Watch CBS News

Laverne Cox On Transgender Rights, Her New Role

By Anisha Nandi

(CBS NEWS) – Laverne Cox has carved a path not just for herself as an actress but for others in the transgender community defining their own identities.

Her roles range from an inmate in Netflix's "Orange is the New Black" to a high-powered, Ivy League-educated attorney on CBS' new series "Doubt." Cox says being an actress has given her a platform to engage in activism and speak out about transgender rights.

Over the years, she's made history as the first transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy in 2014 and the first to appear on the cover of TIME magazine.

Cox is one of a number of public figures whose advocacy has helped raise awareness and advance the rights of transgender men and women in recent years— markedly transforming not just the entertainment world but America's public discourse, business, law and policy.

CBS News has a look at some of the recent milestones they covered. Visit CBSNews.com.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.