First of all, I didn't know
I didn’t know it was going to be all this.
Somebody said, come over to London, we want to give you
the Man of the Year award.
You know, life goes by really quickly.
And we don't always have time to pay attention.
Tonight, you all have made me pay attention.
The room I'm in this evening is populated
with some of the greatest artists, doctors,
lawyers, activists,
game changers in the world.
And I know that when I was five years old,
and my family sent me to a psychologist
every Wednesday after
kindergarten, because
something was wrong with me and I needed to be fixed.
I knew in that moment
that there was something something greater for me,
I didn't know how to get there, but I knew
in that moment. And when
we are stuck inside of
government and religious
sanctioned bigotry that is allowed to go unchecked
all over the world.
It's not just America.
It's not just England.
That shit is happening all over the world.
But I want to let you all know something today, tonight,
being in this room with all of you reminds me
that it's we the people who have the power, right?
I'm so glad that
you all got your shots,
so you could come to this tonight
so we can get energised so we can get back
out in the streets.
I turned 52 years old last week.
I lived through the Aids crisis.
Yeah, I know y'all, you're like what?!
Yes, Black don't crack.
Yes, moisturise bitch,
moisturise.
You know, my husband, my white husband
always asks me,
"Ew, it's your skin, why your skin-" And I say,
put some lotion on.
He's like, "It's greasy".
I said, well, then don't ask me.
It's going to feel greasy,
so you ain't got no wrinkles later.
Alright, listen, now back to the serious part,
you know, you have to have levity, right?
I was put out of everything.
I was vilified.
My church community told me
I would never be blessed because I was a f-----.
And I would die of Aids.
2007, I became the statistic
that everybody, all the haters said I would be.
March, diagnosed type two diabetes.
You're Black, you're going to get diabetes, statistic.
That was February,
March, I'm signing bankruptcy papers.
The arts is not a job
you'll never be able to make any money,
statistic.
And by June,
I was diagnosed HIV positive.
I became the statistic that everyone said
I would be.
This is what HIV looks like now.
This is what courage looks like now.
This is what bravery looks like now.
This is what activism looks like now.
It's time to stop being scared.
It's time to stop being terrified.
It's time to say **** you!
It's our country, too!
It's our world, too!
And we're taking the mother****** back!
I love y'all. We've been sitting up in here.
I didn't have too many cocktails,
so I could come up here and talk.
Now it's time for me to have some cocktails.
You know, I said Dr. Ronx,
who said earlier to me, "You cannot be,
what you don't see".
I want you to go out of this room tonight
and know that you have the power.
We have the power together collectively.
We have to be together and do this together.
Right now.
Right now, all
all over the world, enough!
Thank you, [Russell] Davies.
Thank you, Stephen Daldry.
Thank you, Tom Daley.
Thank you... lady from 'Sex Education'.
You know, who am I missing?
I'm sorry if I'm missing anybody, but it is
the greatest honour to be a little sissy
church boy from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
all the way over here in Londontown.
God bless you. I love you. Goodnight.