--- title: Transgender Rights History Told by Laverne Cox: Watch VIDEO description: In a video with the ACLU, the actor recounts the movement's history, which continues despite bathroom bills and Trump's military ban tweets canonical: https://time.com/4894647/trans-transgender-rights-video/ author: Laverne Cox article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-08-10T17:00:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:28:13.858Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Watch Laverne Cox Tell the Story of the Fight for Transgender Rights og:description: 'Time marches on, and so do we' og:url: https://time.com/4894647/trans-transgender-rights-video/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4dbb7e79a535b923/6988d93bfb4eac057289340f/laverne-cox-aclu-trans-transgender-rights-military-ban-trump.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2407 og:image:height: 1354 og:image:alt: Laverne Cox, ACLU on the fight for transgender rights og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Watch Laverne Cox Tell the Story of the Fight for Transgender Rights twitter:description: 'Time marches on, and so do we' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4dbb7e79a535b923/6988d93bfb4eac057289340f/laverne-cox-aclu-trans-transgender-rights-military-ban-trump.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Laverne Cox Will Show You the Long, Intense Fight for Transgender Rights > Sponsored content. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=e339cb24-4b8a-49ad-b255-0a243d4a3702&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Laverne Cox Will Show You the Long, Intense Fight for Transgender Rights [Watch (HLS stream): Laverne Cox Will Show You the Long, Intense Fight for Transgender Rights](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/tfCdqzk6.m3u8) (3:57)  _Published 2017-08-09. Narrated by Laverne Cox and illustrated by Molly Crabapple_ by [Laverne Cox](https://time.com/author/laverne-cox/), [Molly Crabapple](https://time.com/author/molly-crabapple/), [Zackary Drucker](https://time.com/author/zackary-drucker/), [Chase Strangio](https://time.com/author/chase-strangio/), [Kim Boekbinder](https://time.com/author/kim-boekbinder/) and [Jim Batt](https://time.com/author/jim-batt/) Aug 10, 2017 5:00 PM UTC by [Laverne Cox](https://time.com/author/laverne-cox/), [Molly Crabapple](https://time.com/author/molly-crabapple/), [Zackary Drucker](https://time.com/author/zackary-drucker/), [Chase Strangio](https://time.com/author/chase-strangio/), [Kim Boekbinder](https://time.com/author/kim-boekbinder/) and [Jim Batt](https://time.com/author/jim-batt/) Aug 10, 2017 5:00 PM UTC Every day, people question why we advocate for trans rights. “How many trans people are there, really?” we are asked. Or, “Isn’t this just a new niche issue that serves as a distraction from the issues that _really_ matter?” But trans people have always existed, and our lives have always mattered. And though we have and continue to face rampant discrimination, so too have we built beautiful communities and movements of resistance and love. Through a collaborative video from the ACLU, _Transparent_ producer and artist [Zackary Drucker](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/magazine/how-two-producers-of-transparent-are-making-trans-lives-more-visible-starting-with-their-own.html), Emmy-nominated actress [Laverne Cox](http://www.lavernecox.com/) and the creative team of [Molly Crabapple](https://mollycrabapple.com/) and [Kim Boekbinder](http://www.kimboekbinder.com/), we are telling the story of trans history and resistance. This video comes on the heels of the President’s [tweets](https://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-freely/three-tweets-president-trump-cruelly-threatens-trans-service-members-rank) seeking to ban transgender individuals from military service and in the midst of [continued legislative efforts](https://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-freely/lawmakers-texas-are-returning-capitol-more-anti-trans-discrimination) in states like Texas to ban transgender individuals from public restrooms. The consequences of this discrimination from our government are deadly. In [one comprehensive survey](http://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/Executive%20Summary%20-%20FINAL%201.6.17.pdf) of over 27,000 transgender individuals in 2015, almost one in three respondents reported living in poverty, over half reported being denied health care related to their gender transition, one of every four indicated that they did not seek medical attention at all due to fear of discrimination and more than three of every four reported experiencing harassment in school because they were trans, ultimately leading to 17% of respondents dropping out of secondary school altogether. All of this contributes to a cycle of discrimination and violence that leads to [homelessness](https://srlp.org/resources/flow-chart-disproportionate-poverty/), [incarceration](https://srlp.org/resources/flow-chart-disproportionate-incarceration/) and ultimately, for many — [particularly trans women of color](https://thinkprogress.org/trans-women-of-color-are-grieving-and-ignored-6b5b518dcfa/) — premature death. Indeed, at least [15 trans people](https://www.advocate.com/crime/2017/8/02/georgia-woman-becomes-15th-known-trans-murder-victim-2017), almost all women of color, have been murdered so far this year in the United States. And two of every five American trans people attempt suicide at least once in their life. Without accurate information about trans people, our lives and our rich histories, the impulse to push us out of public life will continue. But we continue to tell our vivid, vibrant and critical story of trans resistance. Time marches forward, and so do we. _—Chase Strangio_ ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] On a hot night in June 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York. But this time rather than be arrested the queens and street kids fought back. Back. The riots that ensued are considered the beginning of the LGBTQ movement in America. But, the movement has much deeper roots. Three years before stonewalled in August 1966, trans people at Compton's Cafeteria in San Francisco also rioted against the police. Late at night when trans people congregated there, police would routinely harass them in their sanctuary. But on this night, led by trans women and friends of color, the community resisted. Similar but lesser known uprisings occurred in Los Angeles at Cooper's Donuts in 1959 and at The Black Cat in 1967. And in Philadelphia at Dewey's restaurant in 1965. There are probably many other such events to be uncovered, that remind us of our courageous history of resisting institutionalized bullying and oppression. In the decades that followed, trans people largely remained in the shadows, quietly contributing to society. Our community was still denied employment, housing, healthcare and legal protection, essentially the basic right to live. Yet even when they were criminalized by anti- cross dressing and anti- loitering laws, Transcestors, including Miss Major, Marsha P Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Flawless Sabrina survived. They all spent time in jail because they dared to be themselves when our society made it a crime to deviate from gender norms. But time marched forward, and so did they, passing along their survival strategies. And today, trans people are more visible than ever Though our lives and bodies are sometimes celebrated, we remain more often targeted. In school, harassment often forces trans students to drop out. Federal and state government's act as bullies too. Now ascending guidance to schools on how to protect trans students and passing harmful laws banning trans students from common restrooms. Epidemics of homelessness HIV and incarceration, constraining the survival opportunities for trans women of color. The murder rate of trans women of color increases with every passing year. Rather than invest in our survival, the new administration has attempted to both literally and figuratively delete us and has ignored requests to investigate the escalating violence against us. Only 18 states explicitly and comprehensively protect trans people from discrimination, many other state law makers are focused at targeting us for more discrimination. In 2017 law makers in 22 states introduced more than 50 bills restricting the rights of trans people. Even as these law makers signal that we are not worthy of protection we persevere. This device had already spent years in dark places wrestling with our truth dealing ashamed of who we are. But when we manage to survive and even to love our selves, we are stronger than ever. thrice these law makers cannot erase this. Our rights would be heard one But we are winning. Our community is resilient and our history of resistance runs deep. Following in the footsteps of Flawless, Major, Sylvia, Marcia. We fight back the way they did. We take care of each other. We tell our stories and we demand justice. Join the fight, in court, in state legislature, in the streets. In the voting booths. Resistance is our birth right. [ UNKNOWN ] From our elders. We carry the lessons of Cooper, Stonewall, Compton's and the many strategies that continue to give us hope and life. We have always existed and we will continue to fight until we are all safe and free. 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