Lilly Wachowski Makes First Public Appearance Since Coming Out as Transgender

Lilly Wachowski was greeted with a standing ovation when she made her first appearance after coming out as a transgender woman at the GLAAD Media Awards in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday night.

“Okay, first of all… ta-da,” Wachowski joked when she took to the stage to accept the award for outstanding drama series for her Netflix hit, Sense8.

“Tonight is a culmination of confluent events for me,” she continued. “This was something that I became aware of shortly after receiving tonight’s invitation to tonight’s affair. Some synchronism of time-space that included the 20-year anniversary of Bound, the 2016 Trans Day of Visibility, and Pi day.”

She continued, “It’s an excellent reminder that art is never static, and while the ideas of identity and transformation are critical components of our work, the bedrock that all ideas rest upon is love. Love is a crucial thing for transgender people. It’s a tether. For while our creativity can soar beyond a seemingly immutable biological gender designations, when faced with the rather simple proposition of whether or not we are lovable, our imagination falters. Too many of us end up on the wrong side of the existential question of love in oblivion. And so we ring that bell, not for everyone else’s sake, bit for our own. ”

After thanking Sense8 cast and crew and her family, Wachowski said, “Now get out there and go love with all of your f——— might!”

Wachowski (formerly known as Andy) came out as transgender in early Marchafter she claimed that she was being threatened to be publicly outed by a reporter. Her sister, Lana, also came out as transgender in July 2012. The siblings are perhaps best known for directing the Matrix trilogy.

Wachowski also told reporters at the event that she was feeling her “flight instincts” kick in at the event.

“Every ‘trans’ instinct that I have is telling me to hide, telling me to run,” she said. “My flight instinct is off the charts right now. But, I’m transgender, so you are not going to let it smother your life, so you have to fight against it. That’s what is what I’m doing, [laughs] I’m in a battle right now. I’m battling.”

• Reporting by REAGAN ALEXANDER

This story originally appeared on People.com