Saturday Selects is a series of posts that I write on the first Saturday (usually) of each month to discuss something that is unrelated to the general bookish theme of the blog. Today we’re talking Caitlyn Jenner.
I have a real issue with what I’ve seen lately. No, I don’t mind that the story has gotten loads of media attention. No, I am not going to sit here and talk about why we should be calling her Bruce. And no, I’m not going to write this to be critical of her. My issue is with people. Ignorant people.
In the months leading up to the interview with Diane Sawyer there had been rumors circulating that Bruce Jenner was in fact a woman. I chose not to believe in the rumors not because I had an issue with it, but because the tabloids tend to publish stories that are blatantly false all the time. So I waited. And then the interview happened and it was confirmed that Bruce Jenner’s gender identity was female.
Immediately people praised him for having the courage to come out publicly, but another group of people emerged. Those who claim to know more and be more righteous than everyone else. I’m talking about the people who don’t understand how this could happen. I’m talking about the people who cannot speak about this because they are completely clueless. I’m talking (mostly) about the people who say things like, “I don’t know anything about gender identity, but I know God doesn’t make mistakes.” Okay. God. Now there’s something with evidence.
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know how many things in the world happen. But if someone tells me (whether they’re a celebrity or not) that they identify with one gender and have the physical characteristics of the other, then who am I (or you) to say otherwise? Because we obviously have the ability to be inside someone else’s head, right? It’s ridiculous. Imagine if you said something that only you could really know to be true and everyone around you said you’re a liar.
There are things to be critical of and there are things to simply accept. You don’t have to agree with anything Caitlyn has said or done to accept it and move on. Because after all, her life has no relevance to yours. Or did you forget?
On this day in 2014 I published I’m an Inspirational Blogger? If you say so.
Johnny Reads 
I think “good for Caitlyn” and beyond that I have no idea why people care so much about a person they are likely to never meet. If she wants to be Caitlyn instead of Bruce my life does not change one little bit. People are ignorant, rude, and need to get lives of their own.
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Exactly. It’s like people think they need to be on one side or the other. It’s her life.
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I almost made a post about this as well. I knew ignorant people were going to spread hate but what really got under my skin was people debating if she is brave or not. People saying children with cancer are braver, or our military is braver. It’s not a competition. Calling someone brave doesn’t mean that someone else isn’t.
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Yes. Holy crap. Especially with the ESPY award. And that stupid rumor (which was proven to be the result of social media with no real merit) about her getting the award and the soldier being the runner up. I have no issue with her getting the award, and I don’t think there has been a single person say that the soldier whose image has been circulating the internet isn’t brave or courageous for what he’s done and is doing.
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Did you delete my comment?
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Must have gone to spam. Happens everyday. I’ll check later.
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No worries. Thanks man.
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I too think people need to just shut the hell up. I can’t even imagine how scary a transition like this would be so I am pretty sure this was a decision that took a lifetime of deliberation.
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Yes. But instead of considering the reality of it that you just pointed out, you hear that she’s just playing dress up and has chosen to be a woman just because. They wouldn’t be saying that if it were their son or daughter. But it’s different because she’s a celebrity, right? She’s not a person like the rest of us. So fucking stupid when you really think about how some people have reacted.
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Thanks for this post, I agree completely. There are a lot of things in the world to get upset about and this just isn’t one of them.
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Exactly right.
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Your ‘take’ on Caitlyn Jenner is one of the best that I have read. And I agree – she has absolutely no impact at all upon my life. I will say this, as I and Caitlyn Jenner and I are approximately the same age, I think that to undergo such a dramatic change at this point in her life was courageous. And her courage is not a yardstick by which to measure others courage.
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Exactly right. I think another commenter said it’s not a competition, and it isn’t. She made a life-altering decision after how many years? I don’t think people can even imagine themselves in her shoes, because if they could there’d be a lot less nonsense floating around.
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