Just because a celebrity strives to be socially aware doesn’t mean they have it all right.

Taylor Swift has risen as a feminist icon, but she lacks insight when it comes to less privileged women. Similarly, Miley Cyrus is making strides with her LGBTQ youth organization, but she capitalizes off of mocking black and Latino culture.  

Fortunately, reality television star and transgender activist Caitlyn Jenner has made amends when it comes to her questionable views on marriage equality.

Earlier this month, Jenner made her first post-transition talk show appearance on “The Ellen Show.” While conversations with Ellen DeGeneres tend to stay lighthearted, Jenner’s interview took a controversial turn when she said she preferred “traditional” marriage to be protected by the law as opposed to same-sex marriage.

Jenner’s conservative perspective was unexpected because she is such an active member of the LGBTQ community as a transgender woman. Her dismissive attitude came as a surprise because marriage equality legislation empowers those who are marginalized because of their sexual orientation.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but Jenner’s statement pits members of the queer community against each other when it is supposed to be an inclusive space. Further, her apprehensive acceptance of gay marriage on “The Ellen Show” reflected poorly on her as an LGBTQ advocate.

However, Jenner re-evaluated her stance on same-sex marriage and shared this publically, which was a move in the right direction.

On Monday, Jenner published a blog post entitled “What I’ve Learned,” where she discussed the wake-up calls that she has received as a newcomer to the LGBTQ community. Among them, she mentioned her former insensitivity to the importance of legal marriage for gay couples.

“After hearing from my gay friends and learning more about the hardships they faced because of discrimination, it became clear to me that everyone should be able to marry the person they love,” Jenner wrote. “I can only hope that by sharing my story, there’s someone out there whose mind has been changed about trans people. Because regardless of whether you are transgender or not, we all have stuff to deal with in our lives.”

Admitting that you made a mistake takes courage. By listening to insightful criticism, Jenner has set a precedent for celebrities when it comes to turning backlash into an educational opportunity.

Too often, those who disapprove of a celebrity’s harmful opinions or culturally-appropriative styles are written off as “haters,” when these moments should serve as an opportunity to empathize with people from different backgrounds and cultures.

Although Jenner has admitted that she has much to learn, she is living up to her status as a celebrity activist. She always makes sure to uplift the LGBTQ community by living her truth, but also knowing when to listen to others. In order to make veritable progress, it’s important that LGBTQ-identified people have high-profile figures that listen to them.

Caitlyn Jenner did not sign up to be an activist; however, when celebrities become a voice for a disenfranchised community, they must use their platform to fight for those who look up to them.

Caroline Colvin is a sophomore magazine journalism major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at ccolvin@syr.edu and followed on Twitter at @fkacaro.

Published on September 16, 2015 at 11:59 pm