Quotes
“ There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself. ”
— Hannah Gadsby
Entertainment Women LGBTQ+ She / Her · Pronounced: HAN-uh GADZ-bee
She / Her · Pronounced: HAN-uh GADZ-bee
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
Context From Gadsby's show Nanette, which reframed stand-up around trauma and survival.
Read More: LGBTQ+ Voices
“ I remember that love conquers fear, always, and that to be a man means accepting myself, weaknesses and all. That's my true superpower. ”
— Terry Crews
Entertainment Male Role Models Male Allies He / Him · Pronounced: TAIR-ee KROOZ
He / Him · Pronounced: TAIR-ee KROOZ
Context Crews, who has spoken openly about surviving sexual assault, on redefining strength as honesty rather than hardness. Included as both a role model and an ally standing with survivors.
“ This is politics for me. This is my life. I had to fight my entire life to get to the place where I could wear a dress to the Oscars. ”
— Billy Porter
Entertainment Black LGBTQ+ He / Him · Pronounced: BIL-ee POR-ter
He / Him · Pronounced: BIL-ee POR-ter
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
Context Porter on his red-carpet fashion as a political statement, not just style.
Read More: LGBTQ+ Voices
“ I know that the ones who love us will miss us. ”
— Keanu Reeves
Entertainment Male Role Models He / Him · Pronounced: kee-AH-noo REEVZ
He / Him · Pronounced: kee-AH-noo REEVZ
Context Reeves' answer when asked what he thinks happens when we die, widely shared for its quiet warmth.
“ I can't overstate the biggest joy, which is really seeing yourself. I know I look different to others, but to me I'm just starting to look like myself. ”
— Elliot Page
Entertainment Trans LGBTQ+ He / Him · Pronounced: EL-ee-ut PAYJ
He / Him · Pronounced: EL-ee-ut PAYJ
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
Context Page on the relief of finally seeing himself in the mirror.
Read More: LGBTQ+ Voices
“ I became an artist, and thank god I did, because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life. ”
— Viola Davis
Entertainment Women Black She / Her · Pronounced: vy-OH-luh DAY-viss
She / Her · Pronounced: vy-OH-luh DAY-viss
Context Davis's Oscars speech for Fences, on the purpose of her profession.
“ Language brings with it an identity and a culture, or at least the perception of it. A shared language says 'We're the same.' A language barrier says 'We're different.' ”
— Trevor Noah
Entertainment Black Global South He / Him · Pronounced: TREV-er NOH-uh
He / Him · Pronounced: TREV-er NOH-uh
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
Context Noah, who grew up mixed-race under apartheid South Africa, on language as a tool of belonging or exclusion.
“ Turn your wounds into wisdom. ”
— Oprah Winfrey
Entertainment Women Black She / Her · Pronounced: OH-prah WIN-free
She / Her · Pronounced: OH-prah WIN-free
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
Context Winfrey on turning hardship into insight, a thread running through her own story.
“ It's our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America. ”
— Patricia Arquette
Entertainment Women She / Her · Pronounced: puh-TRISH-uh ar-KET
She / Her · Pronounced: puh-TRISH-uh ar-KET
Context Arquette's Best Supporting Actress speech, which put wage equality on a global stage.
“ Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success. ”
— Denzel Washington
Entertainment Male Role Models Black He / Him · Pronounced: den-ZEL WOSH-ing-tun
He / Him · Pronounced: den-ZEL WOSH-ing-tun
Source: Commencement address, Dillard University · original link to be verified
Context Washington on treating setbacks as part of moving forward rather than reasons to stop.
“ I must find positive outlets for anger or it will destroy me... the highest positive is forgiveness. ”
— Sidney Poitier
Entertainment Male Role Models Black He / Him · Pronounced: SID-nee pwah-tee-AY
He / Him · Pronounced: SID-nee pwah-tee-AY
Context Poitier, the first Black man to win the Best Actor Oscar, on channelling anger rather than being consumed by it.
“ I'm not OK with someone writing the Asian experience for an Asian character. ”
— Awkwafina
Entertainment Women Asian She / Her · Pronounced: awk-wuh-FEE-nuh
She / Her · Pronounced: awk-wuh-FEE-nuh
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
Context Awkwafina on the importance of authorship, not just casting, in Asian stories.
Read More: Asian Voices
“ Be kind to one another. ”
— Ellen DeGeneres
Entertainment Women LGBTQ+ She / Her · Pronounced: EL-en duh-JEN-er-iss
She / Her · Pronounced: EL-en duh-JEN-er-iss
Context DeGeneres's daily sign-off, which grew into a signature message.
Read More: LGBTQ+ Voices
“ It is a revolutionary act simply to be who you are. ”
— Laverne Cox
Entertainment Black LGBTQ+ Trans She / Her · Pronounced: luh-VERN KOKS
She / Her · Pronounced: luh-VERN KOKS
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
Context Cox on visibility as an act of courage, from a pioneering trans actor.
Read More: LGBTQ+ Voices
“ It's hard as a young person of a different ethnicity or background to look at the TV and not see anyone who looks like you. ”
— Zendaya
Entertainment Women Black She / Her · Pronounced: zen-DAY-uh
She / Her · Pronounced: zen-DAY-uh
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
Context Zendaya on why on-screen representation matters to young viewers.
Their Story American actor who became the youngest woman ever, and the second Black woman, to win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, for her role in 'Euphoria', a win she repeated in 2022.
Her Emmy acceptance speeches are direct primary sources. See Their Full Story
“ Just me existing, as an openly black transgender woman from a working-class background, thriving, is a political act. ”
— Laverne Cox
Entertainment Women Black Trans LGBTQ+ She / Her · Pronounced: luh-VERN KOKS
She / Her · Pronounced: luh-VERN KOKS
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
Context Cox on visibility itself as resistance.
Read More: LGBTQ+ Voices
“ I'm definitely not all Asians, but the thing that I've always done is aggressively been myself. ”
— Awkwafina
Entertainment Women Asian She / Her · Pronounced: awk-wuh-FEE-nuh
She / Her · Pronounced: awk-wuh-FEE-nuh
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
Context Awkwafina on refusing to carry the weight of representing an entire community alone.
Read More: Asian Voices
“ There's absolutely nothing wrong with you. ”
— Elliot Page
Entertainment Trans LGBTQ+ He / Him · Pronounced: EL-ee-ut PAYJ
He / Him · Pronounced: EL-ee-ut PAYJ
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
Context Page's message to trans youth while promoting his memoir.
Read More: LGBTQ+ Voices
“ Blood, sweat and respect. First two you give, the last one you earn. ”
— Dwayne Johnson
Entertainment Male Role Models He / Him · Pronounced: DWAYN JON-sun
He / Him · Pronounced: DWAYN JON-sun
Context Johnson, in his own words, on why respect can't be demanded, only earned.
“ I think having a baby sliced out of you is pretty hardcore. ”
— Ali Wong
Entertainment Women Asian She / Her · Pronounced: AH-lee WONG
She / Her · Pronounced: AH-lee WONG
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
Context Wong, known for candid stand-up about pregnancy and motherhood.
Read More: Asian Voices
“ Stop talking about it. I'm going to stop calling you a white man. And I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man. I know you as Mike Wallace. You know me as Morgan Freeman. ”
— Morgan Freeman
Entertainment Male Role Models Black He / Him · Pronounced: MOR-gun FREE-mun
He / Him · Pronounced: MOR-gun FREE-mun
Context Freeman, on why he resists being defined by racial labels rather than simply being known as himself.
