Emilia Perez Wins Big at the Oscars But Some Fans Are Asking: Where's the Transgender Shout-Out?

Okay movie lovers let's talk about Emilia Perez. This movie was a major topic at the 2025 Oscars . It racked up nominations it grabbed some wins but there's been some chatter online about something kinda important that maybe got missed on stage. Ready to dive in? Let's go.

Oscar Wins for Emilia Perez But No Mention of Transgender Community During Acceptance Speeches Huh?

So Emilia Perez was nominated for a boatload of Oscars like a lucky 13 nominations. It actually scored two wins. Zoe Saldaña snagged Best Supporting Actress and the song "El Mal" won Best Original Song. That is pretty awesome. But here's where it gets a little side-eye worthy. When folks went up to accept those awards not one of them mentioned the transgender community. Yes you heard that right. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

Now Emilia Perez is a movie where a trans actor Karla Sofía Gascón plays a trans character. It's kind of a big deal for representation you know? Some people are wondering why with such a visible platform at the Oscars nobody USed their speech to give a shout-out to the trans community. Especially since the movie itself is centered around a trans story.

Golden Globes vs Oscars: Karla Sofía Gascón's Different Tone and That Controversial Past

Interestingly enough Karla Sofía Gascón herself did mention injustices against trans people earlier in awards season at the Golden Globes. When Emilia Perez won Best MUSical or Comedy Film she gave a speech talking about fighting for identity and resistance. She even wore Buddhist colors to send a message about light winning over darkness. It was a powerful moment.

But then things got complicated. Some old social media posts from Gascón resurfaced and they were well not good. Racist Islamophobic stuff. Yikes. Her Oscar buzz kinda fizzled after that even though she did apologize for the tweets saying she was sorry for the pain she caused and that light will always beat darkness. Despite the controversy Gascón was at the Oscars ceremony after some questions about whether Netflix would even pay for her to be there.

Zoe Saldaña Did Mention Her Trans Nephew But... Not on the Oscars Stage

Zoe Saldaña who won Best Supporting Actress for the movie actually did talk about a trans person earlier in awards season too. When she won a BAFTA in February she mentioned her trans nephew Eli. However here's the catch. She did not say anything about her nephew on the actual BAFTA stage. She only mentioned him to the media afterwards.

At the Oscars Saldaña's acceptance speech was moving for sure. She talked about being a child of immigrant parents and anti-immigrant feelings but still no mention of the trans community. The songwriters who won for "El Mal" also didn't bring it up in their speech. It's like the trans connection to the movie was kinda... invisible on Oscars night.

Oscars Stage for Politics? Trans Rights Are a Big Deal Right Now

The Oscars are no stranger to political speeches. People use that stage to talk about important issues all the time. And 2025 is not exactly a chill year for trans rights in America. Just in January Trump made it official US policy that there are only two genders assigned at birth. Plus there are constant attacks on trans healthcare military service and basic rights.

Last year was a record year for bills targeting trans freedoms in state legislatures. So yeah a shout-out to the trans community at the Oscars could have been a pretty impactful thing. Some people feel like it was a missed opportunity to use that platform to show support and visibility when it really matters.

Awkward Alert: Selena Gomez and Karla Sofía Gascón Face-to-Face at the Oscars After "Rich Rat" Drama

Adding to the Emilia Perez Oscar drama was a kinda cringey moment between Selena Gomez and Karla Sofía Gascón. Remember those controversial tweets? Well apparently before all that Gascón allegedly called Gomez a "rich rat" online. Awkward co-star vibes much?

So at the Oscars Gomez and Gascon had a forced interaction. Gascon walked over to Gomez who was sitting down. Gomez stood up gave Gascon a quick cheek kiss and then sat right back down. Ouch. Fans online were quick to notice calling it awkward and saying Selena should maybe keep her distance after everything that went down. Gomez herself admitted some of the "magic disappeared" after the controversy but said she is still proud of the movie and has no regrets. Talk about navigating some tricky co-star dynamics on Hollywood's biggest night.

Emilia Perez Oscar Wins and Drama: Key Takeaways

1. Emilia Perez won two Oscars: Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaña) and Best Original Song ("El Mal").
2. No Oscar acceptance speeches mentioned the transgender community despite the film's trans themes and star.
3. Karla Sofía Gascón had mentioned trans rights at the Golden Globes but faced backlash for resurfaced controversial tweets.
4. Zoe Saldaña mentioned her trans nephew after winning a BAFTA but not on the Oscars stage.
5. Transgender rights are a politically charged issue in the US in 2025 making the lack of Oscars shout-outs notable.
6. Selena Gomez and Karla Sofía Gascón had an awkward public interaction at the ceremony after past online drama.

So What Does It All Mean? Emilia Perez Oscars Run and the Bigger Picture

Emilia Perez had a memorable Oscars run for sure. Wins drama controversy awkward moments it had it all. While the movie got recognized with awards some are left wondering if it fully used its platform to highlight the trans community it represents. The lack of trans mentions in acceptance speeches and the shadow of past controversies definitely add layers to the film's Oscar story. What do you think? Did the Oscars miss an opportunity or is focusing on the wins what truly matters? Let us know in the comments.