Bruce Jenner being awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award as “Caitlyn” has been a polarizing topic. While many applaud ESPN for recognizing the Olympic gold medalist’s courage it took to reveal he would be transitioning into a woman as Caitlyn Jenner, others, including comedian D.L. Hughley, were not so supportive.
Hughley addressed the matter and expressed that Jenner didn’t deserve the award for courage because what he is going through is nothing compared to the trails and tribulations of tennis legend Arthur Ashe. The political commentator rattled off a list of Ashe’s accomplishments to TMZ and called him a symbol of courage. However, when relating Ashe and Jenner he felt Lauren Hill should have received ESPYs Courage Award for playing college basketball while battling terminal cancer. Hill was posthumously honored with the Best Moment Award instead. Hughley stated,
Caitlyn Jenner put on a dress. It’s not the same thing. I don’t think it’s the same. That girl Lauren Hill was courage in the name of sports.”
Hill was a college basketball player who continued to play basketball after it was discovered she had an inoperable brain tumor. She died at 19-years-old. Many believe Hill should’ve been presented the award because the trophy is given to a person who, “possesses strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter the cost”. Hughley and many others don’t see how Jenner announcing he’s a transgender woman fits the criteria because Jenner and Ashe have “very little in common”.
In the midst of dissing Caitlyn Jenner’s award, D.L. also was in support of tennis champion Serena Williams and challenged the mainstream media’s idea of beauty.
In the last month we’ve had the media tell us Caitlyn Jenner was beautiful and Serena Williams looks like a man. I think Serena is one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen on a tennis court and Bruce Jenner looks like every P.E. teacher I ever had.”
-Jonathan Hailey(@JaySpeakEasy_)
D L is so right. Im so sick of people calling what Bruce Jenner did courageous. He’s a man in drag and is ugly as hell. If he can be a part of that stupid ass kartrashian show, it’s not too big a jump to come out in drag. I’m sick of all this politically correct bullshit and people lying saying that he’s beautiful and stunning just because their afraid they may seem insensitive. Tell the truth , he is a man in drag with a penis. Like DL said he beautiful in a Ms Doubtfire kind of way. Bruce Jenner your a mess.
ESPY should be ashamed!!!! Jenner certainly DID NOT deserve this award…. hey didn’t Chastity Bono do the same thing? Where is his award? Why don’t they just stomp on Arthur Ashe’s grave and next time sell the friggin award to the highest bidder!!!!!!!!!!
Who wants to see more of an ugly old weird whith man become an even uglier old white woman looking like a man ??Not me his whole family are a bunch of wanna bes the girls almost all wannta be black an not this girly man wants to be a woman! Kourtney is the only only with their head on straight! They all need to check their self-esteem and be happy in their owm skin!!!You Don’t have to have big lips and a big butt and wear designer clothes to be HAPPY!!!If I never see Caitlyn Jenner and hid family on TV again I would be so so HAPPY!
I agree! Bruce Jenner does not look beautiful; he looks like a man wearing a dress. Has everyone taken leave of their of sense of sight and sound? Just because Diane Sawyer told us how moved she was by “her (meaning the alleged transition of the Caitlyn person)” we do not need to accept that as our reality.
Listen to the voice….it is BRUCE JENNER and look beneath the makeup and hype, what is the purpose (for ratings and money generation) …..it is still BRUCE JENNER playing the role of a lifetime.
Why would someone put their personal life on such display? It doesn’t take courage, it takes the desire for money and attention. He is selfish and narcissistic otherwise he would not put his and his family on such display (this is all quite a game for Bruce).
Disgusting and creepy.
her name is caitlyn. this “article” is as biased and bigoted as hughley.
What is so struggling about using money to transgender oneself and receiving a prestigious award for courage; in an athletic presentation because you shared your transformation “spin” with America? AMERICA GONE FOOL!
I think Serena is beautiful. I love her hair and that she wears it all big and sexy – I am a woman and I would’ve loved a body like Serena’s. I would’ve lived in bikini’s everywhere I could don them.
Courage is self identified. Another person cannot tell me whether I am being courageous. Only I know if I am. The definition of courage: Courage – 1) The ability to do something that frightens one. 2) Strength in the face of pain or grief. Seems pretty clear to me that based on that definition, Caitlyn Jenner IS courageous.
IT IS GREAT THE EVERYONE HAS AN OPINION; that is his. Many people seek world-wide fame and never achieve it. Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner had it and surrendered it to achieve personal peace. (S)He could have done it in private and kept the fame but like the winner that (s)he is; he used it to shine a compassionate light on others. Just as the sports world celebrated his fame at the Olympics the transgender world is celebrating their own freedom by someone who has the ear of the world. Perhaps he was given world-wide acclaim and 65 years as a down payment on his destiny and the assignment for his life. We all have one and when the time comes, we will have to fulfill it. BE CAREFUL, Pharaoh thought his power for him as well, however, God through Scripture said: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”~Romans 9:17–Remember Isaiah 55:8 regarding God’s ways and thoughts; they are not like ours. Things aren’t always as they seem.
Amen DL Hugley!!!! Well said!
I don’t get it. How does someone get a courage award for denying their own identity? Instead of dealing with the cards you were dealt, someone lies and pays money to change their appearance. That is the opposite of courage… Courage is walking into a burning building, into a gun fight, or into a recruiters office to sign 8 years of their life to their country. This world has no idea what true courage is and believes that coming out of the closet on YouTube is a bigger achievement than saving lives.. No, just no.
DL is so blind to this. He does realize this was NOT a competition, but an award for ‘RECOGNITION of courage’ by a commercial sports media network (not unlike the MTV ‘Moonwalk’ award in terms of industry and status), right?
But really – that this was NOT about HER at all?
And it’s not about the stupid TV show that brought her into the spotlight again.
It’s about right now – what’s happening with this situation – and what voice it helps give to others.
If it helps her show in any way, whatever. Who cares? I mean, really, you’re upset because it might help with PR as well? Do you realize how ALL media you consume works? How even The Source has relationships with the artists they feature and that helps get PR in all sorts of ways?
Regardless of what these (unverified) ‘sources close to negotiations’ say…she graciously accepted this award to HELP others. That’s the important part. Her entire moment on stage was used to turn the spotlight on her onto the intolerance others face.
You may think she, herself, doesn’t deserve an award for courage. Yes, MANY athletes, and definitely Lauren Hill deserve it for their courage. Personally, they deserve such an award. And tat could be argued endlessly. Even though Caitlyn is still the same Olympian who everyone in America had no problem using as a symbolic hero. Only, had she been herself, how she really felt, she’d more likely have been ridiculed, or even beaten or murdered for it in that America. Because it still happens.
But again – it’s not about HER.
No, she has the platform. A spotlight. Whether people like that or not – and she leveraged it to shine it on something good for this world. A call for tolerance. But instead, people seem to miss that message entirely. They focus on her. And the stupid award. When we SHOULD be discussing tolerance and acceptance and equality.
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Via NYTimes:
[Caitlyn Jenner urged fellow athletes to make her cause theirs as well, for the benefit of young people who face discrimination, bullying and violence because of their identities.
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“I’m clear with my responsibility in going forward: to tell my story the right way, for me; to keep learning; to do whatever I can 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,” she said.
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“I trained hard, I competed hard, and for that people respected me,” she said. “But 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.”
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“If you want to call me names, make jokes, doubt my intentions, go ahead, because the reality is, I can take it,” she said. “But for the thousands of kids out there coming to terms with being true to who they are, they shouldn’t have to take it.”
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So…I ask DL…what part of this (non-competitive award of RECOGNITION of courage) is HER ’selfish act’ that you are so upset over? Does the possible positive effect of helping others REALLY take away from someone else’s recognition?
Or, DL, are you really upset because the whole subject makes you uncomfortable and it’s something you or other – personally – do not want (or think we need) society to address? Or is not something you feel is important?
So what? Deal with it. Be open and tolerant and accepting, and let those who DO need this, who are unspoken for, experience it. They need something that others can’t tear down.
Because it’s not about YOU, DL. It’s not about one person. It’s about that much bigger message.
Or is it just too hard to see these things from a place of privilege? Yes, we can ALL be blind from privilege – when the context of it changes – when the reason one group is being harassed, beaten and murdered just for being who they are is not something that we, personally, experience only because of our lot in life. Of course, as a white male, I sure as hell know I can be blind to my own privilege in terms of the systemic racism in America. That’s because we’re all just human and we’re all fallible.
The only way for ALL of us to overcome that, is to try harder to be MORE human, to just open our eyes, and try to see ALL people who are being marginalized, oppressed and discriminated against (also not a ‘competition’ – it’s all about context).
The simple message of this award is: Let’s see and accept people for who they really are. And let’s all have the courage to fight for that right – for all.
Unless you’d rather focus on the little things, like a reality TV celebrity. Your choice.
This thing is just another kardashean bitch now that will be nude any time and what a sight to behold
Fuck yeah!
Who is the author of all the confusion?Serena is powerful as a woman,the world want her to be weak.The world see being a female is awesome,then spend lots of money to change over,Where do we go from here????