Laverne Cox To Be Honored At The Webby Awards For LGBTQ Advocacy

The "Orange Is The New Black" actress, Laverne Cox, has made strides in her career. She's constantly been an inspiration to trans women everywhere looking to break ground in their respective industries.

As the first trans woman of color to play a significant role in a movie and be nominated for that same role, Cox changed the game.

While her journey hasn't been so smooth, she has continued on a trailblazing path in Hollywood. She's moved from an Emmy nominee to a GLAAD, Time, Ebony, and Out honoree. She also made history by being the first trans woman to grace the Cosmopolitan cover. 

Cox is set to be honored at the upcoming 2022 Webby awards. Read on for more details.

The "OITNB" star is to be awarded the advocate of the year for her work around Black Trans lives and rights.

Per a statement from the Webby awards president via Variety, they honored her because she's been a consistent voice for trans people.

"Laverne Cox understands the true power of showing up by example. She is a clear, consistent, and powerful voice advocating in defense of Black trans lives, and we are so proud to recognize her as the 2022 Webby Advocate of the Year, selected by a committee chaired by the NAACP and IADAS."

The award will take place on May 16 and be hosted by comedian Roy Wood.

Apart from Cox, other celebrities to be honored include Drew Barrymore, Megan Thee Stallion, Adam Scott, Takashi Murakami, Anil Dash, and Kevin McCoy.

Previous Webby award winners include "The Laverne Cox Show," Savage x Fenty, "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend," Gordon Ramsay, Billie Eilish x Beat Saber for Oculus Quest 2, "The Roxanne Gay Agenda," "The Queen of Basketball," "The Problem With Jon Stewart," "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," and "Jimmy Kimmel Live! Mean Tweets." 

The Emmy-nominee, who doubles as an actress and director, made history by appearing on the cover of the Cosmopolitan magazine, South Africa February issue. The issue was Valentine-themed and focused on LGBTQ.

In a video interview following the magazine release, the actress spoke about her career and the ongoing struggle for relevance in a heteronormative world.

"As a black transgender woman, I've often been kept a secret by the men that I've dated," she began. "So when my ex-boyfriend introduced me to his dad and invited me to spend Hanukkah with him and his family, it was the most special thing ever."

She added, "Trans women deserve to be loved out in the open and in the light."  

The Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief for the South African issue said the magazine intended to break the heteronormative bias and ideas around Valentine's Day and love.

"Our goal was to play a small part in providing visibility for the LGBTQI+ community, of which Laverne has become a revolutionary icon," she concluded per HuffPost.

Before this, Cox had appeared in the US Cosmopolitan issue in 2016 while trying to promote her role in the TV series "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

The 49-year-old actress was at the virtual award ceremony to pick up her award for the best documentary, "Disclosure," which she produced.

"When I saw [director Sam Feder's] exhaustive research into the history of Hollywood's portrayals of trans people, I was completely blown away. I've always known that if we don't know our history, own that history, and fully internalize the lessons of that history - we are doomed to repeat it," Cox said in her award speech.

She continued with encouragement for trans people, "To the trans youth watching right now, we want you to know that you are anointed. That despite all of the attacks that might be happening against you, you are divine. You deserve to be here, and you are here for a reason. You must survive to fulfill that divine purpose. I love you all so much."

In 2021, the actress took to her social media to open up about the pressure to prove to be still sexy at 49. While she had previously assumed that her career would be long dead at 40, it was at that age that her career began to flourish with "OITNB."

"I've internalized all these ideas about how I'm supposed to look. It's a thing. I'm an actress, and I'm getting older."

She continued, "In our heads, we might have shame about something, and it's, like, terrible and awful, and no one really cares."

She also acknowledged how blessed she was to have fans who recognized her talents instead of seeing her age.

"Fans are hugely supportive, complimenting my looks, but also connecting with my perspective."