In the midst of Caitlyn Mania, here is a good article (save for its thoughts on Jesus and some potty language) regarding the emerging demand that all play along nicely and celebrate Jenner’s or any other trans person’s personal reality. To continue to refer to him as “him” – much less not see him as brave and heroic as expected – is deemed hateful.
This assumption has no place in civil society.
If this comes down to the seriousness of being tagged as a hater or a lover, there are some important questions to be asked.
- At what magic moment did it become wrong to use male pronouns for Jenner or any other trans person? Was it when the VF cover hit the stands or at some point prior? At least in terms of how the general press has referred to Jenner, the cover seemed to be the line of demarcation. But according to the rules, where is it actually?
- If this idea is to really be taken seriously – if Jenner is and always has indeed been a woman as we are being asked to believe – should his medals be revoked because a woman competed in a men’s Olympic event? It is not a petty question.
- If gender identity is merely a social construct – something that society forces upon us as gender theory goes – why is that a trans woman is genuinely, naturally and authentically a woman, the women she was always meant to be?
The rules on this whole thing become quite fuzzy. I choose not to accept the premise.
There is, or at least should be, room for not going along with what Jenner believes about himself. Reasonable people should allow for that. But if one chooses to reject the Bruce-is-now-Caitlyn narrative, I contend it should be done with thoughtfulness and compassion for him and his family’s very real human struggles. Whether male or female, he is a fellow human being who deserves to be treated with dignity.
Now… whether choosing not to agree with him IS to rob him of his dignity is indeed the question. But dignity and affirmation are two very different things. One is unconditional, the other is situational.
And as I argue for space for dissent, of course I welcome it. I will not make accusations and assumptions about why you believe as you do on the matter and I simply ask the same.