Entertainment

'OITNB' Star Matt McGorry Has An Amazing Response To #AllLivesMatter

by Eitan Levine

Matt McGorry made some randomly great points about how misguided #AllLivesMatter is.

It's a little bit out of nowhere, but the guy who plays Officer Bennett on "Orange Is the New Black" has been using his social media presence to spit some pretty accurate truth about social issues to his followers.

In the past, McGorry has been outspoken about unfair gender censorship and was quick to applaud Caitlyn Jenner for her Vanity Fair cover shoot.

McGorry got on his Twitter soapbox recently to speak out against #AllLivesMatter, a hashtag used in response to the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

(1) For people who think they are being more inclusive by saying #AllLivesMatter in response to #BlackLivesMatter , they are in reality — Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(2) (un)consciously undermining the purpose of the movement because THIS particular movement is about SPECIFIC issues, as any decently — Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(3) effective movement is. For example, it's hard to have an effective protest that's about gender equality, animal rights, racial equality, — Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(4) and saving the environment because that's not how getting shit done works. But I've never seen #AllLivesMatter promoted by someone who — Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(5) actually fights for social justice. So someone getting up in arms bc of #BlackLivesMatter while they sit on the sidelines and do little — Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(6) to nothing for Black lives or anyone's other than their own is probably not actually promoting that "All Lives Matter (Equally)" as — Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(7) much as they're trying to take down the idea that #blacklivesmatter" and denying its necessity and value. So. Show me the person who — Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(8) spends their life fighting for all lives ACTUALLY mattering and who says #AllLivesMatter and I'll show you a world where people are — Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(9) treated like they actually do (neither of those things as far as I've seen). Now I don't know much about all of this but I know enough — Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(10) to not consciously or unconsciously undermine a very needed movement that promotes EQUALITY. #BlackLivesMatter#EricGarner — Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015

McGorry also turned to Instagram to make his point.

In the caption of his Instagram post, he wrote,

Or as some #BlackLivesMatter activists say, it's like going to an AIDS walk and shouting 'All Diseases Matter!' Some people think they are being more inclusive by saying #AllLivesMatter in response to #BlackLivesMatter but in reality, they're (un)consciously undermining the purpose of the movement. Because this PARTICULAR movement is about SPECIFIC issues, as any decently effective movement is. You can't just have a protest for 'Make Everything In The World Better!' How can you have an effective protest that's about gender equality, animal rights, racial equality, and saving the environment? Pro-tip: you can't. Because that's not how getting shit done works. And I've never seen #AllLivesMatter promoted by someone who ACTUALLY fights for racial equality. So someone getting up in arms bc of #BlackLivesMatter while they sit on the sidelines and do nothing for black lives or anyone's other than their own is not actually promoting that 'All Lives Matter (equally)' as much as they're trying to take down the idea that #BlackLivesMatter and denying its necessity and value. Whether it's conscious or unconscious, you're contributing to societies racial issues if you're responding with #AllLivesMatter. #BlackLivesMatter doesn't mean other lives don't. Like people who say 'Save The Rainforests' aren't saying 'F*ck All Other Types of Forests.' And if your response to 'Save The Rainforests' is 'No! Save ALL forests!!!' then you sure as shit better actually be doing something to ACTUALLY save ALL forests. If not...well you get the point. And if you don't get the point, then you probably didn't get any of this. So show me the person who spends their life fighting for all lives ACTUALLY mattering AND who says #AllLivesMatter and I'll show you a world where people are treated like they actually do matter equally (neither of those actually exist). Now I know very little about the #BlackLivesMatter but I'm learning and these r things that I think people who actually care about equality can agree on. #BlackLivesMatter is necessary because we don't live in a society that systematically treats white people terribly bc they're white. And that's why we need #BlackLivesMatter

Although it may read like a journal entry someone wrote right after having to eat Thanksgiving dinner with his or her terrible, conservative relatives, it raises a lot of good points and is pretty *mic drop* worthy.

Matt McGorry deserves all the applause and, honestly, all the roles in Hollywood.

Keep this social media Socrates employed, Hollywood!

Citations: Matt McGorry weighs in on Black Lives Matter vs All Lives Matter (Entertainment Weekly)