Caitlyn Jenner should be on top of the world right now as one of Glamour’s Women of the Year, but there are some people who’d like to see her brought down.
James Smith—the widower of an NYPD officer who died in the 9/11 attacks and was posthumously awarded the Glamour honor in 2001—recently returned his wife’s award to the publication, not wishing her legacy to be associated with Jenner’s. And this week, actress Rose McGowan penned a Facebook post criticizing a statement Jenner made about womanhood.
In a backstage interview with BuzzFeed, Jenner was asked what she believes is the hardest part of being a woman in the year 2015. She responded:
“The hardest part about being a woman is figuring out what to wear. It’s always that way; I never thought it would come to this. I had really no sense of style. Everyone around me in my family had the sense of style — I learned as much as I possibly could. But, it’s more than that. I’m kind of at this point in my life where I’m trying to figure this womanhood thing out. It is more than hair, makeup, clothes, all that kind of stuff. There’s an element here, that I’m still kind of searching for. And I think that’ll take a while. Because I think as far as gender, we’re all on a journey. We’re all learning and growing about ourselves. And I feel the same way.”
It was the first part of her response that angered McGowan, leading her to write a post on her personal Facebook page on Monday (not to be confused with her verified fan page).
“Caitlyn Jenner you do not understand what being a woman is about at all,” McGowan wrote. “You want to be a woman and stand with us- well learn us. We are more than deciding what to wear. We are more than the stereotypes foisted upon us by people like you. You’re a woman now? Well fucking learn that we have had a VERY different experience than your life of male privilege.”
McGowan explained that her issues with Jenner are despite—and not because of—Jenner’s identity and advocacy as a transgender woman. “I’m happy she’s living her truth, but comments like hers have consequences for other women,” she continued.
Also included in her post was a collection of memes featuring Jenner’s quotation superimposed over images of battered women, including the late Nicole Brown Simpson, who was a friend of Jenner’s ex-wife Kris.
After being quickly and loudly condemned for her transphobic language, McGowan wrote a follow-up post, which she shared on Facebook and Twitter.
“I’d be thrilled to fight alongside Caitlyn Jenner,” clarified McGowan. “I just want her to know there is a monumental fight to be had.”H/T The Cut | Screengrab via Glamour Magazine/YouTube
