Qween Jean, a prominent trans activist who is known for leading protests against injustice in New York City, made trans history on June 7 when she became the first out trans person to win a Tony Award for best costume design of a musical for her work on “Cats: The Jellicle Ball.”
Qween Jean’s historic victory comes three years after two Black non-binary performers, J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell, won Tony Awards in different categories. Qween Jean was also nominated for a Tony for Best Costume Design of a Play for her work on “Liberation.”
“This experience has been monumental,” Qween Jean said, delivering an acceptance speech. “We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people. We are taking up space… we have to take up space, we have to shift the paradigm. So I ust want to say thank you all so much for this incredible honor. The wold right now is deeply, deeply combatting so many ailments, and we know as a society that when we come together, we can make real permament change. Thank you so much for this honor.”
Christopher Byrne’s review of “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” for Gay City News described Qween Jean’s costumes as “dazzling in their creativity and color and pattern riots.”
“Cats: The Jellicle Ball” reimagines Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, which ran on Broadway for nearly 20 years until 2000. The latest musical combines ballroom themes with contemporary Broadway dance, and Qween Jean incorporated the legacies of historic trans icons such as Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson, and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy into her costume design, according to the New York Times.
Before the ceremony, Qween Jean spoke with Playbill on the red carpet and condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement, echoing the messages she frequently highlights during protests.
“Pride is a protest,” Qween Jean said on the red carpet, according to Playbill. “In this moment, we are seeing all across the city people, queer people, young folks, parents are being detained. They are being at the Newark Delaney Facility, it not only needs to be shut down, but there needs to be serious investigation. The police cannot investigate the police. It doesn’t make sense that billions are being poured into an institution of destruction when resources can be used to help people, can get them lawyer, the human rights care they deserve. As a queer person, a leader, a mother, I will never stand quiet. If any woman is in pain, even if her shackles are different from mine, let’s get unshackled.”
