tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128275531907223462.post446280335154439054..comments2024-01-24T11:32:46.099+01:00Comments on DeusEXMachina: My Problem with the Caitlyn Jenner StoryMaria Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17472843818105697984noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128275531907223462.post-49579649496413596162015-06-16T14:09:28.610+02:002015-06-16T14:09:28.610+02:00That is true, and that is what´s left hoping for! ...That is true, and that is what´s left hoping for! Not saying her transition is bad or anything, I just kind of take the publicity of it with a grain of salt. But well, if this is the way to teach the world about trans people then so be it, it is definitely better than ignoring them altogether or refusing to talk about it.Maria Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17472843818105697984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128275531907223462.post-33635618338568116282015-06-16T07:08:35.657+02:002015-06-16T07:08:35.657+02:00But even if Jenner's story does end up setting...But even if Jenner's story does end up setting a precedent that becomes problematic, it's also a marker of progress to better media representation of trans women in the future. It sets a standard for more respectful treatment of trans women by the mainstream media, and for me, that outweighs any negative effects it may have.Adryrnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15127627563396152735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128275531907223462.post-61957893099415569542015-06-15T18:52:39.994+02:002015-06-15T18:52:39.994+02:00I agree with what you wrote, and I do not think th...I agree with what you wrote, and I do not think the way she expresses herself is wrong. She is entitled to her life as any one of us, and her transition is subjective to her life.<br />The totality of it all is what worried me. Exactly because she is a famous person and having this story being talked about will indeed imprint a certain opinion in people´s minds, which can be a very specific point of view on trans people: that you NEED to modify yourself, that you need to be feminine and wear makeup. Traits that seem stereotypically feminine, but do not apply to all trans people, nor to all woman. The story also does not show the process of transition, and yes I do agree she got hate before coming out aesthetically looking like a woman. That is what I wanted to convey in my post.<br /><br />I agree a lot that there is no wrong way to be trans, but the media pretty much shows that there is only one way to be one, as I personally see it through Jenner´s story.Maria Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17472843818105697984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128275531907223462.post-81616187307065845902015-06-15T00:37:23.075+02:002015-06-15T00:37:23.075+02:00I think there are as many right ways to talk about...I think there are as many right ways to talk about one’s experience as a trans person as there are trans people, and Caitlyn Jenner’s way is just as valid as anyone else’s. Her approach especially makes sense to me as a countermeasure to all the negative media attention she was getting for being trans before she came out publicly. She should not have to represent all trans people (or all women, or all trans women) just because she’s in the public eye and she’s part of a frequently misunderstood minority. There are plenty of other trans women in the world who are able and willing to tell their story in a less “shallow” way, and perhaps more people will actually pay attention to them and read their stories with open minds because of the coverage of Caitlyn’s transition. <br /><br />I also think that it’s important to see how much surgery can help with physical gender dysphoria. Because so few people can afford gender-affirming surgery, it can be easy for young trans people to think that it’s physically impossible for them to be comfortable in their bodies. When you know that it is in fact possible to change your body into something you can live with, it becomes that much easier to fight for better access to the healthcare you need (in the form of more medical professionals that specialize in transgender healthcare and in broader insurance coverage for hormones and gender-affirming surgery). While there are plenty of trans people who are fine without surgery, there are others for whom gender-affirming surgery is medically necessary—there is no other way for them to be mentally healthy. Media coverage like Caitlyn Jenner's photoshoot may give some of them the courage they need to stay alive.<br /><br />I can see why you might find the ways Caitlyn expresses her femininity worrying, but the presence of idiots who will treat her like she represents anyone other than herself is not a reason for her not to express herself. And the same goes for any woman, regardless of how different her expression of her femininity may be from those of other women. Adryrnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15127627563396152735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128275531907223462.post-6287312721787232062015-06-13T20:25:57.383+02:002015-06-13T20:25:57.383+02:00This shouldn´t be an issue in the western world in...This shouldn´t be an issue in the western world in my opinion, where everyone allegedly has the opportunity to learn about such things and be open minded and accept everyone. I have no idea how this story was presented in russia for example. they probably think it is a freak show based on the HUGE publicity this story received.Maria Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17472843818105697984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128275531907223462.post-38935180501653792822015-06-13T20:12:14.678+02:002015-06-13T20:12:14.678+02:00exactly. I do not set my hopes high for Jenner doi...exactly. I do not set my hopes high for Jenner doing something in the community, but her manager might advice her that.Maria Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17472843818105697984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128275531907223462.post-33831528224378683712015-06-13T02:48:25.097+02:002015-06-13T02:48:25.097+02:00yeah. you echoed my thoughts with this whole thing...yeah. you echoed my thoughts with this whole thing. sure would be nice if every trans person had a million-dollar public-relations machine to help them feel accepted. 5th Avenue Gothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15631503951105585937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128275531907223462.post-45533794600670094972015-06-12T22:07:29.773+02:002015-06-12T22:07:29.773+02:00These are some very valid points. Personally, I am...These are some very valid points. Personally, I am happy for Caitlin yet I feel like this shouldn't be an issue. Good for her, she is a woman. Now move on. I think the media and people in general are putting way too much emphasis on this. Seriously, we are in 2015 - issues like these should no longer be an isue. Again, I am not trangendered either so I cannot speak for them and I have NO clue what they go through. I have some friends who are transgendered and they tell me stories but I hate being that person who says "well i have trans friends and they say it is this way so it must be that way". Everyone is different. I just wish that we lived in a world where things like this shouldnt be an issue. Sylviehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15046068654128830933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128275531907223462.post-91402866067411717782015-06-12T17:10:31.564+02:002015-06-12T17:10:31.564+02:00You have pointed out the subjectivity- some transg...You have pointed out the subjectivity- some transgender people express themselves in a certain way, some in a different way. I cannot speak for transgender people about this in any way, but from my experience knowing transgender people I have noticed that being objectified, being placed into a certain category, oversexualized and being regarded not as human is one of the things that transgender people hate, which only separates them from society. I have watched a dozen youtube videos of friendly transgender people who love educating the world about their experience. I have met people in real life who won´t even talk about anything that connects with that subject, and will scold you for trying to bring it up.<br />Maria Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17472843818105697984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128275531907223462.post-51102265905428209982015-06-12T15:57:01.270+02:002015-06-12T15:57:01.270+02:00I have a difficult time with the whole transgender...I have a difficult time with the whole transgender thing, I noticed you brought up questions about womanhood and what defines it, and I agree it is subjective. I have known a few trans people. What has surprised me is the differences among them. There are those who claim to feel inherently female and wish to dress and be addressed that way. They're much more sensitive about it, they don't advertise that they are transgender. Then there are those that like to make a spectacle of themselves, they think being female means big boobs, big hair and excessive makeup and being overtly sexual (all of which seem awfully sexist to me... it boggles my mind that someone would want to be objectified and embody the more negative stereotypes about women). Maybe I'm a b* but I can't take the ones that make a show of themselves seriously. They're not women to me, they're just...something else entirely. I feel this way about this Jenner person.<br /><br />Admittedly I hardly know who he/she is, but it pisses me off that he's turned his (or her) transition into a spectacle. Has she opened doors for other transgenders? Has she made being trans more acceptable? Probably not. Instead she's set a ridiculous an unachievable standard for all aspiring trans youth, who will lament the fact that they can't afford to get breast implants, genital surgery, hormone therapy, hair implants, or a fancy new wardrobe. And because she's a celebrity, they've photoshopped her promo image to hell, so she's not even showing the true version of herself anyways. It all seems like some awful joke. I sincerely hope the trans youth of today will find a much better role model than this.Ladyfairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17402600337611206195noreply@blogger.com