Golden Globes 2023: Ryan Murphy honours ‘heroic’ LGBTQ+ actors in acceptance speech
Ryan Murphy honoured Billy Porter, MJ Rodriguez and more queer icons at the Golden Globes. (Getty/ Matt Winkelmeyer)
TV writer and producer Ryan Murphy has dedicated his Golden Globes acceptance speech to LGBTQ+ actors including Billy Porter, Michaela Jaé “MJ” Rodriguez and Matt Bomer.
Taking to the stage to accept the lifetime achievement Carol Burnett Award, Murphy spent almost eight minutes honouring the queer icons to “make a point of hope and progress”.
Starting with Pose actress MJ Rodriguez, Ryan Murphy asked the star-studded audience to give her the “standing ovation she deserves” for becoming the first trans actress to win a Golden Globe at last year’s awards.
“A year ago the Golden Globes weren’t televised but the show did go on… I thought, ‘Wow, how I would have loved for MJ to be on this stage getting the standing ovation she deserved for making history,’” he said. “So MJ, please stand up and let’s give her the standing ovation she deserves to hear.”
He continued by saying that actors get a lifetime achievement award by “being fearless, like these following people, all heroes of mine,” before name-dropping American Horror Story star Billy Porter, Dahmer actress Niecy Nash, The Normal Heart‘s Matt Bomer and The Inspection star Jeremy Pope.
Standing next to Billy Porter, who donned a stunning fuschia tuxedo gown, Murphy called him “one of the most iconic actors of his generation”, adding that he “changed our perceptions by changing fashion”.
He then praised Nash and Bomer for “showing love not fear” in coming out, despite being told that it would affect their career if they did.
“Just like Niecy, Matt Bomer, of Spring, Texas, was told never to come out, to lie, [that] the audience might not believe you as an actor,” Ryan Murphy said. “He has now defied the ridiculous rules that have been in place for almost a century… Thank you for being here for me.”
Moving on to the next LGBTQ+ star, Murphy said: “Although he is very young, the achievements of Jeremy Pope astound me. Jeremy Pope is the future.”
Explaining why he decided to use his acceptance speech to honour the queer stars, Ryan Murphy noted the lack of LGBTQ+ representation at award shows when he was growing up.
“When I was a young person at home in the 70s watching The Carol Burnett Show, I never ever saw a person like me getting an award or even being a character on a TV show,” he said.
“It’s hard being an LGBTQ+ kid in America. In fact, all over the world, then and now.
“You are often told you will have to hide your light to survive,” he added. “But for those kids watching, tonight I offer up MJ and Billy and Niecy and Matt and Jeremy as examples of possibility.
“My mission was to take the invisible, the unloved, and make them the heroes I long to see but never did in pop culture.”
