Dustin Lance Black’s Moving Acceptance Speech
February 22, 2009 by Sarah
Milk’s screenwriter, Dustin Lance Black, just gave the most incredible acceptance speech after being awarded Best Original Screenplay tonight at the Academy Awards. glaadBLOG is proud to present it here in its entirety.
Oh my God. This was, um. This was not an easy film to make. First off, I have to thank Cleve Jones and Anne Kronenberg and all the real-life people who shared their stories with me. And, um, Gus Van Sant, Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, James Franco, and our entire cast, my producers, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, everyone at Groundswell and Focus, for taking on the challenge of telling this life-saving story. When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother and my father moved me from a conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas to California and I heard the story of Harvey Milk. And it gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life, it gave me the hope to one day live my life openly as who I am and that maybe even I could fall in love and one day get married.
(He chokes up, audience begins to applaud.)
I want to thank my mom who has always loved me for who I am, even when there was pressure not to. But most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he’d want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches or by the government or by their families that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights, federally, across this great nation of ours. (Wild applause from the audience.) Thank you, thank you, and thank you God for giving us Harvey Milk.
But why read when you can watch? Good as You has the video. (Thanks for posting!)
Also, Think Progress –
And here is Oscars.com exclusive “Thank You Cam” with Dustin Lance Black:
[...] Contact Dustin Lance Black’s Moving Acceptance Speech. Its time to be a nation that accepts all as they are born, without judgement. Written on February 22, 2009 – 8:54 pm | by Schizo America | Milk’s screenwriter, Dustin Lance Black, just gave the most incredible acceptance speech after being awarded Best Original Screenplay tonight at the Academy Awards. glaadBLOG is proud to present it here in its entirety. [...]
[...] A transcript of openly gay writer Dustin Lance Black’s moving acceptance speech, during which he calls for LGBT equality, is available at glaadBLOG. [...]
[...] February 22 tags: Milk by JoeJoe Best Original Screenplay – Dustin Lance Black – gave the best acceptance speech of the night, in my opinion. I cried during [...]
[...] Next came Best Original Screenplay, awarded to Dustin Lance Black for Milk. (Be sure to read his moving acceptance speech here.) [...]
[...] a transcript from GLAAD: Oh my God. This was, um. This was not an easy film to make. First off, I have to thank Cleve Jones [...]
[...] I don’t know; form your own opinion about his speech. You can read the transcript on GlAAD’s blog, but it’s worth it to watch the video [...]
[...] and is central to all we believe and hope to present to the world in our publications. To read the entire transcript of Dustin’s speech, visit this page at glaadBLOG; to view Dustin’s presentation, watch it here, at Good As You (a video of Dustin’s short [...]
I wish I could tell Dustin Black in person just how his speech touched me! IT was beautiful in that it was so heart felt and heroic. His words were what so many kids need to hear..that GOD loves them and that the church for the most part has it all wrong when it comes to things gay. I pray that this film and indeed Mr Black touches many.His speech at the Oscars was ultimately inspiring and wonderfully hopeful!
GOD bless YOU Mr. Black!!
Continue to inspire!
Jezra <
[...] Story from the AP via Towleroad; transcript via GLAAD. [...]
Current TV is taking questions for Academy Award winning screenwriter of “Milk,” Dustin Lance Black to answer on TV. If you’ve got questions about making “Milk,” about his life, his story or anything else you can post them on Current.com/ask. Thanks!
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