Sam Smith / Opinion Director
sam.smith@fiusm.com
Recently, Caitlyn Jenner revealed her true identity. Although she may not be wearing a cape and tights, she is something of a hero. As a trans woman who has had the bravery, not only to come out, but to transition amidst so much controversy, and relatively late in life, she has given much hope to the LGBTQ+ community. However, there are a few problems with the uproar over her transition.
First, is the fact that her transition was so fast. Changing one’s appearance in order to match their gender identity, for most, is a long and grueling process. Although we don’t know just how long Caitlyn has been transitioning, there is no denying that it feels as though she made it through the process very quickly. Most people, especially those who are transgender, don’t have the financial ability to go so quickly through a transition, and have to save for years in order to have enough money to pay for surgeries they might need, while simultaneously taking synthetic hormones for the rest of their lives.
What the glamour shots of Caitlyn don’t show you are the struggles of trans people as they try to create for themselves a “passing” appearance. Imagine a transition as going through puberty – again. It was awkward enough the first time, and most people are glad to be done with it, but when someone finds that their bodies don’t match their identities, many are willing to go through it all again in a different way so that they can be happy with themselves.
The biggest problem with the media’s treatment of Caitlyn’s transition, however, is not negativity as one might think. It has been pleasantly surprising just how well the issue has been treated, and I think that it would not have been so positive had she come out ten years ago. The problem is the gawking attitude most outlets have had over her.
While I encourage people to appreciate beauty when they see it, and although Caitlyn is a beautiful woman, too much of a spectacle has been made of her. It is estimated that over 700,000 people in the U.S. are transgender, and although that seems low when compared to a population of over 300 million, it’s no small number. Why are we treating this issue as if it’s some kind of circus side-show when it’s so common? We don’t need people fawning over trans people, we need people understanding them as human – and, of course, not murdering them.
According to TGEU.org, the probability that a trans woman will be murdered, especially one of color, is much higher than that of the rest of the LGBTQ+ community, and statistics behind the subject are hard to pin down due to under-reporting and under-investigation. Usually, these are hate-crimes, and a testament to the anti-trans attitude our society has. No matter how well the media seems to be handling Caitlyn Jenner’s transition, there is no denying that we live in a transphobic world.
Hate comes from ignorance and fear. In order to reduce that hatred, people need to be educated and exposed to the normality of being trans, as well as the fluidity of sexuality and gender. I would like to believe that things are turning around for people who do not fit society’s mold, but we may be taking this in the wrong direction. The celebration of differences is what creates harmony, not the choice to ignore them.
One difference, however, doesn’t seem to be sticking with the media.
The phrase “when Caitlyn was a man” is one that nearly everyone keeping up with the issue has heard. Unfortunately, this is a fallacy – Caitlyn, like any trans person, was never a man. She has always been a woman, but she made choices based on her situation to identify as male and use he/him pronouns in the past. “When she was a man” implies that gender and sex are the same thing, and that one can only identify as their gender if they look the part.
The point I’m trying to make here is not that Caitlyn Jenner’s coming out should not be celebrated, it’s quite the opposite. Her transition as well as any other trans person’s should be a matter deserving of support and encouragement. The problem is that we’re giving more than anyone would ever ask for by profiting from the perceived drama of the situation. When being transgender is perceived as something that just happens, when it stops being framed as a spectacle, when it stops being a reason for positive or negative attention, that’s when we’ll see equality.
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