--- 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: 2026-04-30T11:03:02.334Z 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. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=f00de39c-bf32-4c34-b60a-3a6326980bf6&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 430,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 50.7% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=f00de39c-bf32-4c34-b60a-3a6326980bf6&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=f00de39c-bf32-4c34-b60a-3a6326980bf6&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. It reaches 430,000 subscribers with a 50.7% open rate as of August 2026. #### 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. 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  Courtesy of the ACLU 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_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4894647/trans-transgender-rights-video/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4894647/trans-transgender-rights-video/"},"headline":"Laverne Cox Will Show You the Long, Intense Fight for Transgender Rights","datePublished":"2017-08-10T17:00:32.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-30T11:03:02.334Z","description":"'Time marches on, and so do we'","url":"https://time.com/4894647/trans-transgender-rights-video/","keywords":["Civil Rights","gender","Transgender"],"thumbnailUrl":"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=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Laverne Cox","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/laverne-cox/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Molly Crabapple","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/molly-crabapple/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Zackary Drucker","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/zackary-drucker/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Chase Strangio","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/chase-strangio/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Kim Boekbinder","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/kim-boekbinder/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Jim Batt","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/jim-batt/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"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=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Laverne Cox, ACLU on the fight for transgender rights","caption":"Laverne Cox, ACLU on the fight for transgender rights","creditText":"Courtesy of the ACLU","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/civil-rights/","name":"Civil Rights"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4894647/trans-transgender-rights-video/","name":"Laverne Cox Will Show You the Long, Intense Fight for Transgender Rights"}}]}] ```