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Billy Porter is the First Openly Gay Black Man to Win an Emmy for Best Lead Actor

By Say Peng  /  23 Sep 2019 (Monday)

Billy Porter in Pose

The winners of the Emmys 2019 has been announced.

Game of Thrones won for Outstanding Drama Series while Chernobyl won for Outstanding Limited Series.

Michelle Williams won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for playing Gwen Verdon in Fosse/Verdon. Peter Dinklage won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for, obviously, his role as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones.

Ben Whishaw won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role as Norman Josiffe / Norman Scott on A Very English Scandal while Patricia Arquette won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for his role as Dee Dee Blanchard on The Act.

But most importantly, Billy Porter won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Pray Tell on Pose. 

This makes Porter the first openly gay African-American actor to win the Emmy for Lead Actor.



In his acceptance speech, Porter quoted African-American activist and writer James Baldwin: "It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself, and half-believed, before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here.”

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