“Will & Grace” actor and notable Jewish mom Debra Messing recently spoke out about Ivanka Trump, calling on her to use her positions to help others. And she’s speaking to her from “one Jewish mother to another.”
During her powerful acceptance of GLAAD’s Excellence in Media Award at the 28th annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City this past Saturday, Messing talked activism (and tikkun olam), stating:
“To Ivanka: Let’s talk to each other, one Jewish mother to another … it’s time to do something.
Ivanka, you can change the lives of millions of [people],” continued Messing, 48. “Ivanka, please stop blindly defending your father and start defending what you say. You can’t just say #womenwhowork and say [you’re a feminist] … If you get Steve Bannon out of office, I bet we’ll get you back in Nordstrom.
It is not enough to simply say that women’s issues are important to you. Ivanka, you can change the lives of millions of women and children just by telling your dad stories about real people who are suffering. Don’t let him separate immigrant mothers from their American-born children. Don’t let him take healthcare away from women who need it.
She went on to mention that parents need to set good, positive examples for their children, adding:
“Imagine how you’ll feel, sitting at Passover Seder, if you can tell your children that you fought for justice and freedom.”
While getting political may seem unnecessary to some–who feel entertainers should keep their opinions to themselves–to me, this is the perfect time and place for it, since Messing’s award was about activism and media.
We need to speak out about our political beliefs–and make sure we are fighting for equal rights for others (C-sections and rape, for instance, shouldn’t be preexisting conditions), and showing our kids that keeping quiet isn’t always the right thing to do. Of course, we don’t have to agree with everything a celebrity or public figure says, but if she starts a discourse, then we’re all the better for it.
Watch Messing’s speech here:
