On July 15, Caitlyn Jenner was honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2015 ESPYs. During her speech, she spoke about her "eye-opening, inspiring and also frightening" journey to get to where she was, and addressed the many questioning youths across the country.
Jenner went on to point out a similar line between the hardworking athletes and struggling transgender individuals.
"I know that [the] people in this room have respect for hard work, for training, for going through something difficult to achieve the outcome that you desire. I trained hard, I competed hard, and for that, people respected me. But this transition has been harder on me than anything I could have imagined, and that's the case for so many others besides me. For that reason alone, trans people deserve something vital: they deserve your respect."
Jenner implored those watching to help build a more "compassionate society" by respecting others' choices to be who they are. "If you want to call me names, make jokes, doubt my intentions, [then] go ahead, because the reality is, I can take it. 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."
Following the airing of the show, the selection of Jenner as the award recipient was met with a mixed response on social media. Many praised Jenner for her speech, calling it "beautiful, moving" and "inspiring".
Respect to @Caitlyn_Jenner. Beautiful, moving, inspiring speech tonight at the #Espys. We are a better people because of your courage.
— Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) July 16, 2015Caitlyn Jenner. Bravo. An inspiration to many. Another great message. ESPYS hitting the serious notes very well tonight. @itscrab #TPTxESPYS
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) July 16, 2015In contrast, there were also many who cited individuals that were "more deserving." claiming that Jenner's actions were unworthy of the award, as she was "not a true hero".
The fact that Bruce Jenner getting the award over Lauren Hill shows how truly lost the world is.. #ESPYS pic.twitter.com/yyXwb8uxKk
— #Knicks:( (@KrisDaFit) July 14, 2015Caitlyn Jenner just got a 15 minute special about becoming a woman. Leah got 3 minutes for fighting cancer, Stuart Scott 0. #ESPYS
— Andrew Luck (@FauxAndyLuck) July 16, 2015SPC Pedro Millet should get the @ESPYS Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Not @Caitlyn_Jenner He's a TRUE #HERO @USArmy #Army pic.twitter.com/pdNPhMvNRr
— BigJavi (@bigjavi973) July 7, 2015Many internet memes soon followed, ridiculing the situation further. (The post has since been deleted.)
On July 17, however, U.S. Army soldier Joey Vicente responded to those who claimed that others were more deserving of the award. Vincente scolded the negative commenters, insisting that Jenner is, in fact, a hero and that those that disagree don't have the power to change that fact.
With all of this being said, I'd like to raise the important question: What defines someone as a hero? Is it the words that someone speaks or the actions that someone takes? Is it the ideas that they bring forth or the legacy they leave behind?
In a child's mind, a hero is synonymous with the characters they see on television and read about in their comic books. As they grow older, their heroes grow to become their parents, their educators, their favorite celebrities ... all of which have one thing in common. They are all role models, each with a different purpose.
Parents are the foundation on which children build their values and beliefs. Educators guide children towards their potential, and the celebrities we see on the media provide an assortment of traits and attributes that we, as a growing society, consciously or unconsciously try to emulate in our own lives.
According to the Cambridge American dictionary, the term hero is defined as "a person admired for bravery, great achievements, or good qualities." In this sense, a hero can be ... well, just about anyone.
It doesn't take much to affect one person's life — to change the way someone views another and to inspire someone so much to change the way they live their life. For some, that's what Marines and athletes have done. In others, that's exactly what Caitlyn Jenner has done. Both, in some way, shape and form, have saved lives and, if you ask any child today, I'm sure they'd tell you that Superman and Wonder Woman have done all of that as well. So they must all be superheroes!
My point is, there is no set definition for what a hero is — you decide that for yourself. Caitlyn Jenner does not have to be your hero, but for those who claim that she is, you have no right to claim that she isn't.
Our society is changing. The focus of the media is shifting as the times get increasingly chaotic, and yet all we can talk about is who is a hero and who isn't. Caitlyn Jenner won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, that is a fact, but one award does not speak for the many others who are to be honored. There simply would not be enough trophies to produce.
If someone claims that Caitlyn Jenner is their hero, so be it. If their hero is Batman or Spiderman, that's cool too. The more accepting we become of others, the closer we get to becoming, like Jenner pictured, a more "compassionate society."
"We're all different, and that's not a bad thing. That's a good thing. And while it may not be easy to get past the things you always don't understand, I want to prove that it is absolutely possible if we only do it together." — Caitlyn Jenner
To watch Caitlyn Jenner's full speech, see below.
man running in forestPhoto by 
