Kim Kardashian's stepdad, Bruce Jenner, finally comes out as a woman, gets top transgender NGO's support
As Bruce Jenner‘s much-anticipated interview with Diane Sawyer premiered Friday with the famous Olympian revealing he "is a woman," GLAAD released a statement supporting the former Olympian.
“Today, millions of people learned that someone they know is transgender,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “By sharing this story, Bruce Jenner has shined a light on what it means to be transgender and live authentically in the face of unimaginable public scrutiny. Though Jenner’s journey is one that is deeply personal, it is also one that will impact and inspire countless people around the world.”
After months of remaining silent about his life-changing decision, the famed decathlete spoke publicly for the first time about transitioning from male to female in the interview on ABC’s 20/20.
“I would say I’ve always been very confused with my gender identity since I was this big,” said an emotional Jenner, 65.
“I tried to explain it, because I’ve had all my kids sitting in that chair … and I’ve tried to explain it this way. God’s looking down, making little Bruce … he says, ‘Okay, what are gonna do with this one. Make him a smart kid, very determined … and then when he’s just finishing he says, ‘Let’s wait a second.’
With his decision to go public Jenner hopes to make a permanent change in the transgender community,
“Every transgender person’s journey is unique, and by choosing to share this story, Bruce Jenner adds another layer to America’s understanding of what it means to be transgender,” said Nick Adams, GLAAD’s Director of Programs, Transgender Media.
“We hope that after hearing Jenner’s story, people will want to learn more about the issues and challenges facing their transgender friends, co-workers, and family members. Stories like these will help create a world in which everyone can express their gender identity without fear of discrimination and violence."
Culled from TIME
In the interview yesterday, Bruce reveals he first started raiding his mom/sister closet to wear feminine clothes at age seven or eight. He says be use to mark the spaces where he took the articles from so he could remember to put them away exactly without anyone finding him out: he was that secretive. He didn't have any idea why he was doing it apart from the fact that it made him "feel good."
Over time, this feel good feeling he gets when he wears female clothing or fascination with female stuff never dissipated, even through his three marriages or macho exploits of flying choppers, bike or race car driving, Olympian greatness and as a strict dad. While on the road as a motivational speaker, he buys female clothings which he wears and strut about in before mirrors. The pleasurable feeling he gets from doing this away,from prying eyes is indescribable.
The person who has known about Bruce's secret for decades is his sister. The interview shows that apparently, his decision to make the big reveal to Kris Jenner was catastrophic; according to him, she "was shaken." He said, "it rocked her." That was at the point when they quietly separated. Bruce hinted that had Kris been more understanding and supportive, maybe they would still be married. Kris' hurt has not lessened though, Bruce's first two wives released statements supporting Bruce but Kris, pointedly, declined when ABC contacted her for comment.
The decision was tough on his 10 kids too; Bruce is father to Burt, Casey, Brandon, Brody, supermodel Kendall, Kylie and stepdad to the equally famous Kardashian kids-Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, Rob. He called a big meeting with all of them and announced his secret. "They all cried," he said. Whether from empathy or pain ar the wistful realisation that the all-macho "Bruiser", as they fondly call him, and who they all aspire to be, is no more, we will never know. But, Bruce said the reveal has made them get more protective of him, especially of how the media should handle the news.
Meanwhile, Bruce is still unsure of how far he will proceed with changing his physical appearance; he has undergone many facial surgeries, reduction of his Adam apple, hormonal female oestrogen treatments for breast development but is uncertain over whether he will do gender reassignment surgery to replace his male sexual organ with a female's. That would mean having an interest in men but Bruce isn't into men because "I have always been, and still is, attracted to women," he said.
He decided to be true to himself and go open with his nearly 60-year internal struggles because he just couldn't "the curtains on it anymore." He admitted all his life is a lie, and at 65, if he doesn't get real with himself and dies tomorrow, he would never forgive himself for it.
What courage for a poster boy of alpha maleness! However, even with the daring revelation, Bruce Jenner shows he stull have balls. Here's hoping the world respects his decision.
