Caitlyn Jenner has become perhaps the most visible transgender activist in the country. But not all transgender individuals want her speaking for them. Yesterday, Jenner attended a fundraiser for Chicago House, a nonprofit supporting the LGBTQ community, as well as those affected by poverty and HIV, where she delivered a speech on her transition and her desire to tell her story in order to help people.
As Jenner was leaving, she was confronted by a group of protesters, Entertainment Tonight reports. A video from outside the event shows a small group, including at least one person with a megaphone. That protester can be heard shouting, "You have no right to represent us" and, "You are an insult." Jenner is shown trying to engage with the protesters as they continue to voice the issues they want her to know, saying, "We've been assaulted by the police... We have been violated by the system." Their shouts continue as Jenner is led away.
Jenner's critics have rightly pointed out that she is still in a privileged position as a wealthy, white person, while many transgender people of color and those in poverty face violence and financial barriers to transitioning that she doesn't. Still, she has used her privilege to raise awareness about trans rights. Hopefully, she'll listen to the voices of transgender people whose experiences have been different than her own, and put her power behind efforts to exact the changes they so desperately need.