Gary’s Thoughts on Caitlin Jenner

So I have been having the hardest time writing the blog for our queernundrumpodcast. It always feels like I start thinking of to many things to write about. I am just going to let it flow.
I am now at 281. This is the lowest I’ve weighed in about 10 years. I am excited to lose weight. I can already tell a difference in how I am feeling. I also realized I can do things easier, like step over the baby gate for our dog or walking up stairs. I have also noticed I have more energy. All of this and just a little over 3 weeks out. I got to eat food I could cut with a fork today. I had the best cheese beef patty I have ever tasted! I have already been taken off two medications and hope to be taken off one more soon. That means I will be almost med free. As someone who is 54 I doubt I will every be off all meds.

I have one I take for anxiety. Which I never would have guessed I had until I was diagnosed with it. My daughters would have appreciated me being diagnosed sooner, I am sure they think I would have been a calmer dad. Between you and me, I doubt that would have changed a lot of how I dealt with them. Anyone who has raised teenage daughters will understand where I am coming from. If not please tell me your secret.

I have been with my husband Dean for almost 19 years. We started as a one night stand and then an occasional fuck buddy and then we were in love. I remember being so pissed when I realized that I loved him. Just for context, I had been married twice, to women and swore I would never be with anyone ever again. Dean screwed that all up. Talented, kind, smart and an amazing lover. How was I was supposed to not fall in love with him?
So 19 years later, several bumps in the road, we are thriving. I honestly couldn’t imagine being without him.
I have 2 daughters, who are both beautiful, talented and amazing mothers. I’m not sure when they became old enough to to have sons but they did it and I am glad they did. I could have never understood how great being a grandpa was until it happened.

About a year and a half ago Dean and I moved to Gunnison, Colorado for a job opportunity for me. I did explain he was wonderful.

Since starting this entry it’s almost 3 weeks later and I am now 266 and our dog Cooper passed away. He had led a long life. It was time and he died peacefully in his heated bed. Our cats Mumford and Brother seem happier since Cooper is no longer with us. They actually lounge downstairs now and cuddle with us on the couch and the recliner. Before they were almost exclusively upstairs because Copper would chase them all the time and we have already realized that we will not be getting another dog. One was enough and we are getting older and want to know we can travel when we want. Cats are just easier to leave alone and have someone check in on them occasionally.

Which brings me to the next new thing going on in Dean and my life. My friend Bruce is living with us, for the time being. He has had a bad year. His mom died and he lost his job and at least until his mom’s house sells he is living with us, so we officially have a 53 year old new born. He freely admits he needs people to make him do stuff and I just happen to like being bossy.

Other then that, I am anxiously waiting for the end of school. I will be getting almost a month off before we have to reopen the dining hall and start feeding summer camps. During this time Dean and I will be going back to Pullman to see our friends and family but mainly I am going to see my grandsons! The youngest one I haven’t even got to meet yet. I love my daughters but being a grandparent makes it worth having kids.

Caitlyn Jenner:

Wheaties spokesperson, Gold Medalist, would be actor, reality star, transgendered and, oh yes, a republican?
Have you heard the one about the transgendered republican running for governor of California? A joke, right? Wrong!!! Before we get into this interesting Queernundrum, let’s look at her history. Caitlyn Jenner was born Bruce Jenner in October of 1949, to her parents Esther & William Jenner. Other then being diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, her childhood seems uneventful.

Caitlyn graduated in 1968, from Newtown High School with a football scholarship to Graceland College (now University) in Lamoni Iowa. After a knee injury which ended her college football career Caitlyn was convinced by the college track coach, because of her natural athletic ability, to become a decathlete. History shows that track coach, L.D. Weldon, knew what he was talking about. At Jenner’s first meet at Drake Relays Decathlon, she finished in 5th place. Decathlon consists of 10 track & field events:

Day 1
100 meters.
Long Jump.
High Jump
Shot Put.
400 meters.

Day 2
110 meters
Discuss throw
Pole Vault
Javelin throw
1500 meters

Caitlyn Jenner graduated from Graceland, in 1973, with a degree in physical education but before graduating she surprised a lot of people by making the 1972 Olympic team and finished 10th in the decathlon. She watched Soviet Mykola Avilov win the gold medal and that inspired her to start a very intense workout of 6 to 8 hours a day. Remember, this was before Olympic athletes, in the United States anyway, could be professional, so after working 6 to 8 hours a day she would try and sell insurance at night. Even Caitlyn’s fellow athletes were shocked at her dedication. Thankfully she was married to Chrystie Crownover who provide almost all of the family income as a flight attendant.

During this time, they lived in San Jose, California and Caitlyn trained at San Jose City College and San Jose State University tracks. At the time this was considered the track and field capital of the world. Which obviously paid off for Caitlyn. She went on to win the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics and basically retired from sports. She had told herself that she would fully dedicate herself to this for 4 years and then she would move on.
During her time as a decathlete she won 12 of 13 decathlons.

After winning the gold medal at the Olympics it was decided she could become the next Johnny Weissmuller or Sonja Hennie. For those of you who don’t know, they are movie stars from the 30’s and 40’s. There was awhile it looked like she would get this elusive stardom. She was on the aforementioned box of Wheaties, spokesperson for Buster Brown Shoes, Tropicana and Minolta. It’s safe to safe Caitlyn’s star was rising. Even her wife, Chrystie, got a commercial, and then the unthinkable happened........ The movie Can’t Stop The Music. It was a musical that starred the Village People, Valorie Perrine and the white bread talk of the town, Caitlyn Jenner. It swept the Valorie Perrine and the white bread talk of the town, Caitlyn Jenner. It swept the Razzie Awards. I watched it, it was a bad movie. I mean so bad that you can’t hate watch it. So bad you can’t laugh at it. After CSTM she would do a couple of TV movies and have a six-episode arc on ChiPs but really the acting career was over. I am not sure if you could even consider it a career. I think it’s funny that people don’t consider talent or training when trying to make people “actors”.

She went on to do talk shows, game shows and help with two video games about the decathlon but never lived up to her manager’s or our expectations. Then her calling happened because she married Kris Kardashian, this would be the 3rd Mrs. Jenner. Through Kris, Caitlyn discovered reality television, and she became, well not a star on Keeping up the Kardashians but at least a grumpy utility player. During this time the Kardashians were a complete product and it seemed like Caitlyn didn’t mind being along for the ride and then something happened. She started growing her hair out, it is rumored she had her Adam’s apple shaved. We then found out, I hope after the family did, that Caitlyn wanted to become a woman.

I want to take a break from talking about Caitlyn to mention that all three of her wives had been told about her feelings and wanting to become and woman and to their credit, not a single one said anything until Caitlyn was ready to come out. That folks is how you handle coming out. It is the person’s individual choice when they want to come out. So good job ladies.

Yay!!!! What awesome news that after over 65 years old you get to finally be who you really are!! Her family supported her, her now ex-wife supported her. She even got her own reality show out of it. I am Cait lasted two seasons and did bring exposure to the transgendered community. It also showed that like everybody else, Caitlyn was a Queernundrum. During the run of her reality show we learned she was a republican, felt that the GOP party wasn’t out to hurt the queer community and supported Ted Cruz and eventually Donald Trump for Presidency........What??????? Oh, and just between you and me, Politico proved she actually didn’t vote in the 2016 elections. Hmmmmmm

This also started Caitlyn on somewhat of a political course. I am sure there are plenty of people out there in the republican party who love to show Caitlyn off so they can tell people how progressive they are. After supporting Donnie “the” tRump she brought up a lot of hot button issues.

She thought that even though Trump wasn’t a huge supporter of queer rights, he would support women’s issues
She wouldn’t never support Hillary Clinton
She supported Ted Cruz who has proven how little he respects trans people

She called Trump out for rescinding Federal requirements giving transgender students the right to choose bathrooms.

She is in favor of same sex marriage.

In 2017 she considered running for the US Senate for California

She also condemned Trump for ordering a ban to be reinstated on transgender people being in the military
She finally admitted she was wrong about Trump helping queer people. In April of this year, 2021, she has decided to run for governor of California if a recall happens.

Let’s reiterate that.....Caitlyn wants to run for Governor of the 5th largest economy in the world with no experience at politics. My assumption is that she thought, if trump can do it so could she. The big difference being, trump is a straight, white male and as we have learned throughout history, that “trumps” (pun intended) everything else. I don’t wish her good luck. I hope she loses. I would hate to see someone who has proven herself to be not to bright running California. The trans community has come so far and it would be a shame for Caitlyn Jenner to do some really stupid shit and push back the cause 10 years.

These all are showing a growing person, but all are a huge Queernundrum. Through all of this she still says she is a republican. She believes in this fight. A fight that seems to be in conflict with her “queer” community.
I am not saying if you are queer you should believe this way or that way. I am saying that there is a problem with supporting a party that goes against almost everything you are and that you have wanted to be for a very long time. I don’t understand how a person can be both a republican and a queer person. I also know she is not the only one.

More importantly to me, my dad is a republican and voted to tRump in the last two elections. This bothers me to distraction but I have finally come to peace with the fact my dad doesn’t get it. I know he loves me and my kids and grandkids and that will just have to be enough.

That’s all for now.
Love you and stay queer Gary M Thoren Jr