We Are Better Together
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I have been hearing a lot of buzz about the recently released documentary Disclosure on Netflix…..have you watched it yet?? I just finished watching and wow...I would definitely say it is a must watch!
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Lavern Cox, who was one of my favs from Orange is the New Black, was interviewed in the documentary but she was also the executive producer! Since seeing Lavern on OITNB, I have of course continued to follow her on insta--her smile is unmatchable and her Lavern dance videos (with a fan blowing back her gorgeous locks of course) always brings me a little joy!
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I learned about Lavern through OITNB. That role led her to be the first openly transgender actress to be nominated for a primetime acting Emmy! Along with this achievement she is also a three-time Emmy nominated actress, an Emmy-winning documentary film producer and an equal rights advocate. She has also appeared on the covers of Time, Cosmopolitan, Vogue and Essence magazines. Her message is to move beyond gender expectations to live more authentically.
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Watching the film Disclosure -- which again, I highly recommend -- I continue to be impressed by Lavern! Me - being a white, CIS female, I don’t have the experiences that these individuals have had. I didn’t understand their battles. I know that I will never fully understand but I also know that knowledge is key! I am so grateful for this documentary, along with others I have been recently educating myself with. They have provided views from the perspective of the minority in order to share the full picture.
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Over the past few months, I have realized there are so many issues I need to be more knowledgeable about. I have recently learned so much about how the media has shaped the views of Americans, myself included, but these views are majority one sided. It is so important to highlight the stories that are told by those who are minority. To hear the story of a transgender woman through a trangender woman - that is why the documentary Disclosure is so informative and important. I’ll say it once more, I would 100% recommend this documentary to everyone!
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I am sure that Lavern has been an inspiration to so many individuals! I think it is so powerful the journey she has been through and has continued to persevere and see success. Let us continue to applaud her journey while encouraging the world to be more inclusive!
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In order to better the world we must learn, we must allow our views to change as we learn new information, we must listen, and we must act against injustices!
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I also wanted to include a few excerpts from an article I read from the New York Times:
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“While L.G.B.T.Q. people have secured many legal rights and protections, black transgender women are still killed so often that the American Medical Association has declared it an epidemic. Last year, 91 percent of the transgender or gender-nonconforming people who were fatally shot were black women, according to the Human Rights Campaign. This year, at least 16 trans people have been killed — almost certainly an underestimate, because many cases go unreported and many victims are misgendered."
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"Calls to redistribute police funding to education and public housing could benefit black transgender people, who because of widespread transphobia have some of the highest rates of homelessness and unemployment in the country. More than one in four transgender people have lost a job because of bias, and more than three-fourths have experienced workplace discrimination, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality."
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