Trans Activist, Actress Laverne Cox Comes To Michigan

BY BTL STAFF

SAGINAW – Actress, writer, producer and trans advocate, Laverne Cox, will be at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) to deliver a one hour lecture on her life.
Many know Cox from her groundbreaking role as Sophia Burset in the Netflix series, “Orange is the New Black.” Cox is the first trans woman of color to play a leading character on a mainstream scripted television show and comes to SVSU at 8 p.m. Feb. 17 to discuss her life as a trans advocate. She continues to lend her voice to the cause of transgender visibility and equality and is committed to telling diverse and three dimensional trans stories.
Cox is also the first African-American trans woman to produce and star in her own television show, VH1’s “TRANSForm Me,” nominated for a GLAAD media award for Outstanding Reality Program in 2011. The actress also received the Anti-Violence Project’s 2013 Courage Award and a 2014 Emmy nomination. Last year she was on the front cover of TIME Magazine.
The talk is sponsored by SVSU Program Board, The College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences, the Gender Studies Department, SVSU Student Association, the SVSU Foundation, The Division of Student Affairs, SVSU Counseling Center SVSU Student Life, SVSU Residence Housing Association, SVSU Olivia A. Lake Chapter of NRHH, the Student Social Work Organization and the Office of Health and Wellness Programs.
Tickets are $10 for the public and are free for SVSU students, faculty and staff. All ticket proceeds will go to AIDS WALK GLBR. To order tickets, go to http://www.svsu.edu/boxoffice/.
The talk will be held at the O’Neill Arena in the Ryder Center on SVSU’s campus located at 7400 Bay Road University Center, Saginaw. Attendees should plan to arrive early.