Laverne Cox has shot to fame after playing transgender character Sophia Burset in Netflix hit Orange Is The New Black - she has since become the first trans person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
In terms of the the day-to-day lives of trans people, we still experience violence at a disproportionate rate, as well as homelessness, unemployment, the denial of health care, and being criminalised and incarcerated.'
But when it comes to gender, Laverne is adamant that for most people, things are far from simple.
The actress has supported Caitlyn Jenner through her public transition from Olympian/reality TV star Bruce
'Call Me Caitlyn': The 65-year-old reality star announced her new name and physical appearance in the July 2015 issue of Vanity Fair which was previewed on June 1
The
past few years have been a whirlwind of achievements for Laverne Cox -
she landed her dream acting role in Orange Is The New Black, won a
primetime Emmy Award and has met the US president twice.
But
while she's now enjoying the fruits of years spent trying to break into
the industry, the star says things are still tough for transgender
people.
Even
with the shifting perceptions that have come with Caitlyn Jenner's very
public transition from Kardashian/Jenner patriarch Bruce.
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Laverne says landing her role as transgender Sophia in Orange Is The New Black was a 'dream come true'
'Everybody's trans' she told the newspaper's Stella supplement.
'None of us falls neatly into the gender binary model. Most of us have a little bit of masculinity, a little bit of femininity.'
And it's this open-mindedness that led her to form a close friendship with Caitlyn Jenner, who she has recently supported through transition from reality TV star and Olympic sports hero Bruce.
'Bruce is the sweetest, and I love that the world got to see this beautiful human being, but there's still so much to be revealed in terms of his lived experiences as a woman,' says Laverne of close friend Jenner
With Kim Kardashian and Naomi Campbell at the Time magazine 100 Most Influential event. Laverne was featured in the magazine's list of most influential people in the world, for her work as a 'transgender icon'
On Caitlyn's life before transition and what's yet to come, Laverne said:
'Bruce is the sweetest, and I love that the world got to see this beautiful human being, but there's still so much to be revealed in terms of his lived experiences as a woman.'
But Laverne has also been keen to warn against the crude questioning that can come with being so open.
At New York Fashion Week Laverne walked runway during the Go Red For Women Fall 2015 fashion show
With her mother accepting the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at last year's GLAAD Media Awards in Beverley Hills
Referring in particular to an interview last year where US TV presenter Katie Couric asked very personal questions about Laverne's genitalia, the actress now has rules when it comes to disclosure.
Never talk about the physical details, and respect your own body.
Affirming that she's more than 'just a body', Laverne is keen to rise above the pitfalls of becoming a figurehead for the trans community, and retain at least some level of her privacy.
'Everybody's trans': Laverne believes that gender is far from simple, claiming that 'none of us falls neatly into the gender binary model. Most of us have a little bit of masculinity, a little bit of femininity'
The actress has warned Caitlyn Jenner against the crude questioning that come with being openly trans
source:daily mail