Bruce Jenner Makes Debut As Woman Named Caitlyn On Cover Of Vanity Fair

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- For many wondering what Bruce Jenner will look like as a woman, the wait is over.

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On Monday, Vanity Fair magazine tweeted a cover photo of Jenner with the title, "Call me Caitlyn."

Jenner posed for famed photographer Annie Leibovitz weeks after telling Diane Sawyer he was transitioning to a woman.

Jenner later tweeted, "I'm so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. Welcome to the world Caitlyn. Can't wait for you to get to know her/me."

As part of a reality TV juggernaut, it was a long and very public journey for Jenner, CBS2's Jill Nicolini reported.

"The last thing in the world I want to do is hurt any one of you," Jenner told his family. "There's just, there's just no right way to do this."

Social media blew up in reaction to the photo, and it wasn't long before Caitlyn Jenner reached a Twitter following of over 1 million.

In fact, Guinness World Records announced Jenner has set a new record for fastest time to reach 1 million followers on Twitter -- a total of 4 hours and 3 minutes.

For comparison, President Barack Obama reached 1 million Twitter followers in 5 hours, according to Forbes.

The Vanity Fair cover elicited mostly positive responses on social media.

"How beautiful! Be happy, be proud, live life YOUR way," wrote Kim Kardashian West.

Daughter Kendall Jenner tweeted "be free now pretty bird" and on Instagram said, "Now that's a cover."

Stepdaughter Khloe Kardashian called Jenner beautiful and said she couldn't be prouder.

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton called Jenner inspiring.

MTV tweeted that Caitlyn Jenner made a gorgeous debut.

Actress Emmy Rossum simply said,"Beautiful."

In Times Square, people seeing the cover for the first time couldn't believe the new look.

"Wow, that's unbelievable," Matt told 1010 WINS' Sonia Rincon. "Still has the manly legs."

"He looks amazing," Jocelyn said.

"He's sexy," one man said.

"He is killing it, I'm sorry I love it," Jamira said.

"I did not recognize her at all -- him or her -- I don't know, at all," Michael said. "(Rincon: I guess he's a she now) I think so, a pretty one too."

Photos: Transgender Celebrities

During a-behind-the-scenes video of the photo shoot, Jenner said, "I was probably at the games because I was running away from a lot of things. I'm very, very proud of the accomplishment. I don't want to diminish that accomplishment. The last few days of doing 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 me a 'thataboy Bruce' pat on the back. This is about your life. Bruce always had to tell a lie. He was always living that lie. Every day he always had a secret, from morning to night."

"Caitlyn doesn't have any secrets. Soon as the Vanity Fair cover comes out, I'm free."

Following the cover's release, GLAAD released a statement, saying "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."

As CBS2's Valerie Castro explained, the transformation was one that Jenner had waited for more than 60 years.

"To be able to see him wind up on the cover of Vanity Fair looking so beautiful, radiating from the inside out, it just feels like a triumph," said Glennda Testone, executive director of the LGBT Community Center.

Testone called the reveal an opportunity to open up the dialogue about the struggles trans-people face every day.

"I just feel like he's doing a very courageous thing, letting us into his, into her life and letting America see what she's been going through," she said.

Some may struggle with the new identity, seeing the former Olympic athlete in an entirely different light.

"Mid-40s, 50s, 60s, these days middle age, they struggle a little more. Bruce Jenner was a great Olympic athlete, to me again, that doesn't take anything away," said clinical psychologist Dr. Harris Stratyner.

ESPN also announced Monday that Jenner will receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at this year's ESPY Awards.

In:
• Vanity Fair