Rick Scotti was a very funny working comedian who grew up in Fairview, New Jersey and lived with being a woman trapped in a man’s body until he became Julia Scotti.

Her comedy has been described as “Sam Kinison meets Mrs Doubtfire” and on Tuesday night she called me at New Jersey 101.5 to offer her opinion on Caitlyn, formerly Bruce Jenner's transformation as Julia is someone who has gone through it.

“I thought that they handled it well overall said Scotti. From a PR standpoint, they began the rollout by saying goodbye to Bruce Jenner on the Diane Sawyer interview. That would be the last time we’d see “him.” Wait a month and then have the premier photographer in America do a cover shot for a premier women’s magazine.”

"The shots were fantastic. No one looking at them could ever deny that Caitlyn is who she is."

"If there was a down side for me, it probably dealt with the issue that most transgender cannot afford the services which Caitlyn was able to get. Few of us have the luxury of being able to get the surgeries, etc. which she did. But, you can see the result and it’s teriffic."

Scotti also described how hard the process was to go through.

“It is NEVER an easy process whether you’re a public figure or not. You are essentially killing your old self and ending your old life. And with that comes the history you’ve built with friends and family. Some are very accepting, but most are not.

That is why the suicide attempt rate for Trans[JG1]  folk is still at 41%.”

Scotti’s comedy made her stronger.

“I came out in 1999. The world for trans folk was much different than it is now. There was very little information available on the brand new internet and so I personally felt very alone out there. And when I came back to comedy in 2011, my intention was to be totally out, totally honest, and fearless. The fact that I could speak about being trans in front of large rooms of total strangers was difficult, but it made me stronger up there. And now that I have nothing to hide from anyone, I think it has made me a stronger person overall.”

And now Julia says “I have never been happier in my life. Living without secrets is the most uplifting thing a person could do. When you don’t have to hide or make up stories, when you can just “be”, well, ask Caitlyn how it feels. She is just discovering that joy”.

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