Caitlyn Jenner, a biological man who was formerly known as Bruce Jenner, has come out against the notion of letting biological men compete on women’s athletic teams simply because they claim to be “transgender,” according to the Daily Caller.
Jenner, a former Olympic athlete and reality TV star who is now running for Governor of California as a Republican, described it as “a question of fairness” in an interview with TMZ.
“I oppose biological boys who are trans competing in girls sports at school,” Jenner continued. “It just isn’t fair, and we have to protect girls sports in our schools.” In a follow-up tweet, Jenner doubled down on those statements, saying that “I didn’t expect to get asked this on my Saturday morning coffee run, but I’m clear about where I stand. It’s an issue of fairness and we need to protect girls’ sports in our schools.”
The statements could be seen as Jenner’s attempts to appeal to conservative voters who may otherwise be repelled off by his “transgender” identity. Conservatives across the country have been passing various bills in many states that ban biological males from competing in women’s sports under the guise of “transgenderism,” including Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas; the latter’s state legislature even banned gender-altering surgical procedures for minors, after overriding Governor Asa Hutchinson’s (R-Ark.) veto of the initial bill.
Jenner, who identifies as a Republican and voted for President Donald Trump in 2016, is running in the gubernatorial recall election to replace incumbent Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.). Alongside Jenner, other Republican candidates include former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, businessman John Cox, and former Congressman Doug Ose. Also considering bids for governor are former Ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell and actor Randy Quaid.