Mixed reaction
to Jenner interview
NEWS
 |
 |
Bruce Jenner during the ABC interview last week. Photo:
Courtesy ABC
|
There was mixed reaction from trans community leaders to
former Olympian Bruce Jenner's announcement that he is a woman and undergoing a
gender transition.
Jenner's news, made during a two-hour prime time interview
with veteran journalist Diane Sawyer on ABC's 20/20
, showed him as humorous, somewhat nervous, and
candid in his realization that "for all intents and purposes I am a
woman."
Much of the interview was conducted at Jenner's Malibu home.
Jenner explained his transition this way: He feels he was
created by God who said, "Hey, let's give him the soul of a female and
let's see how he deals with that."
"So, here I am," Jenner said, choking up. "Stuck
– and I hate the word – a girl stuck in a guy's body. I hate that
terminology. I'm me. I'm a person and this is who I am ... My brain is much more
female than it is male. It's hard for people to understand that, but that's
what my soul is."
Jenner, 65, who won the gold medal in the decathlon at the
1976 Olympics, is known by millions for his participation in the hit reality
series Keeping Up With the Kardashians. He
did not state a new name during the interview, which was seen by an estimated
16.9 million viewers April 24. Sawyer also said during the program that for
now, Jenner has not indicated that a new pronoun be used.
That fact rankled some who watched the show.
Veronika Fimbres, of San Francisco, who is a transgender
woman, said that she was "uncomfortable" with Jenner's continued use
of male pronouns.
"He is holding onto his straight male white privilege,
which he seems reluctant to acquiesce," Fimbres said. "I can only
hope that his good intentions have a good outcome."
Pastor Megan Rohrer, the transgender leader of Grace
Lutheran Church in the Sunset district, had no issue with Jenner's continued
use of male pronouns. But Rohrer, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns,
acknowledged that pronoun usage could be a slippery slope.
"It's a gray space," Rohrer told the Bay Area
Reporter. "Jenner wanted he/him to be
used in the ABC interview, so you could ethically go with that. GLAAD
guidelines say that you use the pronouns expressed by the person."
Sawyer's interview touched on many topics. Jenner spoke of his
relationships with his family – his four biological children with two
ex-wives, and his two biological children and four stepchildren with ex-wife
Kris Jenner. Neither his former wives nor his children with Kris Jenner nor the
Kardashian children appeared on camera. His four eldest children did appear on
camera and voiced support for Jenner.
He recalled his struggles with gender dysphoria during his
childhood in Tarrytown, New York.
Jenner also stated that he had begun undergoing hormone
therapy as early as the 1980s with the intention of transitioning. But he
stopped. "I lost my nerve," he told Sawyer.
Jenner drew a distinction between sexual orientation and
gender identity.
"Sexuality was totally different than what my issues
were," Jenner said. "And I always felt heterosexual." He also
added he had never been with a man. "I am not gay ... as far as I know, I
am heterosexual."
Sawyer brought up the issue again later in the program,
asking if Jenner would consider himself a lesbian after transitioning if he
dated women. He did not agree, finally describing himself as "asexual
– for now."
Throughout the program, educational bullet points were
shown, such as one explaining, "Sexual identity is who you go to sleep
with. Gender identity is who you go to sleep as."
During the interview Jenner acknowledged being a Republican
and said he hoped to present transgender issues to party leaders like Senate
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) and House Speaker John Boehner
(Ohio). He said that he's "not a fan" of President Barack Obama, but
gave him credit for saying the word "transgender" during the State of
the Union address in January.
Fimbres wondered if the Republican leadership would accept
Jenner. Log Cabin Republicans, a lobbying group for LGBT conservatives, did
issue a statement after the interview welcoming Jenner into the fold.
The program did point out the high level of violence
directed against transgender people, particularly transwomen of color. Jenner
also made it clear that he does not consider himself a spokesman for the
transgender community.
Fimbres was happy that the show acknowledged the violence
that transgender people face. But she was displeased with what she called
Jenner's "dissing" of Obama.
"Bruce Jenner is not the face or spokesmodel of trans
folks to me," Fimbres said. "He still needs more counseling and
guidance as he continues on his journey."
In the immediate aftermath of the interview, many LGBT
people took to social media, describing Jenner as a "courageous
hero." But not all saw him that way.
"Anyone who chose to go through the journey of gender
transition is courageous and strong," Cecilia Chung, a transgender woman
and longtime community leader, wrote on Facebook April 25. "Jenner is no
exception. To go through this private transformation in front of the camera is
going to add multiple layers of complexities and inherent risks."
Chung also wrote that she thought Jenner had the best
intentions, but that she has no faith in the mainstream media. "Let's hope
for the best for Jenner's upcoming documentary series and for the media to
respect his journey," she wrote.
Chung was referring to Jenner's upcoming reality show that
will air this summer.
Rohrer said overall, the Jenner interview was a "sign
of progress."
"When people are given the freedom to make their own
choices about their bodies, faith, and politics our world is a better
place," Rohrer said. "There were days when all trans people had to
answer medical questions the same way or they wouldn't get approved."
Added Rohrer, "The fact that Jenner's story and
imagined future is different from mine and other trans people is a sign of progress."
No comments:
Post a Comment