Opening Ceremony's latest runway show happened on Sept. 11, or 15 years since the 9/11 attacks, less than two months before Election Day, and on the same night as the Miss America pageant. Fittingly, the fashion brand took a very patriotic approach to staging its show.

Instead of simply sending models down the runway wearing the new collection, the brand opened the floor to actors, comedians, and activists to speak about important issues our nation is facing leading up to the election.

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Whoopi Goldberg, Rashida Jones, and other well-known celebrities spoke, but it was activist Sarah McBride, the first transgender person to speak at a major political convention, whose message really hit home for the cheering crowd.

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According to The Cut, McBride was posed the question, "What does it mean to be an American?" Her response was a profound, powerful reminder that our differences are what makes this country so beautiful.

Being an American is an action, it's an ideal to strive for ... It's being part of this constantly perfecting union that with each generation expands our scope and human understanding of "We the people"... We must never be a country that says there's only one way to love, only one way to look, and only one way to live. We must be a country where everyone has the freedom to live openly and equally. A country that says that you can be gay, you can be trans, you can be a woman, you can be black, you can be Muslim, you can be anything that this society says is mutually exclusive with dreaming big dreams, you can be any and all of those things and still be seen, still be valued, and still be respected as the equal humans we all are.

McBride wrapped up the night with a few Instagrams of her new friends from the show, one of which had a caption that said, "A bit of a fish out of water, but thought it was a cool opportunity to educate!" And educate she did.

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Brooke Shunatona Brooke Shunatona is a contributing writer for Cosmopolitan.com.

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