Caitlyn Jenner Preaches ACCEPTANCE in Emotional ESPYs Award Speech!

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Caitlyn Jenner Preaches ACCEPTANCE in Emotional ESPYs Award Speech!

Caitlyn Jenner made an emotional plea for "accepting people for who they are" as she was honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at tonight's ESPYs in Los Angeles. 
With the help of stylist Jen Rade, who has worked with Angelina Jolie, Jenner wore a striking Atelier Versace gown and side swept hair to take the stage, acknowledged her mother, her children and ABC News' Diane Sawyer in her acceptance speech and called the past few months a "whirlwind." 

She said she had never met a transgender person until the past few months, and instead dealt with her "situation" alone and in private. 
"That turned this journey into an already incredible education," Jenner said. 
"This transition has been harder on me than anything I could imagine," she said, adding that "trans people deserve your respect." 
Jenner, a former Olympic superstar, said she knows the "power of the spotlight" and understands "with attention comes responsibility." 

 "It's about all of us accepting one another," she said. Brody Jenner told ABC News tonight it was "such a courageous thing for her to come out" and said Caitlyn is "extremely happy." 

Brody said they're all celebrating with a big family dinner. Jenner, 66, formerly known as Bruce, revealed in April that she is woman. In June, Vanity Fair magazine released the first photo of the former Olympian since her physical transformation, as well as her name. 
“Bruce has received many accolades over the years for being one of the greatest Olympians of our time but The ESPYS are honored to celebrate Bruce becoming Caitlyn," said executive producer Maura Mandt in a statement last month. 

"She has shown the courage to embrace a truth that had been hidden for years, and to embark on a journey that may not only give comfort to those facing similar circumstances, but can also help to educate people on the challenges that the transgender community faces.”

However there were many who took issue on Caitlyn receiving the honor. ESPN producers are explaining their controversial decision.

"I think Caitlyn's decision to publicly come out as a transgender woman and live as Caitlyn Jenner displayed enormous courage and self-acceptance," Maura Mandt, ESPYs co-executive producer, tells Sports Illustrated. "Bruce Jenner could have easily gone off into the sunset as this American hero and never have dealt with this publicly. Doing so took enormous courage. He was one of the greatest athletes of our time."

"That is what the Arthur Ashe Courage Award is about, somebody from the athletic community who has done something that transcends sport," she further defends the decision. "One of the biggest platforms the Arthur Ashe Foundation has is educational, and I think in this choice we have the opportunity to educate people about this issue and hopefully change and possibly save some lives. I think that is why it was the right choice."

Mandt stresses that the process of Caitlyn being selected was the same as it had been for previous years. The process includes meeting with the potential recipient, as well as consulting with people within the community of the winner and people from the Ashe Foundation. Arthur Ashe was a professional tennis player -- and the only black man ever to win the singles title at Wimbledon -- who founded both the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health before dying in 1993 of AIDS-related pneumonia.