Qween Jean has become the first openly trans woman to win a Tony Award.
She bagged the honour for her costume design on Cats: The Jellicle Ball.
Taking the stage in a ruffled lavender gown, Qween Jean got the night rolling with a shout of “Happy Pride!”
Calling theatre-makers the “architects of imagination”, she continued, “This experience has been monumental. We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people. We have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm. So, I just want to say, thank you all so much for this incredible honour.”
While several non-binary performers have won Tonys in the past, Qween Jean is the first trans winner. She was also nominated in a second category, Best Costume Design for a Play, for her work on Liberation. An absent Jeff Mahshie won that category for Fallen Angels.
Qween Jean was reportedly taught to sew by her grandmother, who is a dressmaker. Beyond her theatre work, she is a dedicated human rights activist who founded Black Trans Liberation.
The Tony Awards, billed as Broadway’s biggest night, was a star-studded event, hosted for the first time by Pink, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
Officially dubbed the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, the Tonys recognise excellence in live Broadway theatre, and serve as the stage equivalent of the Oscars.
