I Am Cait

Caitlyn, Caitlyn, Caitlyn. Really?

A 10 for coming out as your real self. A 2 for still having the brain of a privileged white man. You've been living with this your whole life and you still have no clue what life is like in America as a woman? Or as an LGBTQ? The homophobia? The transgender hatred? The misogyny? The economic imbalance? The Republican fear mongering? Really? What kind of a rock have you been living under? Thanks and rotten tomatoes to E! for this wholly unsatisfying series. On the one hand it is beyond fabulous to detail the coming out of a celebrity as it moves the cultural conversation forward like nothing else. But on the other hand.... somebody please school Miss Caitlyn in depth ASAP. She's embarrassing herself and making things worse for the transgender community at the same time.

I decided to watch I Am Cait because I just finished reading Jennifer Boylan's wonderful memoir, She's Not There, which details her journey to self acceptance and her transition from male to female. Boylan went on a road trip with Caitlyn Jenner this fall for Caitlyn's reality show, so I decided to watch episode 2 (The Road trip part 1), which features 5-6 trans women traveling from LA to the headquarters of Human Rights Campaign in San Francisco. The entire point of this episode is to expose Caitlyn to other trans women who are not living in a privileged socio-economic bubble and to educate her about the important issues facing the trans community. Boylan and the other trans women in this episode make a series of considerate, well informed observations about the ways that Caitlyn might be able to make a real difference for the trans community. This is not fluffy or mindless entertainment, and I plan to watch episode 3, The Road Trip part 2, to continue my own education.

And, I wasn't disappointed. I watched Bruce's transformation into Cait and was so happy for her. I was hoping the show wouldn't be exploitative, and it isn't.

It isn't just Cait trying on clothes all day, as a former reviewer stated. It isn't even about her transition, it's a lens in which to view the trans community. This show will be polarizing. Some will like it and others will hate it.

How one views Cait Jenner says a lot about how they feel about the trans community and other LGB folk. The conversations online it comment sections is heart rending. So much hate spewed, it really makes them uncomfortable that someone wanted to change their body to match their mental gender.

I applaud Cait taking on trans issues for the whole community. She is a role model, a with her she brings the Kardashian celebrity baggage. Some have wondered if she can be an effective voice for the community. They cite her money and ease of transition as not being representive of the experience of most trans folk. I don't have an answer to all of this. Only the future will tell us how well she carries the mantle.

This show gets people talking. It weeds out the haters from the supporters. I love the accepting and celebratory vibe from the show. It's about time trans folk felt like they could be open and proud of who they are. I bet it will kick off many name change parties in the future!

After watching an episode and the comparing some of the reviews given here makes me wonder if Cait's PR team are bombarding with 5 star reviews on IMDb. The show is unwatchable. I am not surprised the ratings for this show is going down. There's nothing in it; apart from a person who had a sex change now trying out ladies costumes all day along. And combined with non-stop pointless articles everyday, this is becoming such a pain. I am not a big fan of reality shows but I can say without a doubt this has been the most boring, pointless show in the telly in recent days. I kind of feel sorry for the Kardarshian family for going through this.

The Transgender community continues to receive a lot of criticism from time to time, with very few support. Ranging from people who simply doesn't like it to others who absolutely loathe it...etc. Bruce Jenner ( Referring to her as her former self ) was a star athlete back in the day. She gained a lot of success and fame. She later starred in a very popular show that I'm sure we're all familiar with "Keeping up with the Kardashians". It's safe to say that not many people understand well or are willing to grasp the reason behind her huge life- changing decision to fully transition into a woman. I could go on but let me just get to the point; Caitlyn Jenner has helped shed some light into the transgender community, now many more people are becoming more aware and educated about it. You may disagree, refuse to support or understand her story, it still doesn't change the great amount of impact that her story now has on those who've heard of it, and also the important message that it has behind it.

She is now 65 years old, it's not just something that she made up her mind about overnight. This is something that Caitlyn must've have thought about every second of her long life. While some may see this as a selfish act, and I do know that not only will her family and friends be affected in someway by her decision, it will also impact America greatly. This shows courage, to be able to come to light, and share this with the world knowing that not everyone will understand or support her decision and that it might ruin her athlete reputation as well. This may not be the sort of courage that a soldier must have in order to go into battle but it's still courage.

Caitlyn, you are beautiful. Thank you for sharing your story with the world. A person's happiness is very important to them, it is the very important key to being able to find meaning in their lives. If Cait truly felt like that it would be almost impossible to continue living within a man's body when she truly felt and was a woman inside, then, so be it. It is her body, and if it made her happy then that's what mattered truly.