Laverne Cox is a four-time Emmy-nominated actress, an Emmy-winning documentary film producer, and a prominent equal rights advocate and public speaker. Her groundbreaking role in the critically acclaimed Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black brought her to the attention of diverse audiences around the world. In February, Cox will launch a new podcast with Shondaland Audio, The Laverne Cox Show.
I have been obsessed for a long time with how the perception of trans people has been shaped by the ways we have been represented in film and on television. I grew up in Mobile, Alabama, with media images of trans folks that exacerbated the shame I felt about who I am. As a child, I was endlessly bullied and my teachers warned my mother about my future if I didn't change. I was so ashamed that when I was eleven years old I contemplated suicide.
It wasn't until I moved to New York City and met real trans people, that I learned most of what I had seen on screen about trans folks didn’t reflect the community I was discovering. Encountering the humanity of trans people through personal relationships, I recognized the misconceptions I had previously held. And only then was I able to feel part of this community and ultimately accept myself.
Living in New York City during my transition was hard. I can’t tell you how many times I would get on a subway car and people would start to laugh. That laughter reminded me of TV shows I watched as a kid, like The Flip Wilson Show. Geraldine was a character everyone was supposed to laugh at. Read more via Shondaland