I can’t even begin the amount of afternoons that I’ve spent binging on Netflix’s Orange is the New Black. And to clear the air, I have zero regrets on doing so. The show has a multitude of diverse characters that bring their bad-a** personalities and rugged histories together to make create amazing, incarcerating experience (no pun intended). I’m also sure that many of you can agree with me on the addictive quality of the show; June 6th is already marked on my calendar for their new season. With all of the characters to fall in love with, I fell in love with Sophia Burset, played by Laverne Cox, who is the prison’s devious stylist. What makes for an even more interesting aspect of the show is the fact that she is the only transgendered character to be featured.
So you can only imagine my excitement when I discovered that she was going to make a presence on the University of Vermont’s campus. On February 20th, Laverne Cox dazzled hundreds of students in the Grand Maple Ballroom with her in inspiring story of her journey to womanhood. The history-making transgendered actress is a truly iconic figure in the LGBTQA community and certainly blew us away with her radiating confidence and wit.
Set up by several of UVM’s core organizations, such as the Black Student Union and Free2B, the event was nothing short of a success. I must admit that throughout the event, I found myself unconciously smiling to the words that she spoke. Her speech revolved around acceptance, tearing down gender barriers, race, respect, unity and, most importantly, recognizing true beauty. Hilarious, true, genuine and an absolute beauty born to inspire others, Laverne Cox is a figure to be recognized as a glamourous force for change in our society.