Will Bruce Jenner (Caitlyn) Find Soulmates In Nigeria?

[Calllaris]

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Link: http://www.thisdayli...igeria-/212087/

 

Ten years before Jenner transmuted from Bruce to Caitlyn, Charly Boy made a stunning disclosure. In his 2005 book with the mischievous title ‘My Private Part’, he made public his feminine side called Linda! His alter ego in this drama of the bizarre, Denrele Edun also frequently appears in public in female adornment, particularly shoes.

 

 

It was in the mid 1980s that the phenomenon known as Charly Boy began. So that he could assume an identity of his own, he would not readily disclose he was Charles, the son of the famous judge of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa. He chose, first to conquer his immediate territory of Oguta in Imo State. He ran his New Wave studio from his father’s house. His first musical offering, ‘Nwata Miss’ was cooked there. It was not the music that raised questions. Rather, the personality he sought to project was the bohemian lifestyle that left many mouths gaping in wonder. The shock was nonetheless mutual. The people in his immediate community were as astonished as was the entire nation when he chose, finally, to take the country by storm by moving to Lagos, Nigeria’s incontrovertible centre of commerce and show business. If one expected to find a mediating influence in his wife, Diane, better known as, Lady Di, she was in no position to intervene. She was a perfect complement to her husband, totally in agreement with his element.

 

Charly Boy has always been a big masquerade with layers of covering, earning him many aliases, CB, His Royal Punkness, and Area Fada. Call him a rebel, breaking every rule possible. He is much loved by women and he entered into their web early. He has remained entangled in a muddle of female controversies since. The latest controversy about him relates to his sexuality.

 

Charly Boy who is 64 and a grandfather can boldly say that he has a type of himself in Denrele Edun, an unconventional television presenter who is half the Area Fada’s age. For their common interest in the bizarre, it was only natural that Denrele and CB would connect and perhaps, find a tie in more ways than meet the eye. The two men set tongues wagging when they posed for the cover of a magazine in manners that raised questions about their sexual orientation.

 

In 2011, American singer Lady Gaga released a smashing hit “Born this Way” that empowered the Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders (LGBT) community in America. It was in the wake of the LGBT movement. Soon, the song became a national anthem and a group that was previously in the minority suddenly had a stronger voice. During this period, American TV series and movies adopted the norm of featuring a member of the LGBT to give them prominence and show their support for their cause; a norm which is copiously evident till date. In fact, the popular Fox TV series ‘Glee’ which is known for its eccentric combo of minorities performed the song in one of its episodes to reiterate the fact that these ones have the right to express themselves.

 

Fast forward to 2015. A fortnight ago, BruceJenner broke the internet with his transition from being a brawnish athlete and TV reality star to a startling feminine beauty. The Vanity magazine cover of the new Caitlyn Jenner sparked controversies globally. Those in support of this new gender change including the American President Barack Obama hailed him for his bravery; while those who opposed him harped on his tendencies to garner cheap fame and the stereotyping of women as just a physical anatomy. Jenner in his debut as a transgender woman posed in cream-coloured silk corset that revealed the missing male sex organ and presented the huge mounds of the female anatomy on his chest. Though androgynous as Bruce, Jenner rocked an auburn hair that accentuated his feminine looks.

 

Nigerians did not shy away from the irate comments and reactions on the transgender, particularly those that have followed the athlete’s character dutifully on the E! Network TV series ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’- a reality show that chronicled the lives of his family, particularly his ex-wife Kris Jenner and his Kardashian step-children, Kim, Chloe and Kourtney. Prominent producer and CEO of the Mavins Record, Don Jazzy took to his social media page and posted a picture of him in a female wig and painted face as a meme of the Caitlyn Jenner. It went viral and soon, the internet was flooded with all manners of memes in mockery to the perceived heroic change by Jenner.

 

A clear 10 years before Jenner transmuted from Bruce to Caitlyn, Charly made a disclosure that its real import may have been lost to many. In his 2005 book with the mischievous title ‘My Private Part’, Charly Boy disclosed a rare part of him, but many did not take note of it. On Page 407, he not only posed in a long dress with a slit right in the front, the dress had a deep plunge in the chest revealing part of his ‘breast’. It was the first time that Charly Boy made public his feminine side called Linda! Finally, he was out of the closet, leaving no guesses about his inclination to wear lipstick, eye shadow, earrings and have his hair all done-up like a woman.

 

His alter ego in this drama of the bizarre, Denrelealso frequently appears in public in female adornments, particularly shoes. However, his most celebrated unrestricted show of feminine fantasy was his appearance at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) 2015 at Eko Hotel in Lagos where he stunned everyone with his appearance in a female dress.

 

Inclination towards the transgender, it may be argued, is not new to many Nigerian ethnic groups. This tendency can be noticed in male masquerades from eastern and South-south Nigeria that dress up as females. Among the Egbas of Ogun State, certain of their men are known to enhance their facial beauty with ‘tiro’, a local cosmetic. In the northern part of Nigeria, male prostitutes who decorate themselves with female apparels abound. The notion may be extended further to embrace the moonlight play by children in many rural Nigerian communities. From early childhood to much later in life, these children, in a variety of times and ways are exposed to situations that nurture what could later become a need to express LGBT sentiments. It probably begins with a strong need to cross dress. As they grow older and are exposed to a freer society and having gained more confidence, they may ultimately have no reservations about altering their bodies.

 

Last weekend, ex-singer and controversial writer Etcetera in his column made a valid reference to weird and eccentric celebrities Charly Boy and Derenle Edun as the Jenners of Nigeria.

 

He was not far from the truth when Charly Boywrote a piece on Jenner’s transition which he titled “Through Linda, I see.”In his article, Charly toed the familiar line of freedom of expression of oneself irrespective of who you are. He opined that one should pursue happiness without reserve. While he is not clear on the reason behind Jenner’s decision, he couldn’t help but admire him and point out the gender inequality that exists between the masculine woman and the feminine man. According to him, the latter is scorned by society while the former is happily embraced. He wrote, “My take. It is not one’s masculinity or feminity alone that defines one’s identity. It is the harmony between the two that determines how comfortable and integrated one’s identity is going to be. In other words, shocking as this may be to the more macho in our midst, inside some men lies an unexpressed woman.“ He explained this stand on Page 22 of his book, saying, “I have always believed that women are really more powerful than men, spiritually, mentally and morally.”An interesting point raised by the singer is the co-existing of the male and female identities. In his view, there is an unexpressed woman in every man and the acknowledgement of one’s true identity does not eliminate the woman but rather accepts and fine-tunes the woman.

 

This assertion by the singer brings another notion to the fore as expressed by New York Times Opinion writer Elinor Burkett on “What Makes A woman”

 

She argued that a mere visit to the surgery room to transform into a woman does not make Jenner a woman. Vanity Fair in the debut of Caitlyn Jenner had revealed the medical transformation the athlete went through. They include tracheal shave to remove the Adam’s Apple, nose surgery twice, hair removal and facial feminisation surgery that involves corrections to the hairline, forehead, jaw and chin.Jenner was also quoted to have made some adjustment in her social life. The new Caitlyn holds what she calls “girls’ nights” in which her close associates are invited to spend time with her. She described the gatherings as events “where everybody is treating you the same way; you can talk about anything you want to talk about. You can talk about outfits. You can talk about hair and makeup, anything you want. It becomes not a big deal.”

 

To be sure that Jenner is quickly adapting to her new lifestyle, she recently tweeted a picture of her and girlfriends hanging out with their backs turned to the camera.

 

Burkett in her article posited that women cannot be reduced to their appearance but the emotional and mental trials they have been through.

 

“I have fought for many of my 68 years againstefforts to put women — our brains, our hearts, our bodies, even our moods — into tidy boxes, to reduce us to hoary stereotypes. Suddenly, I find that many of the people I think of as being on my side — people who proudly call themselves progressive and fervently support the human need for self- determination — are buying into the notion that minor differences in male and female brains lead to major forks in the road and that some sort of gendered destiny is encoded in us. That’s the kind of nonsense that was used to repress women for centuries. But the desire to support people like Ms. Jenner and their journey toward their truest selves has strangely and unwittingly brought it back.

 

“People who haven’t lived their whole lives as women, whether Ms. Jenner or Mr. Summers, shouldn’t get to define us. That’s something men have been doing for much too long. And as much as I recognise and endorse the right of men to throw off the mantle of maleness, they cannot stake their claim to dignity as transgender people by trampling on mine as a woman.

 

“Their truth is not my truth. Their female identities are not my female identity. They haven’t traveled through the world as women and been shaped by all that this entails. They haven’t suffered through business meetings with men talking to their breasts or woken up after sex terrified they’d forgotten to take their birth control pills the day before. They haven’t had to cope with the onset of their periods in the middle of a crowded subway, the humiliation of discovering that their male work partners’ checks were far larger than theirs, or the fear of being too weak to ward off rapists.

 

“For me and many women, feminist and otherwise,one of the difficult parts of witnessing and wanting to rally behind the movement for transgender rights is the language that a growing number of trans individuals insist on, the notions of femininity that they’re articulating, and their disregard for the fact that being a woman means having accrued certain experiences, endured certain indignities and relished certain courtesies in a culture that reacted to you as one.” Burkett wrote in New York Times Opinion.

 

As argued by Burkett, “what makes the woman attractive? Is it all about the physical appearance? Does the surgery affect the way they feel? Will it make them more nagging or more caring as women? What are the emotional implications of this transition? Are they ready to face the relegation that society casts on women?”

 

Moreover, efforts have been made to pass the homosexuality rights in the country, which has so far proved abortive. The likes of Chimamanda Adichie had lent her voice in this LBGT’s rights but Nigerians proved difficult to be swayed.

 

A report from the American Psychology Association informs that, “Transgender and gender-variant people have a variety of concerns for which they may seek the assistance of psychologists. In addition to the usual problems that may bring any individual to therapy, transgender and gender-variant people often seek professional help in understanding their gender identities and patterns of gender expression and in addressing the complex social and relational issues that are affected by these. Transgender persons not uncommonly seek medical services to make their bodies more congruent with their gender identities; involvement of mental health professionals is often necessary or desirable in arranging such services. Moreover, many transgender and gender-variant people experience stigmatisation and discrimination as a result of living in a gendered culture into which they often do not easily fit. They may not only experience an inner sense of not belonging but also discrimination, harassment, sometimes lethal violence and denial of basic human rights. These issues, too, often bring transgender people into contact with mental health professionals.”

 

A phrase in Lady Gaga’s song, ‘Born This Way’ states that “God makes no mistakes”. Some of the pertinent questions that have been raised over time in trying to understand the LGBT community include if there is a biological pointer that a person is trans. Many of these persons have argued that their brain is wired differently to function like that of the opposite sex. They talk about levels in hormone and genetic differences. Even though the song became an anthem for those who think “nature made a mistake,” and lately the Jenner incident has opened the debate all over again, discourse on transgender is not exactly new.

 

The notorious crown for being the first transgender goes to World War II veteran Christine (formerly George) Jorgensen. In 1952, Jorgensen became the first American to announce publicly that she had altered her gender. Associated Press gleefully announced it with the headline: Bronx ‘Boy’ Is Now a Girl.

 

However, the question that begs to be answered as raised by Etcetera is if Nigerians are ready to accept Derenle Edun or Charly Boy if they decide to change the pronoun of their sex? Will Nigerians look the other way or gladly embrace them for who they are or want to be?

 

These celebrities have over the years displayed their tendencies towards the female gender with their eccentric dress sense and hairstyles, but are Nigerians ready to accept Charly Boy as Linda Girl or Derenle Edun as perhaps ours.

[Calllaris]

I understood this part of Elinor Burkett's argument from “What Makes A woman”

 

.....“People who haven’t lived their whole lives as women, whether Ms. Jenner or Mr. Summers, shouldn’t get to define us. That’s something men have been doing for much too long. And as much as I recognise and endorse the right of men to throw off the mantle of maleness, they cannot stake their claim to dignity as transgender people by trampling on mine as a woman"...

 

“Their truth is not my truth. Their female identities are not my female identity. They haven’t travelled through the world as women and been shaped by all that this entails. They haven’t suffered through business meetings with men talking to their breasts or woken up after sex terrified they’d forgotten to take their birth control pills the day before. They haven’t had to cope with the onset of their periods in the middle of a crowded subway, the humiliation of discovering that their male work partners’ checks were far larger than theirs, or the fear of being too weak to ward off rapists"...

 

“For me and many women, feminist and otherwise, one of the difficult parts of witnessing and wanting to rally behind the movement for transgender rights is the language that a growing number of trans individuals insist on, the notions of femininity that they’re articulating, and their disregard for the fact that being a woman means having accrued certain experiences, endured certain indignities and relished certain courtesies in a culture that reacted to you as one.” ......

 

(Like all of a sudden, you and I are now the same! - typical male thinking)