Quotes from Laverne Cox

I wanted to be famous; I wanted to perform. Those things I really, really wanted more than anything else.

I never knew my father. He was never married to my mother; he was never a part of my life. It was just my mom, my brother and me.

My mother was a teacher. She was grooming my brother and me to be successful, accomplished people.

I believe that when we love someone, we respect them, and we listen to them; we feel that their voice matters. And- we let them dictate the terms of who they are and what their story is.

There are lessons in everything. The bad, the good. Our job is to listen, and to continue to learn, so that maybe we get better at this. Maybe get better at life.

I was really creative. I started to dance very young. I loved to dance. I begged my mother to put me into dance classes, and finally, in third grade, she did. Tap and jazz, but not ballet.

When people find out you're an actress, they Google you.

We are not what other people say we are. We are who we know ourselves to be, and we are what we love. That's okay.

Believing that you are unworthy of love and belonging or that who you are authentically is a sin or is wrong, is deadly.

I believe if we have something that we love to do, that can save our lives. That can get us through.

What took time for my mom was getting the pronouns right and calling me by a different name. Laverne was my middle name before I transitioned.

Everyone is insecure. I think, really, it comes from, like, a desire to want to be in control of how you're represented.

I just have to be myself. I'm not perfect, and I'm going to make mistakes; I might say the wrong thing. I have to be responsible to my community, and I feel like I am, but then I have to not be so hard on myself.

I honestly just want to make myself happy most, and if other people like it, then that's great. If they don't, then I'm still happy.

Writing a book is quite an undertaking and I wouldn't want to do it just to do it.

I was an actress long before I was a reality TV person.

When I was perceived as a black man I became a threat to public safety. When I was dressed as myself, it was my safety that was threatened.

When a trans woman gets called a man, that is an act of violence.

Healthcare for trans women is a necessity. It is not elective. It is not cosmetic. It is life saving.

By doing the work to love ourselves more, I believe we will love each other better.

I'm always skeptical about representations of trans people, especially when trans people are not making the work.

Quality is my principle and qualified is my attitude.

There's not just one trans story. There's not just one trans experience.