Bruce Jenner Comes Clean

And then, after weeks, if not months and/or even years of speculation and anticipation (which must have been supremely weird to experience), 65-year-old Bruce Jenner finally came out tonight.

Not to bury the lead, but right off the top I/we must commend the Olympian for doing so in his own time and with such dignity – a grace he and his afforded him, not the media at all. It cannot have been easy to navigate these waters of transition, and it certainly cannot have been easy to do so under the constant glare of his newfound brand of celebrity thanks to his ties to the Kardashian phenomenon.

So bravo, Bruce.

Or shall I say...brava.

Jenner, you see, is, indeed, a transgender American, as he confirmed during a highly anticipated interview with Diane Sawyer for ABC’s 20/20, declaring to the world, “I am a woman.”

Definitely not a publicity stunt (this in spite of the fact that she – Jenner – he will chronicle her his transition on a new E! show and “will change the world” by telling her his story), the admission of this worst kept of the world’s secrets comes at a time in which great strides have been made on the march toward equality, and, especially, at a time in which the transgender movement in enjoying an all-time high of momentum. More than model Andreja Pejic or even actress Laverne Cox, Jenner is enjoying the shine of the the double-edged sword of reality-TV fame (the currency of the now, by all accounts), and, thus, her his platform is immeasurably of the now.

Her His contribution was dissected before it was even official, and you best believe it will continue to be until, well...until it is not.

I hope and I trust that she he will not squander this privilege, and that her his family will rally around her him and truly give the world something worth keeping up with moving forward (divorce, schmivorse, Kris Jenner & Co.!). They have earned that responsibility by now.

Photo: Vibe.com.

Update 1: Following the interview, Bruce Jenner’s estranged wife of 25 years, Kris Jenner, broke her perceived silence on the matter and tweeted that she considers the father her children, “my hero.”

Update 2: Jenner would prefer it, for now, we still use all the appropriate male pronouns when referring to him.