Rick Santorum, who has become known over the years for his conservative views on homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and other social issues, says he believes Bruce Jenner deserves respect, and he believes Jenner's belief about being a woman.
"If he says he's a woman, then he's a woman," the former Pennsylvania Republican senator
told BuzzFeed during a roundtable discussion during the South Carolina Republican Party convention on Saturday.
Santorum said he will criticize people for their behavior, but not about who they are personally.
"My responsibility as a human being is to love and accept everybody, not to criticize people for who they are," Santorum said. "As far as for who they are, you have to respect everybody, and these are obviously complex issues for businesses, for society, and I think we have to look at it in a way that is compassionate and respectful of everybody.”
Jenner came out publicly last weekend about living his future life as a transgender woman. At that time, the former Olympic gold medalist who got a second shot of fame as the stepfather of reality show star Kim Kardashian and her sisters said he had considered himself a female for years before his public interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer.
But Santorum said there are still "tough issues" when it comes to Jenner, after a reporter asked about whether he thinks Jenner should be able to use women's public restrooms.
"I haven’t got into the whole issue, and I don’t think the federal government should get into the whole issue of bathrooms,” Santorum said. "I think those are things that the business community and local agencies and organizations should deal with.”
Santorum through the years has become well-known for his views on LGBT issues, including saying just last month that unlike Florida Sen. Marco Rubio,
he would not attend a same-sex marriage.
"I would love and support them, but I would not participate in that ceremony," Santorum, a staunch Catholic, told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, noting that attending such a wedding would go against his religious beliefs.
His view on the issue was a bit more brash back in 2003, notes BuzzFeed, when Santorum remarked on the issue that "in every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That’s not to pick on homosexuality. It’s not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be."