Laverne Cox Reveals She Was the Target of a Transphobic Attack While Hiking

In an Instagram video, Laverne Cox revealed she was the target of a transphobic attack while hiking over the weekend with a friend.

The Orange Is the New Black alum took to her Instagram on Saturday, November 28, to detail how she and a male friend were the target of a homophobic attack while while on a socially distanced hike at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. In the video, Cox, who said that she was “super triggered” and still “in shock,” explained that she and her friend were on the hike when a man “aggressively” asked them for the time.

“Then the guy who asked for the time says to my friend: ‘Guy or girl?'” Cox said. “My friend says, ‘Fuck off.'”

Cox then revealed that the man started to physically assault her friend. “The guy is like hitting my friend, and then my friend is going toward him and I’m like ‘Holy shit,” Cox said. “I pull out my phone and I call to dial 911, and all of a sudden it’s over and the guy is gone.”

In the video, Cox said that she thinks the man wanted her to answer the question instead of her friend. “The guy really wanted me to answer so that he could spook whether I’m trans or not,” Cox said. “I don’t know why, I don’t know why it matters. At the end of the day, it’s like who cares? I’m in a hoodie and yoga pants, I’m completely covered up, I’ve got my mask on. Who cares if I’m trans? How does this affect your life?”

Source: Instagram

Cox then explained that, while the moment was scary, she’s “had a long history of street harassment in New York.” “This isn’t shocking to me. Obviously, this is my life. I’ve dealt with this a lot, but it never fails to be shocking,” Cox said. “None of this is new. [I’ve] been harassed and bullied my whole life.”

Cox ended her video by telling her followers that she feels “lucky and grateful” her friend was there. “It’s not safe in the world,” she said. “It’s not safe if you’re a trans person. Obviously, I know this well. It’s just really sad.”

She continued, “It’s 2020. I’m not 11-years-old… I’m safe. I’m in my home now. Everything’s okay now. I’m safe..It doesn’t matter who you are. You can be Laverne Cox, you know, or whatever that means. If you’re trans, you’re going to experience stuff like this.”

She then told her followers to be “aware of your surroundings” but know that “it’s not your fault” should a similar attack happen to them. “It’s not your fault that there are people not cool with you existing in the world,” she said. “We have a right to walk in the park.”