Karla Sofía Gascón, a Spanish actor, has made history as the first openly transgender person nominated for an acting Oscar. Her role in the film Emilia Pérez garnered significant attention, earning the film 13 Oscar nominations, a record for a non-English language film. However, the film and Gascón's personal views have sparked controversy both within the LGBTQ+ community and in Mexico, where the film is set.
The film Emilia Pérez faced criticism for its portrayal of transgender characters, with Glaad describing it as a "profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman." Additionally, Jacques Audiard, the film's director, responded to criticism by stating:
“If there are things that seem shocking in Emilia Pérez then I am sorry … Cinema doesn’t provide answers, it only asks questions. But maybe the questions in Emilia Pérez are incorrect.” – Jacques Audiard
Gascón also made headlines for her critique of the social media team associated with fellow best actress Oscar nominee Fernanda Torres. She clarified that her comments were not directed at Torres but were aimed at addressing "toxicity and violent hate speech on social media." She stated:
“I have never, at any point, said anything bad about Fernanda Torres or her movie,” – Karla Sofía Gascón
“However, there are people working with Fernanda Torres tearing me and Emilia Pérez down. That speaks more about their movie than mine.” – Karla Sofía Gascón
Gascón's past social media activity has further fueled the controversy. In a post from November 2020, she commented on observing "more and more Muslims in Spain," noting the increased visibility of women wearing traditional Islamic attire:
“Every time I go to pick up my daughter from school there are more women with their hair covered and their skirts down to their heels. Maybe next year instead of English we’ll have to teach Arabic.” – Karla Sofía Gascón
Her statements extended to broader criticisms of Islam, as evidenced by her tweets:
“Until we ban religions that go against European values and violate human rights, such as Islam, under the protection of freedom of worship, we will not end part of the huge problem we face. Faith manipulates those who cling to faith.” – Karla Sofía Gascón
“Islam is becoming a hotbed for infection for humanity that urgently need to be cured.” – Karla Sofía Gascón
These remarks have drawn backlash from many quarters, leading to some of her tweets being deleted after users uncovered them. Despite this, Gascón continued to express her views on social media, including comments on the Oscars ceremony:
“More and more the #Oscars are looking like a ceremony for independent and protest films, I didn’t know if I was watching an Afro-Korean festival, a Black Lives Matter demonstration or the 8M. Apart from that, an ugly, ugly gala.” – Karla Sofía Gascón
Gascón also touched upon racial issues following George Floyd's death, acknowledging the event as a catalyst for discussions on racism:
“George Floyd a martyr hero” – Karla Sofía Gascón