Emilia Perez actress condemns transgender violence after Golden Globe wins

The first transgender actress to be nominated for a film acting gong at the Golden Globes said “you can beat us up, but you never can take away our soul or existence or identity” after her movie Emilia Perez won best film, comedy or musical.

The operatic musical – about a Mexican drug lord who changes gender – scored four gongs, including best original song for El Mal, the category for best non-English language film, and a best supporting actress win for Zoe Saldana.

French director Jacques Audiard, who had a translator with him on stage on Sunday night at the California event, made way for Karla Sofia Gascon, a Spanish trans woman, to speak to the audience.

Dressed in a red and orange dress, which she said was about representing the religion of Buddhism, Gascon said: “The light always wins over darkness.

“You can put us in jail, you can beat us up. But you never can take away our soul or existence or identity.

“And what I want to say to you is raise your voice, I am who I am, not who you want.”

Gascon was beaten to the best actress – musical or comedy gong by American actress Demi Moore for body horror The Substance, which deals with a formerly famous actress trying to become younger again to reclaim her old career.

Oscar-tipped film Emilia Perez, primarily in Spanish, follows a cartel leader (Gascon), who asks a high-powered lawyer (Saldana) to help fake their death and undergoes sex-reassignment operations.