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Laverne Cox makes history

Laverne Cox is making news once again by being the first transgender women to be featured on the cover of ‘Cosmopolitan’.

“I am so honored and proud to cover the February issue of Cosmo,” Cox captioned on her Instagram post.

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This is not the first time the beautiful Laverne Cox has made headlines: in 2014, Cox became the first openly transgender Emmy nominee for her star role on the hit Netflix original TV series “Orange is the New Black.” She also became the first transgender person to cover ‘Time’ magazine. Cosmos cover showcases Cox wearing a sheer black swimsuit with an inspiring message for all young readers, “The truth shall set you free.”

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“Let go of fear and live a fun, fearless life, if I can do it, you can do it,” says Cox. Laverne Cox also pays tribute to 3 icons in the magazine such as Tina Turner, a rock and roll legend, saying, “The pain, pleasure and agony of all she's been through is in her voice. Her story is the same story as so many black women who’ve endured abuse and come out on the other side in such a brilliant and beautiful way.”

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Cox also paid tribute to Beyonce, the contemporary R&B queen, by stating, “Beyonce represents excellence. Her work ethic is like nobody else I had ever seen. There are so many times I’d be filming Rocky Horror and I’d be excused. My body would be hurting and I kept telling myself, ‘Beyonce does this you have to push through”, as well as Tracey Africa, a trailblazing model.  

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Cox said of Africa, “She was a black trans woman who modeled in the 70’s and had cosmetic deals and hair contract with Clairol, it was a big deal. People think ‘oh, this trans thing is revolutionary’, however, we’ve been around for a very long time. It’s important to know that there has been a path blazed for me.”

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Cosmopolitan South Africa’s #SayYesToLove issue is set to come out right on time for Valentine's day, February 2018. The magazine will also feature many other LGBT celebrities and activists. “Our goal was to play a small part in providing visibility for the LGBT+ community, of which Laverne has become a revolutionary icon,” says Holly Meadows, editor-in-chief at cosmopolitan South Africa.

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“Trans women deserve to be loved out in the open and in the light,” says Cox. The star also gave recognition to her fellow trans influencers and role models, such as Andreja Pejic and Hari Nef: “Thanks to trans models like @andrejapejic @harinef and more who are changing beauty standards and breaking barriers for trans folks on the covers of fashion magazines all over the world.”

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The front cover of the magazine has also gotten mega support by a ton of famous friends on twitter. “Congrats @Lavernecox on becoming cosmos first-ever openly trans CoverGirl!! You look amazing, sis,” James Michael said in a tweet. “I’m hoping this new issue of @CosmopolitanSA signals a turning point for magazines, especially here. Exclusively and understanding should always be a season,” Post Malume tweeted. We can predict these magazines will not be on the stands that long, so make sure to reserve a magazine before they are all gone. Watch out, February, this is going to be a hot one.

01/30/2018

By Tresslyn Froehlich, Contributing Writer

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