Gascón is the first openly trans person to be nominated for an acting Oscar, though Elliot Page was nominated for 2007's "Juno" before coming out as trans in 2020.After blazing a trail for LGBTQ representation throughout the 2025 awards season,

Karla Sofía Gascón has become the first openly transgender actor to be nominated for an Academy Award. The Spanish star is recognized for her performance in the titular role of Jacques Audiard’s musical crime film “Emilia Pérez.

According to Torres, the party had “the highest concentration of amazing actors I had seen in my life.” As she shyly made her way through the A-listers like a “fish out of water,” Gascón swooped in and took her under her wing.