Laverne Cox

2.1. Childhood and Education

Cox was born in Mobile, Alabama, and raised by a single mother and grandmother within the AME Zion church. She has an identical twin brother, M Lamar. At the age of 11, Cox attempted suicide after experiencing bullying for not conforming to societal expectations of someone assigned male at birth and realizing she had feelings for male classmates.

Her educational journey began at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, Alabama, where she initially studied creative writing before shifting her focus to dance. She then attended Indiana University Bloomington for two years before transferring to Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. At Marymount Manhattan, she transitioned her studies from classical ballet to acting. Cox also pursued a Fashion Merchandising Management major at the Fashion Institute of Technology. During her first season on Orange Is the New Black, she continued to perform as a drag queen at a restaurant on the Lower East Side, a place where she had initially sought work as a waitress.

2.2. Family

Laverne Cox has an identical twin brother, M Lamar, an artist and musician. M Lamar notably portrayed the pre-transitioning version of Sophia Burset (as Marcus) in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, providing a unique familial connection to her breakthrough role.

3.1. Early Career and Television Appearances

Cox first gained public attention as a contestant on the first season of VH1's reality show I Want to Work for Diddy. Following her appearance on the show, VH1 approached her with ideas for new television programs. This led to the creation of TRANSform Me, a makeover television series that Cox co-produced and co-hosted. This made her the first African-American transgender person to produce and star in her own television show. Both I Want to Work for Diddy and TRANSform Me received nominations for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding reality program. When I Want to Work for Diddy won in 2009, Cox accepted the award, delivering a speech that was widely praised for its poignant message on the importance of telling diverse stories.

Before her breakthrough role, Cox also appeared in various television shows and films, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Bored to Death, and Musical Chairs.

3.2. Breakthrough with "Orange Is the New Black"

In 2013, Laverne Cox began her recurring role as Sophia Burset in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Her portrayal of Sophia, a transgender woman incarcerated for credit-card fraud, garnered critical acclaim and significantly elevated Cox's public profile. Cox emphasized the importance of her character, stating that Sophia was written as a multi-dimensional figure with whom audiences could empathize, thereby fostering understanding for transgender individuals. This role provided her with a powerful platform to advocate for transgender rights and issues.

A notable moment occurred in January 2014 when Cox appeared on Katie Couric's syndicated talk show, Katie, alongside fellow transgender woman Carmen Carrera. During the interview, Couric's line of questioning, which included asking about their surgeries, was characterized by news outlets like Salon, The Huffington Post, and Business Insider as "clueless" and "invasive." Cox responded by redirecting the conversation to more pressing issues faced by the transgender community: "I do feel there is a preoccupation with that. The preoccupation with transition and surgery objectifies trans people. And then we don't get to really deal with the real lived experiences. The reality of trans people's lives is that so often we are targets of violence. We experience discrimination disproportionately to the rest of the community. Our unemployment rate is twice the national average; if you are a trans person of color, that rate is four times the national average. The homicide rate is highest among trans women. If we focus on transition, we don't actually get to talk about those things." Her articulate response was widely praised for shutting down invasive questions and shifting focus to the systemic issues of violence, discrimination, and unemployment faced by transgender individuals, particularly transgender women of color.

In 2014, Cox made history by becoming the first transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category, specifically for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Sophia Burset. This marked the first Emmy nomination for a transgender person since composer Angela Morley in 1990.

3.3. Film Career

Laverne Cox has appeared in a variety of feature films and short films, showcasing her versatility as an actress.

3.4. Television Career

Cox has an extensive television career, with roles ranging from guest appearances to series regular and executive producer.

3.5. Producing and Hosting

Beyond her acting roles, Laverne Cox has significantly contributed to media as an executive producer and host, particularly in projects that amplify transgender voices and experiences.

In October 2014, she executive produced and narrated Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word, an hour-long documentary that premiered simultaneously on MTV and Logo. In 2015, this documentary made history by winning a Daytime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Special Class Special category, making Cox the first transgender woman to win a Daytime Emmy as an executive producer, and The T Word the first transgender documentary to receive this award.

Cox also executive produced the documentary Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen, which premiered on Netflix in January 2020. This film explores the history of transgender representation in film and television. In May 2021, E! announced that Cox would become the new host of Live from the Red Carpet starting in January 2022, succeeding Giuliana Rancic. She also hosts her own talk show, If We're Being Honest with Laverne Cox, and is a co-creator and executive producer for the upcoming television series Clean Slate.

3.6. Music Career

Laverne Cox has also ventured into the music industry, contributing to soundtracks and releasing singles.

4.1. Promoting Transgender Visibility

Cox is widely recognized as a trailblazer for the transgender community, earning numerous accolades for her activist approach to spreading awareness. Her impact and prominence in media have significantly advanced the conversation about transgender culture, particularly concerning transgender women and the intersection of gender identity with race.

She has achieved several historic "firsts" that have greatly enhanced transgender visibility:

• In June 2014, Cox became the first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine, featured in the article "The Transgender Tipping Point."
• In February 2018, she became the first transgender person to appear on the cover of a Cosmopolitan magazine, specifically the South African edition.
• She is the first openly transgender person to have a wax figure of herself at Madame Tussauds.
• In 2015, she became the first transgender actress to pose nude for Allure magazine's annual "Nudes" issue.
• She was the cover subject for Entertainment Weekly's June 11, 2015, "totally not-straight issue," the first issue in 15 years to focus exclusively on gay, lesbian, and transgender entertainment.
• In September 2019, Cox was one of fifteen women chosen by guest editor Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to appear on the cover of the British Vogue September issue, making her the first transgender woman to appear on the cover of British Vogue.

Cox has also actively participated in advocacy campaigns. In 2014, she joined a campaign against a Phoenix, Arizona, law that allowed police to arrest anyone suspected of "manifesting prostitution," a law she argued disproportionately targeted transgender women of color, following the conviction of activist Monica Jones. Cox stated that "All over the country, trans women are targeted simply for being who they are. Laws like this manifestation law really support systematically the idea that girls like me, girls like me and Monica, are less than [others] in this country." Later that year, she read a letter from transgender inmate Synthia China Blast for a video released by the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, addressing common issues faced by transgender inmates. However, upon learning of Blast's conviction for the 1993 rape and murder of a 13-year-old child, Cox publicly distanced herself, stating she would not have agreed to read the letter had she been aware of the charges.

4.2. Social Impact and Media Representation

Laverne Cox's influence extends deeply into broader societal discussions and the representation of transgender individuals in popular culture. She is widely regarded by her LGBT peers and others as a trailblazer for the transgender community, having won numerous awards for her activist approach in spreading awareness. Her prominence has fostered a growing conversation about transgender culture, particularly focusing on transgender women and the intersectionality of being transgender with one's race.

In late 2014, Cox was featured in the annual "Rebels" issue of V, nominated by Natasha Lyonne. She also graced the cover of the October 2014 issue of Essence magazine alongside actresses Alfre Woodard, Nicole Beharie, and Danai Gurira. In December 2014, she appeared on the fifth-anniversary cover of C☆NDY magazine with 13 other prominent transgender women, including Janet Mock and Carmen Carrera.

In June 2016, Cox participated in a Human Rights Campaign video tribute to the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting, sharing the stories of those who were killed. In 2017, she collaborated with the ACLU, Zackary Drucker, Molly Crabapple, and Kim Boekbinder on "Time Marches Forward & So Do We," a video she narrated about transgender history and resistance. That same year, Cox became one of the four faces of the fall campaign for Beyoncé's Ivy Park clothing line. In February 2019, she headlined the New York Fashion Week show for 11 Honoré, a luxury e-retailer specializing in plus-sized designer fashion.

Cox appeared in Taylor Swift's "You Need to Calm Down" music video, released in June 2019, which featured a star-studded cast of LGBTQ+ allies and icons. In September 2019, Cox made a powerful statement at the 2019 Emmy Awards by bringing ACLU attorney Chase Strangio as her date and carrying a custom rainbow clutch emblazoned with "Oct 8", "Title VII", and "Supreme Court." This action drew attention to the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which involved the firing of a transgender woman, Aimee Stephens. Cox and Strangio used the red carpet as a platform to speak to reporters about the case, emphasizing the ongoing fight for transgender employment rights.

5.1. Major Acting and Advocacy Awards

5.2. Other Honors and Recognitions

Laverne Cox has received numerous other honors and recognitions for her influence and advocacy.

• 2014:**
  • Included in the annual Root 100, which celebrates "standout black leaders, innovators and culture shapers" aged 45 and younger.
  • Topped the British newspaper The Guardians third annual World Pride Power List, ranking the world's most influential LGBT people.
  • Named to the EBONY Power 100 list.
• 2015:**
  • Named to the 2015 OUT Power 50 List.
  • Included in Peoples World's Most Beautiful Women List.
  • Three Twins Ice Cream in San Francisco temporarily renamed its chocolate orange confetti ice cream "Laverne Cox's Chocolate Orange is the New Black" for Pride weekend.
  • Named in the 2015 Time 100 Most Influential People List; her entry was written by Jazz Jennings.
  • Named by Forum for Equality as one of their 31 Icons of the LGBT History Month.
• 2016:**
  • Awarded an Honorary Doctorate from The New School in New York City for her progressive work in the fight for gender equality.
• 2017:**
  • Named to the 2017 OUT Power 50 List.
• 2018:**
  • Received the Claire Skiffington Vanguard Award from the Transgender Law Center, recognizing her as a vanguard of the transgender movement.