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."