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Transamerica star Felicity Huffman, already beloved by gays as one of TV’s Desperate Housewives, has triumphed in what might be considered the single most technically challenging film role of 2005. Playing the part of a M-to-F transgender “in transition”, Huffman aptly captures the voice, demeanor, body language and low-key emotional facade that is often characteristic of real transsexuals. In doing so, she brings dignity to a role that has suffered many unfortunate campy, drag queen, “Elvira”-type interpretations.

Huffman took home the Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Drama, and is favored to win Best Actress at the Academy Awards. Transamerica has also just been named a nominee at the upcoming GLAAD awards (“outstanding film – limited release”).

Beyond its considerable Oscar buzz, the very presence of Transamerica among mainstream Hollywood award nominees is remarkable. It signifies long-overdue advances in visibility, acceptance and empowerment for the fast rising, yet often misunderstood transgender community.

Philip Seymour Hoffman won the Golden Globes Best Actor/Drama award for his title role in Capote. He walked away with a win at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, although Capote was one of the contenders that lost to Brokeback in the recent Producers Guild awards.

The close race for the Academy’s Best Actor award is coming down to Hoffman, Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line) and will surely provide plenty of nail-biting tension. No doubt a Hoffman win will cause an outrage of ACT-UP! proportions from Brokeback Mountain zealots, but hey, it’s all in the family.

If judges vote for sheer artistry and technique, my bet is Hoffman will take home an Oscar. His is a classic, tour de force performance, the kind the Academy traditionally goes for (except the time they robbed Mommie Dearest’s Faye Dunaway out of her sure-fire win!).

But Brokeback is still the favorite to win. Arguably the finest cinematic achievement of the year (if not of our whole gay generation), Brokeback’s profound cultural repercussions continue to spiral outward, with no immediate end in sight. In a way no film has quite done before, it has affected the self-image and public consciousness of gay men, captured the admiration of both intellectuals and pop culture fans, and shaken up the entire gay/straight socio-political landscape.

Somehow we have been forever changed by this simple, classic tragedy of mythic proportions. Brokeback’s effect on viewers (this one included) has been fittingly described as “bone deep” and even “beyond words”.

Emboldened by its every triumph, Brokeback continues its cinematic diaspora across America. It spreads out from the safety of its cosmopolitan, big-city fan bases to boldly go where no film like it has gone before: the “red” segments of America.

To date, even in limited release, Brokeback has already taken in an impressive $51 million plus in ticket sales. As it now opens in more and more theaters across America, the “gay cowboy” movie is winning over new appreciative audiences from a wide variety of population segments all across the demographics board.

Even our nation’s vote hustlin’, shoot-from-the-hip, self-identified cowboy sheriff--oops, I mean “president”--can’t avoid Brokeback Mountain’s media buzz avalanche.  Asked his opinion of the movie during last Monday’s Q&A session at Kansas State University, George beat around the bush in his classically clubms style, saying he hadn't seen the "gay cowboy movie".

Yet even our clueless Commander/Rancher-in-Chief had to admit, "I've heard about it."

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