Pose Creator Steven Canals Shares the Emmy Speech He Would've Given

We finally know what Pose creator Steven Canals would've said if his show won an Emmy this past weekend.

In a night dominated by The Crown, FX's groundbreaking Ballroom drama Pose left the 2021 Emmys without any awards. Unfortunately, this meant we didn't get to hear from some of the brightest minds in the business, like lead actress in a drama series nominee Mj Rodriguez, and Steven Canals himself.

Thankfully, Canals took to his Instagram to share the speech he would have given and say that the show not getting any awards "doesn't change how proud I am of our final season."

"The reason I get to stand up here as an openly queer Afro-Latin person is because of my ancestors," Canals began. "In 1969 the fight for Trans and Queer liberation reached a fever pitch, built on the back so the woman, who happened to be Trans and lesbian. Who happened to be Black and Latina."

He continued, naming some of the legends who came before him. "And so I want to honor Marsha P Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Miss Major, and Storme DeLarverie. And that work continues today with Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Hailie Sahar, Angelica Ross, Our Lady J, & Janet Mock," he said.

He ended his speech on an uplifting note, saying "Trans is beautiful. Nonbinary is Stunning. And to be queer is a gift. We LGBTQ+ people are cultural leaders, we are culture makers, WE ARE UNMATCHED!! Don't let anyone tell you anything otherwise."

The final season of Pose won three Creative Arts Emmy Awards, and was nominated for its directing, writing, lead acting by Billy Porter and Mj Rodriguez, and for Outstanding Drama. If Rodriguez would've won, she would have been the first out trans actor to win a lead acting award.

Still, even though the show didn't bring any trophies home Sunday night, there's no denying the cultural impact Pose has had. It's opened so many doors for trans and queer performers and creatives, and the show's legacy will be seen for years to come.

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