Censorship, Human Rights and Compassion Take Center Stage at Variety’s Power of Women New York: ‘Our Lives Are at Stake’
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Pearls of wisdom and displays of affection were shared widely on Tuesday afternoon when honorees Judy Blume, Natasha Lyonne, Rosie Perez, Kelly Ripa and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez took the stage at Variety‘s Power of Women New York luncheon, presented by Lifetime, at midtown restaurant The Grill.
While all five women touched on the key lessons they’ve learned in life and the importance of those who teach them during the luncheon, hosted by “Saturday Night Live’s” Ego Nwodim, it was iconic YA author Blume who made much of her speech a tribute to public educators and librarians who are trying to protect students’ rights amid increased government scrutiny and censorship in public education.
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“Teachers are under fire, librarians are threatened,” said Blume, who was supporting the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) and spoke after an intro from Seth Meyers, host of NBC’s “Late Night.”
Meyers noted that Blume’s books have been called “dangerous, offensive and corrupt,” to the dismay of the crowd. Blume told the audience that the current environment reminds her of the mood in the early 1980s, after Ronald Reagan was elected president.
“The desire to censor has a lot to do with fear,” Blume said. The threats to art and artists are significant but the danger is also spreading to public servants, she observed.
“They are criminalizing teachers and librarians. It’s not just that they’re threatening their jobs, they’re threatening them,” Blume said. “They could go to jail, all because they stand up for the rights of the students they teach. All because they refuse to give in to fear. I’ve known librarians who have saved lives by handing the right book to the right child at the right time. And for that one kid, finding themselves in a book can be a lifesaver.”
Blume, who also made the point that she was excited to be honored in a group that included two other New Jersey natives (Rodriguez and Ripa), drew the crowd’s attention to the work of the NCAC. She credited the organization with helping her channel frustration over efforts to ban her works from public school libraries because of her trademark candor about adolescence.
This year’s Power of Women New York gathering was held on the same day that former President Donald Trump was indicted on charges of falsifying business records a few miles away in a Manhattan courthouse. The timing was the butt of a few jokes from the stage. “I’m so happy to be here celebrating all of these powerful women, in New York, with Variety. A ladies power luncheon — and on the same Tuesday Trump gets indicted,” Lyonne said to cheers and laughter in the crowd. “This, this right here, it’s the spice of life.”
Earlier Rodriguez, who selected the Rainforest Alliance as her cause and was introduced by her friend Sandra Bernhard, spoke about attacks on a marginalized group very near to her heart: the transgender community.
“We have those who dare to claim that human rights are not universal to those who live in our country,” said the “Pose” alum, who made history as the first transgender performer to win a Golden Globe award and the first to be nominated for an Emmy in a lead category.
“One of the greatest privileges that we can grant ourselves as human beings is the blessing to know who we are innately. This isn’t something that comes easy. Being a woman comes with a lot. To some, this gift may never come,” Rodriguez said before thanking the women in her life who have lifted her up, her mother and her aunts, who were in attendance. “You continually change my life and y’all were the only people to give me my strengths of womanhood. No one else can take that away from me.”
Just as Blume sounded the alarm on the rising tide of censorship, Rodriguez warned the crowd in no uncertain terms about the threat to LGBTQ communities from anti-gay and anti-trans legislative efforts in Florida and other states. She cited a study that found that some 18% of trans youth have considered suicide. “They want to extinguish our light,” Rodriguez said. “Our lives are at stake.”
Noting that many of those who advocate for anti-trans restrictions have never met a trans person, she added, “I promise you, I do not bite.”
Rosie Perez, supporting Heart 9/11, kicked off the afternoon remarks with a heartfelt retelling of her career hurdles as a Latino actress. She also singled out Spike Lee, who cast her in 1989’s “Do the Right Thing,” as one of the people who helped her push forward in an industry that often overlooks women of color.
“Please do not misconstrue my intentions,” Perez said at the conclusion of her remarks. “All the trials, tribulations, and successes by women who risked their lives and livelihood have changed the world and I wholeheartedly applaud the efforts of the women’s movement to move with the times…I just ask folks to consider that we all can do better. The onus to do better is not solely on women. Every single human being on this planet can participate.”
Perez finished by citing a bit of meaningful advice that she got from director George C. Wolfe as she waited in the wings to go on stage in a play. “Breathe. Then push through your fears and step into your greatness,” she recalled.
Ripa, who was introduced by longtime friend Andy Cohen, devoted much of her own speech to gushing about her fellow honorees, thanking Blume for her inspiring written work, and praising Lyonne, Perez, Rodriguez for their recent roles in “Poker Face,” “Your Honor” and “Loot,” respectively. The “Live” host picked women and children housing foundation Win as her cause.
“Support is what all women in every industry could always use more of — and will seldom ask for,” Ripa said. “Offer support to someone who needs it. Encourage others to do the same. Sometimes just being asked is enough.”
Ripa got a laugh at the outset by declaring that — despite her day job — “I am not a morning person.”
Lyonne, who happened to be celebrating her birthday Tuesday and received on-stage well wishes from her fellow honorees, was feted by her longtime friend, “SNL” alum Aidy Bryant. Lyonne threw her support behind the Lower Eastside Girls Club. “It takes a girls club to change the world,” she quipped. Lyonne also got a kick out of noting the connections among with the other honorees, including Rodriguez, who starred with Lyonne’s producing partner Maya Rudolph in “Loot.”
“It’s pretty eccentric to see how much we grow up together in this business and how meaningful it is to stick together along that ride,” Lyonne said. The “Poker Face” star noted through examples like making a production company with Rudolph and co-creating Netflix’s “Russian Doll” alongside friend Amy Poehler so they’d have some place to “get existential,” “I have spent a lot of my adulthood creating places for myself to go. Places to learn, to explore and to connect with other women.”
Additionally during the ceremony, TLC’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas accepted a Legacy Award on behalf of herself and group members Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, whose story will be featured in Lifetime’s upcoming documentary “TLC Forever.”
“When you are a woman of color, it’s real hard — it’s a huge struggle,” Thomas said. “I’ll always remember when ‘No Scrubs’ came out and it was actually our first number one…I always wanted to be on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine…we didn’t get the cover. I won’t say who [got the cover], it’s OK because he deserved it too but we also did. The message was ‘the last time we had someone Black on the cover, it didn’t really sell well.’ “
Before and after the gathering, honorees and attendees alike were thrilled at the chance to meet the legendary author whose work cuts across racial, ethnic and class lines. Every woman and plenty of men born after 1970, it seems, grew up reading Blume books such as “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and “Tales of a Fourth-Grade Nothing.”
“I wanted to meet Judy Blume so desperately,” Ripa told Variety on the white carpet that led into the event. “Her books really spoke to an entire generation of young people, who grew up with parents who didn’t tell us a whole lot,” Ripa explained. “Judy Blume gave us that open dialogue. … She’s everything.”
Minutes later, Ripa’s dream came true as she gathered for a group photo with fellow honoree Lyonne and presenter Cohen. While the photographers shouted for the trio to look this way and that, they were joined by a surprise guest — Blume. “Wow! What an honor,” Cohen gasped.
DJ Daisy O’Dell led music supervision for Variety‘s Power of Women New York event, with Eventique as the event production company.
(Cynthia Littleton contributed to this report.)
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