GLAAD responds to Vanity Fair cover featuring Caitlyn Jenner, releases updated tip sheet for journalists

LOS ANGELES – GLAAD, the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy organization, today responded to Vanity Fair’s July 2015 cover, featuring Caitlyn Jenner.

“By sharing her journey with the world, Caitlyn Jenner is accelerating acceptance of transgender people everywhere and reminds us all how important it is to live as your most authentic self,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.

"For a transgender person to step into the world as his or her authentic self is a moment of tremendous freedom," said Nick Adams, GLAAD's Director of Programs, Transgender Media. "The world can now see what Caitlyn Jenner has always known, that she is – and always has been – a woman."

GLAAD also released an updated tip sheet for journalists covering Jenner and transgender issues. That tip sheet is below.

TIP SHEET: TRANSGENDER TERMINOLOGY AND TIPS FOR COVERING CAITLYN JENNER

Please consider the following guidelines when covering Caitlyn Jenner's announcement that she is now living publicly as her authentic self. This style guide will help you create respectful, accurate stories while avoiding common mistakes and clichés.

DO describe people who transition as transgender, and use transgender as an adjective. Caitlyn Jenner is a transgender woman. DON'T use transgender as a noun. For example, don't say: "Caitlyn Jenner is a transgender." DON’T use "transgendered." Transgender never needs an extraneous "-ed" at the end. DON’T use "transsexual" or "transvestite."

DO refer to her as Caitlyn Jenner. DON’T refer to her by her former name. She has changed it, and should be accorded the same respect received by anyone who has changed their name. Since Caitlyn Jenner was known to the public by her prior name, it may be necessary initially to say "Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner…" However, once the public has learned Jenner's new name, do not continually refer to it in stories.

DO use female pronouns (she, her, hers) when referring to Caitlyn Jenner.

DO avoid male pronouns and Caitlyn's prior name, even when referring to events in her past. For example, "Prior to her transition, Caitlyn Jenner won the gold medal in the men's decathlon at the Summer Olympics held in Montreal in 1976."

DO refer to Caitlyn Jenner's female identity as her gender identity, not her sexual orientation. Gender identity is one's own internal, deeply held sense of being male or female. Sexual orientation is who one is attracted to. They are not the same thing and should not be conflated or confused.

AVOID the phrase "born a man" when referring to Jenner. If it is necessary to describe for your audience what it means to be transgender, consider: "While Caitlyn Jenner was designated male on her birth certificate, as a young child she knew that she was a girl."

DON'T speculate about medical procedures transgender people may or may not choose to undertake as part of their transition. This is private medical information, and a transgender identity is not dependent on medical procedures. Overemphasizing the medical aspects of a person's transition objectifies transgender people, and prevents the public from seeing the transgender person as a whole person.

DON'T imply that someone who comes out as transgender (regardless of their age) was lying or being deceptive because he or she chose to keep that information private. Transgender people face extremely high rates of family rejection, employment and housing discrimination, and physical violence. Every transgender person has to prepare to face the possible consequences of coming out and living as their authentic selves. That caution does not mean that they were deceptive or lying. It simply means they felt it necessary to keep their authentic self private until they were safely able to disclose it to others.

DON'T indulge in superficial critiques of a transgender person's femininity or masculinity. Commenting on how well a transgender person conforms to conventional standards of femininity or masculinity is reductive and insulting.

For a more extensive Reference Guide on covering transgender issues, please visit glaad.org/reference/transgender. For additional resources visit glaad.org/transgender.