Kerry Washington's Speech Will Change the Way You Think About Equality

Beauty, brains, and talent — Kerry Washington really has it all and then some. On Saturday, the actress had a winning night at the GLAAD Media Awards in LA. After Kerry stunned on the red carpet with Shonda Rhimes — the woman who created Scandal and pretty much succeeds with everything she does — the ladies took their seats in the audience next to cute couple Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi.

Ellen later had the honor of presenting Kerry with the vanguard award, which GLAAD gives to "media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting LGBT equality and acceptance." Kerry could have given your typical acceptance speech, but as she explained, she opted for an inspiring message "because, on Monday morning, people are going to click a link to hear what that woman from Scandal said at that award show." In the moments that followed, Kerry received several rounds of applause when she touched on LGBT issues, racism, and gender equality in America. "We can't say that we believe in each other's fundamental humanity and then turn a blind eye to the reality of each other's existence and the truth of each other's hearts," she said, explaining why we're all in the fight for equality together. "Women, poor people, people of color, people with disabilities, we have been pitted against each other and made to feel like there are limited seats at the table for those of us who fail into the category of 'other.'"

Kerry wasn't the only person at the show who grabbed headlines over the weekend, as Zoe Saldana made controversial comments about the Dolce & Gabbana boycott. Keep reading to watch her rousing speech and see pictures of Kerry's winning night, and then check out her incredible evolution over the years.