Caitlyn Jenner received some strong life lessons while attending a dinner hosted by Katy Perry.
Jenner was one of many guests who came to the dinner on Sunday, which was live streamed on Perry’s YouTube page. The guest list included prominent figures from a variety of backgrounds, including Margaret Cho, Van Jones, Sally Kohn, Anna Navarro, Yung Skeeter, and Amanda Seales. As the discussion turned to the state of America today, Seales called out Jenner for not wanting to discuss racism as an ongoing problem and spoke about the transgender reality star’s white privilege.
“It’s an insult to me that you’re not listening to what I’m saying,” Seales explained to Jenner. “If this is a conversation about having conversations, then we have to be listening to each other.”
Seales went on to discuss how Jenner has had a vastly different experience in America than she has, as a black woman. After all, Jenner lived the first 65 years of her life presenting as a white male.
“The reason I am so passionate ? and I’m not hostile, I’m passionate ? is because I’ve had such a different experience in this country than you,” Seales said. “Because as a black woman, the government is so much in my life, and it always has been… I think there’s a lot to understand for why people are talking the way they talk about different things. I understand why you’re talking the way you’re talking.”
Meanwhile, Jenner was struggling to understand exactly what Seales was arguing, plainly saying, “I just said I believe in this country.”
“Yes. You can say that in a way that I cannot,” Seales quickly replied. “Because you’ve had a different experience. Because this country is here for you. This country ain’t here for me in the same way, sis.”
Seales also pointed out that the transgender community hasn’t been accepted in America until very recently.
“You as a trans person have to also identify the fact that this country hasn’t been here for trans until like, maybe 2 o’ clock today!” she quipped.
@Twitter confused as to why this conversation is being considered “sensitive material” ? pic.twitter.com/9VXhzlPygo
— Amanda Seales ???? (@amandaseales) June 12, 2017
Jenner has been a Republican all her life, even after coming out and transitioning. This has led to some criticism from Democrats, considering the GOP has been less friendly to LGBT rights overall.
Last year she came out against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on her E! reality show, I Am Cait , saying she would never vote for her and even expressing that the country would be “done” if she became president. Many of her friends, who were also transgender, were mortified when Jenner said she preferred Donald Trump, and even more so when she started attacking Clinton’s career.
Seales is a vocal media personality, frequently seen on the #StopProfiling commercials about cigarette companies targeting black communities and low-income neighborhoods over other communities. She also has her own pop culture show on tru TV called Greatest Ever , and has a supporting role on the HBO series Insecure. She has taken the positive buzz over her talk with Jenner and urged others to call out injustices and speak truth to power, writing an Instagram post about making her mother proud.
Meanwhile, Jenner has not spoken out about her discussion with Seales at Perry’s dinner.
[Featured Image by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP Images]