Kerry Washington Gives Brilliant and Moving GLAAD Awards Acceptance Speech

Kerry Washington brought down the house on Saturday as she accepted the Vanguard Award at the 2015 GLAAD Media Awards, thanks to a powerful, timely, and poignant speech.

The Vanguard Award honors a member of the entertainment community who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people, and Washington didn't let the opportunity pass to open up about the state of entertainment today. "On Monday morning, people are going to click a link to hear what that woman from Scandal said at the awards show, and so, I think some stuff needs to be said," she began, before launching into a gripping speech—calling for entertainment to be more inclusive to all communities and for those who fall into those same communities to be understanding that no one loses when another makes a step forward.

"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,'" she stated.

"There is so much power in storytelling. And there is so enormous power in inclusive storytelling."

Watch the full speech here:

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