Earlier this year, Caitlyn Jenner affirmed what the rest of the world had known for years: Trump is terrible for trans rights.
At the time, she still hoped to work with Republican leadership to avoid crafting such oppressive policies.
Now, she has come forward and penned an op-ed to admit that she was wrong, and that Trump cannot be reasoned with.
In a Washington Post op-ed, Caitlyn Jenner showed that she’s willing to admit when she’s wrong, even if it took a couple of years.
“Despite the criticism I received from segments of the LGBTQ community for engaging with this administration,” Cait begins.
Caitlyn has been confronted by other trans women, including her own friends, for her erstwhile support for Donald Trump.
“I remained hopeful for positive change,” Cait explains.
“Sadly,” Caitlyn admits. “I was wrong.”
Two years after using her platform to endorse the current President, Caitlyn understands her error.
“The reality is that the trans community is being relentlessly attacked by this president,” she writes.
The recent edict from the DOJ that employers should feel free to fire their transgender employees is only the latest blow.
Cait says: “The leader of our nation has shown no regard for an already marginalized and struggling community.”
“He has ignored our humanity,” she laments.
“He has insulted our dignity,” Caitlyn continues.
“He has made trans people into political pawns,” she writes. “As he whips up animus against us.”
Cait points out that he does so “in an attempt to energize the most right-wing segment of his party.”
Since Trump has been unable to or unwilling to help everyday Americans with economic issues or in any other meaningful way, he just excites his base with bigotry.
All the while, Caitlyn notes, Trump is “claiming his anti-transgender policies are meant to ‘protect the country."”
“My hope in him — in them — was misplaced,” she admits.
“And,” Caitlyn continues. “I cannot support anyone who is working against our community.”
As she mentioned, trans people are already marginalized. And Trump’s administration has made life more dangerous for almost all of them.
“I do not support Trump,” Caitlyn affirms.
That makes a serious contrast with her MAGA-hat wearing past.
“I must learn from my mistakes,” Cait concludes. “And move forward.”
Honestly? That’s a good op-ed. She’s right about what she says.
While no one questions that Trump is a bigot, he has never seemed to have an issue with transgender people in particular.
But the architects of these monstrous policies — from Stephen Miller to Mike Pence to Jeff Sessions, and others — have a vested interest in crushing marginalized groups.
Trump allows it, in part because it will inflame his base.
He also allows it because, let’s be honest, he doesn’t seem to really know about it, and was visibly caught off guard when asked about the topic.
This is a guy who tweets at three in the morning. He likes being cheered by crowds, not actual work.
But Cait should never have supported Trump in the first place.
In part because she is trans, and her trans friends very publicly warned her that he would be a disaster.
If she had been listening to women who had been out much longer than she was — if she had listened to Candis Cayne — she wouldn’t be eating crow now.
But also, voting isn’t always about yourself. Cait may be rich and white, but she could have remembered that other people exist.
It was no secret that Trump’s administration would be a nightmare for communities of color or for women.
We hope that Cait will have her eyes open from now on.
