OITNB Star Matt McGorry Calls Out #AllLivesMatter

By : On : 21 Jul 2015 12:27
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Given that Orange Is The New Black star Matt McGorry is part of one of the most diverse and inclusive casts in television right now, it’s not a huge surprise that he has big opinions on current social issues.

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Now, McGorry – who plays Corrections Officer John Bennett on the Netflix show – has weighed in on the #AllLivesMatter Twitter trend which has popped up in response to #BlackLivesMatter.

The #BlackLivesMatter movement has gained significant momentum ever since Trayvon Martin was shot dead in February 2012 and has particularly been used to express outrage over the number of black Americans who are killed each year by police.

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Some people have responded to this by posting the competing phrase “All Lives Matter”.

Actor McGorry, however, wrote a fantastic argument on his Twitter and Instagram pages pointing out the problems with the #AllLivesMatter trend, claiming that those claiming it is more “inclusive” are completely wrong.

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 "Fuck 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

A photo posted by Matt McGorry (@mattmcgorry) on

In McGorry’s view (and millions of others), #AllLivesMatter completely undermines what #BlackLivesMatter is trying to achieve.

And, when you see the argument laid out like this, it’s tough to disagree!

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    ‘Orange Is The New Black’ star Matt McGorry calls out #AllLivesMatter trolls