When I watched Caitlyn Jenner’s 20/20 special last April, I came away genuinely moved. Caitlyn was still going by Bruce then, although she identified as a woman and was still in the middle of transitioning physically. While Caitlyn’s interview was interesting and even moving, the news of her transition was mostly fait accompli at that point. In fact, I was more surprised – and I said so at the time – that Caitlyn still identified as a Republican. And she still does! In the first season of her show, there were many record-scratch moments where Caitlyn was trying to hang out with her girlfriends and she would start spouting some GOP talking points and her girls were like, “Cait, you’re ignorant as hell.” Caitlyn’s consistent perspective seems to be that if someone wants to transition, then they should just be white and rich like her. Even after all that Cait went through, she was still being judgy about gay marriage as late as last fall!!! So, yeah, her politics are still more shocking to me at this point that her transition. And Caitlyn said as much during a speaking engagement at the University of Pennsylvania.
Caitlyn Jenner appeared in front of a sold out house of students Wednesday night and U. Penn students didn’t hold back in asking important questions. In response to one student who asked Caitlyn why she doesn’t belong to a more liberal political party, the 66-year-old E! star replied (via a local Philadelphia blog), “I have gotten more flack for being a conservative Republican than I have for being trans.”
Vanity Fair writer Buzz Bissinger, who was the one interviewing Cait last night, supported Caitlyn’s Republicanism adding, “Just because you change gender doesn’t mean you change your core beliefs.”
Bissinger, who wrote Cait’s famous Vanity Fair article last year, later brought up the media headlines suggesting Cait transitioned for publicity or profit. “I don’t need the money. So I don’t understand that claim,” Jenner answered. “No one transitions for financial gain. No way…You don’t do it unless you know deep down in your soul that it’s the right thing to do. If I can’t be honest with myself about what I’m doing, I’m no good for anything.”
Another student asked Caitlyn about her status as an LGBT role model.
“I’m not a role model!” Jenner replied. “I’m so new to this community I don’t expect to be one.”
Caitlyn also reflected on the fact she never told her father she was transgender before he died over a decade ago. Cait said she imagines her dad telling her today, “You know what, you’re doing a good job. You’re making a difference.”
[From E! News]
“I have gotten more flack for being a conservative Republican than I have for being trans.” That’s because your political affiliation is a choice. Being transgender is not a choice. You can chose to open your mind, acknowledge your privilege and try to open yourself to the transgender community. Or you can just be a rich, white Republican woman complaining about how those messy trans people are living on government handouts.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
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