Kerry Washington rouses in speech on LGBT rights

Matt Donnelly | The Wrap

Scandal star Kerry Washington delivered a rousing speech on human rights, diversity in Hollywood and gender equality, bringing a star-studded crowd to its feet to applaud and cheer.

Washington was named the 2015 GLAAD Media Awards Vanguard winner on Saturday night, an honor given to significant allies of the LGBT community, in a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

"When I was told that I was going to get an award for being an ally to GLAAD, it got me thinking," she said to the crowd, which included Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Channing Tatum and Zoe Saldana.

"I'm going to say some stuff and I might be preaching to the choir, but I'm going to say it. Not just for us, but because on Monday morning people are going to click a link to hear what that woman from Scandal said at that award show, and so I think some stuff needs to be said," Washington told the audience to thunderous applause.

"Women, poor people, people of color, people with disabilities, gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, intersex people — we have been pitted against each other and made to feel there are limited seats at the table for those of us who fall into the category of 'other.' As a result, we have become afraid of one another," said Washington.

"We compete with one another, we judge one another. Sometimes, we betray one another. Sometimes even within our own communities we designate who among us is best suited to represent us and who really shouldn't even be invited to the party," she said.

With her Scandal showrunner, writer/producer Shonda Rhimes, looking on, Washington equated the human rights struggle to the decades-long fight for racial equality.

Referencing DeGeneres' 1997 coming out, Washington said it came just 30 years before the Supreme Court decided the ban against interracial marriage was unconstitutional.

"Up until then, heterosexual people of different races couldn't marry who they wanted to marry either," she said.

The actress said the similarities between interracial marriages and the on-going same sex marriage battles leave her baffled.

"When black people today tell me that they don't believe in gay marriage… the first thing that I say is 'please don't let anybody try to get you to vote against your own best interest by feeding you messages of hate.' Then I say 'you know people used to say stuff like that about you and your love.'"

The Emmy-nominated star and new mother concluded with a plea to the entertainment industry urging more diverse hires on every level.

"We need more employment of LGBT people in front of and behind the camera," she said.