While you may have been rocking out at the Old Main Music Festival or partying it up Friday night, I spent my night watching Diane Sawyer’s exclusive two-hour ABC News’ “20/20” interview with Bruce Jenner—the first since speculation surfaced about Jenner’s impending sex change.
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past decade, you have probably heard of the infamous “Kardashian” family. Jenner is, as many of you know, the stepfather of the Kardashian children and ex-husband of reality television star Kris Jenner. As an avid watcher of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and my familiarity with Jenner as the gold medal winner in the decathlon of the 1976 Olympics, I was curious to see what Jenner had to say about the rumors.
Jenner, the individual who once epitomized the very essence of masculinity, was going to become a woman? I could not believe it—No, I refused to believe it. I was convinced the recent reports on every gossip magazine were simply a publicity stunt. I mean, I watched nearly every episode of the show which Jenner so frequently appeared in. Sure, just like everyone else, I noticed the gradually changing appearance, but I merely believed it was a consequence of going overboard on plastic surgery.
Nevertheless, I waited months after Jenner was first spotted with painted nails and poutier lips and the subsequent circulating rumors, to finally hear his side of the story. All-the-while, I was skeptical about the authenticity of the situation.
In spite of my suspicion that his rumored imminent sex change was a grand scheme for ratings and publicity, Jenner’s interview with Sawyer put my apprehensions to rest.
Not only was Jenner articulate and poignant while he told his story, he was also apologetic for the lie he essentially lived for all 65 years of his life. He spoke about his childhood and his experimentation with cross-dressing. While he explained the torment of going through life not understanding why he felt different, I empathized with Jenner. I imagined the torment and fear he had to deal with and the obstacles he must have faced along the way.
Jenner said, during the Olympics, he became obsessed with proving his masculinity to himself and did everything he could to be the best—I guess, as a distraction of sorts in a sense. I admire Jenner for being able to accomplish everything he has in his lifetime without allowing his personal problems to become a barrier between him and success. Jenner affirmed that he does not like the stereotypical “girl trapped in a boy’s body,” but revealed his brain “is much more female than it is male” in the 20/20 interview. He also bluntly came out and said, “For all intents and purposes, I’m a woman.”
Now, I would not by any means say that I am well-versed on the topic of transgendered people. However, I applaud Jenner for coming out as a transgender individual. I believe once people get over the shock-value Jenner produced with his announcement, he will actually be able to make a difference in the world.
Previously, when people heard Jenner’s name, the first thing that came to mind was his Olympic feat or his reality-star persona, but now, Jenner’s name will be associated with someone, who despite all odds, accomplished unprecedented success and battled with himself to finally come-out to the world as “her.”
For those of you that are still convinced Jenner’s transformation is a façade for ratings, imagine the cozy Hollywood lifestyle Jenner constructed for himself over the years. Why would anyone do anything to impair that?
Although I grew up in a household that stressed the importance of never treating anyone differently because of something they cannot control, I know the world is not so accepting to those that veer from what society deems as ‘normal.’ I do not think Jenner would go through the media’s incessant scrutiny and humiliation just for publicity. At the end of the day, gender is something that is socially constructed, and if Jenner wants to live his life as a woman, I say, by all means, go for it.
