Cole Escola makes Tony history with acting win, thanks Grindr connection

Out ^ | 06 09 2025 | Moises Mendez II

[yesthatjallen]

Cole Escola became the first nonbinary person to win a Tony in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play category at last night’s Tony Award ceremony for their work in the Oh, Mary! They are also now the third nonbinary actor to win a Tony, following Alex Newell and J. Harrison Ghee, who both took home the coveted statues in different categories at the 2023 ceremony.

At last night's awards ceremony, Escola was up against some heavy hitters — George Clooney, Daniel Dae Kim, Jon Michael Hill, Harry Lennix, and Louis McCartney. In the end, Escola took home the award, shortly after Sam Pinkleton, the show’s director, won for Best Direction of a Play. After Escola’s name was announced, they jumped out of their seat and sprinted to the stage in a gown that was inspired by Bernadette Peters when she won her Tony for Annie Get Your Gun in 1999.

SNIP

[yesthatjallen]

"Oh, Mary! Synopsis: The show is a comedic spoof of the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. The show is set in the days leading up to Lincoln's assassination, which occurred while he and Mary were watching Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre. The show portrays Mary as someone who longs to live a life away from politics and be a cabaret performer, while Lincoln uses her as a beard to hide his sexuality, and is often away from home dealing with the issues of the Civil War, leaving her alone in the White House."

[reed13k]

So didn’t win for best “Actress” and everyone acknowledged they were an “Actor”...

[Blueway]

He could use a good orthodontist.

[jonrick46]

He/she didn’t even bother to comb his/her hair—or shave his/her chest. Such disrespect!

[NorthMountain]

He needs a daily steel-toed kick in the balls. It would remind him that he’s male, and that “non-binary” is a delusion.

[CaptainK]

He should have used Nair with that dress.

[xp38]

Trying to recall the last time I watched the Tonys. Perhaps never but I have vague memories of maybe once watching them decades ago. Maybe in the 70s or 80s.

[Antoninus]

[lee martell]

And the awards shows still can’t figure out why their ratings are slipping.
Any FEMALE-woman actress who stands up and applauds people like this freak-show are shoveling toxic dirt over their own talent and careers.

[CIB-173RDABN]

Anyone else having FIRST FATIGUE, that is when some special category of human achieves something that others had already achieved first?