MJ Rodriguez makes history as first Trans actress to win at Golden Globes

The Golden Globes awards were announced via social media this year and the Pose actress became the first Trans woman to win the prestigious award.

Close up of MJ Rodriguez
Image: Instagram @mjrodriguez7

Yesterday, January 9, MJ Rodriguez was announced as the winner of the Best Actress in a TV Drama award at the Golden Globes.

The 31-year-old Trans actress was nominated for her role in the critically acclaimed show, Pose, which tells the stories of a group of queer African-American and Latino performers in the New York City drag ball scene. Set in the 1980s and ’90s, Rodriguez plays house mother Blanca Evangelista in the ballroom drama.

 

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This year’s controversial Golden Globes awards took place privately at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, with winners being announced on social media. This move came about as a result of criticism directed at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA, who normally vote on the award winners) for several issues, including a lack of racial diversity.

Embracing her winning moment with grace and excitement, Rodriguez gave her acceptance speech on social media.

“Thank you Golden Globes. This is for the LGBTQAI Black, Latina, Asian, the many multi-beautiful colours of the rainbow around the freaking world. This is not just for me,” she said in an Instagram Live.

“This is the door that opens for ya’ll, not me. There are going to be so many young, talented, thriving individuals that are going to be able to trail and storm in through the door.

“I am very thankful to the many beautiful people that came together with this show.

“Mr Ryan Murphy – thank you for actually seeing me. Steven Canals – b*tch, you wrote the hell out of this show. Miss Janet Mock – you took it, you swooped it, bam!

“Our Lady J, you came in like an angel in the night and graced us with your beautiful writing as well.”

Nominated alongside Uzo Aduba, Jennifer Aniston, Christine Baranski and Elisabeth Moss, Rodriguez commended the other actresses in her category on social media.

 

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“To the nominees, we are Queens. I’m so happy to share space with you! Each and every last one of you women are phenomenal,” she wrote in an Instagram post celebrating her win.

This Golden Globes win is not the first time Rodriguez has made history for the Trans community. Last year, she became the first Trans actress to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Lead Actress category, and in 2019 she won the trophy for Best Actress at the Imagen Awards in another first for Trans actresses.

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