Who isn’t applauding Caitlyn Jenner?

Part of the 60’s sexual revolution also attacked the stereotypical macho male, John Wayne sort. This continued into the 1970s with Alan Alda posing as the “sensitive” man. During the Reagan Bush years we saw the rise of a men’s movement that began to explore male aggression, adventure, heroics. This is often tied to martial strength and prowess. I watched this swinging of the pendulum with humor since I never thought that a strong man is insensitive or that a weak man can’t also be violent.

I am now convinced that in this current period of same sex marriage, transgenderism and, apparent indifference to gender, there is a tendency to remake the concept of masculinity yet again.

Caitlyn Jenner, according to Vanity Fair is overcoming “a symbol of masculinity as interwoven into American culture as the Marlboro Man.” Jenner was America, a totem of athletic triumph. He even made it onto the Wheaties box. He married a beauty queen, had two kids with her and then went onto another woman, Kris Kardashian and had two more.

This is all patent nonsense. ESPN has now given Caitlyn the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at their ESPY Awards in Los Angeles. It is claimed that this award is for those whose bravery “transcends sports” a distinction given to Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, Nelson Mandela and now Caitlyn Jenner. Legendary sports analyst Bob Costas thinks otherwise: “It strikes me that awarding the Arthur Ashe Award to Caitlyn Jenner is just a crass exploitation play- it’s a tabloid play. In the broad world of sports, I’m pretty sure they could’ve found someone- and this is not anything against Caitlyn Jenner- who was much closer actively involved in sports, who would’ve been deserving of what that award represents….”

Walt Heyer, who has undergone surgery to become and woman and then back to a man, has the most poignant article on this topic which includes the regrets of a physician who underwent gender reassignment surgery. Let’s not forget the amazingly candid list of regrets written by Renee Richards in her book No Way Renee. While not regretting her surgery outright, she makes it clear she did it because she thought she had no choice. Her choice destroyed her family, her capacity to love like she/he used to, her spirituality, and more.