“I feel very seen.
I feel represented and more accepted than I have in a long time.
I feel that my colleagues now see me, my fellow actors see me, and people who are surrounded by the arts see me ”.
With those words, MJ Rodriguez - also known as Michaela Jaé - reacted on Tuesday to the news that she had gotten her first Emmy nomination and that
with it she had made history by becoming the first transgender person to be nominated in a main category of acting
.
The only previous reference is the also transgender actress Laverne Cox, who had already been nominated in 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2020 for her appearances in the series
Orange is the New Black
, but always in a category of best guest or supporting actress.
["We are invisible": discrimination and risks multiply for indigenous LGBTQ +]
Rodriguez plays Blanca Evangelista in
Pose
, an original FX series, which can also be seen on Netflix, and which broke schemes by including transgender actors and actresses in its cast, to play those characters.
The nominees in the category of best dramatic actress in a television series.
Getty Images
There the subculture of the
ball
of the 80s and 90s
is explored
in New York, and specifically in Harlem;
and
Vogue
, the style of modern dance and stylized with competing houses
(houses
): these families chosen by the models and dancers ,
many of them rejected by their biological families for belonging to the community LGBTQ- to compete for
trophies in culture
underground.
The series narrates their lives and all the complications that arose at the time, including the devastating effects of HIV on the community.
It is delicate, emotional and shows that it is narrated by
[Outrage over the death of Dr. Elizabeth Montaño, symbol of the trans community in Mexico]
This year, in which its third and final season aired, it also received other accolades, such as the nomination of Billy Porter in the category of best actor and also as best drama.
One of its directors, the Puerto Rican Steven Canals, celebrated on his Twitter account:
“Today this
queer
and Afro-Puerto Rican
boy
from the Bronx, who decided at the age of 15 in 1995 that he wanted to become a director like heroes Spike Lee and Steven Spielberg, is an Emmy nominated director.
I'm crying".
Although the series has garnered 11 Emmy nominations over its three seasons, so far none of its transgender performers have earned a mention in the acting categories.
"A Breakthrough for Transgender Women in Hollywood"
Rodriguez, 30, spoke with the
AP
agency
during an interview from Cannes, France, where he is attending the film festival.
He hadn't been able to sleep the night before.
When he heard the news, he was with his mother and godmother.
“I heard my name and collapsed, my mom held me.
Then he pulled me from one side to the other and hugged me.
I just remember falling into my boyfriend's arms and crying.
Tears of joy, tears of happiness, "said the actress, who with her role has been moving those who consume her work for years.
MJ Rodriguez at the presentation of the film 'Annette' at the Cannes Film Festival, France, on July 6, 2021. Getty Images
Not only did she and her family celebrate
the greatness and advancement that this moment represents.
Sarah Kate Ellis of GLAAD, the organization promoting LGBTQ + inclusion and nondiscrimination, called her nomination “a breakthrough for transgender women in Hollywood, and a long-awaited recognition for her groundbreaking performance over the past three seasons of
Pose
, a series that according to Ellis,
"undoubtedly raised the bar for trans representation on television and changed the way viewers around the world understand the trans community."
Rodriguez will compete against Uzo Aduba (
In Treatment
), Olivia Colman (
The Crown
), Emma Corrin (
The Crown
), Elisabeth Moss (
The Handmaid's Tale
) and Jurnee Smollet (
Lovecraft Contry
).
The winner will be known next Sunday, September 19, at a face-to-face gala, after holding a digital ceremony last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With information from AP and EFE