Angelique Jackson When actor and singer Michaela Jaé Rodriguez landed her big break in 2017, starring as Blanca Evangelista in FX’s “Pose,” it was a rare opportunity for a trans performer to take on a leading role and the type of authentic representation the LGBTQ community continues to fight for in mainstream media. As the show ended its groundbreaking three-season run in 2021, Rodriguez made history as the first transgender performer to win a Golden Globe award and the first to be nominated for an Emmy in a lead category. And the Variety Power of Women honoree hasn’t stopped smashing glass ceilings since. Previously billed as MJ, the entertainer now goes by her full name, Michaela Jaé. She currently stars opposite Maya Rudolph in the Apple TV+ comedy “Loot,” plus she’s stepping behind the scenes to produce movies and hard at work on her long-awaited debut album. With celebrity came the responsibility to advocate for her fellow trans people, and with each new endeavor, Rodriguez’s platform to speak out has grown larger.
Her voice has been particularly important of late as the LGBTQ community faces an onslaught of anti-queer legislation has been proposed in mostly Republican-led states, from laws restricting drag performances to bills that would outlaw gender-affirming therapies for children under 18. At the Power of Women luncheon, where she was introduced by Sandra Bernhard, Rodriguez gave an emotional address, drawing awareness to the discrimination against that community. “We have those who dare to claim that human rights are not universal to those who live in our country. One of the greatest privileges that we can grant ourselves as human beings is the blessing to know who we are innately. This isn’t something