This week, Timemagazine unveiled its latest cover – and it’s epic. It features the amazing Laverne Cox, the transgender actor who plays Sophia Burset on *Orange Is The New Black, *and heralds the ‘transgender tipping point, America’s next civil rights frontier'.
Cox has received a tonne of awards as the first transgender black woman to have a leading role in a mainstream television programme in America. But despite that insane achievement, Time magazine failed to include her in their annual list of the 100 most influential people, which was published in April.
Their omission sparked a massive backlash on social media and the hashtag #whereisLaverneCox, with people attempting to call Time out on their mistake.
But Time have made good, with many people seeing this cover as a response to that criticism. It’s not only an incredible justice showing how social media can affect change, it’s also a massive victory for the trans community, as Cox has had an opportunity to voice to *Time’*s 3.3 million readers about the types of trans issues which often go unheard. In the feature, she said:
‘There’s not just one trans story. There’s not just one trans experience. And I think what they need to understand is that not everybody who is born feels that their gender identity is in alignment with what they’re assigned at birth, based on their genitalia. If someone needs to express their gender in a way that is different, that is OK, and they should not be denied healthcare. They should not be bullied. They don’t deserve to be victims of violence. That’s what people need to understand, that it’s okay and that if you are uncomfortable with it, then you need to look at yourself.’
Hopefully, with more and more transgender men and women breaking into the mainstream readers, these stories will not go unheard for much longer. We're not there yet, but this Time cover is definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to breaking down the barriers faced by thousands of people in the trans community. We salute you, Time!
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophiecullinane
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.