*note: I used female pronouns in writing this after Jenner announced he was a woman and used "her" in referring to himself, but before he expressed the wish that people use male pronouns to refer to him "for now." I felt it would be inappropriate to change it after people had read it and would also erase a good example of what not to do as a cis person (don't assume!) so I've added this disclaimer.
I am not watching the "Bruce" Jenner's interview with Diane Sawyer tonight because I don't usually watch those types of shows, but I just read that she told Sawyer she is a woman and this is the last interview she will do as "Bruce." I would use her new name, but I don't know it yet, so I'll just call her Ms. Jenner.
http://www.usmagazine.com/...
What she is doing today is so brave, and I am very grateful to her for sharing what none of us has a right to expect from her.
A couple of years ago, my middle child told me she was a transgender girl. I never really noticed the media scrutiny of Ms. Jenner until then, and what I saw angered me. They treated her like a freak. They hounded her and made fun of her outward attempts to appear more feminine. Was "Bruce" wearing lipstick? Was "Bruce" wearing nail polish? I kept wishing she would just tell everyone if only to make it so the media would no longer be able to make fun of her or mock her without enduring the wrath of people who support transgender people.
The worst was this cover by InTouch:
http://publisher.attn.com/...
They photoshopped Ms. Jenner into what they thought she should look like as a woman. It was cruel. My daughter doesn't look like what everyone thinks an ideal woman should look like because she chooses not to, right now. Like many woman, she chooses not to wear make up all the time. She doesn't feel like fussing with her gorgeous long hair. She doesn't want her ears pierced. She is 6'3", so she doesn't wear heels. That is her right to decide how stereotypically feminine she wants to look--the same right all women have.
I was a girl in the 1979's and Jenner was everywhere. She was on television, she was on magazine covers (not photoshopped), and she was on cereal boxes. I admired her then, and I admire her even more today.
It took her 65 years to feel comfortable to be herself, but I am glad she got there. And she could keep her story to herself, but she has decided to share it and show people that normal people we love and admire are sometimes transgender, yet they are the same person after the announcement as before it. Ms. Jenner is also showing young transgender people that they do not have to hide or be ashamed of who they are.
My gratitude also goes out to Ms. Jenner's kids, including those Kardashian girls who I have never cared much about before today (celebrities for doing nothing). Kim Kardashian publicly expressed her support for her parent and said all her siblings support Ms. Jenner. Knowing how many people follow every move Kim Kardashian makes, I am grateful that she is showing how to treat someone in your family that you love who is dealing with something us cis people struggle to understand. I am sure Kim will get the pronouns right eventually. That was the hardest part for me, too.
I apologize this is not a well researched diary and is more of a ramble, but I felt the need to show my support for Ms. Jenner, to acknowledge how brave she is being today, and to wish her the best of luck. I also want to ask everyone to join me in taking the media to task if they continue to hound her and treat her without the respect she deserves to be who she is without being mocked for it.
Fri Apr 24, 2015 at 6:55 PM PT: After I wrote this, Ms. Jenner told Diane Sawyer that he wants people to continue to use male pronouns in reference to him for now, although he referred to himself as her in the interview. I am not sure why, and maybe I should go back and edit the diary, I don't know. I certainly respect those preferences, but at the same time, people who did not hear Jenner say that will assume I am being disrespectful, so I am leaving it for now with this update.