The five most important queer moments from the Golden Globes 2024
The 2024 Golden Globe Awards celebrated the best TV and film from the last year, and some of our favourite LGBTQ+ icons delivered gag-worthy red carpet looks at what turned out to be a truly queer event.
The star-studded annual awards ceremony took place in Beverly Hills on Sunday (7 January) with the who’s-who of the 2023 cultural landscape showing up in their finest to commemorate a record-breaking year in TV and film.
The night got off to an awkward start as viewers tore into host Jo Koy’s opening monologue, which was packed with stilted and poor-taste jokes.
The highlights saw Oppenheimer dominate the film categories, with five wins including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director. In the TV categories, Disney+’s fast-paced culinary drama The Bear scooped three awards, just pipped by HBO’s Succession, which took four major wins.
While LGBTQ+ stars were largely absent from the winners’ list, queer talent remained firmly on display at the Golden Globes and queer fans helped lead the cultural commentary at home.
Here are five key LGBTQ+ takeaways from the night:
LGBTQ+ winners and losers at the Golden Globes 2024
The 2024 Golden Globes saw some victories for LGBTQ+ talent, TV shows and movies. In the film category, Killers of the Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone scored a historic win for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama.
The actor (who uses she/they pronouns) has previously spoken about their gender fluidity and its connection with their Indigenous roots.
Gladstone becomes the first Indigenous woman to win a Golden Globe and dedicated their award to “every little rez [reservation] kid” while paying homage to their Blackfeet Nation heritage.
Meanwhile Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things – which centres around bisexual character Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) – secured wins for Best Musical/Comedy and Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy. Finally, queer singer Billie Eilish landed a well-deserved award for Best Original Song for her Barbie soundtrack hit “What Was I Made For”.
In the TV categories, the biggest queer victory came after Bottoms star Ayo Edebiri won Best Performance by a Female Actor [in a] Musical/Comedy Series for her role as chef Sydney in The Bear. Her hilarious and heartwarming acceptance speech saw her note how “lucky” she is “to be an artist”.
Unfortunately, the night also saw some major disappointments for queer cinema: All of Us Strangers star Andrew Scott and Rustin‘s Colman Domingo lost out in the Best Actor (Drama) category, while LGBTQ+ Netflix biopics Nyad and Maestro failed to pick up any awards.
And although last summer’s billion-dollar hit Barbie won Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, it failed to emerge victorious in any of the major categories.
Meanwhle in TV, Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us), Matt Bomer (Fellow Travelers) and Rachel Weisz (Dead Ringers) all lost out in their respective categories.
Ricky Gervais sparks outrage after win for stand-up special Armageddon
The losses for LGBTQ+ people didn’t end there. In a particularly brutal hit for the trans community, so-called comedian Ricky Gervais won his first ever Golden Globe for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy for his woefully offensive Netflix special Ricky Gervais: Armageddon.
The Office star has previously caused major backlash for his disparaging comments about the trans community. In his latest special, Gervais sparked outrage for his ableist language during a routine that painfully poked fun at children with cancer using the Make-A-Wish foundation.
Gervais beat lesbian icon Wanda Sykes and LGBTQ+ ally Trevor Noah to take home took home the coveted trophy.
Naturally, people shared their anger at Gervais once again being rewarded for his outdated brand of punch-down comedy.
Saltburn‘s Barry Keoghan rocking up in a ‘lesbian-coded’ fit
Over on the Golden Globes red carpet, queer fans were being fed by Saltburn star Barry Keoghan, who sported a chequered red blazer and trousers styled with a red pearl necklace earring and matching brooch.
As the star spilt the tea behind his epic “Murder on the Dance Floor” dance routine, everyone on the internet was making the same joke.
Namely, Keoghan’s epic “butch lesbian” energy.
Trans stars Hunter Schafer and Hari Nef absolute slayed on the red carpet
2023 was a standout year for trans talent on the big screen, with the likes of Hunger Games‘ Hunter Schafer and Barbie actor Hari Nef appearing in two of the year’s biggest films – and they didn’t disappoint on the Golden Globes red carpet either.
Schafer stunned in a custom baby pink floor length prada gown which flowed majestically behind her.
Meanwhile Hari Nef dropped jaws with her ruffled, off-the-shoulder, Alexandre Vauthie black gown with silver lining.
Finally, trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney made a surprise appearance on the red carpet, donning a fluffy pink ballgown which perfectly complimented her blonde hair.
During a cheeky interview with Billboard on the night, Mulvaney teased that a “pop star moment” could be coming up in 2024.
Sex Education‘s Gillian Anderson truly mothering in her ‘vulva’ dress
Sex Education star and LGBTQ+ icon Gillian Anderson stole the show – as usual – with her custom made ‘vagina gown’. Yes, you heard that right.
The 55-year-old actor wore an all-white gown cembroidered with intricately stitched vulvas designed by Gabriela Hearst. The Netflix sex therapist and women’s rights activist told Deadline that she chose the outfit for “so many reasons”, adding “[it’s] brand appropriate”. We couldn’t agree more.
As one fan poetically put it: “Gillian Anderson graduated from mother university with a degree in c**tology”.
You can find a full list of 2024 Golden Globe winners here.
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