Caitlyn Jenner Honored At ESPYs With Arthur Ashe Award

Published on July 16, 2015.

(Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

After living for 65 years as Bruce Jenner, the famed Olympian, reality star and patriarch to the famous Kardashian-Jenner clan has now introduced us to her true self, Caitlyn Jenner, and was honored for her courage in sharing her story at the 2015 ESPY Awards on July 15, 2015.

For her first major public appearance, this one was huge, but Caitlyn who has been taking everything in stride, gave a powerful, emotional speech upon being the recipient of this year’s Arthur Ashe Award.

Clad in a white wrap Versace gown, Jenner called out to all of the athletes as role models for today’s youth while also advocating for a more understanding and empathetic society as a whole in a speech that brought the whole crowd to its feet.

“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 observed by millions of people, especially young people,” she told the group of mainly athletes of all sports.

All across this country, at this very moment there are young people coming to terms with being trans. They are getting bullied. They are getting beat up. They are getting murdered and they are committing suicide. … If you want to call me names, make jokes, doubt my intentions, go ahead. The truth is I can take it. But for the kids out there coming to terms with being true with who they are, they shouldn’t have to take it,” she said before adding, “we have come a long way. But we have a lot of work to do.”

Almost Caitlyn’s entire family, with the exception of her son Rob and ex-wife Kris, were on hand to support her in such an incredibility significant moment.

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