Did Rick Santorum Just Defend Bruce Jenner’s Transgenderism?
If Bruce Jenner says he’s a woman does that make him a woman?
Our very own Dr. Michael Brown would tell you no. But former senator Rick Santorum, who is widely known for his conservative stand on cultural issues, begs to differ.
Jenner, a former Olympic decathlon champion and stepfather to the famed Kardashian kids, unveiled to the world that he is now a transgender woman in an interview with Diane Sawyer last month.
“If he says he’s a woman, then he’s a woman,” said Santorum, who has not yet declared a 2016 presidential run. Santorum was responding to a question from BuzzFeed news at a South Carolina Republican Party convention roundtable with reporters.
“My responsibility as a human being is to love and accept everybody—not to criticize people for who they are. I can criticize, and I do, for what people do, for their behavior,” he said. “But as far as for who they are, you have to respect everybody, and these are obviously complex issues for businesses, for society, and I think we have to look at it in a way that is compassionate and respectful of everybody.”
Santorum went on to call these issues “tough.” He admits he has not fully explored the issue and made clear that he doesn’t think the federal government should get into the whole issue of bathrooms.
Brown disagrees that Jenner is a woman. Brown sees someone in pain. Brown tweeted: “My heart goes out to Bruce Jenner, & when he says, ‘I am a woman,’ I hear him saying, ‘I am deeply confused & hurting.’ Let’s pray for him!”
