Changing to Caitlyn
When it comes to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) issues, it’s hard to think of any recent article unrelated to Proposition 8 or samesex marriage that drew more letters to the editor than art critic Christopher Knight’s front-page review of the Vanity Fair cover featuring Caitlyn Jenner.
Also significant is the fact that nearly all the letters have been supportive of her transition. Most of those who expressed some misgivings over Jenner’s Vanity Fair shoot directed their criticism at media that cover all things Kardashian (Jenner, before her transition, was married to Kardashian family matriarch Kris Jenner).
Is this reflective of a broader shift in thinking on LGBT issues?
— Paul Thornton, letters editor
Corona del Mar resident Bette Mason asks us to put Jenner’s transition in perspective:
Enough already. I admired Bruce Jenner for his athletic achievements as an Olympian. I have no problem with her identity now as Caitlyn Jenner. The guts, stamina and drive required to become one’s true identity are not lost on me.
But can we take a collective deep breath and put this in perspective? We have not yet cured cancer. We have not yet made the world safe from the possibility of nuclear annihilation. We have not yet obliterated some of the world’s deadliest plagues. Religious wars continue to eat away at the planet. Man’s inhumanity to man is rife.
So please, let’s put this very timely and interesting and personal story in perspective. I repeat: Enough already.
Kathy Landis of Laguna Woods has some words of encouragement for Jenner:
Call me thrilled. Christopher Knight may pan legendary portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz’s photograph of Jenner as trite, but I find the Vanity Fair cover photo stunning. More importantly, the new Ms. Jenner has commanded and demonstrated the remarkable courage, perseverance and determination that distinguished her as an Olympic champion.
Carry on, Caitlyn! More people than you know are in your corner and wish you the best in what’s going to be an interesting journey with all sorts of social media tracking your every word and act. Alan Abajian of Alta Loma calls for an end to the Kardashian-Jenner empire:
I do not understand the media and the pathetic segment of our population that is obsessed with anything Kardashian or Jenner. Wherever they go and whatever they do they are fawned over, and I can’t think of a single reason for it. They have not accomplished anything noteworthy, yet they are treated like kings and queens.
And now, Jenner’s transition from Bruce to Caitlyn is the news of the year. Words like “courage” and “admiration” are being thrown around like she is some sort of war hero.
Please, people, give it a rest and get a life.