Several out LGBTQ stars earned Emmy nominations on July 16, with Billy Porter of “Pose” and Kate McKinnon from “Saturday Night Live” making two of the biggest splashes.
McKinnon, the first out lesbian cast member on “SNL,” was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in s Comedy Series for her role in that show, while Porter became the first openly gay black man to be nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his depiction of Pray Tell in the first season of the FX show “Pose.”
There was widespread disappointment that the trans women of color who have played very prominent roles on “Pose” — like Indya Moore and Mj Rodriguez — did not receive nominations. Nonetheless, the show landed a handful of other nominations, as well: Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series, Outstanding Period Costumes, Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series, Outstanding Drama Series, and Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series.
“Killing Eve,” a spy thriller featuring LGBTQ characters, landed seven nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, while out lesbian Jane Lynch and actress Alex Borstein, who plays a lesbian character, received nominations for roles in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” which enjoyed a particularly strong showing as it piled up a whopping 20 nominations.
Out lesbian Ellen DeGeneres was nominated for Outstanding Host For A Reality or Competition Program for her gig as host of “Game of Games,” a TV show that gives audience members the ability to win cash prizes after they answer questions and win various games.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” grabbed a nomination for Best Reality Program, and trans actress Laverne Cox scored a nod or Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role in “Orange is the New Black.”
In the British-based miniseries “A Very English Scandal,” out gay actor Ben Whishaw earned a nomination starring as Norman Scott, a major figure in a British political sex scandal during the 1970s.
Meanwhile, out lesbian actress Cherry Jones earned an Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series nomination for her role as the feminist mother in “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Shows with LGBTQ folks working behind the scenes also performed well. The Netflix series “Russian Doll,” co-created by out lesbian Leslye Headland, yielded 13 nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. “Schitt’s Creek” was nominated for four Emmys thanks in part to the work of out gay co-creator and actor Dan Levy.
