In recent weeks the media has been blowing up with rumors, now confirmed, of Bruce Jenner transitioning. Gender transitioning, while not a new topic by any means, has gained serious attention because of its new relationship with this Reality TV star. Is it possible that Jenner is increasing the amount of attention being brought to the LGBTQ community and what does this mean for the magnitude of celebrity influence over human rights and social justice issues?
Since the early 2000’s, the Kardashian family has been an object of popular debate and amusement. The clan, including Bruce Jenner, Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian-West, Kourtney, Khloe , Kendall and Kylie Kardashian, in addition to the lesser discussed Rob, Brody, and Brandon, the tight-knit group has been in the spotlight as a result of Kim’s sex tape, Kris’ marriage to Bruce, — a gold-medal Olympian— and the family’s more recent reality show, show spin-offs, celebrity marriages, and modeling careers. Kardashian and Jenner have become house-hold names, usually associated with fame, wealth, and beauty, as well as scandal, but many, despite amusement with the exploits of the family, would argue that the family’s fame is misguided and most headlines concerning its members are often of shallow, unimportant nature and often untrue love interests, scandals, break-ups, suggestion of pregnancy, and new plastic surgeries, to name a few.
Those who have watched Keeping up with the Kardashians would agree that Bruce Jenner often falls short of the spotlight, overshadowed by Kris and the rest of the family. Bruce has always been the last to know anything the women in his life are up to, has been left out of making important decisions, and is rarely the subject of new reports on TMZ or People magazine. In the last few months, however, the Olympian has made subtle, yet noticeable physical changes and has been seen wearing make-up, nail polish, and with longer, styled hair. People magazine reported that an insider told them, “Bruce is transitioning to a woman” and “the 65-year-old reality star is filming his momentous journey, to be shared with viewers on a docu-series this year.” The magazine does not reveal the identity of the insider, nor have they been able to persuade any of the Kardashians or Jenners to comment. Bruce, however, has been seen and photographed repeatedly throughout his transitioning and despite many conflicts, with Kris and Kim specifically, he is reported to be in a state of happiness and relief.
In terms of the LGBTQ community’s response, there is an overwhelming expression of disappointment for the media’s exposure of the transition. InTouch photoshopped an image of Bruce on the cover of a recent issue, embellishing feminine qualities and adding lipstick and blush. Kate Bornstein, author of Gender Outlaw told advocate.com that she was angry about Bruce’s portrayal in the media and described the public’s shocked response as bullying. Many other activists and intellectuals in human rights and social justice groups have spoken negatively of the media’s reporting, pointing out that the topic of “transgender” has too much shock value and it’s unfair for the tabloids to exploit what should not be taken as the usual celebrity gossip, as well as reinforcing the idea that this is should be shocking information. They express that it prevents transgender and transexual individuals from becoming more normal, accepted members of society.
Hopefully the shock value of Bruce’s transition will eventually wear off and give way to thoughts of normalcy and acceptance with regard to people who are transgender or transsexual. Celebrities have a lot of power in our country, and despite the reporting of mainstream tabloids, once Bruce becomes more comfortable in his changes, hopefully he will begin to speak more openly and informatively about transgender and perhaps other LGBTQ issues. Making information about these communities more accessible to the general public would be a positive effect of the influence of reality TV and A-list celebrity power. And in an age when Kim Kardashian is attempting to “break the internet” by posing completely nude for Paper magazine and 17-year-old Kylie Jenner is rumored to have undergone plastic surgery, maybe it’s time for Bruce to have the spotlight in the tabloids if it will create a more far-reaching discussion of, and promote tolerance for, understanding of transgender individuals in the future.