Caitlyn Jenner is on a mission. Accepting the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs Wednesday night, she said she will be turning to advocating for transgender people.
"Trans people ... deserve your respect," she told the gathering of famous athletes.
In a video produced for the award ceremony, Jenner said she had come to a "revelation": "Out of all the things that I have done in my life, that maybe this is my calling." She added, "Maybe I can bring understanding on this subject. It's time that I do my best."
Jenner made her transition to being a woman public in an interview with Diane Sawyer in April. In a Vanity Fair article published in June, Jenner — the famous track and field athlete once known as Bruce — announced, "Call me Caitlyn."
"With attention comes responsibility," Jenner said in her acceptance speech Wednesday night. She spoke of transgender teens struggling around the country.
"It's not just about me. It's about all of us accepting one another," she said. "We're all different. That's not a bad thing."
Watch the video:
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
