Jenner spoke candidly about being rejected by many of her fellow transgender rights activists in an interview with Variety.
‘No matter what you say or do, they think you don’t get it because you’re this kind of white, privileged person,’ Jenner said. ‘I haven’t turned my back on anybody.’
Jenner said the rejection from a number of her peers in the transgender community has been difficult to deal with: ‘I’ve felt it big time, and it hurts,’ she said. ‘Sometimes this community can be really tough.’
Jenner also talked about her advocacy and attempts to change the minds of high-ranking members of the Republican party, which has so far had limited results.
‘I met with Paul Ryan. I’ve met with just about everybody. Publicly, they aren’t supportive of transgender rights,’ Jenner said.
‘I’ve never had anybody not be nice to my face,’ she added.
Jenner: transgender and Republican
The celebrity and Olympic gold-medalist famously transitioned from male to female in 2015.
Caitlyn Jenner’s iconic photo on the cover of Vanity Fair in 2015 | Photo: Annie Leibovitz / Wikipedia
While being one of the world’s most high-profile transgender public figures, Jenner has come under sustained criticism by her peers in the trans community for not using her influence in enough ways to push for transgender rights in the US.
Many feel Jenner’s privilege makes her out of touch with the majority of the trans community.
In August 2017, Jenner was confronted by transgender activist Ashlee Marie Preston at a concert. Preston angrily told Jenner ‘It’s really fucked up that you are here,’ and ‘You are directly responsible for what has happened with transgender soldiers and the military,’ which was videoed and later went viral.
Jenner also drew flak for endorsing Donald Trump during his presidential campaign. She has since expressed her disappointment in the president’s handling of transgender rights in America.
The administration’s ban on transgender people serving in the military, and withdrawal of the enforcement of bathrooms for transgender school students were high-profile issues Jenner publicly called the president out on. Her reaction was met with little sympathy online.
Despite this, Jenner has continued to publicly support the president. She was also spotted wearing a red Make America Great Again baseball cap, a piece of apparel closely associated with the president and his politics.
