Santorum Waffles On Jenner Comments

"Many of you may have read a story published by the website BuzzFeed where I was asked for my thoughts regarding Bruce Jenner. My comment affirmed Jenner as a person, made by God in His likeness as we all are. It was meant to express empathy not a change in public policy. ‪#‎compassion‬." - Rick Santorum, posting this afternoon to his Facebook page. Catholic blogger Lisa Grass today reports that Santorum said this her today by email: "I am not going argue with him [Bruce Jenner] as to whether he is a man or a woman. He is obviously biologically male and that cannot change. I meant only to be kind to people who are obviously very troubled." The original Buzzfeed quote has generated the predictable outcry across Teabagistan.

Rick Santorum: Bruce Jenner Is A Woman

"If he says he’s a woman, then he’s a woman. 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. 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. so these are tough issues. I haven’t got into the whole issue, and I don’t think the federal government should get into the whole issue of bathrooms. I think those are things that the business community and local agencies and organizations should deal with." - Rick Santorum, speaking today at South Carolina's GOP convention.

Laverne Cox On Bruce Jenner

Emmy-winning actress Laverne Cox attended the White House Correspondents Dinner last night as the guest of the Washington Blade, where she was interviewed about Bruce Jenner by MSNBC's Janet Mock.

"I spoke to Bruce today, and they were really pleased with the way things went last night," said Cox, referring to Jenner and Diane Sawyer's ABC News exclusive interview. "I think a lot of people tuned in expecting to see a spectacle, and they tuned in and saw a profoundly nuanced, complicated, beautiful human being," said the Orange Is the New Black star. "I thought ABC handled it really beautifully...I had spoken to Bruce several months back, and the same person I had spoken to on the phone, who really just loves their children so much and wants their family to be happy, was the person I saw on television last night."

Bruce Jenner: I'm A Woman

Via ABC News:

Bruce Jenner was once hailed as the greatest athlete in the world and later became a reality television star with one of the world’s most famous families. Now, the former Olympian is revealing a secret that has caused him turmoil for decades. “For all intents and purposes, I’m a woman,” Jenner told ABC’s Diane Sawyer in an exclusive interview that aired Friday in a special two-hour edition of ABC News’ “20/20.” “People look at me differently. They see you as this macho male, but my heart and my soul and everything that I do in life -- it is part of me,” Jenner, 65, said. “That female side is part of me. That’s who I am.”

In hours of interviews with Sawyer in New York and California, Jenner detailed his internal struggles with being transgender, which he said he has wrestled with since childhood. During the interview, Jenner referred to himself using male pronouns and ABC News has chosen to follow his lead, though he also referred to himself as “Bruce” and “her.” “I look at it this way—Bruce always telling a lie. He’s lived a lie his whole life about who he is. And I can’t do that any longer,” Jenner said. “My brain is much more female than it is male,” he added. “It’s hard for people to understand that, but that’s what my soul is.”

During the interview Jenner revealed having cross-dressed since early childhood, but said that there had been no attraction to other boys. Quoting a researcher, Diana Sawyer said, "Sexuality orientation is who you go to bed with. Gender identity is who you go to bed as." Jenner: "It's apples and oranges." More on that:

Jenner tells ABC that when it comes to attraction, “No, I’m not gay. I am not gay. I am, as far as I know -- heterosexual.” “I’ve never been with a guy -- I’ve always been married, raising kids, doing all that kind of stuff.” Jenner adds. "There’s two different things here. Sexuality is who you personally are attracted to—who turns you on— male or female. But gender identity has to do with who you are as a person and your soul, and who you identify with inside, okay?"

Overall, the show was thoughtful, revealing, and both sad and light-hearted, often in the same moment. Towards the end Jenner also came out as a conservative Republican who is no fan of President Obama, which surely exploded many heads across Teabagistan. Log Cabin immediately rushed out a press release:

As the nation’s only organization representing LGBT conservatives and straight allies, Log Cabin Republicans congratulates Bruce Jenner in the tremendous courage he demonstrated tonight, being true to himself both in terms of his personal identity as well as his political identity. There is a home for you in Log Cabin Republicans — as there is for all lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender conservatives and straight allies.

The weekend news cycle will doubtlessly be dominated by reactions and analysis of tonight's show (sorry about that NOM!) and I'll have more tomorrow.

TEASER: Bruce Jenner Speaks Out

CALIFORNIA: Bruce Jenner Involved In Fatal Car Crash, Walks Away Uninjured

Via TMZ:

Bruce Jenner was involved in a horrific car accident on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu at around noon Saturday and one person is dead, TMZ has learned. Law enforcement sources tell us there were three vehicles involved in the crash. We're told there were 8 people involved and all sustained some sort of injury but one person died at the scene. One law enforcement source said Bruce seems to be ok, but again, we're told the seven survivors sustained some injuries, ranging from minor to moderate. Several eyewitnesses say the accident was caused when Bruce rear ended the white car and that car then went into oncoming traffic and was struck by the Hummer. Eyewitnesses say the driver of the white car -- a female -- died.

Twitter's asshole brigade is in full force already. "Already driving like a woman" is one of least offensive memes.

UPDATE: TMZ is reporting that as many as five paparazzi may have been chasing Jenner.

Magazine Angers Trans Advocates With Photoshopped Image Of Bruce Jenner

InTouch has angered transgender advocates with a photoshopped cover image of Bruce Jenner.

BuzzFeed reports that the magazine appears to have superimposed Jenner’s face on that of British actress Stephanie Beacham, lipstick and all. Hollywood Life, an entertainment blog, also quotes an “insider” who claims that Jenner plans to come out as a transgender woman in a future issue of The Advocate. One problem: The Advocate editor says that’s not true. "I’m astounded that Bonnie Fuller’s Hollywood Life would claim to have ‘all the details’ on Bruce Jenner’s ‘big magazine plans’ because their story is a total fabrication — like InTouch’s distressing Photoshopped cover,” said Matthew Breen, editor in chief of The Advocate on the magazine’s website. Mara Kiesling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, told The Advocate on Wednesday the fact “that anybody is still trying to 'shock' people about transgender people is really sad.”

TMZ claims that Jenner's ex-wife is saying, "It's just mean to do whether or not it's true."

Headline Of The Day

A report filed by TMZ has again fired up speculation that reality star and Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner is beginning gender reassignment. Jenner says, "I just never liked my trachea."