Golden Globe for best lead actress awarded to a transgender woman

No red carpet or live-streaming or television; something totally new for this year's Golden Globes. But a victory for Michaela Jaé Rodriguez just proves that Hollywood is still up to its old tricks of turning the culture on its ear.

The Golden Globe Awards are presented every year in the USA to the best films and television programs of the season, by a jury composed of about ninety journalists from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).

But this years awards, the 79th edition, were announced in a completely new way: no real ceremony, no pomp and circumstance, no sequins or gala party, no journalists except for those who are part of the organization. Most importantly, there were no red carpet and live streaming or television, but only a broadcast via social media platforms.

The reason? On the surface, the pandemic and the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 in all areas of public life. Some, however, suggest that there is something else behind this sort of understated ceremony.

The 2021 edition, in fact, was marked by the controversy of the lack of inclusiveness on the part of the HFPA, which is guilty of having only one journalist of color in its ranks. Hence, we have a strict boycott for 2022 by the TV network NBC and by the stars, followed by a sad rattle of awards via Twitter, interspersed with the list of philanthropic initiatives related to the initiative, so the matter was resolved.

Perhaps to regain the event’s visibility and sponsors, the award for Best Actress in a TV Drama Series was given to Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, the first transgender “actress” ever to win a Golden Globe, for her role as Blanca Evangelista in Pose. Previously, also at the Emmy Awards, M. J. Rodriguez was the first M/F transgender person nominated for Best Female Performer, equally for the hit Netflix series in which, “in the spirit of maximum inclusivity, the absolute star is Billy Porter, who recently confessed to HIV.”

M. J. Rodriguez celebrated the victory on Instagram, telling all his followers, which is more than one million people, that this prestigious award is dedicated to: “[…] all LGBTQAI people, black, Latino, Asian, the many beautiful multi-colored rainbows found throughout the strange world… This is for all of you,” amidst the lavish praise from the Italian and international media.