At this point, I think it's pretty safe to assume that we all know who Caitlyn Jenner is. Formally known as Bruce Jenner, the Kardashian stepfather recently transitioned from male to female, and the process has been widely publicized. There have been so many mixed responses to her transition, and not all of them have been positive.
It's no secret that this world is full of close-minded, and judgmental people. So when Caitlyn's Vanity Fair cover was published, the world went crazy. It is my personal opinion that if being a woman is what makes her happy, then she has every right to make that choice. I think that for an Olympic athlete who lived his life with such a masculine image, announcing that he has struggled with gender dysphoria for 65 years was probably more difficult than any of us could understand. I give Caitlyn credit for finally deciding to be who she wants to be. No matter what your religion or beliefs may be, being who you want to be in this world is admirable. As E.E. Cummings once wrote, "to be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing it's best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting."
That being said, there are a few things about Caitlyn Jenner that drive me crazy. And becoming a woman isn't one of them...
1. Her Vanity Fair Article
When Caitlyn Jenner came out to the world as the woman she is now, she did so by shooting the cover of Vanity Fair. The magazine also published an interview with her. In the interview they discussed a wide range of topics including Bruce's biological children (whom he neglected) and his former marriage to Kris Jenner. When asked about Kris Jenner and their marriage, she spoke negatively and was disrespectful to the mother of their children. Caitlyn was quoted saying things like “I think in a lot of ways she became less tolerant of me. A lot of times she wasn’t very nice. People would see how I got mistreated." She also noted that Kris was controlling. This frustrates me for two reasons: 1) Regardless of the transition, Kris Jenner is the mother of their children. It is never appropriate to publicly bash the mother of your children in a national magazine article. Ever. It is disrespectful to the woman she shared a life with, and it is disrespectful to their children. I think it was tasteless and tacky, and I instantly lost a lot of respect for her. 2) Caitlyn blamed the divorce on Kris being controlling and mean. If you watched "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" at all in the years leading up to Bruce's transition, you probably noticed his withdrawal, disrespect, and complete lack of interest in being a part of the family. Aside from that, Caitlyn takes zero responsibility for the fact that her transition into womanhood had anything to do with the fall of their marriage.
2. She Plays The Victim
When Caitlyn started to transition, it was hard for the Kardashian/Jenner clan. As expected. Caitlyn had 65 years to think about this transition. But when the family struggled to understand and mourn the loss of Bruce, Caitlyn had no patience. She expected everyone to be as excited as she was right away, and if anyone had any reservations about it, she lashed out. You can witness a lot of this in episodes of "Keeping Up" and "I Am Cait." I can imagine what a difficult time it must have been for Bruce when he decided to be Caitlyn, but I think the way she treated her family was selfish and immature.
3. She's A Hypocrite
When Caitlyn first transitioned, she appeared on "The Ellen Show." The topic of politics came up and, I think to everyone's surprise, Caitlyn shared that she is a conservative Republican. Wait, wait, wait. What?! She must be kidding. It is widely known that most (I stress the word "most" because I can't speak for everyone) Republicans are anti-LGBT. Meaning that most conservative Republicans are anti-gay marriage and don't believe that transitioning from one gender to the other should be an option in this world. (Before anyone gets offended, let me just reiterate the fact that I am speaking of conservative Republicans. I know that there are many Republicans out there that are much more open-minded.) When Ellen points out that her lifestyle highly contradicts her political stance, Caitlyn scrambles to get her words right. Maybe she is still trying to figure all of this out, but it seems awfully hypocritical to me.
4. She's Obsessed With Fame
In episodes of "I Am Cait," Caitlyn repeatedly mentions how she has millions of Twitter followers. I can't roll my eyes enough at this. Get over yourself. I think it's great that her transition story can reach so many people who struggle with gender dysphoria, but she speaks awfully highly of herself for someone who is supposedly only doing this "to help others and not at all for publicity."
5. She Acts Like A Teenager
In a recent episode of "Keeping Up," Khloe Kardashian did an interview with Howard Stern. When asked about Caitlyn's transition, she talked about how in the beginning it was difficult because Caitlyn was never fully honest. There was always a new surprise every time she saw her. If you watched the show in the very early stages of Bruce's transition to Caitlyn, you know exactly what Khloe is referring to. After the interview, Caitlyn texted Khloe things like, "F**k you, you piece of s**t" for speaking negatively about her in an interview. First of all, Khloe told the truth. If Caitlyn is ashamed of her actions, that's her own fault. Second, refer to Caitlyn's Vanity Fair article ... seems a bit hypocritical, doesn't it? Third, Caitlyn is an adult. What kind of grown adult -- let alone what kind of parent -- says things like that to her children! So inappropriate, so disrespectful. Can't even, guys.
6. She's Posing Nude
This is just the icing on the cake. Caitlyn Jenner recently announced that she will be posing nude. Does anyone else remember when the Kardashian girls decided to pose nude? Khloe for PETA, and Kim for Playboy. Bruce Jenner lost his damn mind. He wouldn't allow it, he was disgusted and disappointed, and he looked down upon the girls for their choices. Isn't it funny how, now that Bruce has become Caitlyn, it's empowering, not trashy? Personally, I think everyone can make their own choices and pose however they want. But Caitlyn constantly contradicts herself, and it blows my mind.
I think Bruce transitioning to Caitlyn is powerful and inspiring. But just because it was a brave decision, doesn't mean she is a good person. Had she been born as Caitlyn Jenner, the world might have noticed, but her personality and poor choices are hidden in the shadows of her transition. I hope for the sake of struggling trans people all over the world that she can pull her head out of the spotlight for five minutes and focus on the greater good.
**Disclaimer: This article, and the opinions in it, are based on information that has been provided to the public by television, internet, and media, and is, in no way, a reflection of a personal experience.