During his interview with Diane Sawyer, Bruce Jenner revealed that “for all intents and purposes, I am a woman.” But that wasn't the most surprising thing he said during the two-hour tell-all. Rather, it was Jenner's admission that he's a Republican that shocked people (including Sawyer herself). It's no secret that some people on the right side of things are known for their reluctance to accept people who are different. In fact, they can be straight-up transphobic. But that's not going to stop Jenner from identifying as a Republican, no matter what his gender may be.
"Not to get political, I've just never been a big fan [of President Obama]. I'm kind of more on the conservative side," he told a baffled Sawyer. "Yeah, is that a bad thing? I believe in the constitution."
Sawyer pressed him on the topic, asking if she thought people in the party would be disapproving of his gender identity. "Do you think that it will be an unsettling thing for some people in the conservative wing, in the Republican party? Are you going to go to Mitch McConnell and John Boehner and ask them to help champion this cause?"
Jenner had a simple response to her line of questioning. "I would do that in a heartbeat. Why not? And I think they'd be very receptive to it."
And for the sake of Jenner, and transgender people of all political parties, I hope he's right. After all, the most important thing for anyone to do regarding this issue, is, as Jenner says, "Have an open mind an open heart."
Editor's Note: Per Jenner’s stated preference, Bustle will continue referring to Jenner using he/his pronouns for the time being. We will follow his lead and make any changes to this policy as needed in the future.
