News January 10, 2022
‘Pose’ Star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez Makes History at Golden Globes!
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Michaela Jaé Rodriguez continues to “open the door” for people of color and those in the LGBTQIA+ community!
On Sunday at the unaired 2022 Golden Globes, the “Pose” star, formerly known as Mj Rodriguez, won the award for Best Actress in a TV Drama — making her the first transgender actor to ever win at the ceremony!
“OMG OMGGG!!!! @goldenglobes Wow! You talking about [a] sickening birthday present! Thank you!” she wrote on her Instagram page, referencing her birthday two days prior.
In her caption, Rodriguez spoke out about what it means for her to win this honor, and how it will inspire other individuals — no matter their background — to go out and chase their dreams.
“This is the door that is going to open the door for many more young talented individuals. They will see that it is more than possible. They will see that a young Black Latina girl from Newark, New Jersey who had a dream, to change the minds others would WITH LOVE. LOVE WINS. To my young LGBTQAI babies WE ARE HERE the door is now open, now reach the stars!!!!! @goldenglobes,” she wrote.
“To the nominees we are Queens,” she said, giving a shout-out to Uzo Aduba, Jennifer Aniston, Christine Baranski, and Elisabeth Moss. “I’m so happy to share space with you! Each and every last one of you women are phenomenal.”
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Rodriguez later went on IG Live to give her acceptance speech, where she dedicated her win to “the LGBTQ Black, Latina, Asian — the many multi beautiful colors of the rainbow around the freakin’ world.”
“There are going to be so many young individuals, young talented, thriving individuals that are going to be able to trail in and storm in through the door,” she added. “This is for y’all.”
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In 2020, Rodriguez’s “Pose” co-stars Indya Moore and Angelica Ross spoke out against the Emmys for not nominating any of the show’s transgender actors. (Billy Porter, a gay man, was nominated that year for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. The previous year, he won for the same category.)
“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,” Moore — who plays Angel Evangelista, a transgender sex worker pursuing a career as a fashion model — tweeted. “Let’s call it cognitive cissonance.”
Angelica Ross, who played Black trans woman Candy Ferocity on the FX show, also said on 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.”
This year, the Golden Globes did not air on TV due to past controversies about the lack of representation on their board, and in their nominees and winners.
Last May, NBC announced in a statement that they are “hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023.”
“We continue to believe that the [Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization behind the Golden Globes] is committed to meaningful reform,” it read. “However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right. As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes. Assuming the organization executes on its plan, we are hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023.”
