Why It's Important to Stand Up for Caitlyn Jenner | An Asian Trans View

Today, I want to talk about something very important: why it's very important that we stand up for Caitlyn Jenner this year, if we want trans people to have dignity and equality in the real world. Now, I know this is a divisive topic, but please listen to my perspective with an open mind. Also, let me know in the comments if you agree with me, and if you agree with me and want more people to hear this perspective, please share this video around.

Now, let me restate my argument. It's very important that we stand up for Caitlyn Jenner this year, if we want to advance trans acceptance, dignity and equality in the real world, or at least stop things from backsliding even further. Now, I'm not saying that you have to support Jenner or vote for her. Regarding the question on whether Governor Newsom has been doing a good job, or whether Caitlyn Jenner should replace him, I don't currently have any opinion, and I don't think I will ever be well informed enough to have an opinion, because I don't live in California, and state races are generally focused on local issues. What I'm arguing for, however, is that Caitlyn Jenner should be given a fair and dignified run at this, like any other candidate. Jenner should be allowed to succeed or fail on her policies alone, just like any other candidate, with her trans status not coming into the equation at all. It is important that we insist on this happening, and do as much as possible to make this happen, if trans equality and dignity is to have any chance in the near future.

The socially conservative part of the Right knows the stakes in this very well, and they are open about why they must oppose Jenner's run. It's not about Jenner for them. It's about us. By marginalizing Caitlyn, they get to marginalize us all. And they know that a high profile race for the Governor of California will set a precedent for a long time either way. And they want to set a precedent where trans people are unconditionally rejected from normal polite society. Make no mistake, if Jenner is not given dignity in her run this year, there will be serious implications and consequences for trans people in every part of life, from jobs to housing, to just being taken seriously as a person!

Imagine if someone suggested that a candidate is undeserving of a fair run simply because they are black, Asian, or even gay. We are talking about the equivalent of this extreme level of bigotry, and they aren't even trying to hide it! Take Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA, who justified his opposition to Jenner by saying that 'biological standards matter', adding that he believes that roughly half of America shares his view. The idea that 'biological standards matter' for any job recalls dark pre-WWII times, and should send shivers down the spine of any sane person. Or take Matt Walsh, who actually said that if Jenner's run was embraced solely in the spirit of trolling, he could almost support it, but when people, including high profile Republicans like Nikki Haley, actually take her seriously? This he just can't accept, apparently. You know, there was a time when trans people only appeared on Jerry Springer, and I know just how many people want things to go back to that. Finally, Michael Knowles, who has consistently opposed multiple forms of trans acceptance, makes his view clear, stating that 'sometimes there's just got to be a line in the sand'. Apparently, trans people are so bad for society that we must be firmly excluded from a society that already otherwise accepts many other forms of diversity.

Make no mistake. Transphobic social conservatives are seeing an opportunity here. They are emboldened by the recent trans backlash, and want to ride that wave all the way to putting us back in a place where we are routinely excluded from polite society, where we are never taken seriously by anybody, and where we can justifiably be discriminated in terms of jobs, housing, and other areas of life. The only way to fight back is to make sure they don't get what they want. I'm not saying that Caitlyn Jenner needs to win, I'm just saying that we need to make sure she has a fair and dignified run, just like any other candidate. This will cement the idea that trans people are a normal part of society, and will certainly open doors to acceptance in important ways down the road. Our opponents know the very real stakes of this fight, and it's time we recognized it too.

Before we go, there's something else we need to talk about: the amount of left-leaning trans people who have taken to twitter to proudly announce that they don't support Caitlyn Jenner despite being trans. I mean, you are free to not support her, regardless of your trans status. You can simply say that you love the work Governor Newsom is doing and won't support Jenner to replace him, and I can respect that. But I feel extremely uneasy over these statements, which clearly tie being opposed to Jenner with being trans. Firstly, it's really a more subtle form of transphobia. As if Jenner needs other trans people to approve of her before she can have a fair run at political office. As if, because Jenner's politics don't align with the trans activist establishment, they feel like they have a right to sink her campaign before it even begins. You know, this is not equality. This is not equality at all. Neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden required the approval of all other straight men to run for office, you know. Many straight men disliked Trump and/or Biden, but nobody felt they need to talk about it in that way, you know.

But even more importantly, all this talk about trans people not supporting Jenner despite being trans, is actually providing fuel for those who want her to not have a fair and dignified run. They are helping to make sure that Jenner's run is seen as part of the larger culture war over trans issues, which would very certainly prevent her from having a fair and dignified run. In this way, these twitter leftists are actually doing the work of the likes of Kirk, Walsh and Knowles. This is why we must call this harmful behavior out.