Had Steven Canals made it to the stage during Sunday night’s Emmy Awards, he would have been ready.

The Pose co-creator, executive producer, writer and director prepared comments as a way to meet the moment.

The groundbreaking FX series did not win any trophies during the telecast, but last weekend Pose won for contemporary costumes, hairstyling and makeup.

Even so, he revealed today what he planned to say at the podium, if he won:

“Well, Pose didn’t take home any Emmys last night but that doesn’t change how proud I am of our final season,” wrote Canals, nominated alongside Pose colleagues in the drama series and writing categories. “Here’s what I would have said had I made it up on that stage. All of this will always hold true.” He wanted to honor LGBTQ icons Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Miss Major and Stormé DeLarverie while saluting the trans collaborators who lent their talents to Pose for its three-season run … Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Hailie Sahar, Angelica Ross, Our Lady J and Janet Mock.

The full speech is below.

“The reason I get to stand up here as an openly queer Afro-Latin person is because of my ancestors. In 1969 the fight for Trans and Queer liberation reached a fever pitch, built on the backs of the women, who happened to be Trans and Lesbian. Who happened to be Black and Latina. And so I want to honor Marsha P Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Miss Major, and Stormé DeLarverie. And that work continues today with Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Hailie Sahar, Angelica Ross, Our Lady J & Janet Mock. Trans is Beautiful. Non-Binary is Stunning. And to be Queer is a gift. We LGBTQ+ people are cultural leaders, we are culture makers, WE ARE UNMATCHED!! Don’t let anyone tell you anything otherwise.”