Last week, the world was introduced to Caitlyn Jenner. When rumours began swirling that the former Bruce Jenner would reveal his new gender identity in an exclusive cover story for Vanity Fair to be shot by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz, it was always going to be the news that broke the internet.
When the cover finally landed on social media, the reaction was overwhelmingly (and surprisingly) positive. However, as Jon Stewart and others noted, as heart-warming as it is to see people embrace a transgender woman transitioning at 65 and in such an incredibly public way, the focus of much of this attention was inevitably on how she looked.
Now that Bruce is Caitlyn, it’s her appearance that people were paying the most attention to. There is no doubt that Caitlyn did look stunning, but of course when people gushed they were applauding not just her bravery but her ability to embody certain standards of feminine beauty, with the help of plastic surgery, an army of hair and makeup stylists, the right outfit, the right lighting and the wonders of Photoshop. (It is also ironic that we criticise the media, beauty and fashion industry for imposing these same standards on women, but when a transgender woman uses those same methods to achieve this we applaud).
Of course, as Laverne Cox poignantly pointed out, it’s important to remember that Jenner’s experience is not representative of most trans folk out there, since she enjoys the privilege of being wealthy and white. Many transgender people cannot hope to embody those cis-normative standards of beauty, whether because they cannot afford access to expensive hormone therapies, cosmetic and gender reassignment surgeries or because they lack the genetic ability or both. Not everyone has the luxury of “passing”, and not everyone wants to.
For this reason, we shouldn’t forget the struggles faced by most trans people face just getting a job, finding housing or just walking the street without encountering physical violence. Just last weekend, a transgender woman was brutally bashed in Newtown in Sydney, a suburb that we would ordinarily think of as one of the most queer-friendly in Australia.
There is a cynical part of us that also knows the transition of Bruce to Caitlyn is also an incredibly well orchestrated publicity stunt, with each revelation – from the Diane Sawyer interview confirming he was transitioning to the perfectly timed Vanity Fair revelation to coincide with the new I Am Cait E! reality series carefully stage managed. Whatever you think of the Kardashian reality television machine, there is no doubting that this was a watershed moment for transgender rights.
The very high profile presence of transgender women like Laverne Cox and now Caitlyn Jenner’s transition in the public eye, as well as the presence of fictionalised transgender characters like Moira on Jill Solway’s brilliant Amazon series Transparent have made trans people visible for the first time.
#callmecaitlyn is already making a difference in the lives of trans folk. Just one example of this is the Tumblr trend of trans women, men and gender non-conforming people creating their own Call Me ____ Vanity Fair cover with themselves as cover stories to encourage people to accept them for who they are (including their chosen names and pronouns).
Midsumma Festival’s second annual Midwinta Gala Ball will be on Friday August 7 but tickets have already sold out in record time. The black tie fundraiser will be held at the Grand Hyatt, and a who’s who of the LGBT community will no doubt be there. To join the wait listing for extra ticket allocations, visit midsumma.org.au or email [email protected].
A new rainbow rave is being launched in Brunswick at RUBIX Warehouse called Unicorn. This Sydney-based sequin covered party will be launching on Melbourne on Saturday July 4 2015, with Canberra’s Lady Bones, Unicorns and Ruby Slippers on decks along with local favourites Mimi and Salvador Darling. Drag entertainment will be provided by James Welsby.
The queer disco The Outpost will return to The Gasometer on Saturday June 27 for the brilliantly titled Wintour of our Discotheque bash. Steven Weir, Whiskey Houston and J-Nett will be on disco duties. Entry is $15 on the door.
Got tip offs, praise, complaints or cat photos? Email [email protected] to be included in this column.
