Caitlyn Jenner has publicly revoked her support for American President Donald Trump after his recent attacks on the trans community. Her initial support of the controversial Republican President raised eyebrows within the LGBTQ+ community, but apparently, enough is enough for Jenner after suffering Trump's scathing remarks about trans people in recent times. As an incredibly well-known member of the LGBTQ+ community, Jenner has said that she recognises her previous position regarding the Trump administration was a 'mistake' due to his poor record on protecting transgender peoples' rights.
The President's attempts to drastically cut transgender rights
Time and again, Donald Trump has made moves to undermine the rights of transgender people in the US. From trying to ban them from serving in the US military to recent preparations he is making to define gender as biological and fixed legally, Mr Trump has angered the entire LGBTQ+ community with his divisive handling of trans rights.
This week, leaks from the White House confirmed that the Trump administration is attempting to define a person's gender solely on the basis of the genitalia they were born with. This would both legally erase the presence of intersex people within official legislative works, as well as make it much more difficult for trans people to make their legal transition.
Since coming into office, the current administration has repeatedly tried to repeal the changes President Obama made during his two terms in the White House which increased the rights of trans people and made it easier for them to undergo their gender transition. It was President Barack Obama who lifted the ban on transgender people serving in the military in the first place.
Also, Obama-era policies allowed trans people of school age to use the toilets which best correlated to their gender identity, something trans people state is crucial to their daily dignity.
How Caitlyn Jenner's position has changed
After publicly committing her support to Donald Trump during the 2016 Presidential campaign, Jenner has faced waves of backlash as the President has chosen to pursue more and more controversial policies.
Last year, she publicly voiced her disappointment with the direction the administration was taking, especially in regards to policies concerning minority groups including the LGBTQ+ community. However, at that point, Caitlyn Jenner still maintained that she did not yet regret voting for Mr Trump.
However, after recent rhetoric from the White House about changing the legal framework which defines gender, Jenner has had to reconsider her position. She has since said that the President has purposely cynically used trans people as 'political pawns' while repeatedly attacking their 'dignity'.
