Hilary Swank Transgender Acceptance

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published 14 April 15

Fifteen years ago, Hilary Swank won an Oscar for portraying murdered transgender youth Brandon Teena in Boys Don't Cry. Today, Swank says society has "taken strides since that movie" but still has "a long way to go."

"It's astonishing to me that we are here in 2015 and there are so many issues that need to be looked at and handled," she said Thursday on the Meredith Veira Show. "We shouldn't dictate who people should love. Let people love people."

On Wednesday, President Obama called for an end to conversion therapy (opens in new tab), which, if enacted into law, could count as another significant step toward trans acceptance.

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Chelsea Peng

Chelsea Peng is a writer and editor who was formerly the assistant editor at MarieClaire.com. She's also worked for The Strategist and Refinery29, and is a graduate of Northwestern University. On her tombstone, she would like a GIF of herself that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, she's into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard she has to go lie down.