She’s starring in The Old Guard 2, the action-packed sequel to the 2020 Netflix adaptation based on Greg Rucka’s comic book series. But Charlize doesn’t just play a badass in action movies; she’s quite the actionable activist in her everyday life.
On June 28, at the fifth annual Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Program Block Party in Los Angeles, the Oscar winner’s remarks about LGBTQ and women’s rights, immigration, and cuts to foreign aid were very compelling.
“The world feels like it’s burning because it is,” she said, according to Variety. “Here in Los Angeles, in the US and across the globe, we are moving backwards fast.”
“Immigration policy is destroying the lives of families, not criminals,” the UN Messenger of Peace continued. “Women’s rights are becoming less and less every day, queer and trans lives are increasingly being erased, and gender-based violence is on the rise. This isn’t just policy, it’s personal. Fuck them.”
“Foreign aid cuts brought HIV and AIDS programs in my home country of South Africa to an absolute standstill,” Charlize said. “All of this is not just detrimental, it’s dangerous. People will lose their lives. Many have already unfortunately and at a frightening rate. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see this kind of unnecessary suffering.”
While Charlize’s speech highlighted very concerning issues, she closed her speech by addressing how activism can work toward a solution. “What we also see, what we cannot miss, is the resistance,” she said. “There is hope, there is power in all of us standing up, organizing, protesting, voting and caring for each other, and refusing to accept that this is the new normal.”
CTAOP was established in 2007 to support young people living in South Africa, where Charlize is from. According to Variety, the organization’s “programs have reached more than 4.5 million youth and granted $15 million to organizations in southern Africa.”
While CTAOP’s mission is focused on South Africa, Charlize explained their work is to value all humanity, everywhere. “That spirit of resistance, justice and care for each other, that’s the spirit that drives the work at CTAOP,” she said. “Although our focus is on the youth in southern Africa, what we’re really talking about here tonight is that all lives should be valued. Everyone should have the right to be healthy and safe and should be able to be seen.”
Talking with Marc Malkin, Charlize said, “It’s quite devastating what’s going to happen… It’s less than one percent of this budget that everyone is talking about and when you compare that to the millions of people that are going to die because of this, it’s devastating. It does feel like this event is a little more important than it was last year.”
Check Marc Malkin’s piece to see the video of Charlize on the red carpet.