Yara Shahidi urges fight against ‘identity blind narrative’
Posted Oct 20, 2018 04:44:28 PM.
Last Updated Oct 20, 2018 06:20:17 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Yara Shahidi brought the crowd to its feet at the GLSEN awards as she warned against an “identity blind narrative” in the struggle for acceptance of all.
The 18-year-old “grown-ish” star said Friday that everyone should feel “deserved and supported” in expressing “our whole selves.” She picked up the LGBTQ advocacy group’s Gamechanger award in Beverly Hills, California.
Shahidi was honoured by the youth-focused Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network for her work on behalf of girls’ education, especially in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
Communities, she said, must not separate themselves but celebrate differences, including those of race, religion and gender. That includes schools. Shahidi said educators should promote a more inclusive history and greater respect for all nuances and identities.
GLSEN was founded in 1990.
