Jenner’s Potential Run for CA Governor

By Danita Knickerbocker

Bruce Jenner, known as Caitlyn Jenner since 2014 (1), is considering running for Governor (2) of California in the upcoming election, due to the Gavin Newsom Recall (3). In a 2015 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer, Jenner revealed that he is a coservative in the realm of politics and that he has considered himself a Republican his entire life. (4) When Jenner spoke up about his struggle (5) with Gender Dysphoria (6), he was immediately made into this sort of icon for the LGBTQ+ community. With that high status came much scrutiny when it came to political ideals, seeing as that is all this country can seem to focus on in the past 7 years.

Jenner had been a part of the Hollywood elite ever since he became the 1976 Olympic Men’s Decathlon winner. (7) Later marrying Kris Jenner and becoming the father/stepfather of some of the most famous celebrities in the world, the Kardashian/Jenner sisters. (8) Being a part of the Hollywood Elites, one would think it easy to express your opinions and beliefs with how “inclusive” the Left is always claiming to be. That did not ring true for Jenner, same as many others, when Jenner revealed his support for President Donald J. Trump in 2016. (9) Announcing his support for President Trump brought a kind of backlash that he was not quite prepared for.

Opening up about Gender Dysphoria and following through with the physical and biological surgeries/therapies needed to transition from male to female, apparently doesn’t change someone’s lifelong conviction that life is meaningful and every person has the right to protect themselves and their family. (10) This realization was hard for many people on the Left (11). Jenner’s conservative views affect his work in the LGBTQ+ community because he fights for LGBTQ+ rights, but he draws the line when it comes to children. He tends to follow more of the science behind Gender Dysphoria, than the emotion. Supporting the right to transition from male to female, and vice versa, after the age of 16, as recommended by the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism (12), but not supporting the transitioning of children.

Jenner has since removed his support for President Trump, due to President’s Trump adamance against having Transgender individuals in the military. (13) Which is interesting, because President Trump’s reasoning for banning Transgender individuals from the military is not because they are queer or “different”, but because transitioning the human body leaves it severely at risk in combat, just like those that have other physical ailments that put their bodies at risk. (14) Physical ailments such as Splenectomy, Gastritis, Chrones, Anal Fissures or Anemia, to name just a few. Transitioning the human body from gender to gender also often requires some type of hormone therapy that is taken consistently (15), similar to someone with diabetes or cancer that has to take insulin or chemotherapy on a consistent basis. Both are health conditions that will also disqualify you from serving in the military. (14)

When considering a political candidate, is it more important to have someone in office that is extremely well liked, or someone that has policies that you agree with? Jenner has announced that he wants to run for Governor as a Republican (16) and it is rumored that he is being advised by both Caroline Wren and Brad Parscale, President Trump’s 2020 campaign managers, for his CA Gov 2021 campaign. (17) Jenner hopes to bring together voters from both sides of the political aisle together, but can he do it? I guess we will have to wait and see.

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Danita Knickerbocker

Danita Knickerbocker, co-founder of Truth Matters, served 4 years in the US Army Reserve Officer Training Corps, graduating with military honors. She finished college with a bachelors of science in Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement. Danita currently works for the US Department of Homeland Security.