(ThyBlackMan.com) Upon first hearing the rumblings that Olympic Medalist Bruce Jenner would begin the transition of becoming a woman, I brushed it off as idle gossip and media foolery. After all, the headlines graced the covers of tabloid magazines known more for their sensationalism than for their journalistic integrity, or for their accuracy. As time passed, I begin to see photos of what appeared to be slight changes in the Olympian’s appearance. Albeit a subtle beginning, the changes became more and more noticeable, when compared to images of the athlete’s seemingly former self.
As I became convinced that something was happening to and for White America’s Hero, I privately and by my lonesome, begin a silent question and answer period that left me with a plethora of questions and concerns, yet to only be met with a paucity of answers. Bruce was not talking. Once I laid eyes upon an image which displayed the all too familiar signs of early transition, I remember thinking that this story could actually be real! There it was-the image of an average looking, older, effeminate, white person starkly juxtaposed with the tall, strong, athletic white man who once was welcomed into the homes of people across the world, covering the boxes of cereal enjoyed by millions while watching Saturday morning cartoons, or preparing for the work day. He was what some thought, symbolized all things American; he was white, he was athletic, he was tall, he was handsome, he was an Olympic medalist, and he was heterosexual. Based on the images that became more and more accessible to the public via the covers of the tabloids, I wondered if White America would feel betrayed by the man once considered a national hero.
I also began to wonder if Bruce would be ridiculed for his appearance as the transition process does little to nothing for a person’s stature. After transitioning, she would still be six feet tall. She would still be embedded in the brains of Americans who remembered the upstretched arms that declared victory for a job well done in demonstrating herself (once a beloved himself) as the greatest. She would have still at one time been married to women and fathered children (leaving her open to the judgment and ridicule of those who felt she was being selfish) although conversely, she would still be admired by millions, she would still wield a certain amount of influence, she would still be white, and yes— she would still be rich.
As coverage of the story was now included in the conversations of serious journalists and credible news sources around the globe, I could not help but feel that this coming out or liberation of a fellow trans woman would have a somewhat negative effect on the fight for equality sought by the average Transgender female- specifically, the
poor, the black, and the brown. As the speculation of how this would be handled, how the family would move forward, and how the former medalist would fit into the scheme of an already highly- rated reality show continued to take flight, I felt that this could only be bad for the women like myself whose stories are rarely, if ever told, and if so, are poorly received, are widely ridiculed, and are often rejected. By being such the influential, white American figure, I felt that this story would be told from a very comfortable, safe, and acceptable perspective, devoid of the struggle, devoid of the poverty, devoid of the judgment, devoid of the discrimination, and devoid of the outright danger involved in the life of the average Transgender woman of color.
