Transgender actress Laverne Cox named “Woman of the Year” by Glamour magazine
The actress and activist continues to have the best year of her career! This week, Glamour honored Cox with the award, given to celebrities, politicians, local leaders and athletes for their powerful roles in influencing women everywhere.
Cox, 30, has already made history this year when she became the first openly transgender actress to receive an Emmy nomination for her role of Sophia Burset in “Orange Is The New Black.” She was also the first transgender woman to ever cover Time magazine.
Before her “OITNB” fame, Cox tells Glamour, “I played hookers a lot. That was the scope of what was available for trans actors. When I got the [“OITNB”] script, I was like, OK, this is what I’ve waited for my whole career — I need to kill it.”
Although she is clearly comfortable in her skin, Cox says her decision to transition was terrifying, “I had a nervous breakdown. My career was going nowhere; I shaved off my Beyoncé-circa-Destiny’s Child long hair, bought boys’ clothes, and tried to be ‘normal.’ I was so unhappy and thought, I either have to transition or I have to kill myself,” she told the mag.
Congrats to Cox on her “Woman of the Year” honor. We expect more great things from her as she continues to use her platform to inspire and help others understand the transgender community. – ruu hawkins/@ruubabie
