I was fortunate to witness the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games in which Bruce Jenner ran away from the field in winning the Decathlon.  In an instant he was bestowed with the moniker, “The Greatest Athlete on Earth”.  He ran along the track waving the American Flag proudly and I applauded him and at twenty one, shared in his triumph vicariously. Nearly forty years later I am faced with the question; was Bruce Jenner not a man in 1976?  If you watch the videos, scroll through the hundreds of pictures I believe Bruce Jenner was indeed a man in 1976?  And what many said, a “man’s man”.

Now Bruce says he is a woman.  I am to believe that this is now the truth and 1976 was not the truth.  I am confused.  Truth by definition is exclusive.  It operates exclusively by the law of non-contradiction.  The law contends, “If a statement is absolutely contradictory, without qualification, that statement cannot be true.”  Stated another way; “the same question, at the same time, meaning the same thing cannot elicit two absolutely opposite answers.”  The law cannot be denied, for the minute you open your mouth in response you are implementing the law.  So, is Bruce Jenner a man, or a woman?  Was he lying in 1976?  Is he lying now?  Or is it his position that he can change the truth at anytime by just proclaiming it true?  He “feels” like a woman, therefore he is a woman, and no one has a right to question his truth.

Recently, Bruce has attempted to change his physical form.  The changes require some substantial anatomical reconstruction.  It requires hormone therapy to change levels.  It requires treatments to attempt to eliminate characteristics that are inherently male.  Even if all the alterations are somewhat successful, the truth remains that Bruce is a man.  Truth is exclusive.  Bruce is not a man and a woman at the same time. Even after a time of “transitioning” the truth will not have changed.  Bruce will still be a man and will continue to be a man until he passes from this earth.

The struggle in this current culture is that disagreements are not made at the level of truth.  They are made with alternate criteria; feelings being the most prevalent.  Feelings are not exclusive; feelings are not reliable, nor always truthful.  I can feel or even desire to be green for whatever reasons I choose, but I will never be green regardless of what I think, feel, or believe and I could never be green and not green at the same time.

Further, if anyone disagrees they are expected to acquiesce exclusively or remain silent.  Disagreeing with an opinion, or idea which a person or culture finds important is labeled intolerant or kooky. Bruce Jenner’s photo in Vanity Fair is not kooky. My disagreement with his attempt to change truth is.  In Bruce’s words, “he is the new normal.”

I am comfortable being the Kooky one.  I believe the majority of people in this country agree with the truth that Bruce Jenner will always be a man.  I embrace my new labeled kookiness and will defend truth without reservation every time.  Do not fear.  The truth is exclusive.