Caitlyn Jenner Notes Area Trans Teen's Suicide in Arthur Ashe Speech

Caitlyn Jenner used her Arthur Ashe Courage Award acceptance speech at the ESPY Awards Wednesday to advocate for transgender youth who are bullied, beaten up and murdered. (Screenshot via ABC News)

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Caitlyn Jenner highlighted the tragedy of the suicide of a transgender teen from West Bloomfield Wednesday in an acceptance speech for the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, using the platform to increase awareness to the ”staggering” price paid by teens and others struggling with their gender identity.

The former Bruce Jenner accepted the award, one of the most prestigious in sports, in a televised ESPY Awards ceremony. The award recognized the 1976 Olympic gold medalist’s athletic prowess, but also the courage she’s displayed since coming out to the world as transgender in April.

During her acceptance speech, Jenner said her own journey has provided an eye-opening education into the struggles of transgender individuals, especially young people

“They’re getting bullied, they’re getting beaten up, they’re getting murdered and they’re committing suicide. The numbers ... are staggering, but they are the reality of what it is like to be trans today,’ she said.

“Just last month, the body of 17-year-old Mercedes Williamson, a transgender young woman of color was found in a field in Mississippi stabbed to death. I also want to tell you about Sam Taub, a 15-year-old transgender young man from Bloomfield, Michigan. In early April, Sam took his own life,” Jenner said.

“Now, Sam’s story haunts me in particular because his death was a few days before ABC aired my interview with Diane Sawyer,” she said. “Every time something like this happens, people wonder, ‘Could it have been different, if spotlighting this issue with more attention could have changed the way things happen?’ We’ll never know.”

Geoff Taub of West Bloomfield, who told The Oakland Press he was shocked when they hear his name on the nationally televised program, said he hopes other transgender youth will be inspired by Jenner.

“Sam took the cause on for others,” Goeff Taub said. “So I think Caitlyn Jenner is continuing what Sam is doing.”

Around Christmas time, Samantha Noel Taub told her dad that she was boy and wanted to be called Samuel Nicholas. “It’s about heart, not parts,” the West Bloomfield High School freshman reportedly said at the time.

In the months since his son’s suicide, Goeff Taub said he has heard from other transgender teens who “told me how much Sam helped them, defended them and warded off bullies. Privately, he took a lot of bullies down. He was an advocate.”

There’s no evidence Sam was bullied, his father said, but he battled anorexia, anxiety and depression.

“If you’re in a girl’s body and you know that you’re a boy inside, it’s very confusing,” Goeff Taub said. “It’s a lot of pressure.”

In her acceptance speech Wednesday, Jenner said that with the responsibility of the spotlight comes responsibility, especially for athletes young people often adopt as role models.

“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,” she said. “And then more broadly to promote a very simple idea: accepting people for who they are. Accepting people’s differences.

“My plea to you tonight is to join me in making this one of your issues as well. …”