Story highlights
Laverne Cox made history as a transgender actress
She is weighing in on the newly revealed Caitlyn Jenner
From one cover girl to another, Laverne Cox has some thoughts about Caitlyn Jenner.
The “Orange is the New Black” actress made history as the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an acting Emmy, and in May 2014, she appeared on the cover of Time magazine with the headline “The Transgender Tipping Point.”
Now that Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce Jenner) has graced the cover of the new issue of Vanity Fair, Cox would like people to focus less on what Jenner looks like and more on her heart.
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“Yes, Caitlyn looks amazing and is beautiful but what I think is most beautiful about her is her heart and soul, the ways she has allowed the world into her vulnerabilities,” Cox wrote in a post on her official Tumblr. “The love and devotion she has for her family and that they have for her. Her courage to move past denial into her truth so publicly. These things are beyond beautiful to me.”
Cox is just one of many who are weighing in on the conversation about the transgender community in the wake of Jenner’s reveal.
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The actress can relate to much of the commentary about Jenner’s new look and shared some of her experience about appearing on the cover of a national magazine.
“A year ago when my Time magazine cover came out I saw posts from many trans folks saying that I am ‘drop dead gorgeous’ and that that doesn’t represent most trans people,” Cox said. “It was news to be that I am drop dead gorgeous but I’ll certainly take it. But what I think they meant is that in certain lighting, at certain angles I am able to embody certain cisnormative beauty standards.”
“Cisgender” refers to gender identity that aligns with the one assigned at birth.
And despite being so high-profile, Cox writes that she has “always been aware that I can never represent all trans people.”
“No one or two or three trans people can,” she said. “This is why we need diverse media representations of trans folks to multiply trans narratives in the media and depict our beautiful diversities.”
The actress said she is hopeful that all of the attention surrounding Jenner will benefit their community as a whole.
“I hope, as I know Caitlyn does, that the love she is receiving can translate into changing hearts and minds about who all trans people are as well as shifting public policies to fully support the lives and well being of all of us,” Cox writes. “The struggle continues…”
