Your morning thought (long)

[Guest guest]

Our Revolution

"I have self-esteem, which is pretty amazing, because if you are a woman, or a person of colour, if you are gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgendered, if you are a person of size, of intelligence, of integrity- then you are a minority in this world, and it'll be really hard to find messages of self-love or support anywhere.

"For women and gay men especially, it's all about how you have to look a certain way or else.... you're worthless. You know when you look in the mirror and think, "Oh, I'm so fat. I'm so old. I'm so ugly."? That is not your authentic self speaking. That is billions upon billions of dollars of advertising-magazines, movies, billboards- all geared to make you feel shitty about yourselves so that you'll take your hard-earned money and spend it at the mall on some turn-around cream that doesn't turn around shit.

"When you don't have self-esteem, you will hesitate before you do anything. You will hesitate to go for the job you really want. You will hesitate to ask for a raise. You will hesitate to defend yourself when you're discriminated against because of your race, your sexuality, your size, your gender. You will hesitate to report a rape. You will hesitate to vote. You will hesitate to dream. For us, self esteem is truly an act of revolution.

"And our revolution is long overdue." -Margaret Cho, in a monologue from Notorious C.H.O.