A couple of weeks ago, I saw Laverne Cox speak as part of her college tour. She was impressive on so many levels. Laverne spoke fast and had so much to say about gender identity, about trans rights, and about the depressing statistics about violence and murder against trans people. She called then-Bruce sincere and human with a “desire to change the world“. Laverne also urged us, and the media, to focus on the “hearts, souls, emotions and… experiences” of trans people, and not the specifics around surgery and body parts.
Now that we’ve met Caitlyn on the cover of Vanity Fair, Laverne has penned a thoughtful essay about what this means to the trans community, and to those people who are still struggling. She urges us not to focus on beauty and instead to move toward acceptance. Her essay is long and I’ll break it down a little here. I recommend that you read the original which reminded me so much of her talk. I could listen to her for hours. Here’s some of what she wrote and the headers are in my words.
We should go beyond the superficial with trans people
Yes, Caitlyn looks amazing and is beautiful but what I think is most beautiful about her is her heart and soul, the ways she has allowed the world into her vulnerabilities. The love and devotion she has for her family and that they have for her. Her courage to move past denial into her truth so publicly. These things are beyond beautiful to me.
Trans people shouldn’t have to be attractive to be respected
A year ago when my Time magazine cover came out I saw posts from many trans folks saying that I am “drop dead gorgeous” and that that doesn’t represent most trans people. (It was news to me that I am drop dead gorgeous but I’ll certainly take it). But what I think they meant is that in certain lighting, at certain angles I am able to embody certain cisnormative beauty standards. Now, there are many trans folks because of genetics and/or lack of material access who will never be able to embody these standards. More importantly many trans folks don’t want to embody them and we shouldn’t have to to be seen as ourselves and respected as ourselves.
We need more media representation of trans folks
I have always been aware that I can never represent all trans people. No one or two or three trans people can. This is why we need diverse media representations of trans folks to multiply trans narratives in the media and depict our beautiful diversities. I started #TransIsBeautiful as a way to celebrate all those things that make trans folks uniquely trans, those things that don’t necessarily align with cisnormative beauty standards.
We have to lift up all trans people
Most trans folks don’t have the privileges Caitlyn and I have now have. It is those trans folks we must continue to lift up, get them access to healthcare, jobs, housing, safe streets, safe schools and homes for our young people. We must lift up the stories of those most at risk, statistically trans people of color who are poor and working class. I have hoped over the past few years that the incredible love I have received from the public can translate to the lives of all trans folks. Trans folks of all races, gender expressions, ability, sexual orientations, classes, immigration status, employment status, transition status, genital status etc.. I hope, as I know Caitlyn does, that the love she is receiving can translate into changing hearts and minds about who all trans people are as well as shifting public policies to fully support the lives and well being of all of us.
[From Laverne Cox on Tumblr]
That was so powerful, but I didn’t expect anything less from her. Read the first quoted paragraph again. (Or for the first time.) For those of you criticizing Caitlyn and saying that Bruce was a horrible absent father, does that take away from how groundbreaking and meaningful it is for her to earn the cover of Vanity Fair? I don’t think it does. It took Caitlyn her whole lifetime to be able to be herself, and there’s nothing wrong with celebrating that while acknowledging that she’s flawed. As Laverne Cox said in her speech, “we are not what we do” and we are not the worst thing we’ve ever done. (The context is that during Q&A a future public defender asked her for words of wisdom. Laverne quoted civil rights attorney William Kunstler, who believed that everyone deserved a defense.)
In terms of cisnormative beauty, many transgender people have brought this up when it comes to the media narrative around Caitlyn. Vocactiv has an eye-opening editorial about this issue, with a conclusion from the director of Transgender Media at GLAAD, Nick Adams “We have to get to a place where how a transgender person looks — whether they’re visibly transgender or whether or not they meet some conventional standard of masculinity and femininity as defined by our culture — is not the criteria upon which they receive acceptance and support.”
As for how we can support trans people with public policy, Laverne gave an example of a Catholic high school in New York city in which the students successfully lobbied to have some gender neutral bathrooms. (Here’s more on how gender neutral bathrooms can help with access and acceptance for trans people. Many schools are switching “family” bathrooms to the more inclusive “gender neutral”.)
Laverne also reminded us that when we don’t value trans lives “the price can be deadly.” The self-reported attempted suicide rate among trans people is over 40%. So yes, I do celebrate Caitlyn on the cover of Vanity Fair, and I hope to see more trans celebrities, media personalities and neighbors.
Here’s a new video that Vanity Fair released from behind the scenes in which Caitlyn gives a shout out to Laverne Cox, among other pioneers.
I’m so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. Welcome to the world Caitlyn. Can’t wait for you to get to know her/me.
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) June 1, 2015
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