The 79th annual Golden Globe Awards made history when “Pose” star Michaela Jae Rodriguez won best actress, becoming the first trans actor in history to achieve the feat. Previously, Rodriguez was nominated for a lead acting Emmy but did not win the award. Rodriguez’s co-stars, Indya Moore and Angelica Ross took to social media to speak out against the snubbing, according to NBC.
“Something abt trans ppl not being honored on a show abt trans ppl who created a culture to honor ourselves bc the world doesn’t… let call it cognitive cissonance,” said Moore via Twitter.
Ross said over Instagram, “I want you to know from the jump that these tears are not about an award or a nomination. Ultimately, I need y’all to understand that I’m so tired – those of you who know me know I’m not just working on screen or behind screen but I’m working around the clock to get our society to value trans lives and black trans lives.”
Trans people have been in entertainment for a long time and are only just getting the proper recognition they deserve for it. Here are a few notable figures who have paved the way for others.
Laverne Cox
Gracing the screen in 2014’s “Orange is the New Black,” Laverne Cox has been regarded as a trailblazer for trans actors. Cox was the first trans woman to be on the cover of Time Magazine and be nominated for an Emmy.
In a 2014 speech at Harvard, covered by the Harvard Crimson, Cox said, “I sit here this afternoon, a proud transgender woman from a working-class background, raised by a single mother. I sit here an artist and an actress, a sister and a daughter, and I believe it’s important to name the various intersecting components of my multiple identities, because I’m not just one thing.”
Cox has been a vocal advocate for trans rights and has used her platform for activism. In 2014, according to Pink News, she rallied against an Arizona law that outlawed a specific form of prostitution but in practice had been unfairly targeting trans women. Cox has also partnered with the Human Rights Campaign.
Nicole Maines
Before she made it to the entertainment industry, Maines – like other trans professionals – had to fight for her identity. Detailed in the book “Becoming Nicole” by Amy Ellis Nutt, Maines was the center of a controversial supreme court case that eventually guaranteed trans people bathroom rights in Maine. Maines plays Nia Nal a.k.a. Dreamer and is TV’s first trans superhero on The CW’s “Supergirl.”
“I think that cisgender actors don’t take roles out of malice – it’s just a failure to realize the context of having cisgender people play transgender characters. We don’t see the same issue with sexuality; we see straight people play gay all the time. With trans folks we have a lot of people accusing us of just playing dress-up for whatever reasons, and that’s just not true. Having trans people play trans roles show that we are valid in our identities and we exist,” said Maines to Glamour in 2018.
Chaz Bono
Becoming one of the first influential trans men in pop culture, Chaz Bono is a writer and actor. Bono made headlines for his 2011 documentary, “Becoming Chaz,” which detailed the coming-out story and transition that he underwent. Bono has been featured on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “Ellen,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “American Horror Story.” Bono has been a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign and has engaged in political activism for LGBTQ+ rights. Bono is the son of the famous singer, Cher.
