Seven years ago, when she came out as a trans woman and became one of a growing number of trans celebrities, it seemed like Caitlyn Jenner might do some good in this world.
“I’ve lived a fascinating life,” the former Olympian told USA Today Sports in 2017. “Especially now, being in the fourth quarter, I’m happy to be where I’m at. I sincerely want to make a difference, to help my [trans] community.”
But in recent weeks and months, Jenner has been picking on trans individuals like swimmer Lia Thomas and influencer Dylan Mulvaney. In January, for example, Jenner retweeted a Twitter post misgendering Thomas, and in April, she called Thomas “one of the worst things that happened to the trans community,” all because Thomas wanted to compete with other women.
Related: Lia Thomas made history simply by being who she is and doing what she loves
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Then, late last month, Jenner cheered on Senator Marsha Blackburn after the Republican senator from Tennessee said it was “absurdity” for Mulvaney to talk on TikTok about normalizing “women having bulges sometimes.”
Jenner retweeted Blackburn’s post, aping her language. “Let’s not ‘normalize’ any of what this person is doing,” Jenner wrote. “This is absurdity!”
Also, a now-deleted tweet on Jenner’s account misgendered Mulvaney, claiming the TikTok star “is talking about his penis!” (A spokesperson for Jenner claimed in a statement to the conservative Washington Examiner that it wasn’t the former reality star but instead “an individual on Ms. Jenner’s team” who “haphazardly misgendered Dylan.”)
Related: Dylan Mulvaney on her most cathartic Day Of Girlhood, JoJo Siwa, and which TikTok deserves an Oscar
While that controversy was swirling, Jenner appeared on Fox News on October 28 to weigh in on the assault of Paul Pelosi, Nancy’s husband, by a home invader. And as one of the Twitter users quoted below pointed out, Jenner was quick to blame the victim of the attack. “Why this home wasn’t better protected is kind of beyond me,” she said. (Jenner said it is “imperative that we don’t make this a partisan issue” moments before calling for “soft-on-crime liberals” to be voted out of office.)
And on October 30, Jenner ranted on Twitter about fellow members of the LGBTQ+ population. “I have never received more death threats, death threats to my team, [or] nasty hate mail than [I have] this week,” she wrote. “It is all from the so-called ‘inclusive’ LGBT community. I am so disgusted by the hateful individuals threatening my life for giving my opinions on news topics of the day. … Since when is a different opinion grounds for such hatred and death wishes? Do better!”
Obviously, death threats are never OK. But neither are transphobia and misgendering. Twitter is hopping mad over Jenner’s rhetoric, as you can imagine, but you don’t have to take our word for it. Here are tweets calling Jenner out — and a few generous posts trying to call her in.
You are so hateful and exclusionary. Not everyone has millions to use to transition. Bottom surgery is not a requirement for trans women to be trans. Get over yourself
— she said hiiiiiieeee (@AK503COCO) October 27, 2022
Try this instead. pic.twitter.com/iRzB4VsvX5
— COmama74 (@COmama74) October 30, 2022
caitlyn jenner could have been a hero to so many but instead sold out her entire community for political points from people who will never accept her. sad
— matt (@mattxiv) October 31, 2022
Dylan Mulvaney snapping back at Caitlyn Jenner for basically being transphobic is the best thing that’s happened this year. Queen shit, so proud ? “You were Woman of the Year, this isn’t Woman of the Year behaviour”
— Rach (@rachellouisee97) October 31, 2022
In the back of her mind, Caitlyn Jenner thinks: "Sure, they don't like trans people, but they like me. I'm the exception."
Ms. Jenner, you have never been–and you will never be–the exception to their hatred. To them, you are nothing more than a useful tool for propaganda.
— Charlotte Clymer ??????? (@cmclymer) October 28, 2022
You realize you transitioned, right? And support a political party that demonizes the trans community. You play on a female golf team, at the same time Republicans are banning trans kids for playing sports. You’re a walking hypocrite.
— Irishrygirl (@irishrygirl) October 27, 2022
The fact that we can finally be openly who we are and now you choose to attack a young trans girl sharing her euphoria is so wild to me. If you don’t have anything nice to say about a girl just enjoying her life, at the very least don’t be cruel.
— Nicole Maines (@NicoleAMaines) October 28, 2022
This further proves that Caitlyn Jenner is a self hating trans, she doesn’t actually care about us trans girls and uses resources (like HRT medication) to her own advantage but fails to understand other trans ppls struggles. She’s a sick and evil person
— Torriyah Dollia (@TorriyahDollia) October 28, 2022
Do you see the GOP passing ANY bills that are helpful to the transgender community? I do not. I see them doing everything to harm them. What is Caitlyn Jenner's game?
— Brown Eyed Susan?? (@smc429) October 31, 2022
Leave Dylan alone , her content is fun and full of positivity, living her best life and a good person . She means no harm to anyone . She wants trans people to feel love and safe unlike you .
— Princess (@ThePrincess427) October 26, 2022
Truly deplorable. https://t.co/peuOZd7bmY
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) October 28, 2022
Add victim blaming to the long list of bad takes from Caitlyn Jenner.
— Greg Buster ? (@Gregnus_2022) October 28, 2022
Do you care about what Caitlyn Jenner has to say?
— RazzLi (@razzli_) October 28, 2022
bachy
I don’t know. Call me crazy, but I’m not convinced that putting a spotlight on catfights over pronouns and transgender “bulges” – controversial issues relevant to .06% of the population – is the way to win the absolutely critical 2024 election. Similar comments I’ve made in the past have been deleted by Queerty, but silencing a legitimate argument will not erase the truth.
Dylan Mulvaney, you’re not helping. Democrats across the nation don’t need the political focus bogarted by your “bulge” problem. 99.4% of the nation like their “bulges” just the way they are, and find the compulsion to surgically remove body parts disturbing.
Discretion around your issues with your body – keeping it between you and your doctor – will be more effective in the long run. For you and for all of us.
M. Kawai
OK, your crazy. Dylan’s transition story is Dylan’s story. It wasn’t a story done for political purposes. It however became a political issue when extremest right newscasters chose to add it into their negative ideology. Dylan’s response to Caitlyn is not only epic, but inspirational. The level of composure and eloquence of Dylan’s response was absolutely jaw dropping. We all could learn something from it. You could as well.
bachy
@ Kawai: not crazy, just trying to keep an eye on the big picture at a critical historical juncture. Focus on Caitlyn and Dylan’s lurid “bulge” melodrama does nothing but undermine voter support– support which would only benefit Jenner, Mulvaney and all the rest of us.
M. Kawai
@bachy, you, and others in the media are the ones who keep the focus on the “bulge.” When the actual focus should be on Dylan’s response, that my friend is headline news.
Bosch
I remember when people insisted we shouldn’t push for gay marriage, because we’d lose votes.
We can’t drop trans people just because republicans have decided to use them as the scapegoat du jour. And as far as I can tell, it’s Jenner who brought this bulge conversation to the political arena. Republicans aren’t reading Queerty, they’re reading Jenner’s tweets.
As the zillenials say, “haters gonna hate”. If scapegoating the trans community no longer works for republicans, they’ll find a new scapegoat, and all signs point to that scapegoat being the rest of our community.
M. Kawai
I think I’m understanding your point now. However by stating “ Dylan Mulvaney, you’re not helping. Democrats across the nation don’t need the political focus bogarted by your “bulge” problem” it implies that it was her choice to become a political scapegoat. It’s the “you’re not helping” part of your comment that confused me. The only people Dylan is trying to help are people in the trans community. And I agree that the Republican majority won’t be reading Queerty articles, but some of Jenners crew might. And though this issue may be trivial, it just goes to show the depth of disgusting levels the extremists will go to try and make a point or swing a vote. Just another to add to the increasing list. On the other hand, Dylan’s follow up response, which also I don’t think the Republican extremists will see, is noteworthy.
Stan H
Born a man became an Olympic hero. Married 3 different women. Transition to become a woman only to die a stupid b***h.
SDR94103
a disgrace to humanity.
butchqueen
Honey, nobody asked for your opinion. Go away.
abfab
Queerty. Twitter? Really?
Terrycloth
Why does Caitlyn get to keep all of Bruce’s athletic and Olympic awards if Bruce No longer exsists.they took away your D**k those awards should have gone with it..how can she think without it ?
abfab
As Miss Coco Peru would say, ”she bothers me”.
inbama
Everybody here believes Mulvaney is for real?
Up until he lost his job at “The Book of Mormon” because of the pandemic, he was a gay male actor. Then he discovered TikTok as a source of fame and income. First it was Dylan, friend of animals. When that didn’t take off, he tried “Day One of Being A Girl,” and the rest is history – episode after episode of moronic euphoria coming off like a Pee Wee Herman in drag with tens of thousand of followers cheering him on.
Lots of trans people on Tiktok despise him.
If he turns out not to be a hoax, I’ll be the first to apologize and use female pronouns.
But Dylan will still be an embarrassment.
Darson
Bless your heart for saying it. As the famous Charles Pierce said in Torch Song Trilogy, “That queen gives me gas”. Cannot stand to look at Dylan. As far as “the bulge” goes, it shows a complete lack of committment. Were I a woman and had some person in a dress telling me what it was to be a woman, I would kick them square in their bulge.
abfab
I’m looking forward to the day when all of this dust settles…and it will. RIght now we seem to be in such tumult over things.
Stay positive, this too shall pass. Since the repubs have a hard time being civil to pretty much everyone, let’s go out of our way a little bit to be nice to each other. Rainbow people UNITE!
Jimmynj
Apparently, Caitlyn supports trans people, but only on her terms. I guess spending all of that time with those mindless Kartrashians melted her brain.
greekboy
If we just completely ignore jenner and give it zero press then it will simply wither up and blow away
CNY1983
jenner who?
Neoprene
Little Miss Dylan Mulvaney is a raging narcissist.
Dick Mayhem
Be best, Caitlyn. BE BEST!
DCguy
Republicans on crime.
They attack any gun control laws, using courts or the legislature to remove them, then, when crime goes up, especially gun crime they scream that it’s Democrats fault. I guess that explains why crime in red states is so much higher than in blue states.
Jenner is just one of the liars.
Mr. Stadnick
I long for a world that the names Jenner and Kardashian are not splashed all over. They do nothing other than enrich themselves financially and empower their useless egos. Caitlyn could be the worst of the bunch talentless grifters.
Fahd
A commentator said about Kyrie Irving that if you transplanted his brain to a bird, the bird would fly backward. I think the same would apply to Caitlyn. [Disclaimer: please understand this is purely hypothetical, and I am vehemently against any form of animal testing or cruelty.]
LumpyPillows
Caitlyn sure can say some terrible things. Death threats are terrible. Please stop.
inbama
Love it or hate it, she is simply being what we are all obliged to say we believe: Her Authentic Self.
Toofie
Caitlyn is so desperate to be accepted by the right she’ll throw anyone under a bus. Proving a trans person can be transphobic.
OhHellNo
How ironic that it took Bruce Jenner nearly 70 years to get a c…, yet only a few minutes to become one.