Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.
Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder
Aspen Institute
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What’s Caitlyn Jenner’s message for trans people in Africa?
June 25, 2016
Caitlyn Jenner discussed the struggles of trans people in Africa with Bisi Alimi at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Alimi is a LGBTQ rights activist and an advocate for sexual and gender minorities in Nigeria. Jenner will speak live tomorrow as part of Spotlight Health.
A video posted by Bisi Alimi (Official) (@bisialimi) on
Bisi Alimi was the first person to come out as gay on Nigerian television and is an Aspen New Voices Fellow. Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce, is a transgender woman and the star and executive producer of the E! Network show, “I Am Cait.” She first told her story during an ABC News “20/20” interview in April 2015 and revealed her new self to journalist Buzz Bissinger in the July 2015 cover story of Vanity Fair, drawing over nine million visitors to the magazine’s website in a single day.
Jenner joins Bissinger on stage tomorrow (June 26, 2016), a year after the groundbreaking interview in which Jenner talked openly about transitioning to a transgender woman. Video of the conversation will stream live. “The uncomfortableness of being me never leaves all day long,” Jenner told Bissinger. “I’m not doing this to be interesting. I’m doing this to live.”
Earlier this week, Jenner attended an Ideas Festival session titled “What is Gender?” that featured Bisi Alimi and others, discussing the complexities of gender.
Bisi Alimi and Caitlyn Jenner at the 2016 Aspen Ideas Festival. Photo by Dan Bayer/Aspen Institute.
