April 24--As a kid, Jessica Sage Celimene-Rowell watched Bruce Jenner win the gold medal in the decathlon in the 1976 Olympics.
Lately, though, she has watched her childhood idol reduced to tabloid fodder, appearing on the cover of various magazines amid rumors he is transitioning from man to woman. On one cover, Jenner is Photoshopped with lipstick and blush.
Celimene-Rowell, who lives in Hyde Park, said she is concerned how Jenner will be portrayed in his sit-down with Diane Sawyer set to air 8 p.m. Friday on ABC's "20/20." It's been widely rumored that Jenner will discuss his gender identity in the two-hour interview. ABC released a third trailer this week teasing the show with Jenner saying, "My whole life has been getting me ready for this."
But some Chicago transgender activists like Celimene-Rowell said they are concerned Jenner's announcement and the resulting media storm may have a negative impact on the transgender community at a time when transgender awareness is on an upswing with "Orange is The New Black" actress Laverne Cox and writer Janet Mock continuing to speak out about their transgender journeys.
"I think the trans movement is strong right now," Celimene-Rowell said. "It doesn't need a celebrity mascot right now. In fact, a celebrity mascot may do more damage than good."
It's unclear how many transgender people live in Chicago or the United States because activists say that some people won't publicly identify as transgender, but UCLA's Williams Institute, which researches sexual orientation and gender identity, estimated in 2011 there are nearly 700,000 transgender Americans.
Some transgender people have chosen to document their lives on reality television. Discovery Life Channel's "New Girls on the Block," which premiered this month, profiles a group of transgender women in Kansas City, Mo. "Becoming Us," an ABC Family show slated to air this summer, will follow the life of an Evanston Township High School teenager as his father transitions into a woman.
It's unclear whether Jenner, a longtime staple of reality TV, will allow cameras to document his experience beyond the Sawyer interview. Jenner, 65, has yet to speak publicly about transition rumors as he has been photographed with long hair and polish on his fingernails.
Andre Perez, who founded the Transgender Oral History Project, which collects and shares transgender stories, said they feel empathy for Jenner, who has 10 children and has been married three times, including to Kris Jenner, mother of the media-dominating Kardashian sisters. ("They" is Perez' preferred gender pronoun.)
Perez, 27, said transitioning can be difficult enough out of the limelight. Perez said Jenner's announcement may show that transgender people come from various socioeconomic groups but Jenner may not be the face the transgender community is looking for.
"I don't think the fact that someone's famous means that they're going to be a good spokesman," said Perez, of Humboldt Park.
Kim Hunt, executive director of the South-Side-based Affinity Community Services, which provides support to African-American LGBTQ youth, said any awareness brought to gender identity issues could be a positive outcome of Jenner's interview.
Transgender people face an exceptionally high suicide-attempt rate, violence and discrimination, according to Williams Institute studies. Hunt said at the very least, she hopes Jenner gets to speak honestly about his journey.
"While I am not a huge fan of the media circus that is the Kardashians, again, it's not an easy thing to to do to come out as transgender," Hunt said.
