Open Letter to Kylie Jenner
I just saw the photo shoot you did as part of your Interview Magazine Q&A, and I read through a portion of your interview in which you mention being bullied as a child:
WALLACE: How did you come to your anti-bullying Instagram campaign, #IAmMoreThan?
JENNER: I feel like if I came out and just told my story about bullying, people wouldn’t have sympathy—and I’m totally okay with that, because people don’t need to understand; they just think I’m not a normal person and live this magical life. But I wanted to give other people who have been bullied, and who overcame it to do something amazing, the opportunity to use my platform to bring awareness, to inspire people.
WALLACE: Well, I want to hear your story. You were bullied?
JENNER: Yeah, pretty much ever since I was 9, since the show started, there’s been so much bullying towards me. Like, every single day I see something negative about me. And it’s just completely torn me apart. I feel like I’ve lost so many amazing traits because I’ve listened to stupid people, ignorant people who are bullies.
I have news for you. You’re a bully, too.
Why? Because you allowed yourself to be photographed in a wheelchair when you don’t use one yourself. Those photos fetishize a device that more than 3.6 million people in the U.S. rely on daily.
Maybe you thought those poses were simply an edgy, artistic expression that was part of a larger gallery of images showing you being objectified.
Maybe you thought “this is so obviously a retro wheelchair, no one will care.”
Maybe you didn’t think about it at all. Maybe you just sat down in the chair while the photographer clicked away and told you when to turn your head.
Here’s the thing: part of bringing awareness, which you say you want to do, is being aware and mindful of all of the world around you, not just the parts you want to put on your Instagram feed. It’s about dropping the judgment and being present. It’s about learning and practicing compassion.
It’s time to start being mindful, Kylie. Otherwise you aren’t any different from the stupid, ignorant bullies who taunted you as a child, who judged you for being part of a reality show that was beyond your control.
I suggest you start by embracing the diversity beyond the scope of your daily existence. Take everything you’ve learned watching your father publicly transition into Caitlyn, all the hurt you feel hearing strangers say nasty things about someone you dearly love, and channel it into being a person who has nothing but love and acceptance for those who appear different than you. That includes people in wheelchairs.
When you’re able to achieve that level of mindfulness and move into a place of love and compassion, I guarantee those “amazing traits” you lost will come back.
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