The Laverne Cox Show

Danielle and Simone discuss this week’s pop culture stories with Amanda Kloots, co-host of “The Talk” and moderator on Live from the Other Side with Tyler Henry. What’s the best way to connect with your child-free friends? And is sharing gum with your partner hot or not? Simone, Danielle, and Amanda weigh in. Check out our episode with Michaela Jaé’ here! And click here for more information on the Elle open casting call. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A decade ago, Laverne Cox burst on to the scene with her role as Sophia Burset on Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black,” becoming the first openly transgender actress to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category. This month, Laverne stars in the Netflix film “Uglies,” a dystopian story set in a future society where everyone undergoes extreme cosmetic surgery at the age of 16 to become “pretty.” Laverne joins the Bright Side to discuss her latest role, her changing perceptions of beauty standards, and how at 52, she is saying “yes to life.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, Laverne Cox Show fans! Today we bring you an exclusive listen to Laverne’s conversation with mental health guru Jay Shetty on his podcast, On Purpose. Check it out to hear Laverne discuss unresolved trauma, rewiring your brain, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Larger than life fashion journalist, stylist, creative director and editor André Leon Talley passed away unexpectedly on January 18, 2022. In this episode of love, respect, admiration and reflection, Laverne and her exceptional guests remind us why the world, the fashion world in particular, will miss the late great André Leon Talley. Iconic fashion designer and André’s longtime friend Norma Kamali shares stories starting from their early days in 1970’s New York City and Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post journalist Robin Givhan offers an industry perspective from the last 25 years of his life. Both are intimate, knowing, and candid, and say the same thing: there will never be another ALT. A New Line: Robin Givhan Interviews André Leon Talley (2017) (courtesy of Washington Post Live Events) Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love. More Links of Interest: A.L.T. by André Leon Talley Chiffon Trenches by André Leon Talley The Gospel According to Andre (Documentary Official Trailer) A Memorial for André Leon Talley (NYT) André Leon Talley, the Pioneering Vogue Editor, Has Died at 73 (Vogue) Norma Kamali: I Am Invincible (book) Grace Jones Studio 54 New Years Eve Party (costume designed by Norma Kamali) Jessye Norman (Opera Legends Documentary, YouTube) ALT on Meeting Lagerfeld and Being Correct (YouTube) John Fairchild, author of Fashionable Savages Hilton Als' Profile (The New Yorker, 1994) The Collection of André Leon Talley (Christie’s) ALT Recent Auction (The Cut) Laverne Cox and André Leon Talley on Watch What Happens Live 2015  Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Show Reinvents Lingerie (TIME, 2019) André Leon Talley Dishes on Galliano, McQueen, and Lagerfeld, Darling (Interview Mag, 2020) Andre Leon Talley Day (WWD, 2022)   Other Episodes Mentioned Relevant: The Spirituality of Club Culture w/ Honey Dijon Diary: Where Fashion Meets Art The Legendary Life of Connie Fleming, Part I and Part II   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

**Be sure to hear ALEX NEWELL'S 2023 TONY AWARD ACCEPTANCE SPEECH (X or TikTok) Laverne has a fun catch-up sesh with her good friend Broadway supertalent Alex Newell. This year, Alex was one of the two gender nonconforming actors to ever win a Tony. They got theirs for their show-stopping performance as Lulu in the hit new musical Shucked. They walk Laverne through their rise to the Broadway stage, their unusual anatomy which plays a big role in their incredible voice, what’s next on their calendar, and most importantly, the crucial role The Fresh Prince of Bel Air had in their life.  ALEX NEWELL 2023 TONY AWARD ACCEPTANCE SPEECH TRANSCRIPT: “ I'm not going to hold y'all because it's hot in here. I have wanted this my entire life. I thank each and every one of you in this room right now. And mommy, I love you. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for loving me unconditionally. Thank you for teaching me what strength is. To my entire building and cast and crew of Shucked, you are my rock. I love you all. Thank you for seeing me, Broadway. I should not be up here as a queer, non binary, fat, black, little baby from Massachusetts. To anyone that thinks that they can't do it, I'm going to look you dead in your face that you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to.” Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love.   Links of Interest: Alex Singing “Independently Owned” on The Voice Finale (2023)  Alex’s Audition for The Glee Project Singing “And I Am Telling You” The Glee Project Alex Singing "I Am Changing" at 18 (credit Luciano Ferreiro) Alex Singing “I Am Changing” at 22 (with Boston Gay Men’s Chorus) Alex Singing “I Am Changing” at 29 (for Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth) (credit Shoshana Medney / bwaySHO) The Broadway League Alex Vocal Range (YouTube) “Independently Owned” (Official Video) | Shucked Alex in Once on This Island, “Mama Will Provide” (2018 Tony Awards) Nell Carter Jennifer Holliday Black Music Archive Alex Singing One of Producer Brooke’s Favorite Songs Ever   Other Episodes Mentioned or Relevant: Overcoming Trauma Through Art w/ Billy Porter Opera & Diva Worship w/ Ira Siff   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The legislative war against the LGBTQ+ community has been relentless and according to powerhouse civil rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo it may get even worse next year. Conservative republicans have introduced over 500 state bills this year alone to deny healthcare, threaten businesses and allies, and to try to force LGBTQ+ folks back into closets and shadows. But there are things we can do - and the first thing is to congratulate Alejandra.  This conversation was recorded in June (2023) when most of the legislative proposals were complete for the year.  See links below for updated legislative actions and stats and other resources.   Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love.   Links of Interest: Alejandra Caraballo on Instagram 2023 Legislative Session Tracker (ACLU) 2023 National Bills (Trans Legislation Tracker) Map: Attacks on Gender Affirming Care by State (Human Rights Campaign) Transition Related Care for Transgender Youth (National Center for Transgender Equality) Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TILDEF) Campaign for Southern Equality Human Rights Campaign (HRC) GLAAD Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, Version 8 (pub. 9/22, World Professional Association for Transgender Health) The time to panic about anti-trans legislation is now (Vox) The Far Right Is Calling for the Execution of Teachers and Doctors  (Vice) PFLAG Resources  Wilhoit’s Law How DeSantis’ Fight With Disney Began (Washington Post) Target becomes latest company to suffer backlash… (AP)   Other Episodes Mentioned or Relevant: Reclaiming the Trans Narrative w/ Chase Strangio & Miss Peppermint Transitioning as a Child & Beyond w/ Nicole Maines Pushing Back Against Anti-Trans Media & Policies w/ Chase Strangio   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some fashion rises above normal clothing and becomes at some point art. Laverne shares her passion for fashion and the thrill of the chase. Her vintage designer collection is not only a resource for joy but the thrill of owning seminal pieces and seeing the development of a brilliant designer over time is just fun. Then there’s SEAM RIPPING!   Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love.   Links of Interest: Behind the Fashion - Summertime: A TripHopera Summertime: A Trip Hopera Music Video Thierry Mugler Thierry Mugler at Brooklyn Museum Thierry Mugler Jacket Animation (Fashion Institute of Technology) Connie Fleming walking for Mugler - MUST SEE George Michael - Too Funky (Official Video) George Michael - Too Funky (Thierry Mugler Original Director's Cut) John Galliano Comme des Garçons Issey Miyaki (New York Times Obit) Lady Miss Kier André Leon Talley (New York Times Obit)   Other Episodes Mentioned or Relevant: The Spirituality of Club Culture w/ Honey Dijon The Legendary Life of Connie Fleming, Part I and Part II   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*Please note the opera glossary and links to audio below! Laverne has a passion for divas - from Beyonce to Leontyne Price, and closer to home, Angel Blue, the history-making operatic soprano who has become a dear friend as well. Angel shares her road to the spotlight including her early years of artistic difficulty and personal tragedy. Angel is a two-time grammy winner and was the first Black diva to sing the leading role in Verdi’s “La Traviata” at The Metropolitan Opera in New York, Covent Garden in London, and - though it was said it could not be done - La Scala Opera House in Milan. Heads up, in Milan that makes you a rockstar. Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love. Links of Interest: Sumptuous La Traviata Charms La Scala with Placido Domingo and Angel Blue (Euronews, YouTube) AIDA: Royal Opera House (Angel Joy Blue YouTube Channel) Every Operatic Soprano Voice Type, Explained Emotion, Destiny’s Child, High C @3:29 Leontyne Price Sings Aida’s “O Patria Mia”, High C  Opera Singers - High Note C (C6) Battle Leontyne Price and Simon Estes Duet, Aida The Iconic Shade of Aretha Franklin (Beautiful Gowns) Grace Bumbry (Video) Grace Bumbry (NPR) Soprano Angel Blue Cancels Arena di Verona Debut in Response to Blackface (ClassicalMusic.com/BBC)   Glossary of Opera Terms: Arena di Verona: an ancient Roman amphitheater in Verona, Italy built in 30 AD. It is still in use today and is famous for its large scale operatic performances Aida: an opera by Giuseppe Verde. Premiere Cairo, 1871. Synopsis Aria: A self-contained piece for a singer, or “solo.” In opera, arias mostly appear during a pause in dramatic action when a character is reflecting on their emotions.  Bel Canto: An Italian vocal technique or “school” developed and popularized in the 18th and 19th centuries. It places emphasis on beauty of sound and brilliance of performance rather than dramatic expression and romantic emotion.  Carmen: an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. Premiere Paris, 1875. Synopsis Coloratura: Elaborate ornamentation of a vocal melody, especially in operatic singing by a soprano.  Covent Garden & The Royal Opera: an internationally acclaimed opera house and company, the three-theatre physical structure dates back to 1858 Samson et Dalila: an opera in three acts by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns based on the biblical story of Samson and Delilah. Premiere Weimar, Germany, 1877. Synopsis Falsetto: A method of singing used by male singers, especially tenors, to sing notes higher than their normal range.  Forte: A musical direction that means “loud.”  Il Trovatore: An opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verde. Premiere Rome,1853. Synopsis La Scala or Teatro alla Scala is an opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on August 3, 1778. Legato: (adj.) Smooth and flowing in manner, without breaks between notes.  Libretto: The text of an opera (or other vocal work).  Ornaments (ornamentation): Musical flourishes or embellishments (such as a trill or a slide) that are not essential to carry the overall line of the melody, but serve instead to decorate or “ornament” that line.  Pianissimo: A soft performance, played or sung quietly.  Rigoletto: an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. Premiere Venice, 1851. Synopsis The Met: The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Tosca: an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini. Premiere Rome, 1900. Synopsis Traviata: Short for “La Traviata,” a famous opera by Giuseppe Verde. La Traviata also goes by the name “Camille” in English, which was derived from the title of the book (La Dame aux Camélias) that inspired it as well as the 2001 film Moulin Rouge.  Premiere Venice, 1853. Synopsis   Other Episodes of Interest: Diva Worship and Opera w/ Ira Siff The Intellectual Underpinnings of Beyonce's Awesomeness w/ Kevin Allred   Music Credits: Audio from San Francisco Opera’s 2023 Il Trovatore is courtesy of Angel Blue. Audio of Angel singing “D'amor sull'ali rosee” from Il Trovatore with The Philadelphia Orchestra September 2020 provided by TPO. Angel will be back on its stage June 8, 2024. Audio of Angel Blue’s “Summertime” from her 2014 solo album Joy Alone is courtesy of Angel Blue.   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: this important episode contains talk about sexual situations, assault and rape. Resources for survivors are below. It may not be anyone’s favorite topic, but taking care of business is empowering and this is the business, educating ourselves and, importantly, our kids and younger generations on how to be safe and considerate with our bodies.  It seems obvious that in order to clarify the lines of intimacy, words should be involved. But it’s probably true that many people don’t know what those words are or how or when to say them. That’s where Ellen comes in. Words are helpful always, but especially in even trickier situations of cross-cultural communications or neurodiversity.  Please share this episode with anyone and everyone you know who has sex or would like to one day. Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love. Resources for survivors of sexual violence: Rainn  Anti-Violence Project National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)   Links of Interest: Ellen Friedrichs Website: www.sexEdvice.com Racial & Sexual Violence Pyramid | Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) Understanding the Manosphere and Andrew Tate (The Conversation) Andrew Tate Suspected Pyramid Scheme (Vice) Restorative Justice: Impact/Justice Project CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey  GLSEN Research and Reports The Body Keeps the Score (Book)   Ellen's Recommended Comedians: Sashi Perera Steph Tolev Irene Tu   Ellen’s Recommended Reading: The Art of Receiving and Giving: The Wheel of Consent by Dr. Betty Martin, with Robyn Dalzen Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change the World by Jessica Valenti (Editor), Jaclyn Friedman (Editor) Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent, and Navigating the New Masculinity by Peggy Orenstein Had it Coming: What’s Fair in the Age of #MeToo by Robin Doolittle Redefining Rape: Sexual Violence in the Era of Suffrage and Segregation by Estelle B. Freedman   Episodes Mentioned or Relevant: Reclaiming MeToo w/ Tarana Burke The Truth & Consequences of Dating as a Trans Woman w/ Jen Richards Ending Violence Toward Trans People w/ Dr. Karen Franklin   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are few things more vulnerable than singing, unless you’re Leontyne Price, of course. For the rest of us, though, it can be fraught. Laverne shares with us her journey through developing her voice as a transgender woman and as a lover of singing. And while the road, she says, has had some traumatic moments, she knows she will never stop. In fact, she has recently released her own version of the operatic classic “Summertime” from the opera Porgy and Bess - pop diva style! In this diary, Laverne talks about the study of voice, what makes a voice beautiful, and always being in process. Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love. *** Links of Interest: Summertime: A TripHopera (Official Video) Shequida Hall (Instagram) Key’mon Murrah, Countertenor  The 5 Countertenors (YouTube) Farinelli Movie Trailer (YouTube) Derek Lee Ragin for Farinelli (YouTube) Jessye Norman (YouTube) Sarah Vaughn (YouTube) Varla Jean Merman Leontyne Price (NEA Opera Honors Interview, YouTube) Kennedy Center Honors Leontyne Price (YouTube) Marian Anderson Sings at Lincoln Memorial, 1939 (YouTube) Marian Anderson "Ave Maria" on The Ed Sullivan Show, 1952 (YouTube)   Other Episodes Mentioned: Opera & Diva Worship with Ira Siff   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Connie Fleming. In this two-part episode honoring the legendary runway model, cabaret performer and NYC “door bitch”, Laverne gets allll the tea about Connie’s life then and now. These episodes are bursting with history, HERSTORY and fun, juicy details of incredible stories from back in the glorious (and terrifying) day. Part II: The 90’s to Today In this episode Laverne and Connie continue their no-holds-barred chat about her incredible life in New York City picking up in the 90’s  as the famously “discerning” door guard at the most happening nightclubs. She shares more details about her runway career, including her time in Paris, as well as the end of her time as an accepted transgender high fashion model. Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love. Links of Interest - PART 2: Michael Alig, Fixture of New York City Nightlife, Dies at 54 (2020, New York Times)  Party Monster Doc Andy Warhol (Brief History, YouTube) Madame Arthur and Carousel 1950’s Paris Marsha P. Johnson International Chrysis in Photos Split: Portrait of a Drag Queen (UCLA Film and Television Archive Panel Discussion, 2021) International Chrysis (Boy Bar video, joined by Cody Ravioli) Vivienne Westwood (Vogue) Vivienne Westwood: Her Life and Career in Pictures (The Guardian) André Leon Talley (New York Times Obit) Joe Deitrich  3 Vintage Trans Models You Might Not Know About (incl. Teri Toye)   Other Episodes Mentioned or Relevant: The Groundbreaking Fashion Career of Tracey ‘Africa’ Norman The Spirituality of Club Culture w/ Honey Dijon   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Co-Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Co-Editor: Nikolas Harter Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Connie Fleming. In this two-part episode honoring the legendary runway model, cabaret performer and NYC “door bitch”, Laverne gets allll the tea about Connie’s life then and now. These episodes are bursting with history, HERSTORY and fun, juicy details of incredible stories from back in the glorious (and terrifying) day. Part I: The 80’s and 90’s In this episode Laverne and Connie talk about her life in the 80’s and 90’s New York. She was a groundbreaking transgender model who walked for Thierry Mugler and Vivienne Westwood. And, wow, did she WALK!!! Connie was also part of the original Boy Bar Beauties, an iconic cabaret in the East Village, Wigstock, the Too Funky and Divine Thing Videos. She was in the middle of the explosive, exciting and yes, deadly, New York City gay and trans creative world. Not drag, darling, trans. Trans models now have her to thank. Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love. Links of Interest - PART 1: The Untold Story of the Fearless Connie Fleming (The Standard) (2017) Sophia Lamar, Connie Girl and Zaldy: 3 icons who defied normative beauty - Dazed Digital (2019) Cody Leone Ravioli Art School Girls of Doom, The Bra Thierry Mugler Thierry Mugler at Brooklyn Museum Casey Cadwallader Connie walking for Mugler - MUST SEE George Michael - Too Funky (Official Video) George Michael - Too Funky (Thierry Mugler Original Director's Cut) The Soup Dragons - Divine Thing 3 Vintage Trans Models You Might Not Know About (incl. Teri Toye) How Drag Influenced 90’s Fashion…from Mugler to Levi’s (Elle) Billy Beyond (Instagram) Danilo, Hairstylist Susanne Bartsch Who Is…Mr. Pearl Thierry Mugler Jacket Animation (Fashion Institute of Technology) David Dalrymple Mona Foot Wigstock (1995 Doc, Part 1) Lady Bunny @ The Boy Bar (Video) International Chrysis (Boy Bar video, joined by Cody Ravioli)   Other Episodes Mentioned or Relevant: The Groundbreaking Fashion Career of Tracey ‘Africa’ Norman The Spirituality of Club Culture w/ Honey Dijon   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Co-Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Co-Editor: Nikolas Harter Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movement lawyer and political commentator, or “professional loudmouth”, Olayemi Olurin sheds light on what she knows about the American criminal “justice" system - which is a ton. Having come from The Bahamas as a young woman, she had seen plenty of poor Black folks. But she says America has a very different way of treating Black and brown people, which is that there is a focus on breaking down, criminalization and imprisonment, and just maybe there’s a lucrative payoff for it. A report by the ACLU shows that prisoners generate over $11 BILLION of goods and services and are rarely paid anything. She and Laverne talk about bail reform, the shady habit of over-policing and underfunding poor communities, and the way the prison pipeline perpetuates itself. “Our environments are who we become.” Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love. Mentioned in this Episode: Mass Incarceration Is Slavery (Olurin, The Appeal) Tyre Nichols Was Killed by Black Police Officers Because the Whole System Is Racist (Olurin, Teen Vogue) Bayard Rustin (PBS Newshour, YouTube) Podcast: American Police (Throughline, 2020) Kalief Browder, 1993-2015 (2015, The New Yorker) Justice Not Fear How do I know if a source is credible?  Media Bias Chart   Links of Interest: What is bail reform? (ACLU) How Bail Reform, Crime Surge Mix in Angry Debate (The Washington Post, 2022) Criminal Justice Statistics (The Marshall Project) Criminal Fact Sheet (NAACP) The challenges facing black men - and the case for action (The Brookings Institute, 2020) The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime and the Making of Modern Urban America Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, Noam Chomsky   Other Episodes Mentioned: Housing Segregation and Structural Racism w/ Richard Rothstein   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent episode honoring bell hooks with Darnell Moore and Imani Perry got Laverne thinking even more about ideas around privilege. Just because you have it, doesn’t make you bad. Just because someone else has it doesn’t make them an oppressor. Privilege is relative. You can be the most privileged person in one room and the least privileged person in the next. Perhaps it’s time to stop blaming other people, look also at ourselves, and move forward together. Just some thoughts. Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love. Links of Interest: After Racist Tweet, Roseanne Barr’s Show Is Canceled by ABC (NYT, 2018) Privilege and Intersectionality (Rider University) Other Episodes Mentioned or Relevant: Class Shaming w/ Mary O’Hara Beauty as Capital w/ Kimberly Foster Black Women Are Enough w/ Sarah Adeyinka Skold CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laverne reunites with her long-time friend world-renowned DJ and record producer Honey Dijon to talk about her legendary career, their early days of New York City nightlife, and the universal energy shared on a dancefloor that can be a deeply profound spiritual experience. Honey is committed to sharing her club culture history and she’s got some names to drop. Honey Dijon is one of the first transgender artists to win a Grammy award, which she received for her production work on Beyonce’s latest album Renaissance. Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love.   Links of Interest: Boiler Room Set 2018 (YouTube) Comme des Garcons Line (Vogue) Song: Let’s Go by Fast Eddie Song: Doctor Love by First Choice Song: Let No Man Put Asunder by First Choice Steve Dahl’s Notorious 1979 Disco Demolition Wigstock Returns From the Dead (NYTimes) Grace Jones Meltdown Festival (video) Grace Jones Live at Meltdown Festival (Review)   Names Mentioned: Derrick Carter Frankie Knuckles Danny Tenaglia Lady Bunny Jean-Michel Basquiat Keith Haring Ajita Wilson Azzedine Alaia   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With all of the misinformation and laws taking rights away from trans youth and their parents who want to support them through a tricky childhood, it’s time to hear from someone who lived it. Transgender actress and activist Nicole Maines first rose to prominence as a teenager fighting for her civil rights. Not long after winning a groundbreaking legal challenge, she found herself cast as the first transgender superhero in television history playing Dreamer on The CW’s Supergirl. She is thriving, in love, having a blast in her career and now basically living the life of her dreams. But it wasn’t always smooth sailing growing up trans. And the fight is definitely not over. Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love. This episode was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA strike. Links of Interest: Becoming Nicole: The inspiring story of transgender actor-activist Nicole Maines and her extraordinary family  The Trans List Trailer (Facebook) The Trans List: In Conversation (YouTube) Doe v. Clenchy aka Doe v. Regional School Unit 26  Gavin Grimm (Washington Post) Television’s First Transgender Superhero Will Arrive on ‘Supergirl’ (New York Times, 2018) Gay Berlin by Robert Beachy ### Episodes Mentioned and Further Listening: Reclaiming the Trans Narrative w/ Chase Strangio & Miss Peppermint  Pushing Back Against Anti-Trans Media & Policies w/ Chase Strangio Ending Violence Toward Trans People w/ Dr. Karen Franklin CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gloria Jean Watkins, the revolutionary Black feminist intellectual known as bell hooks, died on December 15, 2021. She was 69. In her time with us she wrote over 30 books and became a powerful voice in social criticism and commentary. Laverne and her friends, author and activist Darnell Moore and scholar and author Imani Perry, all had close personal relationships with Ms. hooks. In this loving tribute they discuss her impact, legacy, themes and teachings that have profoundly impacted each of them in different ways including her ideas centered around domination, arguing in community, and imperialist, white supremacist, capitalist patriarchy.  She was feminist-and-fly, a little shady, and fully human. Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love.   Links of Interest: The Wide Angle Vision, and Legacy, of bell hooks (New York Times) The bell hooks Center Gov. DeSantis Book Banning Push The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord  AUDIO: bell hooks & Cornell West Press Conference (1997, C-Span) Million Man March Roberta Flack, Afro Blue   bell hooks’ works mentioned: Feminism is for Everybody Yearning Black Looks Real to Reel  Other Episodes Mentioned: Beauty as Capital w/ Kimberly Foster CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this audio diary Laverne explores how her relationship with her body has evolved through her transition and over the years since. As a Black trans woman over 50 in a sexist, transphobic, fatphobic, ageist, white supremacist society, she says she feels RELIEF when she looks in the mirror. May we all find acceptance of and peace with our bodies regardless of our age, color, gender expression, mobility and size, because our bodies matter. Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love.   Other Episodes Mentioned: Fatphobia & Diet Culture w/ Virgie Tovar Beauty as Capital w/ Kimberly Foster   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Editing Support: Nikolas Harter Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Attorney, writer and political commentator Elie Mystal joins Laverne to talk about the radically conservative United States Supreme Court, the constitutional amendments through history and his eye-opening book, Allow Me To Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution. He explains how the judges’ own personal tastes make the largest impact on decisions and how the right’s unification has reaped a pipeline of conservative judges the left cannot replicate. They also talk about options like stacking the court and term limits to make change, but when it comes down to it, guess what, it’s up to us. Elie is a frequent media contributor and the justice correspondent at The Nation. Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love. *** The U.S. Constitution Amendments mentioned: 1st Amendment = freedom of religion, speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances 2nd Amendment = the right to bear arms 4th Amendment = the right to be protected against unreasonable search and seizure “Reconstruction Amendments”  13th Amendment (1865) = abolition of slavery 14th Amendment (1868) = US citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws 15th Amendment (1870) = Black men can vote   Links of Interest:  Elie Mystal on The Mehdi Hassan Show (MSNBC via YouTube, 6/29/23) Here’s What Happened When Affirmative Action Ended in California Public Colleges (NPR, 6/30/23) The Current Supreme Court Justices News and analysis of the US Supreme Court  Reconstruction Amendments (Video, PBS) The Federalist Society Progressive Mobilization: American Constitution Society (ACS) Alliance for Justice Demand Justice   Cases mentioned: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Loving v. Virginia US vs. Rahimi (opinion) Slaughterhouse Cases Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis   Previous Episodes Mentioned: Residential Segregation & Structural Racism w/ Richard Rothstein   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Editing Support: Nikolas Harter Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chase Strangio is Deputy Director for Transgender Justice with the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project, and a nationally recognized expert on transgender rights. Miss Peppermint is an actress, musical performer, and she nearly won season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag race. She's become the ACLU’s first-ever Artist Ambassador for Trans Justice.  Laverne has brought these two powerhouses on to discuss how we can change the conversation about trans people from surgery and transition to humanity and privacy. They talk about the state of legislatures around the country, the truth about gender affirming care, strategies for allies to step up, and, of course, finding joy in their beautiful community. Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love.   Links of Interest: Trans Justice Funding Project ACLU Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights Laverne and Katie Couric Follow-Up Visit (Video) Trans People Facing Horrifying Rhetoric at State Houses (re Gwendolyn Herzig) The NY Times Publishes a Defense of JK Rowling… (VanityFair)   Other Episodes Mentioned:  Pushing Back Against Anti-Trans Media & Policies with Chase Strangio    CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Editing Support: Nikolas Harter Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: this episode contains discussion about eating disorders, addiction, and recovery. This interview was recorded in March 2023.  In this incredibly vulnerable conversation, Laverne and Glennon Doyle, writer and co-host of the podcast We Can Do Hard Things, give a masterclass in real talk. Nothing is off limits as they dig into everything from addiction, perfectionism, boundaries and figuring out how much is “enough” in our hustle culture, to honoring their inner child, their bodies and the need to play dress up sometimes.  Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love.   Links of Interest: We Can Do Hard Things Podcast Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler   Other Episodes Mentioned: Moving Beyond Us Vs. Them w/ Brené Brown Fatphobia and Diet Culture w/ Virgie Tovar Trauma Resilience & Healing w/ Jennifer Burton Flier Trauma Resilience & Healing Encore w/ Jennifer Burton Flier Beauty as Capital w/ Kimberly Foster   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Associate Producer: Akiya McKnightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Laverne is back for Season 2! In this intimate recording, she fills us in on her big, busy beautiful life, what she's been up to, and how she’s changed. It's dreamy! But there’s still work; there’s always the work. This time she’s tackling her second season with a whole new perspective. Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love. Links of Interest: Trauma & Community Resiliency Models Episodes from Season 1 referenced: Trauma Resilience & Healing w/ Jennifer Burton Flier Adverse Childhood Experiences w/ Nadine Burke Harris The Power of Mind Over Body w/ Joe Dispenza Trauma Resilience & Healing Encore w/ Jennifer Burton Flier CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell Editing Support: Nikolas Harter Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season two of The Laverne Cox Show is dropping July 27th! In the meantime, why not re-listen to all of the amazing episodes from Season 1? The conversations were so good, so deep and so important, one listen is not enough! Episodes Featured: Class & Poverty Shaming w/ Mary O'Hara Overcoming Trauma Through Art w/ Billy Porter Residential Segregation & Structural Racism w/ Richard Rothstein Beauty as Capital w/ Kimberly Foster Becoming a Love Warrior w/ Dr. Cornel WestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this final episode of the season, the one and only Billy Porter talks about his life in show business. He also candidly shares the trauma of his student days at Carnegie Mellon, the AIDS crisis, and bankruptcy, and his evolution into a multi-award winning superstar. Billy has wisdom to share about what it means to be a true artist dedicated to your craft and explains how his creative expression has been a tool to work through his trauma. Much of that trauma ironically stemming from working in creative industries which, back in the 80’s and 90’s, had little tolerance for an openly gay black man. His new memoir, Unprotected, is the life story of a singular artist and survivor. // Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. //As always, stay in the love.Unprotected: A Memoir by Billy Porter: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unprotected-billy-porter/1138773867 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode, Jennifer Burton Flier joins Laverne again to go deeper into the Community Resiliency Model and to tie in so many of this season’s episodes on healing. They’re all connected! Laverne and Jennifer go over practical skills that you can use to build your resiliency for this (very) challenging world. Those skills are tracking, resourcing, grounding, gesturing, shift and stay, and help now. You can find more helpful therapeutic tips and information in the first episode with Jennifer Burton Flier, “Trauma Resilience and Healing.” Jennifer is a senior faculty member with the Trauma Resource Institute and Laverne’s personal therapist! Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal.As always, stay in the love. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poor people have always been shamed. Writer, producer and award-winning journalist Mary O’Hara says that’s not new, but the last 40 years of government and corporate interests have created a focused initiative to demonize people who need financial and social assistance. Between the creation of the Welfare Queen trope in the 80’s and vilifying single mothers in the 90’s, most people do whatever they can to not be associated with safety nets. They’re ashamed. In this powerful conversation, Laverne and O’Hara break down the larger game at play, the lasting effects of experiencing poverty, and the importance of people sharing their stories.Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal.As always, stay in the love.Show References:The Shame Game: https://www.shamegamethebook.com/Project Twist-It: https://www.projecttwistit.com/Project Twist-It on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNLum6yi4QnBbQf0HF_ojdwPro-Publica Report - 25 Billionaires Pay Fraction in Taxes:https://www.propublica.org/article/the-secret-irs-files-trove-of-never-before-seen-records-reveal-how-the-wealthiest-avoid-income-taxhttps://www.propublica.org/article/how-we-calculated-the-true-tax-rates-of-the-wealthiestUrban Institute report on poverty rate: https://www.urban.org/research/publication/2021-poverty-projections-assessing-impact-benefits-and-stimulus-measures Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Laverne introduces us to her opera singing teacher of 25 years, the celebrated opera lecturer, Metropolitan Opera Broadcast co-host and retired diva, Ira Siff. Ira is the creator of La Gran Scena, the all-male cross-dressed opera troupe that performed internationally for over 20 years to much critical acclaim with a cult-like following. Ira was the prima donna of La Gran Scena as his diva alter ego, Madame Vera Galupe-Borszkh. Vera was an amalgamation of the most famous opera stars of the 20th century. As Vera, Ira toed the line between spoof and adoring tribute with a thoughtfulness that earned La Gran Scena the praise and patronage of the very same opera stars Scena lovingly spoofed. Known for his lectures and the approachable manner in which he talks about opera, Ira breaks down opera history while telling stories of growing up as an “opera queen” in New York, and the insane fandom of diva worship. //Glossary of Opera Terminology:Aria: A self-contained piece for a singer, or “solo.” In opera, arias mostly appear during a pause in dramatic action when a character is reflecting on their emotions. // Bel Canto: An Italian vocal technique or “school” developed and popularized in the 18th and 19th centuries. It places emphasis on beauty of sound and brilliance of performance rather than dramatic expression and romantic emotion. // Coloratura: Elaborate ornamentation of a vocal melody, especially in operatic singing by a soprano. // Falsetto: A method of singing used by male singers, especially tenors, to sing notes higher than their normal range. // Forte: A musical direction that means “loud.” // Legato: (adj.) Smooth and flowing in manner, without breaks between notes. // Libretto: The text of an opera (or other vocal work). // Lucia: Short for “Lucia di Lammermoor,” a famous opera work by Gaetano Donezetti. //Ornaments (ornamentation): Musical flourishes or embellishments (such as a trill or a slide) that are not essential to carry the overall line of the melody, but serve instead to decorate or “ornament” that line. // Pianissimo: A soft performance, played or sung quietly. // The Met: The Metropolitan Opera House in New York. //Tosca: A famous opera by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. //Traviata: Short for “La Traviata,” a famous opera by Giuseppe Verde. La Traviata also goes by the name “Camille” in English, which was the title of the book that inspired it. //  Verismo: An operatic genre that attempts to portray the world with greater realism. It came about in the 19th century and often focuses on subject matter that was not previously fit for opera, such as the life of the poor. // Wagner/Wagnerian: Richard Wagner was one of the most famous Opera composers of all time. He lived during the 19th century. Notable operas include: Tristan und Isolde, Die Walküre, Lohengrin. //Famous Opera Divas // Joan Sutherland, active from 1947 - 1990. // Maria Callas, active from 1945 - 1965. //Renata Scotto, active from 1952 - 2002. //Leontyne Price, active from 1952 - 1997. //Leonie Rysanek, active from 1959 - 1996. // Montserrat Caballé, active from 1956 - 2018. //Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. //As always, stay in the love. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There truly is no better person to discuss spiritual matters with than the delightfully foul-mouthed Reverend Valerie Spencer, therapist, activist and creator of Holistic Empowerment Institute. After an epiphany while meditating on the beach, Valerie decided to “take the God out,” which she explains. Now she specializes in healing that goes beyond physical and mental health. Valerie makes spiritual and relational healing approachable while drawing from a mélange of religious, ethno-spiritual, and academic traditions. Valerie’s awareness of her connection to her anointed trans ancestors is a history lesson not to be missed. //Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. //As always, stay in the love.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is about addressing misinformation, educating, and correcting the record. Right wing media has gone largely unchecked making false claims, distorting statistics, and outright lying primarily about gender-affirming care for trans kids and trans women and girls in sports. The mean-spirited outcry has led to legislators quoting this media and bills becoming very real laws intended to extinguish transgender people. 2021 has seen the highest number of state bills presented and passed in the last 10 years. But the danger of these bills isn’t just for transgender people. These laws potentially affect the privacy and bodily autonomy of all kids, especially girls. //Chase Strangio is Deputy Director for Transgender Justice with the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project and a nationally recognized expert on transgender rights. He has been on the frontlines defending trans rights and tells us what is happening in our nation’s courtrooms. //Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. //As always, stay in the love. // References and Resources: Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort Study in Sweden:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0016885 // The Trevor Project National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2020:https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2020/?section=Introduction // Legislative Tracker: Anti-Transgender Legislation: https://freedomforallamericans.org/legislative-tracker/anti-transgender-legislation/ // Gavin Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board (Update):https://www.aclu.org/cases/grimm-v-gloucester-county-school-board // Contrapoints video titled "Pronouns" published Nov. 2, 2018 on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bbINLWtMKI Audio Clips:Clip 1 Bill Maher August 6, 2021, HBO, speaks to Donna de Varona; Maher misstates that 2021 was the first year trans folks have been able to compete in the Olympics. We have been eligible since 2004.// Clip 2 The Ben Shapiro Show, July 18, 2021 via YouTube; Shapiro and Neil deGrasse Tyson discuss how the use of "science" can impede freedoms and liberty for some, (7:44-8:04) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w89etN8QqNQ// Clip 3 Bill Maher August 6, 2021 HBO; Maher conflates sex assigned at birth with gender identity.// Clip 4 Blaire White's YouTube channel January 10, 2018 titled: "Debate: Ben Shapiro and Blair White.” (10:56-11:06), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbTwoLah2VY// Clip 5 Joe Rogan and Ben Shapiro; Joe Rogan Experience August 2, 2017 via YouTube; Taken from The Joe Rogan Experience 993; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdjdNgvF42o// Clip 6 Tucker Carlson, Fox News via YouTube, May 25, 2021; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YbRNgBg9Og Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Dr. Joe Dispenza shares with us techniques to heal the body through meditation. When Joe was a young man he had his spine crushed in a biking accident. Doctors told him that without invasive surgery he may never walk again. Defying the odds, he was able to rebuild his spine in just a few short months using nothing but his thoughts. Since then, he’s devoted his life to the healing potential of the mind-body connection. // Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. //As always, stay in the love. //References:Dr. Joe Dispenza website: drjoedispenza.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris is changing the way governments think about and treat mental health. As the founder of the Center for Youth Wellness, she pioneered a system for evaluating Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in order to treat the physical symptoms of childhood trauma. Now, in her role as California’s first Surgeon General, she’s bringing that system to doctor’s offices across the state. Her goal is to integrate mental health evaluations into your regular physicals and check-ups— especially for kids. In this episode, her and Laverne discuss the effects of toxic stress and the challenges involved in addressing mental health on a systemic level. // Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. //As always, stay in the love. //References:Take the ACE test and learn more: https://numberstory.org/Nadine Burke Harris TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/nadine_burke_harris_how_childhood_trauma_affects_health_across_a_lifetime?language=enCenter for Youth Wellness: https://centerforyouthwellness.org/  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We get way more from our ancestors than our height, nose or personality. We absorb life lessons that have been passed down from generation to generation. But what if those life lessons were first learned while trying to survive slavery? What if those skills are now more harmful than helpful and we don’t even know what we’re doing? Psychologist, social worker, researcher and teacher Dr. Joy DeGruy explains how descendants of slaves are more connected to their ancestors than they realize. But simple awareness can heal. // Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. // As always, stay in the love. // References:Dr. Joy DeGruy 10-Week Course:(https://www.joydegruy.com/online-course)Georgia Daycare Accused of Racism After 'Making Black Kids Wait to Eat'(https://www.newsweek.com/georgia-daycare-accused-racism-after-making-black-kids-wait-eat-1583051)San Francisco Supervisor Trolls ‘Karens’ Who Call Cops on People of Color for No Reason With ‘CAREN Act’(https://www.thedailybeast.com/san-francisco-supervisor-trolls-karens-who-call-police-on-people-of-color-for-no-reason-with-caren-act) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laverne, like many of us, struggles with self-criticism. She says it comes from a place of trying to protect herself, but in reality, it can be more debilitating than helpful. Dr. Kristin Neff is a professor and a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research. In this episode, she gives us tools to be more kind to ourselves—- which does not mean being easy on ourselves. Dr. Kristin Neff recently released a book entitled Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power and Thrive. Using concepts from Buddhism and informed by her research, she has a message for all of us about how being kind is not always about being nice. //Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. //As always, stay in the love. //References:Kristin Neff’s Website (https://self-compassion.org/)Kristin Neff's Books (https://www.amazon.com/Kristin-Neff/e/B004DM0CVS) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warning: Please be aware this episode discusses targeted violence and may be triggering for some, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community.If you can understand the cause of something, you can fix it, right? Don’t treat the symptoms; treat the disease. Laverne talks with award-winning forensic psychologist Dr. Karen Franklin about why transgender people, especially women, are so often targeted in violent hate crimes; the role of religion; and if offender reform is possible. What is the psychology of the person who attacks, or even kills, someone just for being trans or gay or gender nonconforming? Fear is a powerful force and the sources of fear are far and wide. Fear is in our human nature as a survival tool and fear is nurtured by people in power. Now, how do we end the violence? //Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. //As always, stay in the love. //Resources:Forensic Psychologist Dr. Karen Franklin: (https://www.karenfranklin.com/resources/violence-against-transgender-people/) //The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives: (https://www.amazon.com/57-Bus-Story-Teenagers-Changed/dp/0374303231) //Vawnet.org - an online resource library of gender-based violence: (https://vawnet.org/sc/serving-trans-and-non-binary-survivors-domestic-and-sexual-violence/violence-against-trans-and) //National Center for Transgender Equality: (https://transequality.org/issues/resources/responding-hate-crimes-community-resource-manual) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are your dating preferences? Do you prefer a certain ethnicity or race over another? What does it mean to have this sort of preference and where does it come from? Sociologist and social worker Sarah Adeyinka-Skold's latest research involved interviewing Black women about the unique difficulties they experience dating on and offline. In this episode, she and Laverne breakdown how the structures of white supremacy and patriarchy imprint themselves onto our dating habits. //Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. //As always, stay in the love. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Cornel West, renowned professor and philosopher, and one of the greatest American orators alive speaks with Laverne about what it means to be a love warrior. “Justice is what love looks like in public just like tenderness is what love feels like in private,” is a Cornel West quote that Laverne repeats so often people mistakenly attribute it to her. In this conversation they discuss the resiliency of the Black spirit, how to hold our institutions accountable, and how to be a wounded healer instead of a joy crusher. //Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. //As always, stay in the love. // Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laverne visits with one of her idols and sources of inspiration Tracey ‘Africa’ Norman to talk about her dramatic career in fashion in the 70s and 80s. Norman became a trailblazer when she was chosen as the first Black woman on a box of Clairol hair color in 1975. This was momentous for the entire Black community. It was also momentous for the transgender community, but nobody knew it then. Tracey had been assigned male at birth. She came up in the days of secrecy, but she’s open now and finally sharing her historic story. //Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. //As always, stay in the love. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Wendy Walsh, psychologist, author, radio and podcast host, explains just how important our first three years on earth are to the relationships we have over the rest of our lives. There’s this thing called Attachment Theory and it’s based on what happened to us as tiny little beings (thanks, Mom and Dad). As always, there’s hope. Regardless of your personal circumstances, there are definitely ways to rise above! //Dr. Wendy Walsh is the author of three books on love and is the writer and host of the podcast Mating Matters. She also hosts a live radio show in Los Angeles (KFIAM 640) all about relationships. //Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal.As always, stay in the love. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dating as a trans woman can be complicated, frustrating and even dangerous. Longtime friend, actress and writer Jen Richards, joins Laverne for a very candid truth-only conversation. Together they dish on what they have learned over the years, like why some men are attracted to trans women and why so many men have a hard time being honest about their attraction. Of course they go deep, and Jen shares what she thinks is the biggest kept secret about trans women, opens up about why she thought she could never be loved, and then shares her amazing news. Get the tissues. //You might know Jen Richards from her Emmy nominated short series, Her Story. You can also see her in the HBO series, Mrs. Fletcher, and in the Netflix documentary Disclosure, which was executive produced by Laverne. Currently she can be seen on the CBS primetime thriller Clarice. // Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this powerful episode, Laverne talks with Richard Rothstein, the author of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. Rothstein breaks down how the government implemented housing policies in order to segregate Black people primarily in the 1930s and 50s. Though many decades ago, the effects are as present as ever in the education gap, income gap, wealth gap, and “slums.” As violations of the Constitution, it is a requirement to correct past injustices. //INFO:New Movement to Redress Racial SegregationEmail to Get Involved: carrie@nmrrs.org //Richard Rothstein is a Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Policy Institute and a Senior Fellow (emeritus) at the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. //Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal.As always, stay in the love. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laverne speaks with Kevin Allred, author, scholar, speaker, who came on the pop culture radar when he started teaching a university course on Beyonce back in 2010. It’s called Politicizing Beyonce, with a syllabus composed entirely of black feminist writers. It’s his mission to facilitate conversations that disrupt America’s racist and heterocentrist status quo by studying America through the eyes of female Black artists and intellectuals, like Beyonce. He draws connections through history and asks us to take a different perspective. His class has been adapted into a best-selling book, Ain’t I a Diva, available at The Feminist Press. //Kevin Allred’s TwitterKevin’s Website Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was the fall of 2017 when the MeToo Movement exploded. It seemed every woman on social media was typing #MeToo. The reality of how many people had experienced some sort of sexual harassment, assault or other violence shocked nearly everyone. MeToo was the charge that galvanized millions of survivors and allies around the world. MeToo = You Are Not Alone.The founder of the MeToo Movement, Tarana J. Burke, talks with Laverne about how the narrative has changed from focusing on the survivors to focusing on the guilty and how she’s working on reclaiming the original intent of the message. //Links:Book: You Are Your Best ThingWe, as OurselvesTime's UpPlease rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal.As always, stay in the love. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Laverne Cox Show will return from its brief hiatus in May! Just a few guests lined up are activist and MeToo creator Tarana Burke on reclaiming the movement; award-winning author, educator, and musician Kevin Allred on politicizing Beyonce; and researcher and academic Richard Rothstein on the roots of housing inequality in America. //Thank you for listening to The Laverne Cox Show! Please rate, review, subscribe and share with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are not enough words to describe Ts Madison. Bold. Brash. Outrageous. Loud. Colorful. Savvy. But first and foremost Entrepreneur. Ts is an openly transgender entertainer who learned young how to hustle and make that coin. She learned business the hard way as a sex worker, but her head for business, marketing and promotion has led her to mainstream television. She is the first openly transgender person to have her own reality TV show. You can watch “The Ts Madison Experience” on WE TV. She and Laverne have SO much to talk about. //Please rate, review, subscribe and share with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal.As always, stay in the love. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beauty. What is it? Who has it and who doesn’t. Does it really matter? Sure, everyone would probably like to be “beautiful” if given a choice, but does it actually matter? Kimberly Foster says yes. Actually she says hell, yes. The way a person is perceived in the world affects everything from job security to healthcare, which means there are real consequences for anyone brave enough to push back and opt out of the high heels, slinky dresses and eyelash extensions. //Kimberly Foster is a writer, cultural critic and founder and editor-in-chief of For Harriet, a multi-platform digital community for Black women. For Harriet was founded in 2010. The site has been featured in the New York Times, ESSENCE, Forbes and Huffington Post. // https://www.youtube.com/user/ForHarrietdotcom Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jennifer Burton Flier is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice and a senior faculty member with Trauma Resource Institute (TRI). She is also certified in Brene Brown’s Daring Way and Rising Strong models. The Community Resiliency Model she teaches with TRI focuses on stabilizing the nervous system when we are under stress or triggered by traumatic events. Jennifer says learning some simple concepts about the body and brain can reduce our stress responses, creating more balance and ease in our daily lives. //More about Jennifer at www.jenniferburtonmft.comMore about TRI at www.traumaresourceinstitute.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alok Vaid-Menon, also known simply as ALOK, joins Laverne for an inside perspective on what it means to live in the world as a person who does not belong on either side of the traditional gender binary - meaning strictly male or female. ALOK (they/them) is a gender non-conforming writer and performance artist. As a mixed-media artist ALOK explore themes of gender, race, trauma, belonging, and the human condition. They are the author of Femme in Public (2017) and Beyond the Gender Binary (2020). In 2019 they were honored as one of NBC’s Pride 50 and Out Magazine’s OUT 100. They have presented their work in more than 40 countries. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Writer, fat activist and podcast host Virgie Tovar teaches us about the roots of fatphobia and the many pitfalls of diet culture. She and Laverne cover everything from discrimination to health care, white supremacy and social policing. Even if you’ve never been on a diet a single day in your life, this is for you, too. Virgie Tovar is the author of You Have the Right to Remain Fat and The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color. She is a contributor for Forbes.com, where she covers the plus-size market and how to end weight-based discrimination at work. Her podcast, Rebel Eaters Club, investigates the North American relationship to food and body. Rebel Eaters Club podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rebel-eaters-club/id1495401238You Have the Right to Remain Fat audiobook:https://www.audible.com/pd/You-Have-the-Right-to-Remain-Fat-Audiobook/B08G1T4LGZThe Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Colorhttps://www.amazon.com/Self-Love-Revolution-Radical-Positivity-Solutions/dp/1684034116Babecamp: Break Up with Diet Culture E-Coursehttps://bodypositiveschool.teachable.com/p/babecamp  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professional dating coach and media personality Damona Hoffman takes Laverne’s questions on the best way to find a mate as a person over 40. Find out the top three challenges people face in the search for a partner, what to do about them, what we need to let go of along the way, why there's no such thing as a wasted relationship, and more. The romance pool changes as we age, but the guideposts to love stay the same. // You can find Damona Hoffman on Twitter/IG/FB @DamonaHoffman, DatesandMates.com, and The Dates & Mates with Damona Hoffman Podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the premier of The Laverne Cox Show, Laverne talks with one of her biggest influences, researcher, speaker, author and storyteller Dr. Brené Brown. They talk candidly and vulnerably (of course) about the state of the country and what we must do and *stop* doing to heal our current division. Spoiler alert: We are all humans.Dr. Brené Brown is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of five books including Dare to Lead, Braving the Wilderness and The Gifts of Imperfection. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Years ago, a therapist said in our very first session that there are only two things that we can truly control in our lives - our own perception and our own behavior. That's it. Nothing more than that.   Each week, The Laverne Cox Show will feature intimate conversations with folks who help me to see and think differently so that maybe I can act differently. It is my hope that this becomes a place that fosters perspectives that might inspire new behavior in each of us, which in turn gets us closer to becoming the very best versions of ourselves. Let's have a spiritual makeover together.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.