Karla Sofía Gascón has arrived to snatch wigs, awards, and probably a standing ovation or two! The 52-year-old Spanish queen of the screen just made Oscars history by becoming the first openly trans person to be nominated in an acting category. Yes, you heard that right—Hollywood, meet progress (finally).
Karla is up for the Best Actress award for her show-stopping, jaw-dropping, utterly iconic role in Jacques Audiard’s Netflix musical, Emilia Pérez. And let me tell you, if you haven’t seen it, stop what you’re doing, grab some popcorn, and prepare to be shooketh. She’s playing a cartel leader with more drama than a telenovela and more flair than your favorite drag brunch. The plot twist? She teams up with a lawyer, played by Zoë Saldaña, to live as her authentic self. If that doesn’t scream, “Oscar me, please,” I don’t know what does.
But wait, Karla didn’t just roll into this awards season quietly—oh no, she’s been collecting nominations like they’re Pokémon cards. Golden Globe? Got it. SAG Awards? Snagged it. BAFTA? Of course. This woman is basically on a world tour of making history and casually looking amazing while doing it.
Now, let’s talk about trans representation at the Oscars, which, let’s be honest, has been thinner than the plot of certain rom-coms. Before Karla’s nomination, we had Elliott Page back in 2008 for Juno, but that was before he came out as trans. And before that, composer Angela Morley was out here quietly slaying the game in the ’70s with nominations for The Little Prince and The Slipper and the Rose. There’s also Anohni, who got a nod in 2016 for the song “Manta Ray,” and Yance Ford, who broke barriers as a trans director in 2018 with Strong Island. Oh, and let’s not forget A Fantastic Woman, which featured the incredible Chilean trans actress Daniela Vega and won Best Foreign Language Film.
But Karla? She’s not just breaking barriers—she’s kicking them down, throwing glitter on the rubble, and serving lewks while she’s at it. The Oscars are now officially more fabulous, and we’re all better for it. Fingers crossed for that win, Karla. Hollywood might not be ready, but we sure are. 🌟
