Caitlyn Jenner has hit back at the outpouring of criticism against her from members of the LGBT and trans communities after the news that she will join Fox News.
On Thursday, Fox News announced the transgender retired Olympic decathlete and media personality will join the network as a contributor, with her first appearance having taken place on Thursday’s edition of Sean Hannity‘s program “Hannity.”
Responding to the backlash on social media, Jenner said on Friday that she was “astounded” by “the irony of the fringe in the LGBT population is knocking me on ‘trans day of visibility’ which they tout every chance they get, all day long.”
“Meanwhile I am the most visible trans person in the world. The irony of the left and the WOKE never ceases to astound me,” she tweeted. “More so the hypocrisy than the irony continues to astound me.”
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LGBT activist Charlotte Clymer told accused Jenner of throwing “trans and non-binary people under the bus in order to get ahead professionally,” labeling her a “vapid narcissist.”
“Visibility does not necessarily mean good representation. Caitlyn Jenner was against same-sex marriage. She was supportive of Donald Trump when he ran, despite his anti-LGBTQ platform,” Clymer told Newsweek.
“She has continued to work with Donald Trump’s supporters despite their anti-LGBTQ views. She has spoken out against trans children in sports.
“There is a lot of room for disagreement among trans people, but the vast majority of the trans and non-binary community does not support Caitlyn Jenner. She does not represent us.
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“She does not reflect our views, and she is incredibly harmful to our wellbeing.”
Newsweek has contacted Jenner for comment.
Caitlyn Jenner has joined the Fox News team. In the image, Jenner talks to reporters about homeless issues as she campaigns to overthrow California Gov. Gavin Newsom in an upcoming special recall election on August 12, 2021 in Venice, California.
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In a statement following the announcement of Jenner’s hiring, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said: “Caitlyn’s story is an inspiration to us all.”
Scott called Jenner “a trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community,” and praised “her illustrious career” spanning “a variety of fields,” saying this “will be a tremendous asset for our audience.”
Jenner tweeted that she was “humbled by this unique opportunity to speak directly to @FoxNews millions of viewers about a range of issues that are important to the American people.”
But the LGBTQ+ and trans communities haven’t joined in the celebrations of Jenner’s appointment.
“Maybe by way of introduction they can do a montage of all their anchors mocking you when you first transitioned,” commented one user in response to Jenner’s announcement.
“Caitlyn Jenner getting a role as One the Good Ones, where she’ll perform the vital service of providing cover for a whole network’s worth of transphobia,” wrote another.
“Will they let you use the bathroom? They seem obsessed with bathrooms,” tweeted another.
Some of Fox‘s most popular hosts have taken aim at the LGBT community and its allies, including Disney—which they accused of pushing its sexual agenda on children.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson suggested Disney was supporting the “chemical castration” of children. Fellow host Laura Ingraham said Disney was doing “propaganda for grooming.”
They have also lashed out at transgender athlete Lia Thomas, who recently won the NCAA swimming championship.
Following her victory, Carlson said: “Female athletes are losing NCAA championships to men dressing up as women in order to cheat their way to victory.”
Jenner has expressed the same views on her Twitter and has repeatedly said she’s not a trans activist.
Talking with Hannity in her first appearance as a contributor to the program on Thursday, Jenner said: “As you know, I am trans but I’m not a trans activist. That’s just one part of my life. There’s so much more to me.”
On Twitter, she followed up by saying she is “a parent, grandparent, and an American.”
Clymer argued that as one of the most visible transgender people in the world, what Jenner says may be the first thing the majority of the public hears about issues related to trans rights.
“Caitlyn Jenner’s irresponsibility makes a great argument for why we need more trans people, media, politics, and Hollywood—really in every segment of society all around the world,” Clymer said.
‘Phyllis Schlafly of the Trans Community’
Jenner, a Republican with conservative values, ran for governor in California in 2021 with a campaign that was strongly opposed and criticized by many in the LGBT community.
In an interview with TMZ in May 2021, Jenner said she favored proposals to ban trans girls from girls’ sports.
“This is a question of fairness. That’s why I oppose biological boys who are trans competing in girls’ sports in school. It just isn’t fair, and we have to protect girls’ sports in our schools,” she said.
Clymer branded Jenner the “Phyllis Schlafly of the trans community,” a reference to the anti-feminist, anti-gay rights, and anti-abortion conservative activist who famously worked to stop the Equal Rights Amendment, the Mercury News reported at the time.
“Every marginalized community has members of that community who work against the interests of everyone else in that community,” Clymer told Newsweek.
In an interview with Hannity later in that same week, Jenner infamously said she could empathize with the homelessness crisis in California because one of her friends, another private plane owner, packed up his things and left saying he “couldn’t take it anymore” and couldn’t bear to go out in the streets and “see the homeless.”
Talking about immigration in the same interview, Jenner said she was “all for the wall” former Trump was building at the border with Mexico.
At the election, Jenner got around one percent of the California recall vote.
Source: Newsweek