If you keep up with the Kardashians, you have probably heard the rumors about Bruce Jenner and his suspected sexual transition to be a woman. Regardless of what is going on with him, we as a fan base, support system and just decent human beings need to stop talking about the whole situation.
Everything started when the gossip magazines started creating headlines and stories revolving around Bruce wanting to be a woman. What really caused a lot of fire was when In Touch Magazine photo shopped Bruce to have feminine makeup with a headline stating “Bruce’s Story: My Life as a Woman.” The article pulled quotes from an anonymous source saying how happy Bruce has been and plans on transitioning over 2015. The transphobic bullying done by these gossip magazines is really unnecessary and truly disgusting.
The main reason why we should avoid this juicy topic is because it has not yet been confirmed by Bruce or his representatives. All of the speculation and constant chatter only makes the rumors worse, which could be detrimental to not only him but triggering to the transgender community as a whole.
Transphobia, less commonly known as transprejudice, is the discrimination of transsexuality and transgender people. According to the Youth Suicide Prevention Program, “more than 50% of transgender youth [ages 10-24] will have had at least one suicide attempt by their 20th birthday.” Think about that. More than half of transgender young adults have felt so unaccepted that they have felt the need to end their lives.
With this issue in the spotlight so negatively, it could cause many more struggling youth to feel inadequate or pressured to pick the gender they were born in, which may not be the one that they feel the most comfortable. It could also cause more transphobic bullying in schools because some kids find the situation funny. There is nothing funny about self-hatred and suicide.
Violence against the transgender community could also rise. Three transgender women have already been murdered this year according to reports from GLAAD. Being transgender does not always mean being yourself, it also means having to make sure you are safe and out of harm’s way.
All of these rumors “paints being trans and coming out as trans as something that’s rooted in and deserving of rumors and secrecy and shame and that isn’t good or helpful or healthy for any of us,” Noah Michelson of The Huffington Post Gay Voice blog.
Whether or not Bruce Jenner decides to transition is his own choice. Usually, transitioning is a private matter kept down by the person choosing to transition for their own personal reasons. With that being said, Bruce’s business is his own business. If he is not comfortable as a man, he should complete his transition no questions asked. If he wishes to keep identifying as a man, then he should continue to do so. After a statement is released, we should cheer on Bruce with his journey but until then we should keep quiet about all of these rumors.