Any 7-year-old would think meeting a celebrity is pretty cool, but for transgendered M., receiving words of wisdom from Laverne Cox was particularly unique.
“I had shown M. the photo of Ms. Cox on the cover of TIME when it came out last year, so M. had a vague idea that this was someone important who was also transgender,” her mother Mack said about M’s encounter with the star in the recent Entertainment Weekly. “But I don’t think she really got it until we showed up for the event.”
According to Mack, her daughter situated herself in front of a door she knew the Orange Is The New Black star would emerge from.
Mack writes:
“‘I’m M.,’ my daughter said.
“Laverne smiled down at her. ‘Hello, M.’
“And I’m trans,’ M. said.
“I don’t think Ms. Cox saw that coming. The crowd around me gasped their approval (‘Did you hear what that little girl said?’). Laverne seemed at a bit of a loss.”
Afterwards, hugs were exchanged and Cox offered words of wisdom: “‘Remember, honey, transgender is beautiful.'”