ENGLISH SPEECH KATY PERRY People Can Change English Subtitles
Thank you, guys.
A little back story.
Shannon Woodward, one of my best friends … A
lot of my best friends are here tonight because
I love them and I’m obsessed with them,
and I’m loyal.
They’ve taught me pretty much everything
I know.
Shannon, actually, I used to sleep on her
couch.
I was couch-surfing on her couch and I used
to eat her frozen chicken tenders from Trader
Joe’s.
They were so good.
Here is the thing about that woman, we’ve
kind of like raised each other.
I’ll get into it in a second, but basically
one time, I said, “I’m not a feminist
because I don’t grow hair underneath my
arms,” and stuff like that because I really
didn’t understand what that meant.
She lovingly pulled me aside as the strong
woman she is and great friend, and those are
great friends, and she goes, “Hey, this
is what the word ‘feminist’ means.”
I was like, “What?
This whole time?
I’m a feminist.”
I love her so very much and I love all my
friends that teach me everything that I’ve
learned today so thank you so much for this
incredible, humbling award.
I got to say there is no other community that
has done more to shape who I am today, and
there is no other community that I believe
in more than you.
This community here tonight has achieved more
progress toward a more perfect union in a
short amount of time as any group in our history.
I stand with you and I know that we stand
together against discrimination whether it
be in the LGBTQ community, or our Latino brothers
and sisters, or the millions of Muslims in
this country.
I’m just a singer-songwriter, honestly.
I speak my truths and I paint my fantasies
into these little bite-size pop songs.
For instance, I kissed a girl and I liked
it.
Truth be told: (a) I did more than that and
… (b) how was I going to reconcile that
with a gospel singing girl raised in youth
groups that were pro-conversion camps?
What I did know is that I was curious and
even then I knew sexuality wasn’t as black
and white as this dress.
Honestly, I haven’t always gotten it right,
but in 2008, when that song came out, I knew
that I started a conversation that a lot of
the world seemed curious enough to sing along
to.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane for one
second.
My first words were mama and dada, God and
Satan.
Right and wrong were taught to me on felt
boards and of course through the glamorous
Jan Crouch crying diamond teardrops every
night on that Vaseline-TBN television screen.
Make some noise if you know who I’m talking
about.
When I was growing up, homosexuality was synonymous
with the word abomination and hell, a place
of gnashing of teeth, continuous burning of
skin and probably Mike Pence’s ultimate
guest list for a barbecue.
No way, no way!
I wanted the pearly gates and the unlimited
fro-yo toppings.
Most of my unconscious adolescence, I prayed
the gay away at my Jesus camps, but then in
the middle of it all, in a twist of events,
I found my gift and my gift introduced me
to people outside my bubble and my bubble
started to burst.
These people were nothing like who I had been
taught to fear.
They were the most free, strong, kind and
inclusive people I have ever met.
They stimulated my mind and they filled my
heart with joy and they freaking danced all
the while doing it.
These people are actually magic and they are
magic because they are living their truth.
Oh my goddess, what a revelation … and not
the last chapter of the bible.
Suffice to say, it’s been a long road for
me and I’m sure a long road for many of
you out there.
I know it doesn’t always feel safe to live
out who you are, but here’s the thing though,
I would have not chosen a different road.
Priceless lessons have been learned.
The path of discovery has made me, has tested
me and forever changed me.
You don’t get to choose your family, but
you can choose your tribe.
Many of the people I admire and trust, and
work with belong to the LGBTQ community.
Without them, I’d be half of the person
I am today.
My life is rich in every capacity because
of them.
They are trusted allies that provide a safe
space to fall, to not know it all and to make
mistakes.
These are the people I hold dear.
See, I hope I stand here as real evidence
for all that no matter where you came from,
it’s about where you are going and that
real change, real evolution and real perception
shift can happen if we open our minds and
soften our hearts.
People can change.
Believe me, it would have been easier just
to stay the whipped cream tit, spring, poppy,
light, fluffy, fun, anthems by the way of
animal totem singing girl who was basically
somewhat neutralist in a stance and just thought
more hugs could save the world.
No way.
No longer can I sit in silence.
I have to stand for what I know is true and
that is equality and justice for all, period.
That’s why the HRC is so important and I
am so grateful for them being on the front
lines every day from civil union legislation,
to repealing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’,
to getting rid of DOMA at the Supreme Court
which paved the way for marriage equality
across the country and continuing to fight
for trans equality amongst all things.
I don’t have to tell you that we have a
lot more to do.
We have to create a safe space for us to ask
questions of ourselves and others and to keep
the conversation going because the loudest
voice in the room or on your TV set isn’t
always right, but that little voice inside
of you, pushing you to discover who you are
is a trusted friend.
None of us have the answers, or all of them
at least, but it’s time to lead with empathy
and grace and compassion now more than ever
to find the unity we need now.
I’ll never cease to be a champion, an ally,
a spotlight and a loving voice for all LGBTQ
identifying people.
Whatever your sexuality, your gender, your
preferred pronouns, blossom to be, we all
know it ain’t so black and white and I will
continue to champion the people that have
been a champion for me.
Many friends and loved ones from the LGBTQ
family have raised me into the woman I am
today and I want to dedicate this award to
one of my greatest champions of my life, my
manager, Bradford Elton Cobb III.
I think it’s almost, like, 15 years because
he believed in me before it all.
Secretly paying my rent for years and bringing
me leftovers from hamburger [inaudible 00:09:36].
He really did!
I know we really connected on a soul level
though because we came from the same upbringing
where it was difficult to be our authentic
selves.
We had similar struggles breaking out of our
suppressive shelves but we kept inspiring
each other, challenging each other and retiring
our past frame of mind.
We broke the cycle and now we’re living
our best most authentic lives.
I love you, B. Cobb.
There will be obstacles, but we all know everything
good takes work, but we can’t let our past
get in the way of our brilliant future.
These days, I get an incomparable high from
finally knowing myself and it feels more real
than any story I was ever told on a felt board.
It feels sparkly as fuck.
Truth be told, I think a lot of that has to
do with the magic that has rubbed off on me
from all of you.
Thank you so much.