Shaking his fine shoulder length hair out of a pony tail, Bruce Jenner, the patriarch of the Kardashian family television franchise declared he was a woman.
"For all intents and purposes, I am a woman," Jenner told Diane Sawyer in his much-hyped confessional interview screening on the US ABC network.
"People look at a me differently. They see you as this macho male', but my heart and soul, and what I do in life… that female side is part of me. I was not genetically born that way."
The former Olympian decathlon gold medallist, Jenner, who is 65, says he has not undergone gender reassignment surgery.
"As of now I have all the male parts, and all that kind of stuff, and in a lot ways we're different, but we still identify as female. And that's very hard for Bruce Jenner to say, because, why? I don't want to disappoint people."
Asked if his transition from man to woman was part of a shameless selling of the reality television show, Jenner hooted: "Are you telling me I'm going to go through a complete gender change, OK, and undergo everything to do that for the show? "It ain't happening!
"Diane, do you know anything about what I've been going through all my life? What I'm doing is going to do so much good and we're going to change the world."
The positive support from Jenner's daughter Kylie was instant.
..this isn't about me. I'm so proud of you, Dad. You are so brave. My beautiful Hero.— Kylie Jenner (@KylieJenner) April 25, 2015
And stepchildren:
Just finished watching the #BruceJennerInterview with the family. Bruzer, I'm soooo proud of you! Dads really are heros ❤️— Khloé (@khloekardashian) April 25, 2015
Couldn't be a more proud daughter. With courage and bravery, let's change the world. I am honored to stand by Bruce's side and support him.— Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) April 25, 2015
GLAAD, formerly known as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, issued a note to editors advising that since Jenner had not advised them of a name change, his wishes should be respected and he should be referred in the male pronoun.