The LGBTQ Community Is Better Off Without Caitlyn Jenner

caitlyn jenner lgbtq trans
Caitlyn Jenner. Image is in the public domain.

Caitlyn Jenner is not stunning and brave. There I said it. While I await the hate, let me explain.

I’m not saying that Caitlyn Jenner embracing who she is and taking the steps to become herself is not an admirable thing to do. Lying to yourself for whatever the reason is not a positive means by which to tread through life. Hell, it’s actually fairly self-destructive.

Also, I would like to point out that Caitlyn Jenner did something amazing for herself and for the LGBTQ community: she opened herself up to public scrutiny, stared societal stigma and ignorance in the face, and encouraged love and support for all genders.

With that being said, Caitlyn Jenner’s transition is definitely something I am supportive of, but that doesn’t mean I think she is a hero or even someone deserving of the amount of media attention she has been given. At the end of the day, Caitlyn Jenner is still Bruce Jenner, though not in the context of gender. When I say Caitlyn Jenner is still Bruce Jenner, I mean that even though Caitlyn has embraced who she is, the same views, opinions, and qualities that defined Bruce Jenner define Caitlyn Jenner.

Heroism is not defined by what you are, it is defined by who you are.

In the months since Caitlyn Jenner came out and was beautifully photographed by unrivaled photographer Annie Leibovitz for the cover of Vanity Fair, Caitlyn has not been the greatest role model. She (as Bruce Jenner) was alleged to have been at fault for a fatal multi-car accident in February 2015. She blamed the paparazzi for the incident and no charges were filed. She is apparently continuing to use the name “Bruce” for a country club membership. Caitlyn inked a deal for a reality show, I Am Cait, which aired in July and has since been renewed for a second season. More controversy manifested following comments she made on Ellen, wherein she told LGBTQ powerhouse Ellen DeGeneres that she does not support marriage equality, instead favoring “tradition,” which makes sense considering that Caitlyn (like Bruce) is a registered Republican.

Maybe my cynicism toward celebrity colors my judgement of Caitlyn Jenner. I don’t know, but it’s hard for me to rationalize the thought of Caitlyn Jenner being a hero. She is wealthy, well-known, and well-connected. To me, it seems like she has nothing to lose by embracing this side of her and further, she has an avenue on which to market Caitlyn and generate a stream of income based on her being honest with herself.

I’m not saying she’s a cyanide pill for the scores of LGBTQ awareness and rights movements, but she’s not an idol. Something like this should not bolster the status of celebrity or be a tool through which E! can deliver wheelbarrows of cash to an estate in Southern California.

In my view, the LGBTQ heroes in this world aren’t the ones everyone knows. Caitlyn Jenner doesn’t have to worry about her livelihood being destroyed, but thousands and thousands of trans men and women live each day in fear of losing their jobs and homes. Caitlyn Jenner has the ability to take advantage of the media’s boner for LGBTQ celebrities, but thousands and thousands of trans men and women do not have that luxury. Instead they are fearful of embracing who they are because of prejudices that run rampant in their pocket of American society. Caitlyn Jenner has a voice that will reach tens of millions, whereas thousands and thousands of trans men and women have a voice that reaches no one and is silenced by their own hand or the hands of others.

It’s for these reasons and more that I cannot call Caitlyn Jenner a hero. While I support her decision and believe she did herself a service by embracing who she is, she does not have to suffer as others do because of it. She has security and comforts at her disposal that are not available to the vast majority of LGBTQ Americans who are fearful of embracing their truths. She has a shield forged from wealth and status that protects her from the horrors of American society.

For most LGBTQ Americans, embracing who they are could render themselves destitute or get themselves killed. It’s a symptom of a sickness that runs through the veins of our bigoted society and until it is cleansed, thousands will suffer because of who they are. Caitlyn Jenner will not and it doesn’t appear that she is concerned with that suffering beyond TMZ-ready anecdotes, media exposure, reality show contracts, and awards.

My opinion may change if she gives more of a contribution to society than an exclusionary and tone-deaf program that generates money on basic cable. But until then, Caitlyn Jenner does not deserve to be an authoritative voice for the LGBTQ community.

Featured image by Alberto Frank, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Robert could go on about how he was raised by honey badgers in the Texas Hill Country, or how he was elected to the Texas state legislature as a 19-year-old wunderkind, or how he won 219 consecutive games of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots against Hugh Grant, but those would be lies. However, Robert does hail from Lewisville, Texas, having been transplanted from Fort Worth at a young age. Robert is a college student and focuses his studies on philosophical dilemmas involving morality, which he feels makes him very qualified to write about politicians. Reading the Bible turned Robert into an atheist, a combative disposition toward greed turned him into a humanist, and the fact he has not lost a game of Madden football in over a decade means you can call him "Zeus." If you would like to be his friend, you can send him a Facebook request or follow his ramblings on Twitter. For additional content that may not make it to Liberal America, Robert's internet tavern, The Zephyr Lounge, is always open