Arts & Entertainment
Caitlyn Jenner wouldn’t vote for Trump again, says she can ‘handle’ Pence
The transgender activist is still standing by her Republican views
Caitlyn Jenner (Screenshot via YouTube)
Caitlyn Jenner thinks President Donald Trump “has been, for all LGBT issues, the worst president we have ever had.”
In a profile for Broadly, Jenner regrets supporting Trump in the 2016 election.
“I want him to know, politically I am disappointed, obviously. I don’t want our community to go backward,” the former Olympian says. “Just leave us alone; that’s all we want. Then maybe later down the line we can get somebody a little better.”
As for Vice President Mike Pence, she says she can “handle” the notoriously anti-gay politician.
“He did some really anti-LGBT community stuff,” Jenner says of Pence. “I know that. He’s also very Christian. He’s kinda like, from our standpoint, the real enemy. But that’s OK, I can handle that.”
Jenner says she told Pence she “pretty much vote[s] Republican. But I’m also trans. And I said, ‘I would love to share that conversation with you.’ And he looked me right in the eye and said, ‘You know what, I would love to do that.’”
For the next election, Jenner explains she would base her vote on the candidate not on their political party.
“I don’t know who in the Democratic Party… I would look at it. I don’t vote parties. I vote the person,” Jenner says.
However, she isn’t giving up her Republican views just yet.
“I think it’s good that I’m on the Republican side because the Republicans know that, and I have an immediate in with them to change their minds,” Jenner says. “The Republicans need the most work when it comes to our issues, I get that. I would rather work from the inside. I’m not the type of person who is going to stand on a street corner with a sign and jump up and down. No, I’m going to go have dinner with these people.”
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Television loses a legend, longtime ‘Will & Grace’ director James Burrows
Iconic hitmaker leaves behind a legacy of telling LGBTQ stories
You don’t have to be a pretentious film major to name 10 movie directors. But naming television directors is not that simple. They’re the unsung heroes of your favorite shows, and the late James Burrows was the television director. He passed on June 19, but his DNA runs through television history.
He directed over 1200 episodes of television and over 50 pilots. He co-created “Cheers” and directed many episodes of long-running series like “Friends,” “Taxi,” “Frasier,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “Two and a Half Men.” You also may remember him from playing a heightened version of himself on the Lisa Kudrow comedy “The Comeback.”
He has left an indelible mark on the LGBTQ community. As recently as last year, he directed the series run of “Mid-Century Modern” starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Linda Lavin. He was also a longtime director of “Will & Grace” and directed every episode of the series revival. He even directed the unaired “Absolutely Fabulous” pilot with Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Johnston, and Zosia Mamet.
Not to mention he’s worked with queer icons throughout history, including Betty White and Stockard Channing on their single-season series, and Jennifer Coolidge in “2 Broke Girls.”
He started his career on shows like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Rhoda,” “Laverne & Shirley,” and the first four seasons of “Taxi.”
He continued to work steadily and directed successful pilots that went to series for “Roc,” “3rd Rock From the Sun,” “Dharma & Greg,” and “Wings.” He directed multiple episodes of “Friends,” “Caroline in the City,” and “Frasier.”
This magic continued into the 2000s with him directing the pilots for “Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and multiple episodes of “Mike & Molly,” and the entire return series of “Will & Grace.”
What was the secret to his success? He’d enact the “fun clause” in his contract. In his words, “Life is too short to deal with obnoxious leads,” he shared. “So as long as the writing is good and the cast is fun, I’m going to enjoy the experience.”
He had the magic touch, having multiple pilots turned into long-running series. He was nominated for an Emmy 24 times in 26 years and worked consistently until a year before his death.
The secret was the way he brought the cast together. He describes, “it was my job to mold them into an ensemble, and they did round into a group of people who loved each other.”
This earned him 11 Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards, including being awarded the inaugural DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Television Direction.
In a 2003 interview by the Television Academy, he was asked how he wants to be remembered, and he said, “That every night forever you can tune in somewhere, and there’ll be a show I did.”
He’s survived by his wife, Debbie, four daughters, seven grandchildren, and the countless people whose careers he launched and the countless viewers he inspired with his television legacy.
Photos
PHOTOS: Capital Pride Festival and Concert
Annual LGBTQ celebration held on Pennsylvania Ave.
The 2026 Capital Pride Festival was held on Pennsylvania Ave. on Sunday, June 21.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key and Landon Shackelford)
The 2026 Capital Pride Parade was held in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 20.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key, Robert Rapanut and Landon Shackelford)
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