Caitlyn Jenner has caused inordinate amounts of controversy in the one year of her existence. Since the “Call Me Caitlyn” issue of Vanity Fair came out in Jul. 2015, Jenner has been under intense media scrutiny. People within and outside the transgender community have touted her as everything from a hero to a coward to an inspiration to an immensely privileged individual who will never be able to comprehend the true struggle of transgenders. In the aftermath of her coming out, she has been in a documentary and a television series, all while contributing, in many ways, to better the lives of the transgender community in California, even as her every move is analyzed and picked apart by the general public.Most recently, Jenner has been involved in intense political controversy. In an interview, she stated that she “liked” Ted Cruz, and that, if he were to be elected, she could be his “trans ambassador.” Ted Cruz, still in the race for President of the United States, is notorious for his anti-LGBTQ, traditional constitutionalist and Christian values. Jenner’s (apparent) endorsement of him has caused a huge backlash. Some LGBT activists have opined that it is natural for Caitlyn to have retained Bruce Jenner’s political values, and that Caitlyn’s stance could perhaps give the transgender community more access to the Republicans. These activists were accepting of political diversity within the transgender community, heralding it as a factor of an ever-growing community. Others reacted with ridicule or shock. Most, however, felt betrayed that someone whom they expected to use their fame and privilege to work towards the betterment of the transgender community would endorse a candidate who is easily the most notorious for his strict anti-LGBT, Christian values. Janetta Johnson, a trans woman working with TGI Justice, asserted that she wanted to see Jenner do something for the community. “Jenner’s a rich white bitch – she can pay for everything she needs,” she said in an interview with The Guardian, “but I think she now needs to put some of that money back into the transgender community as she has taken a lot. All these years we have been abused and battered, yet she has used none of her power to help the community and bring about change.” Others were upset at her lack of knowledge of how things actually work in the lives of ordinary transgender people, saying that Jenner’s immense wealth and social privilege would give her immunity to Cruz’s harshest policies and that she would not stand to lose anything even with Cruz in power, unlike the common transgender individual. There is definitely widespread anger towards Jenner’s statements, who seems to be representing one thing and doing another, but is she really a hypocrite?There is no doubt that Jenner’s statements are, to say the least, puzzling. It is hard to wrap your head around the fact that somebody who is thought of as one of the most prominent transgender people in the US (and possibly the world) would publicly endorse a presidential candidate who, as Jenner herself admits, is “one of the worst when it comes to trans rights.” People may be right in regarding her as a rich, white, privileged person who is out of touch with the reality of transgender people. They may also be right in thinking she is misinformed, or simply that she is an idiot. But asking her to take her opinion back denies her of her right to prioritize what she wants to see happen in the country. In response to the backlash that she has been getting, Jenner said while speaking at the Television Critics Association, “Yes, there’s criticism out there. I’m not a spokesperson for [the trans] community – I am not. The media puts me in that position. I am only a spokesperson for me and my story. I have so much to learn about trans issues and womanhood.” Caitlyn Jenner the transgender person may be making the wrong political move, but what about Caitlyn Jenner the Republican?The situation brings to mind something that Mindy Kaling wrote about being an Indian minority in Hollywood:"My role is not just artist. It’s also activist because of the way I look. On so many shows and movies, race was a gesture, and in mine it’s the premise ... I want to fill my desire to write vibrant, flawed characters, but then also be a role model to young people. It’s stuff that I think about all the time." Mindy is Indian American, but Mindy is also many other things. She is also a woman. She is an actress, a writer and a comedian. To be representative of Indian, as a whole, in everything she ever does, to have to consider the Indian American community in every aspect of her life, is an unfair burden. Although written in the context of race relations in Hollywood, her little piece seemed to summarize how we think of Caitlyn Jenner. No, Hollywood is absolutely not the same as presidential elections. Yes, Jenner and Kaling are talking about two issues on completely different scales. Nevertheless the burden on Kaling, the constant pressure to act on one aspect of her identity, is the same as the one on Jenner. Jenner is many more things than just a transgender person – yes, it is the aspect of her that is most famous and arguably, one that she has commercialized to the largest extent, but that doesn’t invalidate the existence of all the other aspects of Caitlyn Jenner that make her an individual. Only a few days back, Jenner clarified her statements in an interview with E! Online. “I never said that I endorsed Ted Cruz. I said I like him. He is a constitutionalist and I think we have to get our country back to something like that. Out of all the candidates, I also feel that as far as the LGBT community, he would probably be the worst and need the most help…… [I like him] because of his views to fix the country, not his views on trans issues." A lot of people are relieved at this turn of events. My private opinion may be that she is delusional, or misinformed, or both, but my opinion doesn’t invalidate hers. Jenner has indeed been vocal about her transition and has thus far taken on responsibility for a lot of transgender issues (perhaps in her own problematic way), but she has not outright assumed the role of the spokesperson of the entire transgender community. She is simply an individual with the resources to have benefitted from making her transition public, but she is more than just Caitlyn Jenner the transgender person. We may think that the things she does are shocking, delusional and misinformed, but there is nothing in the world stopping her from being all of those things if that is who she wants to be. This article was written by Shreya Shreerman. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Flickr