Bruce Jenner Comes Out as Transgender

"For all intents and purposes, I am a woman."

That's how Bruce Jenner revealed his transgender identity tonight in his much-anticipated interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer.

The "Keeping Up with The Kardashians" star has spent most of his adult life in the public eye, as he won multiple Olympic medals and became a world-class athlete before marrying Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner and becoming a reality TV star.

Jenner revealed that it took effort to keep his true gender identity concealed while being on TV almost every week. "I had the story," Jenner said. "We've done 420 episodes, I think, and the entire run I kept thinking to myself... the one real true story in the family was the one I was hiding."

In the interview, Bruce spoke of himself in third person when talking about the Bruce Jenner that's been known to the public. He also requested that, for now, he be referred to with the masculine pronoun.

Already, the 65-year-old Jenner's story has sparked both interest and praise from outside sources. GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis released a statement after the interview, saying, "Today, millions of people learned that someone they know is transgender."

Indeed, Jenner's very public transition may help to demystify transgender issues for the uninitiated, as most other trans celebrities (like "Orange is the New Black" star Laverne Cox) have only become famous after their transition.

Support for Bruce and for the transgender community has begun to pour out on Twitter. "We have the chance to write this moment in history together," wrote Lady Gaga. "Let's empower people like Bruce all over the world by being loving & not mean."

Bruce himself asked the audience to "keep an open mind and an open heart" in his interview.

As for Bruce's family, daughter Kylie Jenner put in her two cents as the interview aired: "Now that is bravery," she wrote.