Trans actress Josie Totah speaks on the importance of representation, rapper Lil Nas X chats with YouTuber James Charles, and Katy Perry performs at the AMAs.
Katy Perry, a bisexual pop star, performed at the American Music Awards Nov. 22. This performance was her first since welcoming her daughter, Daisy Dove, into the world back in August.
She sang a stripped-down version of her song “Only Love” alongside Darius Rucker. Perry’s performance was given an incredible amount of praise from fans on Twitter with comments such as, “I’ve got chills! Katy Perry did it again serving vocals and emotions.”
Before the show, Perry shared aphoto on Instagram of herself when she was a baby with her father. She attributed the performance to her dad by captioning the photo, “tonight’s @amas performance is for my father.”
Fans showed their love for Perry by leaving comments on the post like, “YAS QUEEN” and “so proud of you mommy,” referring to Katy’s new mother status.
Josie Totah via Instagram.
Josie Totah, a transgender actress, gave some insight on trans representation in a recentinterview. She stressed how important it was for a young trans person to see someone who looks like themselves on screen, and not just witness trans struggles.
“Much of the time when it comes to trans representation it’s told through the lens of trans struggle or portraying trans character in a negative light,” Totah said. She then expressed her gratitude for being able to play a dynamic character that could be identified as more than just her gender identity. “Getting the opportunity to … help develop a character that was so much more than one part of her … is such an amazing opportunity,” Totah said. She plays Lexi in the “Saved by the Bell” reboot that is coming soon.
She said that she hopes an influx of positive trans representation on television will help “normalize acceptance of the trans community in our everyday lives.”
Lil Nas X (left) with James Charles. Photo via Instagram.
Lil Nas X made anappearance on popular gay makeup artist James Charles’ YouTube channel on Nov. 17. The two gay men sat down to discuss Lil Nas X’s new music and his general life. Charles worked on a silver makeup look while they talked.
The two discussed Lil Nas X’s start on social media, the success of “Old Town Road” and the pop icon’s new music video. When Charles asked Lil Nas X if he felt any pressure after “Old Town Road” took off, he responded with, “I was never really phased.” He spoke about how sometimes the comments would get to him, but that he always stayed determined.
Both men discussed the common sexualization of gay men interacting and anticipated a reaction to the video they were filming. “They’re really about to pipe up after this one,” Lil Nas X said and he was proven right. As soon as the comments rolled in, they were shut down by the singer. “2 gay men can do things together without y’all sexualizing it,” said Lil Nas X in atweet responding to Pop Crave.
