Newtown High School Graduate Bruce Jenner Debuts as 'Caitlyn'

Olympic Gold Medalist and reality TV star Bruce Jenner, who graduated from Newtown High School in 1968, appears on the cover of the upcoming issue of Vanity Fair magazine as Caitlyn Jenner, the woman she has transitioned into becoming.

The 22-page article in the magazine is highlighted by photographs of Caitlyn by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, who also snapped the cover shot. The issue hits newsstands June 9.

Related:

• Bruce Jenner’s Former Newtown High Football Coach Speaks Out
• Bruce Jenner’s Transition to Being a Woman Started in Tarrytown

“That was a good day, but the last couple of days were better,” Jenner told the article’s writer, Buzz Bissinger, comparing winning the gold medal in 1976 to shooting the pictures for the magazine. “This shoot was about my life and who I am as a person. It’s not about the fanfare, it’s not about people cheering in the stadium, it’s not about going down the street and everybody giving you ‘that a boy, Bruce,’ pat on the back, O.K. This is about your life.”

In an exclusive interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer that aired in April, Jenner spoke about her youth in Tarrytown, NY, and Newtown, where she first discovered her desire to become a woman. She used to sneak into her mother’s closet and put on her clothing.

“I marked the closet so when I put it back I could put it all back, everything back in the exact same spot so I wouldn’t get caught,” said Jenner. “And, at the time, I didn’t know why I was doing it besides it just made me feel good.”

“By sharing her journey with the world, Caitlyn Jenner is accelerating acceptance of transgender people everywhere and reminds us all how important it is to live as your most authentic self,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement.

Jenner immediately received an outpouring of support on social media.

Photo: Vanity Fair magazine featuring Caitlyn Jenner, shot by Annie Leibovitz