Hilary Swank is sad and disappointed that as a society we are still focusing on hate instead of love.
A certain reality star is reportedly about to announce that he is transgender, but Hilary Swank’s Academy Award-winning role in Boys Don’t Cry is arguably the story that got the conversation on this important issue started on a large scale.
Swank played Brandon Teena in the based-on-a-true-story flick about a trans man who was brutally beaten, raped and murdered when it was discovered he was anatomically female, and she is still winning awards for her groundbreaking performance. She sat down with Meredith Vieira and talked about how although we’ve come a long way since then, we still have a long way to go.
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“You recently received the GLAAD Award and Outfest Award for your work in Boys Don’t Cry,” Vieira said. “Fifteen years after the movie was released on the true story of a transgender teen named Brandon Teena who ended up being murdered just because of his identity, really. We are still talking about it, the issue is back in the news. How far do you think we have come?”
“I think we have taken strides since that movie, like you said 15 years ago, we have a long way to go,” Swank said. “It’s astonishing to me that we are here in 2015 and there are so many issues that need to be looked at and handled and we shouldn’t dictate who people should love. Let people love people and let’s focus on what truly needs looking at and help homeless people, homeless pets, sick people. Look at the rest of the world, let’s focus on those things.”
Hear, hear.
Tune in Thursday, April 9 to see the complete interview with Hilary Swank on The Meredith Vieira Show.
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