Hillary Clinton & More: What The 2016 Presidential Candidates Think Of Caitlyn Jenner

When it comes to Caitlyn Jenner, the 2016 Presidential Candidates seem to all have their very own opinions. While Hillary Clinton has been nothing but supportive, other candidates, such as Mike Huckabee, have been incredibly insensitive.

Caitlyn Jenner, 65, broke the mold when she made her debut on the cover of Vanity Fair‘s July 2015 issue. Even though she’s received an overwhelmingly warm and accepting response from millions of people all over the world, the general consensus about transgender people seems to still be a debate among the 2016 Presidential hopefuls.

Hillary Clinton Supports The LGBT Community

Although everyone’s  favorite presidential hopeful has yet to address Caitlyn’s reveal, she is no stranger to the world of transgender people. Let us not forget that when she was in power as the Secretary of State, Hillary made it possible for transgender people to update their sex on their United States passports. “It was part of the overall effort to try to treat people with dignity and equality. I had the opportunity through executive action to recognize that there were barriers and vestiges to discrimination that had no place in a modern American workplace, and so I acted.”

Mike Huckabee Responds To Caitlyn Jenner’s Reveal

“Not going there,” the former Baptist minister said on Tuesday, June 2, when asked about his thoughts on Caitlyn’s incredible coming out. Earlier this year, the Republican candidate made a joke out of the transgender community when he told a room full of people he wished he could have used feeling “like a woman” as an excuse to shower with girls in high school. Gross.

Marco Rubio’s Vague Stance On LGBT Lifestyles

Unfortunately, not everyone has been so straight forward when it comes to addressing major LGBT such as Caitlyn’s magazine cover. For instance, Marco Rubio recently revealed that he did not support any “special protection” for children who were gay, straight, lesbian, or transgender.

Bernie Sanders Continues To Fight For Equality

Surprisingly, 73-year-old Bernie Sanders is incredibly gay friendly, and a huge advocate for human rights. “Every Republican candidate for president is against gay marriage. I have supported same-sex marriage from the beginning and voted against Clinton’s Defense of Marriage Act. You can’t claim to support equality and not support equal rights,” the senator wrote on Twitter. Bravo, Mr. Sanders!

Ted Cruz Continues To Be Anti-LGBT

Even though he is yet another candidate who has not directly addressed Caitlyn Jenner’s new identity, Ted Cruz has repeatedly made it very clear that he does not support the LGBT community. “When a mayor of a city chooses twice to march in a parade celebrating gay pride, that’s a statement — and it’s not a statement I agree with,” Ted said back in 2012, slamming Republican Tom Leppert for marching in Dallas’ gay pride parade.

Rand Paul Is On The Fence About LGBT Rights

Rand Paul is someone who has publicly stated that he has a “zero tolerance” for discrimination. Unfortunately, his voting history tells a different story. According to the HRC, Rand voted against the ENDA, which was created to protect the LGBT community from workplace discrimination. It sounds like he still has to make up his mind on this topic, doesn’t it?

Lindsey Graham Opposes Gay Marriage

Another candidate who is still seems to be on the fence is Lindsey Graham. Although he is strongly against gay marriage, he did vote in favor of the ENDA. He has yet to address his views specifically on the transgender community and/or Caitlyn Jenner.

Rick Santorum Wants To ‘Love And Accept’ Everybody

The confusion continues with Rick Santorum, who once stated in an interview with BuzzFeed that it was his “responsibility” as a “human being” to “love and accept everybody.” The sentiment is incredible to hear, especially from a 2016 Presidential Candidate, but he is another politician whose voting history reflects the opposite of his verbal views.

George Pataki Supports Gay Marriage

This candidate happens to support gay marriage, even as a Republican, but when it comes to campaigning he is not interested in getting into what’s right and what’s wrong. For George, that’s nothing but a “distraction.” The candidate said, “Defeating Islamic terrorists, shrinking government, growing the economy — these are the issues that matter most.”

Martin O’Malley Is All For LGBT Equality

When it comes to LGBT rights — or, in this case, the rights of transgender people alone — Martin O’Malley might be the frontrunner for equality. The democrat proudly supports gay marriage, equal rights, and even helped Maryland pick up a law banning the discrimination of transgender people. He is definitely Team Caitlyn!

Carly Fiorina Has The Worst Views

This Republican is a complete and total lost cause when it comes to equal rights for the LGBT community. She supported Prop 8, helping ban gay marriage in the state of California, and was very much against ENDA which was meant to help protect the LGBT community from discrimination. Ugh.

Ben Carson Probably Hates Gay People

Unfortunately, Ben Carson may also be a lost cause in the fight for equal rights. The Republican candidate has willfully been the keynote speaker at not one but multiple anti-gay events, and believes being gay is a choice because “because a lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight — and when they come out, they’re gay.” Yes, he really said that.

What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers — Which presidential candidate has the best views on equal rights for the LGBT community? Who are you planning on voting for? Comment below!

— Lauren Cox
Follow @Iaurencox