Bruce Jenner has reportedly completed the gender transition process and is now featured on the July cover of Vanity Fair as Caitlyn Jenner with photos by Annie Leivobitz.
The very public experience of officially revealing plans to fully transition, both with specials on E! and and an interview with ABC News‘ Diane Sawyer, has drawn a lot of attention. And overall, it seems that this process has generally garnered an unexpectedly positive reception and reflection.
Perhaps this is an unlikely demonstration of the effect celebrity can have on how society views individuals.
According to Vanity Fair, the Olympic gold medalist reflected on the 1976 victory in comparison to the cover shoot. She told Buzz Bissinger:
“That was a good day, but the last couple of days were better. . . . This shoot was about my life and who I am as a person. It’s not about the fanfare, it’s not about people cheering in the stadium, it’s not about going down the street and everybody giving you ‘that a boy, Bruce,’ pat on the back, O.K. This is about your life.”
Just two weeks ago, officials in New York announced an initiative to increase awareness and attention to healthcare for transgender people.
As Buzzfeed reported, the New York Attorney General’s Office, Greater New York Hospital Association, Mt. Sinai Health Systems, and Lambda Legal will provide information and training to hospitals about both legal requirements and best practices for addressing the health needs of transgender people.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
“My office is committed to ensuring equal and respectful access to medical care for all New Yorkers, regardless of their gender identity,” New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement, according to Buzzfeed. “We are proud to partner with hospitals and health care centers across New York State to help educate and raise awareness around the specific needs and challenges transgender individuals face when seeking basic medical care.”
Increasing acceptance of all people, in this case within the LGBTQ community, is an initiative that many are dedicated to and are now seeing more progressive, public positive response to – although it will continue to take a very proactive effort.
Vanity Fair provided this behind-the-scenes look at the shoot with Jenner.
Following Caitlyn Jenner’s cover reveal and newly added Twitter account under the new name, many people took notice and acknowledged her willingness to be open about this process – even President Obama:
It takes courage to share your story. https://t.co/Q7wWjV9Rxx
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 1, 2015
Updated: June 2, 2015
