MJ Rodriguez Becomes First Trans Woman To Win Golden Globe Award

On Sunday, Michaela Jaé “MJ” Rodriguez, made awards show history as the first trans woman to win a Golden Globe Award for her leading role in FX’s drama series Pose, which aired its third and final season last year.

Rodriguez, who just turned 31, took to Instagram to celebrate the historic achievement and also cracked that the award was a “sickening birthday present.”

“This is the door that is going to open the door for many more young talented individuals,” Rodriguez said in the heartfelt post. She also honored the other nominees, which included TV megastars like Uzo Aduba, Jennifer Aniston, Christine Branski and Elizabeth Moss.

“I’m so happy to share space with you,” Rodriguez said in her post. “Each and every last one of you women are phenomenal.”

Rodriguez’s role as HIV/AIDS positive House of Evangelista founder Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista resonated deeply with viewers and was informed by Rodriguez’s own experience as a trans woman. She was also the first trans woman to be nominated for an Emmy Award in a leading role but didn’t win.

Along with this recent awards buzz, Rodriguez will be starring alongside Maya Rudolph in an untitled sitcom coming to AppleTV+ and released her first single “Something To Say” with Access Records in June of last year.