Here Are All The People Who Are Calling Caitlyn Jenner’s ‘Man In A Dress’ Comments Transphobic

"If you’re out there and, to be honest with you, if you look like a man in a dress, it makes people uncomfortable."

Updated 9 years ago, December 12, 2015

Earlier this year Caitlyn Jenner was a figure whom many thought would help end stigmas surrounding trans people in the United States and around the world.

Now, instead, lots of people feel like she’s perpetuating them further.

In a recent interview with Time, Caitlyn made some remarks that people are characterizing as damaging, and quite frankly, transphobic, toward a great portion of the trans community.

When asked by Time what “having a good image for the Trans community” meant, she replied with this:

One thing that has always been important for me, and it may seem very self-absorbed or whatever, is first of all your presentation of who you are. I think it’s much easier for a trans woman or a trans man who authentically kind of looks and plays the role. So what I call my presentation. I try to take that seriously. I think it puts people at ease. If you’re out there and, to be honest with you, if you look like a man in a dress, it makes people uncomfortable. So the first thing I can do is try to present myself well. I want to dress well. I want to look good. When I go out, as Kim says, you’ve got to rock it because the paparazzi will be there. The second thing I want to do in living my life authentically is be intelligent on the subject. Hopefully as time goes on I’ll learn more and more and more and get better at that.

Caitlyn seems to be referring to the concept of “passing,” which implies that a trans individual could effectively “blend in” as a cis-gendered person. Many trans persons, however, would prefer to not “pass” or even attempt to fit into traditional gender norms. Furthermore, transitioning is a costly process, leading others to interpret Caitlyn’s comments as, “you can only be your authentic gender if you are rich enough to afford it.”