With more Black trans women murders in the past year than any other year on record, actress Laverne Cox recently spoke out on behalf of her Black trans community.
“Your attraction to me as a trans woman is not a reason to kill me,” she said in an interview with BuzzFeed News’s AM to DM show.
“There’s this whole sort of myth that trans women are out there tricking people, that they deserve to be murdered, and that’s not the case,” she continued.
“There’s been a market for trans women in the realms of dating and sex work for a very long time,” she added. “We don’t have to trick anyone.”
So far, 11 Black trans women have been murdered in just the first six months of 2019, according to The Root. And Orange Is The New Black actress used the celebration of WorldPride and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising in New York City as a chance to speak out.
“As we celebrate Pride, and there’s so many things to celebrate, we also have to remember that there’s so much work that needs to be done,” she said.
“When asked how she would like to hear people talk about the issues concerning transgender people, Cox said that she aims to address both the wins and losses within the community.
“I try to be in a ‘both and’ place, in the place of celebrating Indya Moore being on the cover of Elle magazine or Janet Mock having this landmark deal at Netflix … but then also acknowledging … and particularly for black trans women, that their lives are being taken away from them simply for being who they are ― or because of various intersectional issues,” she said.