Emmy night is always a chaotic mix of humorous, emotional and inspirational, mixed with some major sequins and glitter. And on this Emmy night, all those elements came toger in one glorious moment: Billy Porter’s win as best actor in a drama for “Pose,” first openly gay actor to win award. But Porter’s speech wasn’t only kck-your-socks-off moment. Michelle Williams gave audience an eloquent and impassioned lesson on importance of equal pay for women, especially women of colour. And Patricia Arquette paid tearful tribute to her late trans sister, issuing a rousing call for better treatment of trans people.

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PHOEBE RULES

If you didn’t kw Phoebe Waller-Bridge before, well, you certainly do w. First, British writer-actress of “Fleabag” won for writing on a comedy series, telling crowd that she found writing “really hard and painful” — but that she did it for awards. She got to repeat joke when she won best actress in a comedy, a huge upset over prohibitive favourite Julia Louis-Dreyfus for last season of “Veep.” And n Waller-Bridge, 34, made it up to st yet again when her show won for outstanding comedy series, again besting “Veep.”

“This is getting ridiculous!” she exulted. In true Britspeak, she called her show’s journey to success “absolutely mental.” She was pretty entertaining when she presented an award with funnyman Bill Hader, too — all in all, a massive night, as Brits would say.

A MEMORY BOTH POWERFUL AND EMPOWERING

Alex Borstein, winning her second consecutive Emmy for “ Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” started out in predictably humorous mode, making a racy underwear joke. n she made a dramatic pivot to a poignant and harrowing memory about her grandmor, a Holocaust survivor, who during war had been in line “to be shot into a pit.” She said her grandmor had asked a guard, “What happens if I step out of line?” and guard had replied that he didn’t have heart to shoot her, “but somebody will.” She did — and y didn’t. “And for that, I am here,” Borstein said. “And for that, my children are here.”So step out of line, ladies!” she told crowd, to cheers.

FAR FROM BRONX

When Jharrel Jerome won his Emmy for “When y See Us,” he said he felt like he “should just be back home in Bronx right w chilling, waiting for my mom’s cooking or something.” But, said 21-year-old, “I’m here in front of my inspirations.” He thanked, of course, director Ava DuVernay, and his “beautiful mor,” who actively cheered him on from audience. But he saved his most important thanks “for men we kw as Exonerated Five.” And all five stood up and cheered from ir seats: Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise, man Jerome played onscreen. four-part Netflix series tells story of Central Park Five, black and Lati teenrs from Harlem who were coerced into confessing to a rape y didn’t commit.

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A SISTER REMEMBERED

When Patricia Arquette won an Oscar in 2015, she made a plea for pay equality. On this Emmy night, rights for trans people was on her mind, and for a very personal reason. Accepting her award for “ Act,” Arquette said she was still in mourning over death of her sister, Alexis Arquette, who died at of 47 in 2016. Alexis, who was trans, died from a heart attack and battled HIV for 29 years, according to her death certificate. “I’m so sad that I lost my sister Alexis, and that trans people are still being persecuted,” she said. “Let’s get rid of this bias that we have everywhere. y’re human beings and let’s give m jobs.”

In audience, trans actress and activist Laverne Cox stood and cheered. Cox was carrying a purse that bore a mess: “Oct. 8, Title VII, Supreme Court,” it said, referring to an upcoming court decision on workplace discrimination and LGBTQ rights.

PASSIONATE ABOUT EQUAL PAY

It was actress Michelle Williams who raised flag for equal pay, with an eloquent speech that was one of most effective of night. Accepting award for “Fosse/Verdon,” she called hour “an ackwledgement of what is possible when a woman is trusted to discern her own needs, feel safe eugh to voice m, and respected eugh that y’ll be heard.”

She explained that when she’d needed anything to help her better play dancer Gwen Verdon — more dance classes, more voice lessons, a different wig — she heard “yes,” t “,” even though y cost money. She also thanked FX network and Fox 21 studios “for paying me equally, because y understood that when you put value into a person it empowers that person to get in touch with ir own inherent value.” And n where do y put that value? y put it into ir work,” she continued, pointing out that a woman of colour makes 52 cents on dollar compared to her white, male counterpart. So when that woman “tells you what she needs in order to do her job, listen to her, believe her,” Williams said. “Because one day she might stand in front of you and say thank you for allowing her to succeed because of her workplace environment and t in spite of it.”

remarks won cheers t only in room but on social media. “Michelle Williams just took us to church of women’s equality,” wrote actress Kerry Washington on Twitter.

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LOVE, Y’ALL!

It was obvious that it was Billy Porter’s night moment he sauntered into Emmy Awards in a huge, lopsided black cowboy hat, a sparkling striped black-and-silver suit, and platform shoes. Porter has emerged as a huge red carpet star of late. But this time, “Pose” actor matched his carpet prowess with a huge Emmy victory, becoming first openly gay actor to win best actor in a drama. “ category is love, y’all!” he crowed to audience upon arriving onst. He n met historical moment by quoting James Baldwin. “It took many years of vomiting up filth I was taught about myself and halfway believed before I could walk around this Earth-like I had a right to be here,” went powerful quote. “I have right. You have right. We all have right!”

As he did years ago when he won his Tony, Porter paid tribute to his mor, Clorinda, saying “re’s stronger, more resilient woman who has graced this earth.” He also thanked his show’s co-creator, Ryan Murphy: “Ryan Murphy, you saw me! You believed in us.” He added that “We as artists are people that get to change molecular structure of hearts and minds of people who live on this planet. Please don’t ever stop doing that.”

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