I was at the grocery store on Tuesday waiting to pay for my buy-one-get-one Cheez-Its when some magazine headlines caught my eye. The cash register line was a little long, so I had some time to look around at the multiple magazines covering the same subject: Bruce Jenner.
Jenner has been all over the news lately. All you have to do is Google “Bruce Jenner” and the results that pop up are all along the same line: “Bruce Jenner’s Transition,” “Bruce Jenner Turning Into A Woman?” ”Bruce Jenner Sex Change Rumors.”
Oh my God! This is crazy! He’s doing what? This is truly the most earth-shattering and juicy news of all time. Except that … it’s really not.
First off, Jenner has not officially come out as transgender yet. Until he does so, no matter how many “close family friends” report to news outlets, everything is speculation and rumor. Second, and most importantly, if and when he does announce that he is transgender, it really isn’t any of our business.
A Slate author, Parker Marie Molloy, put it well when she wrote that “coming out as trans is such an intensely personal, painful, and challenging life event, and when you whisper about someone’s gender identity, you’re turning their life — right down to the core of their existence — into a joke, into gossip.”
If you’re interested in Jenner’s supposed transition because you’ve never been exposed to the ‘T’ in LGBT, and you’re using this as a branching-off point to learn about the transgender community: great. If you’re following the stories because you’re just curious and willing to follow any scandal: stop.
Someone’s gender identity isn’t a scandal. This isn’t gossip. This is someone’s life. Transgender individuals already face a lot of harassment and discrimination. They don’t need you prying into their personal lives or asking offensive and intrusive questions.
For example, people seem to place too much importance on the state of a trans individual’s genitals. When Katie Couric interviewed Laverne Cox, a transgender woman and “Orange is the New Black” actress, she referred to previous questions about surgery and the actual transition. Cox told Couric that, “The preoccupation with transition and surgery objectifies trans people. And then we don’t get to really deal with the real lived experiences.”
So what you see about Bruce Jenner’s supposed transition in the magazines is just that — supposed. If you’re worried about how this will affect “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” or if this means Jenner will get surgery or start wearing dresses or date men, you’re worrying about the wrong things.
Rates of attempted suicide are higher in the transgender community compared with the general population.
Unemployment rates are also doubled, plus trans individuals face discrimination and harassment more often in the workplace. In her interview, Cox pointed out that “the homicide rate is highest among trans women.”
These are the things that we should be worrying about. The only reason why you should want to know about the state of someone’s genitals, or their sexuality, or how they have sex, is if you’re in a sexual relationship with them. Are you having sex with Bruce Jenner? No? Right.
In that case, focus on more important things like making spaces safer and more inclusive for trans individuals. If you see someone being an offensive jerk to somebody else for their gender expression or how they present themselves, call them out. Let people use public bathrooms in peace. Respect someone’s preferred pronouns — he, she, they or whatever they might use.
Most importantly, educate yourself through the stories and accounts of actual trans individuals. These are some good suggestions to get you started, but I’m a cisgender female — I was designated female at birth, and I identify with the female gender now — so my opinions on the matter are way less important than those who actually identify as transgender.
Listen to what they say about the oppression and discrimination they face and adjust your actions to make our society more comfortable and welcome. And in the meantime, give Bruce Jenner a break, and find something new to gossip about.
Robyn Smith is a UF journalism junior. Her column appears on Fridays.
[A version of this story ran on page 7 on 2/6/2015 under the headline “Bruce Jenner’s gender not our business"]
