‘Transparent’ Creator Jill Soloway Makes History At Golden Globe Awards And Dedicates Win To Leelah Alcorn

During a Golden Globes Award ceremony that was already historic in nature — with four of the five nominees in the “Best Series, Musical or Comedy” category having female showrunners — Transparent creator Jill Soloway made history of her own, winning that category for her show, and taking the home the first Golden Globes for Amazon’s rapidly expanding digital streaming service. By the end of the night, the show had also won “Best Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy” for star Jeffrey Tambor.

The show, which sees Tambor in the role of a family patriarch preparing for gender reassignment surgery, was created by Jill Soloway in response to events in her own life, as she explained to Out, prior to the pilot premiering on Amazon in September 2014.

“My dad came out to me three years ago as trans. It put a lot of things into perspective for me regarding my family and my understanding of my childhood. In the months and years that followed, the Transparent inspiration flowed pretty freely.”

Jill Soloway is an American playwright, television writer, producer, and award-winning director who has previously worked on Six Feet Under, Grey’s Anatomy, and United States of Tara, among other series. In her acceptance speech, as reported by Deadline, Soloway dedicated the award to her parent, and to Leelah Alcorn — a teenager who recently ended her own life, leaving a note that detailed her parents refusal to accept her as transgender.

“I want to thank the trans community. They are our family. They make this possible. This award is dedicated to the memory of Leelah Alcorn and too many trans people who die too young. And it is dedicated to you, my transparent, my Mapa. You’re watching at home now and I just wanted to thank you for coming out. Because, in doing so, you made a break for freedom. You told your truth and you taught me how to tell my truth in making this show, and maybe we’re going to be able to teach the world something about authenticity, truth and love. To love.”

Prior to collecting their awards, actor Jeffrey Tambor and showrunner Jill Soloway reflected on the meaning of being nominated for Golden Globes for Transparent, in conversation with Variety. Tambor explained that being acknowledged for their work on a show about transgender issues, in addition to being included in a historically female-dominated showrunning category, while representing an Amazon Original series, sets a new precedent on many levels.

“It seems like there’s a lot of revolutions in this particular moment. Per the list [of nominees] you just said, and the people you just mentioned, it seems to me again that content is king. That makes me so happy. This is what I went in it for.”

Soloway, as showrunner, expressed her excitement at being part of what seems to be an overwhelming change.

“If you just think about it as people who are dismantling the power structures, this white male point of view… For me to think about being [at the Globe ceremony] with Jenni Konner [showrunner of ‘Girls’], with Amy and Tina hosting, and the other woman nominees – having been told time and again we’re not funny – it’s just amazing. We’re going to be the majority in that room.”

Transparent, created by Jill Soloway, has been renewed by Amazon for a second season, and returns to the digital streaming service later this year.

[Image via Huffington Post]