On June 1, 2015 Caitlyn Jenner made her debut on the front cover of Vanity Fair—just a year and three days after famous transgender actress Laverne Cox (of Orange is the New Black fame) was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine. Moved by all of the support Caitlyn has received from the public, Laverne took to her Tumblr to express her sentiments about Caitlyn’s transition. “It feels like a new day, indeed, when a trans person can present her authentic self to the world for the first time and be celebrated for it so universally,” Laverne writes.
In her post, Laverne discusses the language that has been used in the media to discuss Caitlyn’s appearance. “This has made me reflect critically on my own desires to ‘work a photo shoot’ to serve up various forms of glamour, power, sexiness, body affirming, racially empowering images of my black, trans womanhood,” the post reads.
She also mentions that she loves posing for inspiring images for her fans—but she adds, “I also hope that it is my talent, my intelligence, my heart and spirit that most captivate, inspire, move and encourage folks to think more critically about the world around them.” Cox then translates this same concept to Caitlyn. “Yes, Caitlyn looks amazing and is beautiful, but what I think is most beautiful about her is her heart and soul, the way she has allowed the world into her vulnerabilities,” Laverne writes.
You can find Laverne’s full blog post here.