By: Zoie Taylore
While in college, and still a boy, Laverne Cox was afraid to wear a dress.
Now as the first transgender woman of color to have a lead role on a mainstream scripted television show, “Orange is the New Black”, she is one of the best dressed women in Hollywood, always sporting top-of-the-line designer gowns worn on the red carpet.
For her “Ain’t I A Woman” speaking tour at UNL, Cox donned a form-fitting teal-colored dress with black stripes down the side. In front of a crowd of 700 students and community members, Cox talked about her life and experiences as an openly transgendered woman.
Cox went from the son of a single mother, to one of the most successful women on televison. This journey was littered with hardships and tear-filled nights, but most of all – perseverance.
She spoke about her experiences growing up in a conservative home, school and church. Everywhere she turned, someone was telling her that her feelings about her body and gender, were wrong. Her teacher warned her mother that if they didn’t do something about Cox’s behavior, she would “end up wearing a dress in New Orleans.”
Which she did. Proudly.
“I spoke at Tulane University in New Orleans last week and wore a beautiful green dress,” said Cox.
While she is able to laugh about her experiences now, Cox went through many hardships. From losing her grandmother in the sixth grade, to being assaulted many years later in the streets of New York City, for being a transgender woman.
“Justice is what love looks like in public.,” Cox said.
Justice is what Cox hopes to achieve for all transgender people. Seventy-two percent of all LGBTQA homicides victims are transgender and 78 percent of transgender people have experienced harassment or bullying. But there is hope.
“If we don’t have hope, then we’re dead.” said Cox.
Cox hopes to end use of improper gender pronouns when talking to someone who is transgender, end misogynist cat-calling, and end the objectification of women.
Cox ended her lecture by causing extreme excitement in the audience by saying she flying back to California soon to continue filming season three of her acclaimed series, “Orange is the New Black”.