We're With Meryl: Patricia Arquette's Feminist Acceptance Speech Kicked Ass

By Kristy Puchko | Celebrity | February 23, 2015 |

By Kristy Puchko | Celebrity | February 23, 2015 |

Her win for Boyhood was a foregone conclusion. But instead of feigning surprise or gushing over her moment in the biggest spotlight Hollywood can offer, Patricia Arquette turned thank yous into real talk, addressing the inequality women still face in America. (And yes—even in Hollywood.)

You know you did good when Meryl Streep goes gospel-level thrilled.

Watch her entire, and entirely awesome speech below.

Not even Jared Leto in the Dumb and Dumber tux could steal her sunshine as she declared:

“To every woman who gave birth to every tax payer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all, and equal rights for women in the United States of America.”

But Arquette wasn’t done. Buzzfeed reports she expanded on this issue in the post-win press room, “We don’t have equal rights for women in America and we don’t because the people who wrote the Constitution, it wasn’t intended for women. The truth is, even if it sort of feels as if there are equal rights in America, right under the surface there are huge issues that are at play that really do affect women…I think we need federal laws that are comprehensive. We need to pass a constitutional admentment in the United States of America, so we can pass the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) once and for all.”

We’re with Meryl. Arquette rocks.

Kristy Puchko likes to thinks she’s with Meryl on most things.