15 major LGBTQIA+ moments in pop culture in 2018

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – AUGUST 03: (L-R) Producer/writer/director Janet Mock, Producer/writer Our Lady J, Actors Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, and Billy Porter speak onstage at the ‘Pose’ panel during the FX Network portion of the Summer 2018 TCA Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 3, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Pose

Pose first premiered back in June and was created by the masterminds that gave us hit shows like Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story. It first made waves last fall when the series was in pre-production. The show, set in 1980s New York, followed various aspects of queer life in New York City, including the drag scene and ball culture. The premise alone was enough to get people excited, but it’s when it was announced that the show had a roster of trans actors playing trans characters, and many other LGBTQIA+ and POC actors as well, that it really got everyone’s attention.

The show also featured trans activist director Silas Howard as co-executive producer and Janet Mock, trans writer and activist, as a writer and director. Pose broke new ground for trans people, especially trans people of color, and for the entire LGBTQIA+ community. Never before had a TV show featured such a diverse cast and creative team, and thankfully, the show also was also a hit.

Vice called the show “the most important show on TV right now,” praising its complex portrayal of families within the LGBTQIA+ community, and Vanity Fair called it a “bold and necessary melodrama.” Pose has also been nominated for a slew of awards, including a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Television Series and two Golden Globes, one for Best Drama and an acting nod for Billy Porter.

Co-creator Ryan Murphy has always been dedicated to giving LGBTQIA+ voices a chance to be heard through his projects, and with Pose he allowed more disenfranchised voices to be heard louder than ever. To make it even better, he vowed to donate all of the profits from Pose to trans and LGBTQIA+ charities.