Wanda Sykes Makes Absentee Winner Ricky Gervais Thank ‘God and the Trans Community’ in Golden Globes Speech

If you can count on one thing it’s that Wanda Sykes will commit to a good bit. While presenting the Golden Globes for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television, Sykes warned that if the absent Ricky Gervais won the category, she would thank God and the trans community on his behalf. And when he won, that’s exactly what she did.

“And he would like to thank God and the trans community,” a visibly surprised Sykes said.

Before announcing the win, Sykes also said that she loved Gervais. “I love you for not being here. I love you, Ricky, because if you win, I get to accept the award on your behalf,” she quipped.

Gervais has been outspoken about his atheist beliefs since the mid-2000s. In 2010, he even wrote an op-ed about his beliefs for the Wall Street Journal. As for the second half of Sykes’ dedication, Gervais has been repeatedly criticized for holding anti-trans views. GLAAD described the comedian’s 2022 Netflix special as being full of “graphic, dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes.”

In the same special, Gervais said, “In real life, of course I support trans rights,” he said. “I support all human rights and trans rights are human rights.”

It should be noted that Sykes has long been outspoken about her Christian beliefs. While she’s part of the LGBTQ+ community, Sykes has specifically urged for more protection for the trans community.

“I believe in love. I believe in what our community stands for,” Sykes said last summer during the Critics Choice Association Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television. “So we have to love harder, be louder and protect each other.”

On Sunday, Gervais won for his latest standup special, “Mortality.” He was up against Brett Goldstein’s “The Second Best Night of Your Life,” Kevin Hart’s “Acting My Age,” Bill Maher’s “Is Anyone Else Seeing This?,” Kumail Nanjiani’s “Night Thoughts” and Sarah Silverman’s “PostMortem.”

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