Kerry Washington slams black homophobia at GLAAD speech

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Apparently, Kerry Washington needed to get some things off her chest when she delivered a speech at the GLAAD Media Awards Saturday night.

“On Monday morning, people are going to click a link to hear what that woman from Scandal said at that awards show, and so, I think some stuff needs to be said,” Washington said.

Washington, who has played LGBT characters and felt that the cause was important to her, had this to say about Hollywood’s treatment of marginalized people and characters:

Women, poor people, people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, intersex people…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.

Watch a report and clips from Kerry Washington’s speech below:

Specifically, she went on to address the fact that there is a “virulent strain” of homophobia in the black community at large.

So when black people today tell me that they don’t believe in gay marriage… So, 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.’ And then I say, ‘You know people used to stay that stuff about you and your love and if we let the government start to legislate love in our lifetime, who do you think is next?’

Her words echoed sentiments she expressed back in 2013 when she spoke with The Advocate about gay characters on Scandal.

It’s really exciting that millions of viewers each week are living life with this amazing, complex couple, stepping into their gay marriage and adoption experience, which is such a vital storyline in our show.

Keep up the good fight, Kerry.