Photo Credit: Amazon

The 68^th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards aired live on ABC tonight from Los Angeles and several LGBTQ creators, actors, and inclusive series took home awards. Transparent creator Jill Soloway and star Jeffrey Tambor used their stage time to draw attention to the transgender community and some of the issues they face, as did presenter Laverne Cox.

Soloway, the out creator of Transparent, picked up the award in Outstanding Directing in a Comedy series. This is her second year in a row winning in this category. “When you take women, people of color, trans people, queer people and you put them at the center of the story, the subjects instead of the objects. You change the world,” Soloway said. “[…] Thank you to the trans community for your lived lives. We need to stop violence against transgender women and topple the patriarchy!”

Tambor won the award in Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of Maura on Transparent, this is his second win in the category for this role. Tambor used his stage time to call for more trans talent to be included on screen. “To you people out there, to you producers, and you network owners, and you agents and you creative sparks: please give transgender talent a chance. Give them auditions, give them their story, do that. One more thing, I would not be unhappy were I the last cisgender male to play a female transgender [character] on television. We have work to do!” Orange is the New Black and Doubt star Laverne Cox echoed the sentiment when she got on stage to present another category.

Out Saturday Night Live star Kate McKinnon took home the Emmy award in Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Out actress Sarah Paulson won the Emmy in Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her work on The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and thanked her partner Holland Taylor on stage. Paulson took home a second award as the series, from out executive producers Ryan Murphy and Nina Jacobson, also won the Emmy in Outstanding Limited Series. LGBTQ-inclusive series Veep (HBO) and Game of Thrones (HBO) picked up the awards for Outstanding Comedy Series and Drama Series, respectively. Tatiana Maslany, who plays several clones including out scientist Cosima and transgender con man Tony on Orphan Black, took home her first Emmy in Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Awards were given out in other categories at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards which took place last weekend. Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, the co-directors and long-time partners behind Netflix’s Making A Murderer, picked up four Emmys including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. Peter Scolari who played Hannah’s gay father Tad Horvath on HBO’s Girls took home the award in Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. The “Love Has No Labels” ad that went viral in the last year picked up the Emmy in Outstanding Commercial.

Congratulations to the winners!