Still beaming from his
Academy Award win just days ago, Dustin Lance Black
appeared on
The Oprah Winfrey Show
on Friday afternoon for a short segment.
He spoke with Oprah and
cohost Gayle King from his home in Los Angeles.
"Oprah let me feel
like I had already succeeded," he told King, referring to
a chance meeting shortly before the Oscars during which Oprah
told him
Milk
had opened eyes and changed minds. Black, who penned
Milk,
the biopic about slain San Francisco politician and gay
activist Harvey Milk, said he felt consoled by Winfrey before
the awards ceremony on February 22.
Before winning, Black
said, he had an idea of what he wanted to say but didn't
have it written out. During his speech Black remembered growing
up in a Mormon home in San Antonio before moving with his
family to California.
"It gave me the
hope one day I could live my life openly as who I am and then
maybe even I could even fall in love and one day get
married," he said during the speech. He added, "If
Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think
he'd want me to say to all the gay and lesbian kids out
there tonight who have been told that they are less than by
their churches, by the government, or by their families that
you are beautiful, wonderful creatures who have value. And that
no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you."
Winfrey called his
acceptance speech her favorite of the night and a memorable
Oscar moment.
Prior to writing
Milk,
Black worked as a head writer on
Big Love.