‘I Am A Woman’: Bruce Jenner Finally Speaks With Dianne Sawyer About His Gender Identity
You’ve seen Bruce Jenner wearing a dress and you’ve heard the rumors about his transition from male to female, but he’s never confirmed the allegations until now. The 65-year-old Olympic Gold Medalist and reality television star on Keeping Up with the Kardashians spoke with Diane Sawyer on April 24 about his transition after remaining silent for quite some time.
During the tell-all interview, which received an aggregate of 16.9 million views, he tells Diane, “For all intents and purposes, I am a woman. My brain is much more female than it is male. That’s what my soul is. Bruce lives a lie. She is not a lie.”
He later added, “I can’t do it anymore,” according to Daily Mail.
ICYMI: “I just can’t pull the curtain any longer. Bruce lives a lie. She is not a lie” http://t.co/EIwmiTFtp4 pic.twitter.com/lTz9goqFh5
— New York Post (@nypost) April 25, 2015
Bruce admits to becoming a woman, saying, “I have always been very confused with my gender identity since I was this big. 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.”
“My whole life has been getting me ready for this. I’m really excited about the future, about what good I could do in the world. It’s going to be an emotional rollercoaster, but somehow I’m gonna get through it… I feel like I’m going to be OK. 2015 is going to be quite a ride… Quite a ride.”
“I’m a person and that’s who I am,” he said. “I’m not stuck in anyone’s body. It’s just me. It’s who I am.”
Bruce claims that there was never a time where he didn’t dream of becoming a woman. At the age of 9, he would play dress up and put on his mothers’ heels.
“At the time, I didn’t know why I was doing it besides it just made me feel good.”
Although rumors have been circulating for quite some time about Bruce becoming a woman, he opted to confirm the allegations now because the secret left him in a dark place. He openly admitted to contemplating suicide because he couldn’t handle the secrecy.
“I was walking up and down this hall right here, back and forth, back and forth all night long. Heart’s pounding. And I thought, wouldn’t the easiest thing to be right now, and I could see where people get to that — is go in the room, get a gun. Boom. You know? Pain’s over. Done. Go to a better place.
“And I thought, ‘Nah, I can’t do something like that.’ I mean, I wanna know how this story ends.”
Now that the world knows about his transition, he contrives to make a full transition, and the Diane Sawyer interview would be the last time he would be addressed as a man.
His sexuality was also in question, but he has stated that he is still into woman and have no interest in dating men.
He said, “I was never attracted to the guys. I am, as far as I know, heterosexual. As far as I know, I’ve never been with a guy. I’ve always been married, raising kids.”
After finding out about his decision to become a woman, Bruce’s 17-year-old daughter, Kylie Jenner, shared her feelings via Twitter, which she stated as follows.
“Understandingly, this has been very hard for me. You will hear what I have to say when I’m ready to but this isn’t about me. I’m so proud of you, Dad. You are so brave. My beautiful Hero.”
She even showed her dad support by posting a throwback photo of her father dressed feminine-like on Instagram, and reminded her followers to watch Bruce’s interview with Diane Sawyer.
Check out the interesting throwback pic Kylie Jenner posted of her dad, Bruce Jenner http://t.co/aFhQZBfJmh
— TMZ (@TMZ) April 25, 2015
The idea of Bruce Jenner becoming a woman has received some positive feedback, especially in the entertainment industry. Lady Gaga had plenty to say about the Diane and Bruce interview calling it “bravery.”
We have the chance to write this moment in history together. Let’s empower people like Bruce all over the world by being loving & not mean. — Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) April 24, 2015
I pray this Sawyer/Jenner interview will be met with compassion. This is an important world issue. #BeBraveEnoughToBeKind
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) April 24, 2015
Although it appears Bruce’s children — especially Kim Kardashian who called the transition an “adjustment” — and ex-wife are supportive of his decision to transition from male to female. However, some may feel that their support is all for show.
Kim went on Weekend Today, saying, “I think there is still an adjustment and there’s, you know, family therapy. And we’re really close. I see reports that say, you know, ‘This one doesn’t support him,’ and, ‘This one’s over here,’ and my mom, ‘feels this way.’ And it’s all really so made up. We all really support him.”
Your honesty has opened the doors for others to be courageous and live an authentic life! #respect #hero #family pic.twitter.com/SNhN8pgrh5 — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) April 25, 2015
[Image courtesy of Getty Images]