Oversung Heroine

When Caitlyn Jenner first came out as a transgendered woman, there were many predictable responses from the less educated right and even some from the middle who are still finding their feet when it comes to understanding gender identity issues. For her bravery in facing a very private decision in a very public manner, she was dubbed a hero and was awarded the Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year award, among other notable acknowledgements. Following this, there was a tidal wave of backlash that swept across the internet, some of which trickled onto my Facebook feed as many argued that "a man dressed as a woman is no hero." They posted photos of courageous soldiers carrying their wounded brethren across the battlefields to safety, lamenting "this is a real hero!" One man even returned his wife's posthumous Woman of the Year award to Glamour Magazine after being sickened by the publication's choice to honor a trans woman. He stated it was insulting to his wife's memory, who perished during rescue efforts in the 9/11 attacks, and to many other past recipients. The definition of a hero has become more and more subjective as time goes on, but does Caitlyn deserve to wear the crown?

As society has progressed, step by step people have overcome their ignorance and their fear of the unknown and the misunderstood. We have taken great leaps in the human rights movement as people have gradually come to comprehend the "homosexual condition." Previously society believed we had a defective brain, that something didn't connect properly or develop properly, that something was wrong with us. Now they know that the the homosexual heart loves exactly the same way as the straight ones do, that homosexual love is as deep and profound and devoted as heterosexual love can be. But the next obstacle appears to be a bit much as many who are strong supporters of lesbians and gays still believe transgendered people to be defective with poor brain connections or limited neurological development, or possibly mentally ill. You're a hero if you find the courage to come out of the closet, but you're sick if you find the courage to adopt your true gender identity.

Caitlyn Jenner faced no easy task when she decided to come out as a female. She was mocked, attacked, and harassed. Petitions were signed to have her gold medals from the Olympic games revoked. She became the butt of every comedian's joke in late night talk shows, and she has added one more rock to the pile of "things gone wrong in America" arguments. But in spite of her own courage and bravery for her personal journey, I will say that as a public figurehead, Caitlyn Jenner is no hero.

After coming out as transgendered, the LBGT population rallied around her and adopted her as their mascot. Following her spread in Vanity Fair magazine, Caitlyn set hearts pounding and tongues wagging as people cheered her on in her very public transition. She landed a reality show chronicling her new life which often features her previous reality TV brood, the Kardashians and Jenners, and as previously mentioned, she began collecting awards and making speeches and public appearances all over the US. But the party was over when Caitlyn made an appearance on the show of America's favorite lesbian hero, Ellen Degeneres.

Identifying herself as a "traditionalist," Caitlyn admitted that she disagreed with gay marriage years ago and felt marriage should be between a man and a woman. She allowed that now she "doesn't want to get in the way of anyone's happiness," but sounded so reluctant in this, it was painfully obvious she negotiated her stance to avoid offending the gay, married talk show host sitting a few feet from her face. Tackling the terminology of matrimonial equality, she rescinded, "if that word marriage is really so important to you, I can go with it." Like I mean, if I have to, I guess I can deal with it. Strangely, the transgendered star adopted many arguments that conservatives like her have used against the LGBT community in order to support her own stance against her own community. She wept and demanded her own rights as a trans woman but couldn't comprehend why our rights as homosexuals were critical too. But she didn't stop there.

Months later, Caitlyn raised eyebrows again when she announced that she would be supporting GOP candidates in the presidential elections, in spite of the fact that they are all staunch opponents of LGBT rights and the human rights movement as a whole, and many are not that great for the gender equality movement either. Today, Caitlyn has announced that she wants to be an ambassador to Ted Cruz, a very conservative candidate who has publicly stated he would work to end federal equal marriage laws and would stop anti-discrimination laws protecting trans people. She argued that even though he does not have a great position on trans issues, he's "very nice" and if he becomes president, she would like to work with him to help him understand the trans community and the obstacles they face. Instead of gliding on some hopeless prayer that we can change his lifelong and deeply rooted Evangelical beliefs against LGBTs, wouldn't it just be better to keep him from getting elected altogether? Though she hasn't quite given him her full endorsement yet, the only other front-running Republican candidate left is Trump, so with her promise to endorse the GOP, either way we're screwed.

Caitlyn is famous because she is trans. Caitlyn is rich because she is trans. Caitlyn is being worshipped because she is trans. But Caitlyn is anti-gay marriage and has repeatedly announced her support for political candidates that have openly argued against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender rights. This shining, glittering, rainbow-filled community has embraced you and lifted you up onto this pedestal in hopes that you could be their voice, and you repay them by arguing against their rights and backing the people who could soon have the power to take those rights away. Taking the publicity, the fame, the awards, and the money that the world has handed you in being publicly trans, then refusing to help the LGBT communities where and when it means the most does not make you a hero. It makes you a money-grubbing publicity whore.

Let's get one thing straight: in this world that is inundated with negativity and fueled by criticism, it takes so much courage and insurmountable bravery to face the backlash you get for being yourself, which pours down on you in cascades of hatred day by day. To wake up every morning and challenge the archaic societal norms knowing you will be harassed, attacked, and mocked is no easy feat. Many don't survive. Leelah Alcorn committed suicide when her parents refused to accept her as a female and isolated her from her peers by taking her out of school when she refused to live her lie as a boy. Even after her death, her parents refused to acknowledge her as a female and buried her under her male birth name. Lucia McCalip just took her own life a few days ago with pong seeds after being bullied and attacked by her peers. Her mother referred to her by her male birth name and only shared photos of her as a male with the press, also indicating possible acceptance issues at home. This life is not for the weak of heart, and transgendered people are heroes, but let's shine the light on the true heroes and heroines and forget these shady oversung heroes. Me personally, I'm all about Team Jazz.