We've been looking forward to this night for a long time, as it was announced shortly after her
Vanity Fair debut that
Caitlyn Jenner would be receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs. What we didn't realize, however, was how incredibly touched we would be by her acceptance speech.
With her children and her mother there to support her, Cait took the stage in an elegant white gown to accept her award and as soon as she started talking, we knew this was going to be something we wouldn't soon forget.
She first thanked her friend Diane Sawyer for helping her tell her story, saying, "You can only tell your story the first time once and Diane, you did it so authentically and so gracefully, and me and the community is so thankful for that."
She then talked about her own courage (which she was receiving the award for), and said she owed a lot to sports. "If someone wanted to bully me - you know what? I was the MVP of the football team, that just wasn't going to be a problem and the same thing goes tonight. If you want to call me names, make jokes, doubt my intentions - go ahead," she said. "Because the reality is, I can take it. But for the thousands of kids out there, coming to terms with being true to who they are...they shouldn't have to take it."
In a video clip that played before the speech, recounting Cait's journey,
the 65-year-old explained, "To take my struggle, throw it out in front of the world, maybe I can bring understanding on this subject. It's time that I do my best... This is not something that people have to die over."
And sadly, that is all too true. As she pointed out, trans youth are being bullied, beaten up, murdered and some have even committed suicide.
"Trans people deserve something vital," she explained. "They deserve your respect. And from that respect, comes a more compassionate community, a more empathetic society and a better world for all of us."
Well said, Cait!