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Billy Porter became the first openly gay, black man to win a Best Actor Emmy. His win came at the Television Academy’s 71st awards show, which took place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Porter, who once again wowed the red carpet in an outfit designed by Michael Kors reportedly encrusted with 130k crystals and $55k of diamonds, won Best Actor in a Drama Series for his role in Pose. The win came a day after his 50th birthday.
#PoseFX's Billy Porter at the #Emmys: "The category is love, y'all, love!" https://t.co/nAKOeMzLKN pic.twitter.com/HdxkfdFqgL
— Variety (@Variety) September 23, 2019
“The category is love, y’all, love!” said Porter beginning his speech.
He continued by quoting another groundbreaking, gay African American.
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“James Baldwin said ‘Took many years of vomiting up all the filth that I had been taught about myself, and halfway believed, before I could walk around this Earth like I had the right to be here’,” he said before adding, “I have the right, you have the right, we all have the right!”
Backstage, Porter – a Broadway veteran before his small screen success on Pose – told reporters he was grateful to have “lived long enough” to win as his “true, authentic self.”
Porter’s Emmy follows previous Tony and Grammy award wins.
Related: ‘Pose’ star Billy Porter on becoming a leading man: “I read these scripts and I just weep”
Porter’s award was not the only queer moment at last night’s show. British actor Ben Whishaw won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a limited series for his role in A Very British Scandal.
Accepting his award, Whishaw – also a regular as Q in the James Bond franchise – apologized for being hungover after his agent had taken him out for drinks. He thanked his husband, Mark Bradshaw, for “his love and support and for keeping me somewhat sane.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race won the Emmy for Best Competition Series. RuPaul – after kissing husband, Georges LeBar – and the rest of the show’s creative team took the stage to collect the award. The euphoric host of the show used the opportunity to encourage people to get political.
“Thanks for the academy for voting for us. But speaking of voting, go and register to vote! Go to vote.gov — vote.gov and vote! Register! We love you so much everybody.”
Related: Ben Whishaw gets very candid about his sexuality in rare and revealing new interview
Patricia Arquette won an Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a limited series for her role in The Act. Accepting her award, Arquette made an impassioned speech for trans rights, recalling her late sister, Alexis Arquette, who died in 2016.
She said, “I lost my sister Alexis, and trans people are still being persecuted, and I’ve been mourning every day of my life, Alexis, and I will be the rest of my life for you until we change the world so trans people are not persecuted.”
“I just have to say I’m grateful to be working. I’m grateful at 50 to be getting the best parts of my life and that’s great. But in my heart, I’m so sad I lost my sister Alexis and that trans people are still being persecuted.
“I’m in mourning, Alexis, and I will be the rest of my life for you until we change the world, until trans people are not persecuted.
“And give them jobs, They’re human beings, let’s give them jobs, let’s get rid of this bias that we have everywhere.”
Related: Transgender Actress, Activist Alexis Arquette Dies At 47
Actress Laverne Cox was nominated for an award for her role in Orange Is The New Black. Although she didn’t win, she made her own statement at the show with her clutch bag.
It was emblazoned with a trans flag on one side and a rainbow flag on the other with the date October, 8 – the day the US Supreme Court is expected to make a ruling on LGBTQ employment rights cases. Cox was accompanied by ACLU staff attorney, Chase Strangio.
The full Emmy award wins last night were as follows.
- Outstanding drama series – Game Of Thrones
- Outstanding comedy series – Fleabag
- Outstanding limited series – Chernobyl
- Lead actor in a drama series – Billy Porter (Pose)
- Lead actress in a drama series – Jodie Comer (Killing Eve)
- Lead actor in a comedy series – Bill Hader (Barry)
- Lead actress in a comedy series – Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag)
- Supporting actor in a comedy series – Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel)
- Supporting actress in a comedy series – Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel)
- Lead actor in a limited series or movie – Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us)
- Lead actress in a limited series or movie – Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon)
- Supporting actor in a limited series or movie – Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal)
- Supporting actress in a limited series or movie – Patricia Arquette (The Act)
- Outstanding reality competition series – RuPaul’s Drag Race
- Outstanding variety talk series – Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
- Outstanding variety sketch series – Saturday Night Live
- Outstanding television movie – Bandersnatch (Black Mirror)
- Directing for a comedy series – Harry Bradbeer (Fleabag)
- Directing in a limited series or TV movie – Johan Renck (Chernobyl)
- Directing for a drama series – Jason Bateman (Ozark)
- Writing for a drama series – Jesse Armstrong (Succession)
- Writing for a comedy series – Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag)
- Writing for a limited series or TV movie – Craig Mazin (Chernobyl)
Cam
Congratulations Mr. Porter! Better than all of those people who win, and then come out of the closet 20 years after their careers are over!
jjose712
True, but the truth is Porter is well over 40, he had a successful career at Broadway and he is way better prepared to be his true self than some twenty something who breaks big in one of his first roles and is convinced by his agent that if he comes out he’ll be out of jobs forever.
And of course, actors from theatre have a tendency to be out way sooner than actors that came from tv and film (well, nobody who is known basically for movies came out recently)
EmmanuelAlexander1347
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Josh447
Truly well deserved. Good going Billy.
jcoberkrom
Billy Porter is a legend in his own mind.
PoetDaddy
How nice that you took the time to express your loving support for an openly gay man of color who has amply proven his talent, courage, and decency.
Cam
Nothing pisses off the anti-LGBT accounts more than a black gay guy who is out.
Bob LaBlah
I’ll say this; she is a piece of work. If you have a minute go to the nydailynews.com and click on the article about her give Rupaul the “side-eye” when Drag Race won. After that article be sure to click on the photo spread they ran on her. Its fifty different shots but I stress it is a must see.
rustyiam
@ cam the loudest most “ woke” finger pointers usually have the most to hide! I bet you’re a raving racist homophobe!
phtdesign
Bitter much gurl? Shame on you.
WashDrySpin
somebody is jealous of this proud gay black man…oh poor insecure fool on the internet…
Catholicslutbox
It sucks Fleabag ended after two seasons.
Bob LaBlah
Spike Lee move over. I’ve always looked at her theatrics in attire on or off camera as her proving she is the Little Richard of today. Her win solidifies my belief that no matter which side of their aisle wins babbling political commentary will be the order of the day in their acceptance speech. All of that notwithstanding I send a big CONGRATULAIONS gurl, you did hold on to your dream and its showing. I don’t encourage painting the outer walls of your castle hot pink nor putting hot pink reflecting flood lights in the moat.
johnnymcmxxx
Billy Porter is an exceptionally talented actor, singer, comedian and if a film version of the musical Kinky Boots becomes reality, I hope he is selected to star. He’s the only actor who should. He’s now got the Emmy, the Tony and the Grammy with only one award to go.
Bob LaBlah
Johnny maybe you can help me out here. I know he won those awards but which one didn’t require him to be or sound like himself or better yet which role or song did he do that takes you away from his flamboyantly gay roles prior to the one you happen to be watching at the time? To me they all seem the same. Almost like watching a gay stereo type of Jennifer Lewis, the Black Mother to Black Hollywood (the book was a very interesting look into her life by the way). She says she was so stereotyped that she (Jennifer Lewis) was asked to play a mother to people who were older than she was. If she turned down the wrong person she knew she wouldn’t work again so she accepted all of them. No matter how hard she protested her agent made her see reality for what it was, “you are stereotyped honey and its take it or wish you had”. He doesn’t look any different.
Franklin
@Bob LaBlah, I’m sorry, but have you watched “Pose”? His acting in it is phenominal. His portrayal of the character Praytell has so much depth and raw emotion. It’s sad that you don’t see it, but he really shines in this series.
Bob LaBlah
Franklin, I have watched Pose and to let you know I lived thru that era. This season I bypassed because I found it too gritty looking. I know it was a period movie (the 1980’s and early 90’s) but this season was overkill. It had the feel of an old black and white projector movie transferred to VHS tape.
Gay Veteran
Congratulations Billy Porter!
Now can we talk about Rupaul and his horrible response to a reporter calling out the lack of diversity on his staff?!
Kangol2
Thank you! I love Ru’s pioneering career but she has some serious blind spots and should be able to take criticism much better.
Kangol2
Congrats to Billy Porter! As he said years ago in that commercial that ran for years on Logo, he is “living inside [his] truth,” and as his career shows, it is paying off!
Bob LaBlah
Just curious but don’t you think he would be the perfect person to play ol’ Lucy Hicks if a bio was ever done about her?