Caitlyn Jenner on the Vanity Fair cover. Photo / AP
Caitlyn Jenner on the Vanity Fair cover. Photo / AP
Advocate says most NZ transgender people struggle.
American celebrity Caitlyn Jenner's very public transition from a man to a woman is drawing widespread praise but a Kiwi advocate for transgender people says her reality is "totally different" from most people's.
Jenner, who found fame first as an Olympic athlete and later as part of the Kardashian-Jenner brood on reality television, has marked her transition with a glamorous photoshoot by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz.
She appeared on the cover of the latest Vanity Fair with the request to "Call me Caitlyn".
"Caitlyn Jenner" and the hashtag #CallMeCaitlyn rocketed to the top of Twitter as the top trending topic.
Former Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner. Photo / AP
Jenner's stepdaughter Kim Kardashian tweeted her support. "How beautiful! Be happy, be proud, live life YOUR way," she said.
GLAAD, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy group, praised Jenner for her actions. "By sharing her journey with the world, Caitlyn Jenner is accelerating acceptance of transgender people everywhere and reminds us all how important it is to live as your most authentic self," said GLAAD president and chief executive Sarah Kate Ellis.
LGBT groups around the world hailed Jenner's Vanity Fair story, with many posting their support on Twitter.
But Lynda Whitehead, national president of Agender, a New Zealand organisation that assists trans-people and their families, says Jenner's story is not a recognisable one for many transgender people.
"Personally I feel that what Ms Jenner's reality is and what our reality is are two totally different things.
"The only thing that I can see that's going to be any good to come out of this is that it's created a lot of awareness for transitioners and trans-people," she said.
"Which is what we've been wanting for a long, long time."
Ms Whitehead said most trans-people in New Zealand struggled financially in a way Jenner did not.
Former MP and mayor of Wairarapa Georgina Beyer, who was a trailblazer for the transgender community in New Zealand, said she hoped Jenner might support other trans-people, who were not so well-off, to transition by setting up a foundation. "That would be a wonderful gesture."
Caitlyn Jenner on the Vanity Fair cover. Photo / AP
Ms Beyer said she thought Jenner's high-profile story could result in a more open-minded public. "I think it encourages continued positive social change. We are far from having got there yet.
"She's making a brave and courageous transition in the glare of the public eye and that's not an easy thing to do," Ms Beyer said.
How Twitter responded
Caitlyn Jenner for Vanity Fair 📷 Annie Leibovitz! How beautiful! Be happy, be proud, live life YOUR way! pic.twitter.com/39fryBwUqE
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 1, 2015
We were given this life because you were strong enough to live it! I couldn't be prouder!!! Caitlyn,… https://t.co/Ho5O6swM0V
