Some time ago, I wrote an article praising Caitlyn Jenner for her bravery in boldly announcing her new gender identity, and encouraging people to be more accepting of transgender people, because they possess unspeakable bravery to accept who they are, regardless of what people are telling them.

And I still stand by those words.  Caitlyn’s action were very brave.  But in the time since, she has not paved the way or become the inspiration that transgender people deserve.  Laverne Cox, on the other hand, is always taking great strides to encourage solidarity and support and love in the trans community, even starting the hashtag “#TransIsBeautiful.”  She has, time and again, proven herself to be a great member and ally in the transgender community.

I would like to clarify that I am not saying that Caitlyn hasn’t done some good for the trans community.  Since revealing her new self, she has opened up about public scrutiny, and encouraged love and acceptance.  While this is all noble, her other actions somewhat sour these instances.  We all know about the driving accident that left a woman dead involving Caitlyn.  She was brought up on no charges, and faced no consequences.  Were she a true hero, she would have accepted what punishment may come, demonstrating that no matter who you are, you deserve no special treatment and you are not above the ramifications of your actions.

Some time after that, we also were privy to the incident where the widow of a previous Woman of the Year award returned the award upon hearing that Caitlyn would be the next winner.  While this might have seemed transphobic on the surface, the widow actually had a very good reason to return the award.  His late wife had died protecting her community as a police officer.  Has Caitlyn done anything to deserve an award that went to such an esteemed member of the community?

And that’s even discounting the fact that she won Woman of the Year at all.  I’m not saying that she didn’t deserve at least even an honorable mention, but was there really no one else who might have deserved this award more?  She hadn’t even been a woman for a full year when she won the award.  She was a man.  And I, as a feminist as well as a trans ally, feel there is something inherently sexist about this message, which says that a man is better at being a woman than a woman is.

And the whole point of these “... Of the Year” awards is to honor and recognize the individuals who have made great strides in a particular field, may it be feminism, environmentalism, LGBTQ rights, whatever.  Now, with that in mind, let’s take a look back at what Caitlyn Jenner has done in the name of furthering the cause of women:  On the Ellen DeGeneres show, she said that she was a “traditionalist” when it came to marriage.  This, in conjunction with the death of the woman in the car accident, paints a picture of someone who says a lot of things, but their actions prove different.

What I’m about to say is quite frank, but not transphobic in the least:  Caitlyn Jenner has a right to speak about women’s issues, as does everyone.  Her gender has nothing to do with it, in this case.  But is she really more qualified to speak about the struggle of women than someone like my own mother, who has been a single parent struggling to make our lives better for the majority of a decade?  When she has never had to deal with problems that plague everyday women such as the pay gap, workplace sexism, and Congressmen telling her what she should do with her body and reproductive organs?  No, because while she is now a woman, it is her past as a man that allows her to remain where she is, even allowing her to continue enjoying a male membership at a country club.

Especially considering the fact that she has repeatedly attacked Hillary Clinton as "not understanding women's issues," being a "f**king liar," and a "political hack."  She does this, yet praises Donald Trump, once again showing her conservative views and hypocritical nature, claiming that he would be "very good for women's issues."  Donald Trump.  A "man" who has a blazing history of racism, misogyny, serial lying, disgusting xenophobia, and whose main defining trait is his proposed ban an entire religion from entering the United States.

Is she really more deserving of a Woman of the Year Award that someone like, say, Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani woman who refused to back down in her cause to have women in her province of North Pakistan have access to education when the Taliban has banned it?  A woman who took a bullet in the head for her cause?  A woman who, after that, refused to back down even then?

I didn’t think so.