Caitlyn Jenner was joined by her 6 children and 3 stepdaughters as she accepted ESPY’s Arthur Ashe Courage Award last night.
As daughters Kendall, 19, and Kylie, 17, looked on they appeared to well up with pride and emotion as Caitlyn discussed her concerns for her family as she transitions.
“I’d like to thank my family. The biggest fear of coming out was that I never wanted to hurt anyone else, most of all my family and my kids.
“I always wanted my children to be so proud of their dad and what I’ve managed to achieve.”
She added: “You guys have given so much back and given so much support. I am so, so grateful to have you in my life.”
After receiving her award from World Cup champion footballer Abby Wambach, Caitlyn, 65, went on to discuss her journey transitioning.
She told the audience: “The real truth is that before just a few months ago, I had never met anybody else who was trans.
“I dealt with my situation on my own, in private. It’s been eye-opening, inspiring, but also frightening."
She then spoke about his responsibility towards younger transgender people.
“They’re getting bullied. They’re getting beaten up. They’re getting murdered. And they’re committing suicide.
"With attention, comes responsibility. As a group, as athletes, how you conduct your lives, what you say, what you do, is absorbed and observed by millions of people, especially young people. I know I’m clear with my responsibility."
She finished: “Trans people deserve something vital. They deserve your respect. And from that respect, comes a more compassionate community, a more empathetic society and a better world for all of us."