While speaking to a group of students at the University of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Caitlyn Jenner admitted that she faces more constant criticism for being a conservative than she does for her recent gender transition.
“I have gotten more flak for being a conservative Republican than I have for being trans,” Jenner said.
Billy Penn covered the interview with Jenner, during which a student expressed her inability to understand how a celebrity role model for the transgender community could remain a Republican.
Because many misconceptions about conservatives exist — racist, homophobic, rich — it’s easy to see how some people may find it confusing that a transgender person could belong to a party that isn’t traditionally as supportive of the LGBT community as the Democratic Party is. However, for many Americans, political parties aren’t necessarily one-size-fits-all.
“Oftentimes, when people my age find out that I’m a Republican, there are certain automatic assumptions they make about me and my opinions,” said a 23-year-old from Virginia who wished to remain anonymous. “So, whenever I tell someone I’m a Republican, I feel like I have to explain that it’s because of my views on the economy, foreign policy, and the size and role of our national government, rather than my views on social issues.”
Jenner seemed to echo that sentiment in her pre-transition interview with Diane Sawyer. When Sawyer stated her disbelief that Jenner could identify as both transgender and a conservative, Jenner replied by saying, “I believe in the Constitution.”
The idea that a person’s gender, race, or sexuality must determine their political allegiance is nothing new; we see women and minorities being pigeonholed into holding certain beliefs all the time. Hillary Clinton supporters Madeleine Albright and Gloria Steinem can’t fathom how any woman wouldn’t vote for Clinton. Michelle Obama once told African-American voters that they should always vote for Democratic candidates no matter what. Therefore, the notion that Caitlyn Jenner must be a Democrat simply because she’s a member of the LGBT community isn’t all that uncommon.
“I think a lot people tend to vote based on what they think will be most beneficial for them as individuals,” continued the anonymous Republican. “Caitlyn Jenner is an example of someone who recognizes that conservative policies — being fiscally responsible, having a strong national defense, acknowledging states’ rights — are beneficial to the country as a whole. For most Republicans, those items outweigh social issues on a scale of importance.”
