Bruce Jenner

I have just come off the official first weekend of wedding season at the bakery, needless to say I am exhausted! Sunday night came all too quickly and in my head I knew three things; that I was sleep deprived; that I should be doing homework/ studying for finals; and that the Bruce Jenner Interview was waiting for me on my list of recorded shows. The temptation was too much and so I gave in and divulged into two hours of what I was sure to bring a little celebrity drama and gossip for the following week to come. However I was pleasantly surprised when I got so much more from watching this seriously hyped-up interview with Diane Sawyer. At first glance it seems like another Kardashian publicity stunt, but as I watched this sad man I knew it had to be at least a little more than that.

Bruce Jenner, an Athlete, an Olympian, a Father, a Husband, and also Transgender. Bruce came out in this interview with Diane Sawyer as a Transgender, announcing that he will be transitioning into a female who he calls "She". Although this was a coming out moment for him that he is sure to be loud and proud of, he was raw and timid and shy and emotional about revealing this truth that he has been keeping a secret for over 60 years. I think that was the most sad part of the interview in my eyes... Here is a person who has never felt comfortable in his own skin. A person who has had to hide their true-self because of insecurities, something we can all relate to.

In the last two years the LBGT community has been receiving support across the board from democrats and republicans alike and at a state a federal level alike. The Transgender community until recent years has always been a grey area in American culture. Diane Sawyer mentions in the interview that 0.3% (700,000) of adult Americans identify themselves as transgender. However studies being conducted in California at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law's  Williams Institute show that the number should be much higher than that. The issue is with more concise data and the obstacles of gathering the information. Among the various issues that transgenders face housing discrimination at the top, estimated 20%  of the estimated 0.3% having been homeless at least once in their lives. A homeless person cannot fill out the Annual U.S. Census card, and even if they could the gender section of the census only has two categories: Male and Female. In recent news coverage of the State of the Union, Barack Obama was the first black president to use the word "Transgender" openly to address the nation. "As Americans, we respect human dignity…” Obama declared. “That’s why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender." which added a boost to the causes validity among politicians who choose to ignore the LGBT community.

Bruce is receiving some hate on social media (among lots of love) but a ton of backlash from the transgender community who say that his fame and public coming out will detract from their agenda and reputation. Also among the haters are Republicans who were also shocked when Bruce came out as a Conservative Republican. He was openly accepted by the Log Cabin Republicans who are advocates for gays and lesbians in the United States. Bruce should be receiving nothing except love and acceptance for his decision to transition into a woman and he should be proud that he went through with his admission.

#JusticeForLiz

 Finally after 3 years there is has been justice for a now 19 year old female of Busia County, Kenya known to the world as "Liz". The name Liz is a pseudonym used by the Kenyan press to protect her identity. In June of 2013, when Liz was 16, she was walking home from a family member’s funeral when she was attacked by 6 men. She dragged into the nearby scrub, beaten and gang-raped for several hours. She passed out during the attack, so her attackers, thinking she was dead, threw her into a nearby latrine and fled. She was found early the next morning and taken to hospital to be treated. Her injuries were so serve from the beatings and sexual assault that she had to be treated for spinal injuries and obstetric fistula that she developed as a result of her attack. Amazingly enough Liz was able to identify her attackers to the police and this is where the justice system let her down.

Under Kenya's Sexual Offenses Act, the men who attacked Liz should have received no less than 15 years in prison, however they were sentenced to cut the grass around the police station and then released. What a huge slap in the face to the young and impressionable teen who thought that she was going to receive the justice that was owed to her. What a huge slap in the face to the millions of rape victims that around the world. The civil rights nonprofit Rural Education and Economic Enhancement Program, or REEP, has documented more than 8,000 cases of sexual violence against minors in Busia County alone. In many cases, the Kenyan police had taken no action at. It is wrong to think of this solely as an account of something that is wrong in Kenya. Recent statistics released from the U.S. Department of Justice on March 30th, 2015 stated that only 89,000 rapes were reported this year. The shocking statistic is that 95% of rapes were never reported. Liz's story is painful proof of the way the public conceptualizes rape and why many victims never bother to come forward. The barbaric idea that these women were asking for it by the way they were dressed, the way the talk, or how they act is a notion that is STILL plaguing cultures around the world.

Liz's case caught the attention of a reporter at Nairobi's Daily Nation. The story sparked an international petition called Justice for Liz. In the two years since its conception it has gathered nearly 2 million signatures demanding that the police treat the case as a serious crime and not a misdemeanor. But the police still refused to re-arrest the attackers. Liz's story had become a breaking point to bring the Kenyan government's attention to the victims of sexual violence. So today 3 of her 6 attackers were sentenced to 15 years in prison only after a court order demanded that the attackers be rearrested and charged. The other 3 attackers are still at large with a huge support from people in the community who refuse to give them up.

#JusticeForLiz

Tough Guise

As I began to reflect on Katz's Tough Guise 2,  I was very interested in the role of women play in the male facade of Masculinity. As a woman I am guilty of  being attracted to a man who fit into this tough guise. I stumbled upon an article on the website titled "the rational male". The article, Vulnerability, by Rollo Tomassi compares a mans emotions to the heel of Achilles. If one of a man's biggest fears is that his emotions will make him vulnerable and exposed, what caused this fear? Katz focused on one male influences and societal influences on young men to become overly masculine and tough, which I can't argue with. But I do not think that he focused enough on the role women play to perpetuate this male stereotype of a strong, powerful and masculine man. The majority of women will claim to want a man who will be emotionally supportive of her needs and wants but who they are usually attracted to is the man who is strong and embodies masculinity. I realize that this is a huge generalization and I am aware that not all women feel this way. But with what I assume to be an outstanding number of women who do, this phenomenon has to be felt by men. This added pressure is something that I'm sure adds to the stereotype of what an Americanized man is today. How do we as women change this?  Collectively the female population must show they value men who reject the tough guise. 

http://therationalmale.com/2014/11/23/vulnerability/

Brian Williams vs Bill Cosby

Brian Williams been suspended form his now infamous role as Night New anchor, a position which he has held since 2003. Replacing Tom Brocaw wouldn't be an easy gig for anyone but Brian Williams took on the task with marvel. Since reports of the fabricated story by Williams hit on January 30th  his trustworthy ranking plummeted from 23rd, just behind reporters such as Robin Roberts (11th)and Ann Curry (20th), to 835th! This plummeting "stock" of trustworthiness was recently seen amid the continuing Bill Cosby scandal. Cosby, who was the African American Father figure in the 1980's and 1990's, and a successful motivational speaker and comedian, has become American taboo since allegations of sexual assault began resurfacing. Cosby plummeted from the 3rd spot to 2,615th on the trustworthy index. Of course I realize that it sounds ridiculous to compare Brian Williams and Bill Cosby, but is it really that ridiculous? Both Men were viewed by many Americans as intelligent Virtuous men who were titans of their trade. Both men have recently fallen under some serious scrutiny of their suspected actions. Their accusations may be wildly different, but the distrust felt by many is the same. Thus both have been found guilty in the court of public opinion.

I could be wrong. Brian Williams may return after is 6 month suspension and make a sincere apology and everyone will forgive him. BUT I don't see that in his cards. With trust being our most valuable assets as individuals we simply cannot afford to lose it.

Media Challenge

This morning (2/5) I kicked off my media challenge with trepidation. As I sit and reflect on my day, I'd like to think that I tried as hard as I could to not use any form of media or technology. BUT it was surprisingly beyond difficult. It was my day off from school and from work so, with the exception of homework and working out, my schedule was free. I began my morning by going to the gym. I soon found out that I am super unproductive at the gym without music. After I left I returned home and did the all of my homework in the matter of an hour and a half! Which doesn't happen. Shortly after when I had nothing else to do I went for my phone and binged on twitter and instagram. My binge was followed by guilt and reflection. I never thought I had an issue with media distractions, but I now realize that I definitely do. By 1 pm I had completely given up on the assignment. Many critics say that the majority of our generation could be described as media addicted, but is it an addiction or just our evolved predicament? I think that the world that we live in makes it a necessity to be so informed and socially aware.