Patricia Arquette won an Oscar last night for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Boyhood.
During her acceptance speech, she ended on a rousing note — calling for equal rights for women.
She said, “To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation. We have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once for all. And equal rights for women in the United States of America.”
We agree. Equal rights and wage equality shouldn’t even be up for debate in 2015 — but sadly, it is.
However, during a backstage interview, Patricia may have gotten a little too caught up in her passion when asked to speak further on the issue.
“It’s time for all the women in America and all the men who love women and all the gay people and people of color we’ve fought for to fight for us now.”
wow Patricia Arquette can you please not say this kind of shit http://t.co/7MNq9zVxsT pic.twitter.com/3bFoqQPWwQ
— Jamison Hermann (@jhermann) February 23, 2015
As soon as Patricia’s backstage comments hit the Internet, Twitter reacted:
When Patricia Arquette was talking about higher wages for women, she sure as fuck wasn’t talking about my black ass.
— ?? (@TheAfricanSiren) February 23, 2015
“ALL THE GAY PEOPLE AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF COLOR” like gay women & black women are not women too. Girl, please go away. @PattyArquette — Sabine Moussier (@Sanniel) February 23, 2015
Oh, Patricia Arquette… Ever heard of intersections? Maybe you should look that up.
— Dustin Allen (@dusteallen) February 23, 2015
patricia’s comments show the danger in not being hip to this whole intersectionality thing. women of color get erased. — Tracy Clayton (@brokeymcpoverty) February 23, 2015
Blue Telusma over at TheGrio summed up the majority of the backlash. She wrote:
And before you say “But Blue she said women not just white women” let me be blunt: If you say black people need to stand up for you – that means you are asking every person in the room who is both black and a woman to choose her gender over her race in order to suit your agenda. It’s a very subtle form of feminist segregation that I’ve heard about for a few years now. And it’s complete b.s.
What do you have to say about Patricia’s less-inclusionary comments? Do you think she should issue an apology or are people misconstruing her words? Sound off in the comments & let us know your thoughts!
