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As we kick off this Pride weekend, it gives us great pleasure to have an interview with one of 2014's brightest and most inspirational stars: Laverne Cox. Both her and Orange Is The New Black costar Selenis Leyva, who plays Gloria Mendoza, are true voices in their respective communities. Cox speaks honestly and patiently about the perception of trans* people in culture, while Leyva reminds Hollywood there is not just one shade of Latina. On OITNB, both women play magicians of sorts, those responsible for using alchemy to provide crucial services and assistance to their fellow inmates, helping to make their lives feel more normal. So, here's to two ladies who make us, well, incredibly proud.
Transcript
00:03Any more greens up in here?
00:04Yo, I miss that creamed corn.
00:06Well, I give my left tip for a pina colada,
00:08but you don't see that on the menu, right?
00:15Well, she has a new haircut in season two.
00:20And it's been revealed in a lot of the clips
00:22that her son comes to visit, which was a major moment for me.
00:26I cried when I read it in the script, actually.
00:28I think that things are less hectic for Sophia in season two.
00:35There's less drama for her.
00:39And what's been really interesting is the role that she's,
00:42that we're seeing the salon take on in the prison.
00:46That is a place where the women are coming to get counsel
00:50in a weird way, even when they don't think they're getting
00:52counsel in addition to getting her hairstyle.
00:54So that's been interesting, watching those sort of scenes
00:56play out.
00:58Aside from the writers and the creators giving us liberty
01:02to find our own things, for Gloria,
01:05she was able to find her sanity and her stability
01:10with forming this family with her chicas.
01:13And then also with the religion.
01:16The religion aspect plays a big part in season two.
01:19And we touched on it a little bit, season one.
01:22But I love that it's been developed more into season two
01:25and that we're seeing her really bring it
01:27to the girls of Litchfield.
01:31Bravo, you know, for Gen.G and Netflix and Lionsgate
01:34for being so brave and saying we're going to put more
01:36than just one Latina.
01:38And for them to bring forth different types of Latinas.
01:41You know, you have Dominican, Mexican.
01:44You have Afro, Puerto Ricans.
01:47So that's never been done before.
01:50And hopefully Hollywood will start paying attention,
01:52that it works, that we come in different shades and colors
01:56and shapes and sizes and that we're Latinas, you know.
02:00And there's something beautiful about the differences
02:02as much as there is about the similarities.
02:04Hopefully the day will come where it'll just be about,
02:07you're an actress and you're good for this role,
02:09and that is what it is.
02:10I think that for Latinas in particular in the business,
02:13it's been a little bit tough.
02:15And we're lagging behind a little bit.
02:17And hopefully this will be a time for change.
02:21Over the past 61 years that we've been seeing
02:24trans representation in the media,
02:26it's been one or two stories told over and over and over again.
02:29So I think, yes, absolutely we need more trans stories.
02:33I think in terms of who's playing the part, it's tricky.
02:37Because as an actor, I would never suggest
02:39that actors, you know, shouldn't play something.
02:43And I want to be able to play a wide range of roles.
02:45What I would say is that as a trans woman
02:47who's playing this trans character,
02:49that it's been very powerful for the audiences
02:51that I've, you know, gotten to speak with,
02:53for trans people to be able to fully identify and connect,
02:58not only with the character,
02:59but with the person playing the character.
03:01And that for people who are not trans,
03:03they find themselves connecting and having empathy,
03:05not only for this character, but actually
03:07for a trans woman playing it.
03:08I believe that it's actually changed and shifted culture.
03:12I've witnessed people's ideas.
03:14Literally, I've gotten tweets and I've seen blogs
03:17and from folks who said their ideas about transgender people
03:21have changed because of this character.
03:23Trans folks have come out as trans
03:25and starting to transition because of this character.
03:29It is literally changing people's lives.
03:31And I don't know if that would be happening
03:35if a trans actor weren't playing the part.
03:39I've watched a lot of shows now on Netflix.
03:42Like I've been obsessed with The Walking Dead.
03:44Obsessed, I want to be a zombie.
03:46You'd be a great zombie.
03:48Oh my God.
03:49I'll do my own sound effects too.
03:51Yeah.

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