Advocates, public applaud Jenner's transgender reveal

Bruce Jenner came out as a transgender woman Friday night and the public approved.

The interview that many were waiting for revealed early on that the former Olympian and reality show star has transitioned into someone he would only call "her," and gay, lesbian and transgender advocates as well as other members of the public said they thought the two-hour interview on ABC's 20/20 was well done and that they applauded Jenner, 65, for his move.

"I'm very happy for Bruce Jenner," said transgender triathlete Chris Mosier, founder of the TransAthlete.com website and executive director of GO! Athletes, a national network of current and former LGBTQ student athletes. "By sharing this story, Jenner is helping to raise the visibility of transgender people and the transgender community."

Mosier, 34, of New York, who began competing as a man in 2010, said Jenner's concern about disappointing people resonated with him.

"One of the most difficult parts of my transition was worrying about managing other people's emotions surrounding my transition," Mosier said. "Ultimately, while I was concerned, I had to do what was right for me. Jenner is doing the same."

In a two-hour special that felt more like a documentary than an interview, Jenner shared how inside he was struggling with his identity while the world saw a muscular decathlete break the world record during the Olympics, or grace the TV screen with chiseled good looks. He shared details of painful conversations with family members as he tried to explain that the person inside of him was pushing to be free.

People interviewed for this story gave the program high marks and said their hearts went out to Jenner, whose comments they said rang true for them.

"In one of the most profound displays of bravery and courage I've seen, Bruce Jenner has finally stepped out into the world for real," Mara Keisling, executive director of the Washington-based National Center for Transgender Equality, said Friday night.

Jay Brown, director of research and public education for the Human Rights Campaign, also in Washington, said Jenner demonstrated "fearlessness" in sharing details of dressing up and struggling with sexual attraction for women while feeling like he was a woman.

"While every story is different, hers will certainly inspire countless other transgender people to take their own first, fearless steps," Brown said.

"Every transgender person's journey is unique, and by choosing to share this story, Bruce Jenner adds another layer to America's understanding of what it means to be transgender," said Nick Adams, director of programs for transgender media, for GLAAD, formerly the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

Jenner especially helped forward the cause of transgender athletes, who legally cannot compete in many states, said Ashland Johnson, policy director for Athlete Ally, a New York-based non-profit that advocates against homophobia and transphobia in sports.

"I love how they're highlighting Bruce's athletic career because a lot of people didn't understand that one of the world's greatest athletes is also transgender," Johnson said.

She pointed out that based on International Olympic Committee rules, Jenner would not have been able to compete if he'd been taking hormones.

"I think it's great that Bruce is coming out and saying that you can be transgender and you can be an athlete," Johnson said.

The interview was sensitive to the challenges and experiences that transgender people face, and accurately portrayed a typical experience, said Ami Kaplan, a licensed clinical social worker in New York City who counsels people considering a transition or who are transitioning.

"I thought she was very brave and presented her story well and presented a pretty typical transgender timeline," said Kaplan, 53.

It is typical for many to start cross dressing at a young age and feeling their entire lives that they should be another gender, she said.

As with Jenner, many who spend their lives repressing their feelings reach a breaking point, Kaplan said.

"Jenner knew about it all her life and kind of tried to repress it, tried to deal with it," Kaplan said. "It just gets kind of intolerable at a point. It's very anxiety producing to be living in the wrong gender."

"When I first heard about this, I thought it might be a prank or getting attention, but I truly believe that this is what he wants to do and I'm all for it," said Barbara Sigley Silva, 60, an administrative secretary who lives with her husband in Whiting, N.J.

Sigley Silva said she has two friends who are transgendered and that she feels for the painful experiences they've had because of it, from being abused by family to suffering inside what they feel is the wrong body. The interview, which detailed Jenner's lifelong struggle with gender, including through childhood and three marriages, made her think about her own friends and also feel badly for how long Jenner has had to struggle.

"If somebody is going to hide all these years and live in misery, it's sad he didn't do it years ago," Sigley Silva said. "I just think it's great that he's doing it but I'm sorry that he didn't do it sooner."

To the contrary, Andrea Hubbard, a divorced mom and administrative assistant who lives in St. Louis County, Mo., said the interview was well done and made her feel good. She understood from Jenner's comments of grappling with his gender during his marriages, and taking hormones when he was in his 40s, that his transition was a process.

"Like he said, all of his life journey brought him to this point of being comfortable," said Hubbard, 45. "With the decision now, it had to happen this way. It couldn't have happened at 20, 30 or 40 – he wasn't ready for it."

Many people contacted for this piece did not respond to requests for interviews, including advocates within the gay, lesbian and transgendered community.

Autumn Sandeen, a transgender, disabled Navy veteran who is an activist, says the transgender community has been concerned about the interview. Sandeen, 55, of San Diego, was the first U.S. service member to successfully petition the Department of Defense to officially change her gender identification.

"The reason a lot of trans people don't want to talk about Jenner is because we're concerned media is going to put her up as an icon should she announce she's transgendered and is transitioning," Sandeen said.

Sandeen brought up the case of late Los Angeles Times sports writer Mike Penner, who committed suicide in 2009 after transitioning to become and write as Christine Daniels.

"Mainstream and entertainment media scrutiny could prove harmful," Sandeen said.