First Look at Bruce Jenner as a Women

After more than a year of rumors and speculation, Bruce Jenner publicly came out as transgender with four

simple words: “I am a woman.” “My brain is much more female than male,” he explained to Diane Sawyer,

who conducted a prime-time interview with Jenner on ABC Friday night. (Jenner indicated he prefers to be

addressed with male pronouns at this time.) During the two-hour program, Jenner discussed his personal

struggle with gender dysphoria and personal identity, how they shaped his past and current relationships and

marriages, and how he finally told his family about his gender identity. During the interview, Sawyer made a

conspicuous point of discussing broadly unfamiliar ideas about gender and sexuality to its audience. It didn't

always go smoothly; her questions occasionally came off as awkward and tone-deaf. But she showed no

lack of empathy. Many others are not so fortunate. Transgender men and women often report facing the risk

 of harassment, or worse for simply existing. Many lack legal protections in the workplace and elsewhere.

Although transgender people represent a small fraction of the population, some estimates suggest there is at

least one trans homicide a week in America. Transgender people who are non-white or from disadvantaged

backgrounds are especially at risk. A 2014 survey found that nearly 40 percent of transgender people have

attempted suicide at least once. In December, Leelah Alcorn, a 17-year-old girl whose parents tried to

convince her to reject her gender identity, killed herself by walking into traffic. In response, President

Obama invoked transgender rights during his State of the Union address in January and called for a national

 ban on conversion therapy last month. A two-hour special with Diane Sawyer may only be able do so much

 to change a national conversation. But now Bruce Jenner, already an object of pop-culture fascination, is the

 most famous openly transgender person in America. That alone could mean a cultural turning point.

See Bruce Jenner as a Women Photo Leaked !