As someone who does not have a tv or cable service (by choice), I know very little about Ms Washington–but I know Karen is quite the fan. So it’s with great, great pleasure, that I post video of an absolutely amazing speech that she gave when she accepted the Vanguard Award as an ally at the #glaadawards:

She hits all the important points that we so often ignore, at our peril: the more we allow ourselves to be divided into smaller groups based on insignificant, trivial differences, the more fucked up the world becomes.

When Daniel Dae Kim, of LOST and Hawaii 5-0 fame, posted a picture of his family from when he was little more than a baby, with a message of acceptance and inclusiveness, the response was–sadly–quite predictable: a racist slur with the “drop dead” colofon.

From the nbcnews piece:

“I think it’s important to also shine a light on the parts of my life that are not so glamorous,” he said. “And if you follow me as a fan or if you’re a friend, you should know this is part of my experience here and part of my career.”

…

“I came across this photo of my family—that actually just happened to fall out of a book while I was cleaning my house—and it made me think of my parents and what their dreams were when they came to America,” said Kim. “When they had their whole lives ahead of them, and I thought about what they sacrificed for me to be here in America today, and it just made me feel very grateful for what they did.”

…

“I’m not saying, ‘Boo hoo, woe is me, I’m experiencing prejudice,'” he explained. “I’m merely saying that ‘In my experience as an American, this is part of it.'”

…

“It’s a shame that immigrants today are denigrated and treated so poorly. When you look at what’s written under the Statue of Liberty, it’s the immigrant story. It’s about ‘bring me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.’ It’s not about ‘only bring me only your rich, your wealthy, your smart.'” he said. “These stories are what have made this country the greatest in the history of the world. And to me, my family story is just one thread in the fabric that makes up the culture of this country.”

On that note–and dammit, I cannot embed it!–I love this video of his on diversity, Hollywood and a post racial society.