"It’s important to use your voice when you have a platform"
About this Quote
The subtext is the tightrope every public-facing actor walks now: silence gets read as complicity, but speech gets policed for tone, expertise, and timing. By anchoring the statement to “when you have a platform,” Chan anticipates the backlash before it arrives. The platform is the precondition, implying a power imbalance: if attention is currency, then those with more are expected to spend it on something other than self-promotion. It’s also a subtle deflection of the “stay in your lane” critique. Her lane, she implies, includes visibility; visibility produces leverage; leverage creates obligation.
Context matters because Chan’s career sits inside a broader reckoning with representation and activism in entertainment, especially for Asian and Asian British performers whose public narratives are routinely flattened. The quote reads like a soft-edged rebuttal to an industry that often rewards neutrality and punishes friction. It’s not radical rhetoric; it’s a cultural memo: fame is no longer just about being seen. It’s about what you do with being seen.
Quote Details
| Topic | Human Rights |
|---|---|
| Source | Interview about activism and speaking up (various press around Refuge charity work), 2019 |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Chan, Gemma. (2026, January 26). It’s important to use your voice when you have a platform. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-important-to-use-your-voice-when-you-have-a-184403/
Chicago Style
Chan, Gemma. "It’s important to use your voice when you have a platform." FixQuotes. January 26, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-important-to-use-your-voice-when-you-have-a-184403/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"It’s important to use your voice when you have a platform." FixQuotes, 26 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-important-to-use-your-voice-when-you-have-a-184403/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.


