Lilly Wachowski's First Public Appearance Since Announcing Transition
By Ned Ehrbar
(CBS NEWS) – Lilly Wachowski would've preferred a bit more time following her announcement that she is transgender before making a public appearance, but the GLAAD Awards was too big of an invitation to pass up.
In an essay published in the Windy City Times, Wachowski came out earlier this month -- like her co-filmmaker sister Lana had four years before her.
"This is a little fast for me," she told The Hollywood Reporter at the event. "I didn't feel obligated to be here, but I wanted to do something. And it's serendipitous that the awards were a couple of weeks later and our show was up for an award."
Her Netflix series, "Sense8" -- co-created with her sister and J. Michael Straczynski -- ended up winning that award, Best Drama Series, and Wachowski took the stage to accept it, making light of the big occasion. "Ta-da," she offered as she reached the podium.
"It's like pulling the Band-Aid off by being here, but that's what I'm doing. I'm here," she said on the carpet prior to the ceremony. "There is a political aspect to coming out, particularly for someone in my position, and I was acutely aware of that. In some ways, it's a burden, but I know that I would have to come out at some point and I wanted to do it in such a way that I could help as many people as I could."