September 4, 2022—Angelica Ross is breaking barriers this month with her debut in Broadway’s second longest-running musical, Chicago. Ms. Ross, one of the stars of the Emmy Award-winning television series Pose, becomes the first openly Transgender woman to take on the lead role of Roxie Hart.

Ms. Ross joins a small group of openly Transgender performers playing principal roles on Broadway, including Alexandra Billings, L Morgan Lee, and Kate Bornstein.

In addition to her acting career, Ms. Ross is an outspoken social activist for Transgender and racial equity. She founded the TransTech Social Enterprises to create opportunities for tech training and job placement for the LGBTQ+ community.

I think it’s important that we make note of and celebrate whenever a barrier to the arts is broken. Not only does it signify an opportunity for a single artist, it also demonstrates the importance of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion + Access-driven challenges to the status quo, which can encourage those who aspire to pursue careers in the arts.

As always, I would like to know what you think. I invite you to share your comments below.