Qween Jean Makes History as First Openly Transgender Tony Award Winner
‘Cats’ costume designer becomes 1st openly transgender person to win a Tony Award

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Costume designer Qween Jean made history at the 79th Tony Awards by becoming the first openly transgender person to win a Tony Award for her work on 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball.' Her acceptance speech highlighted the importance of representation and activism for the queer community.
- 01Qween Jean won the Tony Award for 'Best Costume Design of a Musical' for her work on 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball.'
- 02She created 500 unique costumes inspired by ballroom culture and transgender pioneers.
- 03Jean's acceptance speech emphasized the need for queer representation and societal change.
- 04In addition to her win, she was nominated for 'Best Costume Design of a Play' for 'Liberation.'
- 05Jean is also an activist, founding Black Trans Liberation to support the transgender community in New York City.
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At the 79th annual Tony Awards, costume designer Qween Jean made history as the first openly transgender person to win a Tony Award, receiving the honor for 'Best Costume Design of a Musical' for her innovative work on 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball.' This production reinterpreted the classic musical through the lens of ballroom culture, showcasing Jean's creativity with 500 unique costumes, many of which paid homage to transgender icons Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. During her acceptance speech at Radio City Music Hall in New York, Jean expressed the significance of her achievement, stating, 'We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people.' She called for unity and action to create lasting change in society. In addition to her award-winning work, Jean was also nominated for 'Best Costume Design of a Play' for the Broadway production 'Liberation.' Beyond her artistic contributions, she is a dedicated activist, having founded Black Trans Liberation, which provides outreach and communal meals to the transgender community in New York City.
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Qween Jean's win highlights the importance of representation for the transgender community in the arts.
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