Caitlyn Jenner - one of the most high-profile names within the transgender community - has waded into a viral debate surrounding a Texas restaurant's controversial bathroom images featuring her pre and post-transition.

What's more, her reaction probably isn't what a lot of people were expecting.

Dodie's Place Cajun Bar & Grill in Allen, Texas, originally gained notoriety on social media back in 2017 when photos of its gendered bathrooms were uploaded online. The doors to these restrooms showcased an image of Caitlyn Jenner as a woman to designate the female bathroom and another image of her pre-transition to denote the men's restroom.

Trans activist Jess Herbst passionately responded to the photos, telling Chron.com: "There is an obvious lack of understanding of gender dysphoria by the owner of the restaurant. Imagine the most humiliating and embarrassing moment of your life. Remember how you felt inside, that gut-crushing, out of breath, verge of panic attack feeling.

"Now imagine posting a giant photo of that moment in a very public place. This is how the photos in his bathroom make transgender people feel."

However, Jenner herself seems to have a different take on the matter. Responding to a recent tweet that reignited the debate, Caitlyn Jenner shocked many by describing the viral bathroom images as "funny as hell."

Jenner described the gimmick as "funny as hell". Credit: X/CaitlynJenner

Social media erupted following Jenner's unexpected comment. While some applauded her for finding humor in the situation, others accused her of undermining the experiences of transgender individuals who find such depictions disrespectful and damaging.

"Your approval says everything. I love you so much," one fan responded, while another described Jenner's outlook as "a very healthy perspective".

However, one critic sharply replied: "Not funny at all."

Jenner certainly saw the funny side. Credit: Steve Granitz

The online debate underscores the deeply divided opinions on what constitutes humor, acceptance, and political correctness in today's society.

Back in 2017, in response to mounting criticism, Dodie's Place released a statement explaining their intention behind the bathroom images. The restaurant said it was a "lighthearted gesture to push back against the political correctness that seems to have a stranglehold on this country right now."

Their social media statement added: "We believe that political correctness has done more to silence rather than encourage important discussions that our society probably needs to have. Based on the mind-boggling feedback, both positive and negative, people are having that discussion."

Credit: Facebook/Dodie's Place

The restaurant also called for a more open dialogue, saying that labels like "transphobic, deviant, racist, homophobic bigot" only serve to divide us. "After all, we are all part of the same race - the human race," the statement noted. "Surely we can discuss this topic and many others without slapping hurtful labels on each other. Please know that we are here to discuss this and move forward as a community. Everyone is welcome here."

Despite Jenner's response, it's clear that the issue remains contentious, and the Olympian's response has only reignited a necessary discussion on the balance between humor and respect in representations of gender identity.

Featured image credit: Steve Granitz / Getty

Charlotte Clymer was enjoying a night out for her friend's bachelorette party when things took an awful turn.

With the drinks flowing, the music booming and everyone having a good time dancing, Charlotte, a trans woman, decided to use the bathroom at Cuba Libre, a restaurant in Washington DC. But she claimed that she was hounded by staff at Cuba Libre to present ID to use the bathroom, and when she refused, she was kicked out of the restaurant.

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In a Twitter thread, Clymer recounted her experience, saying that both an attendant and the restaurant manager singled her out, claiming there was an apparent law that required her to have 'female' on her ID in order to use the women's restroom. Clymer works for the Human Rights Campaign, so she knew this claim was a complete lie.

No other members of the bachelorette party were questioned in such a manner.

"I go into a stall to do my business, and I hear him walk in and search for me in this busy restroom full of women. He is doing everything but opening the stall doors. I ignore him, and after a few moments, he leaves. I do my business, wash my hands, and walk out.

On the other side of the door are the attendant and the manager, who says it's D.C. law that you must have 'female' on your ID to use the women's restroom. I tell him he's wrong and there's no chance I'm showing him my ID. There are people crammed into this hallway. It's busy."

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Despite showing the manager the law in DC that showed she was being discriminated against, Clymer says the man was skeptical, and eventually, this woman who was just enjoying a time out with her friends was asked to leave.

"He treated me like I was being irrational, glanced over the text and said 'that's incorrect'. He continued to refuse to show this imaginary law he was citing and threatened to call the cops. I told him he should absolutely call the cops. Please do. He then said I need to leave."

With Clymer's original tweet racking up over 9,000 retweets, it was only a matter of time before Cuba Libre caught wind of the incident that had occurred within their walls, and maybe only a matter of time before the restaurant issued a public apology for Charlotte Clymer's treatment that night.

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"We are extremely sorry for the incident that occurred at our restaurant last night. As a rule, we support safe bathrooms and welcome guests of all gender identifications. Clearly, our staff did not do so last night and treated you in an unacceptable manner. We are immediately re-training our entire staff to ensure this does not happen again."

While Clymer says she's heard personally from the owner of Cuba Libre, she's generally been unimpressed with their response so far. Recounting how upsetting the ordeal was for her, Clymer expressed her surprise and worry about her treatment in the American capital.

"It was really scary. I was caught off guard. I work on these issues all the time. I just felt naive. I can't imagine what folks who are LGBTQ go through in cities that don't have non-discrimination protections and folks who don't have privilege, who aren't white, that don't have a base of supporters to rally around them."

Charlotte Clymer says that the one thing she's learned from this situation is the need for more non-discrimination laws so everyone is protected from this kind of treatment.

Caitlyn Jenner landed herself in some hot water on Saturday night after she was confronted by a trans woman over her continued support of Donald Trump despite his seemingly "anti-trans" stance. The reality star, 67, was attending the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles when she was confronted by an angry Ashlee Marie Preston, who didn't hold back on her opinions of the former olympian. Ashlee, who is an trans activist and journalist, found it "ridiculous" that Caitlyn continues to support President Trump after he decided to ban trans people from serving in the American military. Confronting Caitlyn at the event, Preston says: "You're a f***ing fraud and a fake." In the video, which Preston uploaded onto her Facebook page, Jenner can be seen stood in the audience when Preston approaches the celebrity, who was formerly known as Bruce Jenner. As Jenner goes into to hug Preston, she begins her tirade against the start for what she sees as a wrongdoing to the trans community that she claims to represent. "You continue to support somebody that does everything with the military to erase our community," Preston says to Jenner. "It's really f***ed up that you continue to support him," she added. After remaining silent throughout the course of the confrontation, Caitlyn Jenner can then be heard asking: "Are you done?" However, that seems to only trigger Preston's anger further, as she retorts: "No I'm not done. I'm not done. It's f***ing ridiculous. You're a f***ing fraud," said Preston, as bystanders try and defuse the situation. "What makes me mad is I supported you, so many of us supported you" continues Preston. "We are complicit. It goes against the mission. How are we gonna fight if she's giving money to the people who are destroying us." [[facebookwidget||https://www.facebook.com/ashlee.m.preston/videos/10213880635399171/]] Caitlyn has been an outspoken supporter for the controversial president, something which many people have found bizarre due to his stance on LGBTQ rights. In March last year, Jenner gave her thoughts on Trump on her show I Am Cait, saying that she thinks his leadership would be "very good for women's issues." She also gave a speech at a party convention in Cleveland, OH in July 2016, where she said that she believes that the party will begin to make progress in LGBTQ policies under their new leader. Despite Trump announcing on Twitter that he would be banning transgender people from serving in the military on July 26 2017, Caitlyn was seen the week after sporting the infamous "Make America Great Again" hat from Trump's presidential campaign. Jenner's public backing of Trump is what triggered Preston into the confrontation, where she continued her tirade, saying: "As long as we continue to be the ones that are most impacted by the choices that you make... it's not okay." However, Caitlyn finally responds, saying to Preston as she walks away: "You don't know me." Not one to back down, Preston turn back and says "Oh my god. Yes we do. You're a f***ing fraud and a fake." Preston uploaded the video on her page, with the caption "Caitlyn Jenner you're trash..." and plenty of people have been quick to praise the journalist in the comments section. Caitlyn Jenner is yet to speak out about the incident, but it's fair to say that her continued support of Trump has not gone down well with the community that she claims to represent.

During his run for president, Caitlyn Jenner was an outspoken advocate for Donald Trump. Despite warnings that the soon-to-be president was dangerously misogynistic and reportedly anti-LGBTQ, Jenner - who is a transwoman - stood by him, and even went so far as to unofficially endorse him in some interviews.

"Everybody looks at the Democrats as being better with these issues. But Trump seems to be very much for women," she said in an interview two years ago. "He seems very much behind the LGBT community ... he backed the LGBT community."

However, her support for the president began to slip when he announced that transgender people would no longer be permitted to serve in the military (something that never went ahead, as it turned out, because Trump had made the claim without consulting any officials on the matter), and, after his administration revoked the trans bathroom bill, she publicly called him out.

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Now, she's put him on blast for being the "worst ever" president when it comes to LGBTQ rights.

"As far as trans issues, this administration has been the worst ever," the former Athlete said in an interview with Newsweek. "They’ve set our community back 20 years, easily. It’s going to be hard to change, but we’ve been through these types of things before and we’ll continue to fight it."

Jenner then went on to say that Trump has to "do a better job when it comes to equality."

"We’re all Americans," she said. "I think of it this way: We have diversity in mankind, humankind. We have diversity all over the place, diversity in the way people look, diversity in religion, diversity in skin color. Wouldn’t it be a dull world if everybody was the same?"

And yet, she still maintains her allegiance to the Republican party - many prominent members of which are staunchly homophobic and transphobic.

When asked if she ever confronted Trump face-to-face over the trans bathroom bill issue, she said: "I did come back to the inauguration to meet people. And out of that I have built some very nice and good relationships with the Republican Party, but I have not been back to see Trump."

Understandably, this angered a lot of people on Twitter.

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In just the first year of his presidency, Trump certainly made a lot of anti-LGBTQ - and, in particular, anti-trans - moves. As well as supporting the attempted military ban and reversal of the bathroom bill, Trump's administration has nominated anti-LGBTQ people to official positions, failed to recognize Pride Month, and has made it clear that they support queer discrimination in the workplace (meaning that a person can legally be fired for their sexuality or gender identity).

And who could forget the time Trump joked that Mike Pence wanted to murder LGBTQ people? Last year, during a discussion about LGBTQ rights, the president pointed to Pence and joked: "Don’t ask that guy—he wants to hang them all!"

To anybody - trans or otherwise - these things should have been a clear indication that Trump had no intention of assisting the LGBTQ community. And, while it's good that Jenner has finally seen the error of her ways (sort of), many people still consider her actions to be too little, too late.

A transgender woman was seen in footage shared online confronting an apathetic store owner over a transphobic sign.

In the video, Tiesa Meskis, a city councilor who happens to be trans, engages in a heated discussion with the owner of a Star Wars memorabilia store in Aberdeen, Washington, after seeing an offensive sign that read: "If you are born with a d***, you are not a chick."

At one point in the argument, which took place on Wednesday, August 4, Meskis proclaimed, per the Daily Mail: "Trans women are women. That sign is bulls***."

To which Sucher, owner of Sucher & Sons Star Wars Shop, responded: "You're nuts. I'm telling you that as a man, that's bulls***."

Check out how the argument unfolded here:

Per King 5, the small business owner went on to say that he was merely exercising his freedom of speech and that those who do not agree with him are free to make a swift exit.

Meskis, however, wanted Sucher to know just how harmful his words are to the trans community, telling the store owner: "We are people. We are who we are and we all want to be accepted in our community."

But Sucher had little sympathy, responding: "I don't give a s*** about feelings anymore. Do you think I care about some s*** feeling? Absolutely not!"

Ultimately, he refused to take the sign down and insisted that many people love it.

Meskis shared footage of the incident along with a snap of the sign in question to her Facebook page.

She explained in the caption that she used to think the store was "pretty cool, even though the owner had some wild beliefs."

The councilor concluded the post, stating: "We have the right to be who we are and no one gets to belittle us, ever!"

Speaking to the Washington Examiner about the tense exchange, Meskis said that while she agreed that Sucher has every right to exercise his freedom of speech, he could have done it in a way that wasn't directly harmful to the trans community.

She told the paper: "What he wrote there was so demeaning and so dismissive of who I am, who any trans woman is. We are people. We are who we are, and we all want to be accepted in our community."

Featured image credit: Pexels / Sharon McCutcheon