As a huge fan of Orange is the New Black produced and filmed by Netflix, this is where I first heard of Laverne Cox. Cox is not only an amazing actress playing Sophia Burset on the new hit show, but a firm advocate for Transgender people and the entire LGBT community. As a gender and women studies major, you here a lot about her; for a good reason too. She is awesome.
In OITNB, she portrays a transgender woman in a women's prison, and the hardships that many women have to endure. She gives the transgender community media visibility and she educates people about being transgender in a cyst world. I'm just going to say, she's my hero. She stands up for what she believes in and is one of the strongest people out there. Especially when the celebrity scene is comprised of primarily straight people.
A few transgender issues in the media right now include healthcare benefits, restroom access, and overall trans inclusion. Recently, TIME featured an article that interviewed Laverne Cox at the TIME/People party in D.C.. She talked about how 2014 was a definite stepping-stone for the trans community, but there is so much more to be done. “I would say that 2014 was a watershed moment for visibility, but the record unemployment rates, homicide rates, and discrimination that we experience, that has not changed. So we need more of what's happening in the media in terms of visibility to affect policies and how we treat transgender folks" said Cox.
Media coverage of the trans community is incredibly important because people are still uneducated about what it means to be trans and how difficult it is to live in a society where being trans is stigmatized. In an interview with Glamour Magazine, she talks about how there weren't a lot of options for trans actors. She saw her role in OISTB as an opportunity to educate the world and the masses. She stated, "I played hookers a lot. That was the scope of what was available for trans actors. When I got the [OITNB] script, I was like, OK, this is what I've waited for my whole career—I need to kill it." Trans issues have been popping up all over both the social media, and political scene. A recent trans issue is Florida trying to ban trans people from using gender specific restrooms. These “Bathroom Bans" prohibit trans people from using restrooms they feel most comfortable in. On March 4th, a House committee in Florida passed a bill that made it a misdemeanor for anyone to enter a bathroom that was not the sex on their driver's license or passport. This makes it extremely hard for trans people especially if they are in transition.
TIME magazine reported, “There is a culture of fear around bathroom use," says Teagan Widmer, a transgender woman who runs an app called Refuge Restrooms, which maps gender-neutral restrooms around the world. “It's fear that drives the legislation." Ignorance and fear go hand-in-hand. These “Bathroom Bans" are ridiculous when our country is on the verge of passing gay marriage legislations. Our nation is so close to allow people to marry whomever they desire, but states want to segregate bathrooms? Seems like a step in the wrong direction for the U.S. Laverne Cox knows that her job is not even close to being done. She continues to advocate for the LGBT community by representing the trans community as a powerful celebrity and also has an upcoming documentary coming out about the life of CeCe McDonald, a transgender woman who was imprisoned for protecting herself from an attacker. She also appears on many television shows and wants to produce more. She shows the world that she is proud to be a transgender woman. She shows the ignorant masses that she is powerful and influential. What an amazing woman.
