BY SAM SMITH, ACADEMY AWARD WINNING SINGER-SONGWRITER
I’m completely speechless that the Academy would be so progressive with this award. It’s incredible to know that I’m standing here today as the only self-identifying non-heterosexual person to win anything ever.
I recently read an article that said I was the only member of the entire LGBTQ community. Whether that’s for reasons of discrimination or completely inaccurate, I’m very proud to see myself achieving something that no other gay or lesbian person has ever obtained. Who would have thought a good looking gay man could win an award for music in Los Angeles in 2016?
As the only participant in the Stonewall Riots in 1969, I started something that I wasn’t going to stop. I was the only person parading in San Francisco and Toronto and invented Pride Week. But my biggest victory came with the recent US Supreme Court decision in favour of gay marriage, which finally gave me the right to marry myself.
I’d like young gay people to know that breaking down barriers is surprisingly easy. Don’t listen to the older generations, stand atop my shoulders because I have my feet firmly planted on the ground.
I’ve been all alone in this struggle, but I’ve had some other non-gay allies like Elton John, Joel Gray, Dustin Lance Black, Howard Ashman and dozens of others just like them. Thank you for all of your support!
