Vanity Fair introduced Caitlyn Jenner Monday, and within the past few days she has taken social media by storm. Jenner’s transition to a female continues to stir up controversy on Facebook and Twitter.
As an Olympic decathlon gold medalist and reality star, Jenner adds another name to the short list of transgender LBGT celebrity activists. Following her Vanity Fair debut, support has flooded in through articles, posts and celebrity outreach.
All of the positivity will help pave the way for young transgender men and women to not be afraid of expressing their identity.
I think the most courageous part is that Jenner accepts and loves herself enough to expose and embrace her identity. This is a lesson we can all learn from Jenner, because we all have secrets and doubts about ourselves. She started a movement to free herself.
One thing I think needs further speculation is all of the backlash about what real courage, bravery and heroism should be. I think what people are missing is that being someone’s hero doesn’t mean you have to follow a societal norm.
Jenner made a bold move unveiling the real Jenner and has exposed herself to the unknown. She has widened the door for transgender acceptance.
I would argue had she not used her fame and posed for Annie Leibovitz, she wouldn’t have been able to influence positive transgender activism.
While others have paved the way for her, like Laverne Cox, transgender issues have received a lot of negative attention before, including humiliation, retaliation and violence. Having additional media support, I believe, is key to furthering the acceptance of and respect for the transgender community.
Jenner has used her platform to do just that. I look forward to following her transition and continued transgender activism.