The Laverne Cox Show

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.

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.

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.