Working in Ottawa today --Transformation of the Hulk

Good morning folks,

I will be working in Ottawa today.

Okay, this whole Caitlyn Jenner thing caught me by a bit of surprise initially.  Not because I have deep seated transphobia (I just learned that word a few days ago), but because somehow in my mind I confused Bruce Jenner and Bruce Banner.

Bruce Banner of course was the mild mannered, socially withdrawn physicist whose alter ego was The Incredible Hulk.  When I first learned that The Hulk was living with the Kardashians it caused me even more confusion.  Only because I cannot for the life of me figure out why they are on TV, let alone why there are any viewers.

But back to Caitlyn.  She was Bruce, now she is Caitlyn.  That's pretty much it, and if she was the guy that used to work at the deli counter and now she's the gal that works at the deli counter it would not be news.

But it is.   But not because of any transgenderphobia, but because Caitlyn chooses it to be.  She is on the cover of Vanity Fair, holds press conferences and interviews.   Good for her, she is proud of her decision and her transformation, and she wants to yell it from the podium.

Wait a sec.. wasn't David Banner the name of the Hulk? Maybe it was both, the comic was Bruce and the TV show from late 70's was David?  Must have been some licensing issue.  Maybe The Hulk formally known as Bruce?

Back to Caitlyn.  I don't think that I have read any negativity about her decision, no ravings, no hate speech, no vulgarities. I'm not saying there isn't any, I just have not heard it or read it.

So when I did read in the Huffington Post while getting a shoe shine at Pearson this AM that St. Catharines MP (C) Rick Dykstra was in hot water over a retweet, I read on.   Dykstra retweeted a tweet that included a photo of Noah Galloway, an Iraq vet who lost two limbs, but went on to run marathons and partake in CrossFit competitions.  And a comment that Galloway was passed over for the ESPN Arthur Ashe Courage Award in favour of this year's recipient, Caitlyn.

The award is handed out by ESPN in recognition of athletes who show strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost.

The OP's text in the tweet and the retweet was "what a joke".

What ensued was a flood of tweets in response demanding the transphobic tweet be deleted and Blah blah blah.  Folks, I don't think the tweet was transphobic at all.  I think the OP and the retweeting MP were not impressed with the decision to name Caitlyn as the recipient, not that Caitlyn was no longer a dude and no longer the big green guy with attitude.

Many people are in the same situation that Bruce was in and many take the steps to realign their physical bodies with the self identity that they have and emerge as Caitlyn.  Many are not athletes, some just work the deli counter.  Not a lot of guys get a leg and an arm blown off by a roadside bomb and still run races.

Mr. Galloway, sir, you have my respect and I suspect that not receiving the Arthur Ashe affects you not one iota.

Ms. Banner, ma'am, I also think that you should not have been awarded the Arthur Ashe, and I am not transphobic.

In the end, it does not matter what I think, what some MP thinks, or what ESPN thinks, all that really matters for Caitlyn is what she thinks and hopefully she has the support of her family.  Even if that is the Kardashians.

Have a great day.