Before arriving on stage, soccer player Abby Wambach introduced Jenner and presented her with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The award is given to an individual who “transcends sports,” with last year’s award going to Michael Sam, the football quarterback who publicly came out as gay.
Jenner spoke for 10 minutes at the ceremony, starting her speech by talking about the high-pressure, whirlwind environment she’s been a part of in the last few months, and giving a shout-out to the U.S. women’s soccer team, who took home the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup title.
The heart of her speech concerned her difficult journey to coming out as transgendered, and the plight of transgendered people around the country.
She brought of the story of young transgendered people who were either killed or committed suicide for their gender orientation, including Mercedes Williamson and Sam Taub.
She also encouraged other athletes to be role models to the millions of people who look up to them:
Sometimes it gets overwhelming, but 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 going forward, to tell my story the right way, for me, to keep learning, to reshape the landscape of how trans issues are viewed, how trans people are treated. And then more broadly to promote a very simple idea: accepting people for who they are. Accepting people’s differences.
Though reaction to her speech was largely positive across social media, some were less enthused with ESPN’s choice of Jenner as the Arthur Ashe award recipient. Peter Berg, who produced Friday Night Lights and directed Lone Survivor, posted on Instagram a meme criticizing the choice of Jenner over Gregory D. Gadson, who lost both legs in the army.
The comments on the photo were split between supporters and detractors.
Though not many companies were “chomping at the bit” to include advertising around the award presentation, Google and Airbnb stepped up to the plate.
Google’s two-plus-minute ad — one of the longest commercials to ever air on ABC, according to the Verge — tells the story of a transgendered man named Jake as he works out in a local gym to transform his body.
Meanwhile, Airbnb’s spot was a bit less specific, touting acceptance of everyone:
Previous Arthur Ashe Courage Award Recipients include Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali and Pat Tillman and Kevin Tillman.
