Wednesday evening, during the
Espy Awards, former Olympic
decathlon winner,
Caitlyn Jenner, (formerly Bruce Jenner) was presented with the
Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Controversy over whether Jenner should receive the award began the day the news was released. In front of the world Caitlyn Jenner, once again, proved courage is something she not only possesses, it is also something she inspires others to find within themselves. She stole the show.
After breaking ice with a bit of 'girl' humor and giving a shout out to the Women's World Champions U.S. Soccer Team, Caitlyn quickly becomes candid about the realities of being a transgendered person in America. "They're getting bullied, they're getting beaten up, they're getting murdered, and they're committing suicide." And she asks the all of us to join her in making this an issue for us all. "It starts with education."
With warmth in her voice Caitlyn looks out into the audience and thanks Diane Sawyer, who conducted her Bruce Jenner 'coming out' interview this past spring. Sawyer receives the kind words with a generous smile, as Caitlyn impresses one can only tell his/her story the first time - once. She looks at Sawyer, "And you did it so authentically."
Caitlyn's voice begins to break-up a bit, as she turns to her family and tells them she never wanted to hurt anyone, and she's so grateful to have them in her life.
The award recipient expresses her honor to have the word 'courage' associated with her life, and admits growing up as a winning athlete she wasn't bullied much. She believes she can 'take' being called names and mocked. But kids out there trying to become who they are - 'they shouldn't have to take it.'
Caitlyn ends her speech with:
"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," Jenner said. "We're all different. That's not a bad thing. That's a good thing. And while it may not be easy to get past the things you always don't understand. I want to prove that it's absolutely possible if we only do it together."
To see the entire speech, visit ESPN.com.
Admittedly, I was in tears by the end of her speech. And I'm not sure she could have said it any better. I even forgave her for telling Diane Sawyer (and the world) she was a Republican. I 'choose' to believe Caitlyn will also one day discover she is a Liberal after all.
Thank you, Caitlyn Jenner. Something beautiful just happened - and it's because of you.
Note: Just moments after I posted this piece, I noticed Kossack JGibson also posted an excellent Daily Kos diary about Caitlyn's tribute and speech. You can see that story, here.