Caitlyn Jenner has become a noticeable activist for the LGBTQ community that many people love and support.
But the former Olympian’s efforts aren’t sitting well with Raven-Symone, who revealed her concerns about Jenner and her new docuseries “I Am Cait’ on “the View” on Monday (July 27), Us Weekly reports.
“I think it’s wonderful, and yes, it needs a light being shined on it,” the 29-year-old co-host noted of the LGBTQ community. “When I came out, I didn’t go and go hardcore and be like, ‘I’m going to save the world for LGBT…’ You’ve got to learn it. You’ve got to learn it first, and she’s not, really.”
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Symone’s fellow “The View” co-host Rosie Perez weighed in on the situation as she mentioned the possibility that Jenner waited for the right moment and platform to explore and shape the conversation.
“Well, I think you can be strategic before you come out as well,” Symone replied. “Before [I came out], I was definitely repping the community, even when I wasn’t saying this is what I was. And I’m not faulting [Caitlyn], because yes, we need [her]. It’s too fast, too soon.”
In addition to commenting on Jenner and her show, Symone stated that she personally does not claim to be an activist for the LGBTQ community.
“I can’t be,” she said. “I learned from the real gay rights activists. I can only do what I can.”
As for Jenner, she spent her Monday posting a new entry on her WhoSay series about the issue of suicide, which is a sensitive LGBT topic.
“One tremendous problem, especially for trans youth, is the suicide rate,” she wrote on the post, which was called “A Tremendous Problem Facing the Trans Community.” “A recent study of nearly 100 transgender youth, ages 12 to 24, found that 51 percent reported thinking about suicide, while 30 percent had attempted it at least once in their lives… The latest you might have heard about last night on my show — Kyler Prescott, a 14-year-old trans boy who not only dealt with trans issues, but also suffered from severe depression. Sadly, he wasn’t able to make it between the combination of the two.”
Jenner’s comments on Prescott come after the season premiere of “I Am Cait,” which found the reality TV fixture meeting with the late teen’s parents and friends to discuss the startling rates of suicide amongst transgender youth. Speaking with Jenner, Kyler’s mother, Katharine Prescott, stated that her vocal support wasn’t enough to save Kyler through the beginning stages of his transition.
“She loved and supported her trans child in so many ways, including getting Kyler’s name and gender marker legally changed,” Jenner wrote, noting Kyler’s transition from female to male. “Sadly, he died by suicide two months ago…. But this is the reality for far too many in the transgender community.”
Katharine Prescott contributed to the blog post as she shared that her son struggled with complete or lack of acceptance from others. For parents in similar situations, she provided words of encouragement with the following comment Jenner’s blog:
“Just keep fighting for them,” she wrote in the blog. “Never give up. Be firm with people and help educate them… Love and embrace your child.”
