Outward

“Topple the Patriarchy!” Says Jill Soloway, Accepting an Emmy for Transparent

Jill Soloway won the Emmy for best director of a comedy series Sunday night for her work on “Men on the Land,” Episode 9 of Transparent’s second season. Her speech—and her outfit—was spectacular.

People ask me if it’s hard to be a director, and I tell them, no. Life is very hard. Being a good partner, mother, being a good person is hard. Being a good director is so easy, I get to make my dreams come true. It’s a privilege, and creates privilege, when you take people of color, women, trans people, queer people, as the subjects of stories, you change the world, we found out. … So I want to thank you, my sweet Jeff Bezos, because you changed the world, and invited me to do this thing that these people call television, but I call a revolution. I’ve always wanted to be part of a movement. This TV show allows me to take my dreams about unlikable Jewish people, queer folk, trans folk, and make them heroes. Thank you to the trans community. Topple the patriarchy!

The episode Soloway won her award for takes place at the 42nd Idyllwild Wimmin’s Music Festival—a gathering that bears a strong resemblance to the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, which was held for the last time in August 2015. In December 2015, I spoke with Ali Liebegott, who wrote the episode, on how it came about.

Read more in Slate about the Emmys.