Bruce Jenner has been many things over the years: American sports hero, sex symbol, infomercial superstar, and, to this generation, he was the most down-to-earth person on “Keeping Up With The Kardashians.” But last night during his interview with Diane Sawyer, the world found out the most important thing about Bruce, something that had long been suspected: Bruce Jenner identifies as a woman.
I’m not going to lie, maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones, but I cried a few times during his interview. Unlike when he’s muddling around on KUWTK, Bruce seemed to really be himself (I am only still referring to him as a he because, as Diane pointed out last night, he’s fine with that for now for confusions sake). He was funny, honest, emotional, and badass. It’s not often a reality tv star says they want to change the world, but in Bruce’s case, he just might.
I’m cisgender (basically just the correct term for feeling that you are the gender you were born. I was born a female and identify as female) so I can’t even fucking imagine how it feels to wake up everyday in a body that you don’t feel like you belong in.
I mean, I started to feel disconnected to my body when I got pregnant, and I didn’t really recognize my body as my own anymore which caused some weird identity shit for me, but at the end of the day my pregnancy has a timeline and I can once again return to being me, one person in my body; a body with the correct gender, in terms that it matches up with who I feel I am as a person. Transgender people don’t have that luxury, and I can’t even remotely fathom that struggle.
Aside from the struggle of not feeling at home in your own body, transgender people also suffer from a serious amount of bullshit and judgement from the world. When you look at the suicide rates, bullying, and abuse transgender people have to go through it’s enough to tear your heart out. Bruce’s special last night addressed that and I honestly think the most upsetting moment for me while watching the entire thing was when it showed Bruce out one night and a paparazzi was following him asking him if he wanted to be a woman, if he was transitioning, and then cat-called him in a mocking way. I think my heart broke into a million pieces.
I’m sure a lot of people are thinking “well, a lot of transgender people have to go through this struggle without the money and support that Bruce Jenner has, why should his transition matter so much?”
Well, here’s why: being transgender is sadly still taboo and heavily frowned upon in our society. It isn’t mainstream and it isn’t widely accepted. Bruce Jenner is the patriarch of one of the most famous families in the world. He is a part of the Kardashian/Jenner empire which garners non-stop world-wide media attention and frequent criticism. He was also considered the greatest athlete in the world: the perfect specimen of masculinity. Him coming out at transgender is, as has been proving, a world-wide top story. Before he came out and discussed it himself he had late night talk show hosts, comedy shows, and tabloid magazines making fun of him and speculating all sorts of bullshit about him, which I assume must’ve been insanely painful.
However, Bruce decided to take his story back and openly talk about it himself. In doing so, he not only received a ton of public support from his family, who together have over 100 million instagram followers, but other celebrities from Lady Gaga to Miley Cyrus. I mean, a lot of really influential people came out to say they support Bruce which is HUGE. To have THIS public of a figure come out as transgender, and to have his insanely influential family and peers stand by him and support him is really fucking important. This legitimately matters.
We have Laverne Cox nude in Allure, a transgender model featured in Vogue, and now Bruce fucking Jenner publicly coming out at transgender. This is a major step forward. This is mainstream media not only showing acceptance for transgender people, but also holding them up as beautiful and brave.
Aside from being totally fucking badass, Bruce’s interview answered a lot of questions about what it means to be transgendered. For instance, Bruce addressed the fact that he’s not gay. He’s only been with and been attracted to women. I’m sure a lot of people wondered about this. I’ll be honest: I did. However, they used a really good quote in the special: Sexuality is who you go to bed with, gender is who you go to bed as. Bruce really stressed the point that none of this is about sexuality, but how he feels in his soul.
I think my favorite part of the whole special was when Bruce pointed out that during all the years on KUWTK he was the one with the story the time. Not to downplay that time Kourtney had that oil enema at the spa or when Kendall pretended to smoke to teach Kris a lesson, but yeah, I kind of have to go with Bruce on this one. His story was always the important one and it’s awesome he finally gets to tell it.
Sorry this blog wasn’t very funny. Here, have this:
skip says
How does anyone know that they identify as anything other than themselves? I’m curious how a man can even know how women identify with themselves as women. This seems rather weird that a person “knows” how anyone feels other than themselves and much less know if its the feelings of men or women, or if they, women and mens feelings, are even different enough to recognize. No wonder its an identity crisis.
chip says
Gross.
Martie says
Bruce was a deadbeat dad to his kids from his first marriage for decades, so where were all of his “lady feelings” then, the nurturing, the empathy and compassion? He went with the official transgender is story: that he was hiding these feelings back because he couldn’t be who he really was inside! It is a load of dookey. He was enjoying his life of fame and luxury because he is a selfish jerk that is all about himself. Do you think a woman would be given positive attention if she ditched her children and when they were grown said that she had been trapped in a skirt and a blouse, and now that she has discovered sweatpants and softball, she can be who she really is?
It is sweet that you cried for him, but women are taught that men’s feelings are so noble and worthwhile, but he would not cry for you, only for himself. He is a narcissist and an autogynephile- he is sexually aroused by women’s clothes! It is a fetish that the transgenderists to hide from the world. Bruce is a classic case and when he was in his daughter’s closets, he was up to no good. He is disgusting and being sexual with your daughter’s clothes and stealing their things like a creeper is not noble or something to congratulate him for it shows a lack of respect and a complete lack of boundaries. Maybe of these autogynephiles are not harmless- it is a top fetish for serial killers. The character Buffalo Bill was built from the characteristics of several autogynephilic serials killers. The is a Canadian army colonial named Richard Clark who was breaking into women’s homes to try on and steal their clothing and raped murdered many women before he was caught. There are many more “transgendered” rapists and murders Hadden Clark, Robert Koslieck, Douglas Perry, Ed Gein! A man called Jessica Hambrook raped several women at a women’s shelter because shelters now have to accept any men who they say they feel like women. These men and their fetishes don’t deserve your tears, because the are dangerous to women. Bruce may not be, but the idea the men can “feel like” women is when it opens up spaces for vulnerable women to violent men.
Laverne Cox is a gay man and he has said his family would not accept his as a gay man, but were very accepting of him as a straight woman. That is homophobia, not social progress. I think men who want to dress in skirts and dresses, paint nails and do their hair up, should do just that, but being a woman is bit that, as you know and legally recognizing biological men as women is a dangerous thing that is happening.
Stash says
The MAN is disturbed. HE needs psychological and/or psychiatric treatment.
That’s right. MAN. If you want to claim that HE is a woman, I want to see the lab diagnostic that says HE doesn’t possess Y chromosomes.
I won’t hold my breath…
eness says
Come on! I didn’t and I’m not going to read this article to know that Brucie couldn’t have inspired anything.
He still looks like Bruce …. a little looney toon, especially when the eyes get to wobbling all about, but he still looks like Bruce, just with makeup and a wig … a transvestite if you will. A mentally ill guy who really thinks he’s a girl just like my uncle thinks he’s a dog.
You see, the T should be taken off of the LGBT. The LGB are queer, unnatural, and abnormal by admission, but they’re not hardly mentally ill. They’re quite sane and capable. A lesbian might like women, but she still knows and believes that she is a woman, one of many types of lesbian women, but still a woman. And the same is true for the G and the B.
The T though as in transgender aren’t entirely sane. They’re confused and mentally ill. They think they’re something that they’re plainly not. It’s pure fantasy no matter how much they wish it and believe that they are a gender different than what they were born.
Yup, I’m calling him “Mister” with a capital Mister. I’ll call him Ms. Queer of the Year, Ms. Transgender Mental Illness pinup of the Year, but will still refer to him as a mister, a guy, because he’s a man. Now that’s reality.
Jemma Jones says
I think celeb industry is being used to dumb down society. Why else do most news pages now have Daily Mail style sidebars we can’t avoid on every news story, to get easily influenced gullible people to care about over hyped what talentless half wits are doing. They turn ex-manufactured band members who can’t sing solo, or Essex reality show contestants into style icons, because it involves no more skill than wearing clothes, except they’re less stylish than everybody else I’ve ever seen, as have orange skin, obvious fake chest they like showing off, scouse brows, plastered on make-up. Or half a news page had Kardashian naked, and then they said she broke the internet, when nobody wanted to see her naked anyway.
Can’t even walk into a newsagents without being confronted by rows of magazines full of thick orange people, with their dumb made up stories. Before their promoters make up a new career for attention, like business person for putting their name on a perfume somebody else made, or fashion designer for drawing a picture of a dress, and then getting somebody to make it who has worked in and studied the industry. Then their gullible brainwashed army say they must be great if rich, from there being so many gullible brainwashed people to care about types who are worse than most people.
James makau says
Jenner must get serious. who in this world is not happy with his/her gender. I seriously can’t get enough of his explanation. Bt if to him feels worthwhile then Bruce congratulation.
BD says
Wow. Jemma, you nailed it.
Casey Jones says
Good to see people here are fair dinkum,instead of the usual pandering,oh-so-pc bollocks. If this bloke wants to pretend he’s a sheila,good luck to him,he’s not hurting me,but the fact remains,he was born with a dick and balls,and that makes him a man,(pretending to be a woman).He should be left to get on with it,instead of glorifying him and lauding him like he’s done something “brave” or noble,and if the media truly believed that,they would allow him to live in piece,instead of putting him on a pedestal and whoring his story out.
I don’t doubt that some individuals feel they’ve been born the wrong gender,or would be happier as a different gender,(or no gender,or whatever the hell catchword they wan’t to throw at it). I don’t question this causes significant anxiety and mental issue’s. But the fact is,this is not normal. This is a biological anomaly,which needs to be treated on a case-by case basis. I’m sick to the back teeth with the medias’ insistence on trying to brain-wash society into thinking that EVERYTHING is normal and ok. Where do we draw the line on this? Who draws that line?
Some kids don’t know if they’re supposed to be Arthur or Martha,and the message is,”If you’re unhappy within yourself,maybe you might want to try the grass on the other side”,so to speak. Sure,we all like to escape ourselves from time to time,but I shudder to think that children are being normalized to the thought that changing your gender is a perfectly valid life-option if you’re not happy with yourself.This is an EXTREME option. Not to mention the sex and violence that gets shoved down their throats. I fear society is on a very slippery slope where the lewd,bizarre,and down-right appalling becomes “normal”,and the attitude is “if it feels good do it,because there’s no consequences,because no one’s ever wrong,and nobody has a right to criticize anyone,because that’s their lifestyle choice”. It’s horseshit. Wrong is still wrong,and a man getting his cods chopped off and taking pills to grow breasts isn’t normal behavior. Golly,wear your wife’s knickers if that’s your thing,prance around your living room like a twat saying “I’m a fancy girl” if you like,but undergoing surgery and hormone therapy in an attempt to convince yourself and the world that you actually ARE a woman,is…disturbing.To say the least.
Xavier says
This made me laugh I didn’t read all of it so bad on my part, but the way thw way it was going it was on Bruce’s side. Just be caues there trans doesn’t mean you should give them special rights they should have the same rights as everyone. Anyway he doesn’t deserve a award.
Steve says
I don’t understand the media’s obsession over this issue. The man made a personal decision and I think he made a fool of himself. Get over it already!
Scrotumnal says
Bruce Jenner’s transition means absolutely nothing. What you need is a spell in the army and a good clip around the ear.