Mtv Video Vanguard Award Speech

I know I don't have a lot of time
But if I may tell you a quick story, um
Recently, I was driving my daughter to school
And she said to me, out of the blue, "Mama?"
I said, "Yes, baby?"
She said, "I'm the ugliest girl I know"
And I said, "Huh?"

And she was like, "Yeah, I look like a boy with long hair"
And my brain went to, "Oh my God, you're six
Why? Where is this coming from?
Who said this?
Can I kick a 6-year-old's ass, like what?"

But I didn't say anything
And instead I went home, and I made a PowerPoint presentation for her
And in that presentation were
Androgynous rockstars and artists that live their truth
Are probably made fun of every day of their life, and carry on
And wave their flag and inspire the rest of us

And these are artists like Michael Jackson
And David Bowie and Freddie Mercury
And Annie Lennox and Prince and Janis Joplin
And George Michael, Elton John
Um, so many artists, that her eyes glazed over

Um, but then I said, "You know, I really want to know
Why you feel this way about yourself"
And she said, "Well, I look like a boy"
And I said, "Well, what do you think I look like?"
And she said, "Well, you're beautiful"
And I was like, "Well, thanks"
But I said, "When people make fun of me, that's what they use
They say I look like a boy
Or I'm too masculine
Or I'm too, I have too many opinions, my body is too strong"

And I said to her, I said, "Do you see me growing my hair?"
She said, "No, mama"
I said, "Do you see me changing my body?"
"No, Mama"
"Do you see me changing the way I present myself to the world?"
"No, Mama"
"Do you see me selling out arenas all over the world?"
"Yes, Mama"

"Ok! So, baby girl, we don't change
We take the gravel and the shell and we make a pearl
And we help other people to change
So they can see more kinds of beauty
And you, my darling girl, are beautiful, and I love you"

Thank you guys