Thoughts On I Am Cait: Perspective From A 23 Year Old Trans Guy

This summer has given us a plethora of transgender focused television spots. From having a regular transgender character on The Fosters show his chest post top surgery, to Transparent being renewed for a third season. We have Laverne Cox killing it on Orange Is The New Black which this summer delved into some pretty hardcore material regarding Cox's character, Sophia. We've seen Big Brother's first transgender contestant, Audrey Middleton, in the show's seventeenth season! There is also the web series Brothers which just started it's second season. But then we get to the big named reality shows focused solely on transgender individuals; Becoming Us, I Am Jazz, and now I Am Cait to round out the summer of transgender television.

In a previous post, I opened up about my feelings on I Am Jazz (and subsequently Becoming Us,) and how I was hoping I Am Cait would blow them both out of the water. I watched the premiere. It did just that.

Unlike Becoming Us and I Am Jazz, I Am Cait is wholeheartedly genuine. Even though all three shows are supposedly unscripted, I Am Cait is the only one where there isn't any sense of overacting, trying to hard, or holding back feelings just for the camera's sake. When the show cuts to a seated interview with family and friends, the words are coming from the heart. With the other shows, you get a sense like they just don't want to talk about some of the topics that come up. And can we take a moment to talk about Caitlyn's mom? What a precious human being!

Esther Jenner gets mom of the year award. She is nearing 90 years old but is one of the most accepting human beings I've seen at her age. Sure she has trouble with Caitlyn's name and pronouns, but she is trying and that truly is all that matters. Her love for her child is very evident, and I think that is absolutely important to showcase in a time when transgender teens are being kicked out and abused by their parents just for being themselves. And of all people who made appearances in the first episode, Kanye was who surprised me most. We've already heard that it was Kanye who brought Kim around when Caitlyn first came out, but I was truly surprised at what he had to say. For being such a self centered narcissist in the public eye, it was truly something special to see him embrace Caitlyn for who she is. Maybe I'll start cutting the guy some slack.

If not for everything I've already mentioned, the one thing that makes this show outrank the other trans reality shows this summer is the fact that it's not all about Caitlyn. Becoming Us is all about Ben (not even Carly.) I Am Jazz is all about Jazz, (which at least is the point.) But I Am Cait took a lot of the focus off Caitlyn and put it on highlighting the astronomically high 41% suicide rate for transgender individuals, the immense amount of violence directed at transgender women of color, lack of acceptance by family and friends, etc. AND these things were mentioned more than once at that! The other two shows haven't even touched the subjects. They are 100% about ratings and money rather than dissemination of information that could actually benefit the transgender community, and that is what sets I Am Cait apart.

I am 23 years old. I never lived through the experience of having Jenner be the world's greatest athlete. So for me, this is the most important thing she has ever done. To be honest though, even if I had been alive then, I think this still would be her greatest accomplishment because she is changing lives. Sure winning a gold medal for team USA during wars times is an honorable feat and brought pride to this nation, but what did it accomplish other than that? She is accomplishing more now than she ever has before. She truly is changing lives and saving lives. Her mother even said she is more proud now than she ever has been of Caitlyn before.

Her show is raw, completely unscripted, honest, incorporates statistics and information pertaining to the transgender community, and above all, it's not for money. Caitlyn Jenner is not putting on an act just for money. She received no compensation for the Vanity Fair piece, and although I don't know the logistics of I Am Cait, I would be willing to bet she's not making this show for the money either. If you're only able to watch one show about trans folk this summer, make I Am Cait your priority. You won't regret it!

And although looks don't matter in the least, I have to say that Caitlyn is absolutely stunning in everything she's doing. You go girl!

I Am Jazz: Thoughts From A 23 Year Old Trans Guy

Since I Am Jazz premiered almost a week ago, I have been asked a few times what my thoughts on it are. I didn't watch it until this past Saturday (four days after the premier, we don't get TLC,) and to be honest, I wasn't all that impressed. I personally felt as though the tone of it felt very insincere and almost scripted. There were also a lot of things talked about that I just cringed at. For example, there was a ridiculous amount of talk about boys and basically how they will "never see past" the fact that she is transgender, which really bothers me.

First of all, yes teenage boys can be ridiculous, but I would be willing to bet that not every single one of them will brush her aside because of her gender identity. I myself know of plenty of high school aged kids who identify as pansexual or who generally speaking see the person rather than the gender. I think putting that type of talk on a national show regarding transgender teens can be quite damaging. Transgender people aren't barred from finding love, and teens watching that show don't need to think that they are. There are people out there who don't give a damn whether a person is transgender so long as they're a decent human being.

Now with that said, there has only been one episode. My hope is that the tone will move away from the negative aspects of being transgender and more towards how amazingly liberating it is to come out and show the world your true self, especially at her age. Her family seems great, but again it's hard to form a true opinion when everything seems so scripted. Her siblings are incredible though, no matter how scripted everything seemed; her brothers especially. My favorite part was when they said they were going to interview any guy who Jazz ended up dating. That was adorable!

If I had to give the show a rating from 1-10, I would probably give it a 6; a little better than being half way decent, but not by much. Now, am I surprised by the way it turned out? To be honest, no. I mean it is TLC, the same channel that produced the likes of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and 19 Kids and Counting (which thankfully have both been cancelled!) Given everything else that's on at the moment, I would say your best bet would be to watch Becoming Us on ABC Family. It is a much more sincere show, although it does have its negatives also (although it's mostly just Suzy.) Hell, I even think Orange is the New Black portrays what it's like to be transgender slightly better than either reality show, which is sad to be honest, (although maybe not that sad since Laverne Cox is transgender herself.)

I do think I Am Jazz has potential, and I'm not discrediting it at all. I think it's very important to get stories about young transgender individuals out there regardless of how poorly they're developed (in terms of how the story comes across.) Just having her be on TV is another step in the right direction towards transgender liberation in this country. For me, I'm holding out for I Am Cait (the similar titles kind of bug me though.) I love the way Caitlyn Jenner talks about everything she's gone through and is going through. Her interview with Diane Sawyer was beautiful, and her speech at the ESPYs was just incredible and made me that much more proud to be part of the transgender community. She has the potential to be a very powerful woman in the trans* rights movement, and the best part is, she knows it. I'm holding her show to a higher standard because of that. 

Whether or not I Am Jazz gets better, I don't think it'll do much to harm, if any, to the movement if it stays at its current tone. I'll report back if my thoughts on the show change after future episodes, but as for now, I'll leave you with this:

Jazz is a strong young girl who IS making a difference. I wish her all the best with everything she does. I personally just wish some other network had picked up her show before TLC got their hands on it.