(photo credit: Emily Owart)

Just like the hoards of folks who flocked to watch the Netflix hit series Orange Is The New Black, I too binged watched and fell in love with the hilarious show. With a host of lovable characters, Sophia Burset, played by trans actress and activist Laverne Cox is one of the many interesting characters on the show. When I heard that Cox would be at the University of Georgia to speak I saw it as a perfect way to knock out two birds with one stone: I would get a chance to learn more about Laverne as well as spend quality time with my brother, who teaches at the University. There’s a vibrant LGBT scene here in Atlanta. There are all sorts of representations of LGBT in the city. Where folk fall on the spectrum that is rainbow tremendously varies. I’ve had the pleasure of being acquainted with two trans identified persons. One, befriended me about two years ago. His friendship is one I cherish. I don’t get to see him often but when we do get together it’s all love, we chat about everything from women to music we’re both fond of. The second person was once a work colleague who came out as trans some months ago. I was proud of him for sharing his truth—it was a very courageous move.

Often times trans people aren’t celebrated enough in our LGBT community. People who identify with the T in LGBT, don’t get deserved respect and attention especially when addressing equality within the LGBT community. Gay bashings are prevalent in some parts of the world but our trans brothers and sisters face just as harsh, often times even worst treatment. Case in point, CeCe McDonald, a trans woman of color who was attacked in the streets of Minneapolis. Laverne helped in shedding a light on the grave injustices of this particular case, and thankfully McDonald was release from prison some months ago. To better understand the activist today Laverne took us back to her childhood and what a journey it’s been.

From an early age Cox knew she was different but wasn’t able to fully express her gender identity. Cox was bullied for her gender expression (not to be mixed up with sexual orientation) often times being called the F-word and being “called out” for her feminine traits. At an early age Lavern knew she loved to perform, the stage was safe and familiar. She convinced her mother to put her in dancing lessons, she jokingly emphasized that she wasn’t allowed to take ballet, her mom thought it too “gay”. When high school came around she and her identical twin brother (who plays her transitioning scenes in OITNB) found themselves at a performing arts high school. There she was met with racism and classism but that didn’t deter her from her dreams. While pursuing an undergraduate degree in New York City in the early nineties, the club scene came to be Laverne’s true schooling. It was there she bonded with other trans women and other gender non-conforming folks, pointing to the experience as the time period in which she came into herself as a woman. It was the first time in her life she was celebrated for her gender expression, for who she really was. Cox’s story is full of times where she overcame and persevered but even after finding solace in New York Laverne faced some trying times. Stories of personal attacks, she was kicked in the streets in New York. Stories of blatant discomfort and hatred. She was once told by a woman of color that she was a disgrace to her race. I found the statement to be particularly interesting, “a disgrace to her race.” The intersection of race and transphobia disproportionately affects trans women of color. Cox believes that when she receives negative reactions, particularly from other folks of color, those individuals are reacting in such a way based on the fact that they perceive her to represent the “emasculation” of the black male. During slavery and even during the Civil Right Era, black men were beaten and killed often times castrated as an act of emasculating them. To opponents who view Cox and people like her as ‘other’ she understands that some people may see her gender identity as the embodiment of the emasculation of the black man. What others who are ignorant to Cox’s gender identity fail to understand is that trans people aren’t making a statement, they aren’t trying to get attention or in Laverne’s case emasculate the black man. They are merely living their lives as authentic as possible. Trans folk feel that somehow their gender at birth doesn’t match with how they feel inside thus the switched gender expression. Our black community isn’t any less compassionate than any other community we just have to create more safe spaces of healing and openness to understanding others who are different from us. The only way for us to bridge those gaps and create healing is by sharing our experiences and our truths. An interesting journey Cox has been on, thanks for sharing Laverne!

Things you should know about our Trans sisters and brothers.

-The Golden Rule certainly applies here. Treat people how you would like to be treated, with respect that is.

-Call them by the right pronoun. To me it’s simple and will show that you truly care about them.

-Sexual orientation and gender identity are completely different things. Sexual orientation applies to whom you are attracted to while gender identity, the gender you identify as; they are completely different things. I have a friend who is a trans man and dates other men while for instance Janet Mock identifies as a trans woman and dates men. There are many other variations of this but it’s important to know the difference.

-Don’t ask about surgery it’s private and none of your fucking business, seriously why would you ever ask that…Katie Couric! “The preoccupation with transition and surgery objectifies trans people,” Cox spouted to Couric.

Trans advocacy is so important

-Trans people are often times targets of violence

-According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs 30 hate-related murders of LGBT people in 2011; 40 percent of the victims were transgender women of color.

-Trans people are disproportionately discriminated against when comparing to the rest of the LGBT community.

-Trans people’s employment rates are twice the national average, for a trans person of color the rate is four times the national average.

-The homicide rate is the highest among trans women [as it relates to the LGBT community].

-41% of trans folk attempt suicide in their lifetime.

-Transgender teens have higher rates of homelessness, and nearly half of all African-American transgender people — 47 percent — have been incarcerated at some point.

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