“We can’t say that we believe in each other’s fundamental humanity and then turn a blind eye to the reality of each other’s existence and the truth of each other’s hearts.” —GLAAD Media Awards.
“I don’t gravitate towards stories about perfect people in perfect situations because in real life there is no such thing,” she said at the 44th NAACP Image Awards.
“We cannot sit on the sidelines… There are people out there trying to take away rights that our mothers, our grandmothers and our great-grandmothers fought for. Rights that we fought for. Our right to vote. Our right to choose. Access to affordable quality education. Equal pay. Access to healthcare. And we the people cannot let that happen.” —2012 Democratic National Convention.
“Just as we must ensure that ‘We the People’ includes all Americans regardless of race, class, gender and sexual orientation, we must also work to ensure that the stories we tell, the movies we make, the television we produce, the theaters we stage, the novels we publish are inclusive in all those ways.” —44th NAACP Image Awards.
“We must be allies and we must be allies in this business because to be represented is to be humanized and as long as anyone anywhere is being made to feel less human, our very definition of humanity is at stake and we are all vulnerable,” she said at the GLAAD Media Awards.
“So many people have struggled so that you and I, all of us, could have a voice in this great democracy and live up to those first three words in our Constitution: ‘We The People'” —2012 Democratic National Convention.
“When Black people today tell me they don’t believe in gay marriage… I say people used to say stuff about that about you and your love and if we let the government start to legislate love in our lifetime who do you think is next,” she said at the GLAAD Media Awards.
“Women, poor people, people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, gay men, lesbians, bi-sexuals, 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,'” she said at the GLAAD Media Awards.
“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 first and exceptions and rare and unique. In the real world, being an other is norm and the norm is uniqueness and the media must reflect that.” —GLAAD Media Awards 2015
“We are all human beings navigating the challenges of life and love as best we can.”[GLAAD Media Awards 2012]
“People are people. Regardless of age, race, socio-economic status, or sexual orientation and that we all deserve equal rights, the full rights of citizenship, not just in Shondaland, but in the world.” [GLAAD Media Awards 2012]
“Human beings are complicated and flawed and unique. But we all have a story to tell. Gone are the days when our lead characters can only look like somebody else. Heroes look like all of us. We see ourselves in each others stories we see who we are, we see who we want to be and through that we have greater understanding of ourselves and each other.” —44th NAACP Image Awards.
“On the other side wants to take our voices away and render us invisible. But we are not invisible.” —2012 Democratic National Convention.
“I think gender is relevant. I bring something to the table as a woman; I bring something to the table as a woman of color. So I feel like, if it’s the only thing you focus on, then it’s a danger, and if you never talk about it then it’s a danger.” —Variety.
“One in four women will be a victim of domestic violence. Finances are almost always a weapon of choice. Taking away access to cash, destroying credit, jeopardizing jobs; financial abuse leaves invisible bruises that can take decades to heal.” Kerry on the Purple Purse program for domestic violence awareness.
