Today in super important news, ish got TOO real when Hari Nef, Elle UK's first transgender cover girl, took down Caitlyn Jenner's lack of inclusive politics. Though Caitlyn loves to talk about LGBT issues, she tends to do...well, less than a good job, according to many trans folks.
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In the interview with Elle UK, Hari Nef, known for being an iconic transgender model and star in hit show Transparent, called out Caitlyn's risky politics for being exclusive:
"The question I have for Caitlyn is, 'What does being a woman mean to you?'
As a woman, who is your community of women? Are the women from low-income houses who are disenfranchised by Republican politics — are those women your women? Are the women who have ovaries and wombs and who can't get access to essential reproductive health care — are those women your women? Are the immigrant women who would get deported under a Republican administration — are those your women?'"
Major props to Hari for speaking out on this major issue. It can be so difficult to critique members of your identity group since the desire to protect and empower each other is so strong. It's clear from Hari's dialogue regarding Caitlyn, though, that Hari finds Caitlyn's politics too dangerous to remain silent in the name of solidarity.
In short: Hari Nef is a rockstar.
One thing that's so important to keep in mind when we talk about marginalized folks critiquing other marginalized folks is that we make sure we aren't using our privilege to silence anyone involved in the dialogue. Often when Caitlyn Jenner is critiqued, cis folks resort to using slurs and misgendering Caitlyn in an attempt to silence her.
While her politics are for sure problematic, that's absolutely no reason to be cruel and perpetuate violent hatred.
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Plus, with trans women like Laverne Cox and Hari Nef speaking out on the issue, the world really doesn't need to hear much from cis people. Instead, we should use our platforms to highlight the voices of trans women!
