Girls creator and actress Lena Dunham was honored this week by the Point Foundation, the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students of merit. Point provides financial support, leadership training, mentoring and hope to LGBT individuals who are marginalized because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
Vanity Fair's Bennett Marcus published an item about the event at the New York Public Library, and offered this wonderful quote from Dunham:
“I have always felt a strong and emotional connection to members of the LGBTQ community. It was actually a huge disappointment for me, when I came of age and realized that I was sexually attracted to men. So when my sister came out, I thought, Thank God, someone in this family can truly represent my passions and beliefs.
“My sister Grace coming out as a gay woman at age 17 was a huge turning point for me in my understanding of the issues facing LGBTQ people. We were raised in an environment—the art world of downtown Manhattan—where no one hid their sexual orientation, and a common question from four-year-old me was ‘Mom, are those ladies gay together?' I was always very jealous of any child who had two dads. And because of our parents' deeply held commitment to acceptance and equality, my sister's process of coming to terms with her sexuality was as angst-free as anything involving sex can really be. She was assured by the adults in her life that she was not only accepted, but adored for who she is. I am so happy that this is the way she was able to enter the world as a woman and an LGBTQ person.”
Wrote Dunham on Instagram the night of the event (with the above photo): "My first excuse to carry my @charlotte_olympia clutch in public! To the very inspiring @pointfoundation honors. I save my sequins for when I know the gay boys will be out #traffickinginstereotypes"