Caitlyn Jenner has renounced her support for President Donald Trump and launched a stinging attack on his administration’s policies towards transgender people.
“Believing that I could work with Trump and his administration to support our community was a mistake,” the activist and reality TV star wrote in an opinion piece published on The Washington
She added that she had been wrong to support both Trump and the Republican Party, writing: “My hope in him—in them—was misplaced, and I cannot support anyone who is working against our community.
“I do not support Trump. I must learn from my mistakes and move forward.”
The advocate has repeatedly rebuked the President over various anti-trans policies, including his reversal of Obama-era trans bathroom protections for students and proposed ban on trans people serving in the military, but has never publicly admitted any fault for supporting his campaign in 2016.
She has completed her u-turn following the revelation of a memo leaked from the Trump administration which proposes legally erasing trans people.
“Believing that I could work with Trump and his administration to support our community was a mistake,” wrote Jenner.
“The recently leaked Department of Health and Human Services memo that suggests—preposterously and unscientifically—that the government ought to link gender to one’s genitalia at birth is just one more example in a pattern of political attacks.
“One doesn’t need to look back far to witness the president assault our nation’s guardians with a ban on trans people serving in the military or assail our nation’s future with a rollback of Obama-era protections for trans schoolchildren,” she continued.
“It’s clear these policies have come directly from Trump, and they have been sanctioned, passively or actively, by the Republicans by whose continued support he governs.”
Jenner’s article, published less than two weeks before the midterm elections scheduled for November 6, makes no mention of the upcoming vote nor does she use the platform to make any endorsements.
In August, the former Olympic gold medallist said the current administration had “set us backwards” on the path towards trans equality, but emphasized: “I’ve always been on the Republican side. I think it’s a good thing, because I’ve got an in.”
Jenner has now admitted: “I believed I could work within the party and the Trump administration to shift the minds of those who most needed shifting,” adding: “I was wrong.
“The reality is that the trans community is being relentlessly attacked by this president. The leader of our nation has shown no regard for an already marginalized and struggling community.
“I was wrong”
“He has ignored our humanity. He has insulted our dignity. He has made trans people into political pawns as he whips up animus against us in an attempt to energize the most right-wing segment of his party, claiming his anti-transgender policies are meant to ‘protect the country.’
“This is politics at its worst. It is unacceptable, it is upsetting, and it has deeply, personally hurt me.”
The advocate said that looking to the future, she was “more determined than ever to find the best way to bring trans issues to the fore of our social and political conversation, domestically and abroad.
Jenner said she is “personally” hurt by the White House’s stance on transgender rights
“I need to listen more to the members of the LGBTQ community and to learn more,” Jenner admitted.
“I need to better use my voice, my privilege and my foundation to advocate and support our community.”
She ended the article by writing: “The world needs to hear us. The world needs to know us. We will not be erased.”
Jenner’s opinion piece was met with criticism, as many social media users remarked that her realization comes “too late.”
One person tweeted: “People told you this was going to happen, instead you played lip service to a tyrant and set us all back because you couldn’t get over your privilege it’s too late for apologies.”
“It’s too late for apologies” (Bobboman_2000/twitter)
On the same lines, another person wrote: “EVERYONE told you this would happen. But noooooo, you were so wrapped up in your own privilege that you refused to listen. Welll, guess what? It’s all on you.”
“EVERYONE told you this would happen” (jeffrey_i_am/twitter)
She was also asked: “When he announced he wanted to ban trans people from the military—over a year ago—that didn’t give you a clue? When he backed the right of ‘religious’ groups to discriminate against LGBTQ people, that didn’t give you a clue?”
“When he announced he wanted to ban trans people from the military — over a year ago — that didn’t give you a clue?” (SybilT2/twitter)
Jon Cooper, chairman of a major anti-Trump Super PAC called the Democratic Coalition, wrote: “So it’s only now, after 21 months of Trump’s hatred, bigotry, misogyny, racism, corruption and treason that @Caitlyn_Jenner finally admits she was wrong about him?
“I’m LONG past the time I gave a flying f**k about what she thinks” (joncoopertweets/twitter)
“I’m sorry, but I’m LONG past the time I gave a flying f**k about what she thinks.”