The Emmy’s Nominated ‘Pose’ Actor Billy Porter, But Snubbed All Of Its Trans Talent

While the 2020 Emmys, announced today, have nominated a record number of Black actors, cast and crew members of Pose are criticising the awards for nominating one of the show’s cis actors but none of its trans cast — a particularly noticeable snub given that the show’s cast is predominantly trans and centres on trans experience.

As per Variety, 35 of 102 acting nominations went to Black performers — a huge rise from last year’s 19.8 per cent of nominations going to Black actors and actresses.

Pose, co-created by Ryan Murphy and Steven Canals, aired its second season last year, and is a stunning drama series set in the 1980s and ’90s ballroom scene of New York City. It’s a landmark in terms of representation — Pose features more than 100 trans cast and crew members, many of whom are BIPOC, and its ‘for us, by us’ approach, has seen the show celebrated for its authentic storylines and portrayal of trans experience.

This year, the show was nominated for just one award, with actor Billy Porter receiving a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. While Porter is a powerhouse in Pose, he’s one of the few cis actors on it and arguably a supporting character, prompting several people working on the show to call out the awards for snubbing trans talent.

Canals, for one, said that M.K. Rodriguez, who plays Pose protagonist Blanca, should have been nominated.

“Okay, real talk… what does @MjRodriguez7 have to do – aside from baring her heart & pouring her soul into every damn scene – to get a Best Actress nomination?!,” he wrote on Twitter.

Pose breakout star Indya Moore, who plays Angel, shared her own frustration with the Emmys on Instagram, sharing a screenshot of a tweet by writer Raquel Willis, who expressed dismay at the snubs.

“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?,” wrote Willis. “Y’all playing in our faces yet again.”

“The disparity of support for cis gay men and trans women can’t be ignored, especially at this moment.”

The disparity of support for cis gay men and trans women can't be ignored, especially at this moment. It goes beyond award shows. It's all over media, in our workplaces, in our communities, and more. We don't talk about it enough because queer experiences are too often collapsed.

— Raquel Willis (@RaquelWillis_) July 28, 2020

Adding to Willis’ comments, Moore said they weren’t ‘pressed’ by the snub itself (“it’s not my award show”), but that the lack of recognition affected trans talent’s ability to negotiate contracts and pay raises.

“We literally have to depend on their recognition in order for networks and studios to honor our value,” they wrote on Instagram. “And that’s pretty horrible because you know black trans talent often must settle for the lowest hanging fruit to eat.”

On Twitter, Moore also criticised Pose’s network FX for its “weak ass promotions”, saying that they don’t put Pose’s trans cast on prime time or talk shows as they “don’t trust us on live TV”.

“Something about trans people not being honored on a show about trans people who created a culture to honour ourselves because the world doesn’t,” they wrote. “Let’s call it cognitive cissonance.”

As they then suggested on Instagram, it’s ironic that Pose‘s actresses were snubbed of awards, as the ballroom world it depicts is a space for recognition for trans excellence, and literally awards it.

In addition to Pose‘s snubs, many were surprised that Euphoria star Hunter Schaefer, who plays trans teen Jules, wasn’t nominated while her co-star Zendaya was. Of trans talent, actresses Laverne Cox and Rain Valdez received nominations for their work in Orange Is The New Black and Razor Tongue, respectively.

Find the full list of nominations here. The Emmys will take place on September 20 and will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, though no one’s quite sure what they’ll look like.