Bruce Jenner has told journalist Diane Sawyer that he is woman.
The Olympic champion, actor and reality television star spoke at length about his gender identity and his decision to start living openly as a woman.
Jenner said he wasn’t fond of the expression ‘trapped in a guys body’, as his body was his own, but described how in his brain he was definitely female.
“My brain is much more female than it is male. People look at me differently. They see this macho male, but this female side is part of me, it’s who I am. I was not genetically born that way, and so now I have all the male parts and all that kind of stuff so in a lot of ways we’re different but we still identify as female.” Jenner said.
Jenner’s two hour feature interview followed months of tabloid speculation and rumour following his separation and divorce from third wife Kris. The couple, their chilren and step children are featured in the reality TV show ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’.
Kris Jenner was previously married to high powered Hollywood attorney Robert Kardashian. Bruce Jenner has four children from his first two marriages and two children with Kris Jenner, while Kris Jenner has four children from her marriage to Robert Kardashian.
Jenner first came to fame as an Olympic athlete winning the Decathlon at the 1976 Olympics. He later went on to have an acting career appearing in the Village People film ‘You Can’t Stop the Music’ and the hit TV series ‘CHiPs’.
During the interview Jenner shared that he’d been confused about his gender as a child and that he’d previously begun transitioning in the 1980’s but had stopped hormone treatment when he met Kris.
Sixty five year old Bruce Jenner told Diane Sawyer that he couldn’t imagine getting to the end of his life and not living as who he really is.
During the interview Jenner allowed Sawyer to call him Bruce and use male pronouns. Jenner said he wasn’t ready to disclose his female name saying, “because if I do the media would go crazy.”
Jenner also shared that he had not yet decided if he would have a physical gender reassignment, but he had already completed the medical referral process if he did choose to proceed.
Jenner’s decision to share his experience has been applauded by LGBTI rights advocates.
“Every transgender person’s journey is unique, and by choosing to share this story, Bruce Jenner adds another layer to America’s understanding of what it means to be transgender,” said Nick Adams, director of programs for transgender media at GLAAD.
OIP Staff
