Janelle Monáe delivers powerful speech at Critics' Choice Awards; celebrates her queerness

This Sunday, Janelle Monáe took the internet by storm for several reasons. From her see-through ensemble to her inspiring speech after she bagged the seventh annual SeeHer Award, the singer and 'Glass Onion' actress made her presence felt at the prestigious Critics'Choice Awards. She put on an eye-popping display in a sheer black gown and delivered a heartfelt speech on gender identity while accepting the honour.

SeeHer Award "honours a woman who advocates for gender equality, portrays characters with authenticity, defies stereotypes and pushes boundaries".

The 37-year-old Kansas City native started her speech by clarifying that her pronouns are "she/her, they/them and free-a** m*****f****r."

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"I try to make an effort in my work. to highlight the ones who have been pushed to the margins of society, who've been outcast or relegated to 'the other,' " said Monáe. "This is a deeply personal choice for me because I grew up with working-class parents: My mother was a janitor, my father was a trash man, and my grandmother was a sharecropper in Aberdeen, Mississippi."

"And it's personal because I am non-binary, I am queer, and my identity influences my decisions and my work," Monáe added.

Monáe further stated that she hopes the characters she plays inspire audiences to be more empathetic and kind. Thanking those who saw potential in her, she revealed that there were times when she couldn't see her full potential and she is grateful that others pushed her and helped her to strive higher.

"There were so many times in my life, y'all, where I did not see me. I couldn't see my light. I couldn't see past my circumstances. If you know my story, I wasn't supposed to make it out of Kansas City, Kansas, to be here tonight. I wasn't," said Monáe.

"I didn't see the vision clearly for myself. I couldn't see my gift. I couldn't see what my purpose was supposed to be at that time. But thank you, God, so many other people did. They didn't give up on me, and they gave me opportunities despite my own lack of confidence. I was fakin' it till I made it."

"So to anyone out there like me watching right now," Monáe continued, "I just want you to know that I see you,but I challenge you to see you."

SeeHer Award's previous recipientsinclude Claire Foy, Kristen Bell, Viola Davis, Gal Gadot, Zendaya and Halle Berry.

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