By Chris Azzopardi
In 2019, out glam-rocker Adam Lambert encouraged us to keep fighting, out musician Ben Platt talked about authenticity, out actress Anna Paquin underlined how film and TV can change minds, and out “Schitt’s Creek” creator Dan Levy was in awe of his show’s resonance. Country music superstars Trisha Yearwood and Miranda Lambert also chimed in on LGBTQ issues, speaking out on their LGBTQ allyship. Meanwhile, A-list screen allies like Jamie Lee Curtis, Laura Linney, Amy Poehler, Charlize Theron and Laura Dern continued to show up for the community, discussing everything from their queer-inclusive movies to their longtime activism. Here’s a look back at 2019’s most memorable quotes:
“Keep going, keep pushing. And when the opposition is stronger, we have to push back stronger.” – Adam Lambert
(Photos courtesy Q-Syndicate)
“One of the wonderful things about the LGBTQ community is that they kind of throw caution to the winds and it’s a moment where people get together and celebrate the positive rather than the negative.” – Anjelica Huston on Pride
“I think that people learn about people they don’t understand through entertainment. That’s one of our most powerful tools for bringing people out of their own bubble and their own world.” – Anna Paquin
“If you’re authentic, I think that’s the most attractive quality beyond just a beautiful voice, feeling like this is undoubtedly exactly who you are.” – Ben Platt
“The reason why I fight the good fight: to try to make people see it the way I’ve been seeing it my whole life.” – Carly Rae Jepsen on normalizing the LGBTQ community
“I experimented and I did what I think every young person should do: feel brave enough and free enough in order to figure it out.” – Charlize Theron
“To now be in the position that I am, getting to write what I find to be a really lovely queer romance that millions of people get to watch, it’s quite profound.” – Dan Levy
“You know, no one’s coming up to me going, ‘Oh god, that was fantastic!’ I mean, it’s so far gone. It’s far in the past. Who cares! But it’s nice to hear and I hope somebody enjoyed it. It’s like, maybe Goldie enjoyed it. Or Bette! They’ve had more interesting lives.” – Diane Keaton on ‘The First Wives Club’ now
Photo: Eric Charbonneau
“I don’t even know what Twitter or twatter is! And I really don’t want to.” – Dionne Warwick
“I don’t think it’s anybody’s business what people’s sexuality is, to be perfectly honest. I find it like a reverse discrimination. People’s private lives are their private lives and whether I’ve ever kissed a girl – have not – is irrelevant to whatever advocacy I participate in.” – Jamie Lee Curtis
“What if we could just stay in the place of being completely open?” – Judith Light
“I say that it goes together for me, my faith and my love for not just gays but people.” – Kristin Chenoweth
“The idea of just being present, it’s the way I approach the relationship with my son, the not judging. I’m not going at it trying to make him into something he doesn’t want to be.” – Kyle MacLachlan
“I wouldn’t say full-blown icon. Like, mini. I’m sort of like a mini icon.” – Laura Linney
“It was so special, and when he was giving me permission to post about it, we both cried because it was such a big moment. I see now, talking about it, why it’s a big moment for other people: because it was a big moment for us too.” – Miranda Lambert on posting WorldPride pics of her and her gay brother
“I think questioning yourself or questioning the context you’re in comes natural to this community, and for me that’s something that I feel connected to…” – Robyn
“I know it’s still not easy in certain circles, but I like where we are and where we’re going. We preach ‘love one another’ and that’s what we’re supposed to do.” – Trisha Yearwood
“I hope they take away that I haven’t lost hope. That I still believe that people are good and that we’ll get through this.” – Wanda Sykes on her Netflix comedy special, ‘Not Normal’
“The older I get the more I realize I feel much more comfortable in menswear. I like the feel of it. I feel much more myself.” – Amy Poehler
“I am letting her know that she should be free to love who she wants. I think it’s very clear that that mother is letting her know that she knows she needs to be her true self and whatever that looks like for her is incredible.” – Laura Dern on playing Mrs. March in ‘Little Women’
