Caitlyn Jenner Urges Respect For Transgender People

CAITLYN Jenner, in her first speech since identifying as transgender, said she wants to “reshape the landscape of how trans issued are

viewed,” and invited her peers in the sports world to join her in “making this one of your issues.”

It was a moment several months in the making: her first major public appearance since undergoing facial feminization surgery. She joked about the pressure of picking out an outfit — a white Versace wrap gown — but focused the rest of her speech on the serious challenges that transgender youth face.

Speaking in prime time on the ABC television network, Jenner acknowledged her own privileges and celebrity status, saying, “If you want to call me names, make jokes, doubt my intentions, go ahead. 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.”

She said her message was fundamentally about acceptance, emphasizing that transgender individuals “deserve your respect.”
“It’s not just about one person,” she said. “It’s about thousands of people. It’s not just about me. It’s about all of us accepting one another. We’re all different. That’s not a bad thing. That’s a good thing.”

The Olympian turned reality TV star thanked her children and stepchildren, who were seated in the audience at the Los Angeles ceremony, and her mother Esther.

Looking at Esther, Jenner said, “I always thought that I got my courage and my determination from my dad, who landed on Omaha Beach; fought all the way through World War II; but you know what, I’m realizing now, mom, I think I got all those qualities from