Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black on Wednesday endorsed Christine Quinn's campaign for mayor of New York City in a new video.

In the nearly 2-minute video, Black, who won an Oscar for writing the screenplay to Milk, the 2008 film starring Sean Penn as slain gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk, says Quinn, who is openly gay, is an inspiration to all groups who have faced discrimination.

“New York City for so long has been a destination for young people who were not accepted in their hometowns,” Black said. “Those are gay and lesbian people, but a lot of kids who come from places who don't accept people of diversity or people who are a bit different. And they come to New York and Christine Quinn has said she's going to dedicate herself to making sure no young person has to spend the night on the street. You've already survived life back home. You've made the bold move to come to a city to try and live your own life. And to do it your own way. And almost every New Yorker knows what that means. And here is a woman who's going to be mayor and saying we're going to make a home for you here. And we're going to make sure you're safe and you're okay and we don't have homeless youth on the streets of New York City.”

“Whenever you have someone from a people who have been discriminated against and you watch them do the hard work and have that steely resolve, that strength to rise to the top. And to prove herself effective. I think that's inspiration to so many other people. Not just people from the LGBT community, not just women, but any group that has been discriminated against,” he added.

After leading Democratic mayoral primary polls for months, Quinn came in third in a recent poll.

“You know, you don't end up the first openly gay and woman speaker of the City Council 'cause you're the frontrunner,” she told BuzzFeed.com. “I got that position – won it – as the underdog. And I'm going to fight over the next 10 days and get into the runoff because New Yorkers deserve a fighter as mayor.”

(Related: George Takei endorses Christine Quinn for NYC mayor in new video.)