I've never been one to follow the life of the Kardashians or the Jenners, but as a huge human rights activist, I needed to follow this story. In case you've been living under a rock this past week, Caitlyn (formerly known as Bruce) Jenner has revealed herself to the world and she is absolutely stunning. A lot of the world was incredibly accepting and did not hesitate to start treating her the way a woman should be treated in the media. For me, I can't help but get a little upset when I see things on my timeline on Facebook like this:
As I see post after post about Bruce Jenner's transition to a woman, and I hear words like, bravery, heroism, and courage, just thought I'd remind all of us what real American courage, heroism, and bravery looks like!
This absolutely drives me out of my tree. For clarification, I love where I live, I love my freedom, and I am so grateful for the women and men who are out there fighting and have died for our independence as a country. I have respect for those who go to war because some of the things they go through are incredibly tough and they are situations I know I could not handle. That being said, just because things they do and things they go through are hard, does not mean that other people are not allowed to go through things that are hard for them as well.
That is one thing that is really screwed up about this world: Everything is a competition. This isn't a discussion of politics, war, or people in third world countries, this is a discussion of someone being who they are meant to be. Caitlyn has a right to be talked about. Just because there are other huge things happening in different parts of the world doesn't make her coming out any less important. Caitlyn is a hero. In the eyes of the LGBTQ+, in the eyes of her fans, and in the eyes of everyone who supports her, she is a hero.
Contrary to what you may believe, coming out as transgender is not an easy thing to do. You live your whole life feeling like something is just not right. You aren't who you were raised to be and you want so desperately to change it, but fear criticism and losing loved ones due to confusion, scrutiny, and being misunderstood. You live your life wearing a mask and once you are able to say, "I'm not scared, this is who I am", that is where the real journey begins -- i.e. letting folks know of your pronoun/name change, maybe dressing as who you are, changing your hair, perhaps even getting surgeries done so you are the most comfortable with who you are, given that you have the means to do so -- and people will notice.
Especially being a spectacle to the media, Caitlyn's journey wasn't an easy one. She is brave and she is strong. She is brave for ignoring the criticism and taking time for herself. When she was on the cover of every tabloid magazine, she still stayed strong in her process. People were constantly prying into her life and trying to get their hands on every little detail they could get, yet she remained strong. She is an inspiration to everyone out there who feels alone in their journey to discovering who they truly are. Her existence makes those, who are facing bullies and people who who don't understand what they are going through, feel less alone. Everyone fights their own battles and when you talk to a person, you never know what they have going on in their head, inside their home, or in their life.
No, Caitlyn is not a marine who is a part of the infantry and risks her life everyday, but she is courageous. When you were little and you were terrified of getting shots, but you didn't cry when you got one and the doctor said you had courage, did you deny it? No, you didn't, but you still had courage that was just as valid as Caitlyn's or a marine's.
Caitlyn is not a firefighter who stares death in the face every single day, but she is brave. When you did something you were terrified to do, such as ride a rollercoaster, ride a bike without training wheels, climb a really tall tree, or even tell the truth when something was wrong, you were told you were brave...because you were and deserved to be acknowledged for it.
Caitlyn may have a huge house, a TV show, and lots of money, but that doesn't mean the emotional turmoil and distress she has experienced isn't real and doesn't matter. There are people out there who are bullied, pushed around, and tormented for who they are, but they still keep going because being who they are makes them happy. Caitlyn is an example of one of those people. Despite the harsh words that come her way, she's just lucky enough to be in the public eye to show those who are struggling that everything will end up being okay, no matter what happens.
And that makes her a true hero.
