Dolezal and Jenner. Alike or Different? And Why It Matters

Rachel Dolezal, unknown until late last week, is now quickly becoming a household name. The internet is abuzz with differing opinions and takes on the whole matter. This issue holds particular importance because of the recent media attention focussed on “Caitlyn/Bruce” Jenner. How do these two stories relate? Do they relate? And why does it in fact matter?

Dolezal

“Caitlyn/Bruce” Jenner is a famous former Olympic athlete and television personality that has had hormone replacement therapy and some cosmetic surgery in an attempt to portray himself as a woman. Jenner made the cover of Vanity Fair (aptly named, incidentally) telling the world to “Call me Caitlyn…”

This so-called “coming out” was hailed as a wonderful thing. Jenner set a record, amassing over one million Twitter followers in just over four hours. Jenner is also getting a documentary done about the whole thing and did I mention Vanity Fair? “Hate speech” is the term often used to characterize any criticism of Jenner’s “transition” and seemingly, the majority is in awe over the “courage and bravery” that was demonstrated by Jenner.

Jenner

Then we come to the former president of the Spokane, Washington chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Rachel Dolezal. She was born to “white” parents, pictures of her in her youth reveal a girl of fair complexion, with freckles and light hair. The controversy arose because she has chosen to identify herself as “black”.

Most of the headlines that you find blatantly state that she lied about her race. You find words like “delusion, hubris, narcissism,” and “misleading” when referring to her. 

On the surface, these two stories would seem to be similar, however many claim they are not and have chosen to defend the one and condemn the other. Is this correct? Is it fair?

As human beings, members of the human race, there are several things that are plain, unchangeable facts. (1) We are all born to a set of parents, we are the combination of the DNA of a man and a woman. (2) We all are born with certain physical characteristics and among these are our gender and appearance. And (3) we all come into this world in a specific place of origin, with a specific inherited ethnicity. 

These are just facts. Jenner cannot change the fact that he was born a man, any more than Dolezal can change the fact that she was born with German and Czech ethnicity.

Jenner can have surgeries and artificial hormones injected in an attempt to appear feminine. Dolezal can tan or dye her skin, color her hair, etc. However these actions do not change the facts stated above. Both of these people are trying to change an unchangeable. Therefore, these two stories are related, and the treatment of them by mainstream America has been biased and unfair.

Now, why does this matter? So what that they can’t change an unchangeable? If it makes them happy to try, who are we to stand in their way? Let me show you, because if reasoning is not carried all the way to its logical conclusion, the actions we take based on that reasoning will be extremely ill-advised. 

Say there was a person named Harry. Harry was born a male in 1998 to your average American family, Anglo-Saxon descent with a touch of Norwegian somewhere up the family tree. However, Harry has decided to identify himself as Native American. Harry not only identifies as such but is also demanding to be treated as such under the law, claiming he is entitled to the monetary benefits.

Harry also identifies as a woman. He uses the woman’s restroom, he tries to attend the pilates class at the local women’s fitness gym, he sues Hooters after attempts to get a job as a waitress, all based on his personal gender identification. 

But let’s not stop there. Suppose Harry also identifies as a 65 year old, despite the fact he is only 17. As a 65 year-old, Harry claims he is entitled to Social Security benefits. Identifying as 65, Harry believes he is also allowed to purchase, not only tobacco products but also alcohol. And he wants to vote for president. 

This is a hypothetical situation, however if “transgender” and “transrace” are the new things of today, “transage” is not far fetched. To an honest observer, fluidity of “identification” in any of these unchangeables is not only ludicrous, it would wreak havoc on our social and judicial structures.  

Your ethnicity, age and gender are all unchangeable characteristics we as humans have no true control over. They are given to us at birth and we can choose to accept them or vainly try to buck them. But beware, attempting to change the unchangeable will have consequences.

Jonathan Paine
painefultruth1776@gmail.com
@painefultruth76