Gay Republican Group Celebrates Caitlyn Jenner at L.A.'s Pride Festivities: See the Pics!

Organization paid tribute to reality star's Vanity Fair cover

By Marc Malkin Jun 15, 2015 6:04 PMTags
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It certainly wasn't as exciting as seeing Channing Tatum and Matt Bomer at L.A.'s Gay Pride parade yesterday, but Caitlyn Jenner made an appearance, too.

Sorta.

Log Cabin Republicans of Los Angeles, a local chapter of the nationwide LGBT republican organization, set up a photo opportunity with a blowup of Jenner's Vanity Fair cover at the weekend-long festival in West Hollywood Park. Participants were asked to fill in a "Call Me…" sign in tribute to the mag's headline, "Call Me Caitlyn."

One woman wrote "Call Me Beautiful" while another wrote "Call Me Princess." One young man wrote, "Call Me Republican."

A drag queen was also on hand.

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After Jenner said during her Diane Sawyer interview that she was Republican, the Log Cabin tweeted, "Welcome to the world @Caitlyn_Jenner! Log Cabin Republicans congratulates you for being true to yourself in all ways! #BigTent."

No surprise, but not all Republicans are embracing

South Carolina senator and 2016 GOP presidential candidate Lindsey Graham voiced support for the E! reality star last week on CNN's State of the Union.

"If Caitlyn Jenner wants to be a Republican, she is welcome in my party," he said.

Jenner hasn't revealed if she will get involved with next year's White House race.

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"I haven't walked into her shoes," Graham also told CNN. "I don't have all the answers to the mysteries of life. I can only imagine the torment that Bruce Jenner went through. I hope he's f- I hope she has found peace."

Fellow Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum commented on Jenner's transition last month. "My responsibility as a human being is to love and accept," he said. "Not to criticize people for who they are."

Republican Mike Hukabee, who is also making a run for president, hasn't comment recently, but it was revealed last week that he called transgender people a "threat" during a speech at the 2015 National religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville and joked during his remarks, "Now I wish that someone told me that when I was in high school that I could have felt like a woman when it came time to take showers in PE."

Longtime GOP strategist Ed Rollins has said Republicans should do their best not to engage in the issue. "My advice: Stay the hell away from it," he said in an interview with the Washington Post. "You can wish him or her well, but if you're not careful, you can end up insulting a large portion of the population. Huckabee's humor, for example, wasn't seen as funny."

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