I have self esteem, which is pretty amazing, because I'm someone who wouldn't necessarily have a lot of self esteem as I am considered a minority. And if you are a woman, if you are a person of color, if you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, if you are a person of size, if you are a person of intelligence, if you are a person of integrity, then you are considered a minority in this world. And it's going to be really hard to find messages of self-love and support anywhere. 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, "Ugh, I'm so fat, I'm so old, I'm so ugly." Don't you know that's not your authentic self? But that is billions upon billions of dollars of advertising. Magazines, movies, billboards, all geared to make you feel bad about yourself, so you will take your hard earned money and spend it at the mall on some turn-around creme that doesn't turn around crap.
When you don't have self esteem, you will hesitate to do anything in your life. You will hesitate to go for the job you really want to go for. You will hesitate to ask for a raise. You will hesitate to call yourself an american. You will hesitate to report a rape. You will hesitate to defend yourself when you are discriminated against because of your race, your sexuality, your size, your gender. You will hesitate to vote. You will hesitate..... to dream. For us to have self esteem is truly an act of revolution, and our revolution is long overdue." - Margaret Cho
I love that quote. It's the most inspirational thing I've heard in a while.