Orange is the New Black actress Laverne Cox made history as the first transgender person to grace the cover of Time in the magazine’s June 9 issue.
She spoke to the magazine on her experience growing up and living as a transgendered woman for the magazine’s cover story entitled “The Transgender Tipping Point.”
“There’s not just one trans story. There’s not just one trans experience,” Cox told Time magazine. “If someone needs to express their gender in a way that is different, that is okay.”
In the interview, Cox details growing up in Alabama with her mother and twin brother (who plays Sophia before her transition on Orange is the New Black) and being bullied for her feminine appearance. The actress also reveals her suspicions, beginning as early as the third grade, that she was transgender, reports TV Guide.
In support of Cox, Ellen DeGeneres tweeted a congratulatory message stating “@LaverneCox is the first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine. It’s about Time.”
.@LaverneCox is the first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine. It's about Time.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) May 29, 2014
The second season of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black premieres Friday, June 6.