Caitlyn Jenner is doing her part to add a high-profile voice to the transgender community.
In fact, in her interview with Vanity Fair contributing editor Buzz Bissinger, the 65-year-old star reveals the ways in which she's reached out to LBGT fans, particularly transgender men and women, as she continues her mission to make the world a more accepting place.
(With the release of her Vanity Fair cover on June 1, Caitlyn has chosen to publicly identify as a woman and E! News will refer to her using female pronouns. In stories published prior to this date, Caitlyn was referred to as Bruce and male pronouns were used.)
"Honestly, since the Diane Sawyer piece, every day it's like, it's exciting to go to the mailbox..." Jenner says, referring to the special interview in which she confirmed her transition into a woman. "Because I get letters every day from all of these people from all over the world. I've gotten a lot from trans women, and telling their story and telling how excited they were to see the Diane piece. And so for non-trans people, just regular people who watched the [Olympic] games and now they see this, they're just so proud of you.
"But I so appreciate those things. I mean, I read every one of them, a lot of them I answer," she continues, before revealing, "In fact, the other night I got a letter from a trans woman in New York and she had so many interesting things to say, but at the end she left her telephone number, so I called her."
Her reaction?
"I think she was very surprised I called," Jenner admits. "So I called her because for me, I am, I don't, I'm new to this community."
Bissinger then notes, "You're much nicer as Caitlyn than you were as Bruce"—a sentiment Caitlyn's children have already expressed and the Olympian wholeheartedly agrees with.
"Bruce never would have called her; but anyway, Caitlyn calls..." he says, "And so I thought I need to learn about the people, O.K., and here's this lady living in New York state, she actually works in an operating room, transitioned 15 years ago, doing very well in her life, but obviously went through hell to get there, and I want to know these stories so I can—I have a platform that's so large, how can I use that to make this better? And the only way I could do that is to talk to people."
So, how long did the two chat?
"Probably close to 45 minutes, we talked forever," she reveals. "Actually I think I woke her up, because it was East Coast, it was three hours later. I think she was sleeping, and then I woke her up and she kind of was a little groggy, and I told her it was me and I got your letter, and I'd love to talk to you; and boy, she woke right up, and we talked for 45 minutes and she was so interesting."