Watch: Caitlyn Jenner’s incredible Courage Award speech
By Nick Bond
Caitlyn Jenner made her first big live televised public appearance last night, accepting the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards.
And boy, did she nail it. Jenner took to the stage for an inspiring and at times emotional 10-minute speech, thanking her family and friends for their support and using her time to shine a light on the stories of young transgender people.
“All across this country right now, all across the world, at this very moment, there are young people coming to terms with being transgender. They’re learning that they’re different and they’re trying to figure out how to handle that on top of every other problem that a teenager has. They’re getting bullied. They’ve getting beaten up. They’re getting murdered. And they’re committing suicide,” she said.
“If you want to call me names … go ahead, I can take it. But for the thousands of kids out there coming to terms with who they are, they shouldn’t have to take it.”
There were some light-hearted moments in Jenner’s speech, though – she opened by asking fashion commentators to be kind when reviewing her white Versace ensemble: “Fashion Police, please go easy on me. I’m new at this!”
With many of Jenner’s family members in the audience – including stepdaughter Kim Kardashian and daughters Kylie and Kendall Jenner – the sporting hero-turned-transgender icon struggled to hold back tears as she thanked the Kardashian/Jenner clan for their support and understanding.
Watch the fantastic speech in full below:
Jenner’s much-anticipated new docuseries, I Am Cait, debuts in the US next week and will air in the UK on E! on August 2.