THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

"As 'Pose' enters its final season, we at the Human Rights Campaign could not be prouder to honor this incredible show, cast and crew, and to thank them for the visibility they have brought to the LGBTQ community, particularly Black and Latinx trans women," said Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David. "'Pose' has broken barriers since episode one, making it the perfect recipient for our National Visibility and Impact Award at our 'Time for Equality' event. Together, we will celebrate this groundbreaking show while marking the progress our community has made under the Biden-Harris administration and reminding us of the critical, life-saving work we must advance for LGBTQ people to be treated equally under law and in life."

The event will honor the critically acclaimed Emmy and Golden Globe nominated FX television series "Pose" with the National Visibility and Impact Award, with cast and creators Steven Canals, Mj Rodriguez, Billy Porter, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Hailie Sahar, Dyllón Burnside and Sandra Bernhard speaking at the event. "Pose" is a groundbreaking show that features the largest cast of openly transgender and LGBTQ actors ever in a network series, and spotlights ballroom culture in New York in the 1980s and 1990s. The final season begins May 2 on FX.

"It's an honor to be recognized by the Human Rights Campaign for our work on 'Pose,'" said actress, singer and "Pose" star Mj Rodriguez. "Acting in a show that tells the story of so many incredible Black and Latinx transgender women like me has been an incredibly rewarding experience, as has hearing from viewers about the effect the show has had. 'Pose' will always have a special place in the hearts and minds of everyone the show has impacted. Our hope is that this marks the beginning of a new era of inclusion of LGBTQ storylines on television."

"The cast and producers of 'Pose,' have worked tirelessly to tell the stories from the LGBTQ+ community that were not previously seen as mainstream, and it's been an honor to bring those stories to light for the past three seasons," said screenwriter, director and "Pose" co-creator and Executive Producer Steven Canals. "We appreciate the Human Rights Campaign for recognizing the important work we've done in sharing these stories and honoring us with the National Visibility and Impact Award."

"Time for Equality" comes as we continue to see increasing attacks on LGBTQ people, and especially transgender and non-binary people, at the state level. There are so far more than 220 anti-LGBTQ bills under consideration in state legislatures across the country. Of those, more than 110 directly target transgender people, a record number for a single session since the Human Rights Campaign has been tracking legislation. Legislators across the country have failed to provide examples of issues in their states to attempt to justify these attacks, laying bare the reality that these are attacks on transgender youth that are fueled by discrimination and not supported by fact.

Since the Biden-Harris Administration took office in January, there has already been great progress made for LGBTQ people. On his first day in office, President Biden issued the most substantive, wide-ranging LGBTQ executive order in U.S. history, affirming the decision in Bostock vs. Clayton County and extending protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. President Biden has also repealed the ban on transgender military service, voiced his support for the Equality Act and released a message on Transgender Day of Visibility. He also nominated two history-making LGBTQ nominees, Pete Buttigieg and Dr. Rachel Levine, who were both confirmed by the Senate. Most recently, the Department of Justice has clarified that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation in federally-funded education institutions. For more details, please visit HRC's President Biden's Pro-LGBTQ Timeline.

Last fall, HRC hosted "Unite for Equality Live," which replaced the Human Rights Campaign's annual National Dinner in 2020 and raised funds for the critical fights ahead to protect and expand LGBTQ rights in the United States and around the world.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.