Caitlyn Jenner's journey

[TeenHelp]

Caitlyn Jenner's journey
by Cassie (Calico.) and Dez (*~Sparkly Queer~* )

The term transgender refers to people whose gender identity is not equivalent to the biological sex they were assigned at birth. People often expect someone to conform to the societal norms of a male or female, when the person may feel differently inside. Children with gender dysphoria generally feel that they need to hide part of who they are because societal norms say that they must do male or female things, such as play with dolls or wear particular clothing. Teens tend to struggle with feelings of shame and disgust in regards to their body during puberty. 50% of transgender individuals will have attempted suicide at least once by the time they’re twenty years old [source]. People often describe their experience as being born in the wrong body and being forced to hide their true identities due to the mindset of society. Transgender individuals often deal with feelings of depression, anxiety, and shame as a result of this. Going through this is an emotional roller coaster for anyone, but Caitlyn Jenner rode this roller coaster in front of thousands of people.

Caitlyn Jenner was born as William Bruce Jenner on October 28th, 1949 in New York. She was the second of seven children. As a child, Jenner struggled with dyslexia but excelled at sports. In high school, she enjoyed basketball, track and field, water skiing, and football. She injured her knee and became unable to play football. L.D. Weldon, a coach at Graceland University, had faith in Jenner and helped her train toward a decathlon. She went on to win the gold at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Canada. After winning the gold medal, she remained in the public eye. She advertised for Wheaties and did several TV appearances. Jenner is well known for appearing on the reality TV show Keeping up with the Kardashians.

Rumors about Jenner’s gender identity began to spread in February of 2015. In April of 2015, she was interviewed by Diane Sawyer on ABC’s 20/20. In this interview, she discussed her gender identity, hormone treatments, and the emotions that she and her family were feeling. On June 1st, 2015, Jenner posted about becoming Caitlyn. She said, “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.”

For many people, transitioning is a private and very personal matter. It may be difficult for those in the trans community to come out to their loved ones and then begin the process of transitioning. During the process, they may feel a variety of emotions, some positive and some negative. For example, while someone may feel relieved to begin the process of transitioning, they may still feel anxiety about what people will think, and about the process as a whole. If they are surrounded by people who are unsupportive, they may also feel shame and embarrassment. However, it is still important for someone who is transgender to feel comfortable in their own skin, and they may feel that transitioning is the way to do this.

Caitlyn Jenner was in the spotlight throughout her entire journey. Many people have been following her story since she was in the Olympics and began to keep track of her and her family. There is an added pressure on celebrities since the media follows their every move. For many celebrities, it is difficult to maintain a private life, and therefore Jenner’s transition was thrust into the spotlight. She kept the world updated about her transition and what it meant to her throughout the journey and managed to keep calm, even with the pressure of the media. It was very brave of her to transition with the world watching her, and to share such a personal story with the world.

Due to the large amount of media attention she faced throughout her transition, she has become a role model for other people in the trans community. People who are transgender were able to watch her story and watch her become the beautiful woman she was destined to be. They watched Jenner become happier and feel more free once she transitioned. Caitlyn Jenner’s transition is a story of hope for others in the trans community. She spreads the message that everyone has the right to be who they want to be, and everyone deserves to feel happy and comfortable with who they are. Jenner emphasizes the fact that people should put themselves first and live how they want to live instead of feeling ashamed.

Jenner’s transition also made a positive impact on the world as a whole. Many people do not understand what it means to be transgender or what it is like to go through the process of transitioning. Since Jenner’s journey was witnessed by the public, people began to learn more about this process and become more understanding. This knowledge of what it is like to transition gave people a more positive and supportive outlook towards the trans community.

Caitlyn Jenner has paved the way towards understanding and acceptance of the trans community. While there is still a lot of work to be done, she has started the process of spreading information on what it means to be transgender and getting the word out there that it is important to be supportive and understanding.

Some people oppose Jenner’s transition and claim that this is a stunt for attention. However, Jenner is constantly watched by the media, and in the long run it was better for her to be straightforward about her transition instead of trying to hide. Throughout the entire process, she remained courteous and wanted nothing more than to educate people about what she was going through. She was no longer living a lie. Fortunately, she received a mostly positive response and many people were proud of her bravery. The important thing to remember is what matters the most is that she is feeling happy and free.