The irony could not have been greater. On the International Day of Transgender Visibility Fox News announced they had hired Caitlyn Jenner as a contributor.
Jenner, a trans woman who ran an unsuccessful campaign for California governor in 2021, will offer commentary and analysis on various Fox News channels. Her first appearance took place on the network’s flagship show, “Hannity.”
“Caitlyn's story is an inspiration to us all,” said Suzanne Scott, Fox News Media CEO. “She is a trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community and her illustrious career spans a variety of fields that will be a tremendous asset for our audience.”
Jenner said in a statement she was “humbled by this unique opportunity” to speak directly to Fox's audience.
Jenner’s first claim to fame was when she was an athlete and won the men's decathlon event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
These days though Jenner is most known for being a reality TV personality. She describes herself as “economically conservative, socially progressive” in a People magazine interview in 2020.
But her recent positions on LGBT rights, especially trans issues, have called into question how socially progressive she really is.
Jenner has a rocky relationship with the LGBT community. She vocally supported former President Donald Trump’s campaign in 2016. However, when Trump made the decision to reverse trans access to public school bathrooms, and banned trans people from serving in the U.S. military, she criticized him for it.
But she’s also previously come out against trans women in sports saying to Fox News earlier this year, “All of this woke world that we are living in right now is not working. We need to protect women’s sports.”
It’s not the first time she’s spoken out against trans athletes either.
"That's why I oppose biological boys who are trans competing in girls' sports in school," Jenner said in a video obtained by TMZ shortly after she announced her campaign for governor in 2021. "It just isn't fair. And we have to protect girls' sports in our schools."
In her first appearance as a paid contributor she told Sean Hannity, “As you know, I am trans but I’m not a trans activist. That’s just one part of my life. There’s so much more to me. But I think in the [...] midterms coming up, LGBT issues are going to be very big issues, and I’m looking forward to covering those. But there’s so much more to me than that, obviously.”
Hannity asked her about the “Don’t Say Gay” bill Gov. Ron DeSantis in Florida recently signed into law and whether she thought it was a good idea or bad idea.
She said she was “all for parental rights” while noting she had 10 children and 20 grandchildren.
