I was prepared for the same old boring acceptance speech, but then she went there.
It's pretty incredible that "Transparent," a TV show about a trans woman coming out while raising a family, won the 2015 Golden Globe for Best TV Series Comedy. But the acceptance speech from Executive Producer/Director Jill Soloway confirms why this win was so very important for not only the trans community, but the world.
I want to thank the trans community. They are our family. They make this possible. This award is dedicated to the memory of Leelah Alcorn and too many trans people who die too young. And it's dedicated to you, my trans parent, my moppa. You're watching at home right now. I just wanna thank you for coming out, because in doing so you made a break for freedom. You told your truth. You taught me how to tell my truth and make this show. And maybe we're gonna teach the world something about authenticity, truth, and love. To love!
— Jill Soloway
So why exactly is this such a big deal?
In December 2014, 17-year-old trans teen Leelah Alcorn committed suicide, leaving behind a heartbreaking suicide note on her Tumblr citing depression and continuing struggles with her parents over her gender identity. This sparked an important conversation about the struggles of LGBTQ youth, especially those who are trans.
There are still so many people who don't understand what it means to be trans and therefore have a difficult time understanding and accepting their friends, family, and coworkers when they come out. It's so important to continue telling trans stories to not only encourage others to value and embrace their gender identity, but also to educate others and promote love and acceptance.
In Soloway's speech, she refers to her "Moppa," which is a combination of the words "mama" and "poppa." This is an important detail because Soloway has said in interviews that she wrote "Transparent" as a response to her own experience with her Moppa's transition. So while "Transparent" is technically a work of fiction, it comes from a place of honesty and experience, which is really beautiful.
Full disclosure: I haven't seen "Transparent" — yet — but considering all the good things I've heard about it, along with Jill Soloway's incredibly touching speech, I clearly need to get on the bandwagon. Check out the season one trailer below.