A post shared by Ariana DeBose (@arianadebose)If there is anyone who embodies celebrating who you are, it’s Ariana DeBose. DeBose made history in March when she became the first openly queer woman of color to win an Academy Award.
Upon accepting the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role of Anita in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake of West Side Story, she gave a touching speech that truly made our LGBTQ hearts sing:“Imagine this little girl in the back seat of a white Ford Focus, look into her eyes: You see a queer, openly queer woman of color, an Afro Latina who found her strength in life through art.” DeBose said, as she held her golden statue. “And that’s what I believe we’re here to celebrate.
So, to anybody who has ever questioned your identity ever, ever, ever, or you find yourself living in the gray spaces, I promise you this: There is indeed a place for us.” A post shared by Ariana DeBose (@arianadebose)For years, DeBrose has been giving us the LGBTQ content we need.
Her Broadway credits include hits like Hamilton, Pippin, and Bring It On the Musical. And in 2020, she starred as Alyssa, a popular queer high school student secretly dating her classmate, in Netflix’s The Prom… a role she told The Advocate was an honor.“Members of our community are very aware that our stories are not often told in this way,” she said of her leading role in The Prom. “We do not see young queer women in this way, almost ever, especially not women of color.”“To be able to finally reflect that to young people all over the world, it’s a breath of fresh air.