Orange Is The New Black actress Laverne Cox just made history. She is the first trans woman to cover TIME Magazine, and she received the honor on her birthday, making this (probably) her best birthday ever. TIME was recently criticized for not including Cox (or any other trans activists) on their 100 Most Influential People list, and this is certainly one positive way to respond to the criticsm. Picking Laverne as the face of “America’s next civil rights frontier” is a bold and exciting move for the transgender community, and for the rest of us as well. The actress/activist shared the big news on her Instagram account:
What a wonderful bday present! Yes today is my birthday and I am on the cover of @TIME magazine. I realize this is way bigger than me and about a tipping point in our nation’s history where it is no kinger acceptable for trans lives to be stigmatized, ridiculed, criminalized and disregarded. This is for my trans siblings out there and for anyone who has ever been told that who you know yourself to be at your core is not legitimate. You are who you know yourselves to be. #girlslikeus#whereislavernecox #lavernehive
TIME also released behind-the-scenes footage of the photo shoot which you can watch here.
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