“No matter how hard I try or what I wear or what I say or what surgeries I get, I will never reach an acceptable version of womanhood.” As these words left famous tik toker Dylan Mulvaney’s mouth, a resounding chorus of boo’s echoed in response. On the night of October 12, the 2023 Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards hosted another iconic show brimming with glitz and glamor to celebrate notable figures of the past year. However what was meant to be a victorious night for many ended up stirring a heated online debate as Dylan Mulvaney, a trans woman, received Attitude’s first-ever woman of the year award. Attitude, a famous UK media platform, spotlights trending LGBTQ+ figures in its magazine. While adoring fans relentlessly cheered and congratulated Mulvaney, Attitude was met with a tidal wave of backlash for honoring a biological male as Woman of the Year. That very night, societal perceptions regarding the trans community were challenged.
Dylan Mulvaney is best known for her ‘Days of Girlhood’ series where she shares intimate details about the transitioning experience with their massive following of 12 million people. Due to this spotlight, Mulvaney is no stranger to controversy. In fact, it seems to be the overarching theme of her career. Before being honored as the Woman of the Year, Dylan Mulvaney found herself embroiled in drama after partnering with Bud Light. Right wingers– conservatives– boycotted Bud Light, who distanced itself from Mulvaney after sales plummeted. Moments of having to stand in solidarity like these made winning awards like Woman of the Year much more significant.
Yet the question lingers– is it fair for a trans female to receive Woman of the Year? While others find this as a positive strive towards an inclusive world, others perceive this as an insult to womanhood. Sophomore student Moxie Moore, a proud member of the LGBTQ community, explains, “Being a transgender woman doesn’t mean you’re not an “actual” woman. Trans women are real women and cis women are also real women. I think her winning the award is a step towards that kind of recognition and solidarity.”
On the other hand, other commenters express frustration at feeling compelled to “play along” with the gender trans person conceptualizes themself as, but also how it diminishes the accomplishments of women. Citizens find the implications of this to be that women have achieved nothing more significant this year than a man putting on a dress and undergoing cosmetic surgery.
Due to the nuance of this situation, it has been difficult for the rest of the citizens online to know exactly where they stand on the debate as it also extends to athletic sports and beauty pageants. However the only thing that remains certain in the aftermath of the Attitude awards, is the urgency to reevaluate and redefine how trans people fit into society.