MIAMI, FL — Bruce Jenner. The name spans generations from his Olympic triumphs in the 1970s and being coined the world’s greatest athlete to reality TV star. Jenner bathed in his athletic accomplishments for decades, mostly staying off the radar until 1991, when Jenner married Kris Kardashian. The couple was together for 24 years before splitting in early 2015.
Jenner has been a staple on the hit reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which first aired on the E! Network in October, 2007. The show continues to be the E! Network’s number one show, but for years has also been the most popular reality show on any network.
Last week, along with millions of other Americans, Ross Bleustein, an Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, and co-owner of Trans500.com, as well as fellow co-owner and award winning director Josh Stone, who together operate one of the adult industry’s leading network of Transgender Erotica Sites, tuned into ABC’s 20/20 and watched Jenner’s interview with Diane Sawyer. After months of harassment from the paparazzi, speculation, and unconfirmed rumors, Jenner finally sat down with Sawyer and, in a way only Bruce could, came out to the world as transgender.
“As someone who runs a business dealing with hundreds, if not thousands, of transgender women, I know firsthand what these amazing people go through,” said Bleustein. “I have spoken to so many of our brave and courageous models and heard stories that from a very young age they felt like they were born in the wrong body. Stories about how hard it was growing up and how the majority of them were ridiculed starting at very young age and that the discrimination still hasn’t stopped. For a lot of trans people, the discrimination they face sometimes follows them for the rest of their lives, because the lack of education regarding this topic has led to very little tolerance and acceptance. What Jenner has done, is he has stepped out as a very public figure, and with a one hour interview whether he likes it or not, became the new face of the transgender movement. It took an immense amount of bravery and courage to do what he did and we are so happy for him that he will get to live the rest of his life as the person he was born to be, and not the person society told him he had to be.”
In fact, Trans500 co-owner Ross Bleustein was so touched by the interview with Jenner, it inspired him to create the Trans500 Transition Surgery Fund.
“Many transgendered people, which includes both MTF (Male to Female) and FTM (Female to Male), save for years and years to be able to afford the operations they need to complete their transition. Some of the treatments include Hormone Injections, Implants, Breast Removal, Testosterone Treatments, Plastic Surgery, and Sexual Reassignment Surgery. None of these treatments are covered under insurance, so I am constantly meeting people who have saved for years and years to be able to undergo these procedures just so, when they look in the mirror, they see the reflection of how they have felt on the inside their entire life,” added Bleustein.
Bleustein continued, saying, “Jenner’s unwavering courage and bravery inspired me and my company to create the Trans500 Transition Surgery Fund, which will be a grant that is given to someone transitioning to help defer some of the costs of their surgeries. Our hope is that Jenner will see what we are doing and become involved in our goal and perhaps even let us rename the Fund after him. Transphobia is something that is rampant in our society. Young trans people have one of the highest suicide rates in the United States and the Trans Movement is years behind the Gay Rights Movement. Someone needed to step up and become a voice for this fast growing group of people and Jenner is the perfect person for that job.”
To be eligible to be considered for the Trans500 TransitionSurgery Fund, please visit Trans500Helps.com and tell us your story.
