MJ Rodriguez Is the First Openly Transgender Woman to Win a Golden Globe
Thirty-one-year-old MJ Rodriguez secured her Golden Globe win on Sunday, January 9. She took home the Golden Globe for best actress in a TV drama for her role as Blanca in FX’s Pose. Not only was this the first Golden Globe win for the show, it’s also the first time an openly-transgender actress has ever won a Golden Globe.
Although this year the Golden Globes were not televised, and MJ did not get to give a formal acceptance speech, she posted on Instagram to commemorate her win. “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 reach the stars!!!!!” she wrote on her post on Instagram.
Designer and Project Runway winner, Christian Siriano, tweeted a sweet message to MJ. He congratulated her on her Golden Globe and wished her a happy birthday, which she celebrated two days prior to her win.
Happy Birthday and major major CONGRATULATIONS to this fabulous woman @MjRodriguez7 on her first #goldenglobe !!!! 🖤🖤 #pose pic.twitter.com/XZrokIlb8o— Christian Siriano (@CSiriano) January 10, 2022
In June 2021, the third and final season of Pose premiered. Centered in New York City in the 1980s and 90s, the show follows a group of trans and queer people of color as they participate in the lively and always-competitive ballroom competitions. MJ Rodriguez played Blanca Evangelista, a house mother who created her own house (a safe and supportive space for LGBTQ+ youth) after she left the esteemed House Abundance. As the center of the show, viewers follow Blanca as she battles HIV, fights for respect in the ballroom world, and overcomes adversity as a transgender woman in the 80s.
Even after her post on Instagram, MJ could not contain her excitement about her historic win. She got on Instagram Live in order to talk to her fans and show love and support to the LGBTQAI+ and POC communities. In her speech she also recognized the creators and writers of the show and expresses her gratitude toward her co-stars.
Mj Rodriguez reacts to her #GoldenGlobes win & gives an acceptance speech on IG Live:
“This is for the LGBTQAI, Black, Latina,
Asian [communities], the many multi beautiful colors of the rainbow… This is not just for me, this is for y’all. This is the door that opens for y’all” pic.twitter.com/g6GA6mzmWq— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) January 10, 2022
