14 DAY TRIAL // Following weeks of controversy on whether she really deserves this honor, of being presented with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS, Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner, took to the stage to deliver the most touching and inspiring speeches of the evening.
She explained why she was making her transition public and pled for acceptance and understanding as the only means to having a more civilized and peaceful society. You can see her speech in full in the video below.
This is not about me, it’s about the trans-community
Caitlyn started her speech talking about fashion. In the days leading up to the gala, which aired live on ABC, there was a lot of speculation on what she was going to wear and bookies even took bets on whether she was going for a dress with a low-cut cleavage or not.
The pressure was intense, she admitted, so now she was finally able to understand what any lady walking down a red carpet was feeling before that big moment. She looked impeccably put together, for what it’s worth, wearing a simple, body-hugging white gown, with diamond and pearl earrings, a diamond bracelet and a simple side-swept ‘do.
Fashion out of the way, Caitlyn also talked about her motivation behind the decision to make her transition public. This wasn’t about her, she said, this was about the trans-community and raising awareness on the issues trans-people dealt with on a daily basis.
This was about stopping the cycle of abuse of trans-people, the bullying, the hate-killings and the suicides. This was about learning to be more accepting and understanding as a society, because only that could pave the way for a more civilized and peaceful world.
“All across this country right now, all across the world, there are young people coming to terms with being transgender,” she said. “It’s about all of us accepting one another.”
Caitlyn gets emotional, audience follows suit
Caitlyn also included thank-yous in her speech, as was to be expected - and this is where she got really, really emotional. She mentioned her children, both her own and her step-children with ex-wife Kris Jenner, Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian.
They remained her focus in her transition, because she never wanted to do anything to hurt them, she wanted them to remain proud of their father.
She thanked ABC’s Diane Sawyer for helping her come out as a trans-woman in the April special, and for handling the interview in the most professional yet considerate manner.
Above all, she thanked her mother for her unconditional support and for giving her the strength to handle all the pressure.
She thanked the trans-community for welcoming her and for helping her understand the process, but also the need for more awareness. With that, she pledged to use whatever platform made available to her to speak on the issue and raise the much-needed awareness.