Bruce Jenner, After Coming Out As Transgender, Says He's A Conservative

Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner came out as transgender in a Friday interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC's "20/20."

He also came out as a conservative.

Sawyer, after highlighting issues of unemployment and workplace discrimination faced by the transgender community, asked Jenner if he cheered on Obama earlier this year when the president became the first to use the word "transgender" as he called for action on these issues during his State of the Union Address.

"He actually was the first one to say the actual word transgender, I will certainly give him credit for that," Jenner replied. "But not to get political, I've just never been a big fan -- I'm kind of more on the conservative side."

"Are you a Republican?" Sawyer asked.

"Yeah! Is that a bad thing? I believe in the Constitution."

Sawyer wondered whether a transgender individual affiliating with the Republican Party might be "an unsettling thing" for conservative Republicans, but Jenner told her neither party "has a monopoly on understanding." Sawyer asked Jenner whether he would ask Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) or House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to "help champion this cause."

"I would do that, yeah, in a heartbeat," Jenner said. "Why not? And I think they'd be very receptive to it."

Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director Gregory T. Angelo issued a statement of support for Jenner following the special, applauding Jenner for "being true to himself":

As the nation's only organization representing LGBT conservatives and straight allies, Log Cabin Republicans congratulates Bruce Jenner in the tremendous courage he demonstrated tonight, being true to himself both in terms of his personal identity as well as his political identity. There is a home for you in Log Cabin Republicans -- as there is for all lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender conservatives and straight allies.

Note: Though Jenner has come out as “for all intents and purposes a woman,” he has not yet indicated that he would like to be known by a new name or female pronouns, so this story uses male pronouns.

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