5 Inspiring Speeches on LGBT

vietpride
Jun 18, 2015
2 min read

Hilary Clinton: “Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights,” Hilary Clinton remarked in her UN speech celebrating International Human Rights Day in Geneva, Switzerland. For its context and the emphasis it puts on equality for LGBT individuals, this speech was hailed as an “historic moment” for LGBT world-wide. See the full speech below:

iO Tillett Wright: TED speeches never disappoint in being enlightening and informative. In this talk at TEDxWoman, within 20 minutes, photographer iO Tillett Wright paints you all shades of LGBTQ identities. Can you find your place in the spectrum?

Edith Windsor:

Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer were in love for more than 40 years before they got married in Canada under the Canadian Civil Marriage Act. Their fairytale did not have a happy ending, however, as Spyer passed away just 2 years after their marriage, without being recognized in the US as Windsor’s lawful “spouse” – a title restricted to heterosexual couples at the time.

At NYC Pride 2013, Windsor – then the Grand Marshall at the Pride parade, voiced her frustration that “the woman I had loved and cared for and shared my life with for 40 years, was not my legal spouse.”

Ellen Page:

Coming out is an adrenaline-infused mix of nervousness, anxiety and expectations. Ellen Page chose to be nervous, anxious and expectant in front of microphones and cameras at the Human Rights Campaigns’ “Time to Thrive” conference on Valentine’s Day, 2014.

At the climax of this eight-minute speech, the visibly shaken actress showed everyone how to be courageous by saying: “I am here today because I am gay. And because maybe I can make a difference.”

We think she fully deserved that standing O.

Maureen Walsh:

Representative Maureen Walsh is a heterosexual Washington Republican who took part in the state’s 2012 debate on gay marriage. Here, she spoke of her struggle to let go of her late husband - to challenge everyone with a moral question: “How could I deny anyone the right to have that incredible bond with another individual in life?” What’s more, Walsh also spoke of her daughter, who had come out as a lesbian, and towards whom she remained affectionate and supportive.

The incredibly moving speech used raw, naked personal emotions and a relatable point of view to motion for gay marriage. Watch the video below to see just what we mean (speech starts at 0:29)