Caitlyn and Bruce Jenner Halloween costume sparks controversy

Caitlyn and Bruce Jenner Halloween costumes have hit shelves across Canada and it's sparking controversy among some in the transgender community.

The Caitlyn costume comes complete with a wig, satin corset and shorts mirroring what she wore when she came out as transgender on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine. 

And the Bruce Jenner costume is what she wore when she won Olympic gold, medal included.

"I liken it kind of to, remember last year, that someone wore 'black face' to Fame night club," said Shandi Strong, a transgender woman and advocate in Winnipeg.

"That's the nerve that it strikes in our community. It's really that offensive to somebody that's been struggling."

The costumes are for sale at 1,150 Spirit Halloween stores across Canada for $49.99. Strong first got wind of them online. 

"A lot of the pictures that you see when [this costume] came out was a fat hairy guy in a beard you know wearing this dress saying 'hey look at me I'm Cailtyn Jenner,'" she said.

"Well no, Caitlyn Jenner is a woman that has struggled throughout her life, like I and every other trans-person has, to get to a certain point in their life that they're comfortable."

"It sends a message that we're freaks and we're not."

Spirit Halloween defends costume

Spirit Halloween stands behind the costume which is available exclusively at its stores.

"We create a wide range of costumes that are often based on celebrities, public figures, heroes and superheroes. Caitlyn Jenner is all of the above and our Caitlyn-inspired costume reflects just that. Spirit Halloween heavily encourages Halloween celebrants to embrace the Caitlyn costume as the real life superhero that she is," a company statement said. 

Shoppers like Kerryann Thompson of Winnipeg didn't see it that way.

"I feel like they're making fun of her.... The fact that they made [this costume] is rude I feel."

"My first initial reaction was, it's just playing off of what's hot right now in pop-culture," said Melissa Johnson who visited the store Wednesday, adding she wasn't offended.

"I think it all comes down to dollars and cents they're just trying to make money off of it. We're a society that is all about trying to be current and what's the newest and the latest and I think it happens with everything."

Strong says she supports the costume if it's worn as tribute to Caitlyn and the LGBT community but admits come Halloween night, it's more likely to be worn as a joke. 

"You know trans-people in general feel we're oppressed, we have to fight for basic things even to get the right name on our voter registration card. You know, to walk out on the street to take our life into our own hands in many cases and this costume really trivializes that in a big way," she said. 

"I'm 54 years old it took me 49 of those years to say I'm doing this...I'm going to be authentic with my life."

Strong hopes people consider this when they're heading to pick out their costume. 

"If you're buying this costume to mock people, please don't."