Caitlyn Jenner celebrates legal gender recognition at Glamour Awards
Retired athlete Caitlyn Jenner celebrated a milestone in her gender transition at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards on Monday night (09Nov15) as she was recently declared female on her driver's license.
The Olympic medal-winning sports star announced she was transitioning from Bruce, the stepfather of Kim Kardashian, to Caitlyn with a headline-grabbing front cover of Vanity Fair earlier this year (15), and she has since documented her change in a reality TV series and given inspirational speeches around the U.S.
She was feted for her story with the Transgender Champion Prize at
the 25th annual Glamour Women of the Year Awards at New York's
Carnegie Hall on Monday.
Upon accepting her award, Caitlyn gave a speech detailing the
struggle to find where she belongs and how she now feels like the
transformation to female is complete after receiving legal
paperwork acknowledging her new identity.
"For years and years, I never felt like I fit in anywhere. I always
felt as an outsider; I never felt good in the male side, and I
wasn't obviously in the female side. I was kind of stuck in the
middle. But all of a sudden, after making these decisions and
coming out, it was by far the best thing that I ever did," she said
onstage.
"Because for so many years, I lost my enthusiasm for life.
Literally, sitting in my house for almost six years. Because I
never really wanted to come out - just to go to work, that was
about it. Now, actually, I like going out. And I like being myself.
And in doing that, it's been... amazing the opportunity we have for
change, for people to understand this issue because it's so
difficult...
"I haven't been on airlines in over a year because I didn't have
(proper) identification, but last week, I got my driver's license:
picture and gender marker 'F' (for female). It's always the little
things in life that really you notice."
Caitlyn also praised her family and fellow transgender celebrities
including Laverne Cox for their support.
Reese Witherspoon was awarded the Hollywood Hero prize, Victoria
Beckham was named the Fashion Force, ballet dancer Misty Copeland
was given The Showstopper honor and the U.S. women's soccer team
was dubbed Game Changers.
Jennifer Hudson and Ellie Goulding performed at the ceremony, which
also featured appearances from Viola Davis, Amy Schumer, Goldie
Hawn, Serena Williams and Jared Leto.