Last week, PBS's Frontline aired it's incredible documentary, Growing Up Trans. If you did not see it, hurry on over to PBS HERE: as they are airing it in's entity!
I don't wish to push shade on anyone, but watching Growing Up Trans had me even more uncomfortable with the reality show inspired trajectory of Caitlyn Jenner's transition. It's not that I don't emphasise with her journey, but we all know almost everything that Bravo and the E! Network present are exaggerated and dramatically tweaked slices of reality. Caitlyn and the E! have a huge responsibility on their shoulders, and they have the ability to both drastically help, as well as irreparably harm the Trans community. I hope they take their role seriously.
Seeing Caitlyn Jenner 'Joan Collins' her way through New York, camera's at every turn is a sharp contrast to the presentation of teens, their families, friends and doctors presented in Growing Up Trans. The pain, the isolation and confusion was painful to watch, but it was also so beautifully, and respectfully depicted in the families that were followed. In the end, there was such hope. The struggles, both emotional and physical were not shown as easy, but with such changes in the medical options, there is an entirely new generation of teens growing up with options never available to anyone before them. The kids in the documentary, and so many like them deserve to have their stories told and shared. It is not that Caitlyn's journey is any less worthy, but a Kardashian connected E! version should not be the dominate front main story, it belongs somewhere in the middle with Arts & Leisure and the comics.
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