We learn more about how to accept the different identities that exist in our world today. For those who are in the minority of these identities, the struggle for inclusion and acceptance is a life-long struggle. If these minorities not only survive these struggles but a triumph, it is a matter of joy and one worth celebrating. One of those leading the pack of triumphant is Laverne Cox, the first openly transsexual person to be nominated for an Emmy.
Laverne Cox Biography
Laverne Cox is an American actress and a prominent LGBT advocate. She is a transgender herself and became famous with her role as Sophia Burset in the Netflix hit series Orange Is the New Black. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, and raised by a single mother and grandmother in the AME Zion Church.
Laverne Cox has an identical twin brother, M. Lamar, who starred in the pre-filming of her character in Orange Is the New Black. The actress, who was exposed to the discrimination that comes with her identity at a young age, once explained that she attempted suicide at the age of 11 when she realized she had developed feelings for her male classmates. She had also been harassed for several years because she did not behave like someone who was labeled “male” at birth should act.
Laverne graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, Alabama, where she studied creative writing before switching to dance. She then studied at Indiana University Bloomington for two years before moving on to Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where she turned to act, which eventually led to her fame.
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Is She Transgender?
If you are wondering if Laverne Cox is a transsexual actress, the answer is yes. Throughout her career, she has been a pioneer for the transgender community. Over the years, she became the first transgender person to be nominated for a primetime Emmy, was on the cover of Time Magazine, won a Daytime Emmy as Executive Producer, and has waxworks in Madame Tussauds.
Her activism and raising awareness of the rights and discrimination of the transgender community have led to an increase in the number of conversations about transgender people, especially transgender women.
The right of those who are discriminated against assumes that they are considered normal people, and there is no better way to achieve inclusion than to let them reach the heights that heteronormative people have reached. Fortunately, Laverne Cox has reached these heights on several occasions.
Career
Laverne Cox’s Hollywood career began when she starred in the first season of I Want to Work for Diddy, after which she was approached by VH1 for show ideas. This search for ideas led to the new TV series TRANSform Me. This made the actress the first African-American transgender person to produce her own television show and to be a part of it. Both shows, I Want to Work for Diddy and TRANSform Me, were nominated for GLAAD media awards for outstanding reality programs, and when I Want to Work for Diddy won the award in 2009, she accepted the prize on behalf of the show.
Before Laverne Cox appeared in her breakout role in Orange Is the New Black, she starred in a number of television shows and films including Law & Order: SVU and Musical Chairs.
When she started her first season of “Orange Is the New Black” (OITNB), she was still working as a drag queen in a restaurant on the Lower East Side. Laverne’s role in the show gave her a platform to talk about the rights of trans people and she used it to great effect.
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Laverne Cox Net Worth
The popularity of Laverne Cox and her regular appearance on the successful TV show “Orange Is The New Black” ensure that her income is quite high. The actress Laverne Cox currently has a net worth of $2 million, which should not be considered a paltry amount, especially considering how hard it is for transgender actresses to find work.
Laverne Cox’s Boyfriend
Laverne Cox is currently in a relationship with Kyle Draper. The couple met on Tinder and have been strong ever since.
Kyle, who is the CEO of a record label called Mateo Sound, also founded the real estate company Serene Team and is also the regional director of the real estate company – Keller Williams Downtown. The young entrepreneur has made his love for the actress very clear, as both parties have met each other’s families.
Contrary to rumors, Kyle Draper is not transsexual, and that makes their love much purer.
Twin Brother: M Lamar
As mentioned above, Laverne Cox has a twin brother – M Lamar, who lives in New York City and is a composer, musician, performer, and all-around creative artist. His work has been praised by several news agencies, including the New York Times.
M Lamar studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute and attended the graduate school of sculpture at Yale before devoting himself to music.
