"It was easy to come out as trans. It was hard to come out as Republican," said Caitlyn Jenner at a Republican National Convention outside of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Wednesday morning.
She was mostly-joking, but had a point: Other than Donald Trump, himself, she was the most famous celebrity to touch down on Cleveland during the Republican National Convention. (And she wasn't actually speaking on the convention floor.)
Attendees at the event, which was put together by conservative group American Unity Fund and featured remarks from TV host Montel Williams, cheered for Jenner.
"Thank you, thank you, but they already nominated Donald last night," she said. "But I can make a difference."
Jenner spoke with American Unity Fund President Margaret Hoover on stage at the so-called Big Tent Brunch, and answered questions about whether she's a "real Republican."
The short answer: yes. The longer story: Though President Obama's administration has made strides for the trans community, Jenner's political views have much to do with the fact that her father served in the military, "and if my dad knew what was going on in this country when he fought so hard, I think he'd be very disappointed." She continued: "Because of that, I feel like our best hope to get back to a constitutional government... is a Republican Party... I'm not giving up on this country. I'm not giving up on this constitution. I want jobs for everybody."
But Jenner showed that her Republican views don't interfere with her social activism. She spoke about the absurdity of North Carolina's bathroom laws ("I haven't used a men's room in a year and a half. I follow the rules. I never flush a feminine product down the toilet."), about how she came out to her kids ("God said, 'Let's give this one the soul of a female and see how he does.'") and explained that she wants more conservatives to change the way they think about LGBTQ issues. "I think the Republican Party needs to understand. They need to know people who are trans."
If Jenner could tell the official Republican nominee one thing, "I would tell Donald that there are people out there that have been marginalized for so many years... It's about the next generation coming up. We have to provide a safe environment for them."
