Transgender superstars Laverne Cox and Carmen Carrera made major headlines earlier this week when they appeared on “Katie” spoke candidly about life as trans women. But fans of the celebrity pals were also taken aback by host Katie Couric’s invasive questions as she continuously asked the pair about their genitalia and their surgeries during transition. Although many are still up in arms about Couric’s inquiries, Cox has now spoken out and is thanking Couric for the interview.
In a recent Tumblr post, Cox thanked fans for their immense support following the interview and thanked the talk show host for allowing her and Carrera a platform to share the trans experience with the world.
“I am so deeply moved by the dialogues that are happening around my appearance with Carmen Carrera on ‘The Katie Show’ on Monday. It is my dream that by highlighting the deep humanity of trans people’s lives in the media, elevating actual trans voices to speak the truth of our lived experiences in ways that don’t sensationalize and objectify us. Those human voices and stories can be a part of the disruption needed to end the disproportionate injustices that threaten so many trans people’s lives, particularly the lives of trans women of color,” Cox wrote.
The “Orange Is The New Black” star went on to speak about the atrocities and violence that many trans people still face due to transphobia, citing the recent death of NYC trans woman Islan Nettles and trans woman CeCe McDonald, who was incarcerated after a transphobic attack in Minnesota.
“It is a state of emergency for far too many trans people across this country. The stories of women like Islan Nettles and CeCe McDonald are far too commonplace in our community. I look forward to engaging in more dialogues about the complicated intersectional issues around these injustices and ways to make them a thing of the past. I am so grateful to Katie Couric and her show for the opportunity to highlight these important issues. #JusticeForIslanNettles #FreeCeCe #katiecouric #carmencarrera #transgender #girlslikeus #twoc #oitnb” wrote Cox.
As usual, we applaud Cox for shedding light onto the trans experience and we hope her voice continues to illuminate the lives of us all, whether straight, gay, trans or bi, with her words of progress and solidarity.
Check out some other transgender celebs below. – nicholas robinson
