Tangerine Stars Get First Oscar Campaigns for Transgender Actors

Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, two of the fresh-faced stars from Tangerine have become the first trans actresses to be the subjects of Oscar campaigns for lead actress and supporting actress respectively.

According to Variety, Magnolia Pictures and the Duplass Brothers, the movie distributor and producers of the film, are looking to make a point in the Oscar nomination pool. "Jay and I are new to the Academy, so we're just figuring this whole thing out," Mark Duplass told Variety. "One thing that has become apparent to us as we look at this stuff, it seems that the TV Academy has embraced what's happening in the trans movement with Transparent and Orange is the New Black. We feel that the film Academy is a little behind on that front."

The campaign makes a strong rebuttal typical Oscar-bait campaigns where straight, cisgender, white actors portray transgender characters.