The magnificent edifice of The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Harlem, New York City, was the venue for the 2018 VH1 Trailblazer Honors Award Ceremony, live television taping recently. The lofty ceilings, artistic stained glass windows and the total ambiance of this sacred enclosure proved to be the perfect setting for VH1/Logo’s annual awards that has been a staple on the LGBTQ community. It served as a special moment of saluting, reflection, thanksgiving, celebration, and sharing. Starting with a dazzling red-carpet with the likes of the cast of television’s most powerful show this season “Pose” and numerous other celebrities, including Rev. Michael Curry, who officiated at the recent Royal wedding, the finalist for RuPaul’s Drag Race and Sybrina Fulton & Tracy Martin, the parents of Trayvon Martin, who were also honored for their work with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. Gay activist/writer James Baldwin was honored posthumously. But, the evening belonged to RYAN MURPHY creator of the FX television show “Pose.” Ryan was honored for his body of work, but “Pose” brought him unto a historical platform. He has brought the largest transgender cast in leading roles ever to television. It’s the first trans cast of actors as series regulars ever cast for a scripted television series.

THE SPEECH

It was Ryan’s powerful speech that ignited the audience and brought the house down. Introducing Ryan on stage, “Pose” star Dominique Jackson, appropriately regailed Ryan as: “The master of inclusion.” Sharing in the presentation were “Pose” other stars MJ Rodriguez and trans writer/producer/director Janet Mock. “Hello! I’m running for gay president,” said Ryan. Ryan proudly spoke of his journey to where he is now, in a stirring speech which was interrupted by loud applause. “I was too faggy. I was too unusual. Honestly, it was very painful, being discriminated against because what I wanted to do with my life and my career was very simple. I wanted to see myself and my experiences on television. Oprah Winfrey speaks very movingly about watching television and seeing what she could possibly be when Sidney Poitier won an Oscar in 1964.

“As a gay man, I never had that experience. I never saw triumphant gay people or at the very least complicated gay characters in the movies or on television. They were always marginalized, punch lines at best, beaten for who they were most of the times or killed for who they were. I believe strongly in the power of television. I believe strongly in the following: If you see yourself and, some sort of human experience reflected back at yourself, you never feel alone and people with biases in their heads can often be connected, if the character or situation they are invested in is a friend. So back to 1999 when I started, I decided that’s what I wanted to do to create representation showcasing gay people, minorities, and underdogs of all kinds, and I felt unseen, and, was told no, over and over again. I felt doomed at the time and trapped and destined to be something I felt all my life – a supporting character, not allowed in, and miraculously, in those dark days in the 1990’s I got a call from one guy, Norman Lear, my hero who created “All in the Family” for all you millennials, who is a true OG – Trailblazer in our business. I thought I was being pranked, honestly. Norman said to me in his phone call `Keep doing what you are doing, I see you, don’t give up.’ And so, I didn’t change.

“So, I want to start by thanking the men who treated me with kindness and respect and did what I think was unthinkable when I started out, which was take a confluence of things that I was personally interested in which were in no order; more character pieces, glamor transformation, optimism, employment opportunities for actresses over 40 and a slap from being niche, to something that is embraced by our business. I want to thank my personal team of architects, while they sometimes did not share my views…Brad Falchuk, Joe Montelo, Steven Canals and John Langroff who put five of my shows on his network FX. Ryan Gordon, Simon Hall, Kevin Riley, Brad Simpson…I’ll like to thank my creative team and to my brotherhood – much gratitude.”

The evening was laced with stellar performances and presentations by singer Bebe Rexha, Jussie Smoulett, Billy Porter, Padma Lakshmi, Danica Roem, the first openly gay State Legislator and the top four winners of Ru Paul’s Drag Race Season 10 – Aquaria, Asia O’Hara, Kameron Michaels and Eureka.