You know her as Sophia Burset or the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy in an acting category. She's a powerhouse. But the story of Laverne Cox before transitioning isn't just some "before and after" tabloid trope; it’s a heavy, complex narrative about a kid in Mobile, Alabama, trying to survive a world that wasn't ready for her.
She was born in 1972. Mobile wasn't exactly a progressive utopia back then.
Growing up, Laverne and her twin brother, M. Lamar, were raised by a single mother and their grandmother. It was a strict, religious household. Honestly, the environment was pretty intense. By third grade, Laverne was already facing severe bullying because she didn't act the way people expected a "boy" to act. She liked dance. She had a certain flair. This led to a really dark period where, at just 11 years old, she attempted to take her own life because the shame felt like too much to carry. It’s a heartbreaking detail, but it’s vital for understanding the resilience she carries today.
The Reality of Laverne Cox Before Transitioning and the Alabama Years
People often look for a specific "lightbulb moment" when discussing trans icons, but for Laverne, it was more of a slow, painful realization met with external resistance. In Alabama, the pressure to conform was relentless. She has often spoken about how she was chased home from school by groups of kids.
She was a creative soul. Always.
Even before she lived her truth as a woman, she was an artist. She started out studying creative writing before switching to dance. Think about that for a second. A kid from a working-class background in the South, fighting through the 80s and early 90s, just trying to find a stage where they could be seen. She eventually made her way to the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham. This was a turning point. It was the first time she was around "theater people" and "art kids" who didn't look at her like she was a problem to be solved.
👉 See also: Jaden Newman Leaked OnlyFans: What Most People Get Wrong
Still, the internal struggle was massive.
Moving to New York and the Club Scene
When Laverne moved to New York City to attend Marymount Manhattan College, everything shifted. New York in the 90s was a different beast. It was gritty, loud, and—most importantly—full of people who lived in the margins. This is where the concept of Laverne Cox before transitioning starts to blur into the woman we know now.
She started hanging out in the East Village club scene. This is a huge piece of her history.
- She met drag queens.
- She met trans women who were living their lives out loud, even if it was dangerous.
- She began to experiment with gender expression in ways that Alabama never would have allowed.
- She realized that the "femininity" she had been punished for as a child was actually her greatest strength.
It wasn't an overnight thing. She didn't just wake up one day and have everything figured out. She’s talked about how she "medicated" her feelings with the nightlife for a while. But the city gave her a mirror. For the first time, she saw people who looked like how she felt inside.
The Career Grind and Early Screen Appearances
Before Orange Is the New Black changed the landscape of television in 2013, Laverne was a working actor and reality TV personality struggling to make ends meet. A lot of people forget she was on a show called I Want to Work for Diddy back in 2008.
✨ Don't miss: The Fifth Wheel Kim Kardashian: What Really Happened with the Netflix Comedy
She was a standout. Obviously.
But even then, she was navigating a media industry that was incredibly transphobic. People used the wrong pronouns constantly. The "bits" on reality TV were often designed to mock gender non-conformity. Yet, Laverne stood her ground with a level of grace that most of us couldn't muster. She then produced and starred in her own show, TRANSform Me, making her the first African-American trans person to produce and star in her own TV show.
This era is fascinating because you can see her becoming the advocate she is today. She wasn't just looking for fame; she was looking for a way to make the world safer for the next kid in Mobile.
Why the "Before" Narrative Matters
There's a tendency in media to want to "deadname" or dig up old photos of trans people to satisfy some weird curiosity. That’s not what this is about. Understanding the journey of Laverne Cox before transitioning matters because it highlights the systemic barriers that exist.
She didn't have "trans role models" on TV.
She didn't have a roadmap.
She had to build the road while she was walking on it.
🔗 Read more: Erik Menendez Height: What Most People Get Wrong
When she finally got the role of Sophia Burset, her twin brother actually played the character in the flashback scenes before the character transitioned. This was a brilliant move by the showrunners because it respected Laverne's journey and provided a realistic portrayal without resorting to bad makeup or "man in a dress" tropes that have historically plagued Hollywood. It showed the humanity of the person behind the "transition" headline.
Lessons from the Journey
So, what do we actually take away from the life of Laverne Cox? It’s not just a "success story." It’s a blueprint for authenticity.
First, she proves that your past doesn't define your destination, but it definitely informs your strength. The bullying she faced in Alabama didn't break her—it gave her the empathy to speak for those who are currently being bullied. Second, she highlights the importance of finding your "tribe." She didn't blossom until she got to New York and found a community that reflected her truth back at her.
Lastly, she’s a reminder that "making it" usually takes decades. She was in her 40s when she became a household name. In a world obsessed with 20-year-old influencers, her path is a testament to the long game.
If you’re looking to support the community or learn more about the history Laverne helped write, there are a few things you can do right now.
- Read The Transgender Studies Reader. It sounds academic, but if you want to understand the intellectual framework behind the movement Laverne leads, it’s a goldmine.
- Watch the documentary Disclosure on Netflix. Laverne executive produced it, and it’s basically a masterclass on how Hollywood has depicted trans people—mostly badly—over the last century.
- Support local organizations like the Gage-Simms Society or the Marsha P. Johnson Institute. National orgs are great, but the real work often happens in the streets of cities like the one Laverne grew up in.
- Listen more than you speak. When people share their journey of transition, believe them the first time.
Laverne Cox didn't just transition her gender; she transitioned the way the world views an entire demographic. She took the pain of a kid in Mobile and turned it into a platform that changed the Emmys, the covers of TIME magazine, and the lives of countless people who finally felt seen because she refused to disappear.