Caitlyn Jenner says she has ‘changed her thinking in a lot of ways’

Caitlyn Jenner said she has “changed her thinking in a lot of ways” as she reflected on how her politics has evolved as she marked five years since she came out as trans.

The former Olympic athlete and longtime Republican told People magazine she now identifies as “economically conservative, socially progressive” and added: “We need equality for all, regardless of who’s in the White House.”

Looking back over the past five years, she said: “This is my journey. Yes, it is different than other trans people. I get it. But the bottom line is this: When I wake up in the morning, I’m happy with myself.”

The reality star came out as trans at the age of 65 and said she finally felt seen as a woman when she held her driver’s licence photo in July 2015.

She said: “It was so emotional. There I was. Caitlyn Marie Jenner. But then, I wondered, did Bruce deserve to be thrown away like this? He did a lot of good things. He raised 10 kids. But I wasn’t turning around.

“Bruce did just about everything he can do. He raised 10 kids. Now what does Caitlyn do?

“I thought, what a great opportunity to change the world’s thinking; 51% of trans people attempt suicide. The murder rate — we’ve been losing one trans woman of colour every two weeks.”

However, she said her conservative political views did not match those of many in the LGBTQ community and she was uninvited to fundraisers she had donated to.

She said: “They said I’m ‘too controversial’. And that hurt. I think I had been wearing rose-coloured glasses. I thought I could change the world. Now I know I can only try and change one person at a time.”