Caitlyn Jenner delivered a deep, emotional speech when accepting the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

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A teary-eyed Jenner wore a classy, white, long-sleeve gown and said some beautiful words. Many of her children and stepchildren -- including Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian -- smiled proudly from the audience.

"The last few months have been a whirlwind of so many different experiences and emotions... I've never felt more pressure in my life than I have over the last couple of months. Picking out this outfit, okay girls! I get... The whole process was exhausting. And next, the Fashion Police. Please be kind to me, I'm knew to this," Jenner joked in her speech.

"A few months ago, I had never met anyone who was trans, who was like me. I had never met a trans person -- never. Now, as you just saw, I dealt with my situation on my own, in private. And that turned this journey into an already incredible education. It's been eye opening, inspiring but also frightening."

Jenner explained that people all over the world are "coming to terms with being transgender" and trying to figure out how to handle being different. She pointed out how they're getting bullied, beaten up, murdered and committing suicide. While the numbers "are staggering," Jenner said, "they're the reality of what it means to be transgender today."

Jenner, having starred on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, has a new reality show I Am Cait premiering July 26 on E! She noted her fame provides "the power of the spotlight" even though it can be overwhelming at times.

"With attention comes responsibility as a group, as athletes... My responsibility going forward [is] to tell my story the right way, for me. To keep learning. To do whatever I can to reshape the landscape of how transgenders are viewed... and to promote the very simple idea of accepting people for who they are and accepting other people's differences," she said.

The reality TV star continued, "I know the people in this room have respect for hard work. For training. I trained hard, I competed hard, and for that, people respected me. This transition has been harder on me than anything I could've ever imagined."

Jenner said trans people deserve respect.

"And from that respect comes a more compassionate community, a more empathetic society and a better world for all of us," she explained. "There have been so many who traveled this road before me... I also want to acknowledge all the young trans athletes who are out there. Give them the chance to play sports as who they really are... We've come a long way but we have a lot of work to do."

Other than thanking her mother and Diane Sawyer for conducting the headline-making interview on ABC in which Jenner came out to the world as transgender, Jenner started crying when talking about how much she appreciates her family.

"Now here comes the tough part. I'd like to thank my family. My biggest fear in coming out is that I never wanted to hurt anyone else... I always wanted my children to be so proud of their dad -- what he's been able to accomplish in his life. You guys have given so much back to me, so much support. I am so, so grateful to have all of you in my life. Thank you," she said.

Jenner closed out her acceptance speech by insisting it's such an honor to have courage associated with her life.

"But another word comes to mind, and that's 'fortunate...' To all of you who are wondering what this is about -- whether it's courage, controversy or publicity -- I'll tell you what it's all about. It's about what happens from here," Jenner explained.

"It's not just about one person. It's about thousands of people... It's about all of us accepting one another. 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 don't always understand, I want to prove it's absolutely possible -- if only we do it together... Thank you for this honor bestowed on myself and my family."

According to Us Weekly, the 65-year-old former Olympian opted out of walking the red carpet as to not take attention away from the other deserving athletes. Her date was reportedly actress Candis Cayne, another transgender woman, but sources claim they're both single and nothing romantic is happening between them.

Celebrities and fans have since taken to social media to express their support for Jenner. People have used the following positive words to describe her speech: Historic, inspiring, courageous, powerful and moving.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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