LAVERNE COX SHUTS DOWN TRANSPHOBIC RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACTIVIST

Laverne Cox slams a transphobic activist, after he claimed trans people ‘harm’ children in school locker rooms.

This week, Trump announced plans to scrap protections for trans students being able to choose which bathroom to use in public schools.

On MSNBC’s show Hardball, Cox appeared alongside Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Centre for Transgender Equality.

The activist, Travis Weber, Director of the Center for Religious Liberty praised Trump’s decision to make states decide on trans bathroom issues.

‘I think we all understand what the harm is when you have a 14-year-old girl in the locker room.

‘Someone comes in with male genitalia to share a locker room – of course they’re going to be harmed.

‘Their rights are not being protected here and all I’m asking for is a reasonable discussion,’ Weber said.

In the video footage, Cox and Keisling are visibly outraged at the transphobic rant.

They both succinctly direct their anger towards Weber in an incredibly satisfying exchange.

‘Everything that he’s claiming happens, actually doesn’t happen’

Cox replies: ‘It’s so deeply objectifying and dehumanizing to talk about trans people and reduce us to body parts.

‘We are more than the sum of our parts.

‘That is deeply disturbing.

‘We need to look at the evidence.

‘We need to look at all the hundred of localities all over the country that have public accomodations protections.

‘Everything that he’s claiming happens actually doesn’t happen.

‘Instead, trans people feel as if they have a right to exist in society,’ she says.

Cox concludes that all she wants to do is be able to thrive in society, just like every other trans person.

Watch the video HERE

SOURCE: GAY STAR NEWS

LAVERNE COX DECLARES 'STATE OF EMERGENCY' DUE TO TRANS MURDERS

The actress has declared a “state of emergency”, due to the increasing death of rate of trans women in America.

Seventeen trans women are known to have been murdered in the United States this year alone – fifteen of whom were trans women of colour – leading activists to describe the situation as “an epidemic of anti-trans violence”.

Speaking to Good Morning America, the Orange Is The New Black actress said: “We in the transgender community right now are reeling.”

Voicing her concern over the growing number of trans related crimes, she declared: “It really is a state of emergency.

“Your life should not be in danger simply for being who you are,” she added.

“I think the reasons why trans women experience so much violence has to do with employment, housing, health care etc., so we need to make sure that trans lives matter,” she added

President Barack Obama has promised to put race-related murders and hate crimes at the forefront of his agenda and the leader has also been urged to investigate the worrying increase in trans-related killings.

Three trans women were reportedly murdered last week alone – bringing the total number of those killed in the US this year to 16 so far – though as there is little official monitoring, this may be a low estimate.

As the issue attracts attention for the first time – with Caitlyn Jenner giving over her blog earlier this week to talk about “the number of murders of transgender women of colour” – Barack Obama has been urged to act.

An official White House petition says: “Since January 9, 2015, [now sixteen] transgender women, mostly women of colour, have lost their lives due to hate and transphobia.

“Eight of these beautiful lives were lost in the first two months of the year.

“With such a high death toll, something must be done to raise awareness and end the senseless killings of a targeted, vulnerable community.”

A trans woman died over the weekend after being repeatedly run over in a violent attack.

Police officers found Tamara Dominguez, 32, lying unconscious in a car park during the early hours of Saturday morning (August 15).

An eyewitness told officers that Ms Dominguez – who lived in Kansas – had gotten out of a black SUV that then intentionally ran her over – before reversing over her and and running over her a second time.

Ms Dominguez was rushed to hospital in critical condition – but sadly passed away on Monday (August 17).

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

LAVERNE COX TO GET FIRST TRANS MADAME TUSSAUDS WAXWORK

Laverne Cox is to become the first transgender person to have a waxwork made of her by Madame Tussauds.

The Orange is the New Black actress and trans activist has had an extremely high profile over the past year – even featuring on the cover of TIME Magazine.

Ms Cox, who last year was the first trans person to be nominated for an Emmy award, is now set to receive a rare honour – her own waxwork in Madame Tussauds.

The figure will be unveiled at the San Francisco branch of the famous wax museum on June 26, to celebrate Pride month and Cox’s work.

It is thought to be the first figure of a transgender person ever displayed at a Madame Tussauds.

Laverne Cox said: “I am so deeply honoured to have been asked to be part of the Madame Tussauds legacy.

“I hope that this will be a source of inspiration for everyone who encounters it to believe that their dreams matter and are possible.”

Gay icons including Freddie Mercury and Elton John have previously received their own Tussauds waxwork.

Cox stirred controversy recently when she said that gender is a spectrum and everyone is transgender.

She said: “Everybody’s trans… none of us falls neatly into the gender binary model.

“Most of us have a little bit of masculinity, a little bit of femininity.”

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

LAVERNE COX NAMED ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN BY PEOPLE MAGAZINE

Sandra Bullock may have been given the cover but Laverne Cox is still getting plenty of attention for being included in People Magazine's annual World's Most Beautiful Woman issue.

The trans actress, who was showcased on the cover of Time Magazine last year, was also nominated for an Emmy for her breakout role on the Netflix comedy Orange is the New Black.

People writes of Cox: 'The actress has left a big impression on Hollywood (and America) in a very short amount of time. Cox's skillful performance as Sophia on Orange Is the New Black and her work advocating for transgender women make her one of our boldest beauties yet.'

Others who made the issue include Vanessa Hudgens, Ariana Grande, Shay Mitchell and Taraji P. Henson.

SOURCE: GAY STAR NEWS

LAVERNE COX POSES NUDE TO BREAK DOWN MYTH THAT TRANS WOMEN ARE NOT BEAUTIFUL

Laverne Cox looks stunning in a new series of photographs, with the actress hoping to break down myths surrounding trans women.

The Orange Is The New Black star posed for Allure magazine's annual nude feature, alongside Jordana Brewster (Furious 7), Katheryn Winnick (Vikings), Nicole Beharie (Sleepy Hollow) and Sandrine Holt (The Returned).

'I said no initially, thought about it, and said no again,' LGBTI advocate told the magazine.

'But I'm a black transgender woman. I felt this could be really powerful for the communities that I represent.'

She added: 'Black women are not often told that we're beautiful unless we align with certain standards. Trans women certainly are not told we're beautiful.

'Seeing a black transgender woman embracing and loving everything about her body might be inspiring for some folks. 

There's a beauty in the things we think are imperfect. It sounds very cliché, but it's true.

'Going through life you try to cover and hide but it doesn't really work.'

Orange Is The New Black season 3 airs on Netflix on 12 June. Read the new issue of Allure on 28 April.

SOURCE: GAY STAR NEWS

LAVERNE COX CAST AS TRANSGENDER ATTORNEY IN PILOT FOR CBS LEGAL DRAMA

Laverne Cox is continuing her showbiz hot streak.

The transgender actress, nominated for an Emmy for her performance in the comedy series Orange is the New Black, has landed a dramatic role on Doubt, a legal pilot for CBS.

'I am so grateful for the universe's plan for me and the amazing people in my life who support me and that plan. Thank you so much,' Cox tweeted on Wednesday (11 February).

According to Deadline Hollywood, Cox will play 'a fierce and funny, competitive and compassionate transgender Ivy League-educated attorney' named Cameron Wirth.

Wirth, like Cox, has experienced injustice first hand. This makes her fight harder for her clients.

Cox, was graced the cover of Time Magazine last year, recently guested on MTV's Faking It and Bravo's Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce. She also has a role in the upcoming feature film Grandma starring Lily Tomlin.

SOURCE: GAY STAR NEWS

LAVERNE COX RESPONDS TO THE DEATH OF TRANSGENDER TEEN LEELAH ALCORN

Guest hosting on ABC’s “The View” on Thursday, transgender actress Laverne Cox responded to the death of Leelah Alcorn, a 17-year-old transgender teen who died by suicide just days after Christmas.

Leelah’s suicide was explained in a note she left on her Tumblr page, in which she blamed years ofbullying and harassment, rejection from her parents, and for being subjected to Christian counseling and conversion therapy.

Cox recounted her own struggles growing up, including a suicide attempt at age 11.

“It got better for me when I learned how to reach out and get support, when I really did the work to truly love myself. And that’s a lot of work, but you can’t do it alone,” said Cox.

“I don’t want to demonize her parents, her parents must be going through the worst thing any parent would go through. But I think what they did by isolating her and not supporting her, she didn’t feel like she could reach out for support, I think that’s the worst thing you can do.”

A 2010 study by from the National Center for Transgender Equality report that 41 percent of people who are transgender or gender-nonconforming have attempted suicide sometime in their lives, nearly nine times the national average.

Additionally, more than 50 percent of transgender youth will have had at least one suicide attempt by their 20th birthday.

SOURCE: LGBTQ  NATION

LAVERNE COX NAMED ONE OF GLAMOUR MAGAZINE'S WOMAN OF THE YEAR

She just can't be stopped!

2014 has been a whirlwind of a year for transgender actress and activist Laverne Cox and the awards and recognition don't seem to be winding down anytime soon. Now,Glamour magazine has named Cox as a 2014 Woman of the Year, a title annually given to a select group of influential women.

“When we get to know people as people, then all the misconceptions that we might have about folks who are different form us get knocked away," Cox says in her December profile for Glamour. "And I think that’s what’s happening with [my character on "Orange is the New Black"]. So much of the year I’ve had is historic, but this is a moment that is bigger than me. I meet people who say that my role has given them the courage to say, ‘This is who I am’ and ‘I can transition and be successful and to be out as a trans person.'”

This honor comes after Cox lit the Empire State Building purple for Spirit Day, an annual event to combat LGBT bullying, as well as her groundbreaking cover of Time magazine earlier this year.

SOURCE: HUFFPOST GAY VOICES

LAVERNE COX PRESENTS: THE "T" WORD

GLAAD visited MTV and Logo TV's offices to work with four trans youth who will be appearing in the documentary, Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word. GLAAD worked with Logo TV to prepare them for the media spotlight. This documentary follows the lives of seven trans youth from the ages of 12 to 24. It touches on everything from coming out, bullying and dating. Laverne, one of the most recognizable transgender people in the world is using her star power to create a platform that will elevate the stories of trans folks and introduce their narrative to a younger demographic.

This groundbreaking documentary will air on MTV and Logo TV on Friday, October 17th at 7pm ET.

After the documentary’s premiere, Logo and MTV.com will host an hour-long “Trans Forum,” hosted by Cox and SuChin Pak. Alongside the subjects of the documentary, Cox will field questions from audience members and those tuning in via social media. The documentary was produced as part of MTV’sLook Different campaign, a multi-year initiative to identify and fight biases, whether they be based in gender, sexual orientation or race.

SOURCE: GLAAD

LAVERNE COX 'SO THANKFUL' SHE SURVIVED SUICIDE ATTEMPT

Trans star, advocate and actress Laverne Cox has said she is so thankful she survived her suicide attempt in the sixth grade.

The Orange Is The New Black actress opened up about when she was being heavily bullied at school.

She speaking on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos to discuss the state of trans rights in America, and the impact discrimination had on her childhood.

‘I was bullied and I internalized a lot of shame about who I was as a child,’ Cox said.

‘Bullied because I didn’t act the way someone assigned male at birth was supposed to act.

‘And so I was called sissy, I was called the f-word. I was chased home from school practically every day. There was always a kid or groups of kids who wanted to beat me up.’

When discussing her role on the hit Netflix series Orange Is The New Black, Cox said many trans people see themselves reflected in her character Sophia.

‘Having your story told validates your experience,’ she said. ‘It’s like, “I’m not alone anymore, and maybe I’ll be OK”.’

SOURCE: GAY STAR NEWS

LAVERNE COX BECOMES FIRST TRANSGENDER PERSON ON THE COVER OT TIME

Laverne Cox looks smashing on the new cover of Time. And her interview is an illuminating must-read.

One of the most touching memories: when she was a boy, she remembers going to dance class but being barred from ballet because “ballet was too gay.” It was just one instance of gender stopping her from what she wanted, and suffering because of the attitudes of those around her.

It didn’t end there, of course. In third grade, she had an epiphany when she realized she might have to be male her whole life. Prior to that, she thought she might just develop into a girl all by herself. And in sixth grade, when she started to really be attracted to boys, she tried to kill herself.

Fortunately — for all of us — she lived. And she began leaning on her creative talents to pull her through the rough times, and started exploring androgyny in her teens.

These days, she notes, trans people are increasingly seizing control of their own stories. Previously, a lot of trans conversation was filtered through cis media, but now folks like Cox and Janet Mock are speaking out and being listened to. This fall, Cox will appear in a documentary on Logo and MTV called Trans Teen, which follows the gender-journeys of young folks between the ages of 14 and 24.

But there’s a long way to go, of course, before people really understand what trans people want to talk about. Just this year, Katie Couric probed Cox about her genitals, which is like starting an interview with Barney Frank, “so, I know we’re here to talk about your work around employment nondiscrimination, but are you into oral or anal?”

(FWIW, the Time interview does not delve into surgery or genitals or hormones, which shows remarkable restraint for a mainstream publication. Particularly one that’s read pretty much exclusively in medical waiting rooms.)

Cox ends the interview with a memory of a child she met named Soleil. Just six years old, Soleil was bullied at school in a way that reminded Cox of her own childhood. “I just thought about how young six years old really is and how innocent six years old really is,” she said. “And we need to protect our children from that and allow them to be themselves.”

SOURCE: QUEERTY