A curated register of quotes from under-represented voices.

“ The handicap of deafness is not in the ear; it is in the mind. ”

— Marlee Matlin

“ 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, 2015

“ I think having a baby sliced out of you is pretty hardcore. ”

— Ali Wong, 2015

“ I remember when I decided to be open about my own personal mental health, it was scary to be that vulnerable and I didn't ever want anyone to think I am a victim. I thought by sharing my own story I could help others. ”

— Selena Gomez

“ If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else? ”

— RuPaul, 2009

“ Ever since I could form coherent thoughts, I knew I was a girl trapped inside a boy's body. There was never any confusion in my mind. ”

— Jazz Jennings, 2016

“ Being kind is a choice that you can make absolutely every single day. ”

— Tom Hanks, 2019

“ It is a revolutionary act simply to be who you are. ”

— Laverne Cox

“ Be kind to one another. ”

— Ellen DeGeneres

“ Why not me? ”

— Mindy Kaling, 2015

“ I recognize how hard this is for people, and I recognize how hard it is for me. But I have a certain set of skills that allow me to deal with this stuff. And I realized, with gratitude, optimism is sustainable. ”

— Michael J. Fox, 2023

“ There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself. ”

— Hannah Gadsby

“ I know that the ones who love us will miss us. ”

— Keanu Reeves, 2019

“ Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success. ”

— Denzel Washington, 2015

“ The stories we tell about communities affect the laws that get passed, the people that get attacked, the countries that get invaded. ”

— Riz Ahmed

“ Love isn't a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. ”

— Fred Rogers, 2003

“ 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, 2016

“ If your dream only includes you, it's too small. ”

— Ava DuVernay

“ There is hope in the young people out there. And I just want to say to all my peers out there doing the work in the streets: I see you, I admire you, I thank you. ”

— Zendaya, 2020

“ 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, 2021

“ 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, 2016