At the GLAAD Media Awards last weekend, actor Kerry Washington received the Vanguard Award—and used her acceptance speech to talk about what it means to be an ally across many types of identity.
The Vanguard award is “presented to media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equality,” and Washington proved she was worthy of the honor. “I think some stuff needs to be said,” she told the audience, and then said it:
History tells us that often we don’t [band together] … women, poor people, people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, intersex people. We have been pitted against each other and made to feel that there are limited seats at the table for those of us who fall into the category of ‘other.’ As a result, we have become afraid of one another. We compete with one another. We judge one another. Sometimes, we betray one another.
Among other things, Washington mentions people in the Black community who don’t support marriage equality. Over at the Daily Beast, in response to Washington’s speech, Stereo Williams questions whether homophobia is really more endemic in the Black community than the White—which I don’t think is what Washington was saying, but bears noting.
Listen to her whole amazing speech that calls for allyship and the need to share and tell all our stories.
Congratulations, too, to the fine women at Autostraddle who won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Blog. I had the honor of receiving the same award in 2012, and I continue to be in good company.
