The husband of a police officer who died leading people out of the World Trade Center on 9/11 vowed to return his wife’s Glamour award as part of the magazine’s “Women of the Year” honors because Caitlyn Jenner received the same distinction, The Washington Post reported Monday.
James Smith wrote in a letter to the magazine’s editor-in-chief that he would return the award his late wife, Moira Smith, received.
Jenner, who came out as a transgender woman earlier this year, received the same honors in a ceremony Nov. 9.
Moira Smith was 38 when she led more than 100 people from the World Trade Center, according to the Washington Post.
“I was shocked and saddened to learn that Glamour has just named Bruce Jenner ‘Woman of the Year,'” Smith wrote, using Jenner’s pre-transition name. “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 continued, according to the report. “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.”
A spokesperson for Glamour defended its decision to name Jenner a recipient in a statement to The New York Post.
“We were proud to honor his wife . . . in 2001, and we stand by our decision to honor Caitlyn Jenner,” the spokesperson said Saturday to the New York Post. “Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards recognize women with a variety of backgrounds and experiences.”
