Caitlin Jenner has started a weekly blog post called "The Real Me" in which she will explore issues and people in the LGBT community. In her first essay, she speaks about what she has already learned from her new friends in the trans community, and her newfound responsibility to her new community.
"Up until now, I have totally isolated myself from the transgender community so I have a lot of catching up to do," she writes. "I feel such a responsibility to this courageous group to try to get it right and tell all sides of the story. To me, that's always the biggest question: am I doing it right?"
Jenner is fortunate enough to have had the support of her family though her transition but notes that all transgenders are not as lucky. "I've heard every horror story there is in the book. You wouldn't believe the types of ordeals these people have had, how they have had to literally fight for their own survival," writes Jenner. "Many trans teens are bullied and abused in high school. It's just horrendous."
Jenner is still trying to adjust to her new life, and she says she is lucky enough to be surrounded by a supportive group of people, including some new trans friends. "A few weeks ago I had dinner with some of my new friends - a group of six Trans women - and I went around the table and asked each of them how long it had been since their transitions," she writes. "One said 20 years, the other one said 15 years ago...seven years ago...three years ago... They came around to me and I said, 'Two weeks.'"
A photo posted by Caitlyn Jenner (@caitlynjenner) on Jun 29, 2015 at 1:44pm PDT
Jenner's bravery and decorated Olympic history have earned her the highest honor from ESPN, as she will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2015 ESPY awards. Her new documentary series "I Am Cait" premiers July 26 at 8 p.m. EST on E!.
