Category: Prison

Glam Slam

12/20/2014

Do you know who Laverne Cox is?

You should know. First transgendered woman to be featured on the cover of Times and the best hairdresser ever in Orange is the New Black.

I don't just kind of like Laverne Cox, I just love her. She is a sexy, beautiful, confident, well spoken icon. She might not be an icon, yet. But, I have no doubt that in a few decades she will be. She is the first main stream transgender talent.

As much as I love Chaz Bono, he was not as much a talent, then the son of a famous celebrity. Laverne Cox is making mainstream progression. That is something to applaud. Her role as Sophia Burset on Orange is the New Black is stunning. She is playing a transgendered woman in prison.

In the first season she was unable to get her medication. And, she had to do some pretty crazy things. This medication mind you is for her body. It was medically necessary. If I remember correctly it was her estrogen pills, the ones that replace her testosterone. They were no longer the right dosage. I could be wrong, I haven't watched it in a while.

Her role on Orange is the New Black does a great job at publicly addressing a lot of the problems that trans people face in prison, in life. You just have to love Laverne Cox. She is a goddess.

I decided to do this article on her, specifically, because of Transgender Awareness Day. That is November 20th every year. This year it was on a Thursday. If you follow me on tumblr or twitter you know that's all I was talking about. I was going to apologize and say I'm sorry for being so annoying. Then, I realized I had no reason to apologize. This is one day out of the year and you would have to get over it.

Being transgender is so hard. That's something people don't understand. That kills me. It is the LGBT community. Not the LGB community. Transgendered people go through a lot of violence and discrimination. Your opinions on this are irrelevant. You need to support these people. You need to support any friend or family member who acknowledges this to you. This is not your body. This is not your life choice. This is someone else's body. This is someone else's choice. It does not effect you.

Repeat after me.

“It does not effect you.”

Just repeat that to yourself and embrace them. The person has not changed. They have always been this way, this is just the first time they've actually acknowledged it in front of you. Let's talk about the fact that the average life expectancy for a transgendered individual is about 30 years of age. Let that sink in.

You are twenty more times to be young and homeless if you are transgendered. The answer to why the average life expectancy is at 30 should now be answered. Your shitty opinions are going to cause the death of someone you cared very deeply about before that.

41% of all trans people have attempted suicide. 1 in 12 transgendered women will be murdered. Yes. That is a high ratio. That should also answer why the life expectancy is unacceptably low.

Protect transgender people, because no one else is going to. That is why Laverne Cox is important. That is why Chaz Bono is important. These people cannot be marginalized. They are fucking important. Human life is important. I cannot stress that enough.