2014 is the year of Laverne Cox! Following a bit of controversy regarding the results of Time Magazine’s Time100 reader poll, Laverne Cox is on the cover of the latest issue of Time Magazine.
In an exclusive interview with Time, Laverne talks about her childhood and her adolescence as well her activism and advocacy. She also, most pointedly, explains what she feels everyone should understand about what it means to be trans.
There’s not just one trans story. There’s not just one trans experience. And I think what they need to understand is that not everybody who is born feels that their gender identity is in alignment with what they’re assigned at birth, based on their genitalia. If someone needs to express their gender in a way that is different, that is okay, and they should not be denied healthcare. They should not be bullied. They don’t deserve to be victims of violence. … That’s what people need to understand, that it’s okay and that if you are uncomfortable with it, then you need to look at yourself.
