Lena Dunham's speech at the Power of Women luncheon in New York City this past Friday focused on sexual assault, and the "Girls" star even spoke about the assault she experienced in college.
"When I was raped, I felt powerless. I felt my value had been determined by someone else, someone who sent me the message that my body was not my own and my choices were meaningless," said Dunham, who was honored for her work with anti-human trafficking organization GEMS,
reported Variety.
"As a feminist and sexual assault survivor, my ultimate goal is to use my experience, my platform and yes, my privilege, to reverse stigma and give voice to other survivors."
The awards luncheon is hosted biannually by Variety in Los Angeles and New York, and "recognizes women in the entertainment industry who use their platforms to champion important charitable causes."
Kim Kardashian West, Whoopi Goldberg, Glenn Close, and Rachel Weisz were also honored during the event.
According to Buzzfeed, Dunham first spoke publically about the sexual assault she experienced at Oberlin College in her book, "Not That Kind Of Girl."
In December, the book's publisher said it would alter the passage in which Dunham relates her alleged rape. In the book, Dunham described her attacker as a Republican named "Barry."
The description seemed to point to a real-life person named Barry who attended Oberlin, and, after he spoke out, Dunham claimed the name she used in the book was a pseudonym. She said that the resemblance with a real person was an "unfortunate and surreal coincidence."
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