Kerry Washington Gave An Excellent Speech About Marginalised Groups And The Media Last Night

You would best know Kerry Washington from her work on Scandal — that Shonda Rhimes show which you’ve definitely never even watched, despite the fact you seem to know all about its characters. Appropriately, last night, she channeled more than a little bit of Olivia Pope.

After being presented with an award acknowledging her as an ally of the LGBT community at the GLAAD Media Awards (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), Washington gave one hell of an acceptance speech.

“Being an ally means a great deal to me, and so I’m going to say some stuff,” she said. “I might be preaching to the choir, but I’m going to say it. Not just for us, but because on Monday morning, people are going to click a link to hear what that woman from Scandal said at that award show, so I think some stuff needs to be said.”

She wasn’t wrong. Her speech, which earned a pre-emptive standing ovation that lasted right until its end, argued for greater representation of all types of people in the media, as well as a more united front to fight for the equality of all. It is getting a whole lot of well-deserved love today.

My friend @kerrywashington is preaching a spectacular sermon right now at the #GlaadMediaAwards. The words she speaks are profound.

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) March 22, 2015

“There are people in this world who have the full rights of citizenship in our communities, our countries, and around the world, and then there are those of us who, to varying degrees, do not,” she said.

“We don’t have equal access to education, to health care, and some other basic liberties like marriage, a fair voting process, fair hiring practices. Now, you would think that those of us who are kept from our full rights of citizenship would ban together and fight the good fight, but history tells us that, no, often we don’t. Women, poor people, people of colour, people with disabilities, immigrants, gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, intersex people — we have been pitted against each other and made to feel like 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. 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.”

It’s basically a much more inclusive, articulate version of what Patricia Arquette was trying to say at the Oscars.

Of course, Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes has perhaps the best reputation in the industry as an inclusive storyteller with her depiction of strong female characters, LGBT relationships and issues, and diverse racial representation, and Washington talked about her involvement in this.

Her comments also come just a couple of weeks after Scandal took on a controversial storyline based on Ferguson; one which has largely been deemed a success.

“The characters I play often do become political statements, because having your story told as a woman, as a person of colour, as a lesbian, as a trans person, or as any member of any disenfranchised community, is sadly often still a radical idea,” she said.

“We must see each other, all of us. And we must see ourselves, all of us. And we have to continue to be bold and break new ground until that is just how it is, until we are no longer ‘firsts’ and ‘exceptions’ and ‘rare’ and ‘unique’.”

You should probably just watch the full thing. Kerry Washington is nothing short of a gladiator.