The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) on
Saturday honored Yeardley Smith at its 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner.
The 54-year-old Smith is best known for
her long-running role as Lisa Simpson on Fox's animated series The
Simpsons.
HRC presented Smith with its National
Leadership Award at the event, which took place at the JW Marriott.
Smith is a longtime supporter of LGBT
rights. According to HRC, Smith was “the single largest funder”
in the fight against Proposition 8, California's 2008 voter-approved
constitutional amendment that defined marriage as a heterosexual
union. She also helped fund HRC's 2018 midterm efforts to tip the
House to a pro-equality majority.
During her speech, Smith said that
she's often asked why she's such “a loyal supporter of LGBTQ
rights.”
“I admit I don't really understand
the question,” Smith said. “But my answer is simple and always
the same … You do not get to cherry-pick people's human rights.”
Smith also called out the Trump
administration's record on LGBT rights.
“I am here to march with you. To
rally. To gather, and vote. To stop the relentless and systematic
assault by this bigoted, vindictive administration who is hell-bent
on stripping us all of the progress we have made politically and
humanly over the past 50 years. Assholes,” Smith
said.