If you had not heard of the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards (ESPYs) until last night, you can identify with the 6 million new viewers who tuned in this year. Part of the 250 percent increase in coverage, as reported by the network, can be attributed to the ABC televising. A great deal of that publicity, however, is undoubtedly attributable to Caitlyn Jenner, who was rightfully awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
As always, there were stark opponents to this recognition. Antagonists included producer of Friday Night Lights Peter Berg, who publicly degraded Jenner through a very thoughtful and perceptive, not to mention classy, post on Instagram. Bob Costas also blasted the decision, saying that the achievement was a cry for publicity. When you look at the facts, most of the critics are correct in their assertions. There were plenty of heroic, inspirational athletes that were deserving of the award. Coverage of the ESPYs was more highly advertised and viewed than previous years, so the publicity was absolutely greater. This does not diminish the qualifications of Jenner to receive this award though. Making an extremely public transition from a decorated and respected male athlete to a woman required tenacity and determination that very few human beings can imagine. The entire purpose of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award is to recognize an individual whose accomplishments and inspiration are greater than athletics. That is Caitlyn Jenner.
Claims about Jenner transitioning to a woman as a publicity stint ignore the facts of her previous life. In addition to being proclaimed “World’s Greatest Athlete,” she’s been a public speaker and activist for children with learning disabilities. As the husband of Kris Jenner, she was bound to the infamous Kardashian clan. Even if she wished to keep her transition private, it would have been practically impossible. She is a public figure, and for that reason, her entire life is public.
Even if this transition was a deliberate publicity stint, the cause it promotes justifies the attention. For decades, the inequalities transgender individuals face have continued, mostly due to the silence surrounding them. President Obama’s State of the Union Address in January of 2015 was the first time a United States President used the word “transgender” in a high-profile situation. That was a mere six months ago. Up until that time, no president felt as though the injustices against transgender individuals were an issue that needed to be discussed in relation to the betterment of our nation. Caitlyn Jenner is challenging that. She is igniting conversation and inspiring enlightenment about the horrors trans individuals endure in our country. She is drawing attention to the statistics regarding violence and hatred towards the trans community. She is a very public, authentic figure, representing a noble cause.
Just last night, Jenner included examples of transgender hate crimes in her acceptance speech, and there are hundreds and thousands of other examples, case studies and statistics that could have been included while discussing trans discrimination. The National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force joined to conduct the largest, most complex survey of transgender individuals to date in 2008. The results of the study reveal the bigotry surrounding the trans community: 40 percent of trans individuals have attempted suicide, as opposed to 1.6 percent of the general population , they are unemployed at twice the rate of the general population and nearly half have had to teach their medical providers about aspects of transgender care. Looking at these dismal numbers, I think the transgender community deserves some publicity, and Jenner should not be shamed for bringing it.
The negativity Caitlyn Jenner is receiving is completely unwarranted and contradicts nearly every point she made in her speech. At the ESPYs, Jenner humbly asked the audience to grant trans individuals the respect they deserve, saying, “This transition has been harder on me than anything I could imagine. And that’s the case for so many others besides me. For that reason alone, trans people deserve something vital. They deserve your respect.” Claiming that this powerful woman is undeserving of a courage award is the furthest thing from respectful. It is ignorant, and it is rude.
As far as the previous recipients of the award indicate, the Arthur Ashe Award goes to an athlete who is courageous and motivating. Caitlyn Jenner has demonstrated raw athleticism, bravery and disregard for public insensitivity, while having a positive influence on our society. There were many athletes who could have received this award, and giving it to Caitlyn Jenner is not ignoring their worth as role models in the athletic community. There is no exact way to determine how deserving someone is of an award, especially when there are so many awesome candidates. It is undeniable that Caitlyn Jenner is athletic and courageous, and what she represents is progressive. Her speech instills hope into the transgender community and into our society as a whole – a hope that the end of trans discrimination is near. Those who trivialize this monumental moment in history are jeopardizing that.