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Laverne Cox Makes History as First Transgender Barbie Doll

Many powerful moves have been made by celebrities and companies alike to support the LGBTQ community.

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And now, Laverne Cox has made history as the first transgender Barbie doll.

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It’s a moment we’ve all been waiting for.

Now, for those who don’t know Laverne, she’s most commonly known for her role as Sophia Burset in the Netflix series Orange Is The New Black.

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The actress has done a lot for the space in the transgender community.

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In the television series Orange Is The New Black, Laverne famously comprised her role as a transgender prisoner of the female prison. We see flashbacks where Sophia, Laverne’s character, is at home with her wife and children before she begins her transition into a woman. We are shown the support that her wife gives to her then-husband, Marcus, by allowing space for Sophia Burset to be created. Laverne’s role for many was, and is sensational, reportedly winning 4 Emmy nominations.

She was even the first transgender woman to appear on Time Magazine’s cover and have a waxwork installed in Madame Tussauds.

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But, Laverne has also spoken out about the difficulty she has had in being a transgender woman and being as transparent as she could be with the world.

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According to The BBC, in 2020, Laverne posted to her Instagram expressing an incident she had just experienced in Los Angeles. In the video, she explained that as a man approached Laverne, who was with a friend, he began asking the actress’ friend whether Laverne was a man or a woman. The star then said the man physically attacked her friend due to her not answering his question.

 “The guy really wanted me to answer so that he could spook whether I’m trans or not. I don’t know why it matters. At the end of the day, it’s like who cares?” she said.

Nevertheless, even with heartbreaking experiences such as the one Laverne opened up about…

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She hasn’t shied away from her truly incredible personality. And that’s why the world is thrilled to hear that the actress will be the toy company Mattel’s first-ever rendition of a transgender Barbie doll, as per UniLad.

People took to Twitter to celebrate the moment, with one person writing:
“The world is finally progressing we love to see it!” and another saying “SLAY BAEE, I’M GOING TO BUY.”

Laverne herself even talked to Page 6 about the exciting news.

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“I can’t wait for fans to find my doll on shelves and have the opportunity to add a Barbie doll modeled after a transgender person to their collection,” she said.

“I can’t believe it. I love her outfit,” she continued. Laverne explained that she thinks this is an amazing progression for the world of children, too, saying: “There’s hope and possibility for them to be themselves.”

And as Laverne recognizes that this move will help many other children, she told TODAY how much it would have meant to her as a child.

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According to Page 6, she experienced “a lot of shame and trauma,” as a result of her mom refusing to let her play with the Barbie dolls she wanted to play with. But, as an adult, her mom realized that it was exactly what Laverne needed, and gifted her with a Barbie Doll after her therapist told her that there was “a little kid” living within the star.

“Turning 50 years old and being transgender and having a Barbie in my life, that feels just like a full-circle kind of healing moment,” the actress said.

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We’re so happy for you, Laverne. And we hope this gives people the courage to be themselves.