Caitlyn Jenner’s Conservative Views Spark New Backlash From Transgender Activists
Radio host Zoey Tur tells TheWrap that former Olympian and reality TV star is a ”product“ who ”will never understand the real cost of being transgender“
Caitlyn Jenner has had a spectacular, and spectacularly orchestrated, introduction as arguably the most high-profile transgender person in the world.
But now that her eight-part E! reality series, “I Am Cait,” is presenting a less scripted, more candid view of her early days in her new identity, Jenner is raising concerns among many in the trans community who worry that she may be out of touch with the everyday struggles of those she’s purporting to help.
“Caitlyn Jenner will never understand the real cost of being transgender because she will never have to bear the cost,” Zoey Tur, trans activist and host of KFI radio talk show, “He Said, She Said,” told TheWrap. “She’s a product.”
During a particularly telling moment on Sunday’s episode of “I Am Cait,” Jenner made a comment about trans youth that raised eyebrows among many trans people.
“[Can’t they] make more not working, with social programs, than they actually can with an entry-level job?” Jenner asked, reflecting the right-leaning political views she shared with Diane Sawyer during her April “20/20” interview. “You don’t want people to get totally dependent on it. That’s when they get in trouble.”
LGBT activist Jenny Boylan, who was part of the onscreen conversation, later told the camera, “Now I’m worried. Caitlyn has every right to be just as conservative as she chooses, but many transgender men and women need social programs to survive, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Indeed, many in the trans community say that Jenner’s comment is akin to Marie Antoinette’s “Let them eat cake.”
“I’m a bit taken aback by her comments,” trans activist Madison Rae told TheWrap.
Rae said that Jenner, with all of her economic and social advantages, may not realize how hard it can be for many in the trans community who struggle to find work.
“Caitlyn Jenner is a great person and I admire what she’s doing,” said Rae, who works with at risk transgender youth. “Unfortunately, the message that’s she’s delivering doesn’t hold the same power as it would have had it come from someone who’s gone through that life experience.”
One in five transgender peoples have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality. The National Transgender Discrimination Survey, the largest study of transgender people’s experiences, also found that 41 percent of transgender people have attempted suicide, 10 times more than the national average. Transgender workers report higher unemployment, twice the rate of the general population.
Raven-Symone, the former child star turned co-host of “The View,” last week expressed her discomfort that Jenner has become such a prominent advocate for the transgender community so soon after transitioning.
“When I came out, I didn’t go and go hardcore and be like, ‘I’m going to save the world for LGBT,'” said the co-host, who came out last year. “You’ve got to learn it. You’ve got to learn it first, and she’s not, really. … It’s too fast, too soon.”
There were a few other moments during Sunday night’s episode that alarmed some in the LGBT community. When one of Jenner’s newfound friends suggested going to HRC — the initials for the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBT advocacy organization — Jenner had no idea what “HRC” meant.
While conceding that the “HRC” moment was a relatively inconsequential, several trans people saw it as proof of Jenner’s detachment from the gay rights movement and her comparative ignorance about the community she now represents.
“She’s going through some growing pains,” Rae said of Jenner. “But she’ll get there eventually.”
15 Biggest Social Media Revelations Before Caitlyn Jenner Broke the Internet (Photos)
When Beyoncé quietly dropped her self-titled album on iTunes in the middle of the night in late 2013, she posted a teaser video on her Instagram account with the caption "Surprise!" to alert her fans of the news. It sold 80,000 copies in about three hours.
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Pop icon Janet Jackson posted a video to her Twitter account in May 2015 announcing she was getting back in the studio. "This year, new music, a new world tour, a new movement," the singer said in the video.
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Hillary Clinton announced her bid for president in a YouTube video and a tweet saying, "I'm running for president. Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion. –H" with a link to her website. The video has racked up over 4 million views.
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After a tumultuous negotiation, David Lynch announced in a tweet that he would be returning for the "Twin Peaks" reboot. “The rumors are not what they seem ….. It is !!! Happening again,” he wrote.
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John Stamos revealed Bob Saget would be joining "Fuller House" through Twitter. He said: "Last but not least-best piece of casting yet. The great @bobsaget will be joining our show on @netfilx - this completes the perfect reunon(sic)!"
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Nina Dobrev stunned fans of the CW's "The Vampire Diaries" when she announced on Instagram that she had decided to leave. “I always knew I wanted Elena’s story to be a six season adventure, and within those six years I got the journey of a lifetime,” Dobrev wrote. Half a million people liked her picture.
Instagram/@NinaDobrev
Frank Ocean came out via a post on his Tumblr. "I feel like a free man," he said in the open letter.
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Nicki Minaj dared to bare for her "Anaconda" cover, which was posted to her Instagram account. The photo received over 300,000 likes.
Instagram/@NickiMinaj
Both Royal Babies were announced via Twitter by the Clarence House account. Tweets were posted when the pregnancies were confirmed, as well as when they were delivered.
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Kristen Bell and then-fiancé Dax Shepard announced the arrival of their baby girl Lincoln Bell Shepard via Twitter. On March 28, 2013, she tweeted: "My new roomate(sic) poops her pants and doesn't pay rent…basically @daxshepard1 pre-sobriety 🙂 welcome baby Lincoln xo." He tweeted: "Lincoln Bell Shepard is here. She has mom's beauty and dad's obsession with breasts. Hooray!!!"
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Zayn Malik's departure from British boy band One Direction was made public through a Facebook post. He was quoted in the post, saying: "My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band." The post gathered over 700,000 likes.
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Drake took a page out of Beyoncé's playbook when he dropped a surprise album of his own. He uploaded the album on iTunes and tweeted a link to it. "If You're Reading This, It's Too Late" sold half a million copies its first week.
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*NSYNC dropped a major hint about their reunion by creating an *NSYNC Twitter page. Their first tweet said: "Mic check, mic check one.. two... is this thing on?!"
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In 2011, Paramount Pictures released the first trailer for its J.J. Abrams-directed sci-fi film "Super 8" exclusively on Twitter. Released through the movie's official account, the trailer made history as the first to be released exclusively on the social media site.
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Beyonce, Drake and Hillary Clinton among news droppers that set Twitter, Facebook, Instagram ablaze
When Beyoncé quietly dropped her self-titled album on iTunes in the middle of the night in late 2013, she posted a teaser video on her Instagram account with the caption "Surprise!" to alert her fans of the news. It sold 80,000 copies in about three hours.