Photo Credit: Netflix
It's Time to "Live! Work! Pose!"... well so we thought. With the 72nd Emmy Awards right around the corner, the nominees for best excellence in television was released on Tuesday. The list was filled with talented shows and individuals but little acknowledgment for the black trans actors of "Pose". In fact, the only spotlight for the black trans community is Laverne Cox nomination for Netflix series "Orange Is New Black".
Despite gaining widespread acclaim from Fox viewers and the LGBT community for over a year, black trans stars from "Pose" did not receive any nominations this year or last year. This snub didn't go unnoticed from the cast of "Pose" or from the writer and trans activist Raquel Willis.
"You're telling me that a cis actor is the only one worth nominating or elevating on a show that centers the black trans experience? Y'all playing in our faces yet again...the disparity of support from the cis gay men and trans women can't be ignored, especially at this moment. It goes beyond award shows" - Raquel Willis via Twitter
The significance of the Fox show "Pose", highlights the stories of five trans women of color—played by Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, MJ Rodriguez, Hailie Sahar and Angelica Ross,who've all changed the narrative of TV by sharing topics about life, race, class, sexuality and gender in a drama series. The Emmy Awards is very familiar with the show surrounding the lives of black trans women yet only gave notice to Billy Porter, a cis gay actor.
Co-star Indya Moore and producer of "Pose" Steven Canals shared their thoughts on Twitter. Laverne Cox also took to Twitter to share her support, "You [Pose Cast] should have been nominated with us. I love you".
Hailie Sahar, who plays Lulu Abundance in the show took to Instagram to tell each one of her co-stars how important they are. Regardless of how "Pose" is perceived by mainstream audiences, its cast and creators will continue to pave the way all while confronting the realities of what trans women go through. So who needs an Emmy Awards when the ultimate prize is to change lives.
