James Smith, the husband of 2001’s Glamour Magazine’s “Women of the Year” award recipient, has returned the award because of the magazine’s recent decision to honor Caitlyn Jenner this year.
Moira Smith was deemed a hero when she died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks after leading over 100 people out of the World Trade Center. Smith was named a Glamour “Woman of the Year” the following month, but now her husband has penned a letter to the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Cyndi Lieve, to return the honor.
“I was shocked and saddened to learn that Glamour has just named Bruce Jenner ‘Woman of the Year,’” Smith wrote in a Facebook post on Nov. 12. “Was there no woman in America, or the rest of the world, more deserving than this man?”
“I can only guess that this was a publicity stunt meant to resuscitate a dying medium,” he added. “After discussing this slap in the face to the memory of our Hero with my family, I have decided to return Moira’s award to Glamour magazine.”
In a statement to the New York Post, a spokesperson for the publication defended the choice of Jenner, saying that the publication stands by the decision.
“We were proud to honor his wife… in 2001, and we stand by our decision to honor Caitlyn Jenner,” the spokesperson said. “Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards recognize women with a variety of backgrounds and experiences.”
In an interview with TheWrap last week, Lieve said she was shocked about the backlash when it was announced Jenner would receive the award.
“I don’t consider this to be a shocking or scandalous choice for most of our readers,” she said. “If you look at the beliefs of most young women in this country, they tend to believe almost overwhelmingly in LGBT rights. They believe transgender people have the same right to dignity and privacy as the rest of us. They know or work with someone who is transgender.
See Smith’s letter below.
