“I am a proud African American, transgender woman.” On February 25th at 7 p.m., Illinois State University’s Braden Auditorium roared with cheers and applause when Laverne Cox, actress and transgender advocate, spoke this proclamation at the start of her “Ain’t I a Woman: My Journey To Womanhood,” presentation. Prior to the event, students and the public were able to get their tickets for free at the Braden Box Office in the Bone Student Center. This event was a part of Illinois State’s Speaker Series.
In anticipation of the event, the audience filed into the auditorium quickly but calmly. The entire room filled with a liveliness that can only be explained as pure eagerness to learn and absorb this renowned public figure can offer. When the time had finally arrived, Cox took the stage by storm; she strutted onto the stage in a striking red dress and heels and stopped behind the podium under a single spotlight. Overwhelmed by her presence, the audience stood to applaud her entrance. Cox thanked ISU and the sponsors for having her, she also thanked the audience for attending and showing her so much love.
The talk proceeded to take the audience on a journey through Cox’s life, making stops at different points to explain various moments of enlightenment and how those moments led her to where she is today. She eloquently articulated the ways in which she overcame the struggles she faced at a young age for being different; she shared a story about how she had to face a school counselor and be questioned about what the differences were between boys and girls, her answer being, “there is no difference”. As we continued with her down memory lane, she shared references to other scholarly works she encountered; these works inspired, influenced and educated her in matters regarding sexuality and gender. Cox covered topics most people would not think of within this context, including how people can sometimes become the “gender police” of others and how personal “self-talk” is important in building your personal strength and confidence in the practice of loving yourself. Cox shared important statistics regarding the transgender community; she stated 41% admit to attempted suicide) and there is a lack of coverage on the news about crimes against the transgender community. Cox explained how we could change that by being aware of the issues and working towards stopping them. Later, Cox gave the audience advice on how to create safe spaces within their relationships to have difficult conversations. She explained we could ultimately help in changing what today is considered societal norms, adding concepts that are accepting of all people.
By the end of the presentation, the audience was awestruck. During the presentation, Cox said, “Being trans is beautiful and it is something that should be celebrated,” which it certainly was celebrated. At the end of her presentation, the audience stood and applauded her even louder and more full of life. After a short Q&A session, Cox thanked the University and sponsors yet again, and left the stage. She left the audience, no longer full of wonder but full of enlightenment, to carry her messages and ideas on with them.