Glenn Mullen | LGBT* Correspondent
Although a vocal member of the transgender community for quite some time now, it was only in the past year that Trans* advocate & actress Laverne Cox was presented with an abundance of opportunities to voice not only her own opinion but also the opinions of the queer community. Having appeared in the succesful Netflix original ‘Orange is the New Black’ for two seasons now, MTF (male-to-female) actress Cox has inspired viewers from across the globe through her portrayal of transgender inmate Sophia Burset. Although clearly a trailblazer in her own right, one question on everyone’s lips remains – what is it about Laverne Cox?
In less than two months Cox has made history not once, but twice. Firstly she became the first individual who identifies as trans* to grace the cover of Time magazine; this was a joyous moment for the queer community, albeit one that has perhaps been a long time coming. Cox is not the first transgender person to be celebrated by the queer community as a voice for change – in the past Chaz Bono, Janet Mock and Carmen Carrera have all received praise for their efforts within the media to be recognised. A number of people questioned the validity of Laverne’s coverage in the June 9th issue of Time, noting that her cover photo was indeed powerful and graceful at the same time, but that her presence within it’s pages was not the amazing affair the magazine had claimed it to be; it was more-so to do with the magazine itself than with Cox. QSoc’s Social Secretary and Trinity Science student J McQuaid had the following to say on Laverne’s historical moment:
“To see a Trans* person on the cover of Time Magazine was, I feel, a great start on a long and difficult road for the Queer Community. While there was a huge push behind Laverne Cox on the internet to get her on the cover, we can’t forget the struggles of the other Trans people around the world, and make sure we use this ‘time in the spotlight’ to make an impact and not be just content with where we have gotten to today”
Cox’s second time to establish a historical accomplishment for herself arose when it was announced that she has received a nomination for the Emmy for “Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series” for her role as Sophia. This news, which was made public just last week, has set in stone the understanding that Laverne is not just a Trans* actress but a talented one, and that her portrayal of Sophia in OITNB had, to say the least, not gone unnoticed by the board.
Laverne was again presented with an opportunity to discuss candidly what it is like to be a trans* woman in the eyes of the media and society when she appeared on ABC’s ‘Katie’, in which journalist Katie Couric interviewed the actress during January of this year. Throughout the segment Couric made a number of uncomfortable exchanges with Cox. Focusing on the biological aspects of being trans*, and the use of wrong pronouns, were just some of the problems presented to Laverne within the interview. One thing that Cox is to be commended for is her ability to carry herself with grace and respect for those she interacts with when confronted with issues such as these. Remaining calm and collected, Laverne merely explained to Couric that “the preoccupation with transition and with surgery objectifies trans* people”. Following this interview, Katie received backlash from followers on Twitter, something which encouraged her to invite Cox back for a second time to correctly model how one has an open and respectful conversation on being transgender; the result was a comfortable and insightful experience during which Laverne opened up to a willing learner in Couric. Cox quoted Heather Thompson in her second interview by exclaiming that “it’s only a mistake if you make it twice”. Cearbhall Turraoin had a number of thoughts on Laverne’s coverage in the media:
“Time talks about ‘a new moment’ as if trans* people haven’t existed throughout recorded history, and as if this civil rights movement hasn’t existed for decades. As if trans* women didn’t start the Stonewall riot and haven’t been present throughout the queer rights and feminist movements. The story should be that they were pushed to the back of the bus for the last few decades, and are finally starting to retake places they once held. Often the media is much happier to talk about queer issues when they come in the form of celebrity culture and entertainment, like with drag, but not discussing stories about suffering and oppression. You can have a trans* actress on the cover, but the media has been much less vocal in discussing the number of trans* women who have been murdered in the last year.”
Cox is not the first trans* individual to express themselves in the public eye, and we must stop holding her up as having brought the trans* movement to light, but more-so commend her for bringing the normality of being trans* to a wider audience. Being a transgender individual still means being an actual person; everybody experiences their life differently to others, and experience is dependent on circumstance.
We must celebrate that such great things are coming from such a talented voice of not only the queer community as a whole, but in particular the trans* community. Cox’s representation of anyone who deviates from ‘the norm’ of society has given us all an opportunity to talk openly about what it is to be trans*, what it is to be different, and what it is to be queer. In doing this, we must be open to the idea of having a conversation, albeit a respectful one in which both parties are able to teach and to learn from one another. Anyone who is part of the LGBTQ* Community understands that with all these momentous occasions comes the realistic understanding that the fight for equality is far from over. Being out there and standing alongside your friend, brother, sister, partner and voicing your support is a small act that contributes to a huge change.
