I wonder how Caitlyn Jenner dealt with menopause? It was probably no big deal for him, since he’s been pregnant so many times - everything’s a cakewalk after that, am I right fellas? I mean, no one understands what it’s like to be a woman quite like a man wearing makeup. I just hope he remembers to get yearly mammograms. Which again, should be a piece of cake after having yearly OB exams most of his life. He’s probably just glad he’s not having his period anymore! Just when I thought we lived in a society where being a woman is NOT defined by makeup, cleavage, and long hair, along comes Bruce Jenner to prove us all wrong.
Ok, let’s be serious. Bruce Jenner has a serious case of First-World Problems. He is simply a man that wants to look and dress like a first-world woman. I am not usually on the “offended” train that is so popular these days. But I am highly offended that Bruce Jenner thinks he can call himself a woman. Why are we not hearing more outrage, especially from women? I thought we were supposed to think of women as more than just sex symbols. More than just boobs, hair, makeup. More than surface appearance. Women are amazing creatures, truly. Beyond the most amazing aspect (the ability to grow a baby in their womb and bring a life into this world), women are special and different. Different from men. I know I’m stating the obvious, but apparently it’s not that obvious any more.
As women, we had the displeasure of experiencing that first awkward menstrual period. Those couple embarassing moments in school associated with having a period. And then we get to deal with that monthly friend every month for decades (sometimes accompanied by cramps, back pain, mood swings, etc). And then of course yearly OB exams - not fun. And then the random pregnancy scare. And then the biological clock - crap, can I still have kids? Should I have kids? Maybe I don’t want kids? Will I be a good mom? Perhaps a decision to not have kids - maybe getting your tubes tied. Maybe you have a heartbreaking miscarriage. Or maybe you find yourself in a place and age in life where you simply can’t get pregnant, even though you desperately want it more than anything else in the world. And then of course there’s pregnancy. And childbirth - the best, most amazing thing on this planet. Motherhood. Breastfeeding. Then later in life - mammograms, hysterectomies. Heartbreaking cancers of the many beautiful things that make us female. All of these things, and all of the emotions and happiness and heartbreak that go along with these things, are things that only women can truly understand. Sure, men are effected by things that happen to the women they love. But it’s not even close to what women go through and feel.
Every woman is special, unique and different from one another. Yet we do share a common bond because we are women. Deep down, only women can understand women. A man can’t simply put on makeup, a corset, high heels, hair extensions, do a few surgeries and hormonal treatments, and all of a sudden call himself a woman. It’s insulting to women everywhere. Why can’t we just call this what it is? A man that wants to look and dress like a woman, but who is most definitely a man. He can’t swoop in and claim to be a woman. Women own that privelege. Not because we’re mean and we don’t like to share. Because it’s a biological, scientific fact.
We live in the best country in the world, where we have so many freedoms. Whatever this man decides to do in the privacy of his own life - fine, whatever. I personally think he’ll live to regret his surgical decisions, and I think one day he’ll look back on the stress and emotional upheaval (that will likely never go away) that he put his kids through (publicly I might add), and he’ll wish he hadn’t done it to them. But it’s his decision. We can think he’s a bad father and grandfather (those titles imply that you no longer put yourself first), and we can think he has psychological problems as much as we want. But he decided to start dressing and acting like a woman, and in this country he is free to do whatever he wants as long as it’s legal. But why must we as a society then praise, honor, revere him - AND buy into his delusion that he really is a woman? I’m really confused by that. Many people in this country think he’s a hero for doing this. The concept of heroism has apparently taken a dive in our society. But then again, many people in this country think that what he’s done shouldn’t be praised and enabled on a national level. These people (the majority I am willing to bet) have been successfully silenced by the very vocal people telling us that we’re horrible, hateful bigots for thinking Bruce Jenner is indeed a man. A man who just wants to look and dress like first-world women (namely, his step-daughters).
You’re either someone who is all about science, someone who is all about religion, or a mix of the two. Either way, a man calling himself a woman and expecting people to believe that he’s a woman, doesn’t jive. Had Bruce Jenner been born and raised in a third world country, surrounded by men and women that wore very similar clothing (no corsets, high heels, makeup, dresses, hair extensions, etc), would he still have this supposed innate need to wear high heels…? We all know the answer is no. I wonder if any men in Uganda are plagued by the intense desire to wear lipstick and hair extensions…
If one day I start telling people that I think I’m a penguin, I feel like a penguin, and I want to start transitioning to a penguin, I truly hope the people in my life will intervene. If not for my sake, then for my daughter’s sake and my husband’s sake. And definitely for the sake of my mother, who gave birth to a precious baby girl, NOT a penguin. And if they can’t stop me from dressing and acting like a penguin, then I truly hope my story remains private, and not splashed across national television as if what I’m doing should be respected and praised.
There are people in this world that do some pretty weird stuff in their private lives. They are free to do so. And if they decide to make it public, we are free to think it’s pretty damn weird. So I hope that one day, we’ll stop being forced to accept weird stuff on a national level. And if it’s continually forced on us through every media outlet imaginable, I hope we have the voice to call it like we see it, and not be afraid to do so. I don’t think I’m a bad person for feeling this way, even though I’m sure thousands of people will condemn my “opinion” that Bruce Jenner was born a man and is still a man.
