A new costume hit the market in August, and has been causing turmoil and discussion since. This of course is the Caitlyn Jenner costume, modeled after her Vanity Fair cover from June, where she shows off her brown locks, and white bustier. While some people might think the costume is edgy, or original, it is neither.

By dressing up as Caitlyn Jenner, thousands of transgender women’s experiences are invalidated. Stereotypes are further perpetuated as well, because most often in the ads the person wearing the costume is a male. Caitlyn Jenner’s identity as a trans woman is not a costume, and is not a laughable matter. Caitlyn Jenner does not dress in drag, she dresses as a woman because she is a trans woman. Dressing in costume or drag and being a trans woman are not the same thing, by any means.

Although the costume may seem innocent and fun, it cannot be worn without a negative connotation and meaning coming with it. The costume, and those who wear it, are appropriating trans culture. The costume doesn’t mean the wearer looks like Caitlyn Jenner, it means that they are ridiculing her and discriminating against those, like her, who identify as trans. Trans people are the subject of hate every day of the year, and are assaulted and murdered for their identity on a daily basis. I just don’t think that is comical, or something that can be made light of.

While there has been a petition floating around to remove the costume from stores, no progress has been made as the costume continues to sell out on stores like Spirit Halloween, and  wholesalehalloween.com.

Trisha Lombardo, head of Spirit Halloween’s marketing and public relations, says the costume is instead meant to showcase Jenner as a real-life hero, and applaud her coming out process. Sounds like a typical PR move to me. Lombardo is instead, dehumanizing Jenner’s experience as a trans woman. The people buying the costume are not buying it in admiration of her, they are buying it to humiliate her.

The harm is just not done in the product, it is also done in the description of the product and the comments section, as is apparent on anytimecostumes.com. Another Caitlyn Jenner costume they feature is the “Unisex Miss-ter Olympic Wig,” where the caption reads “Be an advocate for the liberal agenda in this Unisex Miss-ter Olympic Wig! If you can’t identify as a male, throw on this brunet wig that offers a modern style and straight cut.  Complete your costume by ordering a medal that shows what used to be of the infamous Bruce Jenner.”

After even a quick glance at the product and its paired description, it is clear that the intent of the costume is to shame Jenner and other trans women. At the end of the day, the Jenner costume can be taken off. A trans identity cannot be taken off, or changed. Trans people are made to face something that buyers of the costume have no idea about, and have no regard for.

As with any sort of offensive behavior, or costuming, the biggest step is to be aware of why the costume is offensive, and to think about putting something else before showing up at that Halloween party. Think of it this way before you put on a costume: Does this mock a group of people or a culture, or exaggerate a pre-existing stereotype? If the answer is yes, put the costume back on the rack. It just isn’t worth it.

  How about a nice pair of a cat ears and a drawn-on whiskers instead? Or red riding hood? What about Mario and Luigi? A classic costume can’t  go wrong. And don’t worry–everyone at the party will still love your costume.