On October 26, Caitlyn Jenner publicly humiliated Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender TiktTok user that gained popularity by sharing her transition process. Jenner called Mulvaney out in a video for not properly covering up their bulge.
According to a Forbes article, the average cost of transgender surgery at The Philadelphia Center for transgender surgery is between $25,600 and $24,900. In terms of money, Jenner may have the ability to get this procedure, or any procedure for that matter. But this procedure is not affordable for everyone.
Anyone familiar with a bottom surgery, particularly Jenner, should be aware that the transition period does not occur overnight. There are several requirements you must meet before undertaking the procedure. Jenner should be aware of this because she is a transgender woman herself.
Mulvaney, like Jenner, is a member of the transgender community. Mulvaney is a well-known Tiktok creator and activist who documents their transgender journey. The Insider explained that Jenner tweeted out to Mulvaney between October 26 and October 27, including one in which Jenner incorrectly identified the TikToker by referring to Mulvaney using he/him pronouns. Jenner then went on to accuse Mulvaney of being a weirdo for exposing her bulge, when Mulvaney has just recently begun her transition.
Mulvaney’s TikTok audience is best familiar with her “Days of Girlhood” series, which she started to chronicle her experiences as a transgender woman. Day 233 marks Mulvaney’s discussion of Jenner’s Twitter posts. Mulvaney’s reply was extremely calm and composed. Mulvaney responds to Jenner’s unpleasant comments on her TikTok by saying that although they both, “have very different perspectives on most things,” she would have been willing to sit down with Jenner to find common ground. This is why she is looked at as an idol by the LGTBQ+ community, particularly the transgender community, and is familiar with the TikTok star.
Riley Bornstein, a fourth year student at SSU sees Mulvaney as a part of the community and is not so much a fan of Jenner. Bornstein explains their frustration towards Jenner that she is “extremely out of touch with the ordinary middle-class individual and the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole.” Bornstein continued, “being trans might appear a million different ways and that is only the business of the person themselves.”
Mulvaney had no ill intention when creating the video on which Jenner commented.. Mulvaney stated in her response video that she was embarrassed and only “wanted to reclaim my body in a positive way.” Mulvany explained, “Now you’ve taken that and turned it into something really ugly.”
Nadia Hernandez, a third year SSU student, expressed her thoughts on Jenner. “She [Jenner] is publicly saying that we must not allow people to think it’s okay to be trans and not get gender reassignment surgeries.” Hernandez then explains how this can be very harmful to the LGTBQ+ community especially the transgender community because “they are constantly being policed on their existence and this continues to morph the societal lens which further stigmatizes transness.”
Mulvaney is breaking barriers for her transgender peers. Mulvaney is still quite new to her journey since she is only on day 233. Thanks to her nine million TikTok fans, Mulvaney just had a meeting with President Joe Biden to talk about her transition and transgender difficulties in the U.S. Mulvaney will continue making positive content, documenting her days of girlhood.
