Can Caitlyn Jenner Change The World's Mind About What It Means To Be Transgender?

When Caitlyn Jenner was unveiled on Vanity Fair’s July issue, captioned “Call Me Caitlyn”, the public reacted in a major way.

Caitlyn Jenner was no longer just another member of the Kardashian family – she was becoming an icon. Her tell-all interview in late April was only the beginning of her newest chapter, as she learns to embrace her new role as an advocate of the LGBTQ community.

“I feel such a responsibility to this courageous group to try to get it right and tell all sides of the story.”

It seems almost unfair to place such high expectations on Caitlyn Jenner to join Orange is the New Black star and LGBTQI advocate Laverne Cox; to pioneer for the acceptance and equal treatment of all transgender individuals – but it seems no one recognises the responsibility more than Caitlyn herself.

Whilst Jenner has faced lifelong struggles with gender identity, her first personal blog post discusses the greater issues the transgender community face – and encapsulates the type of advocate she will need to be if she wants to truly change the way transgender individuals are perceived.

Caitlyn Jenner has a promising future as an advocate for the transgender community. As indicated in her Vanity Fair interview, she has faced a great deal of private crises, stating that she once believed “Pain is kind of, for me, part of the pain for being me.”

Like Laverne Cox (who was bullied and placed into therapy as a child) and presumably a large proportion of the LGBTQI community, Jenner dealt with the inherent belief that her gender identity issues meant she deserved to suffer.

However, it’s important she recognises that her experience is from the perspective of a more privileged individual; one who has been lauded for her achievements in the past – and therefore, is less likely to face the external obstacles the majority of the transgender community face.

In the United States, for example, the unemployment rate in 2013 for transgender individuals sat at 14 per cent, compared to the nationwide average of seven per cent.

In addition, transgender people are not provided with a fair healthcare system (most insurance plans do not cover mental health services, cross-sex hormone therapy or gender affirmation therapy).

Whilst Jenner’s new identity was celebrated on magazine covers and accompanied by an outpouring of support from the general public, the reality is that most transgender people are not so quickly accepted. As stated by Cox, transgender people are “so often… targets of violence,” and “experience discrimination disproportionately to the rest of the community.” These issues are highlighted by the record number of LGBTQI homicides in 2015.

Thus far, Jenner has illustrated she’s aware of the potential she has as an advocate; understanding her experiences will be invaluable for others. Hopefully, with her upcoming reality show I Am Cait, she’ll not only be able to communicate with the greater transgender community, but also educate the general public when it comes to the issues transgender people face on a daily basis.

Emily Lam is one of Student Edge’s student contributors. Learn more about the contributors program.