Just hours after landing in Israel for her first-ever visit, Caitlyn Jenner held a press conference Wednesday evening with local media, ahead of her appearance as guest of honor at Tel Aviv’s annual Pride Parade on Friday.
Jenner, 75, was invited as part of Israel’s Pride Month celebrations and is among the most high-profile transgender figures in the world. “I was in Israel years ago, and I had such a wonderful time. And I met the nicest, friendliest people I think in any country I've ever been to in my life,” she told reporters. “Everybody had a smile on their face. Everybody was having a good time. And I thought someday I would really like to come back."
Caitlyn Jenner's press conference
Speaking about Tel Aviv’s status as a major hub for LGBTQ+ tourism, Jenner said she is often met with surprise when she tells people the city hosts one of the world’s largest pride parades. “People say, ‘What? Tel Aviv? You’re kidding!’ And I say, ‘No — Israelis are very friendly, very pro-LGBTQ+. Nobody knows that,’” she said. “To be honest, I think you have a marketing problem. Maybe I can help you promote it a bit.”
Jenner added that part of her mission in coming to Israel is to bring “a little bit of light in my own small way,” adding, “Each of us can do something small to change the way others see Israel.”
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While Jenner remains a polarizing figure in the U.S., she has drawn support in Israel, especially following her public solidarity with the country after the Hamas-led October 7 attack.
A former Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon at the 1976 Montreal Games, Jenner came out as transgender in a 2015 interview with Diane Sawyer, revealing she had experienced gender dysphoria since childhood.
After retiring from sports, she became a prominent media personality and part of the Kardashian reality television dynasty. She was married to Kris Jenner and helped raise Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, and is the biological father of Kendall and Kylie Jenner.