Mae Martin Quotes

Representation is necessary, and we all want to turn on the TV and see characters who look like us and represent us in some way.

I think a lot of what I've done is about people feeling as if they are part of the world but also not part of it at the same time. I don't know whether that's from being a gay kid, but I definitely think that resonates with me.

I grew up watching cinema in my country that wasn't telling stories about us, and we had to find a way to connect, and our references, our role models had nothing to do with us. And I'm so glad that it's changing.

Movies may be as close to a document of our national culture as there is; they're supposed to represent what we believe ourselves to be. So when you don't see yourself at all - or see yourself erased - that hurts.

When I was growing up, in the '80s and '90s, I just never really saw myself reflected in the things that I had a liking for. It makes a difference.

I wrote 'Redefining Realness' because not enough of our stories are being told, and I believe we need stories that reflect us so we don't feel so isolated in our apparent 'difference.'

It's important for Asian American kids to see themselves in stories and to feel seen. They need to know that their stories are universal, too, that they, too, can fall in love in a teen movie. They don't have to be the sidekick; they can be the hero.

'Essence' is political. I grew up on the magazine, looking at the covers. Seeing ourselves on the cover is political.

There's a burden of responsibility for me to show up correct - in my head, if I don't do it right, then I'll get shut out, and then other trans women of color will be shut out.

I am so passionate about representation because, growing up, I didn't see myself, and now people can say, 'I see myself there.' We're all trying to find where we are.

I think it's important for not just me but women of color, trans women, and people who are marginalized to be telling stories of themselves. It's important for us to be behind the lens.

It's hard to accept yourself when you live in a world where nobody is like you, or you feel like nobody is like you because there's no representation.

I knew what it was like growing up in a world where I never saw myself in anything.

SXSW can feel very male, very straight, and very white, and though it's a great festival, when you have a film that's different, it's hard to find your place.

I had a lot of different reasons for writing the book, but at its core was the desire to write for black teenage girls growing up reading books they were absent from. That was my experience as a child. 'Children of Blood and Bone' is a chance to address that. To say you are seen.

What we realized is if you don't see yourself represented - no matter if it is on TV or in a club or whatever - you're probably not going to want to attend. You're not going to feel comfortable.

For those of you who are underrepresented in technology, know that you've always been here. Look in photos and see yourself reflecting back.

I'm not into the Oscar and Emmys as much as I used to be because I'm tired of looking at people who don't look like me.

I believe black characters in fiction are still revolutionary, given our long history of erasure.

I know one of the reasons I first started making Youtube videos was because no one looks like me.

Now I've devoted my life to making sure that I can be a trailblazer for any other African American kids or any other gay kids or any other kids that just feel weird or uncomfortable and have their own issues and don't know how to express themselves. I want to be like a beacon for those kids now.

We all know the power of film; we all know there's almost nothing more powerful than to see people on film that look and talk like you, like we do.

There are all kinds of people who continue to be largely ignored by advertisers, whose lives largely go unseen. They deserve their moment.

There's a burden of representation that comes into play when there aren't enough representatives of a certain group in popular culture.

It meant something to see people who looked like me in comic books. It was this beautiful place that I felt pop culture should look like.