There were easily a million things that made the HRC Gala unforgettable. I felt so fortunate to be there - to feel not just safe, but respected, held, seen, and honored by everyone at the event and at the Waldorf Astoria.
February 11th, 2017
I understand that this is a great privilege, and that many members of the LGBTQ community find such a show of ostentation to be in distasteful contrast to a daily fight for dignity.
Many find the disconnect between Hollywood and reality to be not just jarring but violent. But I believe that alliances must be formed wherever possible, and that a community ,such as the 'Hollywood elite', having power does not make them necessarily corrupt. Many genuinely want to connect and to understand and were drawn to the art by a love of human justice that they cannot quell. All in all, I am so grateful that I had the chance to go. After feeling for most of my life that I was not seen, it really did something for me.
If you have a chance, at least check out the end. I cannot stop adoring her:
"If you think people were mad when they thought the government was coming after their guns, wait til you see what happens when they try to take away our happiness."
"If you think people were mad when they thought the government was coming after their guns, wait til you see what we do when they try to take our happiness."