By Canadian Press

Williams speaks for women’s rights from Golden Globes stage

Jan 6, 2020 | 9:22 AM

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Michelle Williams was an exception on a night at the Golden Globes where the talk mostly avoided politics despite fears of war amid increasing tensions with Iran. The actress used her acceptance speech to speak out about the coming U.S. election, the status of women and abortion rights.

“I’m grateful for the acknowledgement of the choices I’ve made and also grateful to have lived at a moment in our society where choice exists, because as women and as girls things can happen to our bodies that are not our choice,” Williams said Sunday night as she accepted the Golden Globe for best actress in a limited television series for her role on FX’s “Fosse/Verdon.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to do this without employing a woman’s right to choose. To choose when to have my children and with whom,” Williams said. “When I felt supported and able to balance our lives, knowing as all mothers know that the scales must and will tilt towards our children.”

It wasn’t the first time Williams used the Golden Globes platform to speak out for women. At the 2018 ceremony, the first major awards show of the #MeToo era when the talk of politics was abundant, Williams brought #MeToo founder Tarana Burke with her to the red carpet and the ballroom, one of several actresses who were accompanied by similar activists that year.

She concluded her speech Sunday night with an urge for action among women in this year’s U.S. elections.

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“So women, 18 to 118, when it is time to vote, please do so in your own self interest,” Williams said. “It’s what men have been doing for years.”

Williams also gave a more traditional acceptance-speech shout-out to her 14-year-old daughter Matilda, along with an apparent reference to her new romantic partner, “Hamilton” director Thomas Kail, with whom she walked the red carpet.

“Tommy and Matilda I can’t wait to come home to you,” she said.

Backstage at the Globes, Williams elaborated on why she spoke out.

“By nature I’m a shy person but I’m about to turn 40 and I realized that over a great span of time, I’ve changed and I’ve become stronger and more able and I’ve found my voice and I wanted to be able to because when I know other people use their voice it’s made a difference in my life,” Williams said. “Also at this age and where I am in my life, I have so much to give and it would be negligent of me to not try at this position to hand back everything that was handed over to me.”

Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press