Everyone Only Had Good Things To Say About Caitlyn Jenner. Well, Almost Everyone.
"I sincerely hope that Caitlyn Jenner is a massive disruptive force for good for the trans community. They've been erased for far too long."
By Samantha Khor — 02 Jun 2015, 07:10 PM
Caitlyn Jenner - formerly known as Bruce - debuted her new identity on the cover of Vanity Fair's July issue on Monday, more than a month after announcing that she identifies as a woman in an enlightening interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer
Slated to hit newsstands on 9 June, the 22-page cover story features stunning photos of Jenner - photographed by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz in Jenner's Malibu home last month - as well as an exclusive interview piece by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Buzz Bissinger.
Jenner compares her emotional two-day photo shoot to winning the gold medal for the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics.
“That was a good day, but the last couple of days were better. This shoot was about my life and who I am as a person. It’s not about the fanfare, it’s not about people cheering in the stadium, it’s not about going down the street and everybody giving you ‘that a boy, Bruce,’ pat on the back, O.K. This is about your life.”
Her first public appearance since completing gender transition, the former Olympic gold medalist and reality TV star will be identifying herself with her chosen female name and feminine pronouns from now on. She remarks that still introduces herself as "Bruce" sometimes, by accident.
“A guy came in the other day and I was fully dressed - it’s just habit, I said, ‘Hi, Bruce here,’ and I went, Oh f----, it ain’t Bruce, I was screwing up doing it.”
While she has yet to undergo sex reassignment surgery, Jenner revealed that she has had breast augmentation, two nose jobs, a tracheal shave, as well as facial-feminisation surgery - which took 10 hours and sparked a panic attack
She recalls thinking, “What did I just do? What did I just do to myself?”
A counselor from the Los Angeles Gender Center came to the house so Jenner could talk to a professional, and assured her that such reactions were often induced by pain medication, and that second-guessing was human and temporary.
Jenner tells Bissinger the thought has since passed and not come back: “If I was lying on my deathbed and I had kept this secret and never ever did anything about it, I would be lying there saying, ‘You just blew your entire life. You never dealt with yourself,’ and I don’t want that to happen.”
Jenner proclaims that Caitlyn "doesn't have any secrets", saying that she will be "free" when the cover is officially released.
"Bruce always had to tell a lie. He was always living that. Every day, you always had a secret, from morning till night," she said.
She even describes doing public appearances after winning the gold medal, where “underneath my suit I have a bra and panty hose and this and that and thinking to myself, They know nothing about me. Little did they know I was totally empty inside.”
The Vanity Fair piece will also address Jenner's thoughts about her upcoming docu-series and what she's looking forward to in the future. Bissinger also spoke to Jenner's children from his first two marriages as well as her three ex-wives and 89-year-old mother.
Bissinger speaks at length with Jenner’s three ex-wives (including Kris about what she knew and when she knew it); with Jenner’s 89-year-old mother, Esther, about the possible motives behind her son’s transition; and with Jenner about how she was moved by Monica Lewinsky’s TED talk, and how she reacted to the Diane Sawyer interview.
Jenner's eight-part series will document her intimate journey to living life as a transgender woman while exploring what the transition means for the people in his life.
She hopes to be able to bring attention to issues involving the transgender community, particularly in lowering the rates of suicide and attempted suicide among transgender people.
For her part, Caitlyn is prepared for the criticism that it’s a publicity stunt: “‘Oh, she’s doing a stupid reality show. She’s doing it for the money. She’s doing this, she’s doing that.’ I’m not doing it for money. I’m doing it to help my soul and help other people. If I can make a dollar, I certainly am not stupid. [I have] house payments and all that kind of stuff. I will never make an excuse for something like that. Yeah, this is a business. You don’t go out and change your gender for a television show. O.K., it ain’t happening. I don’t care who you are.”
“I’m not doing this to be interesting. I’m doing this to live,” Jenner tells Bissinger. She then jokes, “I’m not doing this so I can hit it off the women’s tee,” but she does tell Bissinger that on her E! show she plans to do a segment in which she sees if she can still hit a golf ball 300 yards off the tee, even with her very ample breasts.
On social media, Jenner launched a new official account right after the cover came out on Monday. The follower count went from zero to one million in a matter of four hours, beating President Obama's record with the verified @POTUS account.
According to the Guinness World Records, Jenner's @Caitlyn_Jenner Twitter account reached one million followers in 4 hours and 3 minutes. Barack Obama's @POTUS account, which was launched last month, reached one million followers in five hours.
Reactions to Jenner's soon-to-be iconic cover have being positive, with people sending kind messages of support and praises for her courage while noting that her very public transition may just be a historic breakthrough for the transgender community
Caitlyn Jenner has been the talk of the day so far. She might have just changed the way people look at transgenders forever.
— Zahrin Redza (@AhmadZahrin) June 2, 2015
For everyone to be as beautiful as @Caitlyn_Jenner <3 Here is to hoping that the transgender society only gets stronger and bigger from now!
— Rajsimran Kaur (@rajsimrankaurr) June 2, 2015
It's time we shed our prejudice & stereotypes and see things as they are. Caitlyn Jenner is beautiful.
— Faizal Hamssin (@faizalhamssin) June 1, 2015
More than 50% of transgender youth will have a suicide attempt before age 20. She is saving lives. #CallMeCaitlyn
— Christine Lu (@christinelu) June 1, 2015
I sincerely hope that Caitlyn Jenner is a massive disruptive force for good for the trans community. They've been erased for far too long.
— Calvin (@aurosan) June 1, 2015
In fact, someone has activated Twitter bot @she_not_he to politely correct users who still refer to Jenner as "he" instead of her now-preferred female pronouns
.@M_DOTTA *Alarm sounds* It's she, not he.
— She not he (@she_not_he) June 2, 2015
.@WiIIianaire Beepbopbeep! It's she, not he.
— She not he (@she_not_he) June 2, 2015
The Kardashian-Jenner clan took to Twitter and Instagram in support of their father figure after the cover's release
be free now pretty bird.
— Kendall Jenner (@KendallJenner) June 1, 2015
We were given this life because you were strong enough to live it! I couldn't be prouder!!! Caitlyn,… https://t.co/Ho5O6swM0V
— Khloé (@khloekardashian) June 1, 2015
Caitlyn Jenner for Vanity Fair Annie Leibovitz! How beautiful! Be happy, be proud, live life YOUR way! pic.twitter.com/39fryBwUqE
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 1, 2015
As #CallMeCaitlyn and Caitlyn Jenner began trending on social media, President Obama and several celebrities also expressed their pride and joy over her highly talked-about cover
It takes courage to share your story. https://t.co/Q7wWjV9Rxx
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 1, 2015
Tears are flowing down my cheeks. Caitlyn, you make my heart soar. #BeWhoYouAre
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) June 1, 2015
❤️ YAS ❤️ https://t.co/TJrBgVZmBV
— SAM SMITH (@samsmithworld) June 1, 2015
My hope for the world is that we can all be as brave as @Caitlyn_Jenner. pic.twitter.com/WlJmAjv4iv
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) June 1, 2015
Actress Laverne Cox, who has been on the forefront of bringing the transgender movement into the spotlight, wrote a lengthy post on Tumblr to share her thoughts on Jenner's big reveal and what it means to the transgender community at large
"Caitlyn looks amazing and is beautiful but what I think is most beautiful about her is her heart and soul, the ways she has allowed the world into her vulnerabilities. The love and devotion she has for her family and that they have for her. Her courage to move past denial into her truth so publicly. These things are beyond beautiful to me," Cox wrote.
On the representation and beauty standards of trans people in the media, she said, "I have always been aware that I can never represent all trans people. No one or two or three trans people can. This is why we need diverse media representations of trans folks to multiply trans narratives in the media and depict our beautiful diversities."
Read the entire post here
Not everything is peachy keen, however. Besides statements of disbelief and criticism on the Internet, a petition addressed to the White House has also been created to have Jenner's Olympic gold medals revoked because she is a woman competing in the men's division
Let's not even talk about Fox News' relentless mockery and tasteless jokes in regards to Jenner's new identity
Fox reporter Dagen McDowell tried to portray Jenner's coming-out moment as a publicity stunt while repeatedly misgendering her, using "he" instead of "she" numerous times during the short segment.
McDowell commented, "He is the only person on planet Earth who knows how to one-up his most famous stepdaughter, Kim Kardashian. She announces that she is pregnant with a second child, 'Well you know what, I can do you one better than that.' That's how he unveiled his new identity."
This further emphasises the need to do away with the discrimination and stigma surrounding the transgender community. While Jenner's cover is not going to fix things overnight, it is helping a wide range of audiences understand the problems faced by the trans community.
As the most high-profile American to come out as transgender, activists hope that Jenner's announcement will help bring awareness to the struggles faced by trans people in addition to the legal and political changes needed to support the community.