Buzz Bissinger
Most people in the LGBT community agree that Caitlyn Jenner’s very public transition will touch a number of people who have never known (or knew that they knew) a transgender person, and those who never understood the concept of gender identity. No matter what you think of Jenner’s story, that’s a great thing.
However, Buzz Bissinger, the author of the Vanity Fair piece released yesterday (June 1), appeared on CBS This Morning and, in an epic fail, repeatedly used the expression “sexual preference” when he was talking about sexual orientation.
Maybe the point was to have a writer who knew nothing about the LGBT community write the story. Bissinger followed Jenner’s transition for more than a year before writing the story.
But how can someone who doesn’t understand sexual orientation explain the difference between someone’s orientation and their gender identity?
How can he explain credibly that gender identity is innate if he thinks someone’s attraction to others is just a preference? Does he believe “sexual preference” can be changed? If it’s just something you prefer, then maybe another orientation is fine, too.
I think Gail King winced during the interview, but maybe I’m just reading something into it.
