On Wednesday night (July 15), Olympic medalist Caitlyn Jenner was honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2015 ESPY Awards, and her acceptance speech was very emotionally moving.
While introducing the award recipient, U.S. Women's soccer player Abby Wambach educated the crowd on the urgency of transgender equality and the impact that Caitlyn Jenner is making on the transgender community. "I never saw Bruce Jenner compete in Olympic games, I got to know the name from growing up as a sports fan and watching television. But like all of us, I never knew the real story. I hope watching it does to you what it did to me. Surprise you, teach you, and help make our country a better place to live and a better model for the world," she said.
After a touching video about the transition from Bruce to Caitlyn, Jenner made her way to the stage and to give her acceptance speech, looking stunning in an off-white Atelier Versace wrap-dress.
She told the crowd, "The last few months have been a whirlwind of so many different experiences and emotions, but to tell you the truth, it seems like every time I turn around in life, I'm putting myself in these high pressure situations, competing in the games, raising a family. But I've never felt more pressure than I ever have felt in my life than over the last couple of months, picking out this outfit." She joked, "K girls? I get it. You got to get the shoes, the hair, the makeup, the whole process, it was exhausting. And next, the fashion police. Please be kind on me, I'm new at this."
Jenner confessed that she had never met a trans-person before and that her own journey has been "eye-opening, inspiring, but also frightening."
She talked about the issues that trans-people face and vowed to use her stardom to help raise public awareness on the matter. "If there's one thing I do know about my life, it is the power of the spotlight. Sometimes it gets overwhelming, but with attention comes responsibility. As a group, as athletes, how you conduct your lives, what you say, what you do is absorbed and observed by millions of people, especially young people," she said. "I know I'm clear with my responsibility in going forward to tell my story the right way, for me to keep learning, to do whatever I can to reshape the landscape of how trans issues are viewed, how trans people are treated. And then, more broadly, to promote a very simple idea: accepting people for who they are, accepting people's differences."
With tears in her eyes, she thanked her children, who were all in attendance, for their support throughout her journey. "Here comes the tough part. I'd like to thank my family. I never wanted to hurt anyone else, most of all, my family and my kids. I always wanted my children to be so proud of their dad for what he was able to accomplish in his life. You guys have given so much back to me, given so much support. I am so grateful to have all of you in my life. Thank you," she said.
Caitlyn Jenner closed out her speech inspiring others to get involved: "So for the people out there wondering what this is all about, whether it's about courage or controversy or publicity, well I'll tell you what it's all about. It's about what happens from here. It's not just about one person, it's about thousands of people. It's not just about me. It's about all of us accepting one another."
Watch Caitlyn Jenner's full acceptance speech below and let us know what you think.
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