Transgender representation in media

Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón is the first openly trans person ever to snag an Oscar nod. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons) The 2025 Oscar nominations contained some historic good news. Karla Sofía Gascón, star of Spanish-language musical mystery “Emilia Perez,” became the first openly transgender person to ever score an Oscar nomination. In the film – which also made history, as its 13 nominations make it the most nominated non-English movie ever– she portrays a drug lord attempting to fake her own death and pursue gender-affirming care. Her performance has been celebrated by critics and earned her numerous other recognitions. Indeed, Gascón has lit up awards season, scoring a history-making nomination at the Golden Globes and a win at the Cannes Film Festival. She marked the news of this most recent nomination with a post on X in which she thanked the Academy for the recognition before writing, “NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO,” several times over. (It’s a Buddhist mantra that translates to: “Glory to the Dharma of the Lotus Sutra,” designed to welcome good karma.) There were other nominations for women that made us cheer as well, including Demi Moore’s Oscar nod for her work in the body-horror film “The Substance” – a film whose director, Coralie Fargeat, was the sole woman to garner a Best Director nomination this year. We were also delighted by the nods for Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the gifted duo who led the smash-hit musical adaptation of “Wicked.” But Gascón’s honor stands out – especially considering President Donald Trump began his term just a few days ago by targeting trans individuals through an executive order designed to roll back protections for them. It feels especially poignant, in that context, for the American Hollywood industry to recognize Gascón’s work this week. For Gascón’s part, she’s determined to keep performing, and pressing on living as her authentic self. As she noted (in Spanish) in an Instagram post when she won at Cannes: “Dreams come true, and there is no one to stop us from dreaming.”

Transgender representation in media

Karla Sofía Gascón Becomes the First Openly Trans Oscar Nominee

The Story Exchange

Transgender representation in media

Karla Sofía Gascón Becomes the First Openly Trans Oscar Nominee

The Story Exchange

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