgender community as those who do not understand the community now have a newer, more public and prominent figure to learn from.
Perhaps in this light Caitlyn Jenner can only be viewed as a positive figure. She has the power to now help steer the conversation on acceptance of transgender individuals in society towards progression.
I only have two issues, none of which towards Caitlyn Jenner personally but rather others' impression of her. Not "issues" really in the traditional sense but rather a couple of points that inspire me to write this piece in the first place.
One. I'm disappointed in media outlets like HLN who covered the Vanity Fair cover release with headlines such as "#CallMyCaitlyn: Bruce Jenner is now a woman!", well...wrong. Caitlyn Jenner has been a woman for a long time, This only speaks to the media's, as well as society's, misunderstanding of the transgender community or those who are transitioning physically from one gender to another. Like I said earlier, gender identity is something that no one can take away from you; it's fluid, not static. Your gender is your own decision. Caitlyn--formerly Bruce--Jenner has been a woman for as long as she has wished to be. In fact, less than five minutes into his two hour interview with Diane Sawyer, then-Bruce proclaimed that he was now a woman. So HLN...you're a lil late on this one.
Two. This will undoubtedly be an unpopular opinion BUT, here goes. Can Caitlyn Jenner represent the transgender community as well as people think? My only concern is how seamless her transition has appeared (note: "appeared", of course I have no idea how it actually went, I'm going by what I've seen with my own eyes which has been very little). For others, I'm not sure this transition is as easy without the financial ability and support that the Jenner family warrants through their fame and public personas. After all, Caitlyn Jenner looks like a completely different person than before! Will this be as attainable by others elsewhere without the same monetary access to the best of the best doctors and an unbelievable amount of public support?
Believe me, having spent much of my grown up life on college campuses between Connecticut and Alabama, I can tell you firsthand that not every part of the country may be as welcoming to someone embracing who they truly are. All I'm trying to say is, we must temper our expectations of how easy it will be for people to embrace who they really are following more discussion of Caitlyn Jenner's journey which we will eventually be privy to.
Again, no matter what, Caitlyn Jenner symbolizes a win for many communities within society. I have already read stories of how others have been more inspired to embrace who they really are following Caitlyn Jenner's final major appearance as Bruce during the interview with Diane Sawyer. Even since, the first images of Caitlyn have also given those in a similar situation hope that they can maybe achieve what Caitlyn has too.
I only wish all of society could be as welcoming of Caitlyn as I and many of my friends are. I hope society is becoming more enlightened to the needs and journey of individuals who identity as transgender. More exposure to this community has largely been through my studies but I encourage everyone to read an article or two and learn something! You don't have to march to become an ally; however you can become an ally for someone by simply by reading some informative articles and considering how being more open-minded may be conducive to a happier well-being for all.
Carter suggests that many people have only formed opinions on transgender individuals after taking in what's on the movie screen; specifically, she references the use of Robin William's faux-transgender character in “Mrs. Doubtfire” and "Buffalo Bill" from "The Silence of the Lambs" (n.d.). In neither case are these individuals representative of transgender individuals in society, the former character being for comedy and the latter for horror and suspense. These personas are hardly realistic yet it's really all the media-consuming public has had to go on. In this regard, Caitlyn Jenner essentially represents a "win" for the transgender community as those who do not understand the community now have a newer, more public and prominent figure to learn from.
Perhaps in this light Caitlyn Jenner can only be viewed as a positive figure. She has the power to now help steer the conversation on acceptance of transgender individuals in society towards progression.
***
I only have two issues, none of which towards Caitlyn Jenner personally but rather others' impression of her. Not "issues" really in the traditional sense but rather a couple of points that inspire me to write this piece in the first place.
One. I'm disappointed in media outlets like HLN who covered the Vanity Fair cover release with headlines such as "#CallMyCaitlyn: Bruce Jenner is now a woman!", well...wrong. Caitlyn Jenner has been a woman for a long time, This only speaks to the media's, as well as society's, misunderstanding of the transgender community or those who are transitioning physically from one gender to another. Like I said earlier, gender identity is something that no one can take away from you; it's fluid, not static. Your gender is your own decision. Caitlyn--formerly Bruce--Jenner has been a woman for as long as she has wished to be. In fact, less than five minutes into his two hour interview with Diane Sawyer, then-Bruce proclaimed that he was now a woman. So HLN...you're a lil late on this one.
Two. This will undoubtedly be an unpopular opinion BUT, here goes. Can Caitlyn Jenner represent the transgender community as well as people think? My only concern is how seamless her transition has appeared (note: "appeared", of course I have no idea how it actually went, I'm going by what I've seen with my own eyes which has been very little). For others, I'm not sure this transition is as easy without the financial ability and support that the Jenner family warrants through their fame and public personas. After all, Caitlyn Jenner looks like a completely different person than before! Will this be as attainable by others elsewhere without the same monetary access to the best of the best doctors and an unbelievable amount of public support?
Believe me, having spent much of my grown up life on college campuses between Connecticut and Alabama, I can tell you firsthand that not every part of the country may be as welcoming to someone embracing who they truly are. All I'm trying to say is, we must temper our expectations of how easy it will be for people to embrace who they really are following more discussion of Caitlyn Jenner's journey which we will eventually be privy to.
Again, no matter what, Caitlyn Jenner symbolizes a win for many communities within society. I have already read stories of how others have been more inspired to embrace who they really are following Caitlyn Jenner's final major appearance as Bruce during the interview with Diane Sawyer. Even since, the first images of Caitlyn have also given those in a similar situation hope that they can maybe achieve what Caitlyn has too.
I only wish all of society could be as welcoming of Caitlyn as I and many of my friends are. I hope society is becoming more enlightened to the needs and journey of individuals who identity as transgender. More exposure to this community has largely been through my studies but I encourage everyone to read an article or two and learn something! You don't have to march to become an ally; however you can become an ally for someone by simply by reading some informative articles and considering how being more open-minded may be conducive to a happier well-being for all.
