When I found out from a friend that Laverne Cox was coming to Drexel, I did not hesitate to get tickets. The decision to purchase tickets that very second was a great one because a couple of days after, a Drexel Now email that included details about the event went out to all students and faculty and the tickets soon sold out. There was a small fee that was suggested, but not required. All proceeds from the event went to The Attic Youth Center, the only organization in Philadelphia that caters exclusively to LGBTQ youth.
Prior to going to the event, I did some research. Knowing that the event was organized by the Student Center for Inclusion and Culture (SCIC), in collaboration with CAB, I had an idea of what the event was going to be about, but I wanted to be sure. Through my research, I found that SCIC’s Power of Inclusion Series’ mission is to “inspire campus dialogue, community engagement and education related diversity and inclusion.” The series often features guest speakers who promote understanding through discussion.
When Laverne stepped onto the stage in a red Herve Leger body-con dress, she was everything I expected her to be. She was pleasantly fabulous and greeted the crowd with a very big smile. Her opening statement, which began, “I stand before you as a proud, African American transgender woman,” barely left her lips before the crowd began to cheer and applaud. She went on to pay homage to Sojourner Truth by reciting her “Ain’t I a Woman” speech.
Laverne shared the story of her life, beginning from her childhood in Alabama. She spoke of the shame that she felt for expressing herself the only way she knew how. She recalled many specific moments where she was made to feel like there was something wrong with her. One of which being the moment her mother received a phone call from her third grade teacher saying that she would end up in Louisiana wearing a dress if she didn’t get into therapy.
She discussed one of the lowest points in her life, which was when she decided in the sixth grade that she was going to commit suicide. Overcome with guilt and shame, Laverne swallowed an entire bottle of pills and went to sleep hoping she would never wake up. When she did, she made a promise to herself that she would make her mother and grandmother proud and act like the boy everyone said she was.
Throughout her speech, Laverne mentioned a few of her favorite authors, including bell hooks, Brené Brown, Judith Butler and Simone de Beauvoir. Her ending message was one she borrowed from Brené Brown: “Empathy is the antidote for shame.” Whether or not you got the chance to listen to Laverne speak, it’s important that you hear her message. She is not only calling for the acceptance of the LGBTQ community, she is encouraging everyone to learn more about and to understand diversity.