This past week, Caitlyn Jenner accepted The Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2015 ESPYs. Since the announcement that Bruce Jenner, an Olympic Medalist and past spokesperson, was transitioning to become Caitlyn Jenner people have voiced mixed reactions on every form of Social Media. I didn’t get to see the speech on television when it aired, but caught it the next day on YouTube.
At first, I, like a lot of other people, felt like Noah Galloway should receive the award. Now, I feel like I understand why Caitlyn Jenner got it instead of Noah. In my opinion, the simple fact that Caitlyn Jenner gave such an eloquent speech with such a powerful message, not only about and for the transgender community but, also, if we step back for a moment, a message that could be applied to the disabled community as well, is a sign of courage all by itself. The main theme of her speech was about acceptance, no matter our differences. If we really take a moment to think about it, acceptance as a whole is what everyone ultimately wants.
In Caitlyn’s speech, she talks about the transgender youth that are bullied and even commit suicide because they’re just trying to live the way they’re most comfortable in their skin. I have to admit, I remember seeing Bruce Jenner on cereal boxes as a kid and yet no one knew the suffering he was dealing with in private. I can also think about how many kids in school may get bullied and made fun of just because of their disability. I read an article saying that if Caitlyn Jenner helped one transgender youth with her speech, that made her a hero. What if her speech also helped someone with a disability, because somewhere along the line that person felt different, and as a result not adequate? I’m not sure that’s the case but with the wide reach of the internet, anything is possible.
Whatever opinion you have about Caitlyn Jenner and what she chooses to do with her life is your own, and really not what I’m trying to focus on here. The fact that someone is attempting to use their lives to knock down barriers so that we become more compassionate to one another is what stuck out to me. Although she isn’t the first, or only celebrity to do this, I have to applaud her for being vocal on a subject that so few people mention, even in a whisper. I hope more celebrities speak out and use their names to help gain acceptance for all groups that have been coined as “different” in today’s world.
Only through acceptance of one another, no matter our differences, can we all be afforded the opportunity to experience life to the fullest. Such opportunities have the potential to open doors for things like gaining employment, having more relaxed conversations with people about dating and disability, addressing our healthcare concerns, and even being parents with a disability if that’s what we choose to pursue. The potential for open dialogue on these and many other issues has just increased tenfold because of one person’s speech about acceptance in our society.
Thanks for reading..
cr