Lena Dunham says her sibling’s transition was ‘a profound gift to our family’
Dunham delivered a speech in front of the US Capitol, telling the crowd: "We have laughed, we have cried, we have learned and re-learned and laughed some more.”
By Gary Grimes
Lena Dunham has delivered a powerful, empassioned speech about the need to support trans people in this difficult political climate.
Speaking in front of the US Capitol as part of a rally organised by the Christopher Street Project on International Transgender Day of Visibility, Dunham touched on the “horrific government abuses” of the Trump administration, before going on to speak about her trans brother, writer Cyrus Grace Dunham.
“When my sister came out as trans, I learned that I actually never had a sister at all, but a wise, funny, resilient, powerful, remarkable brother,” Dunham explained.
“I found that the greatest [person] you could have in your corner was not a sister, but it was a happy and embodied sibling and just as divine, a trans person in your family,” the Girls creator went on to say.
Later, she extolled the virtues of having a trans family member, noting how much her family has learned from the experience of Cyrus’s transition. “The experience of going through my brother’s transition has been a profound gift to our family. We have laughed, we have cried, we have learned and re-learned and laughed some more.”
In reference to her and Cyrus’s father, the acclaimed artist Carroll Dunham, Lena joked: “You really have not lived until you have seen a 75-year-old, white, cis man standing in the middle of a party of trans girls trying to call an outfit ‘a slay.’ He really tried, and we love that for him.”
“We are so lucky to love you and to fight with you and for you” – Lena Dunham on the trans community
She went on to address the trans and nonbinary community directly, declaring: “We love you, we see you, we bow down to your charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent, and we are so lucky to love you and to fight with you and for you, to learn from you, and to ensure that our rights are inseparable from yours.”
Dunham was one of many speakers at the event which also included US representatives Jill Tokuda (Hawaii), Sara Jacobs (California), Summer Lee (Pennsylvania), Katherine Clark (Massachusetts), Robin Kelly (Illinois), Val Hoyle (Oregon), and Maxwell Alejandro Frost (Florida) and Senator Brian Schatz (Hawaii).
Later, Dunham reflected on the public appearance on Instagram, writing: “Speaking at the rally for Trans Day of Visibility organized by @christopherstreetproject yesterday was a total pleasure and honor. We stood in front of the capital celebrating a community that has meant more to me than Instagram allows characters for.
“It’s a privilege to get a chance to share the love and joy being in family and community with trans people has given, and to hear these politicians, leaders and organizers offer tangible ways to protect our trans loved ones right now,” the actress continued. “The crowd and leadership were so inspiring- the youth really will save us, and the elders will show us the way.”
You can watch Dunham’s speech in full below: