Tag: Bruce Jenner
All the latest breaking news on Bruce Jenner. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on Bruce Jenner.
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Bruce Jenner And What It Truly Means To Be Transgender
Over the past few months we have read and heard a lot of opinions on Bruce Jenner former sports hero and field athlete and currently world famous for his part in Keeping up with the Kardashians, starring his famous (step) children.
Once the world realised that his appearance was gradually changing: more feminine features, nail polish, longer hair the rumour mill started, the jokes started and in the end it was decided that Bruce Jenner could be just another figure for ridicule. It is media, and often human, nature to poke fun at those that are different. It is a defence mechanism we use to make sense of our world, but over the last twenty years the tabloid papers, aided by late night show comedians, have turned it into an acceptable way of dehumanising people they do not care for. The general public usually accepted these views and took them on board, until this week.
Bruce’s coming out was a big issue in the trans community and gave a face to an often hidden part of society. But after all the attention stories and interviews do people now understand what it is like to be transgender? To not feel at home in your body, to never feel you can be yourself in public? To feel physical pain when you are addressed as “he” when in your mind and soul you feel it’s “she” or vise versa? For most people the answer is probably “no”, because this is the part of the story that got lost in all the chaos.
The step Bruce Jenner took this week, his public coming out, is neither the beginning nor the ending of his journey. It is a halfway point. Being transgender is a lifelong journey that usually starts at a young age.
Transgender children often realise they are different when they become aware of gender differences: the ways in which differ from girls in appearance, dress and expected behaviour. This causes upset and confusion in a gender dysphoric child as before, like any other child, it was not aware that this difference even existed. From this moment on the child suddenly becomes an outsider, it doesn’t fit in anymore and a lifetime of struggle begins. Imagine waking up day after day knowing you do not belong anywhere, you are neither a boy nor a girl and people do not understand you. Picture yourself suddenly waking up and finding you are a dog, you know you’re human but no-one else sees it, so they all treat you as someone you are not. How would that make you feel? Then imagine living like this for the rest of your life!! Not good, is it?
Bruce Jenner spoke and it made a difference: It is now accepted that he wants to continue his life as a woman, something he feels he has been all his life. The media have slowly decided to accept him and slightly changed their tone after his interview, mainly because there has been an unprecedented outpouring of support from the general public.
His honest interview has touched peoples hearts and created an understanding about his struggle.
It also saw the birth of a very lovely wave of support via social media via the hashtag #PaintYourNailsForBruce. Via the hashtag male supporters of Bruce Jenner post pictures of themselves with painted nails.
@BruceJennerFans #PaintYourNailsForBruce #BruceJenner I paint them all the time & leave them painted. U can do it too pic.twitter.com/4UfCU8iEHP
— Andrew Porteus (@acporteus) May 1, 2015
The fact that many of these men are “Straight manly men” makes it all even better.”But,” you may think, “isn’t it accepted now? A few hormones, a new haircut and a few operations and it’s settled, right?” Wrong. Hormones and operations are but a tiny fraction of it all. There are friends and family who might not understand or support the feelings of the transgender. And even if they accept it, there is the inner psychology to be dealt with: self acceptance, the strength to take a long painful and lonely road. The courage to present yourself to the world, coming out day after day: at work, to new people you meet, making them see what you feel. Then there is the constant threat of violence: the rates of crime against transgender is very high according to transviolencetracker.org.
Living with gender dysphoria is a constant battle, so it’s not surprising that the suicide rates in the transgender community are very high. At least 1 in 5 has tried suicide at-least once, while two out of three has had considered it at several points in life – even after transition.
Thankfully we have reached a point where many parents are aware of the existence of gender dysphoria; they seek medical help and advice which means that few percent of the new trans generation can grow up as the gender they feel they are instead of the one they are forced to be. Still, this percent of happy trans teens growing up accepted and understood is still very low. This is such a shame, because if gender dysphoria is discovered early in life a trans youth can be prescribed puberty blockers, causing puberty to delay. This means the characteristics of gender are stalled (breasts, menstruation, Adams apple, hair growth etc.) This gives the child the chance to figure out what they want and if they are certain about wanting to undergo treatment to develop into the gender they feel they are. Once certain medication can be taken and the transformation can start.
The older you get, the more difficult things can be, even more so if a person is only certain about their identity later in life. Which can happen.
It is certain that the Bruce Jenner story has put a spotlight on the transgender community. Hopefully this will lead to more trans voices being heard and more acceptance and understanding in the future.
Thank you for your bravery, Bruce.
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
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BRUCE JENNER: “I Am A Woman Now”
‘I JUST CAN’T PULL THE CURTAIN ANYMORE.’
At the beginning of the interview Diane Sawyer made it clear that Bruce was still using the pronoun He, therefore our review of the interview reflects that.
When Bruce Jenner won the Olympic Gold Medal for the Decathlon in 1976 he broke the hold that the Soviets had on that event for years and instantly became an American Hero. For years this strapping handsome 6’4” man was recognised as the World’s Greatest Athlete. Tonight however she is sitting down to give an exclusive interview with ABC TV’s Diane Sawyer to finally confirm the news that he worries may disappoint so many of the fans who have looked up to him for years.
Jenner is visibly extremely nervous as the cameras start to roll but she soon finds confidence as he begins to tell the real story for the very first time. What we discover in the next two hours is an outstandingly honest and open person who is also disarmingly charming. Jenner doesn’t shy away from any of Diane Sawyer’s probing questions and is utterly frank with his answers. Jenner’s words evoke a response from Brandon, his son, who puts it very simply when he tells his Dad that he was proud of his when she won all her medals, but that pales into insignificance with Jenner’s bravery now.
Jenner tells the waiting world “I am a woman now. I have told a lie all my life, and this is who I am. I cannot hide anymore and I just can’t pull the curtains”. He adds “I still have all my male parts but I identify as female.” He believes that what he is doing is going to change the world by talking about it all now.
Jenner explains that this is the very last time he will do an interview as ‘Bruce’ as he is about to undertake more of his transitioning which she reveals she started back in the 1980s when for a few years she took hormones.
A deeply religious and a family person Jenner married Chrystie the first wife in 1972 and they had two children before they divorced nine years later. Wife number two was singer Linda Thompson and they had two children before they separated five years later, and then in 1991 Jenner married Kris Kardashian and as well as fathering two daughters Jenner became the step-father to the infamous Kardashian sisters. Jenner shares that the first person he revealed her gender confusion too was Chrystie, and he is very quick to point out that this was not the cause for the failure of this, or the other marriages.
Jenner makes a point of explaining to an inquisitive and rather bemused Diane Sawyer that he is 100% heterosexual and has never ever even considered having sex with a man. He however has done his homework on this particular topic beforehand and quotes a very simply way of explaining the situation.
“Sexual identity is about who you go to bed with, whereas gender identity is about who you go to bed as.”
Jenner has been an integral part of her family’s infamous hit Reality TV Show for years, so his relationship with all the children has been carried out under the glare of spotlights for some time now. His four eldest asked to be part of the interview so that they could publicly express their support for their father’s transition.
I think even Diane Sawyer was surprised with the answer Jenner gave when she pushed Jenner on how the ubiquitous Kim Kardashian had reacted. Kim had said that her husband Kanye had turned her around to the whole idea. West used his own life as an analogy: “I can be married to the most beautiful woman in the world, and I am. I could have the most beautiful little daughter in the world, and I do. But I’m nothing if I can’t be me. If I can’t be true to myself, they don’t mean anything.” Kim added her own advice telling her dad “you’ve got to rock it”.
Aside from the sensationalism of having a celebrity having the bravery to come clean to the world with such astounding and highly personal news, both Jenner and Diane Sawyer took time out to acknowledge the ongoing struggle of other people transitioning which is still so greatly misunderstood and still results in suicides and violent crime. Jenner expressed her deepest hope that talking about this topic in this manner on primetime TV may save more lives and give others the strength to become who they really are.
When Jenner explained to Diane Sawyer that next time they meet she would only see Jenner as the woman she now is and she finished the interview with “I am saying goodbye to peoples perception of me, but I am not saying goodbye to me.”
I think when the reviews are in, we will find she is even more of a Hero than ever before. Certainly in our book.
The similarities of Jenner’s story with that of the Award winning TV series TRANSPARENT is remarkable . That featured a retired Professor also in his 60s who finally decides to transition and has to share the news with his adult children. It’s a rather joyous positive journey based on the real life story of the series creator Jill Soloway’s father .
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Did Diane Sawyer Mis-Gender Bruce Jenner?
For many people watching last night’s Diane Sawyer special with Bruce Jenner, it seemed that she was misgendering Jenner after telling her that he was now a woman. It may have seemed disrespectful, but here’s why it wasn’t.
Many took to social media to question Sawyer’s use of masculine pronouns, however, at the beginning of the interview, it was made clear that Bruce was still using male pronouns and had asked to be referred to in that way.
A statement released by GLAAD may help people understand what might feel like a minefield when assigning pronouns to those who are trans, transitioning or transitioned.
At this time, Bruce Jenner has not requested that a new name or pronoun be used, therefore we are respecting his wishes and will continue to refer to Jenner by his current name and with male pronouns. Some transgender people prefer to change their name and/or pronoun quickly. Other transgender people may take more time to decide what name and/or pronoun feels right to them. To be respectful, use the name and/or pronoun requested by the individual.
During the 2-hour special, Jenner told Sawyer:
“I am a woman now. I have told a lie all my life, and this is who I am. I cannot hide anymore and I just can’t pull the curtains”. He adds “I still have all my male parts but I identify as female.”
He believes that what he is doing is going to change the world by talking about it all now.
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Did Diane Sawyer Misgender Bruce Jenner?
For many people watching last night’s Diane Sawyer special with Bruce Jenner, it seemed that she was misgendering Jenner after telling her that he was now a woman.
It may have seemed disrespectful, but here’s why it wasn’t.
Many took to social media to question Sawyer’s use of masculine pronouns, however, at the beginning of the interview, it was made clear that Bruce was still using male pronouns and had asked to be referred to in that way.
A statement released by GLAAD may help people understand what might feel like a minefield when assigning pronouns to those who are trans, transitioning or transitioned.
“At this time, Bruce Jenner has not requested that a new name or pronoun be used, therefore we are respecting his wishes and will continue to refer to Jenner by his current name and with male pronouns. Some transgender people prefer to change their name and/or pronoun quickly. Other transgender people may take more time to decide what name and/or pronoun feels right to them. To be respectful, use the name and/or pronoun requested by the individual.”
During the 2-hour special, Jenner told Sawyer:
“I am a woman now. I have told a lie all my life, and this is who I am. I cannot hide anymore and I just can’t pull the curtains”. He adds “I still have all my male parts but I identify as female.”
He believes that what he is doing is going to change the world by talking about it all now.
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How Twitter Responded To “Bruce Jenner” In A Maxi Dress
Was it or wasn’t it Bruce Jenner in the maxi? And in 2015 does this even matter? But apparently Bruce Jenner was spotted in a stripey maxi-dress outside his Malibu home and we thought Jenner rocked it.
Bruce Jenner is expected to make a huge announcement on the Diane Sawyer interview that is airing on Friday. Many have speculated will reveal that is wishes to transition into a woman.
This is how Twitter reacted…
Perez has a moment…
https://twitter.com/Midnite_Cyclist/status/590889049184980992
Why you worried hun?
https://twitter.com/kimyonceee/status/590886911683776512
Kinda feeling you on this one… Although Jenner is about to do one of the most sort after interviews with Diane Swayer on Friday… So?
Except he won’t won’t be a guy… Will she?
https://twitter.com/rohanloncomedy/status/590803192339951616
Well… No comment
https://twitter.com/high__dry/status/590796802569428992
Speak on it…
https://twitter.com/SirRatchettness/status/590719839800532993
It is a nice dress
https://twitter.com/mattyybullockk/status/590545008467542016
Well done now grow up!
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Bruce Jenner The Interview Promo
Watch this first promo of Bruce Jenner’s interview with the the former Olympic star turned reality star Bruce Jenner.
ABC / YouTube The two-hour interview with veteran interviewer Diane Sawyer is set to air on ABC in the US on the 24th April. The 23-second clip doesn’t reveal much except to say that Jenner will talk about “the journey” and “the decisions” and “the future.”
There has been much speculation on Bruce Jenner’s possible transitioning, Jenner has yet to talk publicly about it.
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COMMENT: Germaine Greer, Bruce Jenner, and the Fight Against Transphobia
I’ve long been a campaigner for trans rights and the elimination of transphobia. In recent times I had been thinking that the public are finally starting to understand what it is to be trans and that societal progress is being made.
Then I started to read about comments made by Germaine Greer, hurtful gossip about Bruce Jenner, and of course the tragic case of Leelah Alcorn. It is now clear to me that the fight against transphobia needs to be stronger than ever before.
Earlier this week Germaine Greer made an appearance at Cambridge University Students’ Union, where she was giving a talk. During this talk, Greer was questioned about her previous comments regarding trans women, including saying that being trans is a “delusion” and that trans women seem to be “ghastly parodies”. Her response to the questioning was that she “didn’t know there was such a thing as transphobia” and that trans women don’t know what it is like “to have a big, hairy, smelly vagina”.
Obviously Germaine Greer’s comments will be highly offensive to trans women, but the most disturbing thing is that she cannot see that her unpleasant views are offensive, that transphobia exists, and that she is guilty of it. Unfortunately I feel that there is no hope of changing the views of bigots like Greer, who hold such outdated and prejudiced opinions, but the fight against transphobia is one that must be fought.
Recently there have been a lot of articles about Bruce Jenner in the media. Normally the Kardashian-Jenner people are not on my radar, but I have read the stories and gossip about Bruce Jenner with interest because along with the gossip has come the ugly face of transphobia.
I had heard rumours that someone called Bruce Jenner was preparing to transition, but it was only when I saw the cover of In Touch magazine, that had a photoshopped picture of Jenner on it with a full face of makeup and feminised features, that I understood who he is and what the stories were about. The magazine ran a story about Jenner now living as a woman, without having any actual truthful quotes from anyone, and certainly not from Bruce himself. It was simply gossip and speculation.
From there TMZ ran a similar story and a video emerged of their staff being transphobic and mocking Jenner, with comments such as “well he’s not doing a good job of being a man” in response to somebody saying that Bruce wasn’t living as a female. This hateful stuff in certain sections of the media gives the impression that it’s ok to mock trans people and that they are a source of entertainment. That is certainly not the case.
Although I’m no fan of the Kardashians, I have to admire the way they are handling the speculation surrounding Jenner’s gender identity and how they are rallying around him. It shows their strength and love as a family unit and I think as a family they are doing exactly the right thing. It’s clear that Jenner has their support regardless of whether he is living as a male or female.
The way to tackle transphobia (and any other kind of discrimination) is to educate children from a young age so that future generations become more enlightened and informed. I also think we need to call out the media when they say or do something that is transphobic. They need to be held accountable for their comments and the damage they can do. Prejudiced, discriminatory comments and actions have the power to kill. You only have to look at the tragic story of Leelah Alcorn to see that’s the case. However, I believe that by standing up together as allies of trans people we can help to reduce and perhaps one day eradicate this issue.
If Bruce Jenner is living as a woman and in the process of transitioning, then I wish him all the best with his journey. It’s not an easy process for any person, never mind such a prominent celebrity with the glare of the media on them. I hope that in time he is able to be open about who he is and not be ridiculed for it. However, if he isn’t living as a woman and is simply experimenting with his appearance, that is ok too. Everyone deserves to be able to express themselves freely without prejudice and I hope that in time Bruce Jenner and every other person on this planet is able to do that, regardless of gender identity.
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
