Why Caitlyn Jenner is Not About Me

Since Caitlyn Jenner’s pictures graced Vanity Fair magazine, there has been a lot of back and forth about this historic event. No, Jenner is not the first trans woman to come out. Nor is she necessarily in favor of GLBT rights and other issues I care about. That said—a former male olympic athlete was on the cover of Vanity Fair—as a female. 

That’s a big deal.

Not to me. I see trans people all over the place, and trans issues are part of my social media landscape. As an author, I’m awash in the intricacies of the march towards civil rights.

What I realized this morning was that *to my kids* Caitlyn Jenner is HUGE.

My almost-thirteen-year-old is thrilled about Jenner’s transformation. She’s proud of Caitlyn, as are her friends. To middle schoolers, pop culture IS culture. They see what the media tells them to see, and to them Caitlyn is the first really public trans person they’ve seen.

(Accept Laverne Cox. And actual trans people around town. But there I go, being a jaded grown up.)

My nine year old is less blinded by the glamour. Like me, she’s a skeptic. However, she’s still one hundred percent in support of GLBT rights, and spends more time ranting against bigotry than I do.

My kids are why Caitlyn Jenner matters. She’s making a difference for a new generation, one where many of the prejudices I took for granted growing up have faded into the mist. 

There are plenty of places in America where Jenner isn’t accepted. Where gays aren’t accepted, heck where even interracial marriage is still a big deal. That doesn’t matter, though. Because there are more kids like mine than there are kids who hurt others. As many kids as the Duggars and families like them have, the media’s reach is further. YouTube’s reach is further. The Tyler Oakleys and Miranda Singhs in this world reach a lot more tweenagers than The Duggars ever will. What’s TLC? My kids haven’t watched TV on an actual TV in years.

So, yeah. Caitlyn. My kids will always remember this moment in time. This will be part of their history, the way Ziggy Stardust and Who’s The Boss? and the rise of rap music was part of mine.

Caitlyn is not about me. It’s about the future. And the future is beautiful.