Nina In New York: We Owe You One, Caitlyn

A lighthearted look at news, events, culture and everyday life in New York. The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.
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By Nina Pajak

Hell yes, Caitlin Jenner. Thank you.

Thank you for looking so damn good. Thanks for finally coming out in the most fabulous, glamorous way possible. Thanks for being honest, and for helping other people to do the same, at any age. Thanks for helping us to see that it's never too late to start over, to be seen the way you want to be seen, to kick doubt and fear and conformism to the curb in a pair of insane heels. Thanks for not spelling your new name with that ubiquitous K.

I'm a little confused by your political affiliation given your personal journey, but hey. You keep doing you. That's in keeping with the point, isn't it?

Not to hit the whole "as a parent" trope yet again, but I'm gonna so shut up. Here is why Caitlyn should matter to everyone who has or plans to have a child: we have a stake in the next generation, and the generations that will subsequently spring from the fruits of our looms. Not everyone will agree, but many of us—maybe even most of us—want the world to continue to progress, to continue to move toward acceptance and equality and away from closed-minded, puritanical, outdated prejudices. Part of affecting the future lies with what we do now, in the present. But to really make it stick, we need to raise kids who are not only accepting and willing to adapt to a new world, but who will become active agents of change. We need to raise kids who will not only be sensitive and compassionate, but who demand the same of others. And we need to raise them to see that being yourself, whatever that may mean, will always be okay.

These things move slowly. But look how far we've already come. Gay marriage is legal in Ireland, for gosh sakes. A transgender woman who was once the embodiment of stereotypical masculinity is looking smoking on the cover of Vanity Fair. She is being received with respect and praise and admiration. We may have made it further than we thought. Perhaps we won't all be singing Kumbaya by the time my child is in high school, but then perhaps more kids will feel free to live the lives they want without fear of being ostracized or bullied to the point of suicide. And if our kids keep at it, maybe our grandchildren will be born into a world in which people like Caitlyn are so mainstream that they aren't even news. Maybe when we tell them about it, they'll roll their eyes and smile condescendingly at us and say something like, "zomg ur so old." (Somehow, in the future, we will speak in terrible spelling.) And then their eyes will roll back in their heads as they psychically access a gain of Candy Brain Drain while they silently text a thousand of their closest friends using nothing but the power of their squishy little minds.

I hope I live to see it. I'm glad I got to see this. And I kinda hope my grandchildren are nicer than the ones I just imagined.

Nina Pajak is a writer living with her husband, daughter and dog in Queens. Connect with Nina on Twitter!