Khloe Kardashian: My Sisters Still Call Caitlyn By Bruce, And She’s OK With It

Khloe Kardashian said she and her sisters still call Caitlyn Jenner by the name they’ve always known her — Bruce.

The Kardashian sister recently revealed that her stepfather’s very public transition to begin living as a woman has been trying for the entire family. During a recent interview, Khloe revealed that she still calls Caitlyn by the name Bruce, which she said is perfectly all right with Caitlyn.

“We, my sisters and I, we will call Caitlyn ‘Bruce’ and we’ve been told that’s completely fine,” Khloe said, via Hollywood Life. “And she has told us, we are allowed to call her any name we want to. Because on the phone, when she calls me, it’s the same voice as Bruce. And if I’m not physically with her, it’s hard to remember in the moment that I’m talking to Caitlyn, if that makes sense.”

While it’s completely up to Caitlyn how the family addresses her, GLAAD and other transgender rights groups note that it’s normally protocol to call a transgender person by their chosen name rather than their given one.

GLAAD notes, “For some transgender people, being associated with their birth name is a tremendous source of anxiety, or it is simply a part of their life they wish to leave behind. Respect the name a transgender person is currently using. If you happen to know the name someone was given at birth but no longer uses, don’t share it without the person’s explicit permission. Similarly, don’t share photos of someone from before their transition, unless you have their permission.”

But even GLAAD seems to take special note of Caitlyn’s transition. The organization’s website has an entire section devoted to helping journalists understand how to cover Caitlyn Jenner.

The section also includes some tips on how to refer to Caitlyn.

“DO refer to her as Caitlyn Jenner. DON’T refer to her by her former name. She has changed it, and should be accorded the same respect received by anyone who has changed their name. Since Caitlyn Jenner was known to the public by her prior name, it may be necessary initially to say “Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner…” However, once the public has learned Jenner’s new name, do not continually refer to it in stories.”

Khloe Kardashian noted that while she still calls Caitlyn by the name Bruce, she has nothing but respect for Cait.

“With Caitlyn, I mean, it’s a beautiful thing that she’s transitioned and that she is strong enough to have her own voice, and wanting to make such monumental, beautiful moves and be that crusader to do so,” Khloe gushed. “So we are just happy for her. We just want her to be happy.”

Khloe Kardashian is not the only one who still calls Caitlyn Jenner by Bruce. Caitlyn’s mother, Esther Jenner, said she still uses Bruce because it’s the name she and Caitlyn’s father picked. But Esther added that Caitlyn is “beautiful,” and she has tremendous respect for her.

[Picture by Robin Marchant/Getty Images]