Laverne Cox feels herself when she 'speaks the truth'
Laverne Cox admitted that she previously found it daunting speaking so openly about being transgender due to the political climate in the world, and particularly in her native America.
Laverne Cox feels “empowered” when she “speaks the truth”.
The Orange Is the New Black star admitted that she previously found it daunting speaking so openly about being transgender due to the political climate in the world, and particularly in her native America.
However, she told Attitude Uncut digital magazine that once she realized how much it benefitted her to be honest, she did it more often.
She said: “I’ve been scared. The past three years, I’ve been terrified. And as I lost opportunities, I felt like I should say less because I didn’t want to lose more. And I didn’t want to damage the community either.
“Even leading up to the 2024 election, I was like, ‘Should I not be so vocal?’ But what I’ve come to realize for me, just in terms of my own mental and spiritual health is that when I have the audacity to speak the truth the way I have now, I feel like myself. I feel empowered.”
The 54-year-old actress also encouraged other trans and gender-diverse people to speak out.
She added: “I think the biggest thing is to have the courage of who we are and not let the voices of the oppressor infiltrate us to make us internalize the shame.
“I genuinely love trans people – I think we’re magical, I think we’re amazing.”
Laverne continued in the interview to discuss her headline-grabbing interview with U.S. TV short Katie Couric back in 2014, when the presenter pushed the screen star about her genitalia and what “parts” she had.
She added: “This was a pre-tape, and to Katie’s credit, she didn’t cut it. Her producers actually asked her if she wanted to cut it, but she left it in. It aired at the beginning of 2014 and shook the internet.
“It was really the first time, based on my research, that I’d ever seen a trans person push back against that line of questioning in an interview.
Katie got a “lot of flak” for her interview, but went on to invite Laverne back to the show, along with Tiq Milan [GLAAD Senior Media Strategist] and Chase Strangio [American Civil Liberties Union lawyer] - both trans men.
Laverne said: “We talked about the lived experience of trans people. And Katie’s since become an incredible ally.”
