Phil Labonte: “SHUT THE F*CK UP ABOUT [CAITLYN] JENNER.”

Phil Labonte is a world-class idiot. This we all know. And as much I’d like to NOT continue giving him attention for the silly shit he says… I just can’t help it! Labonte gets SJWs like us all riled up. I’d give him credit for manipulating the media, except I think he’s just generally spouting off without giving it that much thought.

So. Here’s what Labonte had to say last night about Bruce Jenner’s transition into Caitlyn, the subject of much media attention over the past week:

To be fair, let’s not make Labonte into a beast: he’s not knocking Bruce’s decision to transition into Caitlyn, and he’s not mocking Caitlyn’s lifestyle. He’s just saying “it’s not that big of a deal,” which, theoretically COULD be true.

Except he’s wrong. Judging by all the vitriol leveled Caitlyn’s way I’ve seen throughout the Internet over the past few days — and even on my own Facebook news feed — it is VERY much a big deal, precisely because people think it is, the same way words like “faggot” and “nigger” are a big deal even though Labonte doesn’t think they are. If the people who those words are directed at think they’re meaningful, then they’re fucking meaningful. If people treat the Jenner transition as a big deal, then it is one. Labonte doesn’t get to be the arbiter of what is and isn’t a big deal. Maybe some day we’ll get to a place where a gender transition doesn’t make international news headlines — and I agree with Labonte for hoping that some day we do — but we sure as hell ain’t there yet.

The “someone who REALLY deserved it” Labonte is referring to is trans woman pornographic actress and adult model Bailey Jay. He elaborates:

The point Labonte’s trying to make holds some water: Jay didn’t have the support, money and celebrity that Jenner did, and she was much more on her own throughout the difficult transition process. This is true. But that coin has two sides: she also wasn’t under the microscope of THE ENTIRE FUCKING WORLD and didn’t have to deal with all the negative attention that comes with that. Not that such a transition can EVER be easy, for anyone, but having to do so in the public eye where every little move is scrutinized — and the grueling press schedule that came with it — is a whole different ball of wax. I’m certainly not saying Jay’s transition was any easier — I’m sure she had her own demons to face, and scrutiny from family, friends, etc — it’s just different.

Here’s the bottom line: regardless of whether Jenner or Jay had any perceived advantages or disadvantages through their transitions, there’s no point in comparing the amount of “courage” each took, or whether either “deserved” attention. They both did it, it was surely incredibly challenging for each, and they both deserve any attention they get, or, conversely, didn’t get. Holding one up above the other is pointless, and complaining about media coverage is similarly a waste of time. Boo fucking hoo, Phil Labonte had to deal with a bunch of extra posts in his Facebook news feed… that must’ve been so difficult!

Also, Phil Labonte is still an idiot.