Sharon Stone on Basic Instinct and Sexual Empowerment

So some years ago

before we were allowed to be who we were

in our little towns,

I was sitting

on a sound stage,

and my director said, "Can you hand me your underpants?

Because we're seeing them in the scene, and you shouldn't have underpants on, but

we won't see anything."

And I said, "Sure."

I didn't know that this moment would change my life.

So what I'd like you all to do is put your feet flat on the floor like

mine,

all of you.

And I want you to join me in a moment that changed my life.

Ready?

Set, go.

Do you feel empowered?

Maybe not. Let's do it again.

Each and every one of you is gonna have a moment like

mine,

a moment that changes your life,

one you might be aware of when it's happening,

and one you might not.

But I'll tell you this, you're going to have one

if you haven't had it

already,

and you're going to be held accountable for it if you haven't

already.

And people are going to ask you a lot of difficult questions

if they haven't already.

So the time to decide who you are

is now.

The time to decide what you do with the

tender,

important,

beautiful,

savage,

passionate,

most important part of yourself.

What are you gonna do with it?

I'll tell you what I did with mine.

I respected it.

And I would suggest that you all do the same,

because we have every right to be powerful

in whatever form of sexuality we

choose to have,

and no one is allowed to take that away from you.

You must present yourself in a way that

allows you to be respected, liked,

and loved.

This thing has gotten way out of control,

and it was way out of control before it started.

And in my opinion, the only way it's going to change is if we

get real laws on the books, misdemeanors

and felonies, and we get real social services

involved in our lives.

I stand here as Woman of the Year, not as an

individual, but to be with women, and of

women, and to be here in my grace, and in my

tenderness, and in my dignity.

And I wanna tell you, it was hard won after I only

did that.

So I wanna say thank you for choosing me to be Woman of the Year,

because there was a time when all I was was a joke.

Thank you very, very much.