Madam Secretary Refuge: Behind the Scenes!

This scene - there are no words...

MUST READ: TV Line previews Madam Secretary Refuge

If you read ANYTHING about Sara's big episode of Madam Secretary read THIS (like you will only read one thing!).  Sara and Madam Secretary Executive Producer Lori McCreary speak with Kim Roots from TV LIne.  

Madam Secretary Refuge: Behind The Scenes!

WATCH!  CBS EyeSpeak Panel

CBS EyeSpeak: Talk about Empowering!

CBS, OutRight International & HRC host special Madam Secretary Screening

Important Viewing! Sara visits AOL BUILD

Madam Secretary Reading The Signs: Behind the Scenes

People & EW New Coming Out Stories

NYC's LGBT Center's Women's Event

Great Interview with CBS News

Sara visited with CBS News to talk about Madam Secretary.  You can watch HERE. 

Sara visits Kelly and Ryan

New GLAAD report of Latinx Media Representation 

She's back...

Read all about it!  Sara is joining Madam Secretary (Sundays on CBS 9c/10e).

DC Resist March #Pride

Sara in Mary Lambert's KNOW YOUR NAME

True Colors 40 to None Kick-Off

Sara in Texas

THIS . THIS. THIS.

Special Section: Stay Woke, Speak Up

Sara has inspired us with her activism as much as her artistry. We join her in this advocacy. We will update this posting with recent news, studies and information as it happens. 
​
​“Transgender students pose no threat to the safety or privacy of non-transgender students. We all just want to be able to do well and succeed in school while still being able to be ourselves,” Gavin Grimm

Recommended by Sara: Check it out!

Our prayers and thoughts to Sara & her family...

Fan's You Tube Video of GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN at HOME FOR HOLIDAYS

Fan's You Tube Video of I AM at HOME FOR HOLIDAYS !

OUT OF EXILE: DANIEL'S STORY

Sara's latest project OUT OF EXHILE: DANIEL'S STORY was picked to be a part of Sundance Film Festival's New Frontier! This is the VR project Sara did in partnership with True Colors Fund that was shown at the White House this past summer!  Congrats to Sara!!!

Out of Exile: Daniel’s Story (Artist: Nonny de la Peña) — In August 2014, Daniel Ashley Pierce’s family verbally and physically accosted him before kicking him out of the house because they disapproved of his sexuality. Built directly around audio Daniel recorded from that encounter, this project includes thoughts of hope and triumph from Daniel and three other LGBTQ youth. Cast: Daniel Ashley Pierce, Kyle Wills, Julene Renee, Cyntia Domenzain, Angel VanStark, Phoebe VanCleefe.

More details here: http://variety.com/2016/film/news/sundance-film-festival-2017-vr-new-frontier-lineup-1201930819/

Home for Holidays Concert

LGBT Center of San Diego Fundraiser

Talk about walking the walk!  Sara is asking folks to donate to the San Diego LGBT Center and she is matching EVERY gift up to $50,000.  You can make your donation HERE.  Read Sara's letter to The Center's supporters from the website and newsletter below:

True Colors Fund Gala Speech

#UnityDay2016

Sara led the way with her cast from LOSERVILLE in supporting Pacer's National Bullying Prevention Center's Unity Day. "Unity Day encourages schools and communities to 'GO ORANGE' and 'BE UNITED FOR KINDNESS, ACCEPTANCE, AND INCLUSION.'"

In addition to this AMAZING and FIERCE pic of Sara that blew up or social media streams. LOSERVILLE released a series of four videos (three that featured Sara) based on different themes about bullying prevention - you can see them all here: tiny.cc/loservillefilm.   To end the day, on instagram Loserville edited together Sara's statements into one amazing video of just Sara.  
. 

THIS amazing moment happened @ #40ToNone

True Colors Fund Weekend

Hot off the presses (as they say)...Sara will be at the #40ToNoneSummit!  This is in addition to her appearance at True Colors Fund Gala.  Oh to be in Los Angeles this weekend!

ALL you need to know to watch Loserville

Loserville New York Premiere at Village East

We admit to screaming when we saw the first pictures from the premiere! So many Tony-Award Winners and all pictured with Sara!  Again the film partnered with a non-profit Bullying Prevention group, STOMP Out Bullying. 

Parade Magazine

Check out this GREAT article on Parade.com where Sara and Darby Stanchfield discuss Loserville! 

Loserville Los Angeles Premiere at the Arclight

Talk about "wish we were there!" Sara was sporting a t-shirt supporting the film's partner Pacer Center for Bullying Prevention.  You can get one here!  Leave it to our Sara to link film producing to activism.  We can't wait to watch Loserville!

Loserville Trailer! 

So you wanna be a Producer...Sara is!!!

We will be waiting on pins and needles for the details!  Can't wait!

NBC Latino: Ted Talks Education Revolution

Glamour - the haircut that broke the internet

Parade Magazine

The Wind Beneath My Wings

THIS is everything. Sara was in San Diego today to honor her high school theatre teacher Ole Kittleson who passed away last month.  Sara's dedication is beautiful and touching as her and performance of Wind Beneath Our Wings is breathtaking. 

JOY

Watch this NOW

if you won't listen to us...listen to Sara:

"THIS SPEECH BY Wilson Cruz IS EVERYTHING. EV-ER-Y-THING!" I made a promise. I would never again walk into a space & leave any part of myself behind....‪#‎Latino‬ & ‪#‎LGBT‬ communities must come together 2 embrace & nurture their natural coalition....if we continue to allow LGBT Latinos to live in fear for their safety...then both communities will be complicit" ‪#‎Latinx‬ ‪#‎LGBTQ‬ ‪#‎Immigrant‬ ‪#‎Healing‬ ‪#‎Preach‬"

We have to go to this!

SAVE THE DATE!  True Colors Fund is throwing a party and we can't wait to support this amazing organization.  When Sara joined the board of True Colors Fund, she put the spotlight on LGBTQ homeless youth.  If you can make it we suggest you sign up now so that you get updates...we have a feeling tickets will go fast!  Click HERE to get all of the info you need!

Responsibility

El Canto del Colibri (The Song of the Hummingbird)

#Orlando

Farewell...for now...Dr. Callie Torres

Unselfie

40 to None - True Colors Fund

Rock Star Sara 
inner Rock Star released for a good cause? CHECK!  We all know that Sara is a ROCK STAR in a million different ways, but she has joined fellow musicians in support of #DenimDay.  Sara joined Maya Jupiter and Aloe Blacc for Jupiter's video for NEVER SAY YES. 

TED with Sara

Sara is back at TED and she's tweeting up a storm!  We thought we would highlight the talks that Sara is drawing attention to (we will add the links over the course of the week, so enjoy!):

First up, no surprise: Shonda Rhimes My Year of Saying Yes to Everything.

Send Me: Web Series

SEND ME, the web series that Sara executive produced, is available to watch as part of BET's Black History Month Celebration.  You can watch the entire series HERE!   The cast include Tracie Thoms, Gabrielle Carteris, Jerrika Hinton, Jasika Nicole, Ahmed Best, Carlease Burke & Liz Femi.
Created by Steve Harper, SEND ME is about Gwen, a black woman and a professor of African American studies who has the power to send black people back in time to slavery as a character building measure. The power to do this has been passed down to her through her family. Candidates want to go on the journey and she makes money by sending them. Her husband, Peter, thinks she shouldn’t do this – and they argue about it. They’ve sent two people back – one never returned.

This #BTS at Grey's made our day!

#GreysADramedy Kevin McKidd, Jason Winston George, Jerrika Hinton, #GreysAnatomy

Posted by Sara Ramirez on Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Grey's Anatomy still the People's Favorite

Some voters just get it right. GREY'S ANATOMY might be in it's twelfth season but it shows no signs of losing fans love - it certainly has our love.  The 2016 PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS are proof of that. GREY'S was voted favorite dramatic series which made our night!  We were happy that if Sara couldn't be named best dramatic actress that Ellen Pompeo won. 

The Year In Sara

As we say goodbye to 2015, here are some highlights from our favorite lady's year:
  • ROLLERCOASTER! Sara released a new single that we have had on repeat.  
  • TED LIVE showed up on Broadway's Town Hall with our favorite Tony-winner as a host.  It was four days of amazing talks capped off with live performances of Sara singing ROLLERCOASTER.
  • Sara got much deserved recognition with her People's Choice nomination for best dramatic actress.
  • Sara headed back into the recording booth to voice Queen Miranda for upcoming episodes of SOFIA THE FIRST. 
  • Sara continued to inspire us with her work as a advocate for the LGBTQ and immigrant communities while keeping us informed on many, many important issues worldwide.  She also joined the board of TRUE COLORS FUND founding by Cyndi Lauper to provide assistance to homeless LGBTQ youth.
  • ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY celebrated the fall premiere of TGIT with a premiere party, glorious spread of photos and interviews that brought all of our favorites together!
  • Sara made this BRILLIANT speech while accepting the Ally Award from Arizona HRC. 
  • We celebrated Sara's 200th Episode and 10th anniversary as a series regular on GREY'S ANATOMY.
  • and of course Sara continued to melt our hearts as our FAVORITE Orthopedic surgeon Callie Torres.  

Hiatus Blues

February 12 seems SOOOOO FAR AWAY....We are listening to this on repeat.  Help makes up for GREY'S ANATOMY winter hiatus by getting us into the holiday spirit with Sara's BEAUTIFUL voice. 

Winter Finale Awesome-ness....

The last few episodes of the fall/winter arc of GREY'S ANATOMY have brought back something we really LOVE - witty, funny Callie Torres!  Of course Callie is dealing with some serious issues with Penny and Meredith, but we can't help saying we are loving the evolving friendSHIP of Callie and Avery.   And the memory of Callie naming Grey Sloan "Lady Place" will keep us smiling until February 12.

Vote and vote often!

Did you see who just got nominated for a People's Choice Award.  That's right...our Sara is up for best dramatic actress!!! Joining Sara in the dramatic actress category are Shondaland's other leading ladies which is very exciting! So get over the the People's Choice site and exercise your right to vote and vote and vote for Sara.  And while you are there don't you dare forget to also vote for GREY'S ANATOMY for best drama series - we need a repeat of last year's win! 

TED Live 

For those who can't make it to TED Live in New York, we thought you might be interested in the speakers on the nights that Sara is hosting (with links so you can learn a little bit more about their work).  For those who can make it there in person - see you there!!!

TED Talks Live program
November 1: The Education RevolutionCo-hosted by Baratunde Thurston and Sara Ramirez, featuring:


November 2: The Education RevolutionCo-hosted by Baratunde Thurston and Sara Ramirez, featuring:
  • Paul Cantelon, film composer & pianist
  • Anna Deavere Smith, actress, playwright and professor
  • Sam Kass, former White House chef, NBC senior food analyst & MIT Media Lab Fellow
  • Sal Khan, educator & social entrepreneur
  • Nadia Lopez, Mott Hall Bridges Academy principal
  • Meshell Ndegeocello, musician
  • Andrew Mangino, CEO & co-founder of The Future Project
  • Victor Rios, sociology professor & author of Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys
  • Dena Simmons, educator at The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
  • John "Scrapper" Snider, trumpet

Okay, you have us curious....

All will be revealed this Thursday! Stay tuned! #GA250GreenScreenChallenge#GreysAnatomy #TGIT #HappyMondayhttp://www.whosay.com/l/LjFb8TT

Posted by Sara Ramirez on Monday, October 19, 2015

Oh, no...

Callie Torres finally meets a new lady and it's the doctor who "killed" Derek??? Oh, Penny!!!

Women centerstage at Grey Sloan

As Beyonce asked...Who runs the world? At Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, it's clearly the "girls." We are delighted this important point wasn't lost in episode 12.2. The Hollywood Reporter covered how in Shondaland women are rising to power.

"Callie points it out and names it Lady Place," Ramirez tells THR. "There's some really humorous commentary made on that suggestion but the point is celebrating that most of the heads of departments are female and that's very exciting. It's a very empowering moment for a lot of women. We're normalizing it, which is what Shonda and her writers do best. They normalize issues that for a lot of people are sort of unheard of, taboo or considered outside of the norm."  READ more over at The Hollywood Reporter.

Sara Ramirez, film producer...is there anything she can't do???

We know she is an amazing actress and singer, as well as an activist trying to make the world a better place. But now our favorite multi-hyphenate has added a new title to her growing resume...film producer.  

I am so excited to share that I have joined the producing team of LoservilleFilm!!! #Rollercoaster will be featured in...

Posted by Sara Ramirez on Monday, September 28, 2015

You can make a difference!

NEW single from Sara?  YES!!!!

The ONLY thing better than a season premiere of Grey's Anatomy?  A new single from Sara!

#BigNews! My new single #ROLLERCOASTER will be released 9/24! ...

Posted by Sara Ramirez on Thursday, September 17, 2015

Season 12 Offical Trailer! Can't wait!

Happy 250th Episode to #GreysAnatomy

Our favorite show has reached a MAJOR milestone that few shows ever do - 250 episodes!  And our favorite actress is entering her 10th year as a series regular. Yes, we know that Grey's introduced our heroic Dr. Callie Torres in season two - but Sara was a guest star during season two - a very special guest star if we do say so ourselves and she became a series regular in season three. 

Congratulations to all of our #GreysAnatomy cast and crew on 250 episodes! #GreysAnatomy250 󾌧󾔗󾭚

Posted by Grey's Anatomy on Tuesday, September 15, 2015

YES! Shondaland!

#EmotionalOverload 

#TGIT  New Promo featuring our FAVE Doctor

Head HERE immediately to see the new #TIGIT promo with our own Sara!   Below is Sara's instagram post with a pic from the promo!

Celebrate Sara's Birthday 8/31

Picture
Sara inspires us in many ways, but what we admire most is the fact that she raises her voice to bring attention to important issues involving the LGBTQ and Latino communities. Sara doesn't just stop at spreading the word to her one million plus followers on social media, she is actually out there working to change the world for those who need a helping hand.  There is no better way to celebrate her birthday than to highlight one of the organizations she works with and to lend whatever support you can to help others in need. We hope you will take a moment out of your day to learn about the important work that IMMIGRATION EQUALITY does on behalf of LGBT and HIV-positive immigrants seeking asylum and that you will donate what you can (every dollar helps) in honor of Sara's birthday!  

                                 READ THIS: Immigration Equality Message from Sara!  

Let Sara's own words (when accepting an award from the Arizona chapter of the Human Rights Campaign) remind you why it's important that we help those who need an extra hand.  Be a part of Sara's Village...make the world a better place. 


"It takes a village, and it takes knowing in our hearts that it is our human right to love and be loved. We are all worthy of respect, love and equal rights. If you feel you don’t have a village that you can trust and lean on, you create your own, a village made up of people who you know accept you, and will support you. Some of us must start out being our own village but I assure you there are people waiting to accept you and support you. If Doctor Calliope Iphigenia Torres has taught me anything, it is that although we don’t choose our sexual orientation, we do chose what we believe about our own self worth."


Here's that link again https://imeq.secure.force.com/sara/ Help us make Sara's birthday the best one yet! 

Sara's Latest Project! SEND ME

Check it out!  Sara is an executive producer on this new web series SEND ME.   


"Created by playwright, screenwriter and actor Steve Harper, and starring Tracie Thoms, Gabrielle Carteris, Nelsan Ellis, Jerrika Hinton, Jasika Nicole, and Carlease Burke, and shot earlier this year in and around Los Angeles, "Send Me" follows a black woman (Thoms) who has the power to send black people back in time, to the slavery era." -- INDIEWIRE

Super Cool News #TEDTalks Live with Sara!

Click to set custom HTML

#TGIF #Love TED Talks! Honored and excited to a part of this new adventure! #TedTalksLive #NewYork

Posted by Sara Ramirez on Friday, July 31, 2015

To Be A Fly On The Wall

Season 12 of GREY'S ANATOMY filming begins today!  Don't we all just wish we could be there for the table read!?!

#LoveWins But The Fight Isn't Over

Gay marriage is no more.  Thanks to the Supreme Court in the United States there is only MARRIAGE. Taking a cue from Sara, we thank EVERYONE who worked for and supported equality for our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.  In case you haven't had a chance to read OBERGEFELL ET AL. v. HODGES , we thought we would share it here.  We think it is just as important to read Justice Kennedy's affirmation as it is to read the four dissenting opinions - they prove just how much work is left to do when it comes to fighting bias against the #LGBTQ community.   Thank goodness there are high profile artists and individuals like Sara who are using their public platforms to educate and support this important work. 

obergefell_et_al_v_hodges.pdf
File Size: 439 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

We Love This #Love Wins

Take a cue from Sara #SupportEquality

Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) is encouraging you to turn your Facebook and Twitter profile pics red!  Of course Sara was one of the first to do so.  Join her by clicking HERE. #PictureEquality

Sharing Sara's Words With The World

We couldn't help but notice a lot of Sara fans had mentioned on twitter that it would be cool if her HRC speech was translated into different languages. Ask and you shall receive!  Here are a few tranlations: Spanish, French, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, and Greek.
spanish.pdf
File Size: 49 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
french.pdf
File Size: 50 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
greek.pdf
File Size: 56 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
russian.pdf
File Size: 51 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
italian.pdf
File Size: 48 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
portuguese.pdf
File Size: 49 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Time Jump

Oh that Shonda Rhimes knows how to play with our emotions. In the penultimate episode of the season, we lost time to our favorite characters.  What it made us think about was how much Callie Torres has experienced this year! Who knows what will happen in the season closer but we just want to thank Shonda for letting Sara shine this season! 

Cyndi and Sara Make the World A Better Place

Big announcement from Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund...check it out HERE.

R.I.P. Dr. Derek Shepherd

NO WORDS. 

Ms. Ramirez Goes to Washington

Our favorite activist is at it again..this time supporting LGBTQ homeless teens. Sara was in Washington D.C. with the True Colors Fund.  She attended a Senate hearing and even got a private tour of the White House - check out the pics!  More info on the True Colors Fund HERE.

10 year ago...March 17, 2005 SPAMALOT

Ten years ago we were in the audience to witness the amazing opening night of MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT!  Oh yes, we were Sara fans way back when...

The Lady of The Lake will always be one of our favorite Sara roles...especially because it made the rest of the world realize what a STAR and PHENOMENAL TALENT she is!

HRC Los Angeles Gala

Some pics from last night HRC LA Gala dinner. Sara was there to introduce and highlight the work of HRC's Project One America initiative.  At the event Shonda Rhimes received the LA Chapter's Ally Award. 

HRC Arizona Ally Award Speech Transcript

We heard from some our readers outside the of the United States that they were having difficulty viewing Sara's Speech at the Human Rights Campaign event where she received the Ally Award.  The video is a MUST WATCH . 

But for those who were having problems viewing or who would simply like to read her speech, we have transcribed it below.  Get ready to be inspired:

Thank you. Wow, thank you so much. Thank you so much. 


I will admit that after many years of performing in front of thousands of people, I find myself a little nervous to stand before you tonight so bear with me please. I cannot tell you how profound receiving this award is for me, or how grateful I am for the recognition but I certainly will try.

Picture if you will, a little girl, 8 years old in Mazatlan, Mexico *crowd starts cheering* alright. Her parents split up and suddenly this only child finds herself in the US, unprepared for the years of culture shock, racism, prejudice and divorce trauma that lay ahead. This little girl faces ridicule for being different but also understands the she is privileged and so blessed compared to what others have to go through to live here. Now, this isn't about inducing pity, it’s not about caretakers negligence growing up or how cruel, misinformed people can be, forgiveness has taken place. This is about a person who, despite consistent adversity throughout her childhood managed to persevere and create a self-loving life experience despite the surrounding negativity, and lack of love, acceptance, love and acceptance that was sorely needed.

The arts saved me. The arts saved me. 


It was the one place where I felt safe to be me. Turns out I had a gift for singing and my acting and dancing was so bad. and although there were times where I mistook people’s positive reactions to my abilities for the love and attention I was lacking at home, most of the time I was aware of the fact that this wasn't about how many ego strokes I could receive, this was bigger than me. I grew to understand that perhaps this really was my calling and that perhaps an engineering career would have to wait. So, with the help of many angels, many, many angels sent my way and hard work on my part I would wind up in New York City studying at, and four years later graduation from the Julliard’s school’s drama division. Hard work, really hard work paid off and we fast forward to Grey’s Anatomy, an winning TV drama in its 11th season, yeah, oh yeah,  on which I have been lucky enough to play the character of Doctor Calliope Iphigenia Torres, a kick-ass orthopedic surgeon who happens to be smart, driven, vulnerable, funny, Latina, and bisexual. 


TV is powerful, I think it’s no secret that Hollywood and the media have a huge impact on our culture’s perception of itself. Before I joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy, I had grown to accept that the media’s images of beauty and intelligence would be indefinitely be exclusive and quite dismissive of all the true beauty and intelligence that surrounds us in the real world, but here was my boss, asking me to show that a woman who looks like me could absolutely be a leader, who explores and enjoys her pleasure center, can fall in love, feels sexy and be a nurturer. Sometimes erroneous, sometimes self aware, vulnerable, powerful, human, and again I thought “wow this is so much bigger than me”. Shonda Rhimes is the same person who showed tremendous commitment when we discussed the possibility of Callie being a vessel for a story about someone who discovers that their sexual orientation is different from what they initially understood it to be. 


Most recently, Dr Torres unapologeticly declared that she is bisexual and that it is real. The adversity written for Callie, the way she manages to get back on her own two feet, and her unwavering belief in love are just some of the many things I love about her, she is a survivor, she is a human, flawed yet lovable, perfect in her imperfections, and what an honor is has been to pour my heart and soul into a fictional character who represents something so much bigger than all of us, a character who shows us we are all, each and every single one of us deserving of equality, respect, acceptance, love, compassion. Now, it has been an interesting journey playing this character to say the least.  


Recently my husband was asked rather loudly by self-proclaimed fan “what’s it like being married to a woman who plays a …lesbian?”, all pointed like being a lesbian is this awful, horrible thing and well thank goodness my husband is intelligent and evolved because he handled clarifying the truth for this person and hopefully they received it. Later when my husband told me the story, we chuckled at first because obviously this person is not a fan of the show, Dr Torres is bisexual, hello, couldn't even get that part right. But, clarifying that was not as important as the most dangerous part of the exchange, and you know what? we were frustrated, no, we were pissed. In implying that there is something wrong with playing a lesbian, this person who represents folks who speak like this may never know how offensive, disrespectful, and hurtful their tone could be to someone overhearing this exchange, who is a lesbian or a part of the LGBTQ community for that matter. Now, the good news is, this kind of exchange is outweighed by the many, many, many letters that I have received, and continue to receive from people who are a part of the LGBT community. People who see themselves in Callie’s story and who are struggling to find acceptance, a safe place or who have found it and are thriving. There are also countless number of letters and messages I have received from bisexual people who feel seen and heard for the first time. People who, for the first time feel brave and empowered enough to come out to their loved ones because they watched Callie live it on screen, and it turns out, according to the HRC’s recent ‘growing up LGBT in America’ survey, of more that 10,000 American LGBT youth ages 13-17, nearly 40% of the participants identified as bisexual. In 2013, Pew research center survey of LGBT adults , 40% of those respondents were bisexual, that’s almost half of the entire LGBTQ community. Just recently, I read a really great quote from Tallahassee representative, David Richardson regarding Oregon’s governor, Kate Brown, the first openly bisexual governor in the country, where he says, “more importantly is the fact that LGBT leaders are being defined by what we offer as leaders, rather than being defined by our sexual orientation.” I love that, I love that.

Several weeks ago I heard a really touching story about how a few years back, this married couple, whose permission I got to share this, because it is personal, was facing a terrifying time as one of them found out they had a brain tumor. They watched the Grey’s Anatomy musical episode right before surgery and then wanted me to know that she carried my voice into her dreams and it gave her much needed escape, laughter and just… peace before, and I’m happy to say after surgery. Now, you may or may not find it interesting that this couple is made up of two women, one is transgender, and the other is not, and you may or may not find is interesting that the tumor was benign but what I find most interesting is that something that is usually considered “talking heads” or a “commercial for the commercials”, brought comfort and gently ushered a woman and her transgender wife through a life-altering experience. These are the people who I do this for. These are the thoughtful beautiful people who remind me time and time again that the arts and entertainment can be a tool for much needed civic dialog and sometimes just to help people get through a really tough time. These are the beautiful thoughtful people who remind me we are all deserving of the right to marry who we love and have equal access to what’s needed to build the life we want.


Now, on the flip side, there are also mounting reports of violence toward the LGBTQ community, homicide, suicides, everyday. It was recently reported that through the first 7 weeks of 2015, at least 7 transgender women have been murdered. I mean, that’s was like 2 weeks ago, ok? My apologies if I mispronounce these. Bri Golec, Lamia Beard, Ty Underwood, Yazmin Vash Payne, Taja Gabrielle DeJesus, Penny Proud, and just a few weeks ago, Kristina Gomez Reinwald. And then, there’s the case of Nicoll Hernández-Polanco, the asylum seeker from Guatemala who last I read, was being detained in Florence, Arizona, she was placed in an all-male detention center despite homeland security regulation saying ICE should take gender identification into account when assigning migrants to detention facilities. Now since being detained, Nicoll has been assaulted by another detainee and guards have groped her during routine pat-downs referring to her as “it” and “woman with balls”. Violence between transgender women and particularly women of colour is an epidemic, there are so many stories like this, so many members of the LGBTQ community who deserve better from the human race. 


This also brings to mind another community vulnerable to violence, migrant workers. Currently under investigation as the tragic story of Antonio Zambrano-Montes, a migrant worker who was shot at by police in Pasco, Washington 17 times, hitting him as many as 7 times for throwing rocks. I’m happy to share that the Obama ministration recently released 2015 national security strategy specifically mentions for the first time, the need to protect LGBT human rights as an objective of U.S. national security. This document says “we will be a champion for communities who are too frequently vulnerable to violence, abuse and neglect such as ethnic and religious minorities, people with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, displaced persons, and migrant workers.”

Leelah Alcorn. Leelah Alcorn, was a transgender young lady because in her own words “after a summer of having almost no friends, plus the weight of thinking about college, saving money for moving out, keep my grades up, go to church every week, and feel like shit because everyone there is against everything I live for, I have decided I have had enough, I’m never going to be happy. There is no way out. The only way I will rest in peace is if one day, transgender people aren't treated the way I was, they’re treated like humans, with valid feelings, and human rights.”. There are too many people in the world who feel as alone as Leelah did. We've lost so many already, we cannot let our LGBTQ children walk the earth feeling less than, feeling worthless, feeling wrong. I stand with you here today and pledge to you that I will continue to do what I can to create more productive civic dialogue around these issues. Change can be uncomfortable for so many but it is everything and it it is possible. Human Rights Campaign community, folks from all walks of life in this room . I thank you for this recognition, but mostly I am humbled by all of you, an amazing group of people who work tirelessly to bring about true quality for the LGBTQ community.

It takes a village, and it takes knowing in our hearts that it is our human right to love and be loved. We are all worthy of respect, love and equal rights. If you feel you don’t have a village that you can trust and lean on, you create your own, a village made up of people who you know accept you, and will support you. Some of us must start out being our own village but I assure you there are people waiting to accept you and support you. If Doctor Calliope Iphigenia Torres has taught me anything, it is that although we don’t choose our sexual orientation, we do chose what we do about our own self worth.

Leelah, this is for you, we will not let you down. Thank you.

MUST WATCH THIS!

Congratulations Sara!  

Be an Ally! #GotYourBack

This morning GLAAD launched the #GotYourBack campaign. Sign the pledge. Promote acceptance. Let the world know Love is Love. Sara did with THIS amazing picture. 

And...we have to say it...WE LOVE THE HAT!!!!!

A Chance For A Real Dialogue

We raise our hats to Shonda Rhimes for opening a door to a real discussion on bisexuality. THIS is proof that we really need it. 

How Much Happy Do We Get?

We have to talk about GREY'S ANATOMY's return after that LOOOOOOOONG winter break. While everyone was obsessed with whether Callie was going to dip her toes back into the dating game (check out the EW preview article and especially those comments - more on that later).  But what we couldn't get over was that final scene with Owen and Callie.  How heart-broken were you when Callie questioned whether we have a finite amount of happiness and had she used hers up?  Shonda, you kill us! The look in Sara's eyes!  Another great episode of acting from our favorite lady!

HAPPY 200th episode to CALLIE TORRES!!!

Sara is having another contest!

Sara is having another contest! This time it is to design the cover photo for her twitter page! Details and how to send her an pic are here!

#TGITWithdrawal
If you are a true fan of GREY'S ANATOMY and Shonda Rhimes, you have probably done a little self diagnosis during this LONG winter hiatus and found out you have #TGITWithdrawal.  ABC granted all ShondaLand fans a huge gift with it's PSA campaign regarding this very serious issue for ShondaFans. At first it seemed the kids from HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER were going to lead the way along with SCANDAL'S Katie Lowes & Scott Foley and GREY'S Kevin Mckidd (sans his real accent so we know he is in full character as Owen) & our SARA!!!! But then ABC unveiled the real treat...extended versions of the PSAs including this brilliant Callie and Owen spot! WE LOVE IT!  It helps with our #TGIT withdrawal but it isn't a cure! Jan. 29th can't get here soon enough!

Now if you need a smile to brighten your day...we suggest you search twitter for the hashtag #TGITWithdrawal! 

11 seasons in GREY'S ANATOMY is still #1

Picture
The People have spoken and they have made it clear that even in it's 11th season GREY'S ANATOMY is their PEOPLE'S CHOICE!  That's right...at this year's PEOPLE'S CHOICE Awards our favorite show won BIG...best network drama, best actor and best actress in a network drama.  This award means a lot because it proves the staying power of this great show that has been on the air for over a decade AND it is voted on by the fans!  YAY!

A little inspiration from Sara

Leelah Alcorn

"In life, Leelah Alcorn felt alone. Born male, she feared she would never be the woman she felt like inside.

In death, the transgender 17-year-old - born Josh Alcorn - wanted to make sure others never felt the way she did.

"The only way I will rest in peace is if one day transgender people aren't treated the way I was, they're treated like humans, with valid feelings and human rights," Alcorn wrote in a post on the social media blog site Tumblr.

"My death needs to mean something," she wrote in the post, which she scheduled to appear the day after her death.

That plea marked her final public words."

Read the full story here in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Queen Miranda is back

Starting Sunday November 23 DISNEY JUNIOR will be airing a new SOFIA THE FIRST movie, THE CURSE OF PRINCESS IVY. Make sure to check it out.

January 29th can't get here fast enough

GREY'S ANATOMY's winter finale gave us a lot of Callie and we can't wait to see what happens next! Tweet us as @SRofficialsite to let us know how you will survive until GREY'S is back! 

R.I.P Mike Nichols

PictureDavid Hyde Pierce, Sara Ramirez, and Mike Nichols after Sara won the Tony Award.
Sara was a star on Broadway long before the rest of the world knew her as Callie Torres on GREY'S ANATOMY.  It was famed award-winning director Mike Nichols who cast Sara in SPAMALOT the show that catapulted her to the next level and world-wide awareness due to her Tony Award-winning performance as the Lady of The Lake. In additional to an amazing number of films and Broadway shows we will always remember Mr. Nichols for that! You can hear Mr. Nichols talk about casting Sara on the Charlie Rose show here.  

Happy Halloween!!!

Brilliant fun from a GREY'S ANATOMY FAN!

One Week Later...Still Reeling

It's been a week since THAT episode.  You know the one we mean.  We haven't quite recovered. Twitter and Facebook certainly let us know we aren't alone. The funny thing is that it's not so much about the break-up but the amazing emotional ride that Shonda Rhimes and the GREY'S ANATOMY team took us on. Even if you want to see Callie and Arizona together, you have to agree that the only way for ANY couple to survive is for each person to love themselves first.  There aren't many TV shows that would take a risk and do what's right for the characters rather than what some fans may want. This is why we and we imagine a lot of other fans were gutted by the episode. It's episodes like this that make us watch GREY'S ANATOMY year after year (and every other show Shondaland does). With all of the wonderfully outrageous things that Rhimes comes up with (Plane crashes, shooters, bombs, etc.), it is the deeply personal, deeply emotional, and - yes, we are going to say it - deeply real episodes like the Calzona break-up that get us.  And no matter what you feel about the story-line you have to agree each and every moment was BRILLIANTLY acted.  How amazing is it that Rhimes let us see these phenomenal actresses shine?!  We are so grateful that Rhimes has given us these wonderful characters (and loads of other female characters) to love and that she has given so many actresses opportunity to delve into such good story-telling.  And quite honestly normally we hate a week that doesn't include a new episode of GREY'S ANATOMY but we needed a little break to recover.

#HoldingOurBreathe

We know what we're doing this weekend!

Post by Sara Ramirez.

Fasten your seatbelts...

#NoSpoilers here... because unless you live under a rock you know that next week's GREY'S ANATOMY Episode 1105 is all about Callie and Arizona. We can't wait there is going to be some AMAZING acting going on. We love to see Sara SHINE in the spotlight! 

First post by Sara in Messages from Sara

Just a reminder about this site.  The site is not run by or directly affiliated with the amazing Sara Ramirez.  All views and posts are by the site's authors not Sara Ramirez! BUT...Sara knew that we were setting up the site and after a lot of arm twisting she agreed to occasionally post in the Messages From Sara section!  So if you haven't signed up yet...do so now!  Because Sara just shared a super-special #ThrowBackThursday in the Messages From Sara Photos and News section!

Shonda! Shonda!  Shonda!

We just have to take a minute to say we hope Shonda Rhimes appears on more shows!  We watched THE MINDY PROJECT this week and loved seeing our favorite show-runner/producer/writer/Queen of Everything! 

It's not funny. 

Picture
“The ‘People’ section is a humorous parody of Gossip magazines, all stories are obviously not true.”

REALLY? This morning while doing our favorite Friday morning after Grey’s Anatomy activity – googling Sara, we found the dumbest site on the internet – a news site run out of China that buries in the small print the fact that everything on it is apparently made-up.

We hesitate to even name it because we don’t want the add to whatever little traffic they are desperately trying to get so that they can earn money from our clicks  But here is a little screen grab so you can see how dumb this is. Now we love a clever parody or outright humor as much as the next guy or gal – bring it on THE ONION or FUNNY OR DIE…but this site thinks a humorous parody (their description not ours) is a totally bogus - by their own admission - tale of Sara and Ryan having broken up including a fake fan eyewitness account and fake tweets in response.

 Um…sorry we must of missed how this is a funny or a parody versus just being mean and an outright lie?

Other tall tales from this site…a 15 year old actor from a popular sit-com is secretly married, stories of non-existent nude photos of many stars, Fake deaths, and tons of fake break-ups – Funny? NOT.

We were going to warn all of you Sara fans about gross sites like this and this bogus article, but then we remembered any fan of Sara has the taste and intelligence to identify BULLS*#T when they see it.

We have a suggestion for the folks behind this fake news site: There are a lot of things going on in this world that DESERVE attention. Stop making up stuff to get attention (and we are sure ad dollars) for yourself.  If you need some ideas why not check out the numerous causes that celebrities including Sara try to draw attention to. You might actually make more money doing good in the world than making up crap.

The Ultimate Throw-Back ANY DAY

Our all time favorite YouTube clip: EXTRA TV coverage of GREY'S ANATOMY's musical episode! 

Sing It!

In this tweet Sara reminded of the power of music!

Sara Sings: The Man That Got Away

Season 11 is here #TGIT

We have been waiting all summer along and finally tonight Season 11 of GREY's ANATOMY is back with new episodes.  

We are certainly happy to see all of the faces from Grey Sloan Memorial back on our screens, but we can't wait to see what's in store for our favorite doctor of all time...Callie Torres.  
Don't forget to follow Sara on all social media by using the icons on the left!  

Who broke Twitter last night?

Picture
Last night if it seemed Twitter slowed down, we can tell you why... 

Sara and Jessica Capshaw gave GREY'S ANATOMY fans a fabulous pre-premiere gift in the form of matching tweets!  The uber-creative selfies got close to 15,000 favorites and over 7,000 RTs. 

We have to admit the cheeky message "I always feel like somebody's watching meeeee..." not only made us laugh but got us wondering...what were the ladies filming when the pics were taken???

MUST WATCH!
One of our favorite things about Sara (and there are too many to list in one post) is how she is an activist and uses her social media feeds to alert fans to important issues and causes. She recently posted this amazing speech by Emma Watson about feminism and the launch of the HeForShe program which encourage Men and Women to join the fight for Gender Equality. You can learn more about this amazing movement at the HeForShe website!

To keep up-to-date on this important fight, we recommend following @HeForShe and @UN_Women on twitter.  

When Sara talks...we listen

We admit it....Sara's opinion matters to us, especially when it comes to music. Her recent Facebook post about Somi's The Lagos Music Salon had us rushing to iTunes to download the album. 

WOW.  Sara was right. This is one amazing singer and a fabulous album.  We were dancing around the room as soon as it started playing. We aren't embarrassed to admit it.  We even imagined for a few minutes that we were jamming along with Sara and her hubby!

Get your copy today and we bet you won't be disappointed. 

Now, if Sara would just release another album... 

Shonda Rhimes talks #Calzona with Entertainment Weekly
Before all of the #Calzona fans start freaking out at the headline of ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY's chat with Shondra Rhimes...check out this quote from Shonda: 

"There are two parallel relationships: Meredith and Derek’s relationship and Callie and Arizona’s relationship. Meredith’s journey and Callie’s journey are two big journeys that we really want to look at this season as we’re telling these stories."

This is the BEST NEWS EVER because it means our favorite leading lady Sara will be getting LOTS of screen time. And that is something we can get behind.  

Before you send us a ton of emails...we love #Calzona as much as everyone else, but we also love seeing Sara devour Shonda's dramatic and heart-wrenching story lines, and this interview sure makes it sound like Callie will be front and center for most of the season.  And Shonda if you by some crazy chance are reading this...we can also get behind a lot more fun scenes with Callie and Meredith.  We know no one will ever replace Cristina as Meredith's person but we think Callie would be fine substitute!

Season 11 Sneak Peek!

ABC just posted a sneak peek of Season 11 of GREY'S ANATOMY. Check out the #OrthoPosse in action. 

Now that's a #selfie!

Picture
If you didn't notice -- and shame on you if you didn't -- Sara change her avi on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And what an amazing picture it is!  We might be bias but we definitely think it's the best #selfie EVER.  Extra points for the beautiful lipstick color.  #MuchoBonita

Sara also updated her bio on all three channels to make sure you can find her. Have you liked her new Facebook page yet?  Looks like our girl is geared up and ready to go for the new season of #GREYSANATOMY which if we haven't reminded you recently starts on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 8|7c.

Sara started an official Facebook Page!!!

Picture
Check it out! Sara announced on Twitter that she created an official Facebook page. Like it! No, seriously go and like it right now, we'll wait.
 
Our girl is taking over social media!  Just a note - you can use the icons on the upper left of the corner of the site to find all of her accounts (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).  

First pics of #GeenaDavis with Sara!

Picture
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to post pics of guest star #GeenaDavis on the GREY'S ANATOMY set and look who she is with! No official details on the Oscar Award-winning actresses character or how long she will in residence at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, but we have our fingers crossed that she we will see a lot of her and lots of scenes with her and our favorite Ot  Check out the full article here.

Grey's Anatomy Cast #IceBucketChallenge

The GREY'S ANATOMY cast takes the #IceBucketChallenge.  Sara re-grammed #EllenPompeo's video of it!  Make sure you donate to the ALS Association here!

Need a Sara fix?

Picture
If you are like me and can't wait for GREY'S ANATOMY to return and Sara to be back on TV, here's a suggestion: check out Disney Junior's SOFIA THE FIRST. Sara is the voice of Queen Miranda a villager who marries the King of Enchancia.  Her daughter Sofia, voiced by MODERN FAMILY's Ariel Winter, much adjust to her new life as a princess.  Sofia is helped along by familiar Disney characters including a few well known princesses. This smart, fun and empowering show, now in it's third season and is the number one rated show among young girls. Check it out!

They're Back 
#ShondaRhimes posts #Calzona pic

Sara posted this AMAZING regram of a picture Shonda Rhimes took of our favorite couple at today's table read! For GREY'S Fans it seems like September 25th can't get here soon enough, check out those comments! #CALZONA

#GreysAnatomy Back in Production

It's Official the cast of GREY'S ANATOMY reports back to work on Tuesday, July 22! Hopefully Sara will share some pics from the first day back!  #FingersCrossed

#BreakingNews GREY'S ANATOMY Fall Premiere Announced!

GREY'S ANATOMY will be returning to our TV screens on Thursday, September 25 at a new time, 8pm ET and PT / 7pm CT.  SCANDAL and HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER will follow GREY'S, so Thursdays will now be known and SHONDA-days!  Check out the new ABC promo "Thank God It's Thursday" below:

#ShondaSpeaks: Interviews from TCAs

Shonda Rhimes interview with Hollywood Reporter excerpt:

Callie and Arizona are poised to explore surrogacy. What kind of obstacles will that present for them? Or is that just a Band-Aid at this point?

 Yes, it is a Band-Aid. It's going to be revealed very quickly that it is a Band-Aid. How could it not be? I don't know if anybody could watch that and go, "Oh yeah, that's the answer for them." How could Arizona say, "Yes, I could have a baby but I don't want to" and not feel like a Band-Aid for whatever is going on with their relationship. I love the idea that for them, it's going to open up the opportunity for them to finally explore everything that's wrong and whether or not they should be together at all or whether or not they want to be together at all. Their entire relationship, by the way, has been a series of Band-Aids. It's heartbreaking and it's beautiful and it's either you choose to fix all the Band-Aids that are wrong and be together or you move on. But it's a choice of commitment and we're going to watch them explore that stuff.

#InstagramScramble Sara's latest posts 

#LoveSaraOnBroadway

Picture
A pic from Sara's Tony Award-winning performance as Lady of the Lake in #Spamalot #Broadway