If you needed another reason to love Kerry Washington - but let's face it, you probably didn't - then look no further than her kick-ass acceptance speech at the annual GLAAD Awards (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation).
The 'Scandal' actress was awarded the Vanguard Award on Saturday, an accolade proudly presented to "allies" of the LGBT community.
Her fearless speech, where she called out for minority groups to stand together and support one another, received a standing ovation.
Watch it in the video above, or read some of the best bits in our round-up below...
“On Monday morning, people are going to click a link to hear what that woman from 'Scandal' said at that awards show, and so, I think some stuff needs to be said,” she began.
“Women, poor people, people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, intersex people…have been pitted against each other and made to feel like there are limited seats at the table for those of us who fall into the category of other,” she added.
“We compete with one another, we judge one another. Sometimes, we betray one another. Sometimes even within our own communities we designate who among us is best suited to represent us and who really shouldn’t even be invited to the party."
Story continues below...
Celebrities Who've Faced Gay Rumors
Kevin Spacey(01 of40)
The "House of Cards" star has refused to respond to the gay rumors that have followed him for much of his career.In 2010 he told The Daily Beast, "People have different reasons for the way they live their lives. You cannot put everyone's reasons in the same box. It's just a line I've never crossed and never will." He then added, "Look, at the end of the day people have to respect people's differences. I am different than some people would like me to be."In 2014, Spacey told The Hollywood Reporter, "Let's let people live their lives and do it the way they want to do it... All the chips will fall in the end, and we'll all be judged by a much higher power than Entertainment Weekly can." (credit:Invision for LG Electronics)
Oprah Winfrey(02 of40)
Speculation has swirled for years over the talk show queen's long-standing friendship with TV anchor Gayle King. But as Winfrey told Barbara Walters in 2012, "I'm not even kind of a lesbian. And the reason why [the rumor] irritates me is because it means that somebody must think I'm lying. That's No. 1. No. 2 ... why would you want to hide it? That is not the way I run my life." (credit:Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Ansel Elgort (03 of40)
The "Fault In Our Stars" heartthrob is slated to play real-life gay pianist Van Cliburn in a forthcoming movie and opened up about persistent rumors regarding his private life on Twitter."Just in case it isn't clear... I like girls. A lot," he wrote at the time. He then added, "Also let me say if I was gay I wouldn't hide it. Being gay or straight isn't bad or good it just IS." (credit:Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Matt Damon And Ben Affleck(04 of40)
Hollywood juggernauts and best friends, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, are no strangers to gay rumors. Their bromance caused some people to believe the gossip until Damon decided to speak up about it in December 2012. Damon proclaimed: "I never denied those rumors because I was offended and didn’t want to offend my friends who were gay. As if being gay were some kind of f--king disease. It put me in a weird position in that sense." (credit:AP)
Bruno Mars(05 of40)
Rumors that the pop star had come out of the closet began after CNN iReport -- a subsection of the media outlet comprising 'citizen journalists' from around the world -- posted a since-removed story that stated, "The famous pop-star Bruno Mars admits his homosexuality," which caused the Mars' name to trend on Twitter.Nonetheless, Mars' rep called the report "completely fabricated" and "false," according to Gossip Cop. (credit:Alamy)
Kelly Clarkson (06 of40)
Appearing on "The View" in 2011 the pop star lamented the fact that she's never been in love and has difficulty dating, which prompted many people to speculate that she's a lesbian. "I'm from a small town so, like, everyone's married with children or about to have children," Clarkson, who is now married to a man with whom she has a child, said. "So it's a little hard when you go home and people are like -- and that's why people think I'm gay -- because they're like 'Why aren't you married?' And I'm like, 'it doesn't happen for everyone right off the bat.'" (credit:Getty )
James Franco (07 of40)
The 21st century actor, artist, intellectual and overall "renaissance man" has believably played gay characters onscreen numerous times (most memorably as Harvey Milk's lover in the Oscar-winning "Milk"), but Franco has downplayed the rumors about his real-life sexuality. "There are lots of other reasons to be interested in gay characters than wanting myself to go out and have sex with guys," he is quoted by Entertainment Weekly as saying. (credit:Getty )
John Travolta (08 of40)
Maybe it's the "Saturday Night Fever" syndrome, but Travolta, who has been married to Kelly Preston since 1991, has been the subject of gay rumors and reports since the late 1980s. His attorney Marty Singer sent a five-page letter to Gawker threatening to sue over posting "false and outrageous" claims in a story the site ran in 2010 called "The Secret Sex Life of John Travolta."In 2013 several men have come forward alleging that Travolta sexually assaulted and harassed them. While Travolta denies the claims, lawsuits against the star are currently pending. (credit:Getty )
Whitney Houston(09 of40)
Gay rumors followed the late pop star throughout her career, most notably that she was involved in a relationship with her best friend with Robyn Crawford.As Gawker notes:
"Gay activist Peter Tatchell is first to say point blank that Whitney had a long-term relationship with her best friend and former assistant Robyn Crawford. Tatchell's theory is that Houston had to break up with Crawford and marry Bobby Brown to quash the lesbian rumors."(credit:Ron Bull via Getty Images)
Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino(10 of40)
The "Jersey Shore" star reportedly hit back at housemates Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Jenni "JWoww" Farley after they speculated about his sexuality and hinted he might be gay in an interview with HuffPost Gay Voices."Mike really ripped both Snooki and JWoww a new one," a show insider told The Chicago Sun-Times. Noting that Sorrentino is concerned such comments could hurt his brand endorsements, which are focused on straight male customers, the source added, "He's extremely upset."In the interview, both JWoww and Snooki implied that despite his playboy reputation, Mike has questioned his own sexuality. "He brings it up," JWoww said. "He'll say, 'People think I'm gay and I don't know what they're talking about.'" Added Snooki: "He told me one time, '[All the talk is] making me wonder.'" (credit:AP)
Jeremy Renner (11 of40)
The hunky star of "The Avengers" blasted persistent rumors about his sexuality -- as well as probes into his personal life in general -- in 2012."I want my personal life to be personal, and it's not f***ing true," Renner, 41, is quoted as saying. "And I don't care if you're talking about things that are true, you're still talking about my personal life.. How about I go peek in your window, take what underwear you wore last night, whose husband you were f***ing, and shove that in the megaphone throughout your neighborhood? How does that feel?" (credit:Alamy)
Kristin Stewart (12 of40)
In 2009, gossip sites went wild with headlines that suggested the "Twilight" star was a lesbian. However, a closer look at Stewart's quotes reveals how she was actually responding to a question over the nature of her relationship with co-star Robert Pattinson:
"I've thought about this a lot. There's no answer that's not going to tip you one way or the other. Think about every hypothetical situation. 'OK, we are. We aren't. I'm a lesbian.' I probably would've answered if people hadn't made such a big deal about it. But I'm not going to give the finding an answer."(credit:Getty )
Tom Cruise (13 of40)
Despite three high-profile marriages, the "Top Gun" star has been the subject of gay speculation for years. In 2003, he won a $10 million default judgment in a case against a gay porn actor who claimed the two had an affair, and two years earlier, he sued Los Angeles-based publisher Michael Davis for $100 million after Davis claimed to have a videotape of Cruise engaged in homosexual acts. As Peoplereported, the suit was eventually dropped, and Davis eventually stated that Cruise "is not, and never has been, homosexual and has never had a homosexual affair." (credit:Getty )
Tom Hardy (14 of40)
The "Inception" hunk sent the blogosphere into overdrive after he was quoted as saying, "I'm an actor for f**k's sake. I've played with everything and everyone." Still, a source claims Hardy, who is now married to British actress Charlotte Riley, had been taken out of context: "He was discussing a gay role and quotes coming from the character." (credit:Getty )
George Clooney (15 of40)
After Esquireuncovered a website that referred to the Oscar-winning hunk as "gay, gay, gay," in 2008, the actor, who has since married, quipped "No, I'm gay, gay. The third gay -- that was pushing it." (credit:Getty )
The 'Gossip' Guys (16 of40)
Tabloid speculation over the button-handsome young stars of "Gossip Girl" was rampant, particularly given the fact that Chace Crawford (right) and Ed Westwick (middle) were roommates for some time, according to New York Magazine. Westwick later blasted the rumors, saying, "It's funny because I love this f**king dude dearly. I would die for this f**king dude. He's my brother. But, by God, we are so into our f**king women it's ridiculous." (credit:Getty )
Zac Efron(17 of40)
Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has made no secret of his admiration for the "High School Musical" star, while other gossip sites have openly speculated about Efron's sexuality. Still, Efron has laughed it off: "I know it's very addictive to read that kind of stuff. It's entertainment. Honestly, if the worst [Perez Hilton] can say about me is that I'm gay, then I think I'll be fine. I can handle it." (credit:Getty )
Alicia Keys (18 of40)
The singer-songwriter acknowledges why many thought she was a lesbian shortly after her Grammy Award-winning debut: "I was definitely rough around the edges. I look back at certain interviews and I'm like, 'Damn! Did I have to look that hard? Did I have to do my hair that way?' More recently, she said, "I'm comfortable in my own skin - comfortable enough to know when something is right for me and when things need to change. All that comes in time, because when I first started out, I hadn't a clue." (credit:Getty )
Kate Hudson(19 of40)
The "Almost Famous" star, who was previously married to Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson, said she was baffled by rumors she'd embarked on a steamy lesbian affair. "No, no, no," she was quoted as saying. "Strictly boys for me!" (credit:Getty )
Ryan Seacrest (20 of40)
Speculation about the well-groomed TV's host sexuality has been so rampant, even his former girlfriend Julianne Hough thought he was gay: "He totally wasn't my type," she said, according to TMZ.com. "I thought he was gay." Several years earlier, Seacrest himself had addressed the rumors, noting, "I know a lot of gay males who I work with that are fantastic people and I love hanging out with them. But because I hang out and bring gay men into my life, does that mean that I'm gay? I promise you that I very much love women." (credit:Getty )
Zoe Saldana (21 of40)
Addressing speculation that she might be a lesbian, the self-professed tomboy said she wasn't bothered by the reports, adding, "People have sometimes told my grandmother, 'Your granddaughter has a bit of lesbianism in her... It's that my sisters and I spent all our time among men. We were very popular with them. Our way of thinking is very masculine." (credit:Getty )
Queen Latifah(22 of40)
In a 2008 interview with The New York Times, Queen Latifah addressed the rumors surrounding her sexuality, saying, "I don’t have a problem discussing the topic of somebody being gay, but I do have a problem discussing my personal life... I don’t care if people think I’m gay or not. Assume whatever you want. You do it anyway.”More recently, in 2012, Latifah gave her first Gay Pride performance in Long Beach, Calif., where many were quick to say that the Hollywood A-lister had finally come out. Latifah spoke with Entertainment Weekly after the event and dispelled those thoughts, saying “that definitely wasn’t the case." (credit:AP)
Taylor Lautner(23 of40)
Heartthrob Taylor Lautner, best known for his role as "Jacob Black" in "The Twilight Saga," dealt with gay rumors when a fake People magazine leaked in 2011 with him on the cover and a caption that read: "Out and Proud." Lautner spoke with GQ Australia earlier that year and refuted claims about his sexuality and proclaimed, "I'm straight." (credit:Alamy)
Hugh Jackman(24 of40)
Hugh Jackman is no stranger to rumors about his sexuality. Despite being married to a woman, the "X-Men" leading man recently told the Hollywood Reporter that the gossip "bugs" his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness. He went on to talk about his infatuation with Furness, saying that she is "very beautiful" and "unbelievably fun." (credit:Getty Images)
Whoopi Goldberg(25 of40)
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ally Whoopi Goldberg has long faced scrutiny about her sexuality. The Oscar-award winning actress and "The View" co-host once said in a 2006 New York Times interview: "No, I am not a lesbian. I describe myself as heterosexual. I think it is hard to have good relationships with anyone." (credit:AP)
Jake Gyllenhaal(26 of40)
Hollywood hunk Jake Gyllenhaal has faced gay rumors since he played a closeted gay cowboy in the academy-award winning film "Brokeback Mountain." Gyllenhaal denounced such accusations when he appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2011, speaking about his relationship with his best friend and stylist whom he calls "baby." Longtime friend Adam Levine called the rumors "very immature and infantile." (credit:AP)
Mariah Carey (27 of40)
Mariah Carey addressed rumors that she wasn't straight when she spoke with The Advocate in 2010. Carey said: "If it makes somebody happy to say that, then whatever, but that’s not the reality. I don’t have a discriminatory policy of who I’m friends with, so yes, I’m friends with women who are gay — gay, straight, it doesn’t matter to me. So I don’t get upset when I hear that, because it is what it is. I guess I could lie about it to seem more exciting." (credit:AP)
Hulk Hogan(28 of40)
After wrestler Hulk Hogan's ex-wife Linda claimed he had an affair with fellow wrestler Brutus Beefcake, Hogan responded on "The Wendy Williams Show":
"It's tough because a lot of my friends in normal life, a lot of my friends in the entertainment business, and a lot of my friends in the wrestling business are gay," he told Williams. "Just to say something spiteful and hurtful, I don’t get it...if it was true and I was gay, I’d embrace it, and I’d tell you guys about it and I’d celebrate it."(credit:Thearon W. Henderson via Getty Images)
Daniel Radcliffe(29 of40)
Daniel Radcliffe, who's an outspoke advocate for LGBT rights, has taken the rumors about his sexuality without much fanfare. The "Harry Potter" star, who was told that he had a "gay face" by a random commenter on the Internet, said in an interview with MTV in 2010, "If people want to say that, they can. But I'm not. I'm straight." (credit:AP)
Trey Songz(30 of40)
Trey Songz, the R&B singer known for hits like "Bottoms Up" and "Can't Help But Wait," first encountered gay rumors when blogs started writing about the artist's sexuality in 2009. Songz spoke out on New York radio station Power 105.1, saying, "The first I heard about it was on a blog about a year ago and I remember the actual day because I was with my manager Kevin. He said, 'Did you hear about this?' He said we ignore stuff like that but I was hot (angry) because I love the ladies. What I've learned in this business is that people will make their own reality of whatever they want to." In December 2012, a Twitter pic of two men kissing surfaced and many claimed Songz was one of the men in the photo. Songz responded on Twitter, tweeting, "On my way to Virginia to spend the holidays with my family. No senselessness, lies or hate can take away my joy. #LOVE" (credit:AP)
Harry Styles And Louis Tomlinson(31 of40)
Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, best friends and One Direction band members, have been the subject to gay rumors for several years. Tomlinson addressed the gossip saying that it's started to affect how he and Styles conduct themselves."This is a subject that was funny at first, but now is actually hard to deal with in a relationship," Tomlinson said. "Me and Harry are best friends, people look into our every move -- it is actually affecting the way me and Harry are in public," he is quoted as saying. "We want to joke around, but there seems to be a different rumor every time we do anything. I act the same way with Harry as I do [with] any of the other boys and my childhood friend Stan."In late 2014 Styles caused more commotion with offhand comments about the gender of a person he's dating. As Queerty reported:
Harry and Liam Payne were asked the four things they look for in a partner. Liam said, “Female. That’s a good trait.”Harry responded, “Eh, not that important.”(credit:Facebook)
Will And Jada Pinkett Smith(32 of40)
He's gay. She's a lesbian. Both are each other's "beards." They are swingers.Hollywood power couple Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have long faced an onslaught of rumors facing their relationship and they've head just about everything in the book. The two have also faced multiple divorce rumors with some saying the cause was due to their closeted sexual identities. (credit:AP)
Matthew McConaughey (33 of40)
The Hollywood leading man Matthew McConaughey faced gay rumors surrounding his close relationship with cyclist Lance Armstrong. McConaughey spoke up and famously joked, "We tried it. Wasn't for us."In May 2012, the actor spoke with The Advocate and talked at length about his gay fan base, his thoughts on the gay community and how he'd react if he were to have gay children. He also elaborated on his own gay rumors again, saying, "Well, I’m really secure in my skin. I’m heterosexual, and I’m just fine with that. Those rumors have to make the rounds, and I know that I was a fun target for them." (credit:WikiMedia:)
Dolly Parton(34 of40)
Country and gay icon Dolly Parton has heard her fair share of gay rumors, despite being married to her husband Carl Dean for 46 years. Parton's relationship with her childhood best friend, Judy, was subject to speculation and the artist compared her rumors with that of Oprah's, saying, "Like Gayle [King], her friend, Judy, my friend...they just think that you just can't be that close to somebody," Parton said. "Judy and I have been best friends since we were like in the third and fourth grade. We still just have a great friendship and relationship and I love her as much as I love anybody in the whole world, but we're not romantically involved." (credit:Alamy)
Ne-Yo(35 of40)
Gay rumors have long swirled around R&B singer Ne-Yo and he's constantly denied them. Ne-Yo, who is a father of two, spoke about all the gossip in a 2012 interview with Upscale magazine, saying, "That sh-t ate me alive...[I was] like where did that come from? Who are these people that have gone to such heights to try to make people believe this? They went all out with that story." (credit:Getty Images)
Kenny Chesney (36 of40)
Country superstar Kenny Chesney, who once was married to actress Renee Zellweger, was at the center of gay rumors when Zellweger cited "fraud" in the couple's annulment papers. Chesney went on record in a 2007 "60 Minutes" interview and said, "It's not true. Period. Maybe I should have come out and said, `No, I'm not (gay),' but I didn't want to draw any more attention to it...I didn't have to prove to anybody that I wasn't (gay). I didn't feel like I really did." (credit:Getty Images)
Jennifer Hudson(37 of40)
After performing marriage equality anthem "Same Love" with Macklemore and Mary Lambert at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, the Oscar-winning actress and singer's sexuality faced scrutiny. In 2014 she told PrideSource, "People were like, 'Is Jennifer trying to tell us something?' Hey, I wasn't, but if you wanna think that, it's all right with me." She added, "When I got the call [to do that performance], I was like, "Oh my God, I definitely wanna do this. A powerful statement is being made and I wanna be a part of that." (credit:Andy Kropa /Invision/AP)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt(38 of40)
The "Don Jon" star has long been the subject of gay rumors. However, in a 2014 interview with Out magazine, Gordon-Levitt stated that he had no interest in even responded to the gossip: "That would be really tacky — they would win if I had to clarify." (credit:Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Rod Stewart(39 of40)
Rod Stewart was the subject of a rumor that has been circulating for years involving his supposed participation in a crazy night out with a bunch of sailors that allegedly caused him to have bodily fluids pumped out of his stomach.In 2014 Stewart told Katie Couric that he is "as heterosexual as they come" and said the stomach-pumping rumor came about as an act of revenge by a former gay publicist he had employed. (credit:Scott Roth/Invision/AP)
Miley Cyrus(40 of40)
Miley Cyrus is unfazed by rumors she is a lesbian. In fact, she takes any insinuation as a compliment.Actress, singer and longtime LGBT ally Miley Cyrus found herself being called a lesbian in 2013 after she cut off her hair and donned a bleached-blonde style.In an interview with the Toronto Sun, Cyrus responded to the rumors:
“Everyone said I was a lesbian but I’m like, ‘Being a lesbian isn’t a bad thing. So if you think I look like I’m a lesbian, I’m not offended. You can call me much worse... I’ve been called much worse. Being a lesbian is a compliment more than what else they call me.”(credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
“We need more diverse LGBT representation [in the media],” Washington added. “We need more employment of LGBT people, in front of and behind the camera. We can’t say that we believe in each other’s fundamental humanity and then turn a blind eye to the reality of each other’s existence and the truth of each other’s hearts.”