Celebrities on Instagram

Loading Sophia Bush data from Instagram. Please wait...
@sophiabush : Eight days ago I was in Chicago, preparing to speak at #TogetherLive, and I went to grab lunch at one of my favorite haunts with one of my favorite pals. • As I was leaving, an employee of the restaurant hurried up behind me. This waiter had such a great face. A glow. Short brown hair poking out from under a beanie. Bright eyes. And their voice caught in their throat as they spoke, “hey, I just had to say ... thank you for what you do on social media. Not a lot of people with platforms like yours talk about the things you talk about. You don’t shy away from anything, and the way you support people really means a lot.” The earnestness on their face hit me square in the chest. I said, “thank you so much, that really means a lot,” and they said, “thank YOU. I’m trans. And not a lot of people advocate for us. So just, thank you so much.” And suddenly I had a lump in my throat. • When I tell you that I could FEEL the mix of pain at being othered, and gratitude for being seen, radiating from this person’s body, I am not exaggerating. I wrapped them up in a hug, and we stood in the foyer of a diner, both of us teary-eyed. Both of us feeling affirmed for choosing to be people who talk about hard things. I will never forget you, Ryder. What a supreme honor I’m given, being a person who can support you. • We live in a world where being inclusive is not enough. We must be firmly anti-discrimination. Practices that harm folks like my new friend? Excuses for bigotry passed off as “faith?” Hatred? Hate crimes? Abuse? These things have real tolls. And they come at a human cost. We have to do the work to dismantle any system that makes anyone afraid to be who they are. Period. • Today is #TransDayOfRemembrance And in my next post I want to share some words and facts from the @humanrightscampaign with you. 1/2