First Lady Otter's Facebook post upsets LGBT community

(KMVT)
Published: Mar. 17, 2017 at 10:02 PM MDT
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Some are angry after First Lady Lori Otter shared a meme on her private Facebook page that poked fun at Caitlyn Jenner's transition.

Mrs. Otter has since apologized for sharing the meme, and she had it deleted from her page within 24 hours, but that was still plenty of time to strike a chord in some.

The meme reads “What can happen if you eat Wheaties for 38 years.”

Underneath, it shows two pictures. On the left, a Wheaties box with Caitlyn Jenner, back when she identified as Bruce, taking gold at the 1976 Olympics.

On the right, a newer Wheaties box with present-day Jenner, and a graphic next to her that reads, “Contains no nuts.”

It makes fun of Jenner's transition, an experience Magic Valley Pride says is a very personal one.

"The transgender and LGBT community feels, when they see these posts, is it's a personal attack,” said Brandon Scott Tsch with Magic Valley Pride, “and especially when it comes from a public figure, that's huge, because it means in the state which you live, and you pay to, and you give everything to is not supporting who you are as a person."

KMVT reached out to her office for comment, and they responded in an email saying:

“She meant no harm by her Facebook post and the moment that some individuals indicated they were offended by her post, she removed it from her profile and has since apologized on her Facebook page.”

Tsch said he appreciated the first lady's apology, but he wishes there were more to it.

"Those are the reasons we have such high suicide rates when it comes to the LGBT community,” he said, “because even our political figures aren't being supportive, or aren't even just being tolerant, of who we are as people."