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Ariana DeBose is the first Afro-Latina, and openly queer woman to win an Oscar and a SAG Award in the best supporting actress category for her performance as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story.
The 31-year-old actress is also the second Latina to win an Academy Award after Rita Moreno won an Oscar for playing the same role 60 years ago.
“Imagine this little girl in the back seat of a white Ford Focus,” she said on March 27 during her acceptance speech. “Look into her eyes, you see an openly queer woman of color, an Afro-Latina who found her strength in life through art, and that’s what I believe we’re here to celebrate.”
“So to anyone who has ever questioned your identity, or if you find yourself living in the grey spaces, I promise you this: there is indeed a place for us.”
DeBose attended the ceremony with her mom Mrs. Gina DeBose, and after her big win, she reunited with her girlfriend, Sue Makkoo. The pair attended the Vanity Fair after-party and seemed madly in love.
Ariana and Sue have been together for almost four years after meeting while doing what they are most passionate about. Learn more about Makkoo and her relationship with the Puerto Rican descent star.
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