Kerry Washington - one of last night's winners at the GLAAD Media Awards for her work as an ally - gave a compelling acceptance speech emphasizing the need for marginalized groups to come together across difference (an especially salient point in the wake of Patricia Arquette's unfortunate comments on women's rights).
Washington said:
"There are people in this world who have full rights and citizenship - in our communities, our countries - around the world. And then there are those of us who to varying degrees do not. We don't have equal access to education and healthcare, and some other basic liberties like marriage, a fair voting process, fair hiring practices. Now you would think that those kept from our full rights of citizenship would band together and fight the good fight. But history tells us that no, often we don't. Women, poor people, people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, gay men, bisexuals, trans people, intersex people. We have been pitted against each other and made to feel there are limited seats at the table for those of us who fall into the category of 'other.'"
All true.
"As a result, we've become afraid of one another. We compete with one another, we judge one another. Sometimes, we betray one another. Sometimes even within our own communities we designate who among us is best suited to represent us and who really shouldn't even be invited to the party."
Yup yup.
"When black people today tell me that they don't believe in gay marriage… the first thing that I say is 'please don't let anybody try to get you to vote against your own best interest by feeding you messages of hate.' Then I say 'you know people used to say stuff like that about you and your love.'"
Certainly with that.