Laverne Cox once again tells us how it is. The LGBTQ+ advocate and Orange is the New Black star graces the cover of Entertainment Weekly this month and recently opened up about dating in as a transgender woman.
“Most men who are attracted to and date transgender women are probably stigmatized more than trans women are,” she said in an interview with SiriusXM Progress.
It’s an idea that few of us have probably thought about. While trans women like Laverne and Caitlin Jenner are showing the world the strength that women have in being their true self, what of the men who start relationships with them?
“I think a man who is dating trans women, who is a celebrity, or famous or is an athlete or something, needs to come forward … and needs to say, ‘I love transgender women and [they] deserve to be loved and I’m going to declare that publicly.’ I think those men need some sort of inspiration and hope, so they can live more authentically.”
In the same way that UN Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson’s He for She campaign calls for men to aid women in the fight for gender equality, Laverne wants cisgender individuals to fight for the trans community. With a little love and support we can have a world where cisgender men can openly love trans women and vice versa.